The Rainy City (Unabridged) [Audio Cassette]

Earl W. Emerson (Author), George Reinholt (Narrator)

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Recorded Books Inc. (1992)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000I2Z4E2
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,097,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars superior to most, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rainy City (Thomas Black Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Emerson's Thomas Black Mysteries are all great BUT, up until Thomas Black finally marries Kathy, he is overly obsessed with women (including Kathy). You know what I mean. Every time a woman (kathy included) appears (not just in her initial introduction but EVERY time she steps on the page) Emerson drools over how perfectly gorgeous, sexy etc. etc. her eyes are and her hair is and her legs are. Over and over. Hey I don't need to be told over and over the color of someones eyes, hair, skin. I mean what is this? Emerson trying to fill-up the pages or is he just a shallow sexist jerk. And naturally most all the women in his books are stunning beauties all hot to trot or they are sick pathetic gutter dogs. The men are usually ugly, potbellied freaks.

Out side of that, Emerson's Thomas Black Mysteries are superior to most of what's out there. Full of fun and wit. Interesting plots that have depth and breadth. Highly recommended.

Now, his Mac Fontana Mysteries are not very good. In fact it's hard to believe Emerson wrote them.

Thomas Black Mysteries: in order, first to last The Rainy City, Poverty Bay, Nervous Laughter, Fat Tuesday, Deviant Behavior Yellow Dog Party, The Portland Laugher, The Vanishing Smile, The Million-Dollar Tattoo, Catfish Café.

Mac Fontana Mysteries: in order, first to last Black Hearts and Slow Dancing, Help Wanted: Orphans Preferred, Morons and Madmen, Going Crazy in Public, The Dead Horse Paint Company

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A hard boiled well plotted mystery with unlikable characters, March 7, 2000

By 

Mitchell Ayer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rainy City (Thomas Black Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Thomas Black mystery I read. The book is well plotted and reads fast. The action scenes are hardboiled. I almost gave this four stars but I didn't really like any of the characters. Would it have killed the author to put in at least one normal character and some normal human emotions. Perhaps Seattle has an unusually high percentage of mentally ill and/or deranged people but I doubt it. On page 1 Black's dog is killed. Black doesn't shed a tear but rather he gives us a gardening tip--plant roses over a dog's grave--what's with that?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Rainy City, October 29, 1999

By 

Ricky N. "Ricky C. Nelson" (Commerce, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rainy City (Thomas Black Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

"The Rainy City" is the first novel in the Thomas Black series by Earl Emerson. It is set in Seattle, and the atmosphere is very realistic. Black and his friend, Kathy Birchfield (who is a clown, literally) are entertaining and totally believable. The plot is very good, and anyone contemplating reading the entire series should begin with this novel. The character development throughout the series (the last being "Catfish Cafe") is excellent and a lot of fun to watch. This is a fine debut novel for Earl Emerson.