Prodigal Blues

By: Gary A. Braunbeck

Narrated by: Eric Dove

From award-winning author Gary A. Braunbeck comes Prodigal Blues, his first foray into non-supernatural horror.

After he finds himself stranded at a truck stop in Missouri, Mark Sieber gets one of the biggest shocks of his life when he recognizes the face of a little girl on a Missing poster as belonging to the same little girl he saw only a few minutes before. Looking around for some sign of her, he comes back to his table in the restaurant to find the little girl sitting there, waiting for him.

"I'm sorry, mister," is all she seems capable of saying.

As the police and media begin to converge on the truck stop, Mark retreats back to his hotel room to call his wife and let her know what's going on, only to be taken hostage by the same people who released the little girl. But his abductors are little more than children themselves.

Ranging in ages from 12 to 19, Mark's abductors are in the process of escaping from a sadistic pedophile known to them only as "Grendel" - a man whose practices include torture and mutilation specifically, mutilation of the face.

Mark's abductors have all been mutilated by Grendel who may be very close behind them and need someone with a "normal face" to help them carry out their plan for justice and returning home.

For the next few days, Mark will come to understand not only the inhuman horror that these children have suffered, but how they eventually learned to fight back and how they discovered that Grendel and his practices are at the center of a very complex network catering to those who tastes run toward the molestation and mutilation of children.

©2006 Gary A. Brunbeck (P)2011 David N. Wilson

A unique story

Wow, this book blew me away. Be warned, it's very dark and violent. This is definitely not for the faint of heart. That being said, it was an amazing read. The character development was my favorite part of this book. I really cared for the characters in this book, and was nervous as to what would happen to them.
The narrator does a good job of creating distinct voices for all the characters.

I want more from Gary B. please.

Would you consider the audio edition of Prodigal Blues to be better than the print version?

Perhaps, but since I did not READ it I cannot compare the two.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Prodigal Blues?

Too many to list, both good and awful.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can not tell you. Spoiler Alert. There were a few however.

Who was the most memorable character of Prodigal Blues and why?

Mark. The conversations with his father, and meeting the "uncle" (he was real good too).

Any additional comments?

This was a unique tale of courage, desperation, ingenuity, love and honor. How can you go wrong when you hit ALL of these marks dead on ~ (pun intended).
It was well read, and moved right along, keeping me hooked all the way through. Any longer would have been a crime. The end was satisfying for me, all things considered, throughout this journey.

Dark, but well written and unique

What did you love best about Prodigal Blues?

Very well crafted characters.

What did you like best about this story?

The sort of sing-song chanting voice.

What does Eric Dove bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Engaging voice and breadth of characterization

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

It's very dark. It makes you think.

Any additional comments?

This is a horror novel. Not for the squeamish.

Worth the listen!

I see that a lot of people who have submitted reviews are put off by the subject matter of this story. It is disturbing and horrifying, to be sure. But, if you can make it through that, you will hear a beautiful, haunting, and moving story. I cried at the end. I have read one other novel from this author, and Braunbeck is a very talented writer. Please do not let the descriptive narrations throw you off; it all pays off at the end. I liked the narrator quite a bit - he is very good and has a wonderful moment toward the end. All in all, a terrific story, seemingly hopeless but in the end very redeeming.

A solid 4+ stars rounded up to 5 because...

A janitor, a monster and a disturbing and redemptive road trip to salvation and possibly (no, probably) death.

Well done and entertaining, if such subject matter can be called entertaining.

A solid 4+ stars rounded up to 5 because the narration added a lot to the overall feel and tone of the story.

Braunbeck Never Disappoints

Expertly performed. This story will take you through the emotional wringer. You will come out the other side, like the characters within it, broken yet transcendent.

Jesus Christ.

narration was pretty spot on. fella sounded like Nathan Fillion, which, you know. huge plus.

this is my favorite novel ever. it's gut wrenching, horrifying, captivating, tragic, and beautiful. Braunbeck never fails to deliver.

Gripping story

This is a terrible book, not by its quality but because of its theme, and the depiction of horrific violence exerted against children.

And yet, once I began to listen to it, I couldn't stop. It's devastating, and yet, in a twisted way, also hopeful. The writing is really, really good, dark and emotional but putting the goodness of one single man against the purest of evil; the will of those children to survive it all and go back to their families. This is a story with meaning, with a core of light that allowed me to go through it in one go and not to end gutted.

A really good story, but not one for the faint of heart.

Eric Dove does a fabulous job with the narration.

Beware

Would you try another book from Gary A. Braunbeck and/or Eric Dove?

No

Any additional comments?

This book is twisted. Not in a good way. I stopped listening, and deleted it from my device. I would stay away from this audio book.

Pretty bad

To edgy readers chagrin I'm not giving it 1 star because I couldn't handle the dark elements of the story. Moreso because I couldn't understand how a book so twisted could also be so boring and silly.

The subject matter was pretty disgusting -- i.e. pedophilia, rape, torture. Imagine mixing these nefarious elements with complete inconceivable goofiness... moments that made me laugh out loud and share clips from the audiobook with others.

This is a sample from the story where the protagonist's life is in danger, and his reaction is to laugh:

"I couldn't get control of the chuckles and the hoots. Doubled up with the snickers and snorts then tripled up with the cackles. By the time the chortled and guffaws came into it I think I was beginning to implode. I howled with laughter.
Quaked with mirth... Almost became transcendant with the sillies... I snuckled I chorkled. I even guffortled."

Too funny to not share