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Title details for Safe Enough by Lee Child - Wait list

Safe Enough

And Other Stories

by Lee Child
Edoardo Ballerini
Audiobook
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Wait time: About 2 weeks
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0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
Twenty crime stories by the creator of Jack Reacher, never before collected
For the past twenty years, Lee Child has been one of the bestselling authors in the world, thanks to the popularity of his iconic and instantly recognizable hero Jack Reacher. But even at the height of Reacher's fame, Child's short story writing was not confined to the series; throughout the course of his career, he published tales about a range of characters on both sides of the law, including assassins, a body guard, CIA and FBI agents, gangsters, and more. Meticulously plotted and packed with Child's trademark action and suspense, this collection shows the author's mastery of the short form.
In "Ten Keys," a drug-dealing hit man feels that he must unburden his fears and guilt to a stranger. A rookie cop in "Normal in Every Way" is assigned to the department's file room, where he makes connections to historic dates that could lead to solving crimes. A methodical bodyguard quits his job when he's outsmarted. A military mission is planned to perfection. A potential worker for the Manhattan Project is carefully surveilled by an FBI agent. A killer preys on other killers. Taken together, these stories are a riotous calamity of criminals and crime fighters; individually, they are expertly crafted, piercing tales that hit hard enough to leave a mark.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 3, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696616799
      • File size: 156083 KB
      • Duration: 05:25:10

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 29, 2024
      Child (the Jack Reacher series) compiles 20 previously published short stories in this brooding collection. Featuring mobsters, con men, assassins, and corrupt cops, Child’s self-described “very, very, very short novels” mostly focus on the worst of humanity. In “The .50 Solution,” a hit man is hired to kill a racehorse; in “My First Drug Trial,” an addict gets high before their moment of judgment; in “Me and Mr. Rafferty,” a serial killer leaves behind grisly clues in hopes of forging a connection with a detective. Throughout, Child gleefully toys with readers’ expectations, mirroring his duplicitous characters as he performs a series of satisfying bait-and-switches, most memorably in “Ten Keys,” which initially appears to center on two men in a bar waiting for an assassin. His dialogue, too, has the grit and punch of top-shelf crime fiction, though it’s easy to spot that many of Child’s characters sound alike when reading the stories back-to-back. These stories prove that Child has more to offer than the head-splitting exploits of his most popular action hero. Agent: Rebekah Finch, Darley Anderson Agency.

    • Library Journal

      December 6, 2024

      Prolific thriller writer, Child (Jack Reacher series) shares in the foreword to his riveting short story collection that writing short stories has always been something of a guilty pleasure. Short stories don't usually bring in much money, but they give authors a chance to try something new and have a little fun. Though listeners may be mourning Child's departure from the Reacher series (having left the remaining books in his brother Andrew's hands), they can rest easy, as Child's clear delight in writing comes through in this excellent collection. Accompanied by Edoardo Ballerini's pitch-perfect narration, Child offers 20 non-Reacher stories that are thought-provoking, intriguing, and just plain fun. There's a cop who does everything by the numbers, a bodyguard who is rescued by his client, an organizational meeting for an espionage mission, a police file-room clerk with a hidden talent, and a serial killer who only kills people deemed to be "bad." Ballerini's accents are believable, and his tone complements Child's writing, creating a conversational, inviting atmosphere. VERDICT This gritty, surprising, well-paced collection from a powerhouse author will garner many holds. Child's fans will snap it up, but it is also highly recommended for crime fiction fans seeking something new.--Scott DiMarco

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Lee Child's short stories, which focus on protagonists from seedier sides of life, including hit men with varying moral compasses, are an interesting collection enhanced by a one-man show of narration by Edoardo Ballerini. Short stories might provide the biggest challenge for a narrator, and he is definitely up to it. Ballerini uses a variety of techniques--ranging from clipped tones to changing accents and pace--to make each story his own. A police officer tucked away in a documents room speaks in a minimalistic way, while other characters have more commanding tones. Child doesn't overwrite, Ballerini knows his craft, and the two team up for well-done stories. M.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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