Harbor Nocturne

By: Joseph Wambaugh

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

When Dinko Babich, a young longshoreman, delivers Lita Medina, a young Mexican dancer, from San Pedro Harbor to a Hollywood nightclub, their lives are forever changed. An unexpectedly tender and moving love story develops among the cops and criminals who occupy the harbor, and soon Dinko and Lita are caught up in terror and peril through no fault of their own.

Some LAPD characters from Wambaugh’s acclaimed “Hollywood Station” series are here: the surfer cops “Flotsam and Jetsam,” aspiring actor “Hollywood Nate” Weiss, and young Britney Small, along with new members of the midwatch, all gamely coping with the wackiness of Hollywood. It’s a tale only Wambaugh could have told, with his trademark dark humor and unflinching eye for detail.

©2012 Joseph Wambaugh. Recorded by arrangement with Mysterious Press, an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc. (P)2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

“Razor-edged dialogue punctuates the vignette-filled plot. Realistic criminals are well matched by Wambaugh’s equally authentic police.” ( Publishers Weekly, Starred Review)

“A very fast ride-along, enlivened by cop gallows humor, snarky street altercations, and an insistent pull to the dark side.” ( Booklist, Starred Review)

“The legendary Wambaugh’s newest is chock-full of his trademark cop talk and offbeat side vignettes.” ( Library Journal)

Some funny, some not so funny, not bad i guess

I found parts of this very funny, and then some pretty bland. It was like a good in-between book for when i couldn't find anything better. Just so-so.

I liked it.

His stories are all about Hollywood and vicinity and they are real.. You can go there and see the people he is writing about.. Since the LA Police have changed since the riots and
Rodney King, so have his characters. I have been reading his books since theri beginning
and I continue to await his next book.

A good but not great read

I've read and loved Wambaugh's books in the past. This was not his best but it was a good listen, if a little slow at times.

Wambaugh ROCKS!!

What did you like best about this story?

The way Wambaugh creates stories within stories, I never wanted to turn it off. It leaves me wanting more and counting down the days for a new one!

Wambaugh

If there is another writer, who displays the gallows humor and insanity of the street cop life better than Joe Wambaugh, I'd like to know who it is.

Hollywood Division Rides Again!

The guys and gals of Hollywood Division are back and then some! Like the others in this series, Harbor Nocturne does not disappoint. Wambaugh's crazy characters abound as usual, but this installment has a good strong storyline, as well. Plenty of humor, action, tragedy, and even love. Well worth your time, but just be careful where you're listening, people might wonder what your constantly changing facial expressions are all about!

Walbaugh and Bray perfectly paired!

This wasn’t my first introduction. I was happy when i realized that some of our favorite police officers from the “Hollywood Station” series are featured. Author Joseph Wambaugh zigzags his way through his subplots at a perfect pace; “Harbor Nocturne” grabbed my attention and never let go. As always, narrator R.C. Bray goes above and beyond with his precise vocal skills. There are ruthless “bad guys,” however, I enjoyed some giggles along the way which, of course, I expected. Well done, indeed! Worth a credit, however, I was thrilled to have found it in the Audible Plus catalogue at no charge. An awesome thank you to Wambaugh and Bray, as well as Audible for bringing this enthralling thriller to the forefront. I look forward to more from this talented duo.

👏✍️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👏✍️

This is a Hollywood Station novel.

What did you love best about Harbor Nocturne?

After initially thinking this was not in the Hollywood Station series, I was thrilled to realize that it was a continuation of the stories of the men and women I grew to love in Wambaugh's earlier novels. It was particularly nice to see what had happened to the surfer cops after the accident in the last book. I love all of these characters and was grateful for another chance to visit their world.

Any additional comments?

I felt that this reader did a great job, but I hate it when they change readers mid series.

Hollywood's Back, Baby!

What did you love best about Harbor Nocturne?

I've always loved the grit, humor and realism of the Hollywood Station stories by Joseph Wambaugh. But of the several audiobooks I've listened to of Wambaugh's work, narrator R.C. Bray definitely got it.

What did you like best about this story?

How true to human emotions it is; especially the use of humor. Humor helps aid in everything from sadness to loneliness to pure elation (obviously!). And Joseph Wambaugh is a natural master at it. The politically incorrect banter between the cops is incredibly refreshing. Nice to see that people aren't afraid to 'cross the lines' because they know that it's all in good fun and embracing our differences as well as our respective stereotypes - can be exhilaratingly hilarious and freeing.

What does R. C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His tongue-in-cheek take definitely created a different vision of the Hollywood Station books for me. It's hard to bring a character to life more than Joseph Wambaugh, but R.C. Bray definitely held his own - he fleshed them out nicely. The accents were great too!!!

This is one of my things that borders on a pet peeve but it'd be great if there was some consistency in the narrator for the 'Station' books. Not knocking the others by any means, but if I had my say I'd nominate R.C. Bray!

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

Yes - but having a full time job, and a family... kinda put the kaibash on that! HA!

Any additional comments?

A truly great listen - enjoy!!!

Not my favorite Joseph Wambaugh… But

His ability to capture personalities and events remains pretty darn good. Those novel was largely forgettable. It was very entertaining, and the reader did a very credible job. In one month, I will have forgotten the storyline, but the authors. Expertise in placing his audience with people in events will remain.