Chris Taylor has 12 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 4 narrators, with an average listener rating of 5★ across 16 ratings. The most-rated is How Star Wars Conquered the Universe.
How Star Wars Conquered the Universe
Summary
In 1973, a young filmmaker named George Lucas scribbled some notes for a far-fetched space-fantasy epic. More than 40 years and $37 billion later, Star Wars-related products outnumber human beings, a stormtrooper army spans the globe, and “Jediism” has become a religion in its own right. Lucas’s creation has grown into far more than a cinematic classic; it is, quite simply, one of the most lucrative, influential, and interactive franchises of all time. Yet until now the complete history of Star Wars - its influences and impact, the controversies it has spawned, its financial growth and long-term prospects - has never been told. In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchise’s death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy. Taylor provides portraits of the friends, writers, artists, producers, and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucas’s idea into a legend. He also jousts with modern-day Jedi, tinkers with droid builders, and gets inside Boba Fett’s helmet, all to find out how Star Wars has attracted and inspired so many fans for so long. Since the first film’s release in 1977, Taylor shows, Star Wars has conquered our culture with a sense of lightness and exuberance, while remaining serious enough to influence politics around the world and spread a spirituality that appeals to religious groups and atheists alike. Controversial digital upgrades and critically savaged prequels have actually made the franchise stronger than ever. Now, with a new set of savvy bosses holding the reins and Episode VII on the horizon, it looks like Star Wars is just getting started. An energetic, fast-moving account of this creative and commercial phenomenon, How Star Wars Conquered the Universe explains how a filmmaker’s fragile dream beat out a surprising number of rivals and gained a die-hard, multigenerational fan base - and why it will be galvanizing our imaginations and minting money for generations to come.
©2014 Chris Taylor (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.
The Christmas Vigil
Summary
A family in denial. When former New South Wales District Court judge Duncan Munro is found lying unconscious in a hotel room surrounded by evidence incriminating him in an affair, his close-knit family is rocked to their core. Marguerite Munro is unwilling to believe her husband of 40 years has been cheating on her, but the evidence doesn't lie. Roses, champagne, massage oils, lingerie. It's obvious he was expecting a woman and she knows darn well it wasn't her. When the distress call goes around the family, they gather together in shock and disbelief. No one wants to believe their father is an adulterer, but the Munro siblings have law enforcement running through their veins. They've learned to look at the facts and draw logical conclusions and all of the evidence is pointing toward their father's guilt. Will Duncan regain consciousness and provide the explanation they're praying for, or will this be the end of Marguerite's marriage and the Munro family as we know it?
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Investigator
Summary
A woman who thought she could run away from her past. At 14, Kate Collins ran away from home. Ten years later, her mother has disappeared without a trace. Faced with no other choice, she returns home. Kate is convinced her stepfather is responsible, but he is a highly decorated police officer. Who will take her accusations seriously? Banished to a small country town after reporting his city superiors for corruption, Detective Riley Munro is never going to accuse the town's recently retired police commander of murder. But Kate's fear and distress seem genuine and her mother does seem to have disappeared. With reluctance, he agrees to investigate. After making rudimentary enquires, he's told Kate's mother is on a cruise. The information pans out. On the verge of closing the case, Riley is taken by surprise when he receives a subtle threat from his boss, the new police commander, to leave Kate's stepfather alone. Why would the new commander feel the need to warn him off? With his instincts on alert, Riley digs deeper and discovers not only is Kate's mother in a wheelchair, she also hates the water. Is Kate telling the truth? Is her stepfather, the former police commander, guilty of murder? Or is Riley allowing the sad vulnerability in Kate's beautiful eyes to cloud his judgement?
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Ransom
Summary
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive... When Ellie Cooper married Clayton Munro six years ago, she hoped his daughter Olivia would accept her into her life. But despite all of Ellie's efforts, the 10-year-old has rejected her at every turn. When Olivia is kidnapped while shopping with Ellie, she's beside herself with guilt. To add to her devastation, Clayton's blaming her for not taking proper care of his daughter. Detective Senior Sergeant Lane Black of the Chatswood State Crime Command is put in charge of the case. A child is missing and time is of the essence. To further complicate matters, the New South Wales attorney general's youngest daughter was present at the time of the kidnapping. The girls look very much alike. Could it be a case of mistaken identity? Could the abduction be politically motivated? When interviewing the attorney general, Lane's disquieted by the man's nervousness. His oldest daughter Zara Dowton is also on edge. Immediately drawn to her exotic beauty, Lane does his best to remain unmoved and impartial, despite his body's urgings. What are the Dowtons hiding...and why?
©2015 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Negotiator
Summary
When 10-year-old Andy Warwick witnesses the murder/suicide of his sister and father, his world is torn apart. Twenty years later, despite his tragic childhood, Andy's a highly respected police negotiator based in North Sydney. He's living a comfortable life, but still suffers from guilt-ridden nightmares from his past and yearns for a family to replace the one he lost. Sixteen, pregnant and abandoned by those she loved, Cally Savage learned early to fend for herself, but raising a son on her own hasn't come without a price. It's a decade after Jack's birth, but she's struggling to make ends meet, despite taking on a second job as a cleaner at the North Sydney Police Station. On top of her financial woes, her house has recently been burgled and she's terrified the perpetrator might return. In desperation, Cally turns to the hot-looking detective at the station and seeks Andy's permission to place a roommate wanted advertisement on the noticeboard in the squad room. Attracted to Cally's innocent beauty and intrigued by the vulnerability in her eyes, Andy offers to move in with her. The more he gets to know her, the more he wants to be part of her life. But first, he has to break through the barriers she's erected around her heart. Just when things appear to be on track, the man who believed for more than 10 years that his child had been aborted discovers Cally's deceit. Enraged, he vows not to give up until he's found his son and punished the woman who lied to him.
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Deception
Summary
Ambitious newspaper journalist Savannah O'Neill will do anything for a story, even if it means pretending to be a prostitute in Sydney's most exclusive brothel. She's there on a tip-off that underage girls are being held illegally and kept compliant with illicit drugs. What's more, unidentified bodies of young women have turned up in Sydney Harbour, and at least one of them is linked to the brothel. Detective Will Rutledge has vowed to destroy the man he holds responsible for his brother's suicide. Vince Maranoa is the kingpin of Sydney's illegal drug industry: He's also the owner of the city's most exclusive brothel. Working undercover with the New South Wales Drug Enforcement Agency, Will is determined to put Maranoa behind bars. When Savannah and Will cross paths at the brothel, there's an instant attraction, despite the fact she presumes he's a cohort of the crime boss and Will assumes she's a prostitute under Maranoa's employ. With both of them determined to pursue their personal agendas to infiltrate the covert life of Maranoa, they will both be left gasping when the brothel's secrets are finally revealed....
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Betrayal
Summary
When much decorated Australian Federal Police officer Declan Munro is accused of illegally accessing confidential police files containing child pornography, his world is turned upside down. Fronting the investigation into his alleged criminal behavior is Senior Internal Affairs Investigator Chloe Sabattini. A veteran investigator, Chloe is taken aback to discover that not only is Declan likable, but his protestations of innocence are believable. Furthermore, despite her best efforts, she finds herself drawn to him. But the evidence can't be ignored and Chloe vows to investigate the matter with all of the resources available to her. The more she delves, the more she's convinced of Declan's innocence. Someone is framing him. But who? And why? And what does a high ranking Government minister have to do with it? An innocent man's life hangs in the balance. Will she discover the truth before it's too late? And will she be able to handle the fallout when she does?
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Shooting
Summary
All that glitters is not gold.... Tom and Lily Munro have been married for 16 years. They love each other and are happy in their respective, successful careers. With a cute teenage daughter and a son who has never caused them any grief, their life is just about perfect. Then Lily becomes a victim of a school shooting and is left fighting for her life. Tom's beside himself with fear. What will he do if she dies? How will he live without her? And what about the suspicious lump he's found in his breast? Does he have the courage to find out if it's serious? In the midst of his fear and panic and indecision, his daughter begins acting out. With Lily still gravely ill in hospital, Tom's at a loss what to do. He has so much more going on right now. Finding time to sit with Cassie and delve into the reasons for her behavior are almost beyond him. He wants to believe it's nothing more than normal teenage rebellion, but his heart is telling him it's so much more. His once-perfect life is falling apart shattering before his very eyes. Can he stop the carnage before it's too late? Will this Munro family ever be able to pick up the pieces?
©2015 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Defendant
Summary
Home is where the heart is. Detective Sergeant Chase Barrington has never forgotten his high school sweetheart. He and Josie Munro planned to marry as soon as she graduated, but fate stepped in and Chase made the painful decision to end it. Unable to find the courage to tell her the truth, he left town without a word of explanation. A decade after graduating high school, Doctor Josie Munro, child psychologist, has recently returned to her hometown. When she's appointed by the court to provide a report on a child's capacity to stand trial for murder, it's inevitable that she runs into the lead detective on the case. Unaware of the real reason why Chase ended their relationship, her anger and grief from all those years ago immediately rise to the surface. Being a consummate professional, she has no choice but to complete the task she's been given, but she's determined to keep Chase at a distance and to get the job over with as quickly as possible. As Josie gets to know the child through therapy sessions, she's torn between doing what the law requires of her against what her heart knows is right. She's also conflicted over her feelings for Chase. She wants to hate him, but she can't. Will she follow her head or her heart?
©2015 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Profiler
Summary
A psychopathic killer is stalking the women of Sydney. Federal Agent Clayton Munro, a criminal profiler with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), has been called upon to assist in hunting down a vicious murderer who is intent upon carving up his victims while they are still alive. Guilt-stricken over his wife's suicide, Clayton is forced to set aside his personal issues in order to focus on the case. Detective Ellie Cooper is also no stranger to heartache. Pregnant and abandoned at the altar by a fiancé intent on pursuing a career with the AFP, her opinion of the elite body of officers is anything but favorable. Angered when her boss orders her to partner with the fed, she is determined not to cut him any slack. But women are dying on the streets of western Sydney and the pressure is mounting to find the person responsible. Will Clayton and Ellie be able to put aside their animosity and work together to catch a killer before it's too late? And what about the special fascination the killer seems to have with Ellie?
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Predator
Summary
Everything comes at a price. When Australian Federal Agent Brandon Munro walked out on his wife without a word of explanation, he had no idea the price would be so high. Alex Cavanaugh's world fell apart the night Brandon told her their marriage was over. Devastated over his refusal to tell her why and unwilling to keep him by her side out of a sense of duty, she conceals from him her pregnancy. Four years later, Alex has rebuilt her life and has found success as an Australian Federal Agent working in a High Tech Operations team hunting online predators. In conjunction with INTERPOL and the FBI, her team is in pursuit of a pedophile ring that has its origins in Belgium. When Brandon transfers to her unit, Alex's life is thrown into turmoil once again. Pitted together in a race to uncover a global ring of online pedophiles, Alex and Brandon are forced to confront each other and their past. As the pressure mounts, Brandon struggles to deal with his guilt and reconnect with the woman he still loves. Alex lives on tenterhooks that Brandon may discover he has a son. Despite her sound reasons for keeping the child a secret, she fears he will never forgive her once he discovers the extent of her treachery. While both struggle with guilt and forgiveness and the resurgence of love, they are unaware of the predator who stalks close to home.
©2014 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions
The Maker
Summary
Be careful what you wish for... Chanel Munro has landed her dream job as a junior resident doctor at the prestigious Sydney Harbour Hospital. Only two years out from medical school, she can't believe she's been chosen by the highly respected Doctor Leo Baker to be part of his elite team. But an esteemed position on Doctor Baker's team doesn't come without sacrifice. It soon becomes clear her boss expects her to provide him with certain favors and he's not talking about volunteering for the coffee run. Scared, angry and confused, Chanel is at a loss what to do. She refuses to give in to blackmail, but if she takes her complaint to the medical board and they don't believe her, her career will be in ruins. The years of study and sacrifice will be for nothing. Vowing to steer clear of him until she can come up with a viable plan, she keeps a low profile and puts all of her energies into the job that she loves. But patients are dying strange and unpredictable deaths under Doctor Baker's care and she can't help but wonder why. It's ludicrous to suggest he's at fault. Notwithstanding his personal failings, he's an exceptional doctor. As the death toll continues to climb, Chanel takes her concerns to the police. Detective Sergeant Bryce Sutcliffe of the City of Sydney Police Station is skeptical of Chanel's claims. Despite the fact he's drawn to her earthly beauty, he can't help but wonder if there isn't more behind her complaint. When the wife of a New South Wales senator dies under Doctor Baker's care, Bryce is forced to pay attention. Could the girl with the compelling eyes have been telling the truth? Could the Sydney Harbour Hospital's most highly respected doctor be a murderer?
©2015 LCT Productions (P)2016 LCT Productions