DIRTY JOHN AND OTHER TRUE STORIES OF OUTLAWS AND OUTSIDERS

LA TIMES reporter Christopher Goffard took two decades' worth of articles he wrote for various newspapers and turned them into a series of stories, character studies, and insights for this outstanding audiobook. Narrator George Newbern generally does a good job telling the augmented stories based on real events--but listeners would appreciate a full stop between stories. At times, they run together because of the author's tendency to stop abruptly or introduce new characters without explanation. The stories, like "The $40 Lawyer" and "Framed," are fascinating. The best is "Dirty John," a frighteningly realistic tale of a psychotic womanizer who cons his way into the life of a middle-aged woman. M.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2019]