The Big Lie centers around the filming of "Salt of the Earth" in 1954 in New Mexico. The FBI wants it shut down, believing it to be nothing more than Communist propaganda. The performances are solid and the sound effects evoke the period well. The story itself is a bit predictable, but since it's based on a true incident, that's probably not surprising. It turns out the world isn't as black and white as FBI Special Agent Bergin would like to believe....
I had never heard of the Cindy James case before, but Death by Unkown Event, another podcast available on Audible Plus, caught my eye. Cindy James suffered for 8 years, filing multiple reports of harassment and assaults. The podcast takes us through the events in Cindy James' life, and looks at the investigators in her case, her ex-husband, the psychiatrists, neighbors, private detective. It's a devastating story. We see all the theories and options, but at the heart of the case is that everyone failed Cindy. I think that's the writer's point. Regardless of how you see the case, Cindy asked for help again and again. And ended up dead....
I don't usually listen to podcasts - I'm not sure why. The Murder of Robert Wone is available for free on Audible Plus, and it sounded interesting. I honestly wasn't sure what I wanted to listen to, so free and short is as good a reason as any. It turned out to be pretty fascinating. Robert Wone was found stabbed to death in his friends' home in Washington, DC.
The podcast was put together well. It took a thorough look at the people involved and evidence found that night and in the following days. I usually read crime fiction, where more often than not, we get a resolution. True crime can be messy like it is here. People may have their suspicions, but proof is sometimes impossible to get....
A reminder - I have never read the original Sandman comics. I rarely read comics or graphic novels, mostly because I'm not good at it and so don't enjoy them as much as I could. I tend to read the dialogue and miss the pictures. I can't tell how faithful the audio is to the original, but others say it's very close.
I enjoyed this second act, which consists of two main arcs and several smaller stories.
The Season of Mists was excellent. Dream travels back to hell to save Nada whom he had condemned for 10,000 years of torment… because she rejected him. Surprising twists and turns make it impossible to see where this one is going until it actually gets there.
A Game of You was kind of blah for me. Barbie and some friends have to go on a quest to save a land but still manage to stay alive in our world. It was skippable.
Fables & Reflections...
I don't read graphic novels often. I'm not good at it. I haven't learned to slow down enough and pay attention to the images. Yes, I could practice, but it turns out I don't care that much. I had seen the ad for The Sandman on Audible, but had pretty much ignored it until a friend mentioned it on Facebook. I admit to being leery - a graphic novel in audio form, a "full cast" production - but it was free and only about 11 hours.
With all the voices, sounds effects, and too much music, this is more of a radio play than an audiobook, not that that's good or bad. As someone who is unfamiliar with The Sandman graphic, I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation. It's dramatic and immersive and I never felt lost or like I was missing something. There were a few references to the DC universe that I caught but also probably several that slipped right over...
First, go back and listen to The Dispatcher if you haven't already. Murder by Other Means is the sequel and I don't think it would be best as a stand-alone. The world is pretty much like our world except 99.9% of murder victims come back to life, transported from the murder scene to someplace they feel safe, usually their home. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, someone who steps in and kills you when you’re at risk of an unintentional death, like a car accident or unsuccessful surgery, letting you live 99.9% of the time.
This time around, Tony is taking some jobs that are maybe not as legal as he would like, but money is getting tight all around. It starts going awry when he is hired to help a businessman make it to China quicker than he could by plane. Then he's a witness to a bank robbery that goes bad. When people start dying and Tony needs...
