The Roach

By: Rhett C. Bruno

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

A string of killings. An identity stolen. Only he can find the truth.

Reese Roberts was the guardian of Iron City. Its fearless protector. The only one willing to do whatever it takes...until he was shot on the streets and left paralyzed from the waist down. Now, the vigilante known as the Roach has disappeared. Faded into legend.

It’s been years since Reese could take on crime and clean up the streets. He’s a shriveled old drunk, living like a hermit and waiting for his life to end. All that’s left to do is wallow in the mistakes that led him here. To wonder if he went too far.

But when a copycat steals his suit and takes justice into his own hands, a new killer emerges, leaving brutal messages behind. He wants to eliminate the Roach for good this time.

It’s time for Reese to re-emerge from his shell and fight back. Who else can stop the flurry of killings? Definitely not the corrupt police department. Iron City needs the Roach again. Only, this time, he’ll need to save it without his legs.

©2020 Rhett C. Bruno (P)2020 Podium Audio

Critic reviews

"A dark and powerful journey into the broken mind of a crippled vigilante, clawing his way out of despair to protect his legacy and his city. Reader beware: once you crack this novel open, you won't be able to close it!” (Jeremy Robinson, NY Times best-selling author of Tribe and The Others)

“A world worthy of being a sister city to Gotham. Gritty, grimy, and mesmerizing.“ (Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, Prodigal Son; La Bamba)

“Great narration and dialogue, Rhett C. Bruno brings to life a character who’d rather be dead...or at least has a death wish." (Darick Robertson, co-creator of The Boys - now a Prime Original Series)

“White-knuckled and unfiltered. The Roach plunges you into the filth of the city and holds you under.“ (James S. Murray, number-one best-selling author of the Awakened series and star of truTV’s Impractical Jokers)

The story we never knew we wanted

Superhero fiction might be the greatest phenomenon of our time, from the Avengers to the Justice League and beyond, but what we didn’t know we needed was the Roach. I’ve read/listen to everything Rhett C. Bruno has done and this is far and away the best of it all. It’s gritty and violent but heartfelt and realistic at the same time. This is not your Hollywood blockbuster. This thing has heart.

Audio made this story complete!

This is a retelling of a short story from years ago.
The following is part of my review of that original short story plus my thoughts of the new one on both paper and audio.

“The Roach” original is one of the very best short stories I’ve ever read.
My father introduced it to me a long long time ago.
He loved it. It said something to him down deep.
I’m his daughter and I love the short story too.
I see what my Dad saw.

My father constantly harassed the author, the superb “Rhett Bruno”, to write a new, full story. To bring back the roach.
He finally relented and brought forth this new “The Roach” story.

Mr. Bruno finally did this, much to my pleasure and excitement.

The original short story was written way back before my father fell critically ill.
Now he won’t get to see this new book, but I’ll still try and read it to him. He deserves it.
He’s no longer mentally capable to read it for himself.

He won’t get to listen to this awesome audio version either and that’s a shame because RC Bray did an absolutely awesome performance narrating this fantastic story!
My hats off to Mr. Bray.

My father’s story is sad and the short story, as well as the newer version, is sad, heartbreaking, but then again heartwarming, hopeful.

It’s the realism that makes it so excellent to me, as it was back when my father first read it to me.
It shows us the dirty side of life that most of us never see, but also the good in some people too.

Just like the original short, this new version is much the same in its excellence and is about a modern superhero vigilante way past his prime or maybe he’s really just a criminal.
Fair or unfair?
Figuring that out is up to you.

This new book titled just “The Roach” instead of the older short story titled “The Roach Rises” is everything I’d hoped it would be.

It’s got all the depth and detail of the first story but expands it in an awesome new direction.

This book is not to be missed.
Sure, it’s fiction, but it tells and shows the seedy underside of the human condition.
There are countless cities just like this one with real people instead of fictional characters, but they’re all one in the same.

Mr Bruno is an excellent author who knows how to give his stories, especially this one, enough realism to make you wonder how some people, a lot of people, can do things to others in such a cruel and guiltless way.
It’s what serial killers, rapists and murderers are made of. No conscience at all. Brains wired all wrong.

This is simply an excellent story.
In a way, it’s a fun read, but it’s also a wicked and horrible look into places most decent people either don’t know about or don’t want to confess knowing about. Turn the other cheek, it’s easier.

I loved this new book. I hope you do too.

Please read it and review it.
Just like the first story, this new one deserves your praise or your displeasure.
You get to choose.

Thank you,
The McDonald’s

Read on:

That was my review of the paper version of The Roach.
This audio version brings it to life, something just reading it simply can’t do especially with a superb narrator like RC Bray bringing his full talent to bare.

This audiobook is special. It’s a must for those who love to listen instead of reading.

I wholeheartedly give this audio version five stars out of five!

Thank you Mr. Bruno and thank you for your stellar performance Mr. Bray!

Sincerely,
Brittany McDonald

Just a dang good book

I hope that this book becomes a series. And I hope that more superhero books come out by this author oh and don't change the reader.

The hero story I didn't know I needed.

I am generally not a fan of hero and superhero type stories.

That said, when I heard that Rhett and Bob were teaming up again, I was fairly confident that it was worth a listen.

I was not disappointed.

It would be hard to go into much detail beyond the posted description without spoiling it, so I'll make it pretty simple - this is a fantastic audio book! It is perfectly written for RC Bray (deliberately, I'm told).

Everything about this story is taken to just the right level. There's enough detail to immerse you in the world, but not to the point of monotony. The pace is steady, neither plodding nor frenetic.

I'd really like to see a couple more by Rhett in this sub-genre.

I dont normally leave reviews...

But I had to for this, im a member of R.C. Bray fan page, and buy pretty much every book he has been a narrator in. This book is easily in my top 5 favorite books now, the characters, the writing, the story... I love it all, and I hope you will to

Great read

This was such a great story! Different take on a supers heros story after the life of being a hero is cut short.

The Roach is a Cocaroach from the Start

Great story flow ... not too repetitive ... and glad a single book epic!
Glad I readit glad I finished it.

Batman without Morals or Money

The Roach was a vigilante who terrorized the underworld in Iron City. You stole from someone you lost fingers, you killed someone, you lost your life. Criminals lived in fear of the Roach. All of a sudden about 5 years ago, he disappeared.

The story starts with a man who is constantly drunk in his wheel chair. He is basically a hermit and someone comes over and cooks (if that’s what you call burning it) food for him.

As the story unfolds you find out Reese was the Roach and he had saved the woman who now checks in on him. He will sometimes go down to the harbor and think about ending it all. But he worries about hurting the one person who cares for him.

This is a very gritty, dark but good story. It shows the impact of years of fighting crime on him especially now that he is confined to a wheel chair. But he may just have a few fights left in him.

Awesome

Ok. I won a free download of this audible and I promised to write an honest review in exchange. The story is amazing. Just enough outside of my normal genre to provide something different, yet keep me entertained throughout. The story is dark, humorous, and compelling.
Well written and laid o it nicely, there is just enough back information to develop the main character without going off course.

The narration is amazing. This book seems like it was written for Bray. He sounds like he smoked a carton of cigarettes,washing it down with sandpaper in the. Idle of the desert. Truly amazing work. Bray should be proud of this one

Riveting

I had been tipped off about this book on Facebook page 50 shades of Bray. I bought and like most books couldn't turn it off. I just listen to it any chance I got. I was spell bound. just waiting to see what adventure we were going on. it was very good. I honestly think the author left it that a 2nd book could be made. I would be one of the first to get that too.