Orpheus Rising

Written by Colin Bateman

Narrated by Stephen Armstrong

Michael Ryan was the author of a runaway bestseller, Space Coast, but its publication coincided with his wife's murder in a bank raid. Now he's back to face the ghosts of his past. Michael met Claire when she was dragging Paul de Luca, detective novel writer and owner of a porn shop, out of the sea after he'd lost his feet in a shark attack. Claire was living with local hard man Tommy, a Gulf War vet, at the time and Tommy was not impressed with Michael's interest in his girl. When Tommy leaves town to be a roadie for a band playing a six-week stint on a cruise ship, Michael falls in love with Claire, they marry and he writes his novel. But then Claire is killed in the bank raid. Ten years later Michael returns to the scene of the crime to exorcise the ghosts of the past and try to write his second novel. But he discovers the grim truth behind his wife's murder and encounters the strangest of small-town behaviour...

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd Audio
• Release date: Mar 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781407433394

Colin Bateman

Colin Bateman is an author, screenwriter and playwright. He is the creator of the BBC series Murphy's Law and was listed by the Daily Telegraph as one of the Top 50 crime writers of all time. Find out more at colinbateman.com

Reviews for Orpheus Rising

[ahs7wolfy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It starts with a surfer getting his feet bitten off by a shark and the tragic romance that starts between the two people that save his life. Michael is a writer and he intends to write his first novel but hasn't got around to it yet. Arriving in Brevard he meets Claire over the bloody feet of the aforementioned surfer. Instantly smitten, Michael decides to stick around and start on his book. There's a couple of people that don't want Michael to stick around for the same reason that, they too, are in love with Claire. One of these is a most unpleasant fellow and thinks Claire is his girl and won't take no for an answer. He's also the one who ends up killing her (don't worry, that's not a spoiler).The way this book works is by being told in alternate chapters giving Michael's story from when he first met Claire in one and the other when he's returning to the scene 10 years later for a commemoration ceremony for those that died in a bank raid. Michael didn't want to attend but was pursuaded by drinking compatriot Ambrose that it would be a cathartic exercise and so reluctantly agreed. Ambrose, of course, tags along.This is quite different to the other Bateman books I've read with the humour being more understated and with some quite bittersweet moments as well. I did like it though.

[tinajean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rarely does a book make me chuckle out loud while I'm reading it (and especially in public!) The beginning of the book is witty and I had to stop my friends from reading their books to share a funny quote or two. I really enjoyed the sarcasm and the adventure in this book. The middle of the book ran a bit slow for me, but luckily was saved by the ending. I can safely say that I haven't read a book I've enjoyed this much in quite some time. I really felt the passion and pain of the main character and at times would get quite annoyed with the side kick as much as the main character did.This book did it for me. I requested other books from the library on hold, and gave my copy of this book to a friend to read.