The Lumbermill

By: Laya V. Smith

Narrated by: Laya V. Smith, George Ellington

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Los Angeles, 1954.

Sending a pair of mass murderers to the chair got his name in the papers, but veteran fighter pilot turned detective, Augy Small, couldn’t celebrate. The culprits confessed, but the cops only ever found one body. Who had the killers died to protect?

Katya Tyler, a Russian enigma with a wad of cash in one hand and a hit list in the other, claims to have the answers. First, she wants Augy’s help to bring down a massive underground network of human traffickers.

As the case unfolds, every clue is an echo of his past. The horrors he experienced in the Pacific, shadows of scars he still carries, and rumors of a place long since destroyed. The Lumbermill is back in operation. Every day more innocents are harvested, their screams muffled in darkness. And the only way Augy can stop it is to go back into the nightmare he thought he’d escaped forever.

©2020 Black Rose Writing (P)2020 Black Rose Writing

11 hours of greatness!

AuggieSmall is down on his luck. After putting two murderers to death And having his name and picture and all the papers he finds itself down on his luck. So much so yes the squad and his old office where it takes cases like finding lost pets and loose chickens. His luck changes though when A woman he thought he was rescuing Steals his truck, only to show back up and offer him a big-time case. He doesn’t want to take it, because it all looks like illegal activity and not only that one of the jobs she has for him is that hitman and has a list of people she wants him to kill. He tells her no and thinks it will be the end of that, but it’s the beginning of everything. This book is so good Augie will make new friends and reunite with old ones. This is the case of a lifetime and it will not only bring up bad memories, but will help to heal all scores. I cannot say enough about this book I love it, I love it, I love it! I am so glad I got it. I originally wanted to get it because George Ellington was the narrator and I love his Scottish accent, but he doesn’t have one in this book in man is he still awesome. Not to mention the female narrator did a great Job and from what I can tell from the Russian Tatiana to his sister Mary to eat it she has an array of voices and does it all perfectly. I’m going to stop because I could go on and on but I freaking love this book! It is almost like a noir Who done it and George Ellington has the boys to go along with it. I highly recommend this book if you love all time mysteries and good old fashion detective work just get the book it’s so freaking awesome!

great story and sound effects

great book. I could picture myself watching in black and white. loved the narrator also.

Thrilling, Breakneck Noir Ride

The Lumber Mill takes off like a gunshot and never looks back. It's brutal, gruesome, and heart wrenching, but packed with laughs and gorgeous writing. The side characters are so fully fleshed out that you come away feeling you've known them. And Augy himself is absolutely unforgettable. If you love anything about the 50's, Noir, or just bloodsoaked thrillers, you'll love this book!

Deliciously dark

I enjoyed every minute of Augy Smalls adventure. this story is a lot more dark and intense than a lot of books I read, but the characters and story pulled me right through. and there is the perfect amount of humor to offset this amazing mystery.

The Best of Noir

The Lumbermill by Laya V Smith opens at night on a lone road outside of Los Angeles in 1954 with the body of a woman on the road struck down by none other than the protagonist of the novel, Augy Small. And you get this right at the start of the novel—right in the midst of it, and the setting, the darkness, the mystery continues throughout the story. It is not often you come across a novel written by an author claiming to have composed a noir mystery only to find that yes, this really is noir. Laya V Smith does an excellent job of building an atmosphere that is tense and gritty, and the story is certainly that. This is not a tale for the faint of heart. It is not cozy and clean. It is a harsh murder mystery and a thriller that really keeps you going, listening to the audiobook (or reading the novel), because you really do want the villains to be brought down. What the “bad guys” of this story have done is so utterly horrific, and you very quickly root for down-on-his-luck detective Augy Small and his small band of associates, who form a strange dysfunctional and heart-breaking family. There was so much to this story that kept me listening, not least of which were the fantastic voices. This is a dual narration led by a narrator who reflects the feelings and character of Augy, well performed, I thought, by George Ellington. And I noticed that the author herself, Laya V Smith, voices the female characters. And to perfection, I have to say. She has a haunting voice, and produces quite believably several different accents in this audiobook. I highly recommend The Lumbermill. So worth the listen.