Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann

Narrated by Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank

I’ve been a fan of Suzanne Brockmann’s SEAL Team 16/Troubleshooters for a long time and Sam and Alyssa were my very favourite of the romantic pairings. I jumped at the chance to review Gone Too Far. The first six books in the series were originally read by other performers. They have now been re-released with Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank doing the narrations.

I admit I was happy about Lawlor. My personal jury was out regarding Ms. Ewbank as I haven’t completely enjoyed her narrations in the past. Given that I went in with that hesitation, I think it says something that I ended up being mostly happy with Ms. Ewbank’s narration. I think she has improved markedly since my last experience of her work (which was some years ago now).

The Troubleshooters books are kind of unique in that they have multiple POV characters, and more than one story arc going on. I don’t think it’s a series one can easily pick up in the middle and understand. Gone Too Far takes place about six months after the events in the previous book, Into the Night (Joan & Mike’s book). I think listeners unfamiliar with that book will struggle to catch up in this one.

After the terrorist plot, which was the subject of Into the Night, was successfully foiled by Tom Paoletti’s SEAL Team 16, Tom has been on desk duty but the action ramps up when he is taken in for questioning about an allegation of treason. The powers that be are suspicious that Tom had something to do with smuggling the weapons the terrorists used onto the naval base. Tom realizes his career is over – even if his innocence is recognised, his career has been irredeemably tarnished – and starts to plan life after the Navy, while at the same time continuing his efforts to convince his girlfriend, Kelly Ashton, to marry him.

Sam Starrett’s marriage is finally over but his ex Mary Lou hasn’t returned his calls or emails for three weeks and he’s decided to go down to Sarasota, where she’s been living with their daughter, to pick up the signed divorce papers in person. When he arrives, he finds the dead body of a woman, apparently Mary Lou, which has been there for quite some time and there is no sign of his daughter.

When Mary Lou Starrett’s fingerprints are found on a weapon used by the terrorists, she, Sam and by extension, Tom, are further implicated. To add to the tension, the terrorist cell leader is cleaning up loose ends and anyone who may be able to identify him is on the hit list.

FBI agent, Alyssa Locke, heads to Sarasota to help Sam locate his daughter. The FBI and in particular, Max Bhagat’s elite counterterrorism team (of which Alyssa is a member), is keen to resolve the Sarasota angle so that it does not impact Tom and the other SEALs. Max and the other members of his team come to Florida as well to assist as the investigation becomes more complicated. The woman Max loves (but he’s fighting hard against it), Gina Vitagliano, happens to be in Florida and so there’s a progression of their romantic arc as well.

If that’s not enough, there is also a side story regarding Sam’s Uncle Walt and Aunt Dot, how they met during WWII when Walt was one of the Tuskegee Airmen – an all black air corps and how they (Walt & Dot) found romance during the time of segregation (Dot is a white woman).

Sam and Alyssa are the main story. They have a long and complicated history which is covered well enough in this book but I do think it is best read/heard in the context of the earlier books to really enjoy the payoff here. They start out this book very much at odds and talking past each other. They slowly begin to really communicate and share their true feelings, all the while trying to save his daughter and hunting terrorists on the way to their eventual HEA *cue streamers and great rejoicing*.

It’s a busy book with lots of threads and POV characters. But for invested fans, this book has one heck of a reward.

The narration was very good. Both performers built the tension well and had believable emotion in their voices without overplaying the drama. I think Lawlor does well with female voices. He softens his tone and lightens his pitch but does not fall into the dreaded falsetto trap. I also like the mild Boston accent Lawlor gave to Tom.

Both narrators had the opportunity to show off various accents and character voices. Some of the differences between the two were a bit jarring – for instance, Lawlor’s Sam had barely an accent and sounded very Midwest, but Ewbanks’ Sam was heavy on the Texas drawl. (In fact, for listeners who have heard the Jane Jameson books by Molly Harper, narrated by Amanda Ronconi – books I love – Ewbanks’ Sam bears a striking resemblance to (the character) Dick Cheney. Which is kind of alarming when you know Dick Cheney.)

Ewbanks’ Whitney was suitably annoying and self-centred and Lawlor’s Uncle Walt was distinguished and kind. One of the things I particularly appreciated about Ewbank’s narration here was that when she was reading a scene from Mary Lou’s POV, she read the narrative in a Southern accent. This really helped me identify whose head I was in. On audio, one doesn’t have the benefit of visual clues a reader of the print/digital version has and I found these audio cues very helpful.

I preferred Lawlor’s Sam (and not just because of the Dick Cheney thing either) but this is partly because he performs all the segments where we are inside Sam’s head, and it is a delightful place to be. He’s a man’s man but he feels so deeply and he loves Alyssa so darn much. He’s a big marshmallow on the inside.

It had been quite a few years since I read Gone Too Far so I only had a vague recollection of the story. I found myself very caught up and finding excuses to listen. That, to me, is the sign of a very good audiobook. Recommended.

Kaetrin

Narration: Patrick Lawlor: B+ & Melanie Ewbank: B

Book Content: B+

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence: Escalated Fighting

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

 Gone Too Far was provided to AudioGals by Blackstone Audio for review.