Audio Review: Rack & Ruin by Charlie Cochet - Narrated by Mark Westfield

Title: Rack & Ruin (THIRDS: Book Three)

Author: Charlie Cochet

Narrator: Mark Westfield

Run Time: 7 Hours, 6 minutes

At a glance: This Audiobook and narrator are without a doubt the best I have listened to in some time. Putting this incredible author and narrator together is a pairing made in heaven.

Reviewed By: Amy

Blurb: New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly emerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

Review: All I can say is LOVE LOVE LOVE. If I could give this 10 stars, I would. Every single aspect of this audiobook held my attention and kept me coming back for more.

Charlie Cochet writes the perfect blend of comedy, angst, and action. From Dex’s demented sense of humor involving a coffee mug, to Maddock cutting Sloane’s hair, to the scene where Sloane and Dex’s relationship is revealed to a friend, Charlie keeps you laughing through really serious and scary situations. This team goes through a lot, but humor makes Rack & Ruin feel light. The author gives you closure to the case they are investigating within the book, but definitely keeps you anticipating the next book. Rack & Ruin has a devastating ending, with many open ended questions; however, this doesn’t make me angry or frustrating. Charlie Cochet tied enough of the story together to satisfy me, while the anticipation eats me up.

Narration: Before picking this audiobook for review, I had previously read it and loved it; however, the narrator, Mark Westfield, brought the THIRDS to life. Mark had me riveted; crying, I was laughing so hard, and then other times simply just crying.

Each character has a different voice and tone, and the action sequences were suspenseful and believable. I don’t know how Westfield does it, but he takes me back to the Radio Days of the past, when props and sound effect were used without seeming kitschy or overdone. He gives a master class narration. When I was done listening to this, I was sad because it was over. This audiobook and narrator are without a doubt the best I have listened to. Putting this incredible author and narrator together is a pairing made in heaven.