Jumping the Cracks [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Victoria Blake (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2009

Oxford: the city of dreaming spires and lofty knowledge. Or so they say. But for private investigator Sam Falconer, it seems to be a place of sin and secrets. And Sam's better placed than most to know - she grew up in an Oxford college and now she's back to set up a branch of her detective agency. And as ever, cases have a way of finding Sam. Soon she has a vanished man to find, a museum display of shrunken heads to protect, and - as a near-fatal chase proves -her own skin to save. For Sam, like the Oxford antiquities she's tracking, it seems the secrets of the past aren't easily escaped. A taut mix of classic crime, modern noir and psychological drama, this is Blake at her very best.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

Trudy Harris brings an engaging personality to the character of Sam Falconer in the fourth of Victoria Blake's Falconer series. Returning to her hometown of Oxford to open a private investigation business, Sam finds herself caretaker to a neighbor's persnickety Chihuahua, on a quest to locate a missing shrunken head for the Pitt Rivers Museum, and knee-deep in murder. Harris makes Sam a quirky, appealing heroine with secrets and personal problems that threaten to derail her investigation. Harris's pleasing, intelligent reading style brings out Sam's self-deprecating wit and adds dimension to secondary characters. Overall, Harris's performance turns Blake's blend of high-action plot twists and psychological angst into an entertaining listening experience. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Story Sound; Unabridged edition (January 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846524016
• ISBN-13: 978-1846524011
• Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspense and humor; a great combination, March 4, 2009

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jumping the Cracks (Paperback)

First Sentence: Sweat drips off him as he half-runs, half-walks along Holywell; his T-shirt and trousers flap, soaking wet, against his skin.

PI Sam Falconer has become partners with her friend Alan and opened a branch of their PI agency in Oxford, Sam's childhood home. A large man, Norman Sweetman, has asked her to care for his Chihuahua overnight, but quickly finds he's not coming back in the morning.

The curator of the Pitt Rivers museum, known for its shrunken heads and witch in a bottle, hires Sam to patrol at night as he fears things are missing. It starts with an attack, attempted dog-napping and progresses to murder.

I've become a very big fan of this series, although it took me awhile. In many ways, it's as much about Sam's dealing with her past and her personal growth as it is the particular case within each book.

Sam's foibles and fears make her very real. Blake gives Sam wonderful supporting characters, both throughout the series and in this particular book, that are diverse and interesting, but not eccentric.

There is a very good sense of place, excellent dialogue, a wonderful humor that made me laugh at times but equal suspense that had me quickly turning the pages. I am very glad to have found Sam Falconer and hope there will be more books in this series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oxford secrets, May 17, 2008

By 

Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jumping the Cracks (Paperback)

Private Investigator Sam Falconer grew up in Oxford, living with her mother and step father in one of the colleges where he was a Don. She is asked to guard a collection of weird museum pieces, including a number of shrunken heads, by doing night duty as a guard at a small museum of exotic and erotic artifacts. Very soon after she takes up her duties, two murders take place and she is left in charge of an extremely feisty chihuahua, by a large man who keeps disappearing, just when she desperately needs some answers from him. Sam has a troubled, psychologically involved background and the strange and dangerous events of the present, threaten to tip her over the edge. It's a good, fast and exciting read which lovers of modern day thrillers will really enjoy.