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Rena

Silver Spring, MD, United States | Member Since 2008

6
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 7 reviews
  • 55 ratings
  • 531 titles in library
  • 31 purchased in 2013
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  • A Foreign Country

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 32 mins)
    • By Charles Cumming
    • Narrated By Jot Davies
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (54)
    Performance
    (44)
    Story
    (41)

    On the vacation of a lifetime in Egypt, an elderly French couple are brutally murdered. Days later, a meticulously planned kidnapping takes place on the streets of Paris. Amelia Levene, the first female Chief of MI6, has disappeared without a trace, six weeks before she is due to take over as the most influential spy in Europe. It is the gravest crisis MI6 has faced in more than a decade. Desperate not only to find her, but to keep her disappearance a secret, Britain’s top intelligence agents turn to one of their own: disgraced MI6 officer Thomas Kell.

    John says: "After a good start, story drifts"
    "Narrator Great, Story Starts Very slowly"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

    I enjoyed this book because the narrator was excellent (none of us chronic Audible devotees think the narrator is of marginal importance, of course). But the story got off to a VERY slow start. Once it got rolling, it was worth the wait, but persistence is required.


    What does Jot Davies bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

    He has a wonderful facility with the differentiation of accents and gender.


    If this book were a movie would you go see it?

    Depending on the casting, the book would make a good movie.


    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Call for the Dead: A George Smiley Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By John le Carre
    • Narrated By Michael Jayston
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (103)
    Performance
    (87)
    Story
    (89)

    George Smiley is no one's idea of a spy - which is perhaps why he's such a natural. But Smiley apparently made a mistake. After a routine security interview, he concluded that the affable Samuel Fennan had nothing to hide. Why, then, did the man from the Foreign Office shoot himself in the head only hours later? Or did he? The heart-stopping tale of intrigue that launched both novelist and spy, Call for the Dead is an essential introduction to le Carre's chillingly amoral universe.

    Darwin8u says: "Subtle story of friendship, espionage, guilt, etc"
    "LeCarre Fans Take Note"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you consider the audio edition of Call for the Dead to be better than the print version?

    This obscure little book is the first in the Smiley series, introducing our unlikely hero, along with Mendel and Guillam. For fans everywhere, this is a must-read. Michael Jayston, who played Guillam in the original BBC versions of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People does A wonderful job as narrator. Not to be missed--I am reading all my favorites all over again.


    4 of 4 people found this review helpful
  • Nemesis

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 36 mins)
    • By Jo Nesbø
    • Narrated By Thor Knai
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (400)
    Performance
    (266)
    Story
    (256)

    Captured on closed-circuit television: A man walks into an Oslo bank, puts a gun to a cashier’s head, and tells her to count to 25. When he doesn’t get his money fast enough, he pulls the trigger. The young woman dies—and two million Norwegian kroner disappear without a trace.

    Richard says: "What a difference a narrator makes"
    "Bad Narrator Great Writer and Story"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you listen to Nemesis again? Why?

    I would not listen again. I am hooked on Harry Hole. But this narrators id dreadful, He even gave Muller--Harry's boss--a fake southern accent. It was all I could do it get through the recording.


    What was one of the most memorable moments of Nemesis?

    The Christmas scene, a very brief moment of happiness in Hole's chaotic life was great,.


    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • The Cruelest Month: A Three Pines Mystery

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 46 mins)
    • By Louise Penny
    • Narrated By Ralph Cosham
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (733)
    Performance
    (410)
    Story
    (399)

    It's spring in the tiny, forgotten village; buds are on the trees, and the first flowers are struggling through the newly thawed earth. But not everything is meant to return to life. When some villagers decide to celebrate Easter with a séance at the Old Hadley House, they are hoping to rid the town of its evil - until one of their party dies of fright.

    Leah says: "Excellent!"
    "Gamache at His Gentlest and Most Determined"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Where does The Cruelest Month rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

    This is a quiet comfortable listen that still provides some mystery for the time.


    What other book might you compare The Cruelest Month to and why?

    The book reminds me of Agatha Christie work. Intricate plot, but low social tension.


    Any additional comments?

    Robin sachs is a great narrator.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 43 mins)
    • By Louise Penny
    • Narrated By Ralph Cosham
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (639)
    Performance
    (333)
    Story
    (331)

    Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come to Winter Carnival - not to join the revels but to recover from an investigation gone hauntingly wrong. But violent death is inescapable, even in the apparent sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society - where an obsessive historian’s quest for the remains of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, ends in murder. Could a secret buried with Champlain for nearly 400 years be so dreadful that someone would kill to protect it?

    Judy says: "Another great tale!"
    "Interesting atmospherics, lovely protagonist"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

    The book is very pleasant without being insipid. The narrator is great, as is the story.


    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Gone Girl: A Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (19 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Gillian Flynn
    • Narrated By Julia Whelan, Kirby Heyborne
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (9354)
    Performance
    (8120)
    Story
    (8100)

    It is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media - as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents - the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter - but is he really a killer?

    Teddy says: "Demented, twisted, sick and I loved it!"
    "Performance and Story Great"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    If you could sum up Gone Girl in three words, what would they be?

    startling, unusual, compelling


    What other book might you compare Gone Girl to and why?

    I cannot make a comparison-this book is truly oiriginal


    Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

    I have not listened to previous performances, but I'll be on the look out now,


    Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

    When Nick realizes the extent of the frame-up and turns to hatred of Amy


    Any additional comments?

    Really excellent recording.

    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Rob Lowe
    • Narrated By Rob Lowe
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (2388)
    Performance
    (1743)
    Story
    (1736)

    A teen idol at 15, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.

    N. Belle says: "Great Book and Great Story"
    "Engaging and humble insight into Hollywood"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you consider the audio edition of Stories I Only Tell My Friends to be better than the print version?

    There is nothing like listening to someone tell there story in their own voice, especially when the someone is a well-trained actor at the top of his craft.


    What did you like best about this story?

    The frank acknowledgment of the author's struggles with alchoholism and his fight to keep his Hollywood performances authentic.


    Which scene was your favorite?

    Filming of the insiders.


    Any additional comments?

    An excellent book improved by a terrific narrator.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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