Shady Cross

By: James Hankins

Narrated by: Bon Shaw

In one hand small-time crook Stokes holds a backpack stuffed with someone else's money--$350,000 of it.

In the other hand, Stokes has a cell phone, which he found with the money. On the line a little girl he doesn't know asks, "Daddy? Are you coming to get me? They say if you give them the money, they'll let you take me home."

From best-selling author James Hankins comes a wrenching story of an unscrupulous man torn between his survival instincts and the plight of a true innocent. Faced with the choice, Stokes discovers his conscience might not be as corroded as he thought.

©2015 James Hankins (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Great ride!

Smart & witty. Fast paced, fun & hard to put down. I plowed through this book in a few days!!

worth the entertainment

I really like the drama and suspense in this book however the ending was kind of predictable even though I think the writer should have taken a different turn.

Action-thriller with a bad-guy protagonist

This is an action-thriller with a protagonist we don't really like very much. Kinda uncommon, actually.

It starts off in such a way that you wonder why the main character acts the way he does - it isn't really believable that he would do anything other than take the money and run, but... if you can suspend disbelief on just that one little thing, the rest of the story is pretty logical, fast-paced and hard to put down.

The author does spend some time throughout the novel trying to justify the main character's behavior (i.e. he has a daughter of his own, and his father was abusive) and I think, by the end when he was questioning himself about why he made the choices he did, it really does make sense.

Lots of over-the-top violence (not graphic though, just extreme) and lots of action. I quite enjoyed the story and will look for more books by this author. For those of you who are familiar with Jack Reacher, this guy is kinda like a "bad" version of Jack - a bad version who wants to redeem himself...

The narration was unobtrusive (i.e. I wasn't really aware it was being read to me). There is no sex and I didn't notice much swearing. Really, it was very much like Child's Reacher - lots of violence but nothing terribly graphic or offensive.

Just Wonderful

What made the experience of listening to Shady Cross the most enjoyable?

Not since running out of John Sandford's books to listen to have I enjoyed a thriller so much. How Hankins manages to make you care for his low-life criminal of a protagonist is a wonder to experience. It's not only "hard to put down" but it's impossible to listen to without alternately cringing and laughing out loud.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shady Cross?

for some reason I still cringe when I think about Stokes getting his hand broken for looking at his watch. I think I actually said "Ow" aloud... and then was laughing a few seconds later.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think what happened when he broke into the antique dealers' home was just priceless.

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

It was. I generally just listen to books while driving or doing brainless chores. But I ended up just sitting and listening to this one for quite some time.

Any additional comments?

I don't want to give away the ending but it was unusually good. Poetic even.

Keeps you on your toes.

This book takes a not so likable character and turns him into one you're rooting for.
The narration was excellent.

Great book ! Loved it !

Will listen to it again!!! I'm shocked how much it hooked me ! And I'm not sure it could have ended any other way !

Just what I asked for. Good entertainment.

The story and narration was spot on. I couldn't put it down. The plot was full of surprises and the the protagonist was perfectly imperfect. The bad guys were predictable, but it did not detract from a good ride.

Something delightfully different!

I don't typically write reviews but I had to say that this book was very refreshing! The protagonist is not the typical 'hero' type, which is what makes this book interesting right off the bat and keeps your attention all the way to the end. It had a very unique perspective which I found to be captivating and humorous at several times, and was definitely not your average cookie cutter whodunit novel. I definitely recommend reading it. My only complaint is that the narrator wasn't very good with the female voices, but there weren't many so it could definitely be overlooked.

Enjoyable

The storyline piqued my interest. I was interested throughout, curious as to how the story would end: a bad guy doing a good thing - Would he save the girl and be rewarded with freedom and a second chance at life? Would the law catch up with him despite this good deed? What? liked how it ended. It was fitting.

I was annoyed at times during some of the dull, monotonous, overly detailed portions that did not add to the story. Also, some of the obstacles Stokes faced were unbelievable and over done. But overall, the author did a good job keeping my interest throughout.

This is my second book narrated by Bon Shaw and he was part of my decision in purchasing this book. Mr. Shaw is a wonderful narrator! Each character, man or woman, has their own clear voice. His ability to perfectly narrate the emotions and situations of the characters is truly fantastic. I look forward to listening to him in the future.

Action-packed all the way!

Despite all his flaws and bad decisions, I found myself rooting for Stokes to succeed in his mission. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. Great story and wonderful narration.