The Dead Cold Series: Books 14-16

A Dead Cold Box Set, Volume 5

By: Blake Banner

Narrated by: Adam Grupper

Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Books 14-16 in the USA Today best-selling Dead Cold series from two-million best-selling author Blake Banner.

• Trick or Treat (book 14)
• Blood into Wine (book 15)
• Jack in the Box (book 16)

Sue Benedict wasn’t giving out treats, so she got the trick. It was one hell of a trick.

She was raped and murdered in her apartment after attending a Halloween party with a bunch of art students. The killer did not use a condom or gloves, so the CSI team got a perfect DNA profile and two perfect thumbprints from her throat. A witness also saw her admit the killer to her apartment at 2:30 a.m. that night. It should have been a slam dunk. The only problem was, the DNA profile and the thumb prints didn’t match anyone on CODIS or IAFIS, or anyone at the party.

The killer, who made no effort to hide his identity, had vanished without a trace–just like the one witness who might actually have known what happened that night. And 12 years later, the case is as cold as Sue Benedict and the icy December wind coming in off the East River.

©2020 Right House (P)2023 Right House Audio

Narration

I love the narrator's voice. I think it's perfect for the main character! He sounds like a NY detective!

Most talented Reader!

I like these books very much. My husband and I both enjoy listening to them. They are well written fun crime stories with intriguing twists at the end of each. The main character is brilliant and that is always refreshing. His strength and intelligence, not to mention his skills of observation make him a formidable opponent for any of these well written criminals. All the characters are well formed and fully fleshed out.
I do think it would’ve been nice if someone had given the writer a thesaurus. He doesn’t seem to have any other words to describe the human backside other than, ass. I am really tired of everybody putting their ass somewhere. Surely they could, rest their backside, park their rump, prop their derrière, drop their bum, flop their fanny, or simply sit, etc.
The only other complaint I have is that the “beautiful“ female detective is mannerless to the point of being disgusting at times. I suppose her piggish habits are supposed to make her seem more human and real to us. However, anyone over the age of two, who talks with their mouth full is simply ill mannered and extremely unattractive. I believe that her partner is presented to us as a man with a bit more polish. It is always jarring to be reminded that he is not repulsed by her bad manners. Maybe it’s just me; I do have a vivid imagination.
The narrator is unmatched in making every character he portrays believable. I can be completely swept into believing whatever he wants me to believe. I love the “film noir gruff” of his voice for these books. He’s perfect!

Mystery and a little romance I enjoy reading

Very interesting series and audible voice ? Light listening that is enjoyable and keeps interest worth buying

Awesome main characters

His books are a great blend of well-developed characters and intriguing storylines that make you want to binge listen!

Dollar Store Paperbacks

These are not good books. This author… he is neither clever nor smart nor original nor witty. The characters are, while not one dimensional certainly not skillfully developed. It would take a better author to do that. Everything about this series is watered down, lowest common denominator material. I would not recommend this to my cat. Maybe to my iguana. If you are articulate and posses a firm grasp on the English language, these books will be exercises in frustration.

John Stone and Carmen Dehan are both pretty annoying people. As a couple they are downright cringeworthy. The whole “cute couple” schtick is absolutely nauseating. Like the author has never actually had a girlfriend (big surprise). Maybe he married the first woman who’d hold his hand and he is projecting his fantasy of being a ladies man onto his male protagonist. There’s a lot of that in these books. You get the feeling that John Stone represents what the author wants to be. Young, tough and lusted by every gorgeous woman he encounters. It’s pathetic .

The narrator is a similar situation. He’s clearly a good 20years older than Stone is supposed to be. He doesn’t sound tough or cool at all. He is more “uncle sol the accountant” then hardboiled sexy super sleuth. His voice is nasal and his accent is straight out of New Jersey middle class, not waspy lone wolf.

There is so much repetition of certain phrases, words, ideas that it is nauseating. It would be one thing if these books were simple but honest genre work. What really get me angry is that the author makes amateurish attempts to be much more than that. Waxing poetic about one thing or another but using the same terms and techniques over and over. In some cases actually regurgitating turns of phrase inaccurately. Just lazy, ignorant, uneducated tosh.

Everyone is always “drawing breath”. Slamming car doors. Leaning their asses on desks and car hoods. Sucks their teeth. Dehan is always grinning at Stone. Stone is always talking about how he’s the luckiest man alive. EEW 🤮. Or commenting on how beautiful she is. How long and slim her legs are. They are always staring at each other. If you erased every phrase that was repeated more than twice, you’d end up with five books, not 23.

I finally put this series down in disgust for the last time. Like a bad girlfriend I was miserable with but kept going back to, I abused myself through 16 whole novels. But no more. I’m saving myself. And if you are at all intelligent, well read, educated and moderately street smart you should too!