Dear Detective Hank Palace,

Your audiobook voice actor saved you from irritating me to death with your earnest and forthright manner. I'm not even sure if eagle scouts should be allowed to be paperback novel cops?

Your backstory explained some of how you developed into such a persevering single minded fellow. Capt. Dwight Towers from [b:On the Beach|38180|On the Beach|Nevil Shute|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327943327s/38180.jpg|963772] might've better company right before an apocalypse but you sorta grew on me as I shuffled truck stop convenience store audiobook cds around .

Or maybe it's your author I enjoy? Your set-up lets him speculate about the human capacity for work, hope, love, planning, companionship and plenty more but he doesn't just navel gaze while he does it, he gives us an well structured murder mystery and a one-of-a kind detective to go along with it. Can't complain about that on-ramp to the end of life as we know it.

I think I'll be back for the sequel,

Love,

Your mostly satisfied and thoroughly engaged listener