"Forgot how much I loved the old Scarpetta novels"
I just reread this book for the first time since its original publication in 1990 and I remember why I loved all the original Kay Scarpetta books. While the computer technology is WAY DATED now (!!), it was pretty advanced at the time and always made me go "wooowww" at the time. It was a fun journey to re-meet Kay, Marino, Wesley and Lucy in this First novel in a series that spanned 20+ years of my life.
"Love this series - too fun...!!!!!"
Another delicious visit with Lady Georgiana. She is such a delightful character who is trying to walk a fine line between the role of royalty and commoner, worldly and sheltered, sleuth and scared witless, aggressive and shy..................... It all works to create a character who is 3-dimensional and still maintains her grace and aristocratic upbringing at all times.
"Least favorite of all her books"
Susan Ericksen = brilliant. She IS this series and all its characters.
J.D. Robb = brilliant. I love everything she writes under this pseudonym, HOWEVER, this was, by far, my least favorite of all of her books. It felt a little bit empty -- like she wasn't really into it this time and was just plodding along 'cause she had to. Please keep in mind that I am comparing her to herself and this did not resonate like all the others.
"Odd story. Poor sound quality."
This was kind of an odd story and the sound quality was fairly poor. To top that off, I don't really like dramatizations much anyway and the segues in this one were really "off."
"Disappointing at most...."
It's a mediocre story that is very well written. The plot always seems contrived and kind of yadda yadda yadda, but within that sphere, you can't deny that Dan Brown writes it well... and Paul Michael does a nice job narrating. I guess I wouldn't skip this read, but... nor would I wish to read it again.
"I love love love this book"
I love this book because it really is practical. That, by the way, is an extreme understatement.....! The author approaches the subject with clear, concise directions that explain WHY you should/should not do something as well as the HOW.
I honestly didn't think I'd get anything out of this book. I figured I knew what he was gonna' say and that I was going to consider it just "so much noise." B U T.... it's not. It's great advice. By the end of the introduction, I was jazzed. By the middle of the book, I was motivated. By the end of the book, I had already made more progress than I've made on my own in 10 years............
Apart from being terrific information, it also happens to be fun and ofttimes funny. Mr. Mellen has a slightly sarcastic (but not caustic) sense of humor that makes you kinda' shake your head, laugh, and say, "Yep, that's me!" His reading is also right up there as "the perfect voice" for his own material (and I don't usually say that about authors reading their own stuff.).
Unless you are already a perfect housekeeper/organizer, I GUARANTEE you that you will find enough gems in this book to make it well worth your time and money.
"Wonderful. Fantastic. Terrific."
I've just relistened to this book. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to first meet all of these richly-drawn characters. Diana Gabaldon wrote a perfect story that spans both time and breadth of vision. Davina Porter is breathtaking in her performance.
"Super good read. Original."
This is a really good book and (so far) a terrific series (I'm only on Book 4). The characters are believable, interesting and I love the fact that Valentine is also polite, despite being a very tough soldier. It's a nice juxtaposition, since tough guys often become rude guys.
I guess my only "complaint" (and it's a very mild one) is that there really is not a lot of Vampire in this Vampire book.............. So far, we are hearing more about the humans that are in sympathy with the Vampires versus the vampires themselves.
Still.............I'm really enjoying the series so far....... well worth the time and money.
"Love Andy Carpenter."
Andy is a unique character. He is smart, funny and, unlike most heros, he's not the bravest guy around. I love his character though and the story is great fun with enough twists and turns to keep you turning the proverbial page.
As good as the story is, I don't think this book would seem nearly as good if it weren't for Grover Gardner's brilliant narration. He simply IS Andy Carpenter.
"Such an amazing story"
This is a difficult review because it is a REAL story, told by the REAL woman. For that alone, it deserves only 5 stars, but I guess I was disappointed for several reasons.
1) It was not the story I expected. What I mean by that is that I expected more details about how she lived/survived, how her daughters grew up, how she/they are doing/living today. It glossed over so much of 18 years that I felt like I was reading a badly abridged version of the story. [Having said that, what WAS there was very good, very poignant and very gut wrenching.]
2) The narration. As many of us say constantly on Audible books --- PLEASE DON'T LET THE AUTHOR READ THE BOOK. They are professional writers, NOT professional readers. It's like asking a roofer to build a desk just because he knows how to use a nail gun -- they do not require the same skills. Period. [Having said that, Jaycee did a creditable job reading her own story. She has a quiet, sweet voice that (once you're used to the cadence), allowed you to understand that this is still a grown woman who was, in so many ways, vacuum sealed into childhood.]
"Fun, light-weight story"
This was terrific fun.
It was easy to read, kept you interested the whole time, had some interesting twists and was - overall - just a good story.
Amanda Ronconi did a fantastic job narrating and I love Molly Harper's style and subtle sarcasm....!!!