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Inside Jobs: Tales from a Time of Quarantine
Three offbeat stories of crime and conundrum, set in the present moment, from The New York Times best-selling, Edgar Award-winning author of Underground Airlines and The Last Policeman.
Inside Jobs: Tales from a Time of Quarantine includes:
The Crimson Parrot
It's not easy masterminding the crime of the century when your whole gang is working from home. A high-stakes tale of larceny, deception, and teleconferencing.
The Cape House
As the world shifts around them, two estranged brothers end up in their childhood home. But it's the memories they unearth that will change them forever.
Stop Motion
With endless time on her hands, an apartment-bound young woman gets to all the hobbies she's neglected—martial arts, playing the sax, photography...and solving a murder?
©2020 Ben H. Winters (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC
Inside Jobs: Tales from a Time of Quarantine includes:
The Crimson Parrot
It's not easy masterminding the crime of the century when your whole gang is working from home. A high-stakes tale of larceny, deception, and teleconferencing.
The Cape House
As the world shifts around them, two estranged brothers end up in their childhood home. But it's the memories they unearth that will change them forever.
Stop Motion
With endless time on her hands, an apartment-bound young woman gets to all the hobbies she's neglected—martial arts, playing the sax, photography...and solving a murder?
©2020 Ben H. Winters (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC
3 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 30, 2020
31 people are currently reading
598 people want to read
About the author
Ben H. Winters
70 books2,116 followersBen H. Winters is the author most recently of the novel The Quiet Boy (Mulholland/Little, Brown, 2021). He is also the author of the novel Golden State; the New York Times bestselling Underground Airlines; The Last Policeman and its two sequels; the horror novel Bedbugs; and several works for young readers. His first novel, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, was also a Times bestseller. Ben has won the Edgar Award for mystery writing, the Philip K. Dick award in science fiction, the Sidewise Award for alternate history, and France’s Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire.
Ben also writes for film and television. He is the creator and co-showrunner of Tracker, forthcoming on CBS. Previously he was a producer on the FX show Legion, and on the upcoming Apple TV+ drama Manhunt.
He has contributed short stories to many anthologies, as well as in magazines such as Lightspeed. He is the author of four “Audible Originals”– Stranger, Inside Jobs, Q&A, and Self Help — and several plays and musicals. His reviews appear frequently in the New York Times Book Review. Ben was born in Washington, D.C., grew up in Maryland, educated in St. Louis, and then grew up a bunch more, in various ways, in places like Chicago, New York, Cambridge, MA, and Indianapolis, IN. These days he lives in LA with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.
Ben also writes for film and television. He is the creator and co-showrunner of Tracker, forthcoming on CBS. Previously he was a producer on the FX show Legion, and on the upcoming Apple TV+ drama Manhunt.
He has contributed short stories to many anthologies, as well as in magazines such as Lightspeed. He is the author of four “Audible Originals”– Stranger, Inside Jobs, Q&A, and Self Help — and several plays and musicals. His reviews appear frequently in the New York Times Book Review. Ben was born in Washington, D.C., grew up in Maryland, educated in St. Louis, and then grew up a bunch more, in various ways, in places like Chicago, New York, Cambridge, MA, and Indianapolis, IN. These days he lives in LA with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
April 10, 2025
Story 3.5 stars**
Audio 5 stars**
Narrators:
Scott Aiello 5
Kevin T. Collins
Ellen Archer
Audio 5 stars**
Narrators:
Scott Aiello 5
Kevin T. Collins
Ellen Archer
May 9, 2020
Inside Jobs was filled with 3 novellas of crime. In it, you will read The Crimson Parrot, The Cape House, and Stop Motion. They all have one thing in common as well: time in quarantine.
The first book was hilarious. I mean even the synopsis made me snort because of the whole gang working from home situation. Then there's the second book, which was all about two brothers who haven't really connected in a long time. All it took was for a lovely quarantine to bring them back together. Last, but not least, the third book was about a girl who broke up with her boyfriend and he hopes she will change her mind.
Out of the three, the first book was my favorite by far. It just had so many funny moments and the narrators did a great job. The other two were still good though, don't get me wrong. I just felt like I paid more attention to the first one than the others.
Overall, these quarantine themed novellas were a nice change for me.
The first book was hilarious. I mean even the synopsis made me snort because of the whole gang working from home situation. Then there's the second book, which was all about two brothers who haven't really connected in a long time. All it took was for a lovely quarantine to bring them back together. Last, but not least, the third book was about a girl who broke up with her boyfriend and he hopes she will change her mind.
Out of the three, the first book was my favorite by far. It just had so many funny moments and the narrators did a great job. The other two were still good though, don't get me wrong. I just felt like I paid more attention to the first one than the others.
Overall, these quarantine themed novellas were a nice change for me.
July 24, 2020
This is comprised of three short crime stories set during the pandemic. The first incorporates some humor when describing the downside of a group of gangsters plotting a crime via zoom. The next two stories are less entertaining. One involves an unplanned reunion of brothers and the other is a take on Rear Window. At least I got this for free.
May 11, 2020
The Crimson Parrot - A genuinely funny take on what happens when the hard-case criminals from classic noir detective novels have to work from home.
The Cape House - fun story progression as the characters reveal themselves
Stop Motion - meh
The Cape House - fun story progression as the characters reveal themselves
Stop Motion - meh
April 1, 2021
I have migraine hangover today. If you aren't familiar (lucky) it's the day AFTER I get a migraine, where I just feel... well, hungover. Slow, stupid brain, headachy, tired, run down. Hungover - but without the fun drinking part.
Work sucked, then I tried to take a nap, and that failed because apparently I can't nap anymore... I ordered takeout and decided to listen to something short before my April reading obligations start. So I headed over to the Audible app, and I found that my mom (whose account is linked with mine) had downloaded a bunch of short Audible Originals. Perfect. I picked this collection of stories, all of which feature the lockdowns during the Covid pandemic, and started listening.
The first story, The Crimson Parrot, was by far the best. It was delightfully funny and just worked so brilliantly. The reader (I'm assuming this one was read by Scott Aiello) was perfect. I loved the concept of criminals trying to organize over Zoom. Hilarious. The story ended at just the right time, leaving the ending ambiguous, but I liked that. I think a more definitive ending would have ruined it. 5 stars
The second story, The Cape House, was good. I felt like it was incomplete though. I wanted more - more info about the brothers and their situations, more info about their childhood, which was hinted at being less than happy, more info about so much. I get that these stories are really only supposed to be something of a snapshot in time, and that we don't really have the benefit of a lot of background info, but for this story, I really felt its lack. If we WEREN'T going to get that from the story, then I think a lot of the things that were included should have been cut. It maybe should have been ONLY narrated from the perspective of the younger brother, without the intrusion of the outside world... A skilled writer could have given us a compelling 3rd person limited narration, and still managed to show us that things are not as he portrays, perhaps. I think I would have liked that more than getting glimpses but no context or closure on anything. 2.5 stars
The last story, Stop Motion, I didn't like at all.
*PEDANTRY ALERT* FIRST OF ALL, what the main character was actually doing, by setting up a camera to capture the opening of a rosebud over time, is "time-lapse photography"... NOT "stop motion". Stop motion is where you capture an image, then move the object, then take another picture, move the object again... on and on and on, until you edit the images together to make a film/movie. Strike one.
When the main character suspects that something nefarious is happening, instead of taking her suspicions to the authorities, she takes them to her ex-boyfriend and "baby please please please" manipulates him into being a co-conspirator to find additional evidence... which fails. Strike two. Because it's annoying.
THEN, she takes matters into her own hands. Strike three. Just on general principles. NOT ONLY is she, if she's right, breaking and entering to find out, but if she's right, she's also contaminating any potential crime scene and potentially ruining any case she's hoping to prove. Just dumb... really dumb. And annoying, not to mention dumb. 1 star
So... It was short, and mostly enjoyable, so I can't complain too much. I wish all of the stories were as enjoyable as the first one though! 2.83 stars, rounded up to 3.
Work sucked, then I tried to take a nap, and that failed because apparently I can't nap anymore... I ordered takeout and decided to listen to something short before my April reading obligations start. So I headed over to the Audible app, and I found that my mom (whose account is linked with mine) had downloaded a bunch of short Audible Originals. Perfect. I picked this collection of stories, all of which feature the lockdowns during the Covid pandemic, and started listening.
The first story, The Crimson Parrot, was by far the best. It was delightfully funny and just worked so brilliantly. The reader (I'm assuming this one was read by Scott Aiello) was perfect. I loved the concept of criminals trying to organize over Zoom. Hilarious. The story ended at just the right time, leaving the ending ambiguous, but I liked that. I think a more definitive ending would have ruined it. 5 stars
The second story, The Cape House, was good. I felt like it was incomplete though. I wanted more - more info about the brothers and their situations, more info about their childhood, which was hinted at being less than happy, more info about so much. I get that these stories are really only supposed to be something of a snapshot in time, and that we don't really have the benefit of a lot of background info, but for this story, I really felt its lack. If we WEREN'T going to get that from the story, then I think a lot of the things that were included should have been cut. It maybe should have been ONLY narrated from the perspective of the younger brother, without the intrusion of the outside world... A skilled writer could have given us a compelling 3rd person limited narration, and still managed to show us that things are not as he portrays, perhaps. I think I would have liked that more than getting glimpses but no context or closure on anything. 2.5 stars
The last story, Stop Motion, I didn't like at all.
*PEDANTRY ALERT* FIRST OF ALL, what the main character was actually doing, by setting up a camera to capture the opening of a rosebud over time, is "time-lapse photography"... NOT "stop motion". Stop motion is where you capture an image, then move the object, then take another picture, move the object again... on and on and on, until you edit the images together to make a film/movie. Strike one.
When the main character suspects that something nefarious is happening, instead of taking her suspicions to the authorities, she takes them to her ex-boyfriend and "baby please please please" manipulates him into being a co-conspirator to find additional evidence... which fails. Strike two. Because it's annoying.
THEN, she takes matters into her own hands. Strike three. Just on general principles. NOT ONLY is she, if she's right, breaking and entering to find out, but if she's right, she's also contaminating any potential crime scene and potentially ruining any case she's hoping to prove. Just dumb... really dumb. And annoying, not to mention dumb. 1 star
So... It was short, and mostly enjoyable, so I can't complain too much. I wish all of the stories were as enjoyable as the first one though! 2.83 stars, rounded up to 3.
May 3, 2020
First story was very entertaining and funny, definitely 5 stars. The second story was okay about 3 stars and the third story was good 4 stars.
The first story three criminals make plans to complete a heist they had intended to do before the stay at home situation interrupted things.
The second story two estranged brothers find themselves alone together in their childhood home as they try to organize their recently deceased father's estate.
The third story is definitely a take on Rear Window.
The first story three criminals make plans to complete a heist they had intended to do before the stay at home situation interrupted things.
The second story two estranged brothers find themselves alone together in their childhood home as they try to organize their recently deceased father's estate.
The third story is definitely a take on Rear Window.
May 2, 2020
I really enjoyed the three stories, especially the first one. I even chuckled a few times listening to the story. The accents the narrator did for the first story were what made it really good. These stories were even better with being confined during this current pandemic. It makes you wonder if things like this are going on. Definitely worth listening to. Great characters and stories.
September 5, 2023
Out of the three stories, I really liked the last two. So, yeah, a good book with different quarantine thrilling themes.
May 19, 2020
I love getting good Audible originals. This is a compilation of three “quarantine” times stories. There’s humor, there’s creepiness, and some disturbing stuff. You know, the things we all need to make it through challenging times.
Excellent narration, and the length is just about right.
Excellent narration, and the length is just about right.
May 8, 2020
I barely finished one out of 3 stories. Even thought I liked the premise I found it so boring.
December 15, 2022
Remember the early days of 2020, when COVID deaths were mounting daily, hospitals were being overwhelmed, there was no vaccine in sight, cities across the world were going into Lockdown and no one knew when or if things would get back to normal? Life as we'd known it was on hold. The contacts and conveniences and small collective freedoms that we'd taken for granted were no longer available to us. We had to learn to cope with isolation, with not leaving the house, with having free time without the freedom to use it. We kept hope alive and fear at bay by trying new things. It turned out that one of the commonest reactions to the end of the world as we knew it was baking. At least, that was the upside. The downside was depression, paranoia and domestic violence.
Ben Winters clearly remembers those days and in these three stories, he brought them back to me, reminding me of how things were, exploring what that did to us and adding just enough humour to make me smile and be glad that we're not in lockdown anymore.
'The Crimson Parrot': there's a title to conjure with! It sounds like something from a Saturday Matinee at the cinemas that, as I type this, I realise are too far in the past for most people to remember. It's a title that suggests plots, and heists and nefarious doings. This is what the story would have been about, except now, the gang planning all of that is working from home and the mark they'd planned to ambush can't travel. Ben Winters delivered perfectly-timed drôle humour that any of us who have tried to work with people who have never used Zoom before and who are coping with patchy wifi and improvised domestic workspaces that are frequently but unpredictably invaded by family members, will recognise and empathise with. The characters are straight from Central Casting but that just adds to the fun. The plot has enough twists to keep the story moving and to keep me guessing to the end.
'The Cape House', a story of two brothers, brought together for the first time in decades by their father's funeral and then trapped in their childhood home when lockdown bites, was a much darker tale. It was a first-person account that seemed fairly low-key at first but which gains a slow menace as the narrator starts to unravel and is shown to be not just unreliable but certifiable. This is a nicely crafted acknowledgement of the pressure on mental health of discontinuous change combined with enforced isolation with a person you wouldn't normally spend time with. I thought the ending was satisfying and showed an escalating sense of things going out of control.
'Stop Motion', another title loaded with potential meanings in a time of COVID, is a sort of 'Rear Window' re-write only with Lockdown taking the place of a broken leg. I had a lot of fun with this mostly tongue-in-cheek story. The main character, a young woman who has a history of starting things and not finishing them, is determined to use her enforced isolation to return to some of her abandoned projects and do something useful. This amused me as I know a lot of us felt this way at the start of Lockdown before folding under the combined weight or anxiety, isolation and boredom. Our heroine's attempt at Stop Motion photography accidentally results in pictures that she convinces herself show that one of her neighbours has murdered his husband. What I loved most about this story was that Ben Winters kept me equally interested in the young woman's state of mind and her relationship with her recently-dumped-but-now-needed-to-help-in-her-investigation boyfriend as I was in whether a murder had been committed and whether anyone would believe it if it had.
If you have a few hours to fill and you want to take a trip back to 2020 headspace, give 'Inside Jobs' a try. Each story has its own narrator and they all do
Ben Winters clearly remembers those days and in these three stories, he brought them back to me, reminding me of how things were, exploring what that did to us and adding just enough humour to make me smile and be glad that we're not in lockdown anymore.
'The Crimson Parrot': there's a title to conjure with! It sounds like something from a Saturday Matinee at the cinemas that, as I type this, I realise are too far in the past for most people to remember. It's a title that suggests plots, and heists and nefarious doings. This is what the story would have been about, except now, the gang planning all of that is working from home and the mark they'd planned to ambush can't travel. Ben Winters delivered perfectly-timed drôle humour that any of us who have tried to work with people who have never used Zoom before and who are coping with patchy wifi and improvised domestic workspaces that are frequently but unpredictably invaded by family members, will recognise and empathise with. The characters are straight from Central Casting but that just adds to the fun. The plot has enough twists to keep the story moving and to keep me guessing to the end.
'The Cape House', a story of two brothers, brought together for the first time in decades by their father's funeral and then trapped in their childhood home when lockdown bites, was a much darker tale. It was a first-person account that seemed fairly low-key at first but which gains a slow menace as the narrator starts to unravel and is shown to be not just unreliable but certifiable. This is a nicely crafted acknowledgement of the pressure on mental health of discontinuous change combined with enforced isolation with a person you wouldn't normally spend time with. I thought the ending was satisfying and showed an escalating sense of things going out of control.
'Stop Motion', another title loaded with potential meanings in a time of COVID, is a sort of 'Rear Window' re-write only with Lockdown taking the place of a broken leg. I had a lot of fun with this mostly tongue-in-cheek story. The main character, a young woman who has a history of starting things and not finishing them, is determined to use her enforced isolation to return to some of her abandoned projects and do something useful. This amused me as I know a lot of us felt this way at the start of Lockdown before folding under the combined weight or anxiety, isolation and boredom. Our heroine's attempt at Stop Motion photography accidentally results in pictures that she convinces herself show that one of her neighbours has murdered his husband. What I loved most about this story was that Ben Winters kept me equally interested in the young woman's state of mind and her relationship with her recently-dumped-but-now-needed-to-help-in-her-investigation boyfriend as I was in whether a murder had been committed and whether anyone would believe it if it had.
If you have a few hours to fill and you want to take a trip back to 2020 headspace, give 'Inside Jobs' a try. Each story has its own narrator and they all do
July 10, 2020
Definitely recommend this Audible original. Cool the the short stories were set in quarantine
May 9, 2020
First Out-of-the-Gate Quarantine Book?
Review of the Audible Original audiobook (April 30, 2020) of three original short stories.
Inside Jobs is the first quickie book from the quarantine that I am aware of and is not a bad effort for something that had to have been done extremely quickly with audio production added on top. I do know one previous Ben H. Winters book Golden State (2019) which was a future dystopia state detective novel with various surprises. The three stories of Inside Jobs take various tropes of the crime genre and give them a quarantine twist. The Crimson Parrot is the gang-involved caper heist with planning meetings held via Zoom with the expected comedic effects. The Cape House is the brotherly rivalry theme under the pressure of quarantine. Stop Motion is strongly Rear Window influenced with a quarantined individual observing questionable activities at a neighbour's house. The narrators were all excellent but it was the final main story Stop Motion that had the best combination of humour and suspense.
Inside Jobs was one of ten Audible Originals available free for Audible members in May 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.
Review of the Audible Original audiobook (April 30, 2020) of three original short stories.
Inside Jobs is the first quickie book from the quarantine that I am aware of and is not a bad effort for something that had to have been done extremely quickly with audio production added on top. I do know one previous Ben H. Winters book Golden State (2019) which was a future dystopia state detective novel with various surprises. The three stories of Inside Jobs take various tropes of the crime genre and give them a quarantine twist. The Crimson Parrot is the gang-involved caper heist with planning meetings held via Zoom with the expected comedic effects. The Cape House is the brotherly rivalry theme under the pressure of quarantine. Stop Motion is strongly Rear Window influenced with a quarantined individual observing questionable activities at a neighbour's house. The narrators were all excellent but it was the final main story Stop Motion that had the best combination of humour and suspense.
Inside Jobs was one of ten Audible Originals available free for Audible members in May 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.
May 29, 2020
Idk what I just forced myself through, but it wasn't memorable.
June 2, 2020
The first of what is sure to be a new genre - social distancing fiction. Amusing in a time I’m LONGING to be amused. These three stories didn’t explore the depths of this experience but, they are a quick, fun time-stamp version of our time. The first story is my favorite and made me actually laugh out loud several times. The second two seem like good stories that were edited to place them in the time of COVID-19, but who can blame the author for that?? It’s more productive than I’ve been during this crazy spring, for sure!!!!
June 27, 2022
Bullet Review:
Stories written from quarantine about quarantine.
The first one is by far the best story. I found it hilarious to consider how mobsters would conduct zoom calls to coordinate plans.
The second story is about two brothers grieving. Meh.
The last story had some opportunity, but I felt it went cheap when JJ became amateur investigator. In the day where amateur sleuthing is literally destroying lives, I would much rather the author have challenged the status quo and chose a different ending.
But they were all decent stories to listen while walking, hence the 3 stars.
Stories written from quarantine about quarantine.
The first one is by far the best story. I found it hilarious to consider how mobsters would conduct zoom calls to coordinate plans.
The second story is about two brothers grieving. Meh.
The last story had some opportunity, but I felt it went cheap when JJ became amateur investigator. In the day where amateur sleuthing is literally destroying lives, I would much rather the author have challenged the status quo and chose a different ending.
But they were all decent stories to listen while walking, hence the 3 stars.
November 26, 2021
So the first one kind of sucked but these got better as they went on, especially Stop Motion.
January 13, 2021
Short stories that are very entertaining. Great writing style. Would definitely recommend!
May 13, 2020
3.5 stars
I've been checking out a lot of Audible freebies because they're free and I'm cheap. This collection of three short stories caught my eye, especially as they're set in our current, pandemic times.
The first story was a clever idea, but went on too long. The tale of mafia guys trying to plan crimes zoom meetings. The premise and opening scene are pretty hilarious. It goes a bit down hill from there. Honestly the first scene could have stood alone as its own short short story.
The second was more interesting overall with two estranged brothers forced to shelter in place in their dead father's house. I was there for it and honestly I would have read a whole book about these two. It felt like it ended right when the real story got going.
The third story, a retelling of Rear Window in a time of social media was really clever in my opinion. The writing craft itself came off a little novice from time to time, but I was engaged with the whole story and enjoying the twist on a classic. Ultimately it could only go one of a few ways, and the ending didn't do anything surprising, which was a pity.
Overall, a good time and interesting distraction. Might have paid a couple bucks for it if it wasn't free.
I've been checking out a lot of Audible freebies because they're free and I'm cheap. This collection of three short stories caught my eye, especially as they're set in our current, pandemic times.
The first story was a clever idea, but went on too long. The tale of mafia guys trying to plan crimes zoom meetings. The premise and opening scene are pretty hilarious. It goes a bit down hill from there. Honestly the first scene could have stood alone as its own short short story.
The second was more interesting overall with two estranged brothers forced to shelter in place in their dead father's house. I was there for it and honestly I would have read a whole book about these two. It felt like it ended right when the real story got going.
The third story, a retelling of Rear Window in a time of social media was really clever in my opinion. The writing craft itself came off a little novice from time to time, but I was engaged with the whole story and enjoying the twist on a classic. Ultimately it could only go one of a few ways, and the ending didn't do anything surprising, which was a pity.
Overall, a good time and interesting distraction. Might have paid a couple bucks for it if it wasn't free.
June 1, 2020
I absolutely LOVED this series of short stories! It wss great to have something written during a time in which we are living. The narrators were EXCELLENT and I do not regret picking this book to listen to. I got a number of laughs and some suspense. It was perfect.
May 26, 2020
Pretty funny and interesting, a good listen while driving to and from our weekend hike.
May 22, 2020
Very smart and very funny stories about "Crime in the age of quarantine."
They are mostly funny, but since crime is involved there is drama and tragedy too.
Good quick listen, and amazing narrators.
They are mostly funny, but since crime is involved there is drama and tragedy too.
Good quick listen, and amazing narrators.
May 13, 2020
There are 3 crime stories set during quarantine, which made it more relatable. Truth is, I only chose to listen to this because Scott Aiello was one of the narrators. His crime story part was the best. The middle story dragged on forever, I almost considered quitting. The last story wasn’t too bad.
May 6, 2020
Cute, easy read.
May 5, 2020
Excellent and timely read!
May 2, 2020
First story was ok, second was good, and the Last story was the best.
July 24, 2020
Three stories, three reviews;
First story: Fairly amusing. Despite being painfully modern, the names and behavior of the mobsters is straight out of 40's pulp fiction. The author doesn't build up the characters, instead relies on streotypes and tropes. The author spends a lot of time going into specific details about the current tech and services, but is coy about the overall setting. It creates a bit of a dissonance mentioning Nintendo Switch by name but only refering to the background as " the world is scrambled" and "everything fell apart". Its more scene description than plot or action, coming to an abrupt end. The voice acting is delightful. Capturing that Jersey drawl that noir mobsters are known for, and keeping the pacing on track.
Cape House: The protagonist is the most pretentious and whiney middle aged white man I have ever heard. The author seems to enjoy using an abundance of words to describe things than actually create a story. The style is clearly trying to create suspension, but it just comes aceoss as annoying. Again the story ends abruptly and unsatisfactory for someone expexting a complete story instead of a mediocre word vomit. Once again the voice is beautifully done. Capturing the banality of the story, with a flawless north eastern accent.
Stop Motion: Well, the author finally said quarantine instead of the coy flirtation about what has people staying home. The hook of the story is a neighbor capturing a murder disposal and trying to prove it. But really, its a story of an unrealized woman taking back her aged hipster boyfriend while is self-denial about what she is doing. The voice actress has more fullness saying her name than the whole of the character, but she does make it worth listening to.
Added together, the author doesn't seemnto be able to create a complete story. Just lots of descriptions and I 'thing' to make the listener think we are going to have a lovely story.
First story: Fairly amusing. Despite being painfully modern, the names and behavior of the mobsters is straight out of 40's pulp fiction. The author doesn't build up the characters, instead relies on streotypes and tropes. The author spends a lot of time going into specific details about the current tech and services, but is coy about the overall setting. It creates a bit of a dissonance mentioning Nintendo Switch by name but only refering to the background as " the world is scrambled" and "everything fell apart". Its more scene description than plot or action, coming to an abrupt end. The voice acting is delightful. Capturing that Jersey drawl that noir mobsters are known for, and keeping the pacing on track.
Cape House: The protagonist is the most pretentious and whiney middle aged white man I have ever heard. The author seems to enjoy using an abundance of words to describe things than actually create a story. The style is clearly trying to create suspension, but it just comes aceoss as annoying. Again the story ends abruptly and unsatisfactory for someone expexting a complete story instead of a mediocre word vomit. Once again the voice is beautifully done. Capturing the banality of the story, with a flawless north eastern accent.
Stop Motion: Well, the author finally said quarantine instead of the coy flirtation about what has people staying home. The hook of the story is a neighbor capturing a murder disposal and trying to prove it. But really, its a story of an unrealized woman taking back her aged hipster boyfriend while is self-denial about what she is doing. The voice actress has more fullness saying her name than the whole of the character, but she does make it worth listening to.
Added together, the author doesn't seemnto be able to create a complete story. Just lots of descriptions and I 'thing' to make the listener think we are going to have a lovely story.
February 10, 2021
Audible Review Title: "Quite good overall"
Audible Exclusive Original collected on May 16, 2020
Narrated by: Scott Aiello, Kevin T. Collins, Ellen Archer
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Performance: 4 out of 5 stars
Story: 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed via Audible app: 02-08-21
The Crimson Parrot
This stamp mystery was quirky and fun. I'm not into expensive collections, so it seemed a little far-fetched to me criminals would go such lengths to obtain rare stamps. The ending was kind of funny which I liked. // Story 4 stars! // Narrator Scott Aiello was great with all the different characters. I give him 5 stars!
The Cape House
This mystery was less my cup of tea. Fratricide is just hard to understand. I myself am still battling a parent's estate issue years later and yet had never once thought of killing my sibling over it. Different strokes for different folks though. // Story 2 stars! // Narrator Kevin Collins had a pleasant voice overall. I give him 3 stars!
Stop Motion
This last mystery had the best story pacing to me. JJ and Sean were so likeable and made a great murder mystery team even though Sean was reluctant to believe JJ initially. // Story 5 stars! // Narrator Ellen Archer was excellent. I give her 5 stars!
Overall rating 4 stars! It's a good collection of short mysteries that most fans of this genre should enjoy.
Audible Exclusive Original collected on May 16, 2020
Narrated by: Scott Aiello, Kevin T. Collins, Ellen Archer
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Performance: 4 out of 5 stars
Story: 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed via Audible app: 02-08-21
The Crimson Parrot
This stamp mystery was quirky and fun. I'm not into expensive collections, so it seemed a little far-fetched to me criminals would go such lengths to obtain rare stamps. The ending was kind of funny which I liked. // Story 4 stars! // Narrator Scott Aiello was great with all the different characters. I give him 5 stars!
The Cape House
This mystery was less my cup of tea. Fratricide is just hard to understand. I myself am still battling a parent's estate issue years later and yet had never once thought of killing my sibling over it. Different strokes for different folks though. // Story 2 stars! // Narrator Kevin Collins had a pleasant voice overall. I give him 3 stars!
Stop Motion
This last mystery had the best story pacing to me. JJ and Sean were so likeable and made a great murder mystery team even though Sean was reluctant to believe JJ initially. // Story 5 stars! // Narrator Ellen Archer was excellent. I give her 5 stars!
Overall rating 4 stars! It's a good collection of short mysteries that most fans of this genre should enjoy.
May 7, 2020
This is a collection of three short stories, set in the current pandemic shutdown.
A small but very professional criminal gang plans their next job via Zoom meetings. It seems it doesn't matter what your profession is; working from home has its own problems, of kids and spouse competing for space, of getting everyone on screen and audio at the same time, and those embarrassing moments when your coworkers see things you'd forgotten would be visible.
Two brothers who haven't spoken in years return to their childhood home, which their father never left and where he has now died. The two brothers each have their own plans for the house, and the plans are not compatible. Unfortunately, there's a hid with a GoPro.
A young woman is using the shutdown to catch up on projects she's neglected, including photography. She sets up a camera to take timelapse images of a rosebud opening. Unfortunately, she messes up the focus, and gets much better pictures of what one of her neighbors is up to.
These are short, absorbing, entertaining stories.
Recommended.
I received this audiobook as part of Audible's Audible Originals offerings, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
A small but very professional criminal gang plans their next job via Zoom meetings. It seems it doesn't matter what your profession is; working from home has its own problems, of kids and spouse competing for space, of getting everyone on screen and audio at the same time, and those embarrassing moments when your coworkers see things you'd forgotten would be visible.
Two brothers who haven't spoken in years return to their childhood home, which their father never left and where he has now died. The two brothers each have their own plans for the house, and the plans are not compatible. Unfortunately, there's a hid with a GoPro.
A young woman is using the shutdown to catch up on projects she's neglected, including photography. She sets up a camera to take timelapse images of a rosebud opening. Unfortunately, she messes up the focus, and gets much better pictures of what one of her neighbors is up to.
These are short, absorbing, entertaining stories.
Recommended.
I received this audiobook as part of Audible's Audible Originals offerings, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
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