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    FaceOff
    FaceOff
    FaceOff
    Audiobook10 hours

    FaceOff

    Written by Lee Child, Lincoln Child, Michael Connelly and

    Narrated by Dylan Baker, Jeremy Bobb, Dennis Boutsikaris and

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    2015 Audie Award Finalist for Short Stories/Collections

    A New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller! Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci and including stories by Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, and more, this one-of-a-kind anthology pulls together the most beloved characters from the best and most popular thriller series today. Worlds collide!

    In an unprecedented collaboration, twenty-three of the world’s bestselling and critically acclaimed thriller writers have paired their series characters—such as Harry Bosch, Jack Reacher, and Lincoln Rhyme—in an eleven-story anthology curated by the International Thriller Writers (ITW). All of the contributors to FaceOff are ITW members and the stories feature these dynamic duos:

    · Patrick Kenzie vs. Harry Bosch in “Red Eye,” by Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly
    · John Rebus vs. Roy Grace in “In the Nick of Time,” by Ian Rankin and Peter James
    · Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy vs. Aloysius Pendergast in “Gaslighted,” by R.L. Stine, Douglas Preston, and Lincoln Child
    · Malachai Samuels vs. D.D. Warren in “The Laughing Buddha,” by M.J. Rose and Lisa Gardner
    · Paul Madriani vs. Alexandra Cooper in “Surfing the Panther,” by Steve Martini and Linda Fairstein
    · Lincoln Rhyme vs. Lucas Davenport in “Rhymes With Prey,” by Jeffery Deaver and John Sandford
    · Michael Quinn vs. Repairman Jack in “Infernal Night,” by Heather Graham and F. Paul Wilson
    · Sean Reilly vs. Glen Garber in “Pit Stop,” by Raymond Khoury and Linwood Barclay
    · Wyatt Hunt vs. Joe Trona in “Silent Hunt,” by John Lescroart and T. Jefferson Parker
    · Cotton Malone vs. Gray Pierce in “The Devil’s Bones,” by Steve Berry and James Rollins
    · Jack Reacher vs. Nick Heller in “Good and Valuable Consideration,” by Lee Child and Joseph Finder

    So sit back and prepare for a rollicking ride as your favorite characters go head-to-head with some worthy opponents in FaceOff—it’s a thrill-a-minute read.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 3, 2014
    ISBN9781442370050
    Author

    Lee Child

    Lee Child, previously a television director, union organizer, theater technician, and law student, was fired and on the dole when he hatched a harebrained scheme to write a bestselling novel, thus saving his family from ruin. Killing Floor went on to win worldwide acclaim. The Midnight Line, is his twenty-second Reacher novel. The hero of his series, Jack Reacher, besides being fictional, is a kindhearted soul who allows Lee lots of spare time for reading, listening to music, and watching Yankees and Aston Villa games. Lee was born in England but now lives in New York City and leaves the island of Manhattan only when required to by forces beyond his control. Visit Lee online at LeeChild.com for more information about the novels, short stories, and the movies Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, starring Tom Cruise. Lee can also be found on Facebook: LeeChildOfficial, Twitter: @LeeChildReacher, and YouTube: LeeChildJackReacher.

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    Reviews for FaceOff

    4/5

    245 ratings29 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Really cool idea and now I have a few more characters to check out!!!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The short stories were a nice change of pace. I enjoyed all of the stories and got to hear about some writers I was not familiar with. I will looking some new books I wish I had a list. Be cause I am sure I will forget some.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Excellent listen, makes you want to explore some of the authors that I’m not familiar with

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A very good read. I enjoyed this one very much.
    • 2/5
      Couldn't have found a more boring series of stories. Skip!!
    • 5/5
      Stories and narrations both very good. I recommend it highly.
    • 3/5
      Anthologies serve one purpose for me, as an indicator for whether I should delve more deeply into an unfamiliar author's work. The collaborative short stories in this collection included work by some authors I have already read and enjoyed (Connelly, Lehane, Rankin, Deaver and Child). I'll read more Lescroart, Finder and Parker and skip the rest – many of these stories are simply dreadful mashups that don't indicate that further investigation is needed.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      An International Thriller Writers collection that pairs best-selling author's characters in a unique way to solve crimes. A good way to be introduced to new crime/thrill writers. Most tales are along the lines of professional police and crime investigators pursuits. Yet, my favorite was PIT STOP, pairing Raymond Khoury's FBI agent, Sean Reillly, with Linwwod Barclay's home renvonator contractor character,Glen Garber, plus Garber's pre-teen, clever, daughter, Kelly, together for a thrilling ride.
    • 5/5
      I picked this book up because I wanted to see what it looked like to see Lucas Davenport go at it with Lincoln Rhyme and was delighted with their teamwork as well as the other 10 collaborations set in this collection of short stories by many acclaimed thriller writers whom I have had the pleasure to read over the years. I am looking forward to reading the next installment from the International Thriller Writers, it should be another #1.
    • 4/5
      What fun! Baldacci's introductions are flawless and at time humorous. The stories do not disappoint.
    • 3/5
      I'm sad to say that most of the stories in this book were not quite as thrilling as I was expecting them to be. I imagine that it's an enjoyable read however if you actually recognize any of the characters the authors chose to use.
    • 4/5
      Interesting concept with some good results. Reacher and Heller interrupt their Red Sox/Yankees game viewing to clean an Albanian hit man's clock.
    • 5/5
      The first collection of short stories from the ITW (International Thriller Writers) pairing main characters from one author against or with main characters from another author - for example, Aloysius Pendergast, FBI agent by Lincoln Child against Slappy the Dummy from R.L.Stine. All the stories are engaging and well written, smoothly incorporating two characters and two authors who have never worked together before. Totally enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      Description: twenty-three of the world’s bestselling and critically acclaimed thriller writers have paired their series characters in multiple short stories. All your favorite characters and writers in one place. Since I was unfamiliar with all of them, and I enjoy the "thriller" genre, I learned some new authors that might be a fun read. 11 stories...a bit too much to remember as the reader listens to one story after another. How to prioritize my next read/listen?
    • 4/5
      Some good stories, some weird to pair two lead characters, a few very original tales!
    • 3/5
      Some nice stories, interesting pairings.
    • 4/5
      An anthology with a different format that involves 22 thriller writers. A pair of authors combined in one short story that features each ones most popular character. A few of the authors paired up are Dennis Lehane & Michael Connelly, Steve Berry & James Rollins and Jeffery Deaver &J ohn Sandford.
    • 4/5
      Very unique and creative way to bring lots of authors together...
    • 4/5
      What a great way to get an introduction to some authors I have not read and so impressive to think how two authors worked together for each story and came up with something that was so successful every time.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic and unique collection of fiction by some of the best crime writers in the business. Writing in tandem, they create new and wonderful stories that include the authors' iconic characters. Great fun; great reading.DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series
    • 4/5
      Literary equivalent of speed datingThis is the 8th book from the International Thriller Writers, a group formed in Toronto in 2004. They now have over 2500 members in almost 50 countries & these authors clearly enjoy the autonomy from their respective publishing houses that these books provide. Many of the names are instantly recognizable from best seller lists, a virtual who's who of the genre. In this outing, they've tried a different format. Instead of individual short stories, authors have been paired & challenged to come up with a tale that pits their well known characters against each other. In "Red Eye", Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie encounters Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch."Nick of Time" provides a setting where Ian Rankin's inimitable John Rebus has to work with Peter James' Roy Grace.In "Rhymes with Prey" (pun intended), John Sandford's Lucas Davenport forms an uneasy alliance with Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme.Perhaps the weirdest pairing features a creepy ventriloquist's dummy (courtesy of horror-meister RL Stine) taking on Aloysius Pendergast, the icy genius of Preston & Child's popular series. Each is prefaced by a short blurb describing how the pair came up with their premise & worked out the collaborative process. They're an interesting & often humorous peek into the writing styles of these authors who have created some of the most iconic characters in fiction. Eleven stories in all, they range from 20-50 pages in length. It's a challenging format due to space restrictions & as with all anthologies, some are more successful than others. My favourite was "The Devil's Bones" in which the venerable Cotton Malone hooks up with Gray Pierce for a scary trip down the Amazon. And I'll take every opportunity I can get to spend time with the cranky fossil that is Rankin's Rebus. It's a great way to catch up with old favourites & be introduced to new ones. If this appeals, I would also recommend MJ Rose's excellent "In Session", a collection of 3 stories where similar signature characters get a chance to meet.
    • 4/5
      This was a very enjoyable read - a collection of short stories written by some of the best known thriller writers. What made it unique was each story had the author's primary hero teamed up with - or opposed to - the other author's primary character. While many of these authors are among by favorites in the genre, I was introduced to some I have never read before. Now I look forward to exploring their works as well. A great idea for a work that promotes this genre.
    • 5/5
      This book is AMAZING! I have read several of the stories and it creates a craving to read the authors other works. I have to say that this is a genius idea. I am a total booknerd and I just adored this book. I love the short stories, they allow a sampling of the authors works. It also allows the reader to pick it up for short bits and to be pulled into numerous worlds with numerous characters. I have to say that I may have increased my TO BE READ pile by a lot. I loved the pace of the stories, they are written to create an intense connection in a short amount of time. I can't say enough how much I love this book! Grab it today! A must for the beach this summer!!! 5 stars!
    • 3/5
      Only read two of the short stories (Cotton Malone v. Grey Pierce; Jack Reacher v. Nick Heller).
    • 3/5
      Each fictional detective or investigator has a particular style and personality. Readers of thrillers and detective stories who are fans of some specific ones order the newest book as soon as they know they will be available. In FACEOFF, eleven of the most well-known are teamed up with eleven others, equally well-known, as they attempt to solve a case together, each utilizing his or her skills as part of a team. Lincoln Rhyme, Jeffrey Deaver’s character, and Lucas Davenport, John Sandford, hunt a sadistic serial killer. Jack Reacher, created by Lee Child, and Nick Heller, Joseph Finder’s private spy, meet at a bar in Boston and hone in on something that seems off. While some of the main characters are women, only Linda Fairstein’s Alexandra Cooper and Lisa Gardner’s D. D. Warren, are female leads.Each short story is preceded by an introduction to the authors and main characters. Most are realistic but some have a touch of sci-fi. As short stories, however, the plots are a bit thin.Readers who are very familiar with a particular character will recognize more of the slight history offered by the character but a lack of that background won’t be frustrating. Each story stands on its own. FACEOFF presents a way to meet some of the characters and possibly look for some of the previous full length books. Meanwhile, it’s fun to think what other fictional characters might accomplish if thrown together.
    • 4/5
      The title of this book is slightly misleading. Instead of being a collection of stories where the characters FaceOff,it most of the stories involve characters teaming up. Of course, TeamUp wouldn't really have been as cool of a title.As this book was written to benefit the International Thriller Writers, the characters in question are from popular thriller series. At least I assume they're popular. I'm not really all that well read in the genre and mainly picked the book up for the Repairman Jack story and the story with Grayson Pierce of Sigma Force. While most of the stories weren't super great, I generally enjoyed them and will probably try to read the original series the various characters came from.I might as well give my thoughts on the individual stories:"Red Eye" featuring Denis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie and Michael Connely's Harry Bosch - I definitely enjoyed this story of a detective and a cop teaming up to rescue a little girl from a pedophile. It was a good lead off for the book."In the Nick of Time" featuring Ian Rankin's John Rebus and Peter Jame's Roy Grace - This one was more of mystery than a thriller. It is about two British cops solving a 50 year old stabbing case after a man confesses on his deathbed. It wasn't as action-filled as I'd expect from a thriller, but it was still good."Gaslighted" featuring R. L. Stine's Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's Aloysius Pendergast - I did enjoy this one, but I was rather disappointed by how little a part Slappy played in the story. Still, not having read the Goosebumps books, for all I know he could have just sat there and stared at people in them, too."The Laughing Buddha" featuring M. J. Rose's Malachai Samuels and Lisa Gardener's D. D. Warren - This is another one that's a bit more of a mystery than a thriller. It involves the murder of an antiques dealer and reincarnation, which does make for a good story. While I enjoyed it, I don't think the crossover aspect worked that well and almost felt tacked on."Surfing the Panther" featuring Steve Martini's Paul Madriani and Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper - Legal thrillers aren't my cup of tea. I did still enjoy it, but not as much as the others."Rhymes with Prey" featuring Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme and John Sandford's Lucas Davenport - This was definitely my least favorite story in the collection, which is unfortunate as it is also by far the longest story in the collection. I think the length might be part of the issue I had with this, as the story just seemed to drag."Infernal Night" featuring F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack and Heather Graham's Michael Quinn - This was the story I was most looking forward to, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't feel very Repairman Jack-ish. I think it might just be that Jack works best in New York, and this is set in New Orleans."Pit Stop" featuring Raymond Khoury's Sean Reilly and Linwood Barcaly's Glen Garber - This was one of the more fast-paced stories. It involves a car chase, a kidnapped girl, and a deadly bioweapon. It's a good story."Silent Hunt" featuring John Lescroart's Wyatt Hunt and T. Jefferson Parker's Joe Trona - While this story starts off slow, it has a lot of action involving Mexican drug traffickers and a gold mine. It's a cool story with an ending I liked a lot."The Devil's Bones" featuring Steve Berry's Cotton Malone and James Rollin's Gray Pierce - This is the story I was second most anxious to read, and I actually enjoyed in more than the Repairman Jack story. This is a team up that worked very well, and produced a story with lots of action."Good and Valuable Consideration" featuring Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Joseph Finder's Nick Heller - Two thriller heroes walk into a bar ... it sounds like some sort of joke, but it's the premise of this story. It's not a bad story but it's not as actiony as I'd like for the finale of a collection of thrillers. While the book could have been better, it's still well worth reading, especially since it supports a worthy cause.
    • 4/5
      Faceoff is a thriller fan's dream. It is a rockin' good anthology. The idea of a bunch of huge names in the thriller book world clashing head to head in battles with some of their best characters is cool. Although I have not read all of these authors books. Some were new to me authors, others it has been a while, and then there were my favorite authors. What I found the most interesting was the background story about how the two authors met and came up with the short stories. I liked getting this information prior to me reading the story. It added to the stories and helped them. Some of my favorite stories were written by Dennis Lehane vs. Michael Connelly, R.L. Stine vs. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Steve Martini vs. Linda Fairstein, and Lee Child vs. Joseph Finder. Pick up several copies of this anthology for yourself and a friend. You and your friend could have your own read "faceoff".
    • 4/5
      I was very interested in this book because I recognized quite a few of the authors and heard of a bunch more. I expected it to be a great way to sample a new characters that I haven’t had a chance to read yet. I wasn’t disappointed. Though I will say that the name seemed to be a bit of a misnomer, it kind of implies that characters will be pitted against each other, when most of them they paired up against some foe.My favorite character in the book (Lucas Davenport) got one of the longest stories in the set which made me very happy. I also found the his temporary partner Lincoln Rhyme to be an interesting enough character that I plan on looking up his stories as well.I have never read a story by Heather Graham or F. Paul Wilson but I was intrigued by both of their characters (Michael Quinn and Repairman Jack). So that is 2 more series I plan to add to my list of ‘To Read’ books. Apparently they both tend to have dealing with the supernatural and they have an interesting way to handle situations.The only story where I knew both of the characters was with Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone and James Rollin’s Gray Pierce. It was interesting seeing them both in a story. However it was pretty obvious that both authors were used to 400+ page stories because it felt extremely rushed (and for these two that is saying something!So while I felt this book was a little ‘gimmicky’ and the name for it was misleading, I still enjoyed reading it. It gave me an excellent chance to sample more authors and their leading protagonists. I personally found 4 new author series I will be actively on the lookout for and a bunch more that won’t pass up if they show up. Excellent sampler for thriller readers!
    • 4/5
      I’ll read anything by Lee Child, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Lisa Gardner, and Jeffery Deaver, so “Faceoff” is a natural fit. Being unfamiliar with some of the other authors’ signature characters only made the book more appealing to me. This is an opportunity to sample new authors that can satisfy my need for mystery/thrillers.Short stories are a challenge. The author has limited space to create, evolve and conclude the plot, introduce and develop characters, and tie it all together in a cohesive whole. This is even more difficult with two authors writing one story using their legendary characters, like Lincoln Rhyme, Lucas Davenport and Jack Reacher. In short, I think this concept is simply fun. Not Pulitzer or Edgar material, just fun.Of course, some stories/combinations are more successful than others. Peanut butter and jelly works; peanut butter and cheese doesn’t. I particularly liked Deaver vs. Sandford. There was even more to the mix. It included Amelia Sachs and Lily Rothenburg, as well as Lucas Davenport and Lincoln Rhymes. The story has some nice twists and turns.Edited by David Baldacci, each story comes with a couple introductory pages, describing the flavors and components inside. “Faceoff” is a box of chocolates.“Faceoff” is a product of the International Thriller Writers (ITW), founded in 2004. All of these famous authors donated their time and talent to produce the stories and book. Its sales support the organization which supports and encourages budding thriller writers. Those who have made it big, like Baldacci and Child, want to make sure to send the elevator back down. This is all good for people like me, who need regular infusions of mystery, intrigue, conspiracy and thrills.