By: James Hankins
ASIN: B00EV18WNQ
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: 10/08/2013
Format: Audio
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thanks, Wiley.” Two simple words. Three syllables all told. And Charlie Beckham’s life will never be the same again. It starts on a jam-packed subway platform, when Charlie finds himself next to a stoop-shouldered homeless man. Long hair and a thick beard cover half the man’s face; shadows cover the other half.
As Charlie finally steps onto a crowded train, he squeezes past the homeless man and drops a quarter into his cup full of change. As the doors whoosh shut, the man says the two words that stop Charlie’s heart. The crush of people, the din of voices, the smell of perfume and newspaper and subway car—all these fade away for Charlie.
By the time he changes trains and fights his way back to the same platform, the homeless man is gone. The man had called him Wiley. Only one person ever called Charlie by that nickname—Charlie’s older brother Jake, an investigative reporter…and Jake mysteriously disappeared thirteen years ago.
So begins Charlie’s search for answers, and for his brother, a search that leads him down Boston’s darkest streets, into its blackest alleys, and, finally, into its criminal underworld. But if Charlie wants answers he’ll have to get them from some of the most feared and ruthless people in the city.
BROTHERS AND BONES was named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013. According to Kirkus, BROTHERS is a “rollicking thriller…with a crackerjack cast of bristling thugs, weaselly lowlifes and beady-eyed feds,…with pitch-perfect dialogue, mordant humor and action scenes poised exquisitely between menace and chaos… A complex, entertaining thriller.” – Kirkus
My Review
James Hankins’ takes readers to the darkest alleys and streets, the homeless, the ruthless, and a criminal underworld for a complex and twisted crime thriller with BROTHERS AND BONES, keeping you glued to the pages, to learn about the mystery surrounding Charlie’s brother.
Charlie Beckham is federal prosecutor for US Attorney’s office in Boston. A driven and successful attorney, he is engaged to his boss’ daughter. Charlie Beckham’s brother, Jake, a former investigative reporter went missing thirteen years ago, and he has been obsessed over the years trying to locate him. Now, one morning on his way to court on the subway, he encounters a deranged homeless man, and the man calls him by a secret nickname-- only known by his brother Jake. He is astounded! From this point on, Charlie is obsessed with this homeless man, Bonz. Could he be Jake, or does he know him? During his frantic and desperate search for this homeless man, he gets more than he bargained for. Without giving away too much, Bonz was tortured by some evil men and has pretty much lost his mind; however, when he sees Charlie, some of his memory starts returning and could he possibly know what happened to Jake? There is a tape which is hidden and the bad guys want it. Think legal, mobs, thugs, hackers, mafia, corruption, homeless, conspiracy, and a brother's survival. . . good versus evil. When I was approved for an ARC of James Hankins’ upcoming SHADY CROSS, 2/24/2015--due to date being further out, wanted to read a few of his previous books first.
I really enjoyed Hankins’ inspiration for BROTHERS AND BONES, as he recalls working as a lawyer in Boston, and as he walked to the subway station daily, he frequently ran into a homeless man talking to himself and imagined what it would be like to have a conversation, thus the novel was born. Charlie, the obsessed prosecutor joins forces with a homeless man against a murderous and dangerous conspiracy for a roller coaster suspenseful ride-- Hankins delivers a complex and riveting suspense thriller, mixed with sarcasm and humor! The audiobook was narrated by John Rubinstein, and even though he did a good job, I kept wishing it was Peter Berkrot, my favorite thriller performer which would have taken it up another notch. Looking forward to reading more from this author, as Hankins’ writing reminds me a little of J. Carson Black and Daniel Palmer, which I enjoy.
Review Links:
Coming 2/24/2015!
