Colby

Delightful premise and well plotted

Reviewed: 12-12-23

This is an intriguing time travel story with lots of history along with the fictional elements. Narrated by a young woman who has inadvertently found herself in the Tudor court and even more inadvertently found her way back to the present, her adventures now and then mesh together into a funny and thought provoking book.

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A Favourite Book

Reviewed: 07-12-19

I read this when it was first published and have reread and, now, relistened to, it repeatedly. The Martin Jarvis narration is excellent and, to my mind, better than Stephen Briggs’s audio. The characters are very real while being utter fantasy and my only quibble with the book is that the denouement spends too much time tying up loose ends so that a story that has flown by suddenly begins to plod. A mash up of The Omen and all the Armageddon myths, it narrates events when the newborn Antichrist is mislaid at a cottage hospital, and given to an ordinary family to raise.
Funny and thoughtful, this is worth your time.

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Disappointing

Reviewed: 04-27-18

The Bullet was so interesting and well-plotted that I was confident that this book would also engage me. The protagonist is a jerk, the plot is turgid, and when a friend asked to listen, she too quit after three looong chapters. Save your money!

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1 person found this helpful

Delightful domestic history

Reviewed: 01-23-18

Goodman is a social historian much acquainted with the Tudor era. Her research and experience result in a tour through the day, from waking to sleep, with a variety of social classes, men and women, from the reign of Henry VII through the death of Elizabeth I.

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Terrible

Reviewed: 12-22-14

The first three books of this series were light weight but fun. This book takes a weird turn, as Max Tudor reveals himself to be a judgemental, hypocritical jerk who, oddly for an Anglican priest, doubts that any Anglican nun actually has a religious vocation as opposed to a neurotic desire to flee from the wide world. Max has a pregnant girlfriend who will not marry him in a church, and he hasn't mentioned this circumstance to his boss, the bishop, yet he is outraged that the convent has kept secret their discovery of a valuable icon. It is all very inconsistent and calls his character into serious question.
I will not bother with another of these books.

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7 people found this helpful

Excellent Mystery

Reviewed: 07-17-14

This is the second book in what, I hope, will be a long series. The protagonists are intelligent and three-dimensional, the stories are well-planned and well-written, and the author never takes the obvious path. Just when I think I know what will happen, it doesn't, and it makes perfect sense.

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Excellent Plot with a sad secondary plot

Reviewed: 05-14-12

Would you listen to Scales of Justice again? Why?

I will listen to this book repeatedly. The narration is terrific and the story unfolds sensibly without ever giving anything away too quickly.

What did you like best about this story?

The pun on 'scales of justice' as the story progresses is just great.

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

This book is thought-provoking, because of a secondary plot involving treason and suicide, loyalty and forebearance. I admire the actions of the characters and wonder if I could be as honourable.

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2 people found this helpful

EXCELLENT STORY MARRED BY A GHASTLY NARRATOR

Reviewed: 05-10-12

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book with the caveat that the narrator must be forgiven much.

What other book might you compare Appleby's End to and why?

This book is complex and sophisticated, on a par with the author's earlier book, Hamlet Revenge. It is a mystery, but more concerned with characters and motivation than with solving a puzzle.

What didn’t you like about Vincent Brimble’s performance?

The narrator stumbled over words, mispronounced and garbled words, and made no effort to distinguish voices during conversations between characters. It is a cringe-worthy performance.

Was Appleby's End worth the listening time?

The plot, the characters, and the quality of the writing all make this worth listening to.

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2 people found this helpful

World of the theatre

Reviewed: 04-09-12

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

The different voices make the audio book great fun.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is intricate but sensible. It takes up with Peregrine Jay, whom we first met in Death at the Dolphin (another fabulous book), who is now middle-aged, married, has three sons, and is still the manager of the Dolphin Theatre. He is staging Macbeth and the descriptions of his ideas, stage management, and direction are illuminating. The actors are the usual bizarre collection of personalities, some delightful, others alarming, and their relationships are made vivid. The reader cares about these people, so the turns of the plot are riveting.

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

His reading is superb -- each character's voice is distinguished from the others and his narrative tone for the passages that don't involve dialogue is interesting in itself. He has a great voice.

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1 person found this helpful

Talented narrator

Reviewed: 02-06-12

What did you love best about Service with a Smile?

Nigel Lambert is in the upper stratum of narrators. He could rivet his audience while reading aloud a card catalog or a telephone book.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This book is beautifully plotted and the ending ties up all the threads in a satisfying manner

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

His ability to give unique voices to each character.

If you could take any character from Service with a Smile out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The Earl of Emsworth would be a stimulating dinner companion, primarily because of his pig-obsession, but I would also be interested to hear how his sisters got the upper hand in his relationship with them.

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2 people found this helpful