Suzanne L. Nelson

Too contrived...

Revisado: 03-21-22

Unlike M. C. Beaton's final book before her death (Death of a Green-Eyed Monster) which was collaborated with R. W. Green and very good (though rather sad...) this one was just lacking in every respect. Not much of a mystery - the murderer was obvious from the beginning, and too quickly and easily found out. Hamish seemed shallow - his interest in a woman so soon after the tragedy in the last book was unlikely. Beaton's Hamish was far too sensitive to set his sights on the next pretty thing that crossed his path. And his snappish response to one of the laird's guests (regardless of how rude and snooty she was) for him to fetch her a drink was out of character - he would have more likely served it up with a bit of thinly disguised sarcasm.
As for the narration, while Monteath's authentic Scottish accent was enjoyable, the character's voices seemed too cartoonish.
I wish I hadn't wasted my money as I don't think such a *very* short story was worth the price; I bought it because I was craving more Hamish, but was sorely disappointed.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Hard to get into

Revisado: 12-27-21

Maybe this title just wasn't what I was expecting, or perhaps I didn't give it enough of a chance, but after an hour of listening I decided to return it. It seemed to focus more on characters than plot. Grant it, the characters were very interesting and complex, and the author really nailed the nuances of human nature. I sensed that it was building up to drop these characters into a story eventually, but it was moving along too slowly for me.
That being said, the writing itself is obviously crafted by a talented wordsmith, and the narration (by the author himself) is quite good.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Lackluster characters; poor audio quality

Revisado: 08-28-21

First, I agree with all the reviewers who found the music positively annoying (thankfully it's only at the very beginning of each episode) and the audio difficult to adjust. The narrator's voice fluctuated too much and I frequently had to turn the volume up and down.

As for the series itself - and grant it I have only listened to these first 3 episodes - I find the characters rather one-dimensional and the stories not all that intriguing. I much prefer the Bunburry series to this one - the characters are far more colourful and delightfully quirky, and the stories more to my liking.

I thought the plots were a bit hard to follow and had to keep going back to figure out what I missed. And episode 3 - will someone PLEASE tell me what happened and who the murderer actually was?? The story started off well enough, but 3/4 of the way through I found myself completely lost. Even after listening to it several times I am still baffled.

I doubt I'll purchase any more episodes.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Brilliant novel, terrible narration

Revisado: 07-01-21

I've been reading this book and although I'm not finished, I have enjoyed every minute of it. Maybe I'm dense, but I have yet to figure out who the antagonist is, which has made it quite a page turner for me. That being said, I was delighted to find it available in audio format and embarked on listening to it with relish. That lasted for about 30 minutes.

I just can't agree with those reviews that praise the narrator. I find her reading plodding, lackluster and devoid of much difference between the characters voices. The men sounded like women and the accents were all pretty much the same. If it weren't such an excellent story the narration could have ruined it. I recommend reading the book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Excellent!

Revisado: 04-24-21

One of the best who-done-its I've ever read/listened to. Brilliant writing and narration. Highly recommended!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

"...he says", "...she says", ad infinitum

Revisado: 09-26-20

I could have enjoyed the quirky, somewhat stream-of-consciousness telling of this story - indeed it was certainly different. However, the constant use of "he says" and "she says" to identify the speaker was so annoying that I couldn't even finish the book. It grated on my nerves to the point that I thought I'd go mad if I continued to listen to it. That was very disappointing, because it could otherwise have been quite interesting and enjoyable.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Great story, excellent narrator, but...

Revisado: 07-23-20

I loved this story, and I think anyone who likes Welsh myth would enjoy it. I also thought the narrator was very good; he is especially excellent with dialogue and character voices - never any question who was speaking.

The only caveat has been mentioned in other reviews - chapter 17 is completely missing, and unless there's some confusion in numbering chapter 13 isn't there either. It should not be considered unabridged, and the missing bits are much too crucial to the story to have been left out. I still recommend this wonderful story, but purchase the book and read along or you may find yourself a bit lost.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Phenomenal!

Revisado: 04-30-20

This is the second book I've read/listened to by Charlie N. Holmberg, the first being "The Fifth Doll". I can't say which one I enjoyed more - both were utterly captivating! They were full of complex, well developed characters in intriguing settings. If you like a well paced fantasy that is infused with magic, imagination and even a touch of romance, I highly recommend both of these novels.

Angela Dawe did a magnificent job narrating; I look forward to hearing more of her performances!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

Only three stars because...

Revisado: 04-22-20

While being a good, even clever, mishmash of many of the more familiar fairy tales we grew up with, I think this story was a bit long and rather hard to follow. It also ran the gamut from dark to silly and back again, failing to really incorporate the two into something cohesive.

I liked the Woodcutter himself, but most of the other characters were either cliche or bland. I realise that in fairy tales Good is ever and always thoroughly Good, and Evil is wicked to the core, but a little more character development could have made this one more palatable.

The narrator was good if a little too melodramatic - however, given the mood and tone of the story, she probably didn't have much choice about how to present it. I would happily give her another listen, as she had a pleasant voice and gave the characters distinct voices.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Bland Narration

Revisado: 01-01-20

I like the "St. Mary's" stories, but the narrators (especially, I'm afraid, the author herself) leave much to be desired.

I *listen* to books for the way the voice actors bring the characters to life, with their many voices and accents, along with the vocal expressions of emotion which are sometimes difficult to imagine when read. If the narration is dull, one might as well just read the book. Even someone who is unable to read print might do just as well to use the "text to speech" function on their device and save their credit or money for a well narrated audio book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona