Audiobook Review of Wild Fire by Nelson Demille

John Corey Returns to Uncover a Plot with Horrifying Consequences

Jan 6, 2009

The audiobook edition of Wild Fire by Nelson Demille and read by Scott Brick is a fast moving listen. Main character John Corey returns to uncover a horrifying plot.

Wild Fire is the fourth in the John Corey series of books written by Nelson Demille. The audiobook edition, by Hachette Audio is available in both abridged and unabridged versions. This is a review of the abridged edition.

Wild Fire follows John Corey and his wife Kate Mayfield as they seek to expose an American right-wing plot in a post 9/11 world. The plotters aim to invoke 'Project Wild Fire' which will inflict horrifying levels of death and destruction both abroad and closer to home.

In Wild Fire, Nelson Demille gives readers and listeners all the ingredients of a classic spy or adventure story, complete with underground bunker and nuclear devices that are set off with a countdown button. The main character, John Corey, is a wise-cracking detective with maverick tendencies. His wife, Kate Mayfield, is the foil to much of his humour.

Abridged Version of Wild Fire Audiobook

This is a review of the abridged version of the Wild Fire audiobook, therefore a substantial amount of the text has been streamlined for this edition. The unabridged audiobook plays for nearly nineteen hours whereas the abridged version plays for just over six hours.

The abridgement, however, is highly skilled leaving no loose ends or unexplained plot points. The fact that this audiobook is abridged may also result in the plot being faster paced than the unabridged version – the same amount of ground is covered but in a third of the time.

Narration of Wild Fire

Scott Brick performs the narration of Wild Fire with gusto. He voices the wise-cracking detective with a dry humorous style and this keeps the balance between the jokes and the horrifying implications of the plot that is being hatched. Listeners get a sense that Scott Brick enjoys the reading of the book and this enthusiasm keeps the reader engaged. The narration and the abridgment keep the plot moving at a fast but not impossible to follow pace.

Scott Brick has narrated a number of other audiobooks including Simple Genius by David Baldacci

Conclusion

Wild Fire is a fun thriller with real 'goodies' and 'baddies' and is narrated with style, making it an enjoyable listen for people who like this genre. The constant jokes and humor of the main character John Corey may start to wear a little thin after a while however the plot and its implications provide a good balance. John Corey's wife, Kate Mayfield, would appear to be long suffering and as his boss, she seems remarkably quiet about some of his actions. It would be nice if her character was stronger, however this may have been explored in more depth in the unabridged version.

With a play time of six hours this would be an excellent book to take on a trip or journey.

About Nelson Demille

Nelson Demiile has written a series of books featuring John Corey. In addition to Wild Fire, the others are Up Country, The Lion's Game and Plumb Island. His other bestsellers include The Gold Coast and the sequel, The Gate House. More information can be found on the Nelson Demille website.

Further Information

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The copyright of the article Audiobook Review of Wild Fire by Nelson Demille in Fiction Audiobooks is owned by Kate Pullen. Permission to republish Audiobook Review of Wild Fire by Nelson Demille in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.