Serial

By: John Lutz

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The killer becomes the hunted.

She was gagged. Violated. Tortured. Nailing the killer is priority number one and only the best will do - that means Frank Quinn. And Quinn wouldn't want it any other way. Because he recognizes the victim. Years ago, as a homicide detective, he saved her young life. Now the hunt is on, and deep in his gut, Quinn welcomes it. He knows he's seeing the work of a truly twisted serial killer. Except it's not the ritual weapon that makes this killer so disturbing. It's who he kills - and how he makes them suffer….

©2011 John Lutz (P)2011 Random House

Great author.

I really like this author. I like his writing style, he is a bit graphic, but not constantly. I don’t know how he thinks of these serial killers but wow are they bad.

I love all the characters in this series. They are all being well developed.

As for the narration, I love Scott Brick he is amazing.

Serial keeps you guessing

In New York City, women are being brutally murdere;, slowly tortured until death finally takes them, but not until the killer, dubbed the Skinner by the press, has had his fun. At first, the murders seem random, however, PI Quinn soon learns that each of these women had mistakenly ID the wrong guy for a rape they did not committ. With the advancements made in DNA research, these wrongly imprisoned men have been released, but which of those men is the killer? As the number of victims grows, PI Quinn and his team know they have to stop the Skinner and they will use any means and any one to do so.

A great reading by Brick of a keeps you guessing story. The ending may surprise you when you think you've figured out who dunnit.

Pefect Hard Core Combination

If you could sum up Serial in three words, what would they be?

No holds barred. I love Brick.

What other book might you compare Serial to and why?

I can only compare Lutz to Lutz because nobody pushes the detective fiction envelope quite like he does. When you want it nasty and compelling he's your guy. This is violent no apologies detective fiction so know that going in. Not for the faint hearted. He's hard core and I love that about him.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the chemistry between the main characters in his series: Quinn, Pearl and Federman. They juxtapose the heartless nasty violence in an elegant refreshing way. And Brick's narration of these characters has always brought them to life for me. Nobody else can read Lutz's books like he does.

Sound Familiar?

Lutz has been riding the same story too long now. It was intriguing for a couple books but it's time to find a new story line. Time for Pearl to get away from Quinn, he's an old man and an old storyline. If it weren't for Scott Brick, I wouldn't have bothered this to read another Lutz book, he's by far the best narrator in the business.

Deranged Serial Killer in NYC

Being a fan of Lutz and the Quinn series, I am listening to them in order. Like the others, this plot centers around a gruesome serial killer who targets women who have been rape victims. With the modern use of DNA testing, it was determined that 20+ men were wrongly imprisioned. These are the women who are being murdered in a most horrific manner. This story also has a back story of a small town woman who is raped. Her evangelical husband cannot handle this fact and leaves her pregnant to have the rapist's child. It was interesting how the two plots were woven together. And, of course, the story continues to develop the characters of Quinn and Pearl and the rest of the cast. As for Scott Brick, I am a fan of his soothing voice. All in all, not disappointed.

Gripping until the very end.

After listing to his novels, I keep thinking that I am figuring out his style. With each one, Lutz throws in a different, unexpected spin. It keeps me coming back for more!

John Lutz = Nail biting suspense...

Another book by John Lutz that is narrated by Scott Brick (who does all of the Frank Quinn series). Between the writing and the dramatic narration this book will have you on the edge of your seat.
If you are faint of heart this book probably isn't for you. It does contain graphic descriptions of murder scenes. It is best to keep in mind that this is a work of fiction although it would not surprise me to find out that this is based on reality.
In this book someone is brutally torturing and killing women who wrongfully identified men as their rapists and years later the men were exonerated through DNA testing.
At the same time this story is unfolding a parallel story from 20 years earlier is being told. The end culminates with an explosive coming together of both storylines.
The characters are very colorful and the three or four consistent ones are all hard shelled with rather warped senses of humor mixed with sick sarcasm. These qualities make some of the more gruesome scenes more palpable as you say to yourself "Did they just say that!?!"
This is probably my favorite John Lutz book.
Fantastically written and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
If you found this review helpful please indicate so.
Thank You.

Great twists, painful in parts.

Scott Brick does and amazing job as usual.

The story is very graphic... i distinctly remember thinking to myself... "i hope they don't tell me more." only to be grateful that the scene ended.

The twists are great, the characters are well thought out... definitely not for the faint of heart... but if you can wade through the ugliness and brutality wrought by some of the characters... you will find yourself hooked and invested in the story.

My first Lutz... not my last.

Another Page Turner by John Lutz

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

It's right up there at the top, specifically because of Scott Brick.

What other book might you compare Serial to and why?

Anything else that John Lutz has written in the Quinn series.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I try very hard to ONLY listen to Scott Brick.

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

I wouldn't make it into a movie.

Any additional comments?

Another Frank Quinn book. I'm glad for all the progress with the relationships in the team. I LOVE Pearl's mother and their conversations. They actually make me laugh out loud. This book and the last have irritated me insofar as Mr. Lutz seems to have a problem with women. I understand he's writing about serial killers, but the tone with which he talks about women (in general) is beginning to get tiresome. And Nift. I hate Nift. But the books are well written and I never figure out who it is until he tells me in the end.

Ending was excellent!

I like mysteries that have twists and turns. This book give you that plus the suspense of what is going to happen next. A surprise ending is icing on the cake. Like riding a roller coaster without leaving your easy chair. Well worth the credit. As usual Scott Brick did an excellent job.