Review: CLEAN

Clean by Alex Hughes
Book 1 of the Mindspace Investigation series
Read by Daniel Thomas May
Genre: crime fiction urban fantasy
Format: ebook/paperback & audiobook

About Clean:

A RUTHLESS KILLER — OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars. My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it — real scary. Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city — and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

Source: Info in the About Clean was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13543039-clean on 14/04/2013.

Review:

I looked for the main protagonist's name all through out the book but it was never mentioned until the very end. So for a long time he was Mr. Telephathic Protagonist X (TPX) to me. And then at the end he became Adam TPX.

Adam TPX is a flawed hero. He's an addict. I have no problems with flawed heroes. In fact I am a sucker for them. That despite them being flawed they fight for the good against all odds. My kind of read!! What I do not like is stupid heroes and unfortunately Adam TPX has that tendency as well. Not only that, but the plot seems to depend on the characters acting stupid to give the story the twist and dilemma so that the heroes could later on save the world. Not the most sturdy of plots. Or it could be that the story telling quality could not pull off the flawed hero line with a good vibe. Either way, it's not working very well for me. However I also like investigative supernaturals, i.e., Portland Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt of the GRIMM TV show and Harry Dresden of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. So I really, really like the premise of this book. So I'm going to choke it down to this being the first book in the series and hope like hell that the stupid factor would tone down in subsequent books.

Another thing I like about this book is the narration. Daniel Thomas May reads like a pro! He probably is one. Though I do not agree with some of his interpretation of the book, I still think his reading is professional. Words distinct, no slurring, and diction is perfect. I would listen to Daniel Thomas May again.

At the end of it I did enjoy this book though my patience was surely tried and I have to have breaks from the stupid factor in the book.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Ending = 3.5
World building = 4
Cover art = 4
Pace = (10 hrs and 8 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narrator = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Mindspace Investigation series: