Anne

Quite unlike previous Joanne Harris novels this story set in an established private boy’s school and warms up after the first few chapters into an intriguing mystery. It takes some interesting twists and turns and kept me spellbound until the end. Having been a teacher in a private boy’s school, I did think that Harris depicted the range of characters and attitudes very well. It made me smile to recognise some! This added to the charm of the story but also reflects how the demands are so great that some teachers sadly make it their whole life and they are easily discarded when their “used by” date occurs! Highly recommended.

I wanted to read this story because I had visited the Durack homestead at the Ord River in the Kimberley Western Australia and because I recently met a young man who is a descendant of the Durack family. They were a remarkable Irish pioneer family. However, this particular account is sadly dreadfully tedious and boring. It covers far too much detail like a family diary.

Much of the detail is not really required to provide a good account of the family sage. Too many suppositions are made to interpret the early Durack's thoughts.
This in the only audible book I have found boring. I was determined to listen to the end but it never improved. I hope that someone with writing skill can redo this particular story and concentrate on a shorter span of their saga. It would be a tale worth writing in a more entertaining and readable style by a talented writer.

I found this story captivating. It was skilfully written painting vivid pictures of the characters and events that unfold. Hannah Richell writes with great insight into the complexities of family relationships. If only more families had the maturity and sense to, in time work through the aftermath of their mistakes, loss and grief.
I eagerly await her next novel The Shadow Year due to be published this year 2013. I hope Audible will add this one soon!
Highly recommended.

This is Joanne Harris’s best yet. I have read most of her books and enjoy her writing but this one surprised me I could not have predicted the twists in this story. It was a terrific sequel to Chocolat and I hope there will be more to come. Highly recommended.

The further I got into this book the more I loved it and hung on every word. I have to admit the title put me off. I wondered what sort of book could be called “Brother Fish” but I was soon to discover it was a most entertaining and interesting one!

It is a great example of Bryce Courtenay fabulous story telling ability. The narration by Humphrey Bower was excellent. He is very easy to listen to and as an Australian I did find his Aussie accent charming if somewhat exaggerated. Nevertheless it was a delightful depiction of a young man from a rural isolated island.

The story is fascinating with aspects life in the Korean War, a tiny island off the coast of Tasmania, the USA for a black orphan boy and Shanghai over a period of about 80 years. These were all beautifully woven together. I was sorry when it finished but the ending was a good one!

Don't be put off by a weak start.... it soon picks up and is all absorbing. I loved this story and there were enough interesting twists towards the end to keep me enthralled. I was sorry when it finished. Not enough of Kate Morton's books have been made audio unfortunately. I would love to be able to listen to all of them.

I loved this story and was so sorry when it finished. Belinda Alexandra is a fabulous story teller and this is yet another of wonderful story. This time set in Spain and Paris which is quite different to her previous novels. I did not know much about the Spanish civil war or Spanish culture and I found this fascinating. It was well researched. The characters are varied and complex. I am hoping that there will be many more novels written by this author.
Highly recommended.

I wondered about this book when I first started listening, then it drew me in. I found it fascinating! Such a different type of novel to Joanne Harris's previous novels. The characters were marvelous. Well worth a read. Highly recommended!

I had mixed feelings about this book but listened to the end. The storyline has merit and includes romance, mystery, sensuality, Scottish history and brutality. Claire is a wonderfully warm character, a very attractive young woman who is propelled back two centuries in time, Jamie has all the attributes a man could wish for: a handsome young Scotsman, strong, popular, natural leader, capable warrior, thoughtful lover with an inheritance but outlawed by the English.
The narrator is excellent but the story falls short. It drags on and on in a repetitious and descriptive way. It lacks the literary skill to make it worthwhile perusing. It is an appropriate level of reading for a below average audience. A very light read! It is not worth reading the rest of the series but I am sure it is a good money spinner for the author and publisher.

I am not one for short stories usually but I have to admit I did enjoy this. I was away on safari in Africa and I discovered that I had selected short stories. Oh no, at first I thought but I am glad I persisted and gave it a go because I found the stories entertaining in the usual Monica McInerney manner. Particulary good if you have interruptions, they were easy to pick up again and held my interest.