Roger

One of the things I love about Audible is the chance to "read" books I'm sure I'd never even consider. This book is based upon an old book called Three Men and Boat. (I loved that and I had never heard of it until I listened to it from Audible.)

This book is easygoing, lighthearted but intelligent. I sure it possible to tear the plot apart but that isn't really the point. Although it seems like it a long book, it goes really fast.

And you may wonder what a bird-stump is... listen to the book.

I can recommend this series. There are seven of "Psychic Eye Mysteries" available at this time. I would give the first one or two books three stars and each book gets better with #4 being quite an improvement, and with #5, the author hits her stride finally and they are great listens (not GREAT books but good light adventures.) My one quality for a good book is that I want to continue reading or listening. Since I have listened with some enthusiasm to all of them, the author has succeeded. But I need to want potential readers. I would say the author learns to avoid some absolutely awful shortcomings as the series continues. Her dialogue is awful and the slang the characters use doesn't fit the characters apparent age or identity. [{There are times I have no idea how old the main characters are and have no idea at all where the book is set.] She can not write from a man's point of view. The relationship the main characters develops over the series is so embarrassing and predictable for the first three, I almost stopped reading. Plus the main character seems to only have developed three dimensions by the fifth book and even then, things like attractiveness and sociability seem to change abruptly. You might want to start at book four or five... at that point I can truly recommend the imperfect but interesting tales of Abby Cooper and her friends.

It isn't as quick, funny, or easy to like as his earlier novels. Yet I have great expectations of the sequels. As far as I can understand, this book is called "Shades of Grey 1: The Road to High Saffron and will continue in two (as yet unwritten) novels called Shades of Grey 2: Painting by Numbers and Shades of Grey 3: The Gordini Protocols.

This book is the exposition, the set-up for other books and, is therefore, ...as a single book, a bit lame. And so, if I were you, I might listen to this book when the others come out. It reminded me a bit of Brave New World or 1984... at first it seems just weird and arbitrary that the author has a society based upon what colors people can see. There is injustice and unfairness and brainlessness among the people in the "system." It seems a bit of a retread of other older satires... but slowly it comes into focus and starts to bends off-kilter in new ways. I want to know more about this book's world and the characters in it.

The main character is smart but not very thoughtful... at one point another character looks into his eyes to find out if he really has no depth and she decides, that yes, he is empty headed. (Readers will agree at that point.)
It is slow but I was never bored ... I kept listening to discover if the author might finally takes us somewhere and by the end, I think we are set up and teased for some really interesting sequels.

Thoroughly enjoyable. I suppose it is thoroughly predictable but that is besides the point. It it like rereading a favorite book except one has never read this particular version before. I like that the main character is, in many ways, almost limp or passive. She learns not to be crushed. She expands- not explosively into a warrior- but simply extends what is best about herself. I like this story.

As I slowly got into this book, I laughed out loud at times, was perplexed and filled with wonderment, and startled by some characters and actions which are so strange, others so real and horrific.... it is a very odd book. I doubt if I could "read" it but I loved listening to it.

I'm nearly 40 and I enjoyed the cast of characters and story.