Nobody's Angel

Hard Case Crime, Book 65

De: Jack Clark

Narrado por: Peter Lerman

Chicago cabbie Eddie Miles isn’t looking for trouble. He’s just trying to get through another tough night in a dangerous city. When he stumbles on a teenage prostitute left for dead, he finds himself unable to turn away.

"Nobody's Angel doesn't contain a wasted word or a false note...its real beauty lies in Eddie's bittersweet existence and the special romance and danger of the cabdriver's life.” (Washington Post)

“The cynical, melancholy cabbie point of view is perfect for this kind of neon-lit, noir-tinged, saxophone-scored prose poem, and Clark hits all the right notes.” (Booklist)

“Nobody’s Angel is a powerhouse of a book, a genuine work of noir and one of the best books of the year.... Clark does something truly remarkable in a mystery novel here. Much like in the great HBO series The Wire, Clark chronicles the collapse of America’s industrial base and its impact upon both our cities and the intractable problem of race in America through the story of an ordinary man.... This is an incredible book that you will not soon forget.” (Bookreporter.com)

©2010 Jack Clark (P)2019 Jack Clark

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Clark’s true subject [is] his city. Each page turn feels like real, authentic Chicago.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

“[A] slim, sparse, and heartbreaking novel.” (Publishers Weekly)

Not a great mystery

Good world building, interesting people albeit stereotypical characters, unique and realistic setting but missing anything approaching a gripping mystery. Protagonist was not particularly interesting. Yet it held my attention and the ending was not bad. But felt more like a short story stretched out to novel length than a truly twisty mystery.

What a Ride

I totally enjoyed the character of cabbie Eddie. It was quite interesting of the adventures of a cab driver (but question does this really go on) in Chicago. At time it was funny others dark and depressing. Found that Eddie did more work than some of the cops. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you

absolutely incredible

as a daughter to a taxi driver I can relate to this book so very much do knowledge of the author was great and absolutely unexpected the story was written very well and I loved it very much I could relate to a lot of moments in the book and the story around it it was a very interesting as well everything was built in a very specific and beautiful manner that I liked a lot and overall it was a great story
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Nobody's Angel

This was a really good story!I wasn't sure at first,but kept listening.A cabbie in Chicago takes us along on his nightly drive and he may just solve a murder. Peter Lerman was a fine narrator. I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

More drama than mystery

This is more of a Character-driven drama than a mystery. There's a lot in this story about the life of a taxi driver...and about Chicago. I think an intimate knowledge of Chicago would add greatly to one's appreciation of this story. Even without that knowledge, this is a poignant drama that isn't likely to be easily forgotten.

Peter Lerman's performance is perfect for this first-person story. He believably becomes the voice of Eddie.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A Ridealong Through the Streets of Chicago

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

This is billed as a mystery crime novel [and there is crime in this book] but, to me, this book was more about the drama of being a cabbie in Chicago. The story basically has you as a front seat passenger as Eddie, the MC, works his shifts driving the streets of Chicago - the fares he has, the relationships with other cabbies and how cabbies survive the streets. The author even provided relevant laws which govern cabbie behavior in Chicago, which was interesting. During the story, Eddie's cabbie friend is murdered but this seems a side story to the love affair this story has with the landscape of Chicago. I enjoyed the story more as a ridealong than a mystery.

I listened to this book -- the narrator, Peter Lerman, was the perfect narrator for this story.

Even if never been to Chicago

This is a very different story. It is slow and hardly anything happen, but there is an ominous undertone that make me want to continue, to hear more. Well written and narration is excellent! There are alot of street names but still interesting even for me who never been to Chicago (part from transferring at O'Hare).

Dreary Streets of Nighttime Chicago

I received this from AudioBookBoom and the narrator, Peter Lerman, in exchange for an honest review.

This was surprisingly good and not at all what I expected. A dreary, and quite depressing, look at a night-time cabbie rolling through the wide-ranging streets of Chicago. The writing was quite good, and it felt like the author knew what it meant to be a cabbie, the areas to avoid at all costs, and the inherent dangers of the job. The depressing part comes with the seemingly endless life of driving up and down the streets, seeing the decay happen right before your eyes as nice neighborhoods slide inexorably towards becoming slums for the downtrodden. 

The narration was very good, too. While the author didn't try to change voices for the many characters (which is appreciated!), his voice was the right one for this book.

The World of a Chicago Cab Driver

I loved this short dive into the world of cabdriving in Chicago. Through the eyes of Eddie Miles, we get a unique view into the thoughts and feelings of cab drivers and how they deal with dangerous situations. When one of their own is murdered, tensions run high, and Eddie finds himself in the middle of a dangerous cat and mouse game. Anyone could be the murderer, and the only way to tell is to let them in his cab.

Eddie’s character is probably one of the most well-rounded characters I’ve ever read about. He’s normal, an unlikely hero, but he does things that no one else will. A lot of the cab drivers won’t go into dangerous neighborhoods and won’t pick up people with a certain look. Eddie will pick up anyone, even knowing how dangerous that could be. He’s seen all the tricks and knows how to keep himself safe at all times.

The narration for the audiobook had a lilt that matched perfectly to the tone of the audiobook.

All in all, this was a great little noir recommended to all fans of detective/murder mystery stories.

Everyman Hero makes for great book

At times there is almost to much information about what the life of an unremarkable Chicago cab driver is like. As Eddy Miles might say, "It ain't all that great." The more we get to know Eddie however, the more he reminds you of a guy we all probably knew at some point in life and can't say much bad about. His language can be crude at times, and he might be too politically incorrect for some people, but if you pointed that out to him, he would probably just shrug and acknowledge your opinion might have some merit. A live and let live kind of guy.

There are no heroic actions here. He doesn't get involved in high speed car chases through crowded streets. He doesn't investigate things in dangerous situations where you want to scream "CALL A COP! as I tend to do when watching a lot of silly TV amateur detective shows. He doesn't enter a dark barn to check out what that chainsaw sound is. In fact he does call the cops, frequently. He is not and does not want to be a hero. Yes, he has a normal amount of curiosity, and he can be tenacious, but caution and common sense are significantly present at all times. As a result he is not 100% successful. Wins some, loses some. He is a real guy and one you can't help but like and root for. A very satisfying story about a regular guy who has maybe a few more regular problems than most, but still manages to have a big heart in there somewhere.

Being written in the first person Peter Lerman needs to be a convincing Eddy, and he is. Who ever cast him in that role could not have done better. If Peter ever decides to stop narrating books, he would be a natural as a cab driver.