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Title: Stonemouth

Author: Iain Banks

Narrator: Peter Kenny

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Stewart Gilmour is back in Stonemouth. After five years in exile, his presence is required at the funeral of patriarch Joe Murston, and even though the last time Stu saw the Murstons he was running for his life, staying away might be even more dangerous than turning up.

An estuary town north of Aberdeen, Stonemouth, with its five mile beach, can be beautiful on a sunny day. On a bleak one it can seem to offer little more than sea fog, gangsters, cheap drugs and a suspension bridge irresistible to suicides. And although there's supposed to be a temporary truce between Stewart and the town's biggest crime family, it's soon clear that only Stewart is taking this promise of peace seriously. Before long a quick drop into the cold grey Stoun begins to look like the soft option, and as he steps back into the minefield of his past to confront his guilt and all that it has lost him, Stu uncovers ever darker stories, and his homecoming takes a more lethal turn than even he had anticipated.

Tough, funny, fast-paced and touching, Stonemouth cracks open adolescence, love, brotherhood, and vengeance in a rite-of-passage novel like no other.

Members Reviews:

Another great Iain Banks story read by Peter Kenny

Where does Stonemouth rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Top 20.

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

The plot moves swiftly (the book covers a 3 - 4 day period) and there are several unexpected events. The authors slow revelation of the main characters history was good.

What about Peter Kennys performance did you like?

Peter Kenny's performances are consistently good.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Some people never forgive....

Any additional comments?

More please.

strong characters with plenty of grit

Iain Banks is a genius and Peter Kenny presents his works perfectly. Kenny brings out every nuance and has a voice that seems to merge with the text and creates a full blooded technicolour rendition of the story.

No only is this a great audiobook, it is yet more evidence that we need to see the rest of Iain Banks' substantial bibliography brought online. Highly recommended.

Revenge and Regret on the Scottish Coast

Regarding Audiobooks, I have resisted the urge until this point as I have a dubious habit of poring over the intricately formed sentences that my favourite writers have created. I wasn't the least bit sure I would be able to concentrate on a storyteller reading to me at a pace I may not have been comfortable or familiar with. I wallow in fiction, especially when layered so carefully, as most of Banks' work undoubtedly is.

And Stonemouth is no different in this respect. Banks readers have been spoilt for years with the power of his ability to entrance and displace his readers into whatever world he has created for them. Here, in a small coastal town near Aberdeen, we meet Stewart Gilmour, tentatively creeping back home after being chased away five years previously for reasons that will become apparent. The slow burn narrative of the main plotline is the bone that the rest of Banks' flourishes cling to. And what flourishes! Stonemouth comes alive, witty and funny, bristling and feisty like its weather and the wake of its coast, spewing characters that are wonderfully imperfect and immaculately rendered.

The story is simple, but it is in the detail that fans will revel.

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Title: Titmuss Regained

Author: John Mortimer

Narrator: Paul Shelley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

On England's green and pleasant land there are dark rumblings of concrete mixers, bulldozers and planning committees, local and ministerial. In Rapstone Manor, Lady Grace Fanner is dying, defiant to the last. Awaiting the event is the Right Honourable Leslie Titmuss MP, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Ecological Affairs and Planning (HEAP). He is alone now after the death of his wife, and the manor house becomes an essential weapon in his pursuit of the beautiful widow of an Oxford don.

Members Reviews:

Loved this book

This is John Mortimer at his best and. Paul Shelly's narration is compelling....as close to perfect as I have ever heard.

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Title: Seven Dogs in Heaven

Author: Leland Dirks, Angelo Dirks

Narrator: Roy Worley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-12

Publisher: Leland R Dirks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

What if you awoke to angels who had four feet instead of wings?

Would you listen as they taught you

Would you listen?

Would you believe?

Part memoir, part fable, and part fantasy, this is the story of a man who makes his way through paradise thanks to the help of the canine friends who shared his life.

This edition also includes a bonus short story, Christmas with a Collie.

©2011 Leland Dirks (P)2012 Leland Dirks

Members Reviews:

FANTASTIC

This was my 1st audible book. Being a dog lover myself, I could laugh and cry at the antics and the sorrows of the dogs. The narrator was superb. I will find more books narrated by him and more books written by this author. I hated that the book had to end. It is a must read/listen book.

Mitch Albion barks

If you could sum up Seven Dogs in Heaven in three words, what would they be?

A fun twist and tail of "judgement" . Entertains and gives lessons of living life well.

What other book might you compare Seven Dogs in Heaven to and why?

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albion. This book is similiar from a dog's viewpoint.

Have you listened to any of Roy Worleys other performances before? How does this one compare?

Don't know.

I enjoyed it!

Any additional comments?

I decided to give this one a try based on Amazon reviews of the book, so I felt that I knew what to expect. It was a cute story. Makes me wonder how our nutty dog might judge us... Give it a try.

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Title: The Underside of Joy

Author: Sere Prince Halverson

Narrator: Geneva Carr

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-25-12

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 77 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Set against the backdrop of Redwood forests and shimmering vineyards, Seré Prince Halverson's compelling debut tells the story of two women, bound by an unspeakable loss, who each claims to be the mother of the same two children.

To Ella Beene, happiness means living in the Northern California river town of Elbow with her husband, Joe, and his two young children. Yet one summer day, Joe breaks his own rule - never turn your back on the ocean - and a sleeper wave strikes him down, drowning not only the man but his many secrets.

For three years, Ella has been the only mother the kids have known and has believed that their biological mother, Paige, abandoned them. But when Paige shows up at the funeral, intent on reclaiming the children, Ella soon realizes there may be more to Paige and Joe's story. "Ella's the best thing that's happened to this family," say her close-knit Italian-American in-laws, for generations the proprietors of a local market. But their devotion quickly falters when the custody fight between mother and stepmother urgently and powerfully collides with Ella's quest for truth.

The Underside of Joy is not a fairy-tale version of stepmotherhood pitting good Ella against evil Paige, but an exploration of the complex relationship of two mothers. Their conflict uncovers a map of scars - both physical and emotional - on the families' deeply buried tragedies, including Italian internment camps during World War II and postpartum psychosis.

Weaving a rich fictional tapestry abundantly alive with the glorious natural beauty of the novel's setting, Halverson is a captivating guide through the flora and fauna of human emotion: grief and anger, shame and forgiveness, happiness and its shadow complement... the underside of joy.

Members Reviews:

Couldn't take my headphones out!

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

Yes! I fact, I listened to most of it on a 10 hour road trip...then couldn't sleep that night until I finished the rest.

Totally enjoyable slice of life.

What did you love best about The Underside of Joy?

Nice ebb and of flow of happy and sad. Likable characters. Nicely narrated and thought provoking essence of motherhood.

What about Geneva Carrs performance did you like?

The narrator had a good ability to change voices for different characters.

Disappointing

The story started strong, but turned into a soap opera. So disappointing. I thought the narration was good, though.

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Title: The Sisters Brothers

Author: Patrick deWitt

Narrator: William Hope

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-11

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Oregon, 1851. Eli and Charlie Sisters, notorious professional killers, are on their way to California to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm. On the way, the brothers have a series of unsettling experiences in the landscape of Gold Rush America. And they bicker a lot. Arriving in California, and discover that Warm has invented a magical formula, which could make all of them very rich. What happens next is utterly gripping, strange and sad....

Members Reviews:

Engaging and entertaining

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is an interesting interpretation of the Western genre, set in Oregon and California during the gold rush. I found the story compelling and the reader really gave the characters depth.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Eli, the narrator. He was sympathetic while being flawed.

What about William Hope???s performance did you like?

He did a wonderful job of interpreting the different characters through nuances of speech.

Brilliant Performance by William Hope

This was recommended to me by someone to whom I'll be returning for more advice! It's a darkly humorous take of fraternal assassins in the old west, and chronicles their journey to their latest quarry in gold-rush California. Sometimes strange, but not in an inaccessible way - think more Coen Brothers than David Lynch.

William Hope's modes of speech are superbly evocative; and should be award-winning if there is any justice. Just a brilliant listen.

brilliant

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sisters Brothers to be better than the print version?

It's on par, I would say.

What did you like best about this story?

It's a gripping, stylish, fabulously told tale. I found it intelligent and exciting. The narration I thought was perfect.

Have you listened to any of William Hopes other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, I have not.

If you could take any character from The Sisters Brothers out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would take out Eli.

Any additional comments?

I found the narration addictive and started to think like the characters in the tale.

Good story, great narrator.

This story was only ok for me. Had been recommendedto me by a friend. If I was reading the book I might have just put it down but the narrator pulled me through so I ended up rating it a 3 star.

If you like the Coen Brothers...

The description of this book put me in mind of a Coen brothers film, and I was not disappointed by the comparison. This is a great tale of two brothers, told from the point of view of Eli, the more thoughtful of the two. It's a wonderful description of a space in time where things were more simple: life in the American west during the gold-rush was about surviving rather than living, killing was as easy as eating, and basic needs of love and warmth are reflected on, but not prioritised. The language used is intricate and well-placed, and the plot full of action.

This was one of those books where I was so pleased that I listened to the performance, rather than reading it myself, as I could never have imagined the correct accent, tone and inflection that is so important in creating these characters, brilliant work from William Hope.

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Title: Remember Me

Author: Cheryl Robinson

Narrator: Susan Spain

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Popular author Cheryl Robinson is acclaimed for her novels featuring strong characters fighting against long odds. Here she tells the tale of Mia and Danielle, whose vow to remain best friends forever was shattered by an indiscretion. Twenty years later, the women are reunited by tragedy. Now, to forge the bond of friendship anew, theyll have to revisit their painful past and confront the events that have kept them apart.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful

I absolutely loved this book. It is so well written and as a native Detroiter I loved all the references to my old neighborhood and hangouts. I've already purchased 2 more books fromt this author and am quickly becoming one of her biggest fans! Loved it!

Good Story, Difficult to follow at times

I generally enjoy books by this author, and was looking forward to this release. The story was moving and thought provoking, however, I often had trouble following the stories from the varying protagonists points of view. That being said, I am eagerly awaiting Ms. Robinson's next offering.

beautiful tribute to the power of friendship

The only thing Mia Marks and Danielle King have in common is the simple fact that they attend the same all-girls Catholic high school, Our Lady of Glory, and they don't exactly associate with the same people so a friendship between them seems farfetched. However, the young women see beyond the color of their skin and the differences between their backgrounds and form an unlikely friendship - one that sees them through many hardships and tribulations and boy troubles until eventually a single indiscretion tears apart the friendship they'd spent years nurturing.

Twenty years go by without any communication between them. Danielle went on to become a popular author and is living in Miami while Mia is working as a school teacher in Detroit, but they still have much in common. They're unhappily married, raising teenage daughters and living with the regret of their lost friendship - and they're both far too proud to make any attempt to contact each other and try to rekindle any semblance of their friendship. A bond like Mia and Danielle shared never truly goes away and when they're reunited due to a horrifyingly scary tragedy they discover that their friendship is still viable... it just needs a little TLC, a whole lot of honesty and the added bonus years of maturity has given them to see everything more clearly.

Cheryl Robinson's REMEMBER ME reminds me of why we should always treasure our friends - even those we've had a falling out with for one reason or another. This story jumps from past to present so you get the full impact of Mia and Danielle's lives and friendship over time. I really enjoyed getting to know them as teenagers and understanding what caused their falling out and then viewing them as adults as they struggle through betrayals, cancer/insurance issues, marriages crumbling, and teenage drama from their daughters. REMEMBER ME obviates racial barriers and gets right down to the heart of the matter - a friendship that survives time and distance and reinforces the saying that `men will come and go, but friendship is forever.'

On a more personal note, I'm a military brat so had very few friends that lasted over four years (the length of time my dad was stationed anywhere).

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Title: Carry Yourself Back to Me

Author: Deborah Reed

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

With a broken heart, a stalled career, and a troubled family, singer-songwriter Annie Walsh seeks refuge at her secluded home, surrounded by a lush Florida tangelo grove and the company of her old dog Detour. But a crime connected to her brother Calder threatens to tear her family apart, and Annie is forced to shore up her loyalties and question some profound disappointments of her past. From the ever-changing present, where each hour brings an unforeseen piece of news, to the poignant childhood days of first allegiances and life-changing losses, circumstances converge and Annie steps out to lull the listener into this soulful, stirring journey like a fine and forlorn love ballad.

Carry Yourself Back to Me cultivates an often tender, sometimes tart world of love and loss. Inflected with melancholy and redeemed by melody, this deeply affecting story is certain to strike a resonant chord in the heart.

Members Reviews:

lovely story

well written, lovely story with enough suspense to keep you guessing! very much enjoyed this novel and narrator.

This book carry your self back.

Hello this book is good the story tell that some time what we think we want is not the best if we step back and listen.

A story that builds

Reed is a good Read. She puts together a story without extras,and in the end you rejoice in her tale. I loved the poetic quality of it all. I loved her characters whom we meet from the entrance into the story. They all seem to grow and change....at one moment you think them horrible and then they grow up. Loved it!

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Title: Half of the Human Race

Author: Anthony Quinn

Narrator: Roger May

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-11-11

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In the sweltering summer of 1911, suffragette Connie Callaway is introduced to Will Maitland, cricketer and rising star of his county. Despite parting on uncertain terms, they are destined to meet again, their lives inextricably entangled. Combining national drama and private tragedy, this is a story of love, sacrifice, suffrage and county cricket, projected against a vivid backdrop of England in an extraordinary age of turmoil and violence.

Members Reviews:

Nearly, but not quite 5 star

Any additional comments?

An excellent yarn mixing historical events with the fiction of the romance of the two main characters but spoiled for me by a lack of appreciation of the relationship between the amateur and professional cricketer in pre-WW1 England. William Maitalnd, the hero, is a public school educated man who decides to make cricket his "profession", and signs professional terms with a fictional county based on the old county ground at Hastings (The Priory). He is offered the captaincy of his county but declines on a matter of loyalty to a team mate who his committee want to sack. In reality, this would never have occurred at this time. It would be another 20 years before a professional captained a first class county (Ewart Astill) and it is unlikely Maitland would have been permitted to play as a professional in the first place. Even if he could not afford to play as an amateur, some means of defraying his expenses would have been found to avoid him becoming a traitor to his class - as was the case with many during the Victorian and Edwardian era - WG Grace to name but one.

The rest of the cricket related matters in the book are done well which makes it all the more surprising that the author should have missed this small, but significant point

This little irritation (and perhaps a frustration with Maitland's stuffed shirt reluctance to follow his heart) it is excellent.

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Title: Barking

Author: Tom Holt

Narrator: Ray Sawyer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-23-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Monsters are roaming the streets of London. Of course, some monsters are scarier than others: Unicorns? No bother. Vampires? Big deal. Werewolves? Ho hum. Lawyers? Aaargh! Duncan's boss doesn't think that he's cut out to be a lawyer. He isnt a pack animal. He lacks the killer instinct. But when his best friend from school barges his way back into Duncans life, with a full supporting cast of lawyers, ex-wives, zombies and snow-white unicorns, its not long before things become distinctly unsettling. Hairy, even.

Critic Reviews:

"Dazzling." (Time Out)

"Frothy, fast and funny." (Scotland On Sunday)

Members Reviews:

Eccentric and witty favourite

Barking has been a favourite of mine for many years and I was delighted to find it on Audible. Tom Holt has a unique brand of storytelling. Loved the narration.

Classic Holt!!

What made the experience of listening to Barking the most enjoyable?

Characterization of the main players was excellent

What did you like best about this story?

Once again the twists and unexpected turns of Holts imagination came to the fore!!

What about Ray Sawyers performance did you like?

Very easy to listen to this narrator.

If you could rename Barking, what would you call it?

Can't fault the title!!

Barking

Werewolves, lawyers, vampires, zombies and a unicorn. Just another day at the office. If youve listened to Tom Holt before youll know what youre getting into, its the real world with added fantasy elements and humour. This one is a little darker than other books by this author Ive listened to. But it is still very good, with lots of humour, and very accurate and funny observations on dog (well wolf) behaviour, which any dog owners will recognise. I really enjoyed it, and it was excellently read by Ray Sawyer. Highly recommended.

A diamond in the rrrrrruff!

I've been a fan of Tom Holt's books for several years, so was really pleased to find unabridged recordings here on Audible. Ray Sawyer brings the work to life with a wide range of characteristisations.

The story itself contains Holt's usual mix of subtle references, cunningly crafted turns of phrase, and characters both credible and entertaining. 'Barking' also draws on Holt's real life experience as a solicitor, adding greatly to the authentic 'feel' of the work.

In conclusion, a well-wrought recording which should please Tom Holt fans new and established alike.

Easy Bed Time Listening

If you're after a book with laugh out loud comedy then perhaps this isn't it. It's well written and read well but it lacks the real oomph that some of the other Tom Holt books offer. It's a great book to listen to as you're off to bed as it doesn't require too much attention as it's quite slow going.

The book does have it's moments and I did enjoy it. If you want a book about the supernatural with a dash of the mundane realities of life today then this is for you! But as I've already said, there are better Tom Holt books out there.

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Title: The Wreckage

Author: Michael Robotham

Narrator: Sean Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-09-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 74 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In London, ex-cop Vincent Ruiz rescues a young woman from a violent boyfriend but wakes next morning to find that hes been set up and robbed. As he tracks down the thieves, he discovers the boyfriends tortured body and learns that powerful men are looking for the girl. What did Holly Knight steal that is so important to them? Meanwhile in Baghdad, the bank robbery capital of the world, billions of dollars in reconstruction funds has gone missing and Pulitzer prize-winning Journalist Luca Terracini is trying to follow the money. The dangerous trail will lead him to London where he teams up with Vincent Ruiz and together they investigate the disappearance of an international banker and a mysterious black hole in the banks account.

Members Reviews:

Robotham and Barrett are now on my Watch List.

This one almost got away. Good story well read.

The description of the novel had me thinking it was a bit of a risk. Not so at all.

It took little time to engage and hold my interest. I felt the frustration of the daughter at her Dad's odd behaviour, and 'tut tutted' at risky choices and wondered how an old pro could be caught like that, and was in short engaged with the different personalities as the story unfolded. Sean Barrett was the perfect narrator.

Another excellent Michael Robotham thriller

Would you consider the audio edition of The Wreckage to be better than the print version?

I have to drive long distances every day, for me, there is no more written word.

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

I love the way Michael keeps changing his main characters between books but keeps the environment familiar. In this way we get to know the characters but the story stays gripping and fresh.

What does Sean Barrett bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

I love Sean's narration as much as the books. He is excellent!

Who was the most memorable character of The Wreckage and why?

It would be the "Courier". He is a dark and mysterious psychopath using war as a backdrop to satisfy his murderous needs.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, well done Michael.

Topical and Gripping!

I tend to devour audiobooks at the rate of two a month and rarely feel the need to recommend one to other listeners. However, The Wreckage is by far one of the best books I have heard in a long time. A combination of tension and suspense throughout kept me hooked over several days. I have read most of Michael Robotham's books and like his characters; Ruiz and Joe have their flaws but always have right on their side. The theme was extremely topical and the plot excellent. Books of this calibre need a good reader and Sean Barrett is one of the best around. His narration and natural ability to subtly change his accents are a pleasure for the ear. Several books have been ruined for me by readers with strong regional accents which grate and irritate. Thank you Mr Barrett for a consummate narration!

Good

I've enjoyed the previous books in this series, despite usually feeling completely drained after listening. The previous books have focussed on Joe O'loughlin, but in this story, it's all centred around Ruiz.

It ticks along nicely. Good few twists and turns along the way.