Belinda

Hauntingly beautiful

Reviewed: 08-21-24

This was an absolutely fantastic performance novella, or podcast, I’m honestly not sure what cubby it fits in. Incredible acting, interesting structure, fascinating storyline with resonance and depth. Truly, top notch. I place it in the top 5 fiction podcasts/serialized stories I’ve listened to this year, and I listen to A LOT. Most reviewers call crap a gem, so I apparently have higher standards—this one truly is.

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Just yuck

Reviewed: 03-26-24

Unlikeable characters, extremely unbelievable plot line, most “twists” were predictable, without giving spoilers, unsatisfying resolution.

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Should be categorized as YA

Reviewed: 03-14-24

Book is utterly unbelievable and trite—the level of involvement of a high school student in the investigation is ludicrous, to say nothing of the fact that the district attorney appears to be investigating the case rather than the police, which anyone with a modicum of legal knowledge knows isn’t correct. Moreover, the characters are trite and lacking depth. It tries too hard. This book might work as Young Adult for high school students, but stretches the bounds of credibility far too much for any adult crime/mystery novel aficionado.

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My favorite!!

Reviewed: 06-04-23

I adore this book…I have read all of Caimh’s novels and short stories and, while I have thoroughly enjoyed them all, this is my favorite. In part, because it is the funniest; I literally laughed out loud at numerous points. It is also heartwarming and engaging. I’ve listened to this at least three times since it was released and enjoyed every one. Give it a go!

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9 people found this helpful

Insipid protagonist

Reviewed: 06-12-20

I’m only a few hours into this book but I’m am unable to keep going. This so-called attorney has thus far behaved like an incompetent moron. Final straw was rummaging through a murder suspect’s room while the police en route to search it AND removing evidence. Yes, she knew it was wrong, and did it anyway. What she did not even seem to recognize as a violation was to advise the suspect’s mother to pack a bag. You don’t need any experience with criminal law to know that NOTHING may be altered or removed. I can only assume this will become one of those spunky lawyer fighting against a justice system railroading an innocent who has been framed, but it is utterly inane. I can’t go on. Writing is above average, narrator is good, but I can’t deal with yet another insipid female lead. Why this seems to be such a ubiquitous trope in this genre is beyond me. Females are not all ruled by their emotions over common sense, ya know. Enough with reinforcing negative stereotypes

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1 person found this helpful

Not bad

Reviewed: 06-04-20

The plot was not terribly believable, but the writing was several grades above the trite, poorly written drivel too often found in this genre, so I am ok with that aspect. The narrator’s Texas accent was indeed very heavy. Having grown up in small-town West Texas, I will not say it is exaggerated—I could call up any number of women who sound just like her:)—but it is about as thick as it gets. A more subtle accent, or only using the accent when reading dialogue, would have served just as well as characterization and been far more pleasant to listen to. Even as a native expat Texan it got annoying. I can deal with conversations when I go home but I don’t let my mother’s friends read to me for 10 hrs...:)

Like the main character, I grew up on a ranch and can shoot a gun, etc, and it makes me a little homesick. Viva Tejas:)

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Fabulous series!

Reviewed: 03-15-20

Consistently one of my favorites. If you like your mysteries smart, humorous, well written with well-developed characters and an original premise and a dash of the paranormal (realistically presented), this series is for you. If you are someone who routinely rates trite, simplistic mysteries that could have been written by a middle school student with 5 stars, you should move on. I find the narrator exceptional—I have no idea why he has received poor ratings from other listeners.

I am an avid consumer of audiobooks who has been an Audible member since 2004...needless to say I have quite the library, so when I say this series (including it’s narration) is “one of my favorites” it’s saying something. I have listened to every book in this series multiple times, which is something I can say of very few other books.

Give it a shot!

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Best “Ghost Story”...and so much more

Reviewed: 02-26-20

Love this one...the conceptualization of hauntings via psychology is fascinating and the story is nuanced and unpredictable. Beautifully done. The narrator is phenomenal...she masters the diverse regional accents perfectly, which is crucial for the performance of this novel and serves to enhance the experience. Highly recommend for a very interesting, scary, and original “ghost story”

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Terrible

Reviewed: 05-13-19

Mystery was juvenile—had it figured out within the first few chapters—characters shallow, predictable stereotypes poorly executed, the ending is more “hey, look, here’s an unexpected plot twist!” than it is a thrilling turn, more plot holes than...well, something full of plot holes. I’M not the writer making the big bucks, here. How this book gets so many rave reviews and became a best seller is beyond me. The narrator did not improve matters. Overreacting and irritating voices. I spent some time working in the Virgin Islands and the absolute butchering of the Caribbean accent interfered with what might have given some texture to the setting. I suppose if you like your mysteries about 1mm deep and requiring zero mental effort this one might be for you, I’m left dumbfounded as to its popularity. If you want to think and be genuinely surprised, Id pass this one by.

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Disappointed

Reviewed: 12-06-18

I adore the Rivers of London series, it’s one of my go-to relistens (and I’m picky), but this one just...well, fell flat might be the best description. The characters felt stilted, the scenes rushed, the plot too broad and too convoluted to make for the usual upbeat narrative flow and character develop typical of the earlier novels in the series. It’s like it tried to bring EVERYTHING together, and all our favorite characters get at least a token appearance, but it tried too hard...I think a more focused story might have been better for me. As always, Kobna Holbrook-Smith’s narration is fantastic, though, and this book is still better than much of the stuff out there. I wish it could have continued the trajectory of awesomeness provided by the first 6 books, but if you’re a fan of the series, I guess the only choice is to plow ahead and hope the next novel lives up to the high expectations....

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2 people found this helpful