Rather dark

Not at all what I expected. But it was interesting to see things through the eyes of the perpetrator. A dark and emotionless recital of events with an interesting slant at the end. Possibly quite an accurate account of life through the eyes of a psychopath .

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Excellent like his other books!

Really enjoyed this, I couldn't t stop listening! The narrator was perfect for the book; racey and fast paced, very much in the genre of pulp fiction, as Starr's other books are. We get to know the character very well and he is still quite likeable by the end! I notice the narrator has presented some of his other books so I will be downloading those next.

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Great story well narrated

Not really my kind of story , but I really liked it

The main character is completely horrible, found myself shouting at him 🤦‍♀️, (always a sign of a good book)

The story has a fast pace and I didn’t get bored through the whole book . I didn’t like anyone but that didn’t t hurt the story.

Narrator was really good, will try more from Jason Starr

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Great story line, unexpected ending!

This was an excellent read/listen. This is the first audio book I have ever heard read in first person. It works very well in this format.

The story took a while to sink into place but was well plotted. The ending was unexpected so I enjoyed it even more.

The vocal performance was also great and listening to this book wouldn't have been the same with someone else.

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Ok

Voice actor did a great job.

Story itself was dark and tense but not the most engaging.

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Brilliant.......

....... I liked it very much. A very good read indeed. A compelling story. It was all fantastic..... especially the twist at the end

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Atmospheric if Unsympathetic. Excellent Narrator

Cold caller is not a roller coaster yarn, the story is just interesting enough. I would not describe any of the characters as sympathetic, yet Jason Starr creates a good sense of atmosphere.

The slow build-up and the gentle introduction of new characters creates a rather believable world in which extreme events seem almost ordinary.

Christopher Ragland navigates the dialogue very well. The characters are nicely differentiated and I have have since bought books by other authors based on the skill of this excellent narrator.

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A twist in the tail

Would you consider the audio edition of Cold Caller to be better than the print version?

I've not read the print version so I can't comment

Who was your favorite character and why?

The lead character was not likeable but he was complex and intriguing

What does Christopher Ragland bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The emotion and depth to the dialogue

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Don't hang up

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Confusing...did I like it, or not?

Would you try another book written by Jason Starr or narrated by Christopher Ragland?

Maybe.

What other book might you compare Cold Caller to, and why?

It's a bit like a diluted American Psycho.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Christopher Ragland?

Yes, he did a reasonable job.

Did Cold Caller inspire you to do anything?

It almost inspired me to not finish listening to the end, but I persevered. I still don't know if I liked the book or not, it's a bit like Marmite. The end was definitely odd, and seemed rushed.

Any additional comments?

You start off feeling a little bit sorry for Bill. Even though he's arrogant it sounds like life has treated him unfairly. As the story unfolds and his obvious misogyny becomes evident you start to dislike him enough that you don't care how life has treated him...his 'bad breaks' are self-inflicted. Actually it's not just misogyny, he doesn't really like anybody unless they're providing exactly what he wants from them. And a lot of what he wants wouldn't be something you'd want to give.
I made it to the end but I did struggle. Bill revolted me, and I failed to see the dark humour mentioned in other reviews (I bought it for this).

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Behind the smile

What other book might you compare Cold Caller to, and why?

A sentence of life by Julian Gloag. Although very different in approach, both reveal the shifting viewpoints and gradual internal disintegration of the main protagonist

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The ending, as it was unexpected

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

I bought this book on a whim with no expectations and am so glad that I did. Told from the perspective of the failed and disheartened advertising executive, the story firmly established the main characters before sliding into extremes, carrying the reader/listener along with events plausibly. The text was well written and the dialogue plausible, unstilted.
The narrator, Christopher Ragland, was perfect both capturing the voice of the main protagonist exactly as I would have imagined it, and clearly differentiating those of others in dialogue.
I recommend it if character, rather than constant action, is a main voice criterion.

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7 people found this helpful