The Kind One, Tom Epperson
The Kind One, Tom Epperson
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The Kind One

Author: Tom Epperson

Narrator: Scott Brick

Unabridged: 9 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook (DRM Protected)

Published: 01/13/2009

Synopsis

In 1930s Los Angeles, someone desperately wants to know who Danny Landon is. That someone is Danny Landon himself. His more intimate associates call him “Two Gun Danny,” but all the young man really knows about himself is that some terrible incident has erased his memory. Danny’s boss is a mobster named Bud Seitz, a vicious, sadistic killer who’s been given the ironic nickname of “The Kind One.” According to Seitz, Danny’s amnesia is the result of being hit in the head with a lead pipe, but Danny’s not sure of anything. How can he be a gangster when he doesn’t feel like one?As Danny maneuvers through the corrupt, sun-drenched city, he uncovers terrible secrets and finds himself on a mission to liberate those he cares about.

About Tom Epperson

Tom Epperson is the cowriter, with Billy Bob Thornton, of A Family Thing (starring Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones, nominated for the Humanitas Prize), One False Move (named as one of the year’s best films by a number of top critics), and The Gift (directed by Sam Raimi and starring Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, and Hilary Swank). Epperson’s first book, The Kind One, was nominated for an Edgar and a Barry Award in 2009. He lives in Los Angeles.

About Scott Brick

Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jenny on February 24, 2010

I picked this novel up from a bargain table at Border's because the author, Tom Epperson, had co-written the script for One False Move, a movie that still haunts me to this day. According to the back of the book, this novel is "soon to be a major motion picture" but it's already quite cinematic . .......more

Goodreads review by Dorie on June 04, 2009

Terrific read set in 1930's Los Angeles. Danny Landon (known in the criminal underworld as "Two Gun Danny") has been recovering for the past year from an attack that has left him without any of his former memories. He's returned to work for mobster Bud Seitz, known ironically as "The Kind One". But......more

Goodreads review by Scott on May 30, 2012

I've been in a book rut lately. I tried this one on audio, and although it was narrated by Scott Brick - the best in the biz - this book fell short for me. Nice writing, but darned if anything was really going on. It's not a book that grabs you from the start, that's for sure. And while I'm a sucker......more

Goodreads review by Stacy on May 09, 2016

This was a slow but good listen. I don't know if I would have stuck with the book but it was worth listening to, for sure. I loved the voice of the narrator. His gangster lingo and Brooklyn accent made it a fun listen.......more

Goodreads review by Glen on June 14, 2020

Great noir novel!!! Fans of James Ellroy will eat this up!!!......more

Quotes

“Tense, emotional, and unforgiving, Tom Epperson’s The Kind One is a beautifully written take on the dark Hollywood of the 30s—a perfect noir novel that is pure and original, with a heavy heart that beats through each page.” Robert Crais, New York Times bestselling author

“Tom Epperson’s Depression-era Los Angeles is spot-on…With gangsters on the chase we race down the Sunset Strip, as bullets are flying and blondes are crying. Epperson knows how to write with philosophic compassion and kick-ass action. What a great read!” Steve Hodell, bestselling author of Black Dahlia Avenger

“On every page, the language is crisp and fresh, the details sharp and keenly observed, the dialogue real, never forced…The novel itself is of the highest caliber in its genre and makes the leap into literature, as do the best works in all genres.” Los Angeles Times

“Hard-biting noir…Epperson presents Landon’s inner turmoil plausibly and manages to throw in an occasional turn of phrase that Raymond Chandler might have penned…it’s an impressive debut and deserves to be followed by more.” Publishers Weekly

“Scott Brick brings the perfect tone to Epperson’s noir tale of mobsters, molls and murder in 1930s Los Angeles…Brick brings a subdued sense of melancholy to his portrayal of Layton, capturing the amnesiac’s conflict between what he thinks he knows and what he feels. Weaving world-weariness into each character’s voice, he brilliantly recreates the shadowy glamour of Depression-era Los Angeles.” Publishers Weekly (audio review)

“Scott Brick skillfully performs Tom Epperson’s novel, drawing the listener into a story of mystery and intrigue. Brick never disappoints as he makes these rich characters come to life. From the heroic Danny to a victimized child named Sophie, Brick gives everyone a voice.” AudioFile

Awards

  • Barry Award
  • Edgar Allan Poe Award
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