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Showing posts with label Blackstone Audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blackstone Audio. Show all posts

Thursday, November 15, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for The Woman in Black by Susan Hill @susanhillwriter @BlackstoneAudio

SERIES: The Woman in Black, Book #1
AUTHOR: Susan Hill 
NARRATOR: Ralph Cosham
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2011 (first published 1983)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook, MP3-CD
LENGTH: 4 hrs and 33 mins
GENRE: Horror, Gothic
ISBN: 9781441779779
What true readers do not yearn, somewhere in the recesses of their hearts, for a really literate, first-class thriller--one that chills the body but warms the soul with plot, perception, and language at once astute and vivid? In other words, a ghost story written by Jane Austen? Alas, we cannot give you Austen, but Susan Hill's remarkable Woman in Black comes as close as our era can provide. Set on the obligatory English moor, on an isolated causeway, the story has as its hero Arthur Kipps, an up-and-coming young solicitor who has come north from London to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. The routine formalities he anticipates give way to a tumble of events and secrets more sinister and terrifying than any nightmare: the rocking chair in the deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and most dreadfully--and for Kipps most tragically--the woman in black. The Woman in Black is both a brilliant exercise in atmosphere and controlled horror and a delicious spine-tingler--proof positive that this neglected genre, the ghost story, isn't dead after all.

MY REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this gothic tale!

 It is Christmas Eve, and the children want their step-father to tell them a ghost story around the fire. He does not wish to do so, so he gets up and goes outside. He contemplates that perhaps it is time to tell his story, and he decides that he will put it in writing.

 Arthur, a lawyer, is sent by his boss to attend the funeral of one of their recently deceased clients and to organize her papers. At the funeral, Arthur sees an emaciated woman dressed in black. When he asks about her, the deceased's agent denies seeing anyone fitting that description. Following the funeral, Arthur goes back to the inn to wait for the man who is to take him to the estate in the morning.

 When the tide rolls in, Eel Marsh House is cut off from the rest of town which isolates it completely. The driver, Keckwick, drops Arthur off at the estate and tells him that he'll be back before the evening tide. Arthur sees the woman in black again on the grounds of the estate, but she disappears before he can reach her. Inside the manor, Arthur realizes that it is going to take longer than expected to go through the woman's papers so he decides that the following day he will take his belongings with him and stay at the house rather than travelling back and forth each day. 

 I loved the creepy remote setting of Eel Marsh House! The fog adds to the eeriness.  Arthur sees and hears things that no one else does, and the house contains a mysterious locked door. 

 The sequel, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, is authored by someone else (Martyn Waites). I hope it's just as good as this one!

 Ralph Cosham's narration was excellent. His voice added to the desolate feel of the story and made this a great listen!

 The 2012 film adaptation starring Daniel Radcliffe looks even scarier than the book! Check it out:




MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy gothic ghost stories!

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Wednesday, November 14, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Agatha Raisin and The Witches' Tree by M.C. Beaton @mc_beaton ‏@BlackstoneAudio ‏

SERIES: Agatha Raisin, Book #28
AUTHOR: M.C. Beaton 
NARRATOR: Alison Larkin
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: October 20, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 6 hrs and 37 mins
GENRE: Mystery/Cozy
ISBN: 9781504780490
The Witches’ Tree continues the tradition in M. C. Beaton's beloved Agatha Raisin mystery series―now a hit T.V. show. Cotswolds inhabitants are used to inclement weather, but the night sky is especially foggy as Rory and Molly Devere, the new vicar and his wife, drive slowly home from a dinner party in their village of Sumpton Harcourt. They strain to see the road ahead―and then suddenly brake, screeching to a halt. Right in front of them, aglow in the headlights, a body hangs from a gnarled tree at the edge of town. Margaret Darby, an elderly spinster, has been murdered―and the villagers are bewildered as to who would commit such a crime. Agatha Raisin rises to the occasion (a little glad for the excitement, to tell the truth, after a long run of lost cats and divorces on the books). But Sumpton Harcourt is a small and private village, she finds―a place that poses more questions than answers. And when two more murders follow the first, Agatha begins to fear for her reputation―and even her life. That the village has its own coven of witches certainly doesn't make her feel any better...

MY REVIEW:

This is the 28th installment in the Agatha Raisin series.

As the vicar of St. Edmund and his wife are returning home from a dinner party, they spot a woman hanging from a big oak tree that is known among the locals as The Witches' Tree as it was rumored that there had once been a coven in the village. The deceased is an elderly woman who was a church helper. As is often the case in Beaton's books, where there is one body another is sure to follow! Through Mrs. Bloxby, Agatha is introduced to the St. Edmund vicar's wife, Molly, who found the body. Agatha is so intrigued with the case that she offers to help at no charge.

 This was another enjoyable read, with Agatha and Charles continuing to get their wires crossed. I wonder whether Beaton has planned a grand finale of the series at some point and, if so, when that will be? I hope that dear Aggie does get her happily ever after!

For me, there will never be a more perfect narrator for this series than Penelope Keith. A close second was Donada Peters. Alison Larkin is a bit shrill for my ears, and I think why I fell in love with this series from the start was because of Keith's flawless narration. I don't enjoy this series as much as I used to, and I do think the narration is at least partly to blame for that. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

3 stars!! It was good, and I enjoyed it!

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Wednesday, September 26, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher @LucyCAuthor @BlackstoneAudio

NARRATORS: Fiona Hardingham and Shaun Grindell
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: January 7, 2014 (first published 2013)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 9 hrs and 25 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Mystery
ISBN: 9781482967425
Fatal attraction, primal fear, survival in the forest--from the author of the Printz Honor Book Stolen comes the highly anticipated thriller about deadly games played in the dark. Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he emerges from the woods carrying the girl's broken body. "Gone," he says, then retreats into silence. What really happened that wild night? Emily knows in her bones that her father is innocent--isn't he? Before he's convicted, she's got to uncover the truth. Does Damon Hilary, Ashlee's charismatic boyfriend, have the answers? Or is he only playing games with her ... the kinds of games that can kill?
MY REVIEW:

I am a reading challenge junkie, and I love finding books to fit my challenge prompts. I needed a book with a title starting with a K, and I was scrolling through Overdrive looking for something to fit and came upon this one. 

 The book starts off creepy enough, with teenage Emily watching her dad returning home from the woods holding something in his arms. At first she thinks it is a wounded animal but then sees that it is a body. The dead girl turns out to be Ashlee, a classmate of Emily's. Emily's dad is arrested and charged with Ashlee's murder. Emily's dad is a former soldier suffering from PTSD, and the psychologist said that a trigger could make him think that he was back in the war where he accidentally killed a civilian.

 The point of view then shifts from Emily to Damon, Ashlee's boyfriend, and we learn about a game that a group of kids used to play in the woods. On the night that Ashlee was killed, they were in the woods playing the game and Damon passed out and has no recollection of what happened or of taking Ashlee home.

 I really enjoyed this mystery, which was dark and a bit disturbing. The dark woods are a perfect eerie setting for this type of story. Even though it is YA, my opinion is that it would be better suited for the upper end of that range because of the drugs and sexual content. 

 This is my first read by this author, but I quite enjoyed her and would definitely read something more from her.

I loved the dual narration by Fiona Hardingham and Shaun Grindell. They brought this dark tale to life and held my interest from start to finish. Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy dark mysteries.

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Friday, July 6, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Ensnared by A.G. Howard @aghowardwrites @BlackstoneAudio @RebeccaGibel ‏

TITLE: Ensnared
SERIES: Splintered, Book #3
AUTHOR: A.G. Howard
NARRATOR: Rebecca Gibel
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audiobooks
PUBLICATION DATE: January 6, 2015
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 13 hrs and 28 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings
ISBN: 9781481522663
After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—-a parallel dimension filled with mutated and sadistic netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But even if everyone succeeds and comes out alive, can they all truly have their happily ever after?

MY REVIEW:

It's been a while since I listened to Unhinged, the second book in the Splintered series, which was way back in February 2016. One of my ongoing reading goals is to finish the series that I've started, so I figured it was time to get to this final book in the trilogy.

 Ensnared is a rescue mission. Alyssa and her dad (Thomas) have to save their loved ones, with Alyssa's mom trapped in Wonderland and Morpheus and Jeb in AnyElsewhere. With the Rabbit Hole destroyed, Alyssa and her dad have to find an alternate entry to the nether realm.

I've been a big fan of this dark and bizarre series from the beginning, but this last installment in the trilogy was my least favourite of all three books. Although I loved getting Thomas' backstory, I found that the first portion of the book lagged for me. I was happy when Alyssa was finally reunited with Morpheus and Jeb, but it was a bit anticlimactic for me. I'm not too thrilled with how things ended.



 Overall, I'm still a fan of this series and will still go back and read the novellas. I love Howard's writing and will read more from her.

Memorable quotes:

“Jeb is an anchor; he holds me grounded to my humanity and compassion. But Morpheus is the wind; he drags me kicking and screaming to the highest precipice, shoves me off, then watches me fly with netherling wings. When Jeb's at my side, the world is a canvas--unblemished and welcoming; when I'm with Morpheus, it's a wanton playground--wicked and addictive.” 

“The littlest things I once took for granted have become priceless treasures.” 

One of the best parts of the Splintered series? Rebecca Gibel - she's the fantastic narrator who held me entranced to her every word. She is truly a gifted narrator. What can I say that I haven't said before? I'm going to quote my earlier reviews. From Splintered: "I was already a fan of narrator Rebecca Gibel, and this audiobook is an excellent showcase of her talent! She brought the story to life with her distinctive vocalizations, and this is definitely a piece of ear candy!"  From Unhinged: "Rebecca Gibel is a fabulous narrator! She is never dull, and she has me swooning a bit when I hear Morpheus’ voice." Don't take my word for it. See for yourself! Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:
3 stars!! It was good, and I enjoyed it.

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Posted by at 7:00 AM 1 comments
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Friday, June 15, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Pushing Up Daisies by M.C. Beaton @mc_beaton @BlackstoneAudio

SERIES: Agatha Raisin, Book #27
AUTHOR: M.C. Beaton
NARRATOR: Alison Larkin
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: September 20, 2016
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 6 hrs and 59 mins
GENRE: Mystery/Cozy
ISBN: 9781504733212
When Agatha Raisin left behind her PR business in London, she fulfilled her dream of settling in the cozy British Cotswolds where she began a successful private detective agency. Unfortunately, the village she lives in is about to get a little less cozy. Lord Bellington, a wealthy land developer, wants to turn the community garden into a housing estate. When Agatha and her friend Sir Charles Fraith attempt to convince Lord Bellington to abandon his plans he scoffs: “Do you think I give a damn about those pesky villagers?” So when Agatha finds his obituary in the newspaper two weeks later, it’s no surprise that some in town are feeling celebratory.

The villagers are relieved to learn that Bellington’s son and heir, Damian, has no interest in continuing his father’s development plans. But the police are definitely interested in him―as suspect number one. His father’s death, it seems, was no accident. But when Damian hires Agatha to find the real killer, she finds no shortage of suspects. The good news is that a handsome retired detective named Gerald has recently moved to town. Too bad he was seen kissing another newcomer. But when she is also found murdered, Gerald is eager to help Agatha with the case. Agatha, Gerald, and her team of detectives must untangle a web of contempt in order to uncover a killer’s identity.
MY REVIEW:

This was another enjoyable installment in the prolific Agatha Raisin series. This series is like comfort food for me. I love the Cotswold setting, and each of the characters have become near and dear to me, especially Agatha!

 Mrs. Bloxby asks for Agatha's help because the residents who own allotments outside the village are under threat of losing them. No longer owned by a trust but instead by Lord Bellington, his plans are to make a fortune by selling them off to a developer. Agatha and her sidekick, Charles Fraith, visit Bellington and appeal to him to change his mind. If the deal goes through, Carsely will lose its village status and become a town and other developers who have been trying to build will then be allowed to do so. Bellington could care less about the villagers, and he has no plans to back down. It's not really a surprise when he is murdered, and Agatha deduces right at the outset with just a few facts that it sounded like he was poisoned with antifreeze. Wilkes' knickers are in a twist that Agatha figured out the cause of death without seeing the body, and Bellington's son hires Agatha to find the murderer to clear his name as he stands to inherit everything and is the chief suspect.

 Mrs. Bloxby continued her flirtations with Gerald Devere, acting totally out of character for her! As always, Roy Silver shows up when he needs rescuing and Aggie fixes things for him with respect to his job. James Lacey wasn't present very much, and I think I missed that!

This audiobook is narrated by Alison Larkin, and I really hate to beat a dead horse because I've said all this before but...I miss Penelope Keith! I can see why people think Agatha is whiny when they listen to the more recent audiobooks in this series, which are not narrated by Penelope Keith. I'm not alone in my opinion that Larkin is just the wrong choice of narrator for this series. Just take a look at the reviews on Audible! Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

3 stars!! It was good, and I enjoyed it.

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Thursday, June 7, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens @ChevyStevens @BlackstoneAudio

AUTHOR: Chevy Stevens
NARRATORS: Rachel Fulginiti and Caitlin Davies
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: March 14, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 11 hrs and 56 mins
GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9781504720120
A stunning and thrilling novel from New York Times bestselling author Chevy Stevens. The author of Still Missing targets her readers with a novel that hits all the notes they have come to expect from her--and ratchets up the stakes even more. Lindsey Nash is starting over with her new life after leaving her abusive ex-husband who was sent to jail. She has her own business and is raising her teenage daughter who needs her now more than ever.When her husband is finally released, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties. There is no way he can ever find her and her daughter again. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded. Even her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it's her ex-husband, even though he claims he is a different person and doesn't want to do her any harm. But can he really change? Is the one who wants her dead even closer to home than she thought?
MY REVIEW:

This Canadian author does not disappoint! This one makes three for three for me. I've read and enjoyed two of her earlier books, Still Missing and Never Knowing. 

 The story is told from both a past and a present timeline. The past timeline takes place in the early days of the marriage betwen Lindsey and Andrew, where he see Andrew's obsessive and possessive behaviour towards his wife. We also see the type of manipulative games that he plays to control Lindsey through fear, using their daughter Sophie as a bargaining chip. He makes it known to Lindsey that he will disappear with their daughter and she never see Sophie again if she doesn't do as she's told! As the physical and emotional abuse escalates, Lindsey knows that she needs to run away with Sophie. The first time is unsuccessful, so Lindsey decides to dose him with sleeping pills to ensure a getaway. The plan works, but Andrew rouses from his drugged stupor and gets behind the wheel to try to find them and is involved in a fatal collision which kills the other driver. Andrew is sent away to jail for ten years, and Lindsey starts her new life. She runs her own cleaning company and starts a support group for abused women. Things start to happen that make Lindsey think that Andrew is stalking her. Sure enough, she finds out that he has been released.

 In addition to the two timelines, the story in the present tense is told from the perspectives of both Lindsey and her now nearly grown-up daughter, 17-year-old Sophie.

 I really liked Lindsey, who went through a lot! She is a strong character who overcame a lot and had to re-make herself. Not only did she establish her own company, but she also wanted to help other abused women and mentored them in a support group. She also hired some of these ladies and gave them a job to help them earn an income. Raising a child as a single parent is tough, and I really appreciate her challenges. Sophie is the typical child of a divorce who craves what they never had growing up. Sometimes I wanted to hug her, but other times I wanted to give her a shake and tell her to smarten up!

 In Stevens' usual style, the story moves along at a quick pace with a red herring or two and a twist. I can count on her books to draw me in and keep me on the edge of my seat. Thank goodness she has a few more for me to catch up on!

This audiobook featured two narrators, one for Lindsey and the other for Sophie: Rachel Fulginiti and Caitlin Davies. The one who voiced Lindsey was great, and I have no issues with her at all. However, the one that narrated Sophie's voice had an annoying habit of ending each sentence with an upward lilt. There are times when it is appropriate to do that, such as if you are asking a question, but she did it on a constant basis even when it was a statement rather than a question. I found it very irritating, and I groaned whenever I got to a Sophie chapter. I had to check my other reviews for Stevens' earlier books, Still Missing and Never Knowing, to see if either of these narrators narrated her other books (they did not) and this is now the second time that I've been disappointed in one of the narrations for Stevens' books! That's such a shame and makes me consider whether I'll buy any more of the audiobooks. I may have to read the next one in printed format. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

5 stars!! I loved it, and you should definitely put it on your TBR if you enjoy mysteries or psychological thrillers.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for White Fang by Jack London #JackLondon @BlackstoneAudio

TITLE: White Fang
AUTHOR: Jack London
NARRATOR: John Lee
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: October 24, 2007 (first published 1906)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 7 hrs and 53 mins
GENRE: Classic, Historical Fiction
ASIN: B000Y1JKQK
White Fang is part dog and part wolf, and the lone survivor of his family. In his lonely world, he soon learns to follow the harsh law of the North--kill or be killed. But nothing in White Fang's life can prepare him for the cruel owner who turns him into a vicious killer. Will White Fang ever know the kindness of a gentle master?
MY REVIEW:

Wow, this book!! I'm can't believe that it's taken me so long to read this classic, and I'm very surprised that I never read it in school. It's fantastic!!

 The majority of the story is set in the Yukon Territory during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. The main figure in the story is White Fang, whose momma is Kiche (half dog and half wolf) and One Eye (full wolf). White Fang is the only survivor to Kiche's litter. She returns with her pup to her master, who lives in a native village. Gray Beaver is a cruel man, who beats the pup whom he names White Fang into submission and obedience. Because of how he is raised, White Fang becomes vicious but ever loyal to Gray Beaver (oh, how that irks me!). White Fang is constantly attacked by other wolves in the village, especially one named Lip-lip. Later in the fall, the camp packs up and moves onward in search of more food. White Fang hides in the bushes, and the tribe moves on without him. Ironically, White Fang is so bereft at being left behind that he follows their scent and catches back up with them. He actually returns to his cruel master, which I found so incredibly sad. 

 Another man, Beauty Smith, has his eye on White Fang and wants him for himself. He introduces whiskey to Gray Beaver, and soon he becomes addicted to the alcohol and is willing to trade White Fang for more booze. 

 Things go from bad to worse for poor White Fang, who doesn't recognize Beauty Smith as his new master. He keeps running away from Beauty Smith and returning to Gray Beaver, and Beauty Smith keeps beating White Fang more and more violently until he finally gives up and stops trying to run away. Then, Beauty Smith puts White Fang into fights with other wolves, dogs, and even a lynx. These death-matches would have finished him off, if not for the kindness of a man named Weedon Scott, who intervened in one of the matches and tells Beauty Smith that he will buy White Fang from him. He offers him a decent sum of money, and his demand is not negotiable. He rescues White Fang, and he tries to gain his trust and tame him. Eventually, White Fang lets Weedon Scott pet him which is something that he's never experienced. Gray Beaver and Beauty Smith used their hands to harm and hurt White Fang. He's never known kindness and gentleness, and White Fang grows to love Weedon Scott.

 When Weedon Scott goes on a trip, he leaves White Fang in the care of his friend and dog musher, Matt. However, White Fang only wants what he refers to as his love-master. He stops eating and starts moping. If Scott didn't return, White Fang would have surely died. This brings about another dilemma, because Scott's time in the Yukon is finished. He is going to return to California, and he intended to leave White Fang behind but the wolf would not hear of it. He actually escaped from the locked cabin by jumping through the window and runs to the steamboat to find his master, and then Scott realizes that he cannot leave White Fang behind. He takes him home, and Scott's family is worried about how this wolf is going to adapt to city life. The ending is a happy one, which White Fang so richly deserved!

Narrator John Lee is amazing! I love the timbre of his voice, and I could not stop listening!! This classic is a wonderful story in and of itself, but Lee took it to the next level like any great narrator will do and made it unputdownable! I just loved this audiobook, and I rarely re-read books but this one will be one of the select few that is going to be a long-time favourite that I will read again and again. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

5 stars!! I loved it, and I will likely re-read it! You should definitely put it on your TBR if you are a fan of animal stories!

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