A good listen

Okay, the dialogue is not great, but the book is a pretty good read. If you have listened to as many suspense / thrillers as I have, you appreciate a slightly different angle that this book provides with the political involvement. The narration is solid.

19 people found this helpful

"Executive Privilege"

The author keeps one in suspense throughout the novel with lots of twists and turns in this "who done it". I never read any of the author's other works as either a hard cover novel or audiobook but recommend this one. The book story flows very well.

11 people found this helpful

Entertaining

I have always been a big fan of Phillip Margolin way back when audiobooks first became popular. He writes a story that keeps you interested without having to work too hard to keep focused. I did like the narrator but felt like there were too many long pauses between sentences. The story could have been much shorter without them. Although I would have liked Margolin to have developed Cutler and Miller's characters more, I most enjoyed FBI agent Evans. I can't say I was extremely surprised by the ending, but I did very much enjoy this novel and look forward to his next one.

21 people found this helpful

Absurdly Engaging!

The plot demands full-on belief suspension. Phillip Margolin's got big ones to even start this preposterous Washington mystery… I mean preposterous in the "Oh come on, nobody's ever going to believe that..." sense. None of the characters are deeper than a child's plastic wading pool. And yet.. yet… This thing's fun. It's a snarky political action-adventure puzzle with pieces that a craftsman's carved to click into place.

REEELY importantly he manages to avoid any right or left ideological preaching. It's almost worth reading this book just to see how a Washington mystery can still do that.That's almost fool-hardy impudent for a writer, but I think I told you that Margolin's got big ones.

Oh and the women here are made of more muscular metal than the brittle guys, but again the yins spoon nicely into whatever yangs are provided. If you want to just drop into an escape tunnel for a while, listen to Jonathan Davis's imaginings of this; plot, these people, and feel, well, if not privileged, at least like you spent your money okay.

9 people found this helpful

Only one part is fiction..

Normally I stay away from legal thrillers, and those that involve politics? Never. But I saw this book listed, and remembered that many years ago, I'd gone to a book signing by Phillip Margolin in Palo Alto. Funny things is, I still remember many of the things Margolin said that night -- it was one of the best author signings I've ever been to.

Unlike many authors who seem to have their main objective as getting done with this event and getting out of there, Margolin seemed to enjoy chatting with readers. Much more than most authors, he talked about himself, offering personal details, how several of his books came to be, how he worked, and more. Then someone asked him what his favorite book was, and noting that he -- like most of us -- had many favorites, he named "Stone City" by Mitchell Smith. I walked out of that bookstore that night not only with several of Margolin's books, but also 'Stone City', which is indeed a very good book.

I'm not sure why, but at some point I didn't keep up with Margolin's books, but now, seeing the Audible edition of 'Executive Privilege'. it was time to jump back in. Glad I did. I listened to this book in just two days -- I should have quit on that second day, done something else, but decided to keep doing household tasks so I could keep listening. There was never a good time to quit.

Anybody who reads these kinds of thrillers knows how it's going to end -- the bad guys (or girls) are caught, the little-guy (or girl) lawyer comes out on top, the perpetrators of evil get their just deserts, and the world is a better place. The interesting factor in this book is that you really don't know who the bad guy is -- or at least, I didn't see it coming until it was right in front of me. Today, with an abundance of sleazy politicians, ruthless aides, big money law firms and other corrupt denizens of the DC ruling class, sexual shenanigans abound -- together with the need to cover it all up. The story rings true on many counts.

The only fiction is that the bad guys got caught. In today's world, I think we're seeing that they almost always get away with it.

Anyway, great book. Thoroughly enjoyable, flawless narrator, just great entertainment.

17 people found this helpful

Couldn't stop listening to it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a book with great characters and a clever plot. I have a new favorite author.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Brad Miller is a great hero- honest, principled, and gets into the most amazing predicaments.

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love his voice and the way he interprets the characters voices.

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

When I finished it, I immediately bought the other 2 in the trilogy. It was very suspenseful and I wanted to know more about Brad and Dana Cutler.

8 people found this helpful

fast paced and exciting

If you want a good book to listen to that is fast paced and exciting, this is it. It is somewhat predictable but it's read well and keeps you going until the end.

17 people found this helpful

A Truly Great Suspense Novel

This is going to be short, only because I wrote a long review that simply disappeared. I loved this book! It grabbed me from beginning to end.

There's been just a few books that have thrilled me like this. Absolute Power, Noble House. The Snowman. Like Baldacci's Absolute Power, it's the premise that makes this book so special.

Imagine a bright young associate for a prestigious law firm being giving a pro bono appeal of murder case. The convict is a famous serial killer who admits he is guilty of multiple murders, but one. It's assumed the court will simply reject his appeal. Only the killer has indisputable evidence he's innocent of this particular murder. If the associate follows through with the new evidence his career is threatened.

Great narration. Stellar novel.

14 people found this helpful

Politics trumped

This book has a lot of characters. None are fully developed but they are introduced at just the right time to keep you interested and thinking about the twists and turns of the book. I would not rate this a great book but is entertaining to listen to on a drive to work. Worth a listen.

13 people found this helpful

Pretty Good Story

I liked it more than I expected. Decent story that kept moving. A bit comical at times.....A bit unbelieveable at others... but entertaining nonetheless.

11 people found this helpful