The Ryder Quartet

Volumes 1-4

By: Ian Patrick

Narrated by: Ian Patrick

Four high-octane crime thrillers, each critically acclaimed as separate publications, now collected in a set. Hundreds of five-star reviews of the individual volumes testify to their reputation as action-packed thrillers steeped in authenticity and plausibility, reflecting the real world of police encounters with the dark world of crime.

©2017 Ian Patrick (P)2017 Ian Patrick

Couldn't stop listening.

Listened to all four volumes within one week. This is an accurate account of the crime and corruption faced by people living in Durban, South Africa. The crimes are truly awful and corruption exists at all levels. The story is engaging and the characters well developed. I was quickly drawn into their lives and found myself caring about them. Ian Patrick clearly understands the characters, both good and evil, and captures their wide variety of accents with ease. I highly recommend the audible version.

Thrills all the way and so relevant

I live in the region where these books are set and they are so real and powerful. It's quite depressing, actually, how accurate they are. These crimes take place every day and the locations of the crimes are places known to me in many cases. The characters are the kinds of people I bump into every day, and the accents are very well done.

I thought that the women characters needed a woman's voice, but I don't know whether that is the convention in audio-books. Anyway, the women characters are particularly well created in the books, I thought, and they would benefit from having a woman narrator in the audio version.

That's a small gripe but I thought the thrillers were among the best police crime books I've experienced.

Very satisfying

This was a super set of crime fiction books. I was completely taken in by the mood and atmosphere, the friendly teasing of the detectives (especially their rendition of different versions of the main game at the rugby world cup - that was hilarious), and the struggle between good and evil: cops and robbers. There is a dog in the story who is almost like the main good guy. I won't spoil it for others, but that dog is a champion. The way in which the stories fall into place together - with each one of them being an independent ("stand-alone" as the commentary on the books says) book, is fantastic. I didn't feel that I was listening to (and reading while listening) episodes of the same book, but at the end it felt like I had. It is all a great epic struggle and I couldn't wait for the next chapter in each case. Most of all, this is not just a set of crime fiction thrillers. It is a wonderful essay on the social and political turmoil of South Africa and the way in which crime is destroying the country. This is a really important book to listen to.

narrator gets better

Worth sticking with the first couple of volumes. Narrator gets better as he goes, but relies too much on tempo and volume rather than more subtle voice inflection. Transitions sometimes too fast so it is difficult to recognize who is supposed to be speaking, thus can be a bit confusing. Otherwise a good story in a new setting.

Very, very good.

I read / listened to some short stories by the author some time ago and I've had this on my Audible shelf for years. I finally got to it this past week. It is so brilliant. I'm hugely impressed. The characters and the real-world violent interactions between police and criminals is breathtaking. There are four stories here which can be read as single dramas, but they also make a four-part series with the central characters there all the way through. Like a Netflix series. Very, very good. Narration is clear and the accents well created.

A thoroughly good entertaining thirty hours

Where does The Ryder Quartet rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

My first one. Very good, I thought.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is very good in each episode. The four thrillers were immensely satisfying. The second was perhaps not as good as the other three, but I have to say that all together they make a compelling set.

Have you listened to any of Ian Patrick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. First time for me.

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

Yes and no. Thirty hours is a long time. But each of the books was good to listen to - each over two or three consecutive nights.

Any additional comments?

The reality of crime in the area where I live made this particularly satisfying for me. Without spoiling anything, although the criminals win some, the cops also win some. That is the name of the game in the real world. For me, I want to levy serious primitive justice on these awful thugs. The fact that the cops show some real metal in dealing with them is what I particularly like. But more than that, the way the characters are created, the way that light-hearted relationship bantering is interwoven with fast-paced action and thrills, makes this a thoroughly good entertaining thirty hours of listening pleasure.

Classy thrillers

Wonderful, classy thrillers, all four of them. I read the e-reader versions then got the audible on a free promotion (because I'd bought the digital one) and listened to them along with friends and family. We all agreed: classy and wonderful thrills all the way. Believable characters, Superb ballistics and forensic detail (one of our party works in the field and marvelled at the accuracy of it all). Lovely characters who are believable and witty and funny, and some of them downright evil. Well told by the narrator, who used accents and distinguishing features of the voices quite well.

Very accurate and true to life and thrilling

I got this book on a free deal through Amazon and then saw that there was a special deal on the audio version. This was good for those long drives through the Cape.

I was truly surprised at how good it was. I have a friend who has gone through a traumatic experience at the hands of criminals and I was impressed with the way the police handled it all (and how they handled the culprit when they caught up with him). The book is true to life and is accurate in its depiction of all the details (I know my guns and bullets and autopsy reports, I can tell you, and this is all very accurate).

I like Jeremy and his associates. They are very true to life. He has only one flaw, really, and that is that he supports the Sharks. Astute rugby players and supporters gave up on them a long time ago.

30 hours of total absorption

I couldn't believe how totally absorbed I was in this over the course of a week, listening every night. The fact that the murders, events, mayhem and corruption all take place within a mile or so from where I live made it especially fascinating. But it wasn't just that. The stories are all so well structured and the atmosphere was so well created that I thought I was back in the old days when my family sat with ears glued to something called "Squad Cars" on the radio in South Africa ("They prowl the empty streets at night..."). The characters are so entertaining. The villains are - well - villainous, and the detectives are just like people I know and knew in the old days. I loved these stories and they all make for an interesting complete cycle, even though they are separate stories. The narrator was dark and mysterious, which was well suited to the narrative.

Brilliant and true to life

Would you consider the audio edition of The Ryder Quartet to be better than the print version?

Both are good. They were gripping and enjoyable to listen to and most of all they reflect the reality around this place where I live.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The characters are entertainingly real and believable, even the criminals: they are funny when drunk, evil when sober, and dangerous all the time. The cops are funny and witty and tease each other mercilessly while going after the bad guys when duty calls. The whole set of stories is very entertaining and the narration is particularly good. The reader has a mysterious voice and is always clear and precise.

Have you listened to any of Ian Patrick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, none so far.

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

There are a couple of gruesome murders but generally it was a pleasure to listen to.

Any additional comments?

These books are true to life and brilliant to listen to in the car or in the bath (which is where I spent most of my time with them), although I could have done with no swearing (but then I suppose that’s what cops and robbers do in real life), even though it was sparingly used. But what a thrill it was to listen to all of these books one after another.