Rough Trade

A Shocking True Story of Prostitution, Murder, and Redemption

By: Steve Jackson

Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Early one morning in May, 1997, a young couple on their way to work in the mountains of Colorado spotted a man dragging a body up a secluded trail. The beautiful, densely wooded area off a dirt road seemed such an incongruous place for a violent crime that at first the couple had a hard time believing what they were seeing. It was all too real; the man fled, leaving behind a bloody, dying woman.

Indeed, the investigation into the death of young street-walker Anita Paley would lead from that idyllic spot to the seamy underbelly of Denver and a world of prostitution, drug dealers, and violent criminals. And it would expose the lives of two of that world's inhabitants, the suspect Robert Riggan and Anita's friend Joanne Cordova, a former cop-turned-crack-addict and hooker.

In the past, Cordova had submitted to violent sex with Riggan in exchange for drugs; it was just part of her life on the mean streets. But when her friend Anita was murdered, Joanne had to make a choice. She could face the humiliation and go to her former colleagues on the police department and tell them what she suspected, which would also put her own life in danger as "snitch", or she could look the other way and let a suspected killer walk free and continue his violent attacks on women. But which would she choose?

©2016 Steve Jackson (P)2016 WildBlue Press

A good book that kept me interested

Where does Rough Trade rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the most interesting books I have listened to. I do like true crime stories but I don't often listen to them. I will probably listen to this book again.

What other book might you compare Rough Trade to and why?

I don't know.

What about Kevin Pierce’s performance did you like?

I thought Kevin was perfect for this book. I liked his strong, masculine voice and the way he read, with the words flowing smoothly and emphasis put where it should be.

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

Yes, it was and I was able to do so. I listen to books while I work and I was able to listen to this book all in one day.

Any additional comments?

I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone considering it. I am going to look for other books by Steve Jackson. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom. This book would have been worth paying for had it not been given to me to review.

True Crime Thriller with Great Narration

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

Yes, loved it. It was entertaining, suspenseful, thrilling all at once. Kevin did an amazing job as always.

Any additional comments?

"This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

GREAT! I really like the layout of the book.

Such a great true crime book. Kept me interested from start to finish. I believe Steve Jackson is one of the best writers of true crime! Also I adore Kevin Pierce as narrator! His voice is perfect to listen to for hours on end. Thank you for this book!

#MyNonFictionAddiction

Well written and substantially detailed! Jackson MORE than " does his homework!" His attention & focus make him a literary SURGEON in a mess of ONE bloody TRAGIC tale!

Great writing

And Kevin Pierce is my favorite narrator ... ill be reading more of Steve's books . The character insights and development are fascinating. For me, Best True Crime read since Son .

Very Good!

Great Narrator, great book. Good forgotten story. Highly recommended.The story was very well writen, Thank you.

Another solid true crime procedural

While I've preferred other Jackson books to this one, even the author admits that he often chooses cases based on the back stories of the victims - and with this book, there was not a tremendous amount of information to go on. However, he wove the victim's sad tale with the interesting and sobering tales of other characters, while delving into the criminal justice system's requirements in CO at the time. Kevin Pierce's narration is, as always, compelling.

Solid Story

I'm happy I purchased this audiobook. The author sets the tone very early by explaining that at first glance he didn't think there was enough material to write a book on this story. However, her changed house mind under he dug in. Narration was great bi listened to it in 4 days. A compliment.

Unbelievable inhumanity and unbelievable courage

The only problem I had was trying to figure out how the L was carved into the vagina. Very strange and unexplained torture for this poor woman.

Great listen.

It was a great listen. Kept my attention. Looking forward to his other books. narraration was good.