Premier League of Audio Books

Don't judge me, but this isn't the first time I've listened to Dig Two Graves; it's my second. Also, I've read the book about 3 or 4 times, (OK, 6 times, but who's counting?). But I have a really good reason, honestly, gather round and pay attention because I don't want everyone to know. The reason I've read and listened to Dig Two Graves by Keith Nixon so many times is because.....IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! Really and truly, you can't get better than this. Is Solomon Gray the unluckiest man in the world? I just want to help him. He doesn't seem to be inundated with good friends or any family and even though he's a borderline alcoholic, a curmudgeon and foul tempered, it seems to me that it's a defensive wall he's put up to protect himself from any more hurt. How he manages to stay sane when he has no idea if Tom is alive or dead is beyond me. Considering everything he's seen and suffered, his moral compass is remarkably stable. The action is fast paced, the characters are well drawn and credible and the location is unusual. Ben Onwukwe does a marvellous job, giving voice to Mr Nixon's excellently crafted, meticulously honed and thoughtfully placed words. Big, huge, ginormous recommendation to buy Dig Two Graves; the book and the audio version. Treat yourself right now; you can always thank me later!

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1 person found this helpful

Amazing... cant wait for the next in the series

I struggled to start to get into listening to this but that was mainly I think as was so different to my last Audible both in the story and the voice. I loved the character of detective grey and cant wait to see him develop. He has been through so much and though can seem abrasive because of this you can tell it is due to being hurt. This is one of the very few detective stories where I was surprised by one of the culprits and ending on cliff hanger I just know it wont take long to start the next one!

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent debut novel

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. DS Solomon Grey is a complex character with years of emotional baggage which he carries around with him.
As a result of this he comes across as a dour, irascible character who is not really liked by many of his colleagues.
Despite all this, Keith’s excellent writing style makes you want the best for Sol as he endeavours to solve the case of a young, apparent suicide victim.
At the end of a book, there is teaser, which leads you to believe there will be more to come from Solomon Grey!

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A good start to the series.

This is a very good read/listen
We follow Solomon Gray a Detective Sergeant whose life has more dark clouds than a thunderstorm. Don't be mislead, despite his at times gruelling existence it is a fast paced, well-written, gripping story, intertwining Gray's personal history with a series of recent crimes that he is both working to solve and to some extent personally involved in.
I loved this book. I love that the flaws of the people in it don't feel contrived, even though if I sat down and wrote out all the things that have happened to one person it would seem ridiculously incredible. The people feel real, there are always slightly brighter moments and Solomon is surprisingly likeable.
I found it to be well narrated and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

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Good story, great narration

Format: audiobook
Narrator: Ben Onwukwe

Solomon gray is a tortured sole after the disappearance of his young son 10 years ago so when a 16 year old boy is found (same age Gray’s son would be) having apparently committed suicide Solomon can’t help but wonder if this boy is his missing son and old wound are reopened.

This is an enjoyable read with plenty of twists to keep you invested in the plot, it’s also set in Margate in Kent which is fairly local to me so I found that particularly interesting.

The narrator has a great voice, gravelly with the right amount of tortured sole. Great to listen to he really brought dept to the characters.
I think Ben Onwukwe would be great at narrating horror too.

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Broken Hero

DS Solomon Gray is a man haunted by the mysterious disappearance, ten years ago, of his six year old son from the ghost train at a fair. Five years after that Sol’s wife committed suicide. In this book Sol has to investigate the death of Nick Buckingham who falls from a 5th floor window. He was the same age as Sol’s son would be.

I really enjoyed this well written police procedural which had plenty of twists and turns to keep me listening, and I didn’t guess ‘whodunnit’.

I felt a bit sorry for Sol, even though he’s self destructive, belligerent and not that likeable. He has suffered so much heartbreak. He has quite a complicated relationship with the rest of his team, who were all portrayed very realistically.

I’ve never been to Margate but Keith Nixon paints a vivid picture of a seaside town in decline. It feels dark and depressing, a little like Sol himself.

I’m looking forward to listening to the next book in the series, Burn the Evidence, and I hope it continues to explore the disappearance of Sol’s son.

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1 person found this helpful