Alden

One of Kearsley’s best

Revisado: 06-12-24

The Jacobite (Slains) books are among Kearsley’s most enjoyable, and scenes revisiting both Cruden Bay and Eyemouth from The Shadowy Horses—and seeing Rob from that book as a main character here—add much to a Kearsley fan’s enjoyment. I didn’t think this reader was well chosen for this narrator’s voice, unfortunately. She’s a good narrator, just not for this book. In my opinion she sounds too sophisticated, aloof, and mature for the narrator’s character, and some of her accents sound forced. But it’s still a really good read.

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Taylor + Ramm= recipe for delightful perfection

Revisado: 10-19-21

The St. Mary’s spin-off series continues with Zara Ramm taking over from the first book’s also excellent narrator. The usual mixture of adventure and laugh out loud humor (seriously, avoid the Quiet Car on the train) takes Team Weird into a shocking new investigation, we learn more about Luke’s childhood, and could two of our favorites be headed for more than a professional relationship?

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Kinsale falls flat this time

Revisado: 10-03-15

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I don't pretend to know how to write so I don't know what would fix this, except a pretty complete re-write of the main characters who I found annoying. To me, Merlin isn't charmingly innocent, she's a dimbulb (mistaking a title of Duke for a surname Mr. Duke is understandable for an absentminded genius the first time--after that it's just stupid; the Duke isn't a sexy alpha, he's a domineering man without respect for the talents and wishes of the woman he (inexplicably) falls in love with--if it weren't for the aphrodisiac I don't know what would bring them together.) I see others have raved about this book, and some have found Merlin grating as I did. I honestly think a semi-discerning reader is bound to find this plot, these characters lacking. I've really liked Kinsale's other books--despite some plot holes and abrupt endings that leave some dangling threads and unexplained elements--but this one really didn't work. Could barely make myself listen to the end. The reader is as good as ever with different voices and makes it as good as a mediocre book can get.

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Lovely tale of uncovering family secrets

Revisado: 10-04-14

Would you consider the audio edition of The Forgotten Garden to be better than the print version?

I enjoy audio versions because they force me to linger and appreciate every word, where I sometimes skim through print versions. Morton's stories are worth savoring slowly via audio.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Caroline Lee is a good reader overall. She lacks an ear for English regional accents--her Cockney and Cornwall accents are as the English would say "rubbish"--which I found a little distracting.

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Not Stewart's best, sound quality a problem

Revisado: 10-23-11

Mary Stewart's later titles just don't have the character or plot quality of her earlier books. Stormy Petrel is ok, but especially as it's abbreviated (why? the original isn't long or wordy, what's the point?), you get little chance to see any spark between the main characters, and the mystery/suspense part is extremely tame. It's a nice enough tale to while away a few hours, but the sound quality, unusually for audible, is poor--not very clear overall and for about half an hour or more (a significant part of a 3 hour recording), it's so murky you can hardly distinguish what's being said. Still, a Mary Stewart is pleasant enough and much better than a lot of the drek out there, so on sale it was just about worth it.

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Liked it despite my dislike of vampire stories

Revisado: 09-04-11

I basically hate vampire stories and would not have chosen this if I'd realized this involved vampires. That is really the reason I only give two stars for the story: I think vampires are HUGELY overdone these days and I'm sick of them. Nevertheless, the story was worth listening to; it was interesting to follow the trail of clues back and forth in time and from one source and journey to the next. The narrators vary, and I found one woman disconcerting because she sounds about 12 years old, but as she's portraying a teen, I got used to it once I realized the other female voices were done by others. All narrators have a good command of the many accents required for the cast of characters: not perhaps pitch-perfect accuracy--I can't judge the Romanian or Turkish ones for example--but basically credible and consistent. A long story but an engrossing one, and if I can say that getting beyond my dislike of the current fad for vampires, that's saying something.

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Intelligent and compelling fdespite the vampires

Revisado: 06-01-11

I was drawn into this book despite my vehement dislike of the current fad for vampire stories. Can't stand 'em, can't understand the obsession so many seem to have. But I'm glad I perservered with this after realizing its main characters were a witch and a vampire. The history-mystery aspect attracted me, and when that part of the story was occasionally eclipsed by the characters' development (and that of their romance), that was fine because their story drew me in; I cared more about these characters (can one call a witch and a vampire people?) than I have about any fictional characters in a while. That said, the book has flaws--there are parts of the book during which the plot proceeds very slowly, and the mystery's progress is halted for quite a while. Not all the rules of the creatures' behavior and world are clear or seemingly consistent; perhaps later books in the (trilogy?) will explain. Still, I can't wait til the next book comes out so I can find out more. As for the reading, the narrator is a good actor and pleasant to listen to, and if her accents weren't always perfect, they were always reasonably believable--and there were a lot to master (Australian, Irish, Scots, English, American...have I missed any?). Till the next volume comes out I'll be reading up on the historical background to the mystery--that's how compelling it all is.

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