• City of Echoes

  • Detective Matt Jones, Book 1
  • By: Robert Ellis
  • Narrated by: Nick Podehl
  • Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (1,794 ratings)

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City of Echoes  By  cover art

City of Echoes

By: Robert Ellis
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
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Publisher's summary

On Detective Matt Jones's first night working Homicide in LA, he's called to investigate a particularly violent murder case: a man has been gunned down in a parking lot off Hollywood Boulevard, his bullet-riddled body immediately pegged as the work of a serial robber who has been haunting the Strip for months. Driven by the grisliness of the crime, Jones and his hot-tempered partner, Denny Cabrera, jump headfirst into the investigation. But as Jones uncovers evidence that links the crime to a brutal, ritualized murder that occurred eighteen months prior, he begins to suspect that there's more going on beneath the surface. When Jones discovers shocking, deep-seated corruption; a high-level cover-up; and his own personal ties to the rising body count, he's no longer sure he can trust anyone, even himself.

©2015 Susan Donovan (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

What listeners say about City of Echoes

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

City of Echoes is underrated!

This is an excellent crime/police mystery set in Los Angeles. I simply do not understand the low ratings this novel has received. A review by one of the listeners I follow here persuaded me to give the book a try.

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64 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent start to a new series!

Which character – as performed by Nick Podehl – was your favorite?

No character in particular was better then another. I thought Nick Podehl did a really good job with them all.

Any additional comments?

I was so "on the fence" about getting this book because of some of the reviews I read on amazon. Anyway, I'm glad I finally decided to ignore them and get the book. If you're hesitant because of that, ignore those and GET THIS BOOK!!!! Yes there are murders in the book, it's a Murder Mystery. Are they particularly grizzly? I don't think so. Hey, I read John Lutz, Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritson ... Of you like these authors then the description of these pales by comparison. This book starts with the murder of a cop who just happens to be Matt Jones best friend. Other murders are taking place simultaneously and at first this one appears related. SPOILER: it's not. Meanwhile the other murders are all an elaborate cover up. To complete this each one leads to another as more lies are told the body count rises. Anyway, our hero realizes that his friend's doesn't fit and when he finally figures it out its one of those "you know I thought that but it would have been too easy". This was a fast paced very entertaining listen which I Highly Recommend. If you found this review helpful please indicate so. Thank You.

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60 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Oh Come On Already. Not This Story Again!

Another apple squirming with worms. When will cop-house writers stop finding their bad guys in the police force? This storyline's become the first refuge of sloppy plotters. Robert Ellis goes there, drags us along. Yeah, it's noir... Another black PD-procedural. AAARGH! What's wrong with the publishers? Have they stopped hiring editors? Do they think every mystery fan's not read this story before?

Ellis can write well... by that I mean he's mastered the craft. But this book is to talent as house painting is to art. I give it ten ZZZZZZZZZZs....

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49 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Who has earned your trust? Do they deserve it?

Wow, what a trail of deceit, lies, corruption, and murder. A master who dun it! Most of the characters are in the midst living a life of deception. There are so many twist and turns in this story, and there will be at least one you'll guess wrong on" the there will be another you never saw coming.
This book is well worth the credit, and when it is over you'll be glad you chose this book

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43 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

pretty good mystery - had me guessing...

good storyline; excellent narration - worth a listen (I will read this author again). well rounded - likeable main character. flirts with "grey" line between black and white - right and wrong.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Overkill

I started off thinking I would give this book four stars. It has a likeable, if not totally developed main character, a serial killer and interesting twists and turns. The writing was also pretty good. As the book went on, I thought the action started to get a bit crazy and lowered my evaluation to three stars for an okay mystery/thriller. As it went on, it just seemed to go over the top and started losing credibility. It suddenly seemed that everyone in this book was no good. At 75% through, it seemed like the book should be over. I thought to myself that the rest must be excerpts from other books. But, no, it kept on going with more people turning out to be killers, all sorts of crazy twists and turns, and I just sort of threw up my hands. Some reviewers called this book noir. It wasn't labeled as such and I wasn't expecting one. And, meanwhile, this cop, Matt (the protagonist) seems to be able to cope with all of the madness and the "who do you trust" scenario like a long-time veteran, while he is only a rookie homicide cop on his first homicide case. I listened to the last quarter of the book with my tongue in my cheek. Then the ending came. I won't give anything away but it made me really angry. I hate the way this book ended. I found this book ultimately depressing and frustrating. I thought I would at least get a normal cop/serial killer thriller. But this was way darker and way over the top, with killing upon killing. If you know and like this writer, which I don't, and this is his usual type of writing, go for it. I wish I had picked the historical fiction The Girl From Krakow. I wasn't into getting into a heavy book, but I think that may have been the better choice. I wrote this review kind of late, so it may not be read by many, but be warned that this is darker than the usual cop thriller and, I think, over the top. I gave it two stars, rather than one, for the better than average writing style.

Nick Podehl was outstanding with the delivery of the story and the only reason I finished the book.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A new series

I believe this is the first book in a series. Matt Jones is a rookie LAPD homicide detective. He and his partner Denny Cabrera are investigating a series of ritual murders. Jones’ best friend Kevin Hughes was killed in a robbery. Maybe the murders are being committed by a rogue cop. Now Jones trusts no one.

This is my first book by Robert Ellis. Somehow or other I bought this book on the Amazon site that provided an audiobook via Audible. The book is well written; the pace is fast. I found the story’s plot to be complex and loaded with distortion and misdirection that only increases the suspense. The characters are well developed, credible and complex. Ellis is well on his way to be a master of suspense. What I did not like about the story is it’s yet another serial killer plot. I am fed up with this topic. Come on authors can’t you create another subject. I could also have done with less foul language. The description of the LA area was very good. I have listened to Nick Podehl narrate before and found his narration excellent.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

surprisingly it is not his first book

it felt like the author had attended a college class on writing a mystery where he was given a formula to follow for a plot line, then input details and worked the formula to a resolution. add cliche for color and variety. I understand you have to suspend a level of reality to enjoy a thriller/mystery but there were too many places in this book where even someone who knows little about law enforcement or even human nature just can't get past. the setup in this book just wouldn't happen. elements of the story were also put together in rediculous ways. it felt to me like a solid first novel effort for an author, and when I looked him up was not expecting that he has several books out, so I'm guessing this book may be as good as it gets. It is not a mystery if I will be purchasing book two of the series. The narrator I gave 5 stars. He did a decent job with what he had to work with.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Sophomoric

I got the book cheap and that's a good thing, best thing about it really. Maybe because of my law enforcement experience I found it to be written for people who got C's in high school or college, not by choice. If it were a first book, hmm maybe...but to have books on Audible at least 6 years older than this one, nah! Some of the book contradicts real procedures that could have been avoided with bit more research. Conversations were almost boring with the main character talking to himself really boring. Character development, if there, alluded me....I didn't care about any of them. But, my wife liked it...then again she will listen to a book over and over just for the noise!
I can see an appeal to some, maybe. But if you're used to authors who can develop characters that you can either identify with or care what happens to them in novel-ville, or plots that you may be able to figure out but it takes work or you're surprised by....then skip this one.
Sometimes you take a chance on the Deal of the Day and you're a winner, this time I wasn't... I've had many good ones so won't give up on that, just this author.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Foul Language!

The story line of this book was great with suprizes but the foul language bad.

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4 people found this helpful