Last Exit in New Jersey
Written by C.E. Grundler
Narrated by Emily Durante
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Raised aboard her father's aging schooner and riding shotgun in their eighteen-wheeler, she can handle almost anything on the road or water; it's her people skills that need work. Normally that isn't an issue-behind the wheel of a Kenworth most people tend to leave her alone. But when twenty- year-old Hazel and her father become the targets of some unsavory characters hunting for her missing cousin, their stolen tractor trailer, and a delivery that never arrived, she knows it's time to heed a lesson learned from her favorite hard-boiled paperbacks: playing nice will only end in tears.
It'll take all her ingenuity, not to mention some fishing tackle and high voltage, if Hazel hopes to protect her family and unravel this tangle of greed and betrayal. And anyone who gets too close, no matter the intent, will discover just how dangerous Hazel truly is as she sets in motion a twisted plan to uncover the truth, settle some scores, and not wind up dead in the process.
Gritty, offbeat, and darkly funny, Last Exit in New Jersey is a modern mystery that introduces an unforgettable new protagonist to the ranks of literature's hard-boiled detectives.
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Reviews for Last Exit in New Jersey
11 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Exit in New Jersey is an action packed story that deftly weaves unconventional characters into a darkly intriguing thriller. Grundlers' intricate plot is tightly constructed as Hazel Moran finds herself caught in a deadly tangle of smugglers, thieves and killers. The story moves forward at a brisk pace with moments of brutal and explosive action as Hazel tries to evade the shadowy figures targeting her family while hunting for her missing cousin. The plot is intricately layered and while, if at times I was frustrated by the possibilities, I was never confused by the twisting threads of the premise. The author builds the connections between the seemingly disparate events and characters with care and skill. I thought the plot clever and challenging, requiring engagement with the characters and story. I found the psychological disquiet of the characters the most compelling and unique aspect of the novel. It becomes clear as the story progresses that Hazel is an unusual heroine. Her motivations are transparent, but she has an edge of violence and instability that is disconcerting. Otto is obviously struggling with sanity and while his behaviour is consistently motivated by his obsession with Hazel/Annabelle, the potential for him to fall apart with spectacular consequences is always present. In regards to the other characters it's not always obvious whom means harm and whom means to help, and this contributes to the complexity and tension of the story.Grundlers experience with trucking and boating in New Jersey gives her work authenticity, and her imagination provides for an original, entertaining thriller with fascinating characters. The Last Exit in New Jersey is a well written, impressive debut novel.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The book begins with an introduction to a protagonist who, by all rights, should be wholly unlikable. She is rude, egocentric, antisocial, judgmental, and more than a little bit of a sociopath. It is a great demonstration of Grundler's skill that the girl ended up drawing my compassion, as well as a begrudging sort of affection. Her character, in all its flawed glory, was revealed through the choices that she made, and I found myself caught between marveling at her MacGyver-esque skills and feeling completely awed by her presence of mind, laughing all the while at the inch-think coat of snark that blankets her tongue.The novel actually alternates from two points of view, flip-flopping between Hazel and Hammond. At first, it was difficult to see how the parallel storylines were related, and I was annoyed by the constant passing of the baton because I wanted to find out where each one was going. When she dovetailed the two, however, everything came together seamlessly, and the importance of establishing personalities and histories became apparent. As the mystery unraveled, I was torn between blazing forward to see how it ends and going back to match recent revelations with past clues. The plot was complex, surprising, and at times confusing, but wholly enjoyable for those very reasons.There is a fair amount of nautical-speak, as would be expected in a story about people who live on boats. Grundler successful walks the line between authenticity and overkill; as a reader with very little sailing experience, I was still able to wade through the technical terms without becoming bogged down by them. They slipped in unobtrusively in the edgy, irony-ridden tone of voice that dominates the novel. My own real criticism would be a few typographical errors, but no glaring grammatical ones come to mind.Last Exit In New Jersey is a lesson in balance — dramatics without implausibility; suspense sans gratuitous filler; and romance conveyed in half a handful of love scenes. In the end, reading this book is a lot like sailing aboard Hammond's boat, the Revenge: the pacing is efficiently done, even if part of you irrationally wishes it were a faster ride.