The Pits

A Crime Novel, Volume 1

By: Greg Smith

Narrated by: Kevin M. Connolly

As he leaves his small, Midwestern town behind and heads off to marine boot camp, young farm boy Kramer hopes his new life will dull the recent loss of his dearest friend. Years later, battle hardened and war weary, Captain Kramer rescues a pup at the scene of a horrific car bombing while deployed to Afghanistan, and a new friendship is born. Months later Kramer and his new friend, Shadow, are back home in California, recuperating from serious injuries received in a deadly ambush by the Taliban. Kramer thinks he has left his fighting behind, but his deep love of animals, dogs especially, brings him face to face with a terrible battle raging in his own beloved USA. This is one fight Kramer feels he must take on, but little does he realize the deadly ramifications of his decision.

©2013 Gregory V. Smith (P)2015 Greg Smith

A look into a brutal form of organized crime

Would you listen to The Pits again? Why?

Yes. The story was good enough that I want to go back to hear what I may have missed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Pits?

The dog fighting scenes

Which character – as performed by Kevin M. Connolly – was your favorite?

Kramer

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The almost sex scene!

Any additional comments?

This novel shed light on a subject that was not well known to me in an entertaining way. The main character, Kramer, is a captain in the Marines , but his need to be the perfect soldier is overshadowed by his love of dogs. Kramer finds himself investigating organized dog fighting in the US when he returns from Afghanistan, with an Afghan dog named Shadow in tow. There were good, well described action scenes, an enough intrigue to draw me into the next book in the series. I purchased the Audiobook version and was very impressed with the quality of the product and narration.

A gripping tale that listeners will enjoy

Any additional comments?

THE PITS

Author: Greg Smith

Type of Book: Audiobook Unabridged

Narrator: Kevin M. Connolly

Length: 9 hours, 2 minutes

Genre: Action, Thriller, Mystery

Release Date: January 16, 2015

Publisher: Greg Smith Images

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

Kramer is a US Marine. Deployed to Afghanistan he comes across a stray dog that follows him around. Naming him Shadow and training him to go on missions, the two become close companions.

Both man and dog are injured by shrapnel in a Taliban attack and are sent home to the United States to recover from their wounds.

Due to the dog's (and Kramer's) extensive scarring from their shared shrapnel wounds, they are mistaken for participants in a local dog fighting ring.

Unaware how popular this despicable "sport" has become, Kramer and Shadow feel compelled to try to do something about it.

Kramer does not realize it at first, but his decision to help will thrust him into danger.

The police and FBI also get involved and Kramer learns just how big the dog fighting business is. He also learns that some people will do just about anything to keep the fights going.

Anyone who has ever had a dog will recognize the genuine emotion and the bond that Kramer and Shadow share. Dog lovers will also understand Kramer's outrage and horror upon learning about dog fighting.

I wish I could say that this story is pure fiction and that no one in either the US or Canada would be vile enough to participate in, or even watch, such a disgusting event as a dog fight. However, dog fighting actually does happen.

I hope that after reading or listening to this book people become aware of this "sport." I also hope that if anyone ever hears about something like this happening in their area that they report it immediately to the police and to their local SPCA. Dog fighting is animal abuse - plain and simple, and participants should be thrown in jail. Ok, I will get off my soapbox now, but this issue really bothers me.

The narrator for this book has a wonderfully expressive voice. He speaks mostly in an American accent, but also has a gorgeous Irish accent when needed. The speed at which he narrates is just right and he is skilled at changing the tone of his voice to reflect different emotions and to convey urgency when necessary. The only thing I didn't like was the voice he sometimes uses for female characters, the high pitched whiny voice was annoying. Fortunately this voice was only used a few times. I rate the narration as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Greg Smith had a successful career as a graphic designer for more than 30 years before trying his hand at writing books.

He is originally from Sydney, Australia, but moved to America in 1999 and now lives with his wife, Trish, two border collies - Shadow and Sydney, and one cat, The General (Bugsy). They live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States

Suspense story with a heart

The PIts is a is a unique story about an animal-lovig young army officer who stumbles upon an illegal dog-fighting operation in his army base town. The story is complete with boy meets girl, loving parents, and Russian bad guys.
I enjoyed the storyline and the narrator had a terrific smooth voice. However, I could not get past the canned language, unnecessary obsessive description of wontons appearances, and lack of creative language.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book.
This book is about a soldier who comes back from Afghanistan with a wonderful dog named Shadow. They are both removing from wounds they received.

They get involved with a group of college students who are trying to stop dog fighting. Soon local law enforcement and the FBI are together. Trying to stop a local crime lord who is running the dog rings.

The dog fighting scenes were realistic - which were altitude hard but needed to that way.

The narrator did a nice job. The girl voices were a little off but were easy to get use to.

I will be sure to read/listen to the next one in the series.

Great Story! Fantastic Narrator!

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

Exciting, Original, Disturbing

Who was your favorite character and why?

Being a dog lover my favorite character was Corporal Shadow. He was brave, smart, and fiercely loyal like a good dog should be.

What about Kevin M. Connolly’s performance did you like?

I have no real complaints about Kevin M. Connolly. In fact, I gave the story 4 stars and Connolly's narration 5 stars. If I did have to pick one thing to improve upon I would say that all the female character voices sounded too butch. But I really REALLY liked Kevin M. Connolly's narration and hope he narrates the next book.

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

The descriptions of the dog fighting were very disturbing. I understand why Michael Vic went to prison for it, only now I don't think his sentence was nearly long enough. I found it shocking to learn just what goes on at a dog fight and how widespread it is.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this audio book, and I am very much looking forward to the next one, assuming there is going to be a sequel. I received this audio book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Action and Suspense for the Dog Lover in you

This was a great story with lots of action and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. It also is a book with heart since it addresses an organized form of animal abuse while also leading you to fall in love with the co-star, Shadow. Shadow is an intelligent, loyal Marine's best friend. The only reason I hesitate to recommend this book whole-heartedly is the inclusion of some immorality and profanity.