Rohan

Hallmark Americana murder style

Revisado: 03-24-23

The reviewers that said this was typically hallmark movie tropes got it right. All the small town America cliches came out. “ we only have one stoplight” “ nobody locks their cars. Or their doors” and yet at the same time “ we last had a murder two years ago”. And yet they have a resident medical examiner? I often wonder if the people who write these books have ever actually lived in a small town. It could also have done with some heavy editing, show not tell occasionally would be nice and the word usage is very average. For example, using “spendthrift” when you mean thrifty is the opposite meaning. There where many examples of inappropriately used language and malapropism that decent editing could have resolved.

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Ok, but terrible Australian accents

Revisado: 03-07-23

The story is very convoluted and hard to follow. Some aspects were fascinating, I could have had a lot more of Sara De Vos and her life. Others were simply bizarre. I was not convinced by the motivation for the forgery and I found Martin’s behaviour both inexplicable and horrible.

The narrator was interesting. His general narration was spot on. Pacing, pronunciation, accent, all good. EXCEPT his Australian accents were appalling. As an Australian I can honestly say I’ve never heard an Australian accent that sounds like that. I don’t know what it was but it wasn’t Aussie. In fact, the description in the book where the detective couldn’t identify the accent and said it could be Australian or South African or Boston seemed to be the inspiration for the accent. Not pleasant to listen to.

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Interesting premise

Revisado: 02-04-23

Interesting premise, small gripes. 1. Why have an American reader for a purportedly British character? I was so confused by the random accents and the location wasn’t clarified until quite far into the story 2. Brits don’t say cookies. They’re biscuits.

Other than that it’s fun enough that I’ll listen to the next one

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Meh

Revisado: 03-14-20

It’s a fairly lacklustre version of the genre. There isn’t a lot of information elicited, the investigating journalist seems a bit wishy washy and key points aren’t well addressed. He fixated on “key” points that are not necessarily as hard to explain as he feels - like that the man convicted of the crime now denies he plead guilty in court, even though it’s on record that he did so. We all re-write our memories to suit our personal narratives and it would be foolish to believe otherwise. More significant is the fact that there was no skeletal evidence to suggest the kind of attack described by the witnesses. We are expected to believe that the victim was punched and kicked and jumped on but didn’t even suffer a broken nose? Why didn’t Mark Whittaker even address this discrepancy? Also, the “vigilante” was supposed to have a brother who was a police officer, yet this was apparently forgotten. There was no investigation into the existence or scope of police corruption in the Northern Territory at that time. The fact that aboriginal people, particularly aboriginal men, are convicted of a disproportionately large number of crimes was ignored. The mental health, relationships and reliability of all the players felt questionable and yet wasn’t addressed. Mediocre investigative journalism.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 12-07-19

The reader was great, the story I found intriguing, but the ending was such a huh? What happened moment that I thought initially it wasn’t finished. Big disappointment. I really don’t enjoy endings with so many loose ends.

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Lois, I love you!

Revisado: 07-12-18

Lois is my current author crush. She's got this great combination of elegant language, crushing wit and subtle humour. She writes in such a sympathetic style that you can suspend all belief and really imagine the place, time and even the gods described in the story. It was well read (thank goodness) and holds up well to being told aloud (despite having read this book before I still really enjoyed listening to it). Her book 'Curse of Challion' is still my all time favourite, but this is a very close second.

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Loved it.

Revisado: 11-25-15

Classic Jodi Taylor, a rather odd, but intensely personable set of characters, whose interactions are strangely believable (despite the talking magical horse, whom nobody but Jenny can see). The sort of story you just don't want to leave.

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Awful melodramatic sentimental claptrap

Revisado: 08-21-15

I tried really hard to finish this audio book, but when it got to the part where he was "luxuriating in her like she was a warm bath" I couldn't take any more. Ick. What is romantic about that?

The language is overwritten - the example above is only one of many dodgy similes.

The characters emotions are inconsistent, and frankly unrealistic (anyone who can hold onto that much guilt for 60 years for a sin that was relatively minor CANNOT be functioning normally in the world). The emotional landscape is melodramatic in the extreme. Nobody seems to function at a normal level for long.

The male lead (Will)'s desire to protect his grandfather from everything was infuriating. Clearly the author doesn't realise that treating someone as less than competent is debasing and controlling and undermines self confidence. Wait, that sounds like the evil ex husband... But Will is doing it for the best of good reasons so that makes it ok. And he wouldn't cheat, so he's a good guy. Right.

It was an interesting premise, and it could have been a good story, if there had been copious editing, and stripping back of the melodrama.

I won't be trying Heather Burch again.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 05-15-15

I really enjoyed "the care and feeding of stray vampires". This was neither as funny nor as clever, and there was way more sex than I am comfortable listening to on audio in a public place! Sulky werewolves also aren't that appealingly to me - and I'm not keen on the "I have to hurt/abandon you to save you from me" give the girl some credit for having some brain and some guts.

Also, I'm Australian so I can't judge, but some of the accents seemed really weird to me. Do Alaskans really sound like that?

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Didn't want to leave Jenny and the dragon

Revisado: 05-15-15

I found myself in my head all day after finishing Dragonsbane, wanting to wander off into the world of Jenny and John, and the dragon. I love Barbara Hambley's stories. I love that she has strong female characters who have both self determination and a purpose in life beyond that of a husband and children- and Jenny's dilemma is no less significant now than it was when the book was written, maybe more so. I also love a good love story - and it is a love story, even if they have been together ten years, and have two children. The narrator does a decent job, manages to get most of his phrasing right, even if he does say "nitch" for niche....

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