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Lily

ConcordAustralia | Member Since 2004

HELPFUL VOTES

11 reviews
339 ratings
673 titles in library
0 purchased in 2013

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The Wrong Hostage

UNABRIDGED
- by Elizabeth Lowell
- Narrated by Maria Tucci
The Wrong Hostage

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 24 mins)

By Elizabeth Lowell

Narrated By Maria Tucci

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(92)
Performance
(24)
Story
(23)

Orphaned at 13, Grace Silva clawed her way out of poverty and violence to become one of the most respected judges on the federal bench. Grace believes in the rule of law, lives it, breathes it. She has always been buttoned up and buttoned down. Except once.
Erin says: "The Wrong Narrator & Producer"
"Dreadful narrator"

Overall
Performance
Story

Pretty typical Elizabeth Lowell suspese/romance worth 4 stars but ruined by awful narration - 2 stars so ave 3. I appreciate there must be different tones for different people and moods but the narrators loud and soft tones are not just irritating, it was difficult to hear the softer parts. No use turning up the volume as it would make the rest of audiobook too loud.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Noble House

UNABRIDGED
- by James Clavell
- Narrated by John Lee
Noble House

UNABRIDGED (56 hrs and 13 mins)

By James Clavell

Narrated By John Lee

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(436)
Performance
(203)
Story
(195)

The setting is Hong Kong, 1963. The action spans scarcely more than a week, but these are the days of high adventure, from kidnapping and murder to financial double-dealing and natural catastrophes: fire, flood, and landslide. Yet they are days filled as well with all the mystery and romance of Hong Kong, the heart of Asia, rich in every trade: money, flesh, opium, power.
Bruce says: "Incredible in every way"
"Great story, great narrator"

Overall
Performance
Story

Noble House has it all - financial and political intrigue, romance and an interesting storyline set in exciting times. Being of Asian decent I can relate to some of the attitudes of the characters although the divide between Caucasians and Chinese in Hong Kong today are not as distinct as in the '60's. I also found the financial and stock market manipulations rather interesting (and very possible from what I have been told) and while much more stringent regulations are in place there are still vast differences between the market in HK and the markets in western countries.

One criticism is the annoying exclamations/swearing by the Chinese characters. In my experience, this is overdone, no matter what the social standing of the person.

One more point - the story starts off slowly but the excitment builds up so by the last half I could barely stop.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Ice Station

UNABRIDGED
- by Matthew Reilly
- Narrated by Sean Mangan
Ice Station

UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 19 mins)

By Matthew Reilly

Narrated By Sean Mangan

Overall
(72)
Performance
(40)
Story
(40)

At a remote ice station in Antarctica, a team of US scientists has made an amazing discovery. They have found something buried deep within a 100-million-year-old layer of ice. Something made of metal. Led by enigmatic Lieutenant Shane Schofield, a team of crack United States Marines is sent to the station to secure this discovery for their country.
Dale says: "Great narrator"
"James Bond move over"

Overall
Performance
Story

Not the calibre of Robert Ludlum or Vince Flynn but still enjoyable and hard to put down. Very action orientated and some feats of the hero Scarecrow are rather far fetch, but hey, so what - its entertainment. Narrator is OK but not superb - sometimes have difficulty distinguishing different characters. Will definitely "read" the other Matthew Reilly books.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Exile

UNABRIDGED
- by Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris
Exile

UNABRIDGED (20 hrs and 52 mins)

By Richard North Patterson

Narrated By Dennis Boutsikaris

Overall
(1070)
Performance
(128)
Story
(125)

David Wolfe's life is approaching an exhilarating peak: a successful San Francisco lawyer, he's about to get married and has been primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif, the Palestinian woman with whom he had a passionate affair in law school, he begins a completely unexpected journey. The day after Hana's call, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber - and soon Hana is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder.
John says: "Exile"
"Skip book 1"

Overall
Performance
Story

My 4 star rating is deceptive:
Book 1 was dreadful and far to long winded. I almost gave up but glad I did not. Call me shallow, but I enjoy the materialistic world we live in and can only take so much of angry young men/women who thumb their noses at it.
Book 2 was OK - 4 stars
Book 3 was fantastic. I have never visited the Middle East and this certainly gave me some insight into life in this area - 5 stars
Book 4 the court room drama was also great, but predictable - 5 stars

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sharpe's Trafalgar: Book IV of the Sharpe Series

UNABRIDGED
- by Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by William Gaminara
Sharpe's Trafalgar: Book IV of the Sharpe Series

UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 51 mins)

By Bernard Cornwell

Narrated By William Gaminara

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(14)
Performance
(3)
Story
(3)

It is 1805 and Ensign Richard Sharpe is on his way home from India. However, his ship is riven with treachery and threatened by a French warship, the Revenant, which is terrorising British shipping. As the French warship races home carrying a treaty that could ignite India into a new war against the British, the hunt turns into a stern chase.
When the Revenant encounters the combined French and Spanish fleets off Cadiz it seems that Sharpe's enemies have found safety.
Lily says: "Another great Sharpe story"
"Another great Sharpe story"

Overall
Performance
Story

Superb story as I have come to expect by Bernard Cornwell. The battle of Trafalgar is the best I have encountered (the Jack Aubrey books did not include Trafalgar). Once started, it was hard to stop listening. Am so glad there are more Sharpe books although its a pity not all are available in Unabridged format.
Narrator is great too.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful
The Count of Monte Cristo: Part I

UNABRIDGED
- by Alexandre Dumas
- Narrated by Fred Williams
The Count of Monte Cristo: Part I

UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 45 mins)

By Alexandre Dumas

Narrated By Fred Williams

Overall
(324)
Performance
(39)
Story
(41)
Andrea says: "Amazing Story."
"Riveting story ... but"

Overall
Performance
Story

One of the best audiobooks I have heard but ruined by the narrator - hence, I have to subtract 1 star. Nevertheless, it was hard to stop.
If it is ever reproduced again with a better narrator I will definitely buy another copy.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Angels and Demons

UNABRIDGED
- by Dan Brown
- Narrated by Richard Poe
Angels and Demons

UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 33 mins)

By Dan Brown

Narrated By Richard Poe

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(5376)
Performance
(1000)
Story
(1016)

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization, the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra.
Phillip says: "I couldn't put it down...5 STARS"
"I want to go back to Rome again"

Overall
Performance
Story

I my view, this is the best Dan Brown. I got so frustrated every time I arrived at work and had to stop. Pity I was at Rome before I read the book - now I want to go back to visit the places mentioned in the book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Digital Fortress

UNABRIDGED
- by Dan Brown
- Narrated by Paul Michael
Digital Fortress

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 52 mins)

By Dan Brown

Narrated By Paul Michael

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1818)
Performance
(376)
Story
(377)

When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage, not by guns or bombs, but by a code so complex that if released it would cripple U.S. intelligence.
Amy says: "Meh..."
"Dated and predictable"

Overall
Performance
Story

I was disappointed after Angels and Demons and Da Vinci Code. Digital Fortress was very dated (but I suppose IT related stories have this disadvantage). I also found it dragged so perhaps the unabridged version would be better. It did not help that the culprit was pretty predictable.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The House

UNABRIDGED
- by Danielle Steel
- Narrated by Erik Singer
The House

UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 1 min)

By Danielle Steel

Narrated By Erik Singer

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(79)
Performance
(11)
Story
(11)

Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. For her and for this house, he would spare no expense and overlook no detail, from the endless marble floors to the glittering chandeliers. Almost a century later, with the once-grand house now in disrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do something utterly out of character.
Sue says: "so slow"
"Starts slow but gets better"

Overall
Performance
Story

I found all the complaints about Phil at the beginning soooo boring - why didn't Sarah just dump him?
Luckily, it improved and by the end I was enjoying the story. In fact, I think it would be fun doing up a house.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The House of Flowers

UNABRIDGED
- by Charlotte Bingham
- Narrated by Kim Hicks
The House of Flowers

UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 54 mins)

By Charlotte Bingham

Narrated By Kim Hicks

Overall
(12)
Performance
(2)
Story
(2)

1941. England is at its lowest ebb. At Eden Park, where Poppy, Kate, Lily, Marjorie, and her adopted brother Billy are part of the espionage unit, the authorities have discovered there is a double agent operating in their midst. Lily volunteers to be dropped into France, only to discover that her partner is Scott, Poppy's fiance.
Ralph says: "Just love the style"
"A"

Overall
Performance
Story

Not that I am an expert on WWII and MI5 but I found this book and thoroughly enjoyable.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful