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MysteryL

Member Since 2012

HELPFUL VOTES

11 reviews
43 ratings
233 titles in library
22 purchased in 2013

FOLLOWING

FOLLOWERS

The Rook: A Novel

UNABRIDGED
- by Daniel O'Malley
- Narrated by Susan Duerden
The Rook: A Novel

UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 51 mins)

By Daniel O'Malley

Narrated By Susan Duerden

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1280)
Performance
(1163)
Story
(1165)

Myfanwy Thomas awakes in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, her only hope of survival is to trust the instructions left in her pocket by her former self. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization - and this person wants her dead.
Ethan M. says: "Harry Dresden meets English bureaucracy"
"Fun, clever, and twisted."

Overall
Performance
Story

Original characters combined with a heck of a mystery made this one of my favourite listens of 2012.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Silks

UNABRIDGED
- by Dick Francis , Felix Francis
- Narrated by Tony Britton
Silks

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 12 mins)

By Dick Francis, Felix Francis

Narrated By Tony Britton

Overall
(58)
Performance
(32)
Story
(32)

When defence barrister Geoffrey Mason hears the judge's guilty verdict, he quietly hopes that a long and arduous custodial sentence will be handed down to his arrogant young client. That Julian Trent only receives eight years seems all too lenient. Little does Mason expect that he'll be seeing Trent again much sooner than he'd ever imagined....
Rosemary says: "Another Dick Francis Classic"
"Skip this"

Overall
Performance
Story

The sins of the son are are visited on the father in this case. This story lacks the charm of Dick Francis's books, I'll pass on any others written by Felix.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Secret Garden

UNABRIDGED
- by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Narrated by Josephine Bailey
The Secret Garden

UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 2 mins)

By Frances Hodgson Burnett

Narrated By Josephine Bailey

Overall
(8)
Performance
(6)
Story
(6)

When Mary Lennox's parents die from cholera in India, the spoiled orphan is transplanted to her uncle's 600-year-old gloomy and secretive estate in England. She is certain that she is destined for misery at Misselthwaite Manor. However, she soon discovers an arched doorway into an overgrown garden, locked shut since the death of her aunt 10 years earlier.
MysteryL says: "Beautiful"
"Beautiful"

Overall
Performance
Story

If you are looking for a story to cheer you up, this is it. Perfect for all ages.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Picture of Dorian Gray

UNABRIDGED
- by Oscar Wilde
- Narrated by Simon Prebble
The Picture of Dorian Gray

UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 6 mins)

By Oscar Wilde

Narrated By Simon Prebble

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(183)
Performance
(136)
Story
(140)

Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to The Picture of Dorian Gray, the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchanged---petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral---while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying and enchanting readers for more than 100 years.
Daniel says: "Beautifully written, brilliantly read."
"Mesmerizing"

Overall
Performance
Story

Wonderful narration of a witty classic. It was like watching a train wreck, you can't stop listening.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful
The Blackhouse

UNABRIDGED
- by Peter May
- Narrated by Steve Worsley
The Blackhouse

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 27 mins)

By Peter May

Narrated By Steve Worsley

Overall
(31)
Performance
(25)
Story
(26)

The Isle of Lewis is the most desolate and harshly beautiful place in Scotland. When a bloody murder on the island bears the hallmarks of a similar slaying in Edinburgh, police detective Fin Macleod is dispatched north to investigate. Since Fin himself was raised on the island, the investigation represents not only a journey home but a voyage into his past. Each year twelve island men sail out to a remote and treacherous rock called An Sgeir on a perilous quest to slaughter nesting seabirds.
Dave says: "What a great story!"
"Terrific setting"

Overall
Performance
Story

The detective's memories of his childhood on the Isle of Lewis made the story come alive. My monthly credit will be used for the next installment of this trilogy.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
A Discovery of Witches

UNABRIDGED
- by Deborah Harkness
- Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
A Discovery of Witches

UNABRIDGED (24 hrs and 2 mins)

By Deborah Harkness

Narrated By Jennifer Ikeda

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(7469)
Performance
(5113)
Story
(5129)

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library.
Barbara says: "A feast for the mind and imagination"
"Very frustrating non-ending"

Overall
Performance
Story

Expect to buy all three of the books in this trilogy (3rd not finished yet), since nothing whatsoever was resolved in the first book and I suspect the second is the same.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Riptide

UNABRIDGED
- by Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child
- Narrated by Scott Brick
Riptide

UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 44 mins)

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated By Scott Brick

Overall
(1451)
Performance
(790)
Story
(781)

A centuries-old, cursed pirate's treasure, valued at over $2 billion, lies deep within the treacherous waters off the coast of Maine. Men who have attempted to unearth the fortune have suffered gruesome deaths. Will a high-tech expedition meet the same fate?
Allan says: "very cinematic. high tech meets pirate treasure."
"Who can resist a cursed treasure?"

Overall
Performance
Story

Any additional comments?

This book was an adventure holiday for your mind, an escape to an island of mystery and treasure.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Defending Jacob: First Chapter

UNABRIDGED
- by William Landay
- Narrated by Grover Gardner
Defending Jacob: First Chapter

UNABRIDGED (13 mins)

By William Landay

Narrated By Grover Gardner

Overall
(79)
Performance
(63)
Story
(60)

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than 20 years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his 14-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.
MysteryL says: "Innocent until proven guilty"
"Innocent until proven guilty"

Overall
Performance
Story

Any additional comments?

The pacing and courtroom scenes of this reminded me of Perry Mason. The author hit the right notes for the legal issues, but the family interactions were a miss for me.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

UNABRIDGED
- by Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by Sean Pratt
The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 19 mins)

By Leonard Mlodinow

Narrated By Sean Pratt

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(2006)
Performance
(1017)
Story
(995)

In this irreverent and illuminating audiobook, acclaimed writer and scientist Leonard Mlodinow shows us how randomness, chance, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives, and how we misunderstand the significance of everything from a casual conversation to a major financial setback. As a result, successes and failures in life are often attributed to clear and obvious causes, when in actuality they are more profoundly influenced by chance.
Dermot says: "You might have to read it twice"
"Don't let the math scare you"

Overall
Performance
Story

Any additional comments?

Fascinating history of our struggle to understand chance and randomness with enough examples thrown in to make it easy to understand. We get lucky a lot more often than we care to admit. The section on CEO performance was eye opening and a good example of how we need to believe we have control over things we do not.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

UNABRIDGED
- by Gregory Maguire
- Narrated by John McDonough
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

UNABRIDGED (19 hrs and 30 mins)

By Gregory Maguire

Narrated By John McDonough

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(3541)
Performance
(1294)
Story
(1303)

Heralded as an instant classic of fantasy literature, Maguire has written a wonderfully imaginative retelling of The Wizard of Oz told from the Wicked Witch's point of view. More than just a fairy tale for adults, Wicked is a meditation on the nature of good and evil.
Kathleen says: "It's not easy being green"
"Epic... not in a good way"

Overall
Performance
Story

Any additional comments?

Conflicts kept being developed between the characters and then dropped, which was frustrating. Halfway through I just wanted it to be over, but I felt the same way about Lord of the Rings, so if epic fantasy was what the author was going for I guess they succeeded.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful