Don R

Implausible from the start

Revisado: 03-25-25

You start with the fat, lazy, incompetent sheriff and a murder. Then there is the private investigator who does the real work of investigating the crime and letting the sheriff know only what he needs to know. The PI is supposedly making a living at this: paid by whom? And the suspects all voluntarily talk to the PI and reveal their deepest secrets. Why?
Add in the famous author having a writer's block who pays the PI $10K to be his sidekick so she can get some plot ideas.
I stuck it out and finished it. My opinion hasn't changed. This book is a waste of time. Find an author who knows how to write!
Why is this getting high ratings???

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You’ll have to search hard for anything funny

Revisado: 11-14-23

I thought this book would be more lighthearted, and fun. It’s definitely not. In fact, it’s pretty boring. The only thing funny is the chapter on her sex column advice for men. I don’t know this comedian. Maybe if you know her you’d enjoy this book more. I’m sorry I spent the money.

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A Depressing Read with Nothing to Recommend It

Revisado: 04-17-23

If you enjoy reading about cruelty and sick, twisted people you might like this book. I am sorry I stuck with it. Just a downer and even the ending didn't redeem it. Don't waste your time like I did.

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Engrossing Story About England's Child Evacuees

Revisado: 09-04-21

I've never read a novel that dealt with the evacuation in England during WWII from a child's point of view. This is a subject I'd like to read more about. The novel was compelling, and I found myself becoming engrossed in the children's plight. The ending might have been predictable but that didn't spoil a good story. The narrator did a wonderful job of portraying the various characters. I'd highly recommend this book.

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Enjoyed the book on many levels

Revisado: 07-04-21

The title of the book prepares the reader to expect a book all about a philandering man and the women he duped. You'll find all of that but there's more. Jonathan Wright III is the brilliant founder of Cancura, a company that is working on a simple, painless way to diagnose childhood cancers in the earliest stages when they can be caught and cured. A flavored chewable tablet, like a child's vitamin, is the vehicle for the test. Jonathan Wright is such a persuasive, charismatic character that wealthy donors and investors flood the company with money. Prestigious people join the Cancura board.

This is so reminiscent of Theranos, an actual company founded in 2003 by the charismatic Elizabeth Holmes. That company claimed to have developed a blood test that could diagnose cancers and other life-threatening diseases from a tiny drop of blood. Elizabeth also attracted massive investments of money. She also enlisted prestigious people who believed in her and her claims. Like Cancura in the novel, the people working at Theranos were isolated from one another and under strict non-disclosure agreements to keep everything confidential.

As Jonathan's personal lives start to intersect, Cancura's problems also come to light. There was much more to this book than what I expected at the outset. The authors did a great job developing the plot on it's many fronts.

The readers who found the three women to be too gullible to be believed have never encountered a person as charming, believable and persuasive as Jonathan Wright. Just ask those who were involved with and deceived by Elizabeth Holmes with Theranos. The book is well worth listening to and appreciating on its many levels.

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Boring and Tedious

Revisado: 05-24-20

This is a story of people keeping secrets for no good reason. To discover the secrets, you have to endure repetitious excuses and stalling. Most of the characters are exasperating. It's as if the author knew that she had to pad the story to get the book to the required 200 pages. I hung in there to find out how it ended but I didn't feel it was worth the effort.

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Fascinating Bio but Mediocre Writing & Narration

Revisado: 07-31-19

I had recently seen a bio of Hedy Lamarr on PBS so I knew some of this information. This book detailed more of her life. What I did not like is that the author kept repeating the information about the problem with torpedoes in WWII and Hedy's idea to improve upon the delivery system. We were told every detail over and over until I could repeat it in my sleep. And the narrator spoke too slowly and put all the emphasis on the details we had to hear repetitiously.

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Grueling & Depressing

Revisado: 05-02-18

I made it through the book but can't say that I found anything redeeming in the experience. This book brought me down. I felt bad after spending time listening to all the hate and deceit. And it was nonstop the entire book. Had I known, I would never have purchased this book.

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Not Much Wrong with This Book...

Revisado: 03-20-18

Would you try another book from Kate Carlisle and/or Angela Starling?

...that a believable plot, interesting characters and a better narrator couldn't fix. I've hung in with the book but it didn't get any better. Even the ending was no surprise. What is a surprise is that the main character could be so dense and foolish, and that the police didn't seem to have a clue either. Don't waste your time. Really.

What was most disappointing about Kate Carlisle’s story?

The lack of plot. And the book was about 8 hors too long.

What didn’t you like about Angela Starling’s performance?

She sounds like a little girl but is supposed to be the voice of a female contractor/remolder. Her timing is too slow too.

What character would you cut from A High-End Finish?

Mac, the famous author, whose presence doesn't add a thing to the plot. He seemed to be in the book in order to add some chapters to the length.

Any additional comments?

I won't be reading any other books by this author if this is an example of her work.

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I'm Conflicted About This Book

Revisado: 08-08-17

Would you listen to Days Without End again? Why?

No.

There was so much to love about this book and so much to anguish over. It was difficult to listen to the descriptions of the battles. In fact, those parts were actually depressing for me. Irish boys killing Irish boys because some lived in the north and some lived in the south during the Civil War. Soldiers killing Indians including women and children in the west. And the attitudes of some whites toward blacks and Native Americans as if they weren't human beings. But these are true things that happened. I had a hard time facing them so intimately.

Yet the prose and the narration were so beautiful that I wanted to continue listening.
I just don't think I want to do it again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Thomas McNulty. He's the narrator and the only one whose head you get inside of.

Which character – as performed by Aidan Kelly – was your favorite?

Thomas McNulty

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A family formed by love

Any additional comments?

I can't say enough good things about the prose of this book. The Irish are great story tellers and Sebastian Barry has a wonderful turn with words.

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