Sharp

A Mindspace Investigations Novel, Book 2

De: Alex Hughes

Narrado por: Daniel May

History has a way of repeating itself, even for telepaths....

As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop - I never will be - and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident.

And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.

Parts for illegal Tech - the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars 60 years ago - are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all....

©2013 Alexandra Hughes (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

great story, I can't wait for number 3

What made the experience of listening to Sharp the most enjoyable?

The narrator has one of the most pleasant voices I've heard yet in an audio book. The story is unique, something seldom seen these days in sci-fi-fantasy books. I loved every minute of these two novels by Alex Hughes and I can't wait for more.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adam, the main character is a flawed, guilt ridden individual who is desperately trying to stay on the right path but life gets too much for him and he decides to go astray. However, fate seems to have other plans for him and he just keeps putting one foot in front of the other. His demons do come back to haunt him from time to time though.

Which character – as performed by Daniel May – was your favorite?

Adam of course.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Schwartz is in the hospital and Adam realizes how important this man is to his survival, and his sanity.

Any additional comments?

Love the book and the narrator.

Lots of hype, delivered some

Author presented some novel ideas, I only wish he had expanded on the anti gravity auto...and his talent details I felt like too many things were not addressed and made the story somewhat disconnected.
Characters were good some of the voices by the reader were distracting...the book is okay but I think I am done with this series.

Same rants as the first book...

The book lost me about half way through. I still think the story is unique in concept but the author over uses many phrases and the main character complains so much about his lungs and being winded because he smokes but next scene is lighting up again, urghh....
In one scene he smokes six cigarettes in a row and wonders why he can't run!?!
I don't think I'll be moving on to book 3. I can't take anymore of repeated lines and constant whining of Adam.
The narrator is good with the male voices and with the female lead but every other female voice he does is awful.
I really wanted to like this series but I have to leave it here.

Awaiting with bated breathe

What did you love best about Sharp?

I really loved the flow of the story and the story line itself. I also loved the the main characters and loved hating most of the bad guys and even some of the supposedly good ones.

What other book might you compare Sharp to and why?

I think the series is a contender for challenger to Jim Butcher's Dresden files. Different enough not to feel like a copy and keep you interested and on the edge of your chair the entire time.

What does Daniel May bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's probably the main reason why I compare this series to the Dresden Files. He has the same vocal style; a smooth baritone soothing yet varied. The voices are believable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I not only listened to this book in one sitting more or less but I did so immediately following Clean. What a mind trip!

Any additional comments?

I had to read Marked on kindle and was very disappointed that it was not available on audible. I guess that gives me two things to await with bated breath; the audible version of Marked and the next book book in the series. Thanks Mr. Hughes

Sharp is sometimes a bit dull

This is the second book of the series. The storyline is okay, but you will have to reach the end before there is really much suspense. We are also forced to spend a bit too much time stuck in the main character's head as he wallows in guilt and self loathing. I'm going to try one more book. If the main character get's punched in the face by the woman he loves repeatedly in the next one, I'm done.

love this series

I am so happy I discovered this author. the future, telepathy, crime, and sci fi...what more could I ask for.

A normal troubled guy with super powers...

I bought books 1 and 2 quite awhile ago then forgot about them. When I found Clean in my library, I charged right through it. It was one of the better urban fantasies I've read in a long time, so I then read this book which, it turned out, I liked just as much as the first book. So I went and bought the next two in the series as well.

It's an urban fantasy with a male main character who is nothing at all like Dresden (or Mike Carey's Castor for that matter) - he is troubled and challenged and doesn't necessarily know what he is doing all the time - which is why I like him so much. He isn't a super hero, even though he does have super powers of a sort. It is also a decent detective novel, with hints of noir... if the setting didn't include super natural abilities, it could actually fit within the detective/procedural genre fairly easily.

I like the character development; I like the fact that the main character isn't full of himself and sometimes lacks confidence - just like a normal person would in his circumstances. The narration is very good. There is no sex or gore and...I don't think there is much swearing - least I didn't notice it if there was.

Truly OUTSTANDING series!

I don't give 5-star ratings lightly.
I'm beyond impressed with Hughes's writing in the Mindspace Investigations Series creating of a futuristic paranormal (and even dystopian) future.
Sharp (book 2) was every bit as outstanding as Clean (book 1). Absolutely cannot wait for Marked (book 3). A novella (1.5 in series) titled Payoff was thoroughly enjoyable, too.

Daniel May's performance makes an excellent book even better! I'm rooting for May to continue with the whole series as performer.

From book one onward, this series is an "Auto-Buy" for me!

He's no Dresden. But it's good.

The main character is a little weak, though he has depth and is believable.
Overall entertaining, just not my favorite. I'll probably listen to the entire series, unless they really take a bad turn. Great narration.

The writing is better than the story

While I was reading Book 1 (Clean) I was already debating whether I wanted to grab the second in the series. The world building was slowly gaining some details, but a little too slowly. The secondary characters were getting a little fleshed out, but only a little. The main character was likable, very relatable, smart but not omniscient, flawed and aware of it, but with a few secret and not so secret strengths to keep it all interesting. And I have to say I'm at the same place in Book 2 (Sharp).

The story continues the tale of a former drug addict, a strong telepath who got kicked out of the telepath Guild and is currently working alongside the police reading minds during suspect interrogations and following his sorta-partner around to crime scenes, solving some homicides. In this book we learn more of Adam's past, his former profession and the huge mistake that got him booted off his pedestal and out of the Guild. We also get more of Adam being perpetually bullied, accused, threatened and even physically beaten by his coworkers, partner and boss. I'm not super sure how that fits into the story. His partner, a woman detective he's not so secretly in love with, literally punches him in the face as hard as she can for random everyday misunderstandings. I don't get it, I don't understand how it fits with everything else that's going on, and it's really, really weird and out of place. We have a few new characters introduced (another detective/partner, and a Minder from the Guild sent to evaluate Adam, who also swings between being described as a normal human being and a crazed mafia psychopath) and a fairly ho-hum series of crimes that serve as the backdrop to the characters and as a way for them to tell their stories. It moves fairly quickly. There is no suspense, it's not a mystery story or whodunnit, the ending is a foregone conclusion and there are a lot of easily followed set-ups for each new development. You can listen to this with your mind on other things and not miss too much.

The one BIG problem I had is the narrator's female voices. The police boss sounds like Marge Simpson's sisters, Patty and/or Selma, and Adam's former fiance Kara sounds like Count Dracula. The other females all have sorta uneducated, maybe Brooklyn-esque accents combined with something like a speech impediment. It's odd. Each time he does a woman it catapults me right out of the story. He has a surprisingly excellent voice for the main character, the NA sponsor Shwarz and the older cop who has to babysit. He just doesn't have good female voices in his arsenal. I had a hard time thinking of how many stars to give the narration because 3 seemed too small for such a great narrator voice, but 4 doesn't quite express how ludicrous the girl voices are.