Love for Sale

Gideon Lowry Key West Mysteries, Book 3

By: John Leslie

Narrated by: David A. Wood

Key West P.I. Gideon Lowry is no longer drowning his sorrow in rum these days. He's just drowning, and in desperate need of a lifesaver. Enter Katy Morgan of a local escort service, just the woman to see him through another lonely night. But by the morning after, it's Katy who hits rock bottom - her body is found on the kitchen floor of her trailer, way beyond anyone's help. The gruesome discovery plunges Gideon into a quarter-million-dollar mystery that leads from the treacherous currents of an offshore treasure-salvaging operation, to the dark secret haunting Katy's family, and down the twisted island path of an explosive sex scandal.

Gideon vows to bring the truth behind Katy's death to the surface - even if it means swimming with the sharks in a rising tide of Key West secrets, corruption, and betrayal.

©2014 john leslie (P)2017 john leslie

Love this Series!

Any additional comments?

The more I listen to this series, the more I love it. In Love for Sale, Gideon finds an escort that he was "acquainted" with dead of an apparent suicide. Was it really suicide or murder? The truth will shock and disturb you.

At 60, Gideon is a lonely recovering alcoholic who longs for the old days and hates the so-called progress in Key West, along with the hipsters and slick businessmen that it seems to bring with it. Even his professions as a lounge piano player and private investigator seem to hearken back to bygone days. Each book reveals more layers to his personality and personal struggles, making him a very realistic and sympathetic character that I can't help rooting for. Once again, David A. Wood does a stellar narration of Gideon's story. Love For Sale, Gideon Lowry Key West Mysteries, Book 3 was a terrific listening experience and I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.

Really entertaining, fast-paced murder mystery

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this book. This was my first time listening to the Gideon Lowry series or anything written by John Leslie, for that matter. What I found was a really well-written, solid PI murder mystery that kept my attention throughout. Gideon is a likable character, as were the Judge and the other characters, well, except for the ones that weren't supposed to be likable. I'm definitely interested in listening to more of Mr. Leslie's books, and I definitely want to listen to the other books within this series. This book is a perfect example of a classic, almost noir, PI murder mystery that takes place in the easy, laid back town of Key West. The people, descriptions, plot, etc. were great and the story moved along at a great pace and never left me bored, as some other books do.

David Wood was a great narrator for the book and really fit my mental image of Gideon. He did a great job with the other characters as well. Just a really solid narration. I would definitely, without a doubt, recommend this book to anyone that loves a good, classic, somewhat noir old fashioned PI murder mystery. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

Another great Gideon Lowry mystery and performance

These books just keep getting better each time. The charm and ambiance of Key West is evident from the start. And I've never even been there! I've seen it in movies, so I can imagine, and what I haven't seen in movies, John Leslie skillfully fills in for me to picture in my mind.

And the narration of David A. Wood as always can't be matched. David brings to gravity of the hard boiled (modern) detective to life better than any other reader I've heard.

The story keeps a great pace with murder, family secrets, money and twists that will keep you interested all the way through. This one's a keeper,and I hope that John Leslie keeps them coming.

Loved it..

I loved the pace of this book. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I found out just how wrong I was ..

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Overlooked solid book

What made the experience of listening to Love for Sale the most enjoyable?

I had never heard of this book or the series before, and they seem to have been overlooked in the 1990s when they were first written. That is a shame and I plan to get the earlier novels in the series. This was a really solid book with good pacing, tight plot, and interesting characters. I found it to be not quite hard-boiled or dark as noir, it's a little softer on the edges. That made it a smooth read. You don't walk away from it feeling depressed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gideon Lowry is a very interesting and well-developed character. He is ultimately very likable. He feels like a guy you want to have around. He is not judgmental and due to his own past, gives people a real fair shake.

What does David A. Wood bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really enjoyed David A. Woods' performance. I am surprised I haven't heard from him before. I think he fits the series really well like Richard Ferrone with John Sandford's Lucas Davenport books or Joe Barrett with Brian Freeman's Jonathan Stride series. I can easily imagine seeing his name on other books. He does a good job with the pacing and characters. Everyone is distinct, but I'm not overwhelmed.

Any additional comments?

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

Key West : Suicide or Murder?

Another great book about Key West's aging detective/piano player, the 3rd I have listened to in Leslie's Gideon Lowry series, and every bit as engaging as the first two. I have become quite the fan. An interesting plot weaving together interesting characters, both conchs and outsiders, and more flavor of Key West from an old working boat to a modern cruise ship. An enjoyable read where like the storefronts on Duvall Street, nothing seems to stay the same forever in Key West.
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Interesting story - genuine Conch Republic flavor

I wanted to listen to this book because of its setting. Having lived in the Keys, I was aware of the uniqueness of the community and wondered if it would be woven into the story. It was. Natives of Key West are more family than neighbors and while friendly to outsiders, it's very difficult to get "next to" them if you aren't one of them. The characters in the story, for the most part, are natives. This book will probably give you one of the few opportunities to feel what the Key West natives are really like.

In the book, Gideon, the P.I., battles to stay away from the bottle, but gets lonely from time to time, and it gets hard. He seeks companionship with a young lady through an escort service. He is surprised to find her on his doorstep the next day asking him to help her. She has a couple of deep, rather dark secrets and she's frightened. Before he gets a chance to help her, he finds her dead, a victim of an apparent suicide. He liked her and vowed that he would get to the bottom of what was bothering her enough to take her life. Her secrets wind themselves through the Conch community and extend to the wealthy treasure diving companies that have set up operations down there. Some of her secrets even fall on his own family's doorstep.

Gideon has his flaws, but he also lives without judging others. He is a very likable character and you want to spend more time with him. The author fleshes out the characters in this book and draws you in because of it. This is not the type of mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The pace is comfortable, making it a really enjoyable listen. I often worry about picking up a book in the middle of a series, because sometimes, you need to listen to the earlier books for background in order to get the full story. Fortunately, that isn't the case here. This is a solid, stand alone book that requires no help. Having said that, because I like the characters so much, I will go back and listen to the earlier books and I'm anxious to read the next one that is previewed at the end of the book.

I don't believe I have listened to any of David Wood's narrations before. That seems to be my loss. His narration adds much to the flavor of the book. The female characters don't feel like squeaky affectations, like they do in many others. Gideon has a style of speech that is in keeping with his character. The other characters also take on their own styles. Because of that, the book is far more interesting than it would have been if it had been read by someone less gifted. I will start to look for books that he has narrated to listen to in the future.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. If you have read any of my other reviews, you know that I don't give a good review if I feel that a book is lacking. I think you will enjoy this book. You won't be biting your nails off, but you will remain interested throughout and you'll leave it satisfied and wanting to continue in the series.

Piano playing detective

This is my first time listening to this series from this author and I was pleasantly pleased. The characters were likable. The story had a lot of twists and turns and I honestly couldn’t figure out the end. Looking forward to reading more from this author and the wonderful narrator when did a fantastic job.
I received this free for an honest review from the author or narrator.

Great Mystery!

I really enjoyed this book! I love this setting of Key West and all of the descriptions. The story is a standalone listen and part of a series. The narrator did an awesome performance with the various characters and their voices. It has been years since I was in Key West, and I could visualize so much. I loved the reference to Conch and Outsiders in this book too! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it.

The best of the series

Any additional comments?

Usually by the time you get to the third book in a series, the characters and story lines begin to suffer. Not so with this listen. This book was the best in the series!

Gideon is so real that I feel like I know him. This story had the mystery interacting with friends from Gideon's past and provided an even more intimate look into his character.

The mystery was a really good one. It was bittersweet (and slightly disturbing.) There were many intersecting story lines but the ending was incredibly satisfying.

This listen was very much a culmination of a well-written mystery, with characters you cared about, and a narrator that made you feel every single word.