sound effects??

I don't know who decided to "spice up" the recording with sound effects but I hope it is not a trend in audiobooks. Keep the performance to the artist. Door slams, gunshots, screeching tires and such are distracting and cheesy.

I haven't actually finished the book yet; just needed to vent about the extraneous sounds effects. Yeah.

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I couldn't Stop Listening

What made the experience of listening to The Hit the most enjoyable?

Ron McLarty has always been a standout narrator of David Baldacci books. It grabbed my attention from start to finish.

What does Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They both go beyond reading and become the actual characters.

Any additional comments?

Other listeners have complained about the sound effects. I thoroughly enjoyed the sound effects, perhaps because I am old enough to remember radio dramas before the advent of TV. I hope other audio books will include sound effects.

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Send a killer to find a killer–Another great story

The Hit, the new novel by David Baldacci takes no time to start the killing. The book opens with a double cross killing in the first five minutes of listening and then a second hit in the next five. Baldacci quickly establishes the street creds for the Will Robie (the pursuer) and Jessica Real (the pursuee). Both are hit men except that Real, the only female hit man has gone off the reservation -- or so with are led to believe.

And so, the chase starts, Robie chasing Real, and many twists and turns catch you by surprise in this novel. It is a good listen and it is classic Baldacci. If you liked his last novel (released only a month ago), and I did, you’ll find this one equally interesting. In this novel it more about suspense and intrigue than the love angle of the last.

I find Baldacci to be somewhat a touch too commercial, but I do like his story lines. He plays with emotions and suspense and does a good job with character development. The narration is performed by Ron McLarity and Orlagh Cassidy – I thought the narration was a touch too dramatic and could have been dialed back just a touch – but it was just okay.

This book will appeal to those who like thrillers with a government backdrop. If you looking for a big love story in this one, you won’t get it. It is definitely worth the time time -- give it a listen.

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Baldacci Plays by the Rules

The thing I love about David Baldacci is that his books never disappoint you. The characters behave in predictable ways. Things work or don't work because this feeds the author's plan. In this case the marriage of the two assassins in the book (the figurative, not literal marriage) is something that works well and that keeps the reader off balance just enough to make the story enjoyable.
Another thing I really like is that female characters are voiced by a woman, and male characters are voiced by a male. Ron and Orlagh do a great job on this book. I loved their performances.
The story is solid, and after years of listening to so many of the author's other characters, these are not just the same old guys with the same old problems. There is a refreshing newness to the writing. This keeps his work from ever getting old.
You'll enjoy the book.

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cheesy sound effects and sophomoric writing

Did David Baldacci actually write this drivel? The writing is very "simple" and the characters are not developed in any way. There are large leaps in time and action during the story....so much so that several times I thought I must have drifted off and missed something essential. So I rewound to find what I'd missed only to find I'd missed nothing. The story line just jumped ahead and left info out.
But all of that would have been fine if the cheesy sound effects had been left out. The sudden eruption of gunfire and the chirping of crickets to indicate a walk in the woods....really? Have we become so simple-minded that we can no longer conjure up an image based on the written words? And the sound effects just sounded like someone got a new sound board and wanted to try out all the buttons. Awful.
Please, leave out sound effects and let the narrators spin the images from the written words.
Baldacci's last few novels have been so poorly written that I doubt I'll waste money or credits on any more of them.

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Another great Will Robie adventure!

What did you like best about this story?

I really like Will Robie's character! He is a great assassin who really care about those he let's get kind of close, while trying not to get close to anyone.

Any additional comments?

Another great story by Baldacci. This is the second book about Will Robie. Great action and storyline. Robie is a great character that is great at his job as a CIA assassin but struggles to have a real life and feelings outside of his job. FBI Agent Vance and teenage Julie were both back in this book but with a less part than in the first book (that was my only complaint with this book). The action was great with Will trying to track down a traitor(s) within the government and CIA. I will definitely be looking for another book featuring Robie.

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Couldn't make it half way through

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The production and narration was grating to me. The primary narrator alone may have been listenable but the female narrator was so one note in her delivery that all the female characters came off as identical. While I occasionally find male narrators "female" voices off putting, the dual narration of this book was just too much. Add to this the copious use of sound effects and the production is just too cheesy for my taste.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I couldn't really get into the story because I found the narration and sound effects too distracting. I will probably read the book because I like David Baldacci and the premise of the book was interesting. I just hope my brain doesn't hear the voices of the narrators.

How could the performance have been better?

A single narrative voice and no sound effects.

What character would you cut from The Hit?

I couldn't get into the book enough to evaluate the characters.

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Started Dragging on at the End

I had a hard time finishing this book. It seemed like it started to drag a bit at the end. Additionally, I listen with headphones and the production quality wasn't great. The narrators are excellent but there are several chunks of the book where they clearly re-dubbed the spoken line or paragraph. It takes you out of the "moment." It was like watching an R-Rated movie on regular TV. I'm sorry but if you're going to charge $20 for a book, you shouldn't have "cut and paste" production quality.

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Not Quite as exciting at The Innocent

Pretty solid effort by DB, though not quite as sensational a story as The Innocent. He did get me to guess wrong at a key element so cograts to him on that. I think you can stay at this and enjoy it.

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Another Home Run!

What did you love best about The Hit?

The way Mr. Baldacci weaves the roller coaster ride of intrigue is second to none!!

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

Absolutely! The non-stop twists that keep you guessing at who are the good guys and who are the bad guys is enough to drive you crazy!

Which character – as performed by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy – was your favorite?

Robie. As always, Mr. McLarty has the kind of voice that is both captivating and sexy all rolled up into one. He really does an excellent job at bringing out the manly characteristics of the people in the stories he narrates.

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

Definitely!

Any additional comments?

More authors need to employ Ron McLarty!!!

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