Michelle
- 53
- reviews
- 98
- helpful votes
- 390
- ratings
-
Poisoner in Chief
- Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control
- By: Stephen Kinzer
- Narrated by: James Linkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The visionary chemist Sidney Gottlieb was the CIA’s master magician and gentlehearted torturer - the agency’s “poisoner in chief.” As head of the MK-ULTRA mind control project, he directed brutal experiments at secret prisons on three continents. He made pills, powders, and potions that could kill or maim without a trace - including some intended for Fidel Castro and other foreign leaders. He paid prostitutes to lure clients to CIA-run bordellos, where they were secretly dosed with mind-altering drugs. His experiments spread LSD across the United States.
-
-
Narration not great
- By VelvetLedbetter on 09-20-19
- Poisoner in Chief
- Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control
- By: Stephen Kinzer
- Narrated by: James Linkin
Interesting content, horrible narrator
Reviewed: 06-09-25
The book itself was well written and full of interesting information. However, the narrator ia TERRIBLE. I almost stopped listening to the book multiple times because the narration is so bad. Sidney Gottlieb in real life stuttered. The narrator seems to think he should use odd, stilted pauses to portray this even when he is reading from documents Gottlieb wrote. Gottlieb wouldn't stutter on paper. The narrator also tried to use different voices for different people and it doesn't go well. His attempt at a Boston accent for Ted Kennedy is particularly jarring if you know anyone from Boston.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Obsidian Chamber
- By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
- Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a harrowing otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachussetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead. Sick with grief, Pendergast's ward, Constance, retreats to her chambers beneath the family mansion at 891 Riverside Drive - only to be taken captive by a shadowy figure from the past. Proctor, Pendergast's longtime bodyguard, springs to action, chasing Constance's kidnapper through cities, across oceans, and into wastelands unknown....
-
-
Looking for a plot
- By JunieJ on 11-23-16
- The Obsidian Chamber
- By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
- Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois
Series is going way downhill
Reviewed: 03-11-25
I thought the story went way off track during the absurdities of the Helen trilogy. This is way worse. It's like the characters are not even the same characters. Constance was always annoying. Now I actively wish she would be written out. Pendergast--where has Pendergast gone? He is missing from a large portion of the book and even when he is in evidence, it;s loke some alien has taken over the black suit. He is wishy-washy, indecisive, idiotic.
I thought I was listening to a thriller, but too often in turn into a bad teen romance/love triangle. There were too many unbelievable unbelievable coincidences and things that took up lots of time only to be abandoned then resolved without showing the resolution. Someone is left in a dangerous situation about halfway through then suddenly turns up fine at the end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!

-
The Prague Cemetery
- By: Umberto Eco
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether it’s a critically acclaimed novel or provocative collection of essays, every work from best-selling author Umberto Eco is a highly anticipated publishing event. The Prague Cemetery is set amid conspiracy-rich 19th century Europe, where intrigue abounds—and where a lone, evil genius may be pulling all the strings.
-
-
Umbrage and Umberto; Peanut Butter and Jelly
- By Mel on 12-07-11
- The Prague Cemetery
- By: Umberto Eco
- Narrated by: George Guidall
Confusing and disjointed
Reviewed: 10-25-24
I found the story, such as it was, very difficult to follow. The book started very slowly and remained disjointed and rambling. At times, it sounded like a cookbook. It's hard to keep the characters straight at times. Large parts of the book are dueling diary entries from either two different people, someone with a split personality, or a super unreliable narrator. The book also jumps around in time, which makes it hard to follow as well. I wish I had listened to it closer to when I bought it so I could return it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!

-
The Queen, Her Lover and the Most Notorious Spy in History
- By: Roland Perry
- Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein, David Tredinnick
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before her successful marriage to Prince Albert, Princess Victoria had an affair with the dashing Scottish 13th Lord Elphinstone. After the liaison was exposed, Elphinstone was banished to India, appointed Governor of Madras, which allowed Victoria's mother to engineer a royal union for her with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg.
-
-
Not really a history
- By Michelle on 09-30-24
- The Queen, Her Lover and the Most Notorious Spy in History
- By: Roland Perry
- Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein, David Tredinnick
Not really a history
Reviewed: 09-30-24
This book was categorized as History, but it's not 100% history. Parts of it seem factual, but at other times it seems like a bad romance novel. Lots of invented conversations and a few other questionable assertions in the book really make me doubt how much if any of it is true.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Ragnar Lothbrok and a History of the Vikings
- Viking Warriors Including Rollo, Norsemen, Norse Mythology, Quests in America, England, France, Scotland, Ireland and Russia
- By: Noah Brown
- Narrated by: Dalan E. Decker
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ragnar Lothbrok was a legendary warrior who left a legacy among the Vikings like none other. Today's popular TV show may have popularized Ragnar's story, but the real facts are not very well known. Discover the truth behind this Viking warrior and the rich history of the Vikings.
-
-
Happy with this purchase!
- By Michelle Watson on 09-08-19
- Ragnar Lothbrok and a History of the Vikings
- Viking Warriors Including Rollo, Norsemen, Norse Mythology, Quests in America, England, France, Scotland, Ireland and Russia
- By: Noah Brown
- Narrated by: Dalan E. Decker
Narrator makes the book impossible to finish
Reviewed: 08-01-24
I was really looking forward to this book because I am interested in the Vikings and have read/listened to several recent books about them. However, I had to stop about halfway through the book because the narrator is HORRIBLE. He repeatedly mispronounces names, city names, and even common words. I just couldn't deal with him. His poor narration made the book impossible to finish.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Yard
- By: Alex Grecian
- Narrated by: Toby Leonard Moore
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only 12 detectives - known as “The Murder Squad” - to investigate thousands of murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. When Walter Day, the squad’s newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard’s first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley.
-
-
Know what you're getting into
- By connie on 09-08-12
- The Yard
- By: Alex Grecian
- Narrated by: Toby Leonard Moore
Too many things going on
Reviewed: 07-26-24
The book would have been much better without so many unrelated subplots. It may the book overly complicated and made it difficult to figure out what was really important to the main story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
- By: Seth Grahame-Smith
- Narrated by: Scott Holst
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.
-
-
My friends thought I was crazy.
- By bluecat1861 on 03-23-10
- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
- By: Seth Grahame-Smith
- Narrated by: Scott Holst
Not for me
Reviewed: 06-05-24
I thought the concept was kind of interesting, but found the execution to be annoying and frustrating. The constant switching from first to third person narrator was confusing at times. The history sprinkled in was also an annoyance. I am sure some people loved the bits of information, but it wasn't always clear when something was actual historical fact and when it was invented for the book. I spent a lot of time researching information to find out if it was real or a plot device.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
How the Crusades Changed History
- By: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Centuries have passed since the last crusader knight laid down his sword, but the Crusades continue to hold sway over our world. Because the Crusades have been so consequential to history, it's essential to understand the context, motivations, and preconditions of these dramatic military campaigns. In doing so, you'll not only get a fresher understanding of the Crusades, you'll discover surprising truths about why (and how) they were fought.
-
-
I am so pleased that Teaching Co is now on Audible
- By D. Littman on 08-24-13
- How the Crusades Changed History
- By: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
Intertesting content, poor speaker
Reviewed: 05-14-24
The content of the course is interesting and divided well. However, the way the professor keeps pronouncing Jerusalem like it has a Z instead of an S is really annoying. It might not be as bad if you only listen to one lesson at a sitting, but when you listen to several in a row, it really takes away from the overall presentation.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
A Time for Mercy
- A Jake Brigance Novel
- By: John Grisham
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Clanton, Mississippi. 1990. Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial when the court appoints him attorney for Drew Gamble, a timid sixteen-year-old boy accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance digs in and discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye. Jake’s fierce commitment to saving Drew from the gas chamber puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line.
-
-
Good but not great
- By ASDQM1 on 10-14-20
- A Time for Mercy
- A Jake Brigance Novel
- By: John Grisham
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
Lack of resolution
Reviewed: 04-14-24
This was my first and last Grisham novel. It was slow and boring with a lot of unnecessary elements. At times he seemed to be teaching a law class. There are two cases in the book that he spends a lot of time talking about and neither one is really resolved at the end of the book. It's like he got tired of writing it and just stopped. I was also very put off by the author's note at the end. He talked about writing many books set in the same area, but didn't care if he was consistent with what happened in the previous books because he was "too lazy" (his words) to go back and look at his previous work. I almost wish he hadn't said anything. But if he cares so little about continuity, I don't care to read the rest of the books. The narrator also wasn't great, which didn't help. Overall super disappointed by the experience but at least I know not to bother with more of his work.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
City of Echoes
- Detective Matt Jones, Book 1
- By: Robert Ellis
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Detective Matt Jones's first night working Homicide in LA, he's called to investigate a particularly violent murder case: a man has been gunned down in a parking lot off Hollywood Boulevard, his bullet-riddled body immediately pegged as the work of a serial robber who has been haunting the Strip for months.
-
-
City of Echoes is underrated!
- By Wayne on 01-12-16
- City of Echoes
- Detective Matt Jones, Book 1
- By: Robert Ellis
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
Horrible mishmash
Reviewed: 10-31-23
I think the author pulled every overdone idea from crime fiction and tossed them all into one book. It was very disjointed and completely unbelievable. A murder opens the book, but gets pretty much shunted aside for most of the novel. in favor of a serial killer. The serial killer is discovered by pure chance, no real detective work, a bunch of corrupt cops are uncovered, then the original murder comes back at the very end. None of the resolutions are in any way foreshadowed. Usually, you can put the pieces together or at least look back and go, oh right, I see. Not in this book. The lead character was not very likable or believable. Plus there is a completely pointless subplot about his father thrown in I suppose to give him unnecessary family drama. I would love to be able to get my money back for this book, but I waited too long to listen to it. I
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!