Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: The Devotion of Suspect X

Author: Keigo Higashino, Alexander O. Smith Translated by

Narrator: David Pittu

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-11

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 831 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasukos next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step. When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case and Yasuko comes under suspicion. Kusanagi is unable to find any obvious holes in Yasukos manufactured alibi and yet is still sure that theres something wrong. Kusanagi brings in Dr. Manabu Yukawa, a physicist and college friend who frequently consults with the police. Yukawa, known to the police by the nickname Professor Galileo, went to college with Ishigami. After meeting up with him again, Yukawa is convinced that Ishigami had something to do with the murder. What ensues is a high level battle of wits, as Ishigami tries to protect Yasuko by outmaneuvering and outthinking Yukawa, who faces his most clever and determined opponent yet.

Editorial Reviews:

On one level, The Devotion of Suspect X channels the vogue for offbeat psychological thrillers: a cerebral criminal, a physicist who moonlights as detective, lengthy mathematical discursions, all framed by a prose style that is as cool as a blades surface. But behind this is an essentially conventional tale of obsessive love and loneliness, and its this which drives the narrative onwards the quasi-intellectual trappings dont quite mesh with the narrative to make an organic whole. Even a significant twist towards the end doesnt fundamentally alter how we perceive the preceding events. Columbo-like, we know the identity of the guilty party from the start: the pleasure of the story is in seeing if and how they deal with their consciences and the police investigation.

The excellent David Pittu works hard at extracting every nuance, shade, and layer from the serviceable text. He seems to be able to anticipate the listener's own imaginative perception just where you'd imagine a tremor in the voice, or something spoken through gritted teeth, or with a sigh, he delivers just that, and right on time. It's uncanny. Where he comes up short is his performance of Yasuko, the single mother victimized by her ex-husband. Pittu portrays her with a tongue-tied gentleness, all downcast eyes and suppressed sighs; this sorrowful passivity in such a central character grates, becoming a reductive reminder of her victim status. But its author Higashino who must take the blame for this; Yasuko is a former nightclub hostess, which opens up all kinds of character possibilities and tensions that just aren't present here. Her relationship with her teen daughter is vitally important to the plot, but the daughter herself gets short shrift until a dramatic development only serves to underscore her absence from the book's main narrative.

Another cipher is Dr. Yukawa, the physicist who is called in to offer gnomish words of wisdom in some kind of consultancy capacity.

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Title: The Emperor's Tomb

Author: Steve Berry

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-23-10

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1553 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The tomb of Chinas First Emperor, guarded by an underground army of terra-cotta warriors, has remained sealed for more than 2,000 years. Though its regarded as one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world, the Chinese government wont allow anyone to open it. Why?

That question is at the heart of a dilemma faced by former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone, whose life is shattered when he receives an anonymous note carrying an unfamiliar Web address. Logging on, he sees Cassiopeia Vitt, a woman whos saved his life more than once, being tortured at the hands of a mysterious man who has a single demand: Bring me the artifact shes asked you to keep safe. The only problem is, Malone doesnt have a clue what the man is talking about, since Cassiopeia has left nothing with him. So begins Malones most harrowing adventure to dateone that offers up astounding historical revelations, pits him against a ruthless ancient brotherhood, and sends him from Denmark to Belgium to Vietnam then on to China, a vast and mysterious land where danger lurks at every turn.

Critic Reviews:

Perfect for thriller fans and history buffs alike. (David Morrell, on The Romanov Prophecy)

Steve Berry gets better and better with each new book. (The Huffington Post, on The Paris Vendetta)

Controversial, shocking, explosive. (Katherine Neville, on The Third Secret)

Members Reviews:

Dull

A disappointing offering from the usually reliable Berry. The plot is disjointed and boring, the characters lacking in anything resembling reality. Even Malone doesn't measure up.

Scott Brick doesn't help the book. He's trying to control the annoying lilt at the end of each sentence with about 90% success. He doesn't do accents or character voices well, and in this book it's a major failing. It's hard to tell which character is talking.

Glad to be done with this one. Hope Berry's next book is a lot better.

Fascinating Ride!

A great combination of Chinese history, present Chinese political environment AND usual Cotton Malone/Casiopia Whitt action. Anyone up-to-date with current events knows that the China's need for oil outpaces even that of the US. This book's premise is current and thought-provoking while entertaining with the usual "will they make it" (although you know they will) tension. That said, this isn't really the book to start with in the Cotton Malone series. Steve Berry's earlier books set the stage so I'd recommend buying his first book and then following them sequentially. Highly entertaining and I would definitely recommend.

Just okay...

I really enjoy both Steve Berry and Scott Brick, however I found my mind wandering while listening to this one. Normally I'm sad when the books are over, but I was ready to be done with this one. There seemed to be a lot of background or historical information, which is necessary, but maybe this was too much. The action scenes were good, but I didn't find myself on the edge of my seat. It's an okay listen - I'm glad I bought it at the introductory price.

Great book if interested in Chinese history ....

Well-written book about Chinese history. Well narrated. If you're interested in a mystery story, however, it's not with the introductory price of $9.95 and definitely not worth a credit.

Quite interesting

I've just finished listening, and have also gone through some of the other reviews.

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Title: The Happy Return

Author: C. S. Forester

Narrator: Christian Rodska

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 588 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Exclusively from Audible

The year is 1808 and somewhere off the coast of Nicaragua, C.S. Forester's hero returns, ready to embark on his next swashbuckling adventure.

The fifth instalment in the series, The Happy Return follows Captain Horatio Hornblower as he commands the thirty-six-gun frigate, HMS Lydia. Sent out on a mission to weaken the colonial Spanish government, Horatio must form an alliance with a narcissistic revolutionary leader with delusions of grandeur, who goes by the name of 'El Supremo'.

Simultaneously faced with an advancing Spanish fleet and their far superior fifty-gun ship, Natividad, Horatio must find a way to 'take, sink, burn or destroy' his enemies or fail and be made to face the British courts. Adding insult to injury, Horatio is furthermore challenged by the arrival of a singularly attractive passenger, the influential Lady Barbara Wellesley. Vulnerable, alone and seeking passage to England, Horatio cannot refuse the lady, but as a happily married man, he finds himself tortured by Barbara's tempting nature and astounding beauty.

An English novelist, C.S. Forester was highly praised by his contemporaries for his Napoleonic naval warfare series, and later for the publication of The African Queen.

Despite his natural ability and endless imagination, Forester came to writing much later than expected. Having originally studied medicine at Guy's Hospital, it was only after his travels with the Royal Navy that he was artistically inspired, developing in particular, a fervent love of story-telling. Sadly stricken with arteriosclerosis whilst voyaging to the Bering Sea, C.S. Forester was crippled in his later life, but his imagination and his skill with a pen survived for years to come.

Narrator Biography

Christian Rodska is an English television and voice actor best known for his role in the 1970s series Follyfoot.

From The Monuments Men and The Eagle of the Ninth to The Likely Lads, Z Cars, The Tomorrow People, Coronation Street, Bergerac and Casualty, his extensive and diverse acting career has led him to become a highly solicited radio and audiobook narrator.

He has now voiced over 150 unabridged audiobooks including Winston Churchill's biographies, Evelyn Waugh's Men at Arms and Sebastian Faulks' A Possible Life. He has been praised for his ability to vary in vocal pace and style and as such, Christian boasts 12 Earphone Awards from Audiofile Magazine.

Members Reviews:

AKA "Beat to Quarters"

"The Happy Return," also known as "Beat to Quarters," is the first-published (1937) adventure of Captain Horatio Hornblower, RN. It was followed in 1938 by "Ship of the Line" and "Flying Colours." Later books, published after WWII, went backward to cover Hornblower's early career, and forward to his rise to admiral and the peerage. "Midshipman Hornblower," chronologically the first story, was published in 1950.

Having listened to all the Aubrey/Maturin books and feeling bummed that there were no more left to hear, I decided to try this book, since I knew it sailed similar seas (British navy during the Napoleonic Wars). This first Hornblower adventure does not disappoint.

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Title: An Irish Country Courtship

Author: Patrick Taylor

Narrator: John Keating

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-28-10

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 581 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Welcome to the colorful Ulster village of Ballybucklebo, where two doctors work hand in hand to mend the bodies and spirits of the town's diverse and engaging inhabitants. But who is looking after the wounded hearts of the doctors?

After less than a year, young Barry Laverty, M.B., is settling in to the village, with only a few months to go before he becomes a full partner in the practice. He's looking forward to becoming a fixture in the community, until an unexpected romantic reversal gives him second thoughts. Will he truly be happy tending to routine coughs and colds for the rest of his career? After all, even when a more challenging case comes along, like a rare tropical disease, all he can do is pass it on to a qualified specialist or big-city hospital. As much as Barry enjoys the rough and tumble of life in County Down, is running a humble GP's shop all he wants out of life?

Barry's mentor, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, is going through some personal upheavals as well. After mourning his deceased wife for decades, he's finally allowed a new woman into his life. But this budding courtship is not going over well with Kinky Kincaid, the doctors' redoubtable housekeeper, who fears having her position usurped by O'Reilly's new flame. Tact, diplomacy, and a fair amount of blarney may be required to restore peace to the household.

Meanwhile, life goes on in Ballybucklebo, presenting both doctors with plenty of distractions from their own troubles. From a mysterious outbreak at the local school to a complicated swindle involving an unlucky racehorse, the two partners will need all of their combined wit and compassion to put things right again - just in time for their lives to change forever.

Members Reviews:

My favorite book series

Another slice of life from Drs. Lafferty and O'Rielly with the every charming Mrs. Kincaid. This is the 4th in the series and I've loved every single one of them. The Narrater, John Keating, is absolutely perfect with his Irish brogue and his ability to give each character a different voice.

This series is a feel good, enjoyable and lively listen!

I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I hope there will be more in the series!

I've read the entire Irish Country series. Firstly, I love John Keating as a reader! His knowledge of Irish accents is awesome, and he has a delight in his voice as he creates voices for each of the characters.

For anyone who may be disappointed by his accents, thinking they are not Irish, please know that the difference between Northern Ireland and the south such as Cork are major. Having spent a fair amount of time in Northern Ireland, which I love, it was a joy to listen to him and think about the people I have met and grown to love.

None of the books is a thriller. Rather, Patrick Taylor is delightful because of the characters in this imaginary village in the 1960's. This was the time when Ireland was just beginning to change and leap forward. Yet, many still had no phones, or still used primitive plumbing and heating. We don't think of a fire as a main heat source, but it still was in many homes in Ireland. Taylor brings it all to life.

If you want a series that will make you smile, and sometimes laugh out loud, then I would recommend this. My husband did not enjoy them as much as I did, but agreed about John Keating's narration.

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Title: Dexter Is Delicious

Author: Jeff Lindsay

Narrator: Jeff Lindsay

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-07-10

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1829 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Americas most-read, most-watched, and most beloved serial killer - Dexter Morgan - is back. After selling more than one million copies and inspiring the wildly popular #1 Showtime series and top-rated crime drama on pay-cable television, New York Times best-selling author Jeff Lindsay returns with his most hilarious, macabre, and purely entertaining novel yet.

Dexter Morgan has always lived a happy homicidal life. He keeps his dark urges in check by adhering to one steadfast rule... he only kills very bad people. But now Dexter is experiencing some major life changes - don't we all? And they're mostly wrapped up in the eight-pound curiosity that is his newborn daughter. Family bliss is cut short, however, when Dexter is summoned to investigate the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl who has been running with a bizarre group of goths who fancy themselves to be vampires. As Dexter gets closer to the truth of what happened to the missing girl, he realizes they are not really vampires so much as cannibals. And, most disturbing... these people have decided they would really like to eat Dexter.

Jeff Lindsay's best-selling, dark, ironic, and oftentimes laugh-out-loud hilarious novels about the lovable serial killer with no soul (but a redeeming desire to kill only people who deserve it) have gained a legion of fans and assumed a place in our culture

Members Reviews:

Odd even for Dexter, but enjoyable!

I enjoyed this Dexter novel - was nice to see him gain a little more humanity related to Lilly Anne. The cannabalism... well, that was an interesting twist! I am looknig forward to seeing what happens to Dexter next!

I have to ask why Jeff Lindsay felt the need to narrate... he doesn't do a terrible job, but there were a lot of monotone sentences, and I missed the "dark delight" that Nick Landrum seems to bring to Dexter's voice!

Getting Dexter

Nick Landrum really "got" Dexter. I started off to write this review only to discover that the reader that is boring me to tears is none other than the author! All I can think of as I attempt to wade through this audiobook is that the reader doesn't really get Dexter.

Nick Landrum really characterized Dexter with his reading/acting skills. He brought us that sardonic side of Dexter just with his tone of voice. The author as reader is just reading. I so loved the other Dexter novels (via audiobook) but I'm not sure I can finish this one. I would have loved to hear Landrum's Dexter bring this new twist to Dexter's life. I hope the publisher will consider doing another version as this one is not up to par.

Yes, I agree wtih others, Jeff Lindsay is a brilliant writer but not so hot as an audiobook reader. Let the pros put the polish on your work, Jeff!

Dexter Books are the Best

I love all the Dexter books (and the TV series) including this one. I really got use to Nick Landrums voice and style as Dexter though. To have kept Nick's narration would have definitely been a better move. I hope Nick's voice returns for the next books.

Jeff great writer poor reader....sorry bud.

Great addition to the series enjoyed the story immensely. But Jeff Lindsay is not an animated reader to say the least. Bless his heart though he does try.

Back to the book. More of the great Dexter we've come to love. Solid writing although is it just me or are the first few chapters kind of wishy washy.

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Title: The Book Club

Author: Mary Alice Monroe

Narrator: Deanna Hurst

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-10

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 58 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

New York Times best-selling author Mary Alice Monroe invites you to meet five remarkable characters as she explores the power of friendship with tenderness, honesty, and understanding.

Critic Reviews:

"Monroe's new novel opens as five friends, all members of a monthly book club, face turning points in their lives. Eve's husband dies suddenly, shattering her comfortable lifestyle, while Midge's mother makes an unannounced and unwelcomed reappearance. Annie finally feels ready to have a child, only to find her health and her marriage in jeopardy. Gabriella strains to make ends meet after her husband is laid off; Doris slides into depression as she tries to deny signs of her husband's infidelity. Sometimes close to and sometimes at odds with each other, the friends struggle to face harsh realities and, in the process, gain new independence.... Monroe offers up believable characters in a well-crafted story." (Publishers Weekly)

"Monroe makes her characters so believable, the reader can almost hear them breathing. (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Female friendships endure and thrive

Enjoyed overall. Another book about female friendships--all five women have very different lives, yet have a wonderful bond. Worth a credit if this appeals to you.

Easy to Predict!

The dialogue between the characters was not reality. Not how a typical conversation would go between friends and seemed so mechanical. You easily knew how the book's direction was going and easily predict each and every next line. No surprises here.

Beware: Title Is Deceptive !!

What would have made The Book Club better?

An exploration of the characters' interest in each other and books.

What could Mary Alice Monroe have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

She could have written a book about women who are friends, who enjoy reading and discussing books, stories, plots, etc., together. The characters in this book are not friends, they don't even like each other. A book club - don't think so - there are no discussions about any particular book, only an occasional reference by title.

What didnt you like about Deanna Hursts performance?

Her narration was dull and flat. It is difficult to distinguish one character from another.

What character would you cut from The Book Club?

Doris - she is more interested in showing off her china and table settings than being "friends" or in literary pursuits; she is a 50 year old woman who speaks in clichés about the activities of her husband's mid-life crisis as if it were not patently obvious he is having an affair - his interest in pornography for example, silk boxers - please Doris - get a clue !! Eve - hopelessly naïve about her own husband's extra-marital affair - the weeping red head at his funeral, condoms in his overnight bag, pictures of another woman in a locked box - OMG. Her pretense of a year-long period of grief is unbearably tedious. Annie - is this woman stupid ?? She is an attorney by trade and any first-year law student could have told her - "do your research lady" - having a child at 40+ years of age and all she can do is complain about what is required to accomplish that goal ??

Any additional comments?

Forget about this one - save your money, time and attention. Check out a library copy of "The Jane Austen Book Club" - delightful book.

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Title: The Water Is Wide

Author: Pat Conroy

Narrator: Dan John Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-10-10

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 814 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The island is nearly deserted, haunting, beautiful. Across a slip of ocean lies South Carolina. But for the handful of families on Yamacraw island, America is a world away. For years the people here lived proudly from the sea, but now its waters are not safe. Waste from industry threatens their very existence unless, somehow, they can learn a new life. But they will learn nothing without someone to teach them, and their school has no teacher.

Critic Reviews:

"A hell of a good story." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Conroy's early autobiography

Conroy describes and quotes the students from Yamacraw Island in such an amusing and endearing way that it's hard not to fall in love with them. Dan John Miller, who did such an amazing job narrating Lords of Discipline, once again brings each characther to life with his superb narration. I found this book fascinating as it describes Conroy's early life as a teacher and touches on many of the stories that he used in later novels. He also describes some real life characters (including himself) who are recognizable from his other books.

LOVE IT!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Water Is Wide to be better than the print version?

I have only listened but I have to say, the narrator really made this book fun!

What did you like best about this story?

The humor!

What does Dan John Miller bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

As I said above, he really made the book fun! His interpretation of the kids was fabulous!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES.

Any additional comments?

I am a huge Pat Conroy fan - this is by far by fave!

Anything Pat Conroy writes is wonderful to me.

After reading all his big books, I took this one on recently and was thrilled that it didn't read like a memoir in the traditional sense. It reads like fiction and it feels like truth. If I have one complaint about it, it is that for the audio, I would have liked Pat's voice instead of the narrator. The narrator was good, but Pat's distinctive voice would have made this even more wonderful.

A storyteller at his best

I've been a Conroy fan all my life but somehow never got around to reading this book. I had, of course, seen the movie:-). So glad I got it. Though I don't necessarily agree with some of his characterizations of people and I imagine he exaggerates some things-as most good storytellers do-it is definitely worth your time. The narrator is excellent too, and captures how would imagine different people would speak perfectly. The world lost a great writer when Conroy died.

Written in 70s still timeless and current!

This book could have been written today and describes the workings of school boards, vengeful "old school" administrators, southern attitudes and reflections of predjudices that are still looming. Maybe not as flagrantly spoken today, but just as insidious. So well written through the eyes of a young, idealistic white teacher setting out to try to make a difference only to find out the hard way, being right isn't always rewarded with a pat on the back from on high.

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Title: Winter's Bone

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Daniel Woodrell

Narrator: Emma Galvin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-20-10

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1047 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The sheriff's deputy at the front door brings hard news to Ree Dolly. Her father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date.

Ree's father has disappeared before. The Dolly clan has worked the shadowy side of the law for generations, and arrests (and attempts to avoid them) are part of life in Rathlin Valley. With two young brothers depending on her and a mother who's entered a kind of second childhood, 16-year-old Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive. She has grown up in the harsh poverty of the Ozarks and learns quickly that asking questions of the rough Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. But along the way to a shocking revelation, Ree discovers unforeseen depths in herself and in a family network that protects its own at any cost.

Critic Reviews:

"Like his characters, and especially his teen characters, Woodrell's prose mixes tough and tender so thoroughly yet so delicately that we never taste even a hint of false bravado, on the one hand, or sentimentality, on the other. And Ree is one of those heroines whose courage and vulnerability are both irresistible and completely believable - think of not just Mattie Ross in True Grit but also Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird or even Eliza Naumann in Bee Season. One runs out of superlatives to describe Woodrell's fiction. (Booklist)

At its best, the novel captures the near-religious criminal mania pervasive in rural communities steeped in drug culture. Woodrell's prose, lyrical as often as dialogic, creates an unwieldy but alluring narrative that allows him to draw moments of unexpected tenderness from predictable scripts. (Publishers Weekly)

In spare but evocative prose, Woodrell depicts a harsh world in which the responsibilities for survival ultimately give Rees meaning and direction. He depicts the landscape, people, and dialects with stunning realism. A compelling testament to how people survive in the worst of circumstances. (School Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

A Masterpiece

I have listened to audiobooks for 10 years at about 15 books per year. I have loved many books but I have never been moved to write a review before. "Winter's Bone" is a remarkable book. It is "The Road" (whose language I loved, which I found too bleak to finish) but with a more human scope that makes the directness and frequent brutality of the story moving rather than depressing. It is written in spare but evocative language that cuts straight through to the essence of the story and its characters. The narrator is perfect for the role. This is an absolute must listen. Do not skip this book. It will stop you in your tracks.

Stunning combination of story and narration...

A masterful melding of language that paints vivid, photograph-quality pictures of hardscrabble life in the Ozarks, with narration that conveys the authenticity in every word of tragedy and survival. Although far too short, this is by far among the very best of the many Audible selections I've enjoyed. I look forward to more from this author and narrator!

Dark and Beautiful

Anyone who reads even the first page of Winter's Bone will not deny that Daniel Woodrell can write. This book centered on the milieu, and on the struggle of the main character, Ree, who is one of the toughest heroines I've ever encountered.

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Title: Four Fires

Author: Bryce Courtenay

Narrator: Humphrey Bower

Format: Unabridged

Length: 29 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-16-10

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1569 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The four fires in this story are passion, religion, warfare, and fire itself. While there are many more fires that drive the human spirit, love being perhaps the brightest flame of all, it is these four that have moulded us most as Australian people. The four fires give us our sense of place and, for better or for worse, shape our national character.

Critic Reviews:

"Humphrey Bower, speaking as Mole, delivers every possible nuance and emotion of his characters story, and shows a startling aptitude for other dialects as well. Close family friends and enemies include surviving Polish Jews, an East Indian healer, an Irish Catholic priest, Japanese prison camp soldiers, and many others. All of them, young and old, male and female, spring to vivid life in Bowers versatile voice. Narrative passages and dialogue elicit tears and laughter by turns, without a minute of boredom in the 30-hour production." (AudioFile magazine)

Members Reviews:

Hit in the solar plexus

I try to rate a book not so much on how much I liked it but on how well I thought it was written. This becomes even more compounded/confounded by the fact that I mostly listen to audiobooks and there is the matter of this person called the narrator. I cannot say this too strongly, I believe a narrator can make or break a book. So, for my reviews, there is this other dimension to consider.

I believe that Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay is a phenomenal book all by itself. It is not, however, a book I probably would have gravitated to nor enjoyed as much in paper form. I picked this selection based on reviews and particularly the reference in these reviews to the narrator Humphrey Bower. I was not disappointed. To call Mr. Bower a narrator does not do him justice. An actor? Okay, that works. He flawlessly plays the roles of so many of the characters in this book. And that would make him an artist. That's good too. But, like the author himself, Bower is a Storyteller extraordinaire and for me, that was the magic of this selection.

I was blown away by every aspect of this book in a "good way" until Mole's dad takes him into the bush and tells him of his time in the war. For me, at that moment, the book became something completely different. It was like it was not even the same book written by the same person. And, while I concluded that the descriptions of all the brutality of war could be taken in context, it might not be for everyone. These events are not pure fiction, but, we are told, are descriptions based on historical facts and perhaps we should not avoid nor look away from such things if we are to diminish their chance of reoccurrence in the future.

So, for the record, I give the Four Fires:

5 stars for personal enjoyment

5 stars for general skill in writing

5 stars for storytelling, acting and narration.

His very best!

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the intriguing characters, the humor, just everything about this book. Nothing else can be added about Humphrey Bower - he brings the pages to life. I could listen to Humphrey Bower read a telephone book.

I have read most of Bruce Courtenay and I agree with other reviewers, this is his best.I didn't want the story to end. Another feature I enjoy about Bruce Courtenay is that he teaches the reader - I learned a lot about forest fires. Fascinating.

This is a "must listen" book.

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Title: A Rather Lovely Inheritance

Author: CA Belmond

Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-21-10

Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1030 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This is your life Penny Nichols....

Penny Nichols is a historical researcher working on a big-budget film in the south of France when she gets an urgent call. Her Aunt Penelope has just died, and Penny's presence is required in London for the reading of the will.

A rather lovely inheritance....

With only a slim recollection of her eccentric aunt, Penny is astonished to learn that not only is she the bona fide heiress - but she's also been invited to put her research skills to work. This time, the history she's researching happens to be her very own.

To the irresistible dare of a lifetime....

What she discovers about Aunt Penelope, a pair of wills, double lives, secret histories, and a family tree of 'vultures' is about to sweep Penny and a long-lost relative across France, over the hills of Italy, and through half of Europe on the adventure of several lifetimes. This is her life, her past, her chance at love - and Penny's going to live with the kind of passion she's always dreamed of!

Members Reviews:

Fast, Breezy and Thoroughly Enjoyable...

What made the experience of listening to A Rather Lovely Inheritance the most enjoyable?

Katherine Kellgren as narrator...she is probably my most favorite when I want a light and breezy story to listen to over breakfast each morning. The story was interesting, lively with just the right mixture of suspence and humor delivered with precision by Katherine Kellgren.

I had never read, nor listened to C. A. Belmond before so I had no basis for comparison with this author, but was certain that it would be good because I so enjoy the narrator.

What other book might you compare A Rather Lovely Inheritance to and why?

This story has the same lightness and appeal as Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen and the same narrator which was great for me since I've exhausted that series and was searching for a similar adventure.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the entire storyline but I guess my favorite scene was when Penelope found herself in London for the reading of her great aunt Penelope's will and once again reunited with her "cousin" Jeremy whom she had known and played with as a child on a visit to her mother's family in London for a summer.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

LOL...ALL of the audible books that I have listened to have that quality! But I try and pace myself to listen to only a chapter or two each morning, although I confess that I did listen to several chapters at one sitting during the more exciting middle of the story.

Any additional comments?

I throughly enjoyed listening to this presentation and I hope that C. A. Belmond and Katherine Kellgren team up again...and soon. I've listened to a wide variety of stories with my "breakfast" and have never been disappointed by audible, nor Katherine Kellgren's delivery she has the ability to transport you to whatever she is reading with different voices for each character and an ease of confidence that brings the listener the same "lost in the story" that I get when I read a good book, or watch a good show.

A nice change of pace

This was a charming story about a young woman who becomes an heiress unexpectedly, and then events ensue where it all gets threatened as she has to figure out who is trying to steal it all away from her.