David

Incredible

Revisado: 02-20-24

This is an important, timely, essential story. I applaud the author for her treatment of this difficult subject with sensitivity but also bringing attention to a situation too many women have to endure both personally and legally. Excellent writing, very entertaining. This one will stay with me for a long time.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Bad Narrator Ruins It

Revisado: 05-26-21

I love, love, love Peter James and was excited to listen to Twilight, but this male narrator is just NOT good. His strange inflections on the ends of sentences are teeth-grating. I wish this wasn't the case as I would like to get farther into this story, which is good- but I keep having to put it down. I don't want to give it a bad overall rating, but the narrator is terrible so he gets one star and the book itself gets three overall, which might be underrating the story itself, but like I said it's hard to listen to so I can't comment on it too much. What I COULD listen to was suspenseful and well-written like all of James's books.

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Not the Best

Revisado: 06-25-20

I enjoyed Ruth Heald’s other novels, but this one didn’t really grab me. Only so-so.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Three Secrets, One Yawn

Revisado: 05-30-18

This was an odd book. The story is more of a slow mystery than suspense, certainly more family drama than crime thriller, so be aware of that going in. The premise revolves around Francesca, whose husband, Robert, comes from a very screwed-up, wealthy and small-town dominating family; Robert has recently killed himself leaving her with four-year-old Alice and a new mandate to navigate, alone, the strange, tense and often cringe inducing relations with her in-laws. The other POVs are John, Robert's brother. Poor John is a really nice guy in a really bad marriage, so there is that plotline; then there is the historical POV told by Francesca in the third person describing her relationship with Robert and how she got to know his brother and parents in the process. The 'secrets' angle doesn't become truly clear until close to the end, and until then the vacuousness was frustrating, I waited impatiently through 3/4 of the story for something to happen. The best parts of this novel involved John and his struggles to balance his children's well being and safety with his own issues in his marriage, and try to come to grips with his abusive upbringing. Much of the story was otherwise, unfortunately, not very interesting to me.
The book definitely gets five stars for an excellent performance by Jane McDowell. I loved Ms. Boyd's other book, Little Liar, so I am still a fan; I think Three Secrets just didn't really do it for me.

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esto le resultó útil a 14 personas

Modern take on literary ghost story disappoints

Revisado: 11-16-17

Mary Rose is touted as a scary literary thriller with complex elements of the supernatural. I was unconvinced. The story dragged on and on, an story though there were a few frightening moments, overall, I couldn’t get into the story. Even Meier’s narration was slow-going, and while her attempt at the American accent for the fiancé/husband were admirable, it didn’t cut it for me, and i generally rate her as a great narrator. I wish I liked it more, but it’s a slog to get through and I can’t recommend it.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Listen with a Light On!

Revisado: 09-24-17

Cottages in woods are, to me, inherently creepy, and being a fan of suspense and mysteries I was eager to get into In a Cottage in a Wood. Right away, I knew I was going to like this book. From the opening scene in a grungy strange motel room, to a pivotal icy midnight encounter between main character Neve and a mysterious stranger on the deserted Waterloo Bridge, the freezing Thames roaring below- I was hooked.

The plot follows Neve's life after she inherits this stranger's isolated, rundown cabin in the remote forests of Cornwall. The reader is taken on an enigmatic, slow-burn journey that is not a thrill ride, but more of a game of Pick-up sticks, where each stick is a secret Neve must unbury before she can come to terms with why she was chosen to be bequeathed with this Cottage. Neve wants to, needs to leave- the doors don't stay locked, the lights don't stay on, the winter chill reaches fingers inside like death- but despite the increasing feeling that someone or something badly wants her gone, Neve must solve this long buried mystery, with little help along the way, from people she isn't sure she can trust anymore.

Well-written, taut with chilly descriptions of the winter woods and stark imagery that feeds the reader's sense of atmosphere, this story grips from page one and doesn't let up. It's steady pace is perfect for the story, and the creep factor is top-tier but also believable, so this reader says, you have been duly warned! The narration is excellent and leant much believability to the the thoughts, feelings and actions of the characters. Well-done overall and highly recommended- a good read.

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esto le resultó útil a 30 personas

Fireworks at Start burn out fast- bad turn indeed

Revisado: 06-24-17

Sadly, I wasn't a fan of Book 3 in this otherwise entertaining Irish Garda detective series featuring Sergeant Claire Boyle. Having really enjoyed Book 2 in the Claire Boyle series, I was looking forward to reading this one. However, it was a disappointment. The story is slow and unfortunately just drags.
Claire Boyle has a baby and her issues with being a working mother get really dull in this book. Her husband complains constantly so she is stretched to the limit and we, the listeners, get sick of hearing about it. In this case, the domestic trouble doesn't add anything to the story. In fact, I heard the same stuff in Book 2 and I am surprised that it is still going strong. Put up or shut up. It gets old.
As to the mystery, the plot starts with some promise. Claire is thrust into danger when, by coincidence, she is in the bathroom almost leaving her doctors office when an old friend of the doctor's with a great big grudge shows up, with a gun and a scary accomplice. But it just goes downhill from there. The characters that the police are trying to save are so unlikeable that one feels like telling them to stop working themselves senseless over it. And why does Flynn feel the need to keep working in the field with broken ribs and shortness of breath? I like Flynn, but even he was making me groan. I was majorly bored with the entire thing by 2/3 in. The revelations that occurred at about that point were not enough to save it for me. I was bored and irritated at the slow pace and the elementary procedural aspects of the case.
The only parts I enjoyed were those featuring Eileen, the faithful, wronged friend of Dr. Heather Gilmore, during the background portions pre-hostage takeover. Her story was touching and identifiable. The rest of the story would have worked better, I think, if the reader was encouraged to connect with more of the characters.
Suffice it to say, I am lukewarm as to One Bad Turn- hope it's just 'One Bad Book' in this otherwise good series.

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Intensely atmospheric, great suspense

Revisado: 06-18-17

Wicked Girls was a great read. I enjoyed the in-depth and insightful character development of especially the main characters. However, the author also drew me in by adding depth to other characters in the novel. There is not one extraneous character in the book; each plays an important role, not necessarily big or small, but each character sheds a little more light, woven into the plot and the protaganists more and more as the book proceeds. Each person in the novel and their interactions with our main characters serve to help the reader understand or at least see the motivations and reasons behind the girls' actions, their pasts, their present-day lives, and the story that unfolds. Also, the sense of place and atmosphere was so well done. I can picture the seaside, boardwalk, the houses, the environment, can feel the weather, see the characters' faces. Overall, I really enjoyed The Wicked Girls- of the author's three books to date on Audible, I preferred this one above all and would recommend it highly.

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esto le resultó útil a 12 personas

RUN and pick this book up!

Revisado: 02-16-17

Would you consider the audio edition of Run to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but Colleen Prendergast is a great narrator and her performance brought the story to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is probably Chrissy- she's a powerhouse of a woman and shows great strength and kindness to her friend Leanne as Sheila getting together with her new boyfriend Jake. Although Jake seems to be the perfect boyfriend, Chrissy always has her friend's back. Also, she endures as the strength behind her family, dealing with a sick mother and a sister who doesn't show up for her son or anyone else. The characters get themselves in trouble trying to weave their webs in this book. Chrissy always has her eye out.

What does Colleen Prendergast bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great narrator!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book made me smile many times when the characters had good fortune, and cringe when they sometimes found big trouble.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this story. It's the second Mandasue Heller book I have read and it is impressive- totally held my interest throughout. While I thought I was good at predicting where things were headed, I ended up being surprised at the number of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I highly recommend "Run" to listeners who enjoy a good British suspense tale like I do!

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

What a Trip!

Revisado: 02-12-17

The Optician's Wife kept me enthralled from start to finish. This is a story of a couple- Deborah, a plain girl barely 18 with no expectations that life, or anyone, will treat her kindly, and Larry, a little older, an ambitious opticians apprentice who sweeps her off her feet- marrying, raising kids, and toughing out the hard times in life with, well, questionable entrepreneurial genius. Meanwhile, a creepy serial killer terrorizes the town owner the years, eventually throwing suspicion upon the family.
I enjoyed this book and it's been a long time since I read a story that is so unique and rather twisted with a plot so unexpected, driven by characters who are not particularly likeable in any sense of the word, but certainly morbidly curious- like you don't want to see something happening but you just can't stop yourself from looking! I particularly liked the couple's ingenuity earning money when Larry gets himself in trouble with a loan shark. You won't believe how Deborah evolves.
This book made me a big Betsy Reavley fan if only because I love the creativity that goes into writing this book! It's worth the credit and a great read, and I highly recommend it!

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas