True Crime

The Novel

By: Andrew Klavan

Narrated by: Ramiz Monsef

In the heat of the city, a man is out of time: speeding in a beat-up Ford Tempo, blasting easy-listening music. Reporter Steve Everett drinks too much, makes love to his boss' wife, and has just stumbled upon a shocking truth: A convicted killer is about to be executed for a crime he didn't commit.

In the cold confines of Death Row, Frank Beachum is also out of time. Ready to say good-bye to the wife and child he loves and hello to the God he still believes in, Beachum knows he did not kill a convenience store clerk six years ago. But in a few hours - if Steve Everett can't find the evidence to stop it - a needle is going to pierce Frank Beachum's skin.

The killing machine is primed. The executioner is waiting. And so is the priest. Now the clock is ticking down and the race is on - between the reporter and his demons, between the system and its lethal flaws, between the last innocent man and society's ultimate crime....

©1997 Amalgamated Metaphor, Inc. (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Captivating & insightful

I loved the psychological depths that Klavan explored through all the characters. I also loved the building tension throughout. I don’t like a lot of the ‘bad’ language—especially taking the Lord’s Name in vain, but I understand he’s recreating characters who would most likely talk like that. I think he knows the venues well & changing their ‘bad’ language might very well sound artificial.
I thought overall-it was great!

Excess expectations

Very good story and gripping characters. I new the author from prior political commentary and didn’t know what to expect. Glad to report that the book was interesting like a novel should be and not preachy or bland, the way one might expect a novel written by a conservative commentator. 5/5

phenomenal book

I read this about 20 years ago and was pleased to see they finally have it in audio form. The narrator did incredible justice to a tightly plotted, well-crafted book! so worth a credit.

Heroic Ford Tempo?

I cannot say anything about this Klavan thriller story without it being a spoiler, but I certainly recommend the listen. Mr Monsef provides fine voice dramatization. However Mr. Monsef, you did have Steve hum to Davey the tune narrated as the William Tell Overture to the tune of Beethoven's Ninth Ode to Joy.

I was in suspense from beginning to end!

This story held my attention and kept me in suspense the entire time. I have know about Andrew Klavan for a while, but never ventured to read his fiction until now. I will now be scouring the audible app for every title of his I can get my hands on. The author's hard-boiled writing style felt real and raw. The dialogue between the characters was spot on. My only complaint with this recording is with the narration. Every once in a while the narrator loses the rhythm of the text and there are strange, unnatural pauses. He makes a solid attempt to voice each character differently, but it doesn't always land. Other than that, it was a great performance and I stayed heavily engaged.

The tantalizing stream of events leading to the conclusion

I did wonder why the characters never seemed to have a cell phone or at least access to a phone when it was most needed.

Brilliant writing! Wonderful figures of speech; no cliches beyond dialogue.

Longest, unbroken stretch of unadulterated bullshit dialogue delivered by one individual I’ve ever encountered as a lifelong bibliophile.

i wanted to keep listening

i was captivated. Great listen. I didn't want to stop. all the way to tge end

what did i just listen to?

Gonna be a yup for me dawg. If you enjoyed Norm McDonald’s memoir, you will appreciate this. it’s like Norm McDonald’s memoir but if Norm McDonald was instead a real newsman instead of a satirical newsman, and Norm McDonald was Jack Bauer on a season of 24 that wrapped early, and Jack Bauer was a sex addict (like norm mcdonald) that had just 17.5 hours to halt the execution of a christlike mechanic whose only crime was putting A1 on a perfectly good steak ( granted, not a trivial transgression )

10/10. bonus points for making me shed a single tear on three separate occasions. Narrator is a once-in-a-generation talent, too

Too long for the amount of plot.

Love “the Klavan”, but the book consists of hundreds and hundreds of instances of characters thinking to themselves. Good plot, good writing, but it’s like spreading 1 pound of butter on 1000 pieces of toast. Still good, but too spread out. A little more concise would make it much easier to listen to.