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    City of the Sun: A Novel
    Unavailable
    City of the Sun: A Novel
    Unavailable
    City of the Sun: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    City of the Sun: A Novel

    Written by David Levien

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Jamie Gabriel gets on his bike before dawn to deliver newspapers in his suburban Indianapolis neighborhood. He is twelve years old. Somewhere en route, he vanishes without a trace.

    Fourteen months later, Paul and Carol Gabriel are on the verge of abandoning all hope. Crushed by frustrating dead ends and exhausted by a police force that cannot (or will not) find their son, the Gabriels finally stumble upon a name-an elusive private investigator who may represent their last chance for answers.

    Frank Behr is an enigmatic mountain of a man, a former cop who is reluctant to help-he knows better than to promise the Gabriels a good result. But Paul's plea for closure stirs up old personal demons that Behr can no longer ignore. Going against everything he fears, Behr enters into an uneasy partnership with Paul on a quest for the truth that is, in turn, dangerous . . . and haunting.

    Richly textured and crackling with suspense, CITY OF THE SUN weaves a moody narrative that hinges on the bond between a damaged detective and a lost father. David Levien masterfully peels back the layers of his gripping story, taking listeners on an investigation like no other.


    From the Compact Disc edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 26, 2008
    ISBN9781415945544
    Unavailable
    City of the Sun: A Novel

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    Reviews for City of the Sun

    3.5/5

    106 ratings7 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      The good news is that I have found a GREAT new author. The bad news is that he's not just new to me... This is his first novel and it's a really good one. Great characters and a good story. I do hope he's hard at work on the second one.
    • 3/5
      Trite, unsurprising and unconvincing plot, over-dramatic narration, and Frank Behr is one-dimensional and unlikeable. I read the last in the series first, Signature Kill. I thought it was much better.
    • 4/5
      The first in his Frank Behr series, City of the Sun by David Levien is an American crime novel set in Indianapolis. Frank Behr is an ex-cop, now working as a private detective. He is hired by Paul and Carol Gabriel who are devastated by the disappearance of their twelve year old son. A year has almost gone by since they last saw their son and they have realized that Jamie’s case has been put on the back burner by the police. They are pretty sure that Jamie is most likely dead by now but they are in limbo and need to find out what happened to their son and who is responsible.Frank painstakingly works the case and follows every lead, he has his own issues that have left him emotionally damaged. Eventually he and the father, Paul start to work together and they discover that Jamie wasn’t randomly grabbed off the streets, but was part of a well planned operation that is run by a local businessman. Behr finds out that the children are taken to Mexico so he and Paul follow the trail and arrive at a remote location in Mexico.This is an emotionally wrenching story that grabs the reader right from the start, there is a sense of time running short that keeps the pages turning. High in suspense and action, City in the Sun introduces an intense, troubled character that I look forward to learning more of. This read was an excellent launch to the series.
    • 4/5
      A gritty and suspenseful story, City of the Sun is not one for the squeamish. Eleven year old Jamie disappears while on his early morning newspaper delivery round, the police seem unable or even unwilling to do very much, so Jamie's' father Paul eventually hires a PI, Frank Behr. Paul manages to persuade the unwilling Behr to take him along on is investigations and stakeouts. An initially uneasy relationship develops into one of mutual respect as they try to unravel the case.A gripping story, all the more so as very early it hints at unspeakable possible destinies for young Jamie. Well written, Levien takes the time to give life to all his characters, a devise which while lending a sense of reality to the story also at times inevitably gets in the way of the otherwise fast paced momentum. Such is one's involvement with the plot that one is tempted to skim quickly over such passages to get back to the main event. Of the characters Paul and Behr quickly engage the reader, and Jamie although we meet him only briefly immediately appeals as a decent young lad.City of the Sun is a moving and involving story, all the more so because of its sense of reality, both in the telling and in the fact that such terrible things do happen in this world in which we live. One thing is certain, whatever the outcome might prove to be, the reader will be unable to put the book down until he learns of Jamie's fate.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Hard knuckled P.I. Frank Behr reluctantly agrees to help Paul and Carol Gabriel search for their missing son, Jamie, who has been missing for over a year.Frank knows that the chances of finding the boy are slim. He tells the Gabriels that even if they do find where Jamie is, they might not find him alive after all this time.The Gabriels tell Frank that Jamie never returned home after his job of delivering newspapers. He didn't mind the job because he loved riding his new bike.With the news of the boy's new bike, Frank begins the investigation. He gets a lucky break when one of his snitches gives him the name of someone who used to steal bikes from children and resell them.As the case moves on, Paul feels the necessity to take an active part in the search for his son. He pleads with Frank to let him accompany him in the investigation. Reluctantly, Frank agrees.The reader follows the story as one step leads to the next. It is one step forward and then some impediment happens. This is a dramatic story that also shows the love of parents for their child. The parent's never give up on their search for Jamie and it is their faith that keeps them going.The story is very realistic and Frank Behr is an easy character for the reader to root for. He's similiar to Robert Parker's character, Spencer.With good action and a well plotted story, the reader never loses interest.
    • 4/5
      A story of child abduction, and two men who go off in search of the truth. The young boy's father hires a detective who has personal reasons for taking the case, and they both end up in Mexico, on a path that leads them into the dangerous, secretive world of child-trafficking. The story read smoothly and quickly. The ending was quite abrupt, sort of left me hanging. Overall, a good read.
    • 5/5
      City of the Sun is a gripping, realistic and gritty crime thriller about a private detective investigating a kidnapping, which occurred over a year back, the trail stone cold. It sounds old hat, but there is a wonderful sense of pace, excellent characterisation and a style of narrative which is seldom found in this crowded genre. Genuinely unpredictable, the story is cleverly constructed, drawing the reader in with punchy short sentences, then filling out the detail later. It's the intriguing and subtle style of writing, and coupled with the terrific plot the result is an awesome and gripping novel. Haunting and realistic, this book will stay with you for some time. Absolutely recommended.