John S.
- 343
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- helpful votes
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Poison in the Pen
- Miss Silver, Book 29
- By: Patricia Wentworth
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Tilling Green was a charming little village nestling in the Ledshire countryside. Not at all the sort of place you would expect to find an anonymous letter writer. And when one of the recipients, a young woman, was found drowned in the lake belonging to the Manor House, Miss Silver was persuaded to go and investigate. Valentine Grey was marrying one Gilbert Earle, but on the night of Valentine's pre-wedding party Jason Leigh, Valentine's former love, returned after months without a word.
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The first Miss Silver I ever read, and still a fav
- By Meep on 05-08-14
- Poison in the Pen
- Miss Silver, Book 29
- By: Patricia Wentworth
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
Could've skipped this one
Reviewed: 03-26-25
Rounded up from 2 1/2 stars overall. Largely unlikeable characters, including the boring lovers. Miss Silver came off a bit smug here.
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New Grub Street
- By: George Gissing
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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New Grub Street (1891) has the reputation of being George Gissing's finest novel. With bitter humour and grim realism, it tells the story of the ambitions, dreams, and disappointments of men and women struggling to earn their living as writers in the closing years of the Victorian era. Jasper Milvain is a young writer of limited talent, eager to exploit every opportunity and social connection in order to make his way. For those who toil "in the valley of the shadow of books" the spectre of poverty looms large.
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New Grub Street
- By Deedra on 02-23-18
- New Grub Street
- By: George Gissing
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
Not a fan
Reviewed: 03-15-25
Dated story with unlikeable characters, wouldn't recommend it. Narrator did the best he could to match the tone of the story.
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Tras los pasos de Livingstone
- By: Xavier Moret
- Narrated by: Jordi Boixaderas
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Abridged
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Xavier Moret recorre en este audiolibro el África oriental, recordando a su paso a los exploradores que lo hicieron antes que él, cuando el centro de África era, en los mapas occidentales, un gran espacio en blanco. Su ruta parte de Zanzíbar, de donde salieron la mayoría de expediciones al interior del continente, sigue por Tanzania, el lugar donde se produjo el mítico encuentro entre Stanley y Livingstone, llega hasta Uganda, origen del Nilo, sigue hasta Kenia y se adentra luego en la despiadada colonización del Congo.
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Easy to follow
- By John S. on 03-06-25
- Tras los pasos de Livingstone
- By: Xavier Moret
- Narrated by: Jordi Boixaderas
Easy to follow
Reviewed: 03-06-25
Clear narration of travels similar to books by Reverte or Theroux, though I suppose some might find it a bit "touristy" in comparison.
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The Theft of the Iron Dogs
- By: E. C. R. Lorac
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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While hot on the heels of serial coupon-racketeer Gordon Ginner, Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard receives word of an intriguing incident up in Lancashire – the summer cottage of local farmer Giles Hoggett has been broken into, with an assortment of seemingly random items missing which include a complete reel of salmon line, a large sack, and two iron dogs from his fireplace. What first appears as a simple break-in quickly spirals into a mystery of contested land grabs for fishing between farmers, made all the more enticing to MacDonald when a body is then found in the river.
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Well written but Unexciting
- By Geoffrey on 10-23-24
- The Theft of the Iron Dogs
- By: E. C. R. Lorac
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
DNF'ed this one
Reviewed: 12-12-24
I've enjoyed the narrator and series in the past, but not here. Just couldn't get into it.
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Loving and Giving
- Virago Modern Classics, Book 223
- By: Molly Keane
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1914, when Nicandra is eight, all is well in the grand Irish estate, Deer Forest. Maman is beautiful and adored. Dada, silent and small, mooches contentedly around the stables. Aunt Tossie, of the giant heart and bosom, is widowed but looks splendid in weeds. The butler, the groom, the land-steward, the maids, the men - each as a place and knows it. Then, astonishingly, the perfect surface is shattered; Maman does something too dreadful ever to be spoken of.
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Narration
- By John S. on 11-25-24
- Loving and Giving
- Virago Modern Classics, Book 223
- By: Molly Keane
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
Narration
Reviewed: 11-25-24
Excellent work by narrator couldn't save this grim story. There's no "fun" in this dysfunction.
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A Proud Woman: A Tabitha & Wolf Mystery
- Tabitha & Wolf Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Sarah F. Noel
- Narrated by: Vicki-Jo Eva
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Tabitha, Lady Chesterton, the Countess of Pembroke, is newly widowed at only 22 years of age. With no son to inherit the title, it falls to a dashing, distant cousin of her husband's, Jeremy Chesterton, known as Wolf. It quickly becomes apparent that Wolf had consorted with some of London's most dangerous citizens before inheriting the title. Can he leave this world behind, or will shadowy figures from his past follow him into his new aristocratic life in Mayfair? And can Tabitha avoid being caught up in Wolf's dubious activities?
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it started out good
- By Wenden on 11-29-23
- A Proud Woman: A Tabitha & Wolf Mystery
- Tabitha & Wolf Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Sarah F. Noel
- Narrated by: Vicki-Jo Eva
Did Not Finish
Reviewed: 07-14-24
Just after the halfway point, I couldn't go on. These are clearly modern character sensibilities grafted into the Victorian setting. Sometimes, I can deal with that, but here things are too heavy-handed needing A LOT of suspension-of-disbelief.
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Murder at the Marquee
- An Eliza Thomson Investigates Murder Mystery
- By: VL McBeath
- Narrated by: Nicola Victoria Vincent
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Recently home from their trip to Brighton, Eliza and Connie are deep in preparation for the local village fete. Half the villagers are involved too, and once the marquee is assembled, it soon fills up with eager stall holders. With the competition prizes awarded, the afternoon is almost at an end, but everything stops when a body is found hidden amongst the debris. Dead!
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skip-able story
- By John S. on 07-05-24
- Murder at the Marquee
- An Eliza Thomson Investigates Murder Mystery
- By: VL McBeath
- Narrated by: Nicola Victoria Vincent
skip-able story
Reviewed: 07-05-24
I've listened to the previous books, not being interested in this one at all. Didn't return it because I kept thinking I might get traction later. Learn from my mistake.
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The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy
- By: James Anderson
- Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Welcome to Alderley, a magnificent mansion in the heart of the West Country where a grand house party is taking place. The preparations have been made, the guests have been invited, and the staff are on hand. What could possibly go wrong? Let the entertainment begin. The theft of the diamond necklace and the antique pistols might all be explained, but the body in the lake - that really was a puzzle. 'Don't expect me to solve anything,' Inspector Wilkens announced modestly when he arrived to sort out the unpleasantness.
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the title says it all
- By connie on 05-03-13
- The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy
- By: James Anderson
- Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
Did Not Finish
Reviewed: 07-02-24
Couldn't get past the convoluted plot and exaggerated American accents. Series has many fans, but I'm nor among them.
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Pilgrim's Rest
- By: Patricia Wentworth
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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The two Miss Pilgrims, Columba and Janette, think its unwise to leave their fine ancestral home, Pilgrim's Rest. When their brother suffers a fatal fall only days after talking about selling it, and his son barely escapes two near-fatal accidents, they suspect it's deadly to leave. Surely Miss Silver can determine why the house hates to be empty.
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A delightful, entertaining cozy
- By Gail N. on 08-01-18
- Pilgrim's Rest
- By: Patricia Wentworth
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
Confusing
Reviewed: 03-28-24
Great narration, but with several murders concerning the same family I found it difficult to understand who was who.
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In the Dragon's Shadow
- Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century
- By: Sebastian Strangio
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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A timely look at the impact of China's booming emergence on the countries of Southeast Asia.
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Great book
- By Alex Noble on 12-13-20
- In the Dragon's Shadow
- Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century
- By: Sebastian Strangio
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
Limited appeal
Reviewed: 03-06-24
I dropped a credit on this book a while ago, probably as spending for a promotion. So, finally got around to listening this year. Reminded me of textbooks when I was an International Affairs student years ago. In this case, wonky material keeps me from recommending it for general interest. A bit dated (covid pandemic situation appears in the Afterword as recent event), but worthwhile for those with a strong interest in Chinese foreign affairs. Narrator did a solid job with the not-that-exciting text.
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