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California Bear  By  cover art

California Bear

By: Duane Swierczynski
Narrated by: James Urbaniak, Jesse Vilinsky, Duane Swierczynski
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Publisher's summary

This "fresh, exciting, and brilliantly unpredictable" thriller (James Patterson) from a "great storyteller" (Michael Connelly) follows four unlikely vigilantes who pit themselves against the villain behind California’s coldest case when they decide to take justice into their own hands.

NONE OF YOU ARE SAFE

“KILLER”: Jack Queen has been exonerated and freed from prison thanks to retired LAPD officer Cato Hightower. But when guilt gnaws at Jack, he admits: “I actually did it.” To which Hightower responds: “Yeah, no kidding.” You see, the ex-cop has a special job in mind for the ex-con…

THE GIRL DETECTIVE: Fifteen-year-old Matilda Finnerty has been handed a potential death sentence in the form of a leukemia diagnosis. But that’s not going to stop her from tackling the most important mystery of her life: Is her father guilty of murder?

GENE JEANIE: Jeanie Hightower mends family trees for a living, but the genealogist is unable to repair her own marriage. And her soon-to-be ex may have entangled her in a scheme that has drawn the bloody wrath of…

THE BEAR: A prolific serial killer who disappeared forty years ago, who is only now emerging from hibernation when the conditions are just right. And this time, the California Bear is not content to hunt in the shadows…

From two-time Edgar nominee Duane Swierczynski, California Bear is clever, moving, and surprising as it takes aim at the true crime industry, Hollywood, justice, and the killers inside us all.

©2024 Duane Swierczynski (P)2024 Mulholland Books

Critic reviews

“Duane Swierczynski has written his best novel, and that’s saying something. From the tragi-comic opening sentence to the heartrending final paragraph, California Bear is fresh, exciting, and brilliantly unpredictable. The Girl Detective will live in my heart forever.” —James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author

"Swierczynski is brilliant at fooling even savvy readers, and his jaw-dropping twists never compromise his exceptional character development. This is a tour de force.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The novel tackles a number of themes, including the current fascination with true-crime stories, the difficulties of reconciliation between people who have been estranged for many years, and the question of whether someone who acquires a taste for killing can ever really stop. The characters are beautifully designed, and the author offers up some tantalizing questions. . . . Swierczynski brings the story to a magnificent, surprising, exhilarating conclusion. An ambitious and deeply satisfying novel."—Booklist (starred review)

What listeners say about California Bear

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

All the twists and the characters- Matilda and Hightower most memorable.

Really entertaining - enjoyed Matilda, even though her detection skills were hard to believe, especially for a 14-year-old. I also liked the interactions between Jack and Hightower and all the crazy scrapes that they got into.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

Loved this entire story! Girl Detective is such an amazing girl! This is definitely going in my read again list.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun

I enjoyed listening to this book with the main characters so drastically different. I found myself laughing at times. The author's note at the end was heartbreaking.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun

This was a fun story, with enjoyable characters that made some points without feeling heavy handed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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I didn’t know who did it

I don’t mind stories told from multiple viewpoints. I found the characters enjoyable and liked the insight into their thoughts.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

Good story taking aim at the “true crime” mania that seems to be so prevalent. (Can’t say I haven’t found myself lost in a few of those podcasts myself). Not overly predictable. Kept me entertained and wondering how some of these characters were linked.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best storyline for our time 2023

Great character development. wonderful plot twists and turns,very believable ending. loved the way it was told from the different character
views and time frames.

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17 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Unpredictable yet not too outlandish storyline.

The author's take on 'Profiting on other's horror' is very timely and needed. And the characters were excellent as well.

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  • 06-16-24

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this

I don’t typically buy books with so few sources and reviews to recommend them. I got this one on sale without high hopes and thought it was very well done, fast moving, good characters, and solid narrators. The afterword by the author made it even more meaningful. I would definitely purchase a sequel.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting book that kept me engaged with appealing good guys who I enjoyed taking me on an entertaining mystery.

This is just a thoroughly well written and developed storyline. The characters were diverse and engaging.

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