Shrink Rap

A Sunny Randall Novel

By: Robert B. Parker

Narrated by: Deborah Raffin

Beautiful, smart, and cool-headed P.I. Sunny Randall is on the road, charged with protecting Melanie Joan Hall, an author on a book signing tour from a stalker—Melanie's psychotherapist ex-husband. After an incident that leaves the author unconscious and the ex bloodied, Sunny realizes things aren't as innocuous as they may seem. To crack the case, she enters therapy, putting her life at risk and discovering some disturbing truths about herself.

©2005 Robert B. Parker (P)2005 Phoenix Books, Inc.

Terrible narration

I love Robert Parker and enjoyed the first audible Sunny Randell book. I made it through the first two chapters of this one before turning it off, the narrator is terrible. I read this when it first came out and enjoyed the story, but it's clear, the narrator has no understanding of the characters. Save your money, buy the paperback.

Book/Story/Character Fun / Narration Not Fun

I'm a Parker fan and have read and enjoyed all his Spenser books
Now reading Sonny Randall and enjoying the writing here as well.
The others I listened to were very good, this narrator, however,D. Ruffin, is not suited. She tries to be too histrionic and it takes away from Parker's terse prose.
It hurts the book and story.
It's as though she tries to put her own characterization into the characters rather than letting Parker's show through.
It's as though a writer uses multiple exclamation points after each sentence without reason.
Subsequent books have been read by Kate Burton and she is excellent.

Good narrator. Decent story

It does require a little suspension of disbelief along the way but the characters are solid and the villains despicable. The shrinks aren’t the usual parody. Promising.

Not what I expected...

This was my first adventure into Sunni Randal predicated on earlier exposure to Sunni through the exploits of Jesse Stone. The exception at least for me was the performance of Deborah Raffin, her articulation, inflection, and tonal range were spot on. However, given that so much of Sunni's character has been exposed and expressed in the aforementioned Stone novels her character in her own series falls flat; moreover, seemingly whinny, and ill suited to the natural requirements of big city police force let alone the necessary skill sets required even to a greater degree as a stand alone Private Investigator. I really wanted to settle into this and travel the seedy roads with Sunni, but as for now the journey sadly has come to an end...

nothing

Poor story, poor writing, poor characters, nothing positive to say. Parker just turned Jesse to Sunny. Unexpectedly disappointing and cannot recommend.