Purgatory

Book 1 of The Purgatory Trilogy

By: J. Costa

Narrated by: J. Costa

Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Dave, a serial killer, is tortured by memories of his lost love, Mya and by his obsession for the beauties of life. In 1997, he travels to East Texas with ill intentions for a priest responsible for the relocation of clergy guilty of child molestation. Kidnapping the guilty priest he nicknames "Judas," he persuades him through threats and a hollow promise to help him locate and punish the deviant priests, thus avenging the innocents who could not defend themselves.

Dave's recklessness leads them on a convoluted journey across the country. As Dave drags Judas to what he feels is their final destiny, these two drastically different individuals begin to see they are more alike than not. Dave appears to be imprisoned in his past, as he claws away at his present. Judas thought he was at peace with his past actions, only to discover through his conversations with Dave that he is just as tortured.

An unlikely pact develops between the serial killer and the priest. Haunted by the loves and sins of one another's pasts, the two form a strange bond as their personalities dangerously influence one another.

©2016 J. Costa (P)2016 R. McCarthy

INTENSE

This is one of the best audio books I’ve ever listened to.

The story, the characters and the way it’s made with sound effects and music were addicting. The plot is as diverse as the relationship between Dave and Judas. The writing, dialog and narration are superb. The subject matter, while disturbing and dark is poignant, and is one that is long overdue being addressed in the manner the author has crafted; The sweet revenge of a serial killer who’s heart was broken by the church. This is a book that will have you replaying segments that not only make you laugh, but will also have you shaking your head in disbelief that someone actually had the guts to go after the church and the corrupt people in it. It kept me guessing to the very end.

Escape reality into a greater reality!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend. It is a wonderful literary and auditory experience.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Dave. Even though he is a serial killer he still has so much humanity. It forced me to think of other people and society being fragmented in the same way.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scenes were the Dave and Father Abramo segments. They were both disturbing and heartbreaking. And, ultimately, extremely illuminating.

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

I wasn’t expecting to. However, after I began listening I couldn’t pull myself away until it was finished.

Any additional comments?

As someone with a background in religion and who has followed church corruption for many years, I was very curious and partially skeptical before I listened to this book. To say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. What J. Costa has created with this book is nothing short of monumental. As the listener I felt that I was living a segment of Dave, and Juda’s violent and darkly humorous life in the present, while simultaneously reliving Dave’s lovely AND dark past with Mya and Abramo. Costa has been incredibly artful with his writing, narration and acting abilities bringing to life a cast of characters experiencing their world with realism that I have yet to see and/or hear elsewhere.

Get Ready To Change The Way You Think

Would you listen to Purgatory again? Why?

I would and have listened to Purgatory several times.This is a very psychologically provocative work. Filled to the brim with characters, scenarios, and situations which, due to their social relevance, emotional accessibility, or ability to inspire introspection within the reader, always cause me to come away with a new understanding of the human condition.Particularly, the ease with which the walls of political and societal correctness can be easily breached, and overcome by the instinctual need for vindication.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself. This is a story that could very easily, and for any number of reasons become a reality for any one of us. The pacing.This aspect of the read is one that evolves at two separate speeds simultaneously. While the physical elements within this story, such as setting and character action occur and change very quickly. The interpersonal relationships between characters, character development, and epiphany are allowed to develop much more slowly. Giving a great deal more importance to the characters' inner feelings, battles, and realizations about outer occurrences.The dialogue.Mr. Costa has a natural flair for writing conversation. His characters speak with the natural ebb and flow found in everyday speech. Making the rhythm of their words just as enjoyable to the listener as the meaning of what is being said. His characters are also imbued with a sarcasm, snark, and frankness that are a joy to experience.The characters.You will notice that a unifying theme that recurs without fail in this review is the effect that characters have on every facet of this story. They, their motivations, actions, thoughts, and existences within the scope of the plot, are the life blood of this most fascinating work

Which character – as performed by J. Costa – was your favorite?

My favorite character is Dave.The reason?He makes no excuses for the fact that he is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. He is also unafraid to uncover the hidden hypocrisy of those around him. In effect, causing them to admit their part, for better or for worse in what has happened, is happening, or will happen to, or because of them.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"You don't have to go to hell if your own worst devil is you."

Immersive

Purgatory is the first book in the trilogy with the same name by author, actor, narrator, producer and publisher J. Costa.

The production is excellent, with Mr. Costa giving his best to grab you by the neck and pull you right into the story.

We follow Dave, a serial killer that hunts and dispatches the worst kind of offenders, hidden priests that at one time or another in their life molested little children. The action moves at breakneck speeds, switching between different times in Dave‘s life, keeping the listener involved from the first minute to the last in this dramatic, but very entertaining story.

Dave‘s war is just, but he does bad things to bad men for a good reason. The entire novel is filled with questions, questions that we all must ask of ourselves from time to time. I won’t say anything else about the story because it should not be spoiled by me.

The author’s talent for natural conversations and his courage to attack such a delicate subject makes this book even more relevant.

As I mentioned above, J. Costa is both narrator and producer for Purgatory and it’s clear that he has dedicated a lot of his time to this project. His narration is excellent, he switches with ease between voices and accents, thus he manages to keep all characters clearly differentiated in the listener’s mind. Also, the production is complete with sound effects and music. Two other actors helped J. Costa with a very small number of characters and they also did great.

The audiobook version of Purgatory delivers complete immersion and although I am not a big fan of audio dramatization, I enjoyed this recording very much.

Most of the sound effects are of very good quality and add to the immersion, creating a living and breathing world.You’ll hear them on the background, thunder-storms, rivers, cars passing eachother on the highway, birds in the forest, and you’ll understand why the author has decided to go this way. It would have been much easier for Mr. Costa to just record the audiobook, but this way you get the distinct feeling that you are watching a good movie on Netflix with the audio description turned on and with your immagination as the screen.

This is a very short but very sweet listen, just a little over 3 hours and a half in duration, but it left me intrigued and wanting for more. I finished it in one sitting and almost forgot to get off the elliptical while listening :)).

As I understandd it, books 2 and 3 are almost ready and we can continue Dave‘s adventure very soon.

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Thank you,
Victor

Excellent

What a journey this writer takes the listener on! This is a phenomenal work. It must be heard to be fully appreciated and understood. There are so many facets to this beautifully written and narrated story.
Highly recommended.

Impossible to pull out the earbuds

Fantastic plot, characters I authentically cared about, and an almost supernatural romance with a SERIAL KILLER. Kind of disturbing but brilliant… I agree with the other reviewer, re: I wonder if there is anyone out there doing things like this. Would we hear about it if there were? This one will make your heart skip a beat in many ways. Very good book.

Poetically Dark

Anyone who loves audiobooks simply must listen to this one. The author’s narration nailed it and I’m in awe of this gritty and graceful world he has spoken around the listener. You’ll get a kick out of Dave and his peeps. No matter how horrible some of the things Dave says, one can’t help but laugh. Some monsters aren’t so bad once you get to know them. I loved this book and can’t wait for the next. You will too.

Have to love a serial killer with a sense of humor

I can’t remember the last time I listened to anything this good.
I listen to audiobooks all the time and have for years. The dialog in this book is nothing short of dynamic and the characters have such incredibly distinct personalities. Dave, the serial killer, is someone you can’t help but to love regardless of the horrible things he says and does. With the current church corruption and scandals a story like this has come along at the perfect time. And the revenge that Dave takes is inspired.

Powerful

This story reached out, pulled me in and left me wondering if it’s wrong to have a soft spot for a serial killer. J. Costa has brought the story and it’s characters to life in such a way it borders on brilliant. The dialog and story are so dynamic that it almost feels like a reiteration of experience. Which also left me wondering, if that is the case: Who the heck is Dave and did any of this actually happen? Definitely the most unique and rewarding audiobook experience I’ve had to date.

Wow.... Crazy <3

This audiobook was crazy. Between the sound effects and the craziness of David, I couldn't stop listening. And the ending....wow. I was not expecting the ending at all. This book definitely left me wanting more. A lot of times author should stay away from narrating and hire a professional. But not here. Costa did an excellent job with the production, narration, and storytelling. He used many different voices and accents, and if I didn't know better, I would have thought he was a pro. I highly recommend this!

This book was given to me at my request. *Thank you audiobookworm*. I am providing a voluntary and honest review. <3