Sue

Great read with tons of twists

Revisado: 03-20-25 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I was gifted The House of Secrets on audio and figured it would take about a week to get around to reading and reviewing. Six hours ago I started the book and did not stop listening until it finished. My highest praise is the fact as soon as I finished, I checked out new, to me, author Michelle Powers to see if she had any other books. She does!!!! Like 17! So I know my future plans.

Set in Iowa, main character Autumn escapes an abusive relationship and starts a new life with her aunt who had given her refuge when orphaned long ago. Powers has a way with words and I felt like I was inside the story. I was rooting for Autumn, and I loved the location and all that could be done with isolation, old barns, new friends and a deeply rooted mystery.

With 90 minutes left I absolutely knew the ending. It was clear to me who the bad guy was, and where the story was going. It was kind of disappointing how Clever Sue could see it all so clearly. And then I got to the end of the story. I KNEW NOTHING. Every guess I had did not come to pass. Instead, I was treated to twists and turns I did not see and realized I am a reader, not an author, for a reason. Well done Ms. Powers.

If I had one criticism it would be the length of the book. On audio it was a bit over 4 hours long and I could have stayed inside this story at least another 4 hours.

Off to check out more work from Powers.

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Glad it was free

Revisado: 05-07-21

I stopped listening with three hours left. Just could not continue - too bleh. Oh, and constantly hearing the female lead discuss the chest of the male lead is not entertaining.

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Mixed bag

Revisado: 03-24-21

Story was great - as all Preston/Child novels tend to be - detailed with an interesting twist. I'd read a novel of theirs any day. Sadly, whoever made editorial decisions about the audiobook, has likely never been an audiobook lover. It's awful. They change up narration techniques whenever a character is having internal dialogue so it sounds like they are speaking into a tinny vacuum. It was jarring enough to detract from the entire experience.

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This narrator made me hate listening

Revisado: 06-05-20

I really am not a mean person, but I'm actually writing down the name of this narrator so I never get another of her books. It was like chalk on a blackboard as she spoke. As to the writing - if you are going to listen to an Agatha Christie imitator, just listen to Christie. I was actually relieved when the book ended.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Better than expected

Revisado: 11-12-17

Starkman has penned a debut novel that hits home with any female who struggles to become a mother. Something so “natural” that when denied, our center is knocked off balance and we swim upstream to find ourselves, define ourselves. The main character in the end of miracles is every woman. She’s in the prime of life, solid marriage, goes to work every day, has friends, and for her, giving birth is the ultimate dream. We watch as she deals with feelings of jealousy for friends to whom pregnancy comes easily, self hatred as she thinks her soul is defined by an empty womb, guilt that she cannot give to her husband the child that will have his same nose…..

I became absorbed listening to narrator Jane Oppenheimer voice Margo’s pain and her ultimate psychological decline. Starkman’s writing is spot on and she managed to convey through Margo the plethora of suffering infertility can bring. The story moved quickly and I was easily engrossed in the plot which has some unexpected turns.

As an audio book listen, I give huge kudos to Oppenheimer. Her voice was perfect for this novel. Several hours in I realized this didn’t feel like someone was reading the story to me; it felt like I was listening to my girlfriend Margo and aching for her as she shared her suffering. This isn’t an easy skill that all narrators possess. I would not hesitate to listen to another Oppenheimer audio performance.

the end of miracles, to me, felt like a book in three parts – before, during and after. I never like to give away specific details because as a reader I believe you should unwrap the present yourself and enjoy each layer without advance warning. That said, my only ugh was the “after” part of the book. I didn’t love the ending. I understood the ending. I appreciate how Starkman wrapped it all up, but for me, I wasn’t sure that was how Margo’s story should have ended. Then I read a brief bio on the author and learned she has a medical degree and spent much of her career working in the field of psychotherapy and infertility. I’m guessing her vast experience makes the ending choice far more appropriate than anything I could have devised.

Great book and a great audio performance.

#tearjerker #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

A good solid tale

Revisado: 10-09-17

I was given this audiobook by the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

It's a good, solid listen and I appreciated the opportunity to experience a new author and a new, to me, narrator. It's considered horror genre, but it felt more than that as the storyline builds upon itself and draws in the listener. As a Stephen King fan I enjoy coming of age stories where past and present are interwoven, so for me, Haven was an audiobook worthy of a listen.

As a reader, I tend to ignore the reviews where the writer was gifted the book. Those can be suspect if enormously impossible praise and accolades appear from each reviewer of the novel. I did get this specifically so I could leave a review and I will be honest - was this the best book I've ever read? No. But I don't regret having spent the time absorbing the material.

And in complete honesty, the one area I would suggest could use some improvement is to the narrator, Matt Godfrey, who has a lovely voice. There are some narrators I cannot abide and won't even attempt. Godfrey has a calming cadence to his voice but I did not think he varied the (many) characters enough. I prefer differences in each character's voice so that within a few words I understand which character is now speaking.

Overall - good good performance and book.

#horror #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Loved the narrator

Revisado: 05-04-17

Would you listen to The Port Fee: A Storm Ketchum Adventure again? Why?
To get a relisten, I've got to really love the story. There's too many books I haven't heard so I would not listen to this one again.

What did you like best about this story?
The history of Outer Banks. We have vacationed there, stayed in Avon and taken the ferry to Ocracoke. The author does a nice job of bringing the feel of the place to the book and I even looked at vacations rental listings while listening because I was reminded of how much I loved visiting.

What does Ward Paxton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
For most narrators I don't think about what the person looks like in real life. As this character, Paxton sounded like an older, dashing gent with a world of experience so I did look up his picture to see how close the voice matched the image in my head. He brought the story to life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, I spread it out over many days but it's the kind of tale you can walk in and out of and be up to speed.

Any additional comments?
I was provided a copy of this audible book by the narrator and am glad to have crossed paths with him. I'd never heard him before and found the time listening very comfortable.

#greatnarrator #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

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Solid fast paced fiction

Revisado: 03-14-17

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, happy to tell a friend to read this one. While some audio books keep me company as I work, in the case of “Deadly Shores” I was finding things which had to be done just so I could continue listening. If you knew me and chores, you’d understand this is truly high praise.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I love fiction set on islands and the excitement of an impending hurricane is a great plot device. “Deadly Shore” gave me both. Summer on Cape Cod is crowded with tourists and a category 4 hurricane barreling towards them provides high intensity excitement. Then, the kicker, a homegrown terrorist blows the bridges and holds the island captive.

What about Greg Hernandez’s performance did you like?

Narration is critical for any audio book. Although I have never listened to a Greg Hernandez performance, I was immediately attracted to the cadence of his voice. It was familiar and comfortable and brought the characters to life. I’m a narrator snob and believe the quality of the voice can make or break even the best storytelling. I will even choose a book based only on the narrator; for example Scott Brick. He reads it, I’m listening. Hernandez has made that list now.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Cunningham crafted some interesting characters including a former CIA agent now working as a PI, a “disgraced” local female cop, a feisty senior citizen prepared to battle storm and man (that was me in my head), terrorists and even Hurricane Chad. Just a really well written, fast paced tale. The kind of book you could read in a weekend, and be satisfied.

Any additional comments?

Disclaimer to make the lawyers happy – I was voluntarily provided a free copy of this audio book by the narrator and this is my honest and unbiased review. I wouldn’t hesitate to read another Cunningham novel and would gladly choose to listen to anything Hernandez narrated

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Hard subject done superbly

Revisado: 10-15-16

Where does In the Garden Room rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the books I've listened to in the last year, it's in the top 5. Performance by the narrator was especially good.

What did you like best about this story?

Eby tackled a difficult subject matter but did it in such a way that it felt real. No gratuitous sex, but that which was included moved the story forward and drew the listener in.

What about Christa Lewis’s performance did you like?

There were both a variety of characters to voice, as well as a story arc which changed two of the characters from the beginning to the end. Lewis captured that change very well and made the listener feel the resignation of choices and consequences.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, there is one particular scene involving a young girl and her first night working at a brothel (under duress). It was very well written and very well acted, and was extremely poignant and difficult to listen to.

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Love the story - wish it was longer

Revisado: 08-07-15

If you could sum up The Quiet in three words, what would they be?
Apocalyptic short story

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Quiet?
Love the opening - paints a good picture of a world gone quiet

What about R E Lamoureux’s performance did you like?
I thought his voice was really soothing. Would definitely listen to more books read by him.

#apocalyptic #greatnarrator #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It's a short book, so listening to it from start to finish would be best

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