Leslye Sinn

Lovely historical mystery with a twist at the end!

Revisado: 04-05-22

Engaging story only slightly marred by an inconsistent narration. The plot is solid and the resolution was quite satisfying. I really appreciated the author's close adherence to historical accuracy of the setting and characters. The narrator is good, but occasionally switched characters' accents or emotional tones in the middle of conversations. Also, every Englishman sounds like the same old, gruff British Lord stereotype. She did a very good job with the women's voices, and they were well differentiated. Since almost all the characters are women, overall a decent listen. I'd definitely recommend.

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Yummy!

Revisado: 02-24-22

Another delightful confection from Molly Harper continues to add delicious characters to Mystic Hollow. Almost as fun as a bag full of green gummy bears!

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Molly Harper's best developed series yet! Book 2.

Revisado: 10-19-19

This series is different from the author's fun, light-hearted romantic supernatural romps. Here, there's a distinctly darker side to their world, more substance in the characters, and much more wide-reaching consequences to their actions. Not that there isn't romance, fun and magic too! I think this 2nd book is even better than the first, continuing to add depth to the characters and their relationships, while expanding the world and its possibilities. So far, I can see these books appealing to a wide spectrum of readers who enjoy magic, alternate universes, and a bit of a steam-punk sensibility - as well as diverse ages, including, but not aimed at, "young adults". This is definitely not a stand-alone work; you need to read the first book before this one. Narrator is spot on, as usual. I enthusiastically recommend this book, this series, and just about anything else written by Molly Harper. 😀

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This series just keeps getting better!

Revisado: 05-19-19

As the series progresses, the humor has gotten sharper, the dialogue snappier, relationships deeper and the crimes more complex. I'm greatly enjoying watching the main characters blossom and relationships with friends and foes change. Still fun romps. but getting better with each book
I highly recommend this series.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Heartbreaking story, excellently told

Revisado: 05-07-19

I didn't start listening to this with any particular expectations. I have always enjoyed Jon Ronson as a narrator and story teller, so I quickly put it in my library when it was a May free original. Right from the beginning, I was pulled into a complex world that is usually stigmatized and hidden by a glamorous, if tarnished, veneer. Gently and deftly, Jon patiently untangles truths, lies, half-truths, assumptions and mysteries presented by people touched by August's death. Behind the swirling rumors and smiling personas, he uncovers a common human bond - the broken sadness of abandoned and unloved children, grown into needy, lonely adults with no idea how to fill the gaping void in their souls. This is an emotionally challenging listen - it is well worth the work.

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Goes quickly down the psychopath rabbit hole...

Revisado: 05-06-19

I enjoyed this gripping performance very much. Despite the short length, I found myself emotionally involved with the characters very quickly. It had good characterization, excellent voice performances and rapidly-paced story twists. The plot hung together fairly tightly, with only a couple implausible situations. I highly recommend this audiobook; just listen to it when you won't have many interruptions - the pace keeps new revelations coming quickly, and you won't want to miss any of them. Will you be able to figure out what really makes a psychopath?

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Turn of the Century politics at its worst

Revisado: 04-30-19

Although dry at times, with a narrator who ranges from animated to wooden, this book is a thorough examination of greed and corruption laid bare by the 1906 tragedy. I feel it is more academic than the casual reader might like, but is ideal for those interested in early 20th century history and politics - as well as people with an interest in a cautionary tale of how people and cities ought not to cope with natural disaster!

Most of it moved along well, following the twists and turns of political alliances motivated by money and power. I found the last 3 chapters a bit hard to follow due to the dry and extremely detailed exposition of the events surrounding the trial of the only man blamed and jailed for the deep and complex manipulations of San Francisco's government. I actually stopped part way through that last bit, and didn't get back to it for months. I think this very informative book needs to be listened to by most people in short stretches, so they are able to give it the careful attention it requires to fully appreciate how closely San Francisci came to political breakdown and chaos.

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Missing something...

Revisado: 04-23-19

I appreciated the dark twist of the story, which is really not for the squeamish or easily offended. However, many weaknesses spoiled my enjoyment of the experience. It felt loose and fragmented. Bits and pieces of dialogue jumping around randomly, and the behavior of characters often made little sense, given the setting. I think it was a combination of the writing and the voice actors. First, it felt as though there wasn't enough exposition in the first half. Scenes dropped into the narrative with no context, such as interactions between the Inspector and pathologist, were confusing. Second, the main character, Katrina, lacked depth and spark, and only gave tiny flashes of an implied intellect and education. There was too little strength or determination behind her defiance and resistance to those who pushed her around; many times she seemed more stupid than naive. I sensed no growth to account for the strength of her seld-defense towards the final chapters. Third, the young constable who becomes her reluctant co-investigator was ineffectual, hardly the spirit one would expect from a rising young star of the police department. He was also very one-dimensional, which leads me to the next issue. The weak exposition and character development meant there was little foreshadowing of later revelations about these 2 characters; by the time they came, one was completely out of the blue, while the other was obvious from an early point, but never completely clarified. Finally, the production values were uneven. The wide variation in the volume bothered me the most; I realize some muffling was to indicate distance, but those parts were inaudible compared to the loud violence and frenetic energy of other scenes. So, overall, my 2 star rating reflects a simply ok story, so-so production and uneven quality of voice acting. Not a total waste of time, but there are many better stories in this genre. OK for free; wouldn't recommend to buy.

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More fun than poison should be!

Revisado: 01-21-19

I enjoyed this rollicking, pus-filled tale of poisoning, unintended self destruction and mysteries of famous deaths. The narrator is excellent, with just enough "wink" in her voice to convey sly humor. The stories are sprinkled with interesting facts about both famous and obscure historical personalities, and there's something for everyone to learn. I highly recommend this book, whether you're a fan of true crime, murder mysteries, medical oddities or just looking to learn something new.

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Another fun romp from Martinez!

Revisado: 07-28-18

For the first few minutes, I was worried this might not be up to the author's usual delightful craziness, but the pace picked up very quickly. Soon I was hurled into the bizarre world of Mack, a killer robot with a soft spot for a human family, his best friend Jung - a sentient bookish gorilla, and mutants galore. Although the story is told in the style of an old pulp detective novel, never was there one with characters like these. They are well-developed and as strange as you'd expect from this author.

I've read other fantasy/scifi books that use a similar style, but this one is by far the best and most fun. The narrator does an excellent job of portraying Mack's character development and rudimentary dry sense of humor. Overall, I highly recommend this listen to anyone who enjoys wacky stories that defy expectations, and certainly to all fans of A Lee Martinez.

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