Audible Book Review: Harmless by Ernie Lindsey

This is a fun mystery in spite of -and because of- the irritating protagonist.

Harmless
Written by: Ernie Lindsey
Narrated by: DJ Holte

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
Format: Unabridged
Release Date:11-13-13
Publisher: Ernie Lindsey
Genre: Mystery
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
From the USA TODAY and Amazon best-selling author of Sara's Game,..this is Harmless, an unconventional love story, a murder mystery, and a laugh out loud, hilarious work of fiction.
There's someone for everyone...even Steve.
Steve Pendragon is an eccentric (and sometimes delusional) used car salesman in love with Kerry, the quiet, secretive girl next door - only she doesn't know it. When the would-be love of his life turns up dead, all signs point to Steve.
Once the detectives hit a dead end in their investigation and he becomes the prime suspect, Steve is left with only a reluctant police officer and a crooked private investigator to help him prove his innocence. Could a kindhearted homeless woman and a cryptic note in Kerry's diary provide the key to the mystery?
©2013 Ernie Lindsey (P)2013 Ernie Lindsey

Review:
Let me be clear - the protagonist, Steve, may not be an easy character to like but he is humorous and he grows on you. Steve, a used-car salesman, is often arrogant and majorly delusional. He tends to be whiny and a blamer, blaming his failings and problems on everyone else instead of accepting responsibility for his own bad behavior and habits. Steve rages about his estranged wife and missing his two children. He is also obsessed with the postal service, occasionally going off on a tangent about its wonders.

One night Steve is awakened and looks out just in time to hear a gun shot and see his attractive new neighbor (and secret love interest) Kerry thrown from her bedroom window. Steve runs next door hoping to trap the killer but is knocked out instead. When he awakens he decides to investigate for clues and is surprised by some of the things he finds. However the most important discovery is Kerry’s diary which seems to contain a message for him.

Steve is intent on seeking revenge for Kerry and enlists the help of the local patrolman, Officer Planck, rather than turning all of the information over to the detectives. Planck also suspects something wrong with one of the investigating detectives especially after Steve’s home is broken into and newly found clues point to him as the killer.

Planck helps Steve go into hiding while a plan to prove his innocence is implemented. Steve decides the perfect place to hide out will be an abandoned post office, which he discovers is not completely abandoned.

The story, told by Steve, moves along well with plenty of humor to make-up for his sometimes pathetic character. Along the way I began to feel empathy for Steve and I liked the surprises that came up at the end. I am glad this was offered for review as I might not have picked this out on my own yet I found it to be an unusual and engaging mystery.

I received this title from the narrator for an honest review.
Audio Notes: DJ Holte does a great job conveying Steve’s irritating traits of whininess, arrogance, and ridiculousness. The delivery and pace work well with the strange presentation of the mystery by Steve.

I received this title from the narrator for an honest review.