Sarah Jane Audiobook By James Sallis cover art

Sarah Jane

A Novel

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Sarah Jane

By: James Sallis
Narrated by: Julie McKay
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A spare, sparkling tour de force about one woman's journey to becoming a cop, by master of noir James Sallis, author of Drive.

Sarah Jane Pullman is a good cop with a complicated past. From her small-town chicken-farming roots through her runaway adolescence, court-ordered Army stint, ill-advised marriage, and years slinging scrambled eggs over greasy spoon griddles, Sarah Jane unfolds her life story, a parable about memory, atonement, and finding shape in chaos. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she is named the de facto sheriff of a rural town, investigating the mysterious disappearance of the sheriff whose shoes she’s filling - and the even more mysterious realities of the life he was hiding from his own colleagues and closest friends. This kaleidoscopic character study sparkles in every dark and bright detail - a virtuoso work by a master of both the noir and the tender aspects of human nature.

©2019 James Sallis (P)2019 Audible, Inc. Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Genre Fiction Mystery Psychological Small Town & Rural Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Crime Emotionally Gripping
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The narration was well done, but the story never took off. Not very engaging characters.

Kept waiting for more

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His prose is succinct and satisfying and smart. His characters are quirky and substantial. This story is compelling. A strong female protaganist who is an original and appealingly dark character. Just love to settle in for the rum and raisins voice of the narrator. A new writer to me, I am always searching for smart and fresh and darkly beautiful story. This one hits all the points.

Satisfying, beautifully written noir

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This was on the list of NYT Best Crime Books of the Year. I bought and greatly appreciated several other books that are on that same list. I had high expectations of Sarah Jane. My dissatisfaction with this book is mostly because it reads like a calm and predictable coming of age memoir rather than what I label as a crime novel. The writing is very good, but I didn't get invested in the lives of Sarah Jane or other characters. I might read but wouldn't buy a sequel.

Had high expectations because of NYT review

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