Smoky Barret Series by Cody McFadyen

Two weeks ago, when I was searching for some new audiobooks, I happened to stumble upon Cody McFadyen, and the series of thrillers revolving around his heroine Smoky Barret. Since they are very much alike overall, I will give a general impression of the series as a whole. But please be warned: The books are not sold to anyone under 18 in Germany, because they are very graphic, and sometimes it's very difficult to keep reading at all.

Smoky Barret is an FBI agent who has lost her husband and daughter to a psychopathic killer a few years back. She herself barely escaped, and has felt guilty ever since. In Book 1, she returns to her work involuntarily - her best friend is murdered. Each book features a serial killer who is in some way connected to people around Smoky - not from the beginning, of course, but when he realizes that she's on his tracks, he usually threatens or tries to kill someone close to her.

I'm usually not into crime fiction, but this series is positively addictive. I have had great trouble pacing myself with all the work I had to do (but I managed by carrying my iPod with me, and listening every free minute I got). I never thought I'd say that much, but I believe Cody McFadyen may be better than my beloved Kay Hooper - and that's saying much

You bring up an interesting subtopic here with audiobooks. Even now I resist buying or even looking at them, but it is obvious they are gaining ground in the literary world and they are here to stay. And with life getting busier and busier, the time to actually read is a luxury that is constantly shrinking. Is listening to an audiobook something you have to get used to, or do you find that it is almost as good as actually reading the book?

It's certainly a different experience, but one that I like just as much. The advantages of an audiobook are obvious: I can listen to them as I go, I don't have to sit down and concentrate on nothing but the book. I can do my household chores, I can work in the garden, I can knit, etc. Sometimes, the readers' voices can be really annoying, which is why I am careful about which audiobooks to buy. I have several favourite readers. Franziska Pigulla is my all-time-favourite. She could read anything, including the phone book, and I'd buy it.