This audiobook has great narration and a good story line. I would recommend it for audio or print.
I looked forward to listening to what was going to happen next and I liked all of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to read and audibly review Fadeaway Joe.

A thinker with likeable characters. The mafia bullying as the backdrop of the story is light. The author doesn't tell or include gruesome crime-related details. Joe worked for a boss until he didn't. It turns out Joe had early onset Alzheimer's. When things come up missing and details are sketchy Joe worked for the wrong group, and was let go.

The story flows well. I thought the author did a good job developing and showcasing the main characters around Joe. This would be a good rainy/snowy weekend read. (3.5 stars, not rounding up.)

Both narrators did a good job.

Joe Pendergast spent the last 40 years working as an enforcer for Maxie Smith, his close friend/loan shark, until the day he is fired, right before being diagnosed with dementia. As a parting gift, he is given a food truck, which Joe plans to use to take down Maxie and go out in a blaze of glory before the dementia completely overtakes him. However, 22-year-old Paula Jessup interrupts his plan, and he finds himself wrapped up in her own troubled life. Protecting Paula gives Joe a reason to live, but how long can the two stay safe?

Joe, Paula, and Donna were all entertaining characters. I loved that seeing a book whose main character had dementia, as you rarely see that. Lewis Arlt and Karissa Vacker did a good job with the narration of the audiobook. The cat named Dale Earnhardt was an Easter egg that was one of my favorite parts of the book. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this story, but I really enjoyed it!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was gritty and a well researched experience of a character with dementia. I liked the characterization throughout!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Cute read, enough detail to draw you in without getting confusing. I enjoyed listening to this one, the narrators were good!

Joe has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. For many years he has worked as an enforcer for his friend Maxie. When he is fired by Maxie, the 2 have an ugly and violent confrontation. Neither man is the forgiving sort. Joe wants revenge, and his chance encounter with a young woman provides a way to get even with Maxie.

The blurb describes this book as a “gritty, high-stakes thriller”. I did not think that it was very gritty or thrilling. Maybe if Joe had stuck with his original plans there would have been more grit. Maxie did not turn out to be a very impressive foe. I’m not looking for a lot of description in books, but this book could have used a little more. I got no sense of the locale or time period in the book. However, the book did hold my interest because I cared enough about Joe to want to find out how his story would end. 3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Kudos to Hugh Lessig for introducing us to Joe and his cast of misfits. The audio file of "Fadeaway Joe" is well presented as we learn about this former hitman with early dementia and his escapades. Joe is trying to start over with less stress and a food truck. Retirement doesn't suit him, and he's soon involved in murder, human trafficking and bad guys. He finds an unlucky sidekick in Paula, who sets out to help trafficked women and escape more bad guys. Yes, there's violence, but Lessig brings out the heart in his characters. Here's hoping we hear more about Joe and his next adventure.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were fantastic- Karissa Vacker is always amazing and the other narrator was great as well. Having both male and female narrators helped so much because there is a lot that goes in and it could be a little confusing. That said, I loved the storyline and the author’s writing style of weaving the pieces of the story together.

3.5 ⭐️’s
For forty years Joe Pendergast has worked for Maxie Smith. Being Maxie’s enforcer and bouncer for all those years, Joe is no stranger to the violent side of life. When Maxie fires Joe unexpectedly, Joe doesn’t know who to blame, hurt beyond belief he’s not sure if it’s the early onset Alzheimer’s or if Maxie is just kicking him to the curb. Joe grovels for a bit, but his old flame Kathy comes up with a solution to keep him occupied and busy. Joe will be manning a food truck. As Joe plans retribution, he’s not quite prepared when he meets Paula, a young woman with her own set of problems. Soon the two are helping each other out, but how will it all end? The audio voices were perfect for gruff old Joe and the young Paula, making this a good listen. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book.

This is a fast and easy read. I really wanted to love it, but for some reason I struggled to connect or care about any of these characters. I was kind of hoping for something along the lines of S.A. Cosby, but unfortunately, it didn't quite get there. The narrators did a good job telling the story. Thank you to NetGalley, Hugh Lessing, and Dreamscape Media, LLC for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a cute book and I love how the characters of the book came together to support Joe, save themselves, and find a solution to their issues! AND the bad guy got his in the end! My fave way to end a book! This was my 1st book by Hugh Lessig but it won't be my last!

#FadeawayJoe
#NetGalley

“Fadeaway Joe” by Hugh Lessig was a quick read.
I enjoyed that this book was narrated by multiple people to express the different POVs of the main characters.

This story was well crafted and included a wide range of subjects from human trafficking to dementia.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hugh Lessing, and Dreamscape Media, LLC for this advanced listening copy. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from Hugh Lessig soon!

August 13, 2023
This was a good and quick read, I appreciated the storyline and the characters.

Joe is a man in his 60s who has recently been diagnosed with early dementia. After spending his adult life being a henchman for a loan shark, he finds himself out of work and at odds with his former employer. He attempts to seek revenge.

While that is the short version of the story, it is so much more. Joe meets a young woman who is going through her own crisis, and they form an unlikely partnership. This, to me, was the essence of this story. Through their individual challenges, they develop a relationship that supports them both. There is some mystery in the story that added the element of surprise, but mostly it’s a story of meeting the need of human connections . It’s a story of an unlikely friendship based on the needs of the people involved.

Adding to the story are an array of unique characters, some likable, some not so much. They each have a background that contributes to the story.

I appreciate NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for this honest review.
#Dreamscapemedia #fadeawayjoe

I’m giving this audiobook 3.5 stars. The first half was a little confusing with the intersecting stories of a bunch of bad guys and it took some time for me to to put it all together. I really enjoyed the story after that. I was initially drawn to this because I’m a big fan of Karissa Vacker but I also really liked the narration of Lewis Arlt as Joe. He played “crusty old bad guy” really well.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

This is a gritty thriller made up of characters who are morally gray. You see the underbelly of society with these people. It covers topics of human trafficking, murder, violence and underhanded dealings. These people all have done things in their lives that are bad and illegal. But you can’t help pulling for the 64 year old Joe who is battling dementia and Paula, a young 20 something young woman latching on to him to find her way in life. It’s a very good book. I highly recommend.

I received this book as an audiobook from NetGalley. The book will be out near the end of August. I highly recommend that you try to get your hands on a copy. i'm only speaking for the audiobook because that is how I listened to it. Come meet Joe Pendergast, an ex-enforcer for a local loan shark who has just recently lost his job by his long time friend and boss, Maxie Smith. Joe has just been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's so he knows his time is limited, and he has one goal; to kill Maxie Smith for firing him after 40+ years of working for him. To keep himself occupied while he plans this big hit, he operates a food truck in the town where he lives. During the course of his business he meets a young woman who appears to have many of her own problems. He determines that this young girl is probably responsible for whatever happened in Joe's boat. He found it full of blood and a lot of grey hair. The two conspirators start working together. Each has their own agenda which is to bring retribution to two separate illegal operations--Maxie Smith and his loan sharking business, and a trafficking ring that Paula Jessop had been inadvertently involved with. The book is hilarious from start to finish, even if a bit violent. It is not clear throughout the book whether the unlikely alliance that these two perpetrators forged will succeed in their objectives or not. I loved the book, and the premise. A very different crime novel, where I found myself rooting for the lesser of two evils, Paula and Joe. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Book Publishers for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book. Highly recommended.

I really like that this was narrated by both a male and female to differentiate between the characters much easier. It's difficult for a male voice to do justice to a female character. That said, this was well crafted but a little on the dark side discussing human trafficking, the mob and murder. The author is a talented writer however, my preferences are much lighter topics.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, LLC for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Joe has been let go from his dream job at a club where he has worked his way up from bouncer to manager. But the books are coming up short even though he's not sure how. Feeling belittled he soon becomes angry and plots his revenge. Unfortunately, things get complicated quickly given that Joe's tough exterior is just hiding a tender heart.

Fadeaway Joe begins with a very unreliable narrator. Joe has woken up in his backyard in just his underwear and can't remember how he got there - he was warned that his early-onsight Alzheimer’s would be worst at night. When he finds his boat full of blood he wonders if he became violent during his late-night walkabout.

I didn't immediately connect with Joe. He is a rough old geezer. He was a bouncer at a club that hosts illegal poker games. I did feel for him as he deals with his recent diagnosis, but I wasn't sure if was going to be my kind of story. The opening scene with the bloody boat though did hook me enough to keep going with the novel.

And I'm glad I did as a second main character was introduced. I really liked Paula from the start. She's young, and kind of has an angry-at-the-world attitude but at the same time, I think she is struggling with what to do with her life.

The story is told in the third person, but the book switches back and forth between Joe and Paula being "center stage" so to speak. While Joe's chapter did become more interesting, I looked forward to Paula's chapters.

The plot is well-written. I liked how things are revealed slowly with hints dropped here and there. But it was the development of the characters that kept me reading. It was like layers of an onion being peeled back with both Joe and Paula as we got to know them.

On the surface, Paula and Joe are an unlikely pair, but they work really well together. By the end of the novel, they both were characters I cared about.

I listened to the audiobook and there are two narrators. Lewis Arlt narrates Joe's chapters and Karissa Vacker narrates Paula's chapters. They both did a wonderful job but I'm not sure if two narrators were necessary. The characters would sound different depending on which narrator was reading. While the difference was minor it did irk me at times as I had to adjust and it momentarily drew me out of the story.

Overall, this would be a wonderful book to end summer with. There is mystery and danger, but it isn't a fast-paced story. It has more of a slice-of-life feel to it. Fadeaway Joe would be the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon in a hammock or rocking chair with a glass of sweet tea or lemonade.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/08/fadeaway-joe-by-hugh-lessig-review.html

Fadeaway Joe by Hugh Lessig. There are some triggers warnings - this book includes graphic violence for sure. This was an action packed, never let up until the last sentence type of book. I loved the narration. It went along perfectly with the book. This book reminded me of Blacktop Wasteland, which I LOVED! A pair of unlikely people, a few murders and some awesome twists really made this book worth reading! Such a quick but thrilling read! Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!

Name of Book: Fadeaway Joe
Author: Hugh Lessig
Narrators: Lewis Arit and Karissa Vacker
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Crime
Pub Date: August 22, 2023
My Rating: 2.7 rounded up
Pages: 288

Joe Pendergast is sixty-four years old and is slowly fading away from early stages of Alzheimer's. Joe has been a bouncer for forty years but is let go. Maxie Smith Joe’s boss who let him go has set Joe up with a food delivery service.
Joe is not happy with this situation as it brings in little money. He wants to get back at Maxie.

He meets twenty-two-year-old Paula Jessup, who is an amateur sleuth and is on the run from some trafficking bad guys she has been trying to investigate.

Other characters in Joe’s life ~
* Donna: His neighbor, who was an exotic dancer now a real estate agent,
* Mia: runs a women’s shelter, someone Paula trusts
* Jennifer: is someone with secrets but wants to help Joe.

I wanted to love this but I am not a fan of profanity so it wasn’t as enjoyable as I hoped.
I know that not every book is suited to every reader so you may totally love this!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio/ Crooked Lane Books this early Audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 22, 2023.