I think what comes to mind is something along the line of a J.P Beamont mystery. What other book might you compare The Green Pearl Caper to and why? I don't typically listen to our read books more than once, only because my to-read list is too long, but I'm anxiously awaiting the release of book two. Would you listen to The Green Pearl Caper again? Why? Overall, this was a fun read, and I would definitely check out other books in this series. I found his voice enjoyable, his character differentiation was great, his female voices didn't sound forced or whiny (which is a common complaint I have with other male narrators doing female voices), and his pacing was good. This is the first book I've listened to narrated by him, and I was pleased. I listened to the Audible audio version narrated by Tom Lennon. I know you have to start a series somewhere, but it might be fun to see some prequels that talk about their early years together. In the book, they reference earlier cases that Damien and Millie worked together, which made me want to know more details. I think it is well-written, easy to read, has good characters, and keeps you guessing who the culprit is. The setting is interesting, as it takes place in 1970's Atlantic City. I thought this was a good start to a series, and perfect for fans of detective stories. This was a bit distracting until I told myself to allow the story to exist 'whenever.' Once that was done, I was able to relax and enjoy this rather timeless narrative. In my opinion Lennon's tone, as well as the story's dialogues, may be more indicative of an earlier decade than the 70’s. Tom Lennon makes me believe he’s telling the story. The narration is carried out consistently well.

My only prickly note is that sometimes the feel of time is closer to the 1940’s than the 70’s, which is detectable in both in the dialogue and the narration. The real enjoyment is in details I dare not share lest I spoil your fun. The story definitely kept me guessing as the pendulum swung from hilarity to horror to hope. The plot is enriched with a cast of very suspicious antagonists, all of whom have motive to kill. As Dickens’s enemies gloat over his misfortune, he steadily mounts clues and garners support from his extremely limited resources.

Following Detective Damien Dickens through boardwalk knockouts rubbish burials (his own) pawnshop prowls and the ire of his long time enemies made this listen fun adventure and conjured more than a little worry over the doomed detective. This crew is all kerchiefs and pearls and murder. This takes us back to the New Jersey and New York of the 70’s, which was a time of bell bottoms, disco music, pay phones, and platform shoes-but not for the conservative heirs of a tobacco conglomerate.

THE GREEN PEARL CAPER by Phyllis Entis