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Preview
  • Song of the Dead

  • DI Westphall, Book 1
  • By: Douglas Lindsay
  • Narrated by: Mr Angus King
  • Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (152 ratings)

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Song of the Dead

By: Douglas Lindsay
Narrated by: Mr Angus King
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Summary

Book one in the DI Westphall series.

A dead man walks into a police station. He tells a tale - bizarre as it is grotesque - of kidnap and organ harvesting. John Baden's story of being held prisoner for 12 years sounds far-fetched - but it's all about to get much, much stranger.

DI Ben Westphall has been given the case because of his background in MI6. He also has a knack for getting inside people's heads and seeing things others would miss. Westphall is no ordinary detective, and this is no ordinary case.

When his suspects start dying, Westphall realises someone is killing to cover up the truth. But what exactly is the truth? To find out, he'll have to question everything he's been told, before there's no one left to ask.

©2018 Douglas Lindsay (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
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Critic reviews

"Richly atmospheric...Lindsay solidifies his place as one of the rising stars of tartan noir." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Song of the Dead

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent mystery … with additional mystery!

I don’t claim to understand it all, but I bloody loved it! Looking forward to following the next instalment.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Decent, but inconsistent

For a series debut, this was good enough, but the story kept going off on odd tangents that confused the overall theme. If it had had less diversions, the plot would have flowed better, but this is something that can be improved upon and I look forward to the next in the series.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a cracker!

I love the fact with audible I’ve expanded my repertoire of authors and this does not disappoint! This book got devoured in a day and a half! The narrator is top class, he gives the main character such a like ability that I couldn’t stop listening. Great story, lots of twists and turns and kept me guessing right to the end...I’ve started Book 2 already!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Highly Enjoyable.

An excellent detective novel based in the Highlands and Eastern Europe. This was the first book in the series and I look forward to hearing more.
Some pretty awful things happen, but the descriptions of blood and gore are muted, rather than detailed and upsetting. Life however in a regional Scottish Police Force, in Dingwall and the surrounding areas are lovingly detailed.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

It's a bit confusing!

I got completely lost in parts! I stuck with it just to find out what the heck the story was about! I felt like I'd missed massive chunks of the story but checked back, so know I hadn't. It's definitely a very disjointed, odd story! I feel like killing characters were added just to make sure you're awake! And random tales of infidelity interjected into the story added no value... if you like weird, this one's for you! All that said, I kinda want to know what happens next!! so I guess the author did his job well! Angus King, as always, brought the characters to life! Cannot fault the narration at all!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Spellbinding performance

This is an astonishingly fantastic book. A story packed with twists and turns, rich with dark, dry wit giving it a rare quality amongst 1st person narratives. Angus King's performance is electric, as if the book was written for him to narrate. Of the 150 books I've listened to these past 3 years, this is right up there with the very best, especially with King's performance taken into account. Bravo, indeed, bravo!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Hard going

This was my first audio book, I found it a bit difficult to get into. Think I should be ok on the next one as I'm better prepared.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

This could have been good

If it wasn’t so dark and maudlin this could have been good , but then it gets bloody ridiculous by introducing parallel universe claptrap every now and then , it’s a shame , it had a lot going for it , especially , as there was almost no bad language which is a pleasant change in a police procedural novel .

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A tad tedious

Can't decide if I loved or hated it. Dont listen if you are depressed

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable read

The story flows well and characters are brought to life by excellent narration. First book I have read by this author and found it enjoyable and well written.

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