Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Hunger of Crows is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. The author, Richard Chiappone, masterfully weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and danger, set in the remote and rugged Alaskan wilderness. The story follows Carla Merino, a woman on the run from a powerful and ruthless enemy, who wants to silence her for stealing a compromising photograph. Along the way, she meets a fisherman who rescues her from a storm, and a former CIA agent who is also after the photo. The three of them must work together to survive and expose the truth, while dodging assassins, mercenaries, and a corrupt politician.

The narrator, David Bendena, does a superb job of bringing the characters and the setting to life. His voice is clear, expressive, and engaging, and he captures the different accents and personalities of the diverse cast. He also creates a sense of tension and urgency that matches the pace and tone of the story. He makes you feel like you are right there with the protagonists, experiencing their fear, hope, and determination.

The Hunger of Crows is a must-listen for fans of thrillers, mysteries, and action-packed adventures. It is a well-written, well-performed, and well-produced audiobook that will keep you listening. I highly recommend it.

This is my first experience with Chiappone's writing and I must admit that I wanted to listen to this audiobook entirely because of the catchy title! I love crows - all corvids, really. And though there's only a minimal bird presence in the book, I really enjoyed the fact that there was a crow presence at all!

In Phoenix, Arizona, Carla waits tables after being burned out as a social worker. She enjoys having relationships without strings and when a handsome stranger arrives after a long night, she happily goes home with him. But a bad habit of hers leads her to take something that doesn't belong to her - something that a powerful man will stop at nothing to get back... She flies with her life and not much else, all the way to Homer, Alaska.

Chiappone provides multiple perspectives in this thriller set mostly against the natural beauty of Alaska. The plot driving the story has a few holes, making the first half not quite as tense as it could have been. The final section also just begs for an epilogue - sometime more satisfying for all of the trouble brought about by one photograph... While the male characters, flaws and all have a bit more depth, I didn't find Carla to be as convincing of a character... I have found that some male authors struggle with writing a female perspective... or maybe it's just because Carla isn't very likable that she spoiled this one a bit for me. The way she behaves in the very end is really frustrating and seems at odds with all the events leading up to this. But, the story did keep my interest from start to finish and I really thought the performer did a good job. He has a pleasant voice and didn't do anything awful with the female dialogue the way less talented performers do. It's an entertaining listen overall.

After a one night stand with the wrong man, Carla Merino is hiding out in Lost Bay, Alaska. She took a photo from him that is valuable and makes her a target. I really enjoyed the story. It is marked as a thriller, but definitely has a suspenseful romance feel to it. It reminds me of Julie Garwood or Nora Roberts. I enjoyed the whole damsel in distress feeling that the book had. While I was not a huge fan of the ending, it was different than books I have seen before.The narrator was easy to understand. I was completely invested and wanted to see what would happen next.

4 stars

I really enjoyed this audiobook.
Carla is an interesting character. She gave up a career as a social worker and now works as a waitress. She has a habit of taking a memento from the homes of men with whom she has a one night stand. This time she mooched the wrong thing from the wrong guy. The photo incriminates a mobster character with major political aspirations. Once Carla realizes what she has, she knows she is in danger and must go into hiding. She takes off for a small town in Alaska where she meets an interesting cast of characters.
All of the characters in this story are well developed; the mystery/thriller is exciting and engrossing. The author brings the Alaskan setting to life without extraneous detail. The dialogue is well written, believable and funny, in some places. The ending was completely satisfying. Even though the story included a romantic element, it was not cliche or distracting.
I have not read this author before, but I would definitely read his novels/audiobooks again. If he decided to write a second book about Carla, I would read it. The story is complete without a second installment, but Carla is the type of character whose journey I would enjoy following.
Recommended for fans of mysteries, thrillers, and those who are fascinated by Alaska.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 3.5, overall pretty good just not sure i cared too much for the ending

I love stories about the ocean and stories about fishing. Most of this story takes place in Alaska and that was an instant attraction for me.

David Bendena is a brilliant narrator, his voice is smooth, deep and perfect for this story.

Everything is fast paced and dramatic in this audiobook. The characters are well developed and realistically flawed. In the end it was very hard to figure out who's really the worst "bad guy".

This is a good dramatic thriller. I enjoyed it completely

Total cover request for me!! Mountains, camping, alaska...yes please!! The book isn't available at my local library right now, otherwise my rating might be higher. I had a really hard time with the audiobook. The story was super atmospheric, and I REALLY wanted it to be a five star.

Carla Merino finds herself on the run in Alaska after fleeing California. After one of her many one night stands, she leaves with an incriminating photo of a very dangerous man running for president. Carlos D’Angela is a complicated man working for the politician. He tracks Carla down in Alaska and a page turning thriller ensues. I enjoyed the character development in this book. Many characters with many distinctive personalities. I’m still not sure about the ending, but I did enjoy this fast paced novel.

This is a story about running from mistakes.

I really enjoyed this! This is my favorite type of thriller, fast with no wasted space-I felt like everything we learned was necessary to the eventual outcome. I also really enjoyed the setting!

Thank you so much Netgalley & Dreamscape Media for this Alc!

Different twist than I've encountered, and I liked it. There were several characters, none of which I liked. However, the story was so intriguing, I wanted to see how it ended. The ending was satisfying, and mostly believable.

I don't restate the synopsis or give spoilers. There was profanity.

I will look for more work by this author. At no point was I bored.

The narrator was okay.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Richard Chiappone for accepting my request to read and review.

#NetGalley
#DreamscapeMedia
#RichardChiappone
#TheHungerOfCrows
#Audiobook
#NarratorDavidBendena

WOW, this one had me waiting to find out what happens next. What started as a one-night stand turned into a race for life. Carla was working as a waitress in Arizona when she strikes up a conversation with a customer who just so happens to have returned from an assignment and just needs some down time. When they hook up that night and he is in the bathroom, Carla finds a photo and takes it, not knowing she will then be on the run for her life. When she finds out the photo is of the man running for president and it could be the end of his candidacy she knows she has to run and fast. She packs up her van and runs to Alaska, as far as she can go. This is where Cosmo d'Angelo hunts her down. It is his photo she took. Here, along with several townspeople she is helped but who is hunting her, really? Is it Cosmo or is it Gordon, the man running for president? There were so many twists and turns it kept the story going.

Thanks #netgallery for this book I enjoyed the narration and storyline for this book. Characters where developed well and not just one dimensional roles.

Carla is on the run! She has had a one night stand and she stole a picture. She really didn’t know this act would change her life but it did. The photo could take down a dangerous presidential candidate. Now, this one act has her life in extreme danger!

As most of you know…give me a book set in Alaska and I am hooked. This book nails the scenery and the weird people. This story is also very intense in places. The characters are flawed and that just makes this story more appealing.

I enjoyed Carla’s unique situation. Plus she flounders…you will have to read this to find out!

The narrator did a good job keeping all the voices unique and the intensity on point!

Need just a good, intense read with a fabulous setting! This is it!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Carla is a waitress in a restaurant that mostly serves law enforcement. When D’Angelo comes in late one night she is drawn to him and goes home with him. She often takes a memento from those she sleeps with and chooses an old photograph of him with some military men. One of them, Gordon Mckint, is big into military contracting and is running for president. Carla and others believe he is behind many illegal operations and after taking the picture, she fears for her life. She decides to head out of town and hide.
D’Angelo works with McKint and wishes he could remove himself from the group. However, Mckint saved his life when they were both in the CIA. D’Angelo’s daughter gave him the picture and wanted him to do the right thing and expose McKint before he can become president. When Carla takes off for Alaska, D’Angelo must find her before Mckint and his goons do. This book has wonderful characters and the author has a way with words that want you to keep reading. D’Angelo may have done things years ago that he is not proud of but now he wants to make things right. He is a mercenary but also has a kind, gentle side that he shows to Carla. Carla takes a skiff to a friend’s cabin on a night that ends up stormy and she goes overboard. She believes if people believe she is dead, all her problems would be solved. D’Angelo goes to Alaska and refuses to leave without the picture. Great characters, an adventure and a mystery to solve. Really enjoyed this book.

Adventure can pop up when least expected. Carla is used to taking little souvenirs from her short term lovers, but when she plucks a photograph from Cosmo's night stand, she is on the run for her life. A new one is barely started in Homer, Alaska, when she realizes her safety has been compromised. But Cosmo is only one of the killers on her trail. A terrific thriller, with ethical questions facing several very well drawn characters. The plot, which makes excellent use of the Alaskan setting, is filled twists and turns, and doesn't resolve until the last minutes of the book. David Bendena delivers a fine performance.

I started this as an audiobook, and to be honest, I may not have given it a fair amount of time. I just couldn't get into the story. Maybe it was something about the author's voicing, maybe intonation. It seemed to me like the author was trying too hard with all the adjectives and descriptors. So I decided to not pursue finishing it. Thank you for letting me have access to the book.

Burnt-out social worker turned waitress, Carla Merino, goes on the run after she takes a momento from a one-night-stand and later finds out it is an incriminating photo of a current presidential candidate that could put her in danger.

I really wanted to like this book. It had all the elements I usually love - lots of action, fast-paced plot, strong female protagonist - but it just didn't quite hit for me. It was a fairly enjoyable read and I never thought of putting it down, but Carla just wasn't convincing to me. She's an aging waitress hooking up with strange men and no real direction. She, somewhat innocently, takes the photo from the nightstand of a customer she hooked up with in her bar. She doesn't know the significance until looking at it later, makes a couple of calls, and suddenly knows how to go on the lamb, off-grid, using fake names and working for cash, and manages to evade a paramilitary group with near-limitless resources for two months. Then, suddenly, she makes a series of stupid mistakes and has to be rescued by strong, hunky men repeatedly. I didn't see any consistency in Carla and, since she was the main character, that was a big negative for the book.

Overall, this wasn't a bad story, but the protagonist needs some more work.

Highly Enjoyable book! Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an early audio book!

This story was really well written and well-paced. I couldn't stop listening! The story is entertaining and engaging. The characters feel realistic, like you could really get to know them or may even already know someone like them in your life. You're able to understand the characters and how they would feel or their reactions to the things happening.
From the beginning, the author creates a great sense of mystery and suspense in the way characters view other characters or situations. The story takes off right away with small events and kicks up from there, keeping you guessing at what is going to happen.
The only things that were a little odd were how some of the more 'intimate' scenes were written/described. Kind of just odd but not offputting or anything. The narration is the other thing. For most of the perspectives and voices for dialogue, the narrator does really well, but when he reads certain female characters, it doesn't sound great, lol. He also gave one character a kind of twang but wasn't consistent with it while reading that character so it made for some confusing parts for a little while. Otherwise, the narrator did a great job. He was very articulate and clear in his reading. There were no weird noises in the background or anything and aside from the small things listed above, had a good range of differences between all the characters.

Overall, this was a really entertaining listen and I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author!

Nope, I can't help myself. When I saw a new thriller, "The Hunger of Crows" is set in ALASKA,...that was it, I must request! Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for an audio copy for review.

Good girl, bad girl Carla Merino is a waitress in Arizona and has a bad habit of taking souvenirs from men she sleeps with. An old photograph of Cosmo D'Angelo, her one-night stand seems harmless. What she didn't realize is this is a photograph of military men taken with shady people in South America. One man in particular, Gordon McKintis is a defense contractor who is running for president and does not want this photograph to be exposed. The momento brings her tremendous bad juju and sets Carla racing to Alaska.

"The Hunger of Crows" is a great thriller with a believable plot and well-rounded supporting characters who end up aiding Carla from the men searching for her. I've read quite a few mysteries set in Alaska but always come across something new and in this novel it's fishing!

This is my first novel by Richard Chiappone and also my first audiobook by David Bendena. Thumbs up for both!
Available November 9, 2021.

I really enjoyed this book. The author was very descriptive which was good and a bit cringy at times. For example, when he uses language like "pussy crazed lear" or "appeared to him in a testicle tingling way" made me want to just say that's disgusting. However, he had a great analogy when referring to how people are attached to their phones like Pavlov 's dogs. One of the things I questioned for a while was how come Carla never thought to get a new car or switch license plates, but eventually the author does cover this topic. The other thing was why would someone ship anything if they were in hiding. I have to give props to the audio reader as his accents, especially for Manny was on point. I also thought the girl on the cover looks a lot younger than the character which seems deceiving. Overall, I will be recommending this books!