Gun Dealing

The Ryder Quartet, Book 2

By: Ian Patrick

Narrated by: Ian Patrick

This sequel to the action-packed Devil Dealing depicts the ongoing search by detectives Jeremy Ryder and Navi Pillay for the evil gangster Skhura Thabethe, dealer in stolen weapons, drugs and murder. The secondary plot shows the detectives uncovering a link between stolen weapons and the local trade in drugs. The two main plots unfold in strictly organized chronological sequence over 10 days, until a climactic ending when the two plot-lines coalesce in a spectacular confrontation between the detectives and the two main villains. Against a background of delicate emotional exchanges between victims of crime and the police, Gun Dealing, like its predecessor, explores the moral and ethical choices made by the detectives in their day-to-day confrontation with rampant and brutal crime in contemporary South Africa.

©2015 Ian Patrick (P)2015 Ian Patrick

Starts with a lyrical echo from a famous book

Would you listen to Gun Dealing again? Why?

Very apt and very relevant to the situation today, and very well written

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way it starts with an echo of Paton's "Cry the Beloved Country". It starts off lyrically and tranquil and then it explodes into the most extraordinary action. Then it doesn't let up till the end. A well-wrought thriller. Very entertaining.

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favorite?

Mkhize was very funny. But I like the two Afrikaner detectives Kooks and Dips.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Trace the weapons

Any additional comments?

Very good accents and very accurate about the country and its people.

Great story: needs a full cast of actors

Would you consider the audio edition of Gun Dealing to be better than the print version?

Not really. Good, but I really liked the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The villain, Mr Tabethe. Very evil man. Horrible. The worst kind of criminal you can imagine.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Ian Patrick?

Yes. He does it very well. But there are too many characters here for one voice, I think. He is really very good with the villain and the neutral-voice narration and the main male detectives. But he's not so good on the women characters. Should have had an actress working with him. Don't get me wrong: he's very good, but it's too much for one male voice to do all the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh yes, I cried and I laughed. And I shuddered, too, at the villainy.

Any additional comments?

Very, very nice characters. I loved the grandmother of the twins. And the grandmother of the young murdered constable. And the Afrikaaner detectives (so sweet). Oh, yes. I should also say: I thought the studio sound was really good. I've done voice overs myself, in a studio, and the quality here is better than I have experienced myself. No popping microphones, etc. No faults at all.

A really good series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd recommend this to anyone wanting real thrills and real characters in a totally exciting journey through the darkness of real crime

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jeremy Ryder is great, but I like the villain Thabethe. Well. Like him? Not in that sense.

What about Ian Patrick’s performance did you like?

Very real and in your face. I mean ear. Very intriguing voice and well articulated all the way through.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Here comes the cavalry. Good will prevail.

Any additional comments?

I liked all the books in this series, but the last two are particularly outstanding.

Audio was very good

Would you consider the audio edition of Gun Dealing to be better than the print version?

Yes. Really nice voice and accents made it even more enjoyable.

Would you be willing to try another book from Ian Patrick? Why or why not?

Sure. The action is very fast and exciting and the characters well drawn. Nice thrilling reading and listening.

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favorite?

The villain was great. The dinner party was superb.

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

The visit of the parents of the deceased woman constable.

Any additional comments?

I read the book back a few months and only listened to this recently. It's really very good. Maybe I was harsh in giving only three stars to the book. It deserves more. It came alive in the reading.

Brilliant thriller

This was really good. The story was great, and the characters interacting with one another was very often in dialogue, which made it like watching a play unfold in the theatre.

The audio version was very good, except I thought the narrator rushed it a bit and there was not enough distinction between men and women voices. But the three bad guys were well done. These guys, when they're drunk - as these characters were in the first scene when we see them talking to each other in the bush - they are all over the place and the dialogue in those scenes was fantastic. I know these accents and this slang quite well. And I can speak a few of the languages. It was very convincing on the audio.

The two detectives - Kooks and Dips - were also very funny and believable. They have hearts of gold but the women run rings around them with their superior intellect.

Great but more women needed

Where does Gun Dealing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top class.

What did you like best about this story?

Very intriguing story and very real and true to life

What three words best describe Ian Patrick’s performance?

Excellent with male voices, but needs actresses to accompany him for the female voices.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Very, very sad in places and very funny in others. Very good characters and dialogue, And accents very good.

Any additional comments?

I listened to it on a long car journey. Very absorbing.

Lyrical and moving and violent

Where does Gun Dealing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Right near the very top

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gun Dealing?

The scene with the parents of the murdered constable was very touching

Which character – as performed by Ian Patrick – was your favorite?

Thabethe the bad guy, no question

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Violent crime and tender human relationships

Any additional comments?

Very exciting and quick-paced

Bad guys need to be put down like this

Would you listen to Gun Dealing again? Why?

Yep. Really nice. Exciting and believable.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Funny enough, the bad guy Mkhize is such a laugh. I liked him a lot. But Tabetty was also a great character. What a slimeball.

What about Ian Patrick’s performance did you like?

Great accents. Lots of style and pace and excitement without going over the top.

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

The scene with the captain and the parents of the murdered constable was reall good. Very sad.

Any additional comments?

Very believable all the way.

Lovely thriller

What made the experience of listening to Gun Dealing the most enjoyable?

Nice characters and accents, and lots of action and thrills

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mavis, the young constable. She was great (I liked her especially because I've already listened to the next audiobook in this series and I know what she develops into: it's good to see her here at an earlier stage).

What about Ian Patrick’s performance did you like?

Very nice and easy and confident with no tricksiness.

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

The funeral scenes was touching and the scene where the parents and grandmother visit the captain was so, so beautiful.

Any additional comments?

Maybe it could have worked better with female voices adding to the male voice. I don't know, really.

Amazing action and plausible characters

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For sure. I read the first in the series then thought I'd listen to the second one. Good move. The accents and characters come to life and the action is thrilling. Very good.

What did you like best about this story?

The dinner at the detective's home was really good. Nice thrilling scene.

What about Ian Patrick’s performance did you like?

Good voice. Good characters. Nice intimate style.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Guns and demons

Any additional comments?

Very good to have a non-American, non-British voice for a change.