?Have You Heard??Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure ?The Best of September?

Posted September 30, 2019 by RobbieLea in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

#thememory #lucydawson #clarecorbett #bolindapublishing #thegoldenhour #beatrizwilliams #cassandracampbell #saskiamaarleveld #harperaudio #theriverwidow #annhowardcreel #brittanypressley #brillianceaudio #vendettaindeath #jdrobb #susanericksen #macmillanaudio

Well, fall is officially here and if you live in sunny Florida as I do, you are still waiting for cooler weather and keeping a sharp eye out for stray hurricanes! This month’s listens having absolutely nothing in common except for exceptional narration! It was pure serendipity that some of my favorite performers are featured and it was blind luck that I choose an additional book performed by an artist who is new to me and whose voices turned an average book into a 4 Star listen!

So let’s begin with the book that introduced me to a new narrator. The Memory by Lucy Dawson is kind of a mixed bag. There’s childhood psychological trauma resulting in an adult who still speaks in the voice of a child. There’s actual and emotional infidelity. There’s a house that seems to be haunted. The common thread here is all the characters affected by this drama are weird and mostly unlikeable. The semi-supernatural element with the house seems a bit forced at times, but it fits right in with the personalities of the characters. There are lots of twists and turns and the plot will hold your attention mainly because it is so well-performed by Clare Corbett. Her voice for the beautiful and child-like Isobel will totally creep you out which I think was the narrator’s intention. 5 Stars to the Ms.Corbett who elevated the author’s work to 4 Stars.

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams is classified as historical fiction and it is certainly that. If you are a lover of historical fiction rich with colorful detail, this is the book for you. There is romance, intrigue, mystery, and even a little bit of comedy weaving this tale into one entertaining whole. The novel has storylines in both WW1 and WW2 and features separate narrators for each period. Lulu Randolph is the character who brings together the past and her present in a world populated by exiled royalty, spies, and assassins. Cassandra Campbell and Saskia Maarleveld are the skilled performers who share the narration and who convey the varied personalities and nationalities of the characters with accuracy.  5 Stars to the narrators and 4 Stars to author Beatriz Williams.

The River Widow is also a work of historical fiction and is set in the depression era. Ann Howard Creel is an author I’ve come to appreciate for the authenticity of her settings. Her characters are well-developed and accurately reflect the times in which her novels are set. Adah Branch “came up hard” as the saying goes, but her strength lies in her ability to adapt to her circumstances and this quality is what will be her salvation when she finds herself alone and responsible for saving herself and her step-daughter. As a listener, you will be challenged to decide what you would do in her situation as she makes tough choices that may or may not be right. The element of mystery is strong until the very end. What will Adah decide in her efforts to escape the cruelty of her dead husband’s family? I think you will be surprised at the path she takes. 5 Stars to narrator Brittany Pressley and 4 Stars to the author for this compelling tale.

I’m sure those of you who regularly read my posts envision me languishing on my fainting couch while I wait for each new episode of J.D. Robb’s In Death Series.  You would be right to some degree because I do find myself longing to hear narrator Susan Ericksen say “Darlin’ Eve” in her Roarke voice as each new publication date approaches. Vendetta in Death is well worth all the languishing. It opens with the introduction of an avenger who calls herself Lady Justice and the things she does to the men who have used their power and position to take advantage of women will make even the most hardened vigilante cringe. We suspect the true identity of Lady Justice pretty early on so the mystery lies in just exactly how many victims there will be before there is enough evidence for Eve Dallas and her NYPSD team to haul this not-so-ladylike lady into Cop Central. If you love the series and its characters and have never listened to an audio version, this is a good time to treat yourself! Susan Ericksen lends a whole new dimension to Ms. Robb’s writing. 5 Stars to both the narrator and the author for the consistent quality of their work.

Thank you for following us at Literati Literature Lovers and Happy Listening in October!

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