Susan

Gratuitous animal cruelty

Reviewed: 05-16-20

If you have cats or like cats, maybe give this one a miss. In it, a cat dies in the most horrific way imaginable, which is described in epic, gruesome detail. What makes it worse it that its death serves NO PURPOSE WHATSOEVER, not even the all-too-frequent "the bad guys here are really bad guys" signalling of the lazy writer, as at that point, we are already quite aware of how bad the bad guys are. (There's also some cruelty done to a rat but at least it serves a plot purpose and things end well for the rat.)

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More of this, please!

Reviewed: 10-03-15

I’m forever eagerly waiting for audible and Post Hypnotic Press to release the next book in this series, which has fast become one of my favourite audiobook series (kudos also to Lisa Bunting for her excellent narration).

What I like about these books is not only the mystery per se (even though the present one is among my favourites of the five books I’ve read so far, it’s almost secondary) but the way we have been gradually getting to know Joanne, her history and her friends and family. I love the detail we hear about daily life at the Kilbourn house that paint such a vivid picture. Take, for example, this description of preparing the house for Easter guests:

“Angus and I made up the beds, got out the new bath towels and brought the leaves from the dining room table in from the garage. Taylor and I drove out to the nursery and bought lilies and a pot of African violets the colour of heliotrope for Mica and Greg’s room.”

None of this is even remotely relevant for solving any crimes, of course, but I greatly enjoy listening to it – as well as about the times Joanne just can’t be bothered and orders takeout. If this is not your kind of thing, then probably these books are not for you. If it is, don’t start here but get “The Deadly Appearances” first.

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Not my favourite entry but a great series

Reviewed: 07-22-15

This was not my favourite entry in the series so far (mainly because I do not care for the subject matter -- too sensationalist for my taste, and "done" too often, although that might not have been the case in the early 1990s when the book was written).

At any rate, I'm mainly writing to point out that Audible also has the next entry in the series (A Colder Kind of Death) but it's not listed in the series overview for some reason. Just search for the title or the author's name instead.

I do hope that Post Hypnotic Press and Audible will continue to release the next books in the series since I have grown rather fond of the recurring characters, and Lisa Bunting does a great job as narrator.

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Murder à la canadienne

Reviewed: 06-21-15

I have a weakness for mysteries set in Canada, and so it’s surprising that I stumbled over Gail Bowen’s Saskatchewan-based Joanne Kilbourn series only now. In a way that’s an advantage because it means that I have fourteen (to date) more entries in the series to catch up on.

Up-and-coming provincial politician Andy Boychuk is about to hold a speech before party supporters. Everything has been organized in detail, and everything seems to be going well, but then his speechwriter Joanne Kilbourn watches in horror as he takes a sip from his water and drops dead. Andy was not only Joanne’s boss, however, he was also a close friend – and in the course of setting out to write his biography, she cannot help but being drawn into the mystery of who killed him and why.

„The Deadly Appearances“ was written in 1990 but apart from a few contemporary references – nobody has a cell phone, of course, and at one point, the banks being closed on a holiday presents an organisational issue in a pre-ATM world – it has held up very well.

Joanne, an academic in her mid-forties, widowed mother of three, is a likeable and realistic heroine, and her friends and family are people one would not mind having in one’s own life. Her involvement in this case did not seem overly farfetched, and I’m curious to see how Bowen will pull this off in future volumes (a slight suspension of disbelief will naturally be necessary as I doubt that the murder rate in real-life Regina would support a murder with Joanne’s involvement every couple of years or so.

I've already downloaded the next installment, Murder at the Mendel. I see that Audible also has titles 3 and 14 in the series, and I hope the missing ones inbetween will be added soon. (In the early days, Audible used to have a "request" feature but I can't seem to find that anymore.)

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3 people found this helpful

A good read made perfect by an outstanding narrato

Reviewed: 05-08-15

Robert Glenister is an outstanding narrator who is able to give each character a distinctive voice. If someone is chuckling, you hear it, if someone is drunk, you hear it, too. Have him read more books, please -- and definitely any future Cormoran Strike novels.

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A novel about forgetting -- and remembering

Reviewed: 03-15-15

Maud forgets things. Little things, such as the fact that she had already made herself some toast earlier, and what she wanted to buy in the shop. Bigger things, such as what things are called, even quite ordinary things that she has used every day in her life, and the fact that she no longer volunteers at the charity shop. And really big things -- who her children are, and that she even has them and is not still a young girl who has yet to be kissed by anyone.

But there is one thing Maud almost never forgets -- the fact that Elizabeth is missing. And if she forgets, she has a note in her pocket to remind her of it. Elizabeth is Maud's friend, a friend she has made quite late in life, and the way this friendship came about is one of the many lovely scenes in this book. And while Maud quite doggedly pursues this mystery, it becomes clear that this loss is not the first one she has suffered, that there is another person who has gone missing from her life, ever so many years and decades ago.

"Elizabeth is missing", is a novel about friendship and family, about loss and grief, about forgetting -- and remembering. It is one of the best books I've read so far this year and it was made even better by the expert narration of Davina Porter who succeeds brilliantly at giving the young and the old versions of Maud their own distinctive voice and characteristic style.

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1 person found this helpful

Narraton enhances the story

Reviewed: 05-23-14

I find myself disagreeing with the previous reviewer on audible.com as I find the narration very suitable to this book. The voice sounds like that of a young woman (as the protagonists are) and I loved the way the narrator pronounced the Israeli names and put a smile in her voice when appropriate. The slightly foreign tilts adds to and enhances the story, and its sound will remain in my memory for a long time.

English is only the third foreign language I have learnt and I have had no problems understanding the narration and did not need to rewind, so I can't imagine most native speakers would have any difficulties. Please don't be deterred.

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1 person found this helpful

The One

Reviewed: 03-11-13

If I could but one of the hundreds of audiobooks I have collected in my 10+-year membership, this would be the one. A perfect book, perfectly read. It helped me through a difficult time in my life (dealing with loss and grief, as Smithy is) and still resonates with me eight years later.

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De gustibus...

Reviewed: 01-23-11

I have not finished listening to the book yet, although it definitely holds my attention. The reason I came to this page today is that I was thinking how much I enjoyed the narrator and wanted to see what other books read by her are available -- so I was surprised to see all the negative feedback regarding the narration. It just goes to show -- different strokes for different folks... While I like Field's narrator's voice best (it's simply pleasant to listen to), I'm amazed at her ability to give each character his or her own distinct voice, so you always know who is speaking -- quite a feat in my book! So don't be put off by the reviews, listen to the sample and decide for yourself if this is for you.

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15 people found this helpful

Get "Gone for Good" instead

Reviewed: 06-14-09

I love the Myron Bolitar novels (perfect escapism in my, uhm, audiobook), and Gone for Good was absolutely riveting. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Hold Tight. A lot of unlikely events happen to a group of interconnected wooden characters, and the denouement is disappointing. Mr Coben can do much better.

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