The Dread Line

By: Bruce DeSilva

Narrated by: Jim Frangione

The Dread Line: the latest Liam Mulligan novel from award-winning author Bruce DeSilva.

Since he got fired in spectacular fashion from his newspaper job last year, former investigative reporter Liam Mulligan has been piecing together a new life - one that straddles both sides of the law. He's getting some part-time work with his friend McCracken's detective agency. He's picking up beer money by freelancing for a local news website. And he's looking after his semi-retired mobster friend's bookmaking business.

But Mulligan still manages to find trouble. He's feuding with a cat that keeps leaving its kills on his porch. He's obsessed with a baffling jewelry heist. And he's enraged that someone in town is torturing animals. All this keeps distracting him from a big case that needs his full attention. The New England Patriots, shaken by a series of murder charges against a star player, have hired Mulligan and McCracken to investigate the background of a college athlete they're thinking of drafting. At first, the job seems routine, but as soon as they begin asking questions, they get push-back. The player, it seems, has something to hide - and someone is willing to kill to make sure it remains secret.

©2016 Bruce DeSilva (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Another great book in the Mulligan series

Would you consider the audio edition of The Dread Line to be better than the print version?

Yes, audio allows the listener to hear what the author's intentions are. Not to mention I don't have to break down and sound out the big words.

What did you like best about this story?

The story line is a bit different, Mulligan is no longer the starving reporter, and has stepped up in his life, so now his actions are less restrictive.
Also, I like the fact that Bruce DeSilva lived and worked in Providence R.I. and when he writes about the places in the book, they are the actual places. Street names meet up the buildings and cities, working in Providence I pass these spots daily.

What does Jim Frangione bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was born and raised in the Northeast and I am well aware of the New England accent. He pronounces cities and words as if spoken in their natural dialect, he also throws in a great southern accent and when speaking the female parts you can tell as well.

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

Mulligan has a wise guy attitude and does makes wise cracks through out the book, Bruce has the mind of a street reporter and makes that evident in his main character. I did not cry but found myself laughing.

Any additional comments?

As with all of his work in the Mulligan series, you do not have to read the previous book to know what is going on. Each book can be read separately as a stand alone novel. When listening to the Dredge Line, all characters are referred to by who they are in series, however, if you are looking for a great series of books I highly recommend Bruce DeSilva books featuring Liam Mulligan.

Fantastic story, narrator swap ruins experience

I always love the Mulligan stories, but changing the narrator was a horrible idea. The entire setting of story is lost with Jim Frangione narrating. One could change the locations and this would be in entirely different book. Jeff Woodman's performances in the previous novels transported the listener into Rhode Island and the surrounding areas. Only because I enjoy Bruce DeSilva and Liam Mulligan did I push through the horridness that was the performance of Jim Frangione as Liam Mulligan. Please bring back Jeff Woodman for the next Liam Mulligan adventure.

Outstanding Book

Having read the previous books in this series I found The Dread Line as good as any of them. I’m a bit prejudiced having spent my youth in RI. Nonetheless these books were very enjoyable and unlike the technique used by other mystery authors of having the characters make stupid choices to develop their stories. DeSilva’s books have well developed stories that engage the reader from the beginning to end. I highly recommended this series but regret that this is its end. I will miss the characters greatly.

Good Old Fashioned PI romp

Mulligan turns from reporter to private eye using his old newspaper connections. But with a neat twist, he has a finger in some illegal stuff along the way. The author continues to do a fine job with character development and the conversational interactions are well written and believable. Really, a fine light weight way to speed the miles or the chores as you listen to Mulligans adventures. Caution. Although this one can stand on its own, its more fun if you read the books in order as you will be familiar with Mulligan's world. Well worth the credit.

Missing Jeff Woodman

Would you consider the audio edition of The Dread Line to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version.

What three words best describe Jim Frangione’s performance?

Just okay. There was nothing wrong per se with the performance and I'm sure it would have been fine if Jim Frangione had narrated the Liam Mulligan books from the beginning, but Jeff Woodman's is the voice I associate with Mulligan and so the narration was missing a certain je ne sai quoi.

Any additional comments?

This was a fine addition to the Mulligan series, I just hope that Jeff Woodman is available for the next book.

A great series continues

The new narrator was pretty good but I would have preferred they continue with Jeff Woodman. It was probably just the change that threw me a bit and if it had been Jim Frangione from the start of the series I would have thought he was great.

Good plot as usual and I hope there are more to follow.

Disconnect

The change in Mulligan's life as well as the change in narrator is disruptive to this series. Dread Line might as well be a stand alone book because the connection to the first 4 books is diminished.

Mulligan's having a bookie and getting information from his questionable peeps is one thing, giving him wealth via becoming the bookie is another. Jeff Woodman ~is~ Mulligan's voice with his Rhode Island sound as well as the dry wit and wise crack banter. With Jeff narrating, I could hear one sentence and know I was listening to a Mulligan book, not so with this one.

I wish it would be redone by Jeff Woodman and replaced for those of us who bought it without checking the narrator. I've got my favorites and anytime one of them shows up in the what's coming email, I pre-order it and don't notice a switch of narrator. Over the years I've learned the performance enhances books and not just any narrator works, especially in a series. Authors do well on series, we get to know a character, so if the book is an audio offering, the narrator is as important to the listener as the story content.

The cat stuff got old, too much filler. This might be a book to read rather than hear. You won't be expecting a superb narration and you can skim over the cat stuff.

This book also had more slapstick investigating and relationships than normal. Usually the police are telling Mulligan to butt out so what's going on here? Does anyone really think the chief will leave Mulligan alone in his office (with directions to what drawer a report lives) for 45 minutes in trade for a fancy pants cigar??? There's enough comedy with Mulligan's banter, don't need more with a crazy cat or buying the PD info with cigars. That said, I do like the dog, Mulligan seems like a dog guy (and I'm a dog person myself so maybe the cat lovers like the cat in the book).

Jumped shark

I'm afraid this series has now run its course. The plot depends on too many unlikely devices such as the local police chief who can be bribed to disclose information In exchange for a Cuban cigar, accommodating Mafiosi, and the ridiculous premise that the protagonist newspaper man has become a bookie and crusading private investigator.