The Lost Throne

Payne & Jones, Book 4

By: Chris Kuzneski

Narrated by: Dick Hill

In 1890, a man collapses near the Piazza della Santa Carita in Naples, Italy. Strangers manage to revive him, but he is unable to speak. Police carry him to the nearest hospital, where he is not admitted because he has no money or identification. Frantically trying to communicate, he scribbles notes in ancient Greek and German that would have told the world about a discovery of immense importance - if anyone had read them...

Reaching from the wonders of ancient Greece to a harrowing quest in modern-day Europe, The Lost Throne features Jonathon Payne and D. J. Jones former members of a top secret, very special unit of the armed forces. Now as private citizens they still get recruited from time to time for the most delicate - and dangerous - missions. Payne and Jones must race to recover the lost treasure that could rewrite history, before it is destroyed by a group of men who will stop at nothing to conceal the secret.

©2009 Chris Kuzneski (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great!

I really love the character interactions with one another. Exiting story line. I would recommend the whole series.

Great Listen

Kuzneski has written a seriously non-formulaic actioner. The premise is pretty much hidden from the listener until well into the book, but that is not a problem since the action and the characters drive the plot. There's a compelling - real world/not so real world - mix of story lines which all converge without strain. I enjoyed The Lost Throne and will listen to more of Kuzneski (who uses his own name in a character's mispronounced reference to the unibomber - clever and funny).

very enjoyable

This is a great travel book, not too girly for the guys, enough likable charecters for the girls and a fast paced mystery for all.

High adventure, ancient secrets

What did you love best about The Lost Throne?

Chris Kuzenski shares some really interesting historical facts that I knew nothing about. So I learned some new things about ancient Greece and the Byzantine era. I also loved the non-stop action.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the interaction between Payne and Jones. Lots of humor and a great team with an almost psychic bond that aids them in their adventures.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Dick Hill?

Unfortunately, some of my favorite writers use Dick Hill as a narrator. I don't care for his narrations, but what can you do? He is fine on "he-man" type of voices, but terrible on voices that require an accent or are another gender. They come out sounding whiney and squeaky and very annoying. It boggles my mind that he narrates so many books. I have actually returned some books that he completely ruined the story by his narration. In my opinion he ranks as one of the worst narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

High adventure and ancient secrets.

Any additional comments?

I had read a book several years back whose author and title I couldn't remember, but really loved. I searched around on Audible trying to find it and when I found that this one took place in Greece (which was the setting of the one I read before) I purchased it. When I had listened for awhile, it seemed to veer off to Russia and so I thought that I had purchased the wrong book and returned it. Later I did some research on the internet and found out that, indeed, this was the book. So I repurchased it and patiently progressed through it,until it returned to the setting in Greece ( Mount Athos) that I found so intriguing. I wasn't disappointed. This is one of the best adventure stories I've read/listened to and I will definitely purchase the others in the series. Besides lots of great history, non-stop action, globe trotting adventure, and interesting characters, there is lots of humor which is a must for me. The only down side is that it is narrated poorly.

not as good as the Kuzneski books

I do get a bit tired of the Payne as lone ranger and Jones as Tonto routine. Also, spartan armor under NO circumstances is bullet proof, especially at close range. Stupid. Also, as usual no one has night vision etc. Hell im not a secret spy and i have a cheapo night vision scope. Fairly accurate portrayal but the idea of the Spartans still existing in modern day Greece and so forth is a bit loony. Probably my last Kuzneski book, at least for now, and okay book and the writers comments at the beginning and end are always interesting in any book. Always interested in the "making of" type shows and this is fun. Good general story and narration.