P

Perhaps it is my age : It was mildly amusing and seemed to be honest; the author did a good job of narrating and it was nice to hear the emphasis placed where she wanted it to be although it got to my ears it got over the top. And, as we all know, no one gets out of childhood unscathed and it sounded as though she'd been 'scathed' often and hard. So, if you like coming of age stories and enjoy her writing, it is worth the credit. If you are over the 60 mark, it may not be as funny as you keep hearing it is. Or maybe it is just me.

First off, there are some really violent and cruel tortures in this book. The books itself is well written, there are some really good scenes in it and it is one of those books that is better left letting it tell the tale rather than trying to guess what is coming next. Characterization is great; everyone acts within the range given them by the author and they are all more than cookie cutter figure. There are twists and turns in the book, but no particularly ugly surprises. The narrator, Johanna Parker, is, of course, great, although I have a tough time with some of her male voices, particularly since there are a LOT of them in this book and I had a tough time trying to figure out just from the 'voice' which one it was. While YMMV, I found this a good book, both the print version (I read it when it first came out) and the audio version recently listened to.

I'm struggling with this one. I mostly enjoyed book one of the series (other than the frequent repeats of information already given and set-ups already in place), and I faintly remember reading these in print when they first came out and running into the same issue. Years and narration hasn't made this one any more palatable. I'll pass on the rest of the series.

Angela Dawe does a great job with accents and voices and I really enjoyed her rendition of J Crusie's most recent book. But, sorry all, the lilt she tends to add to the end of most of her sentences tends to make me twitch. Mildly, I grant you, but like any irritant, after a while it all adds up.

So, for you Scots-lovers, this might be right up your alley. For me, it was a narrow and dreary alley, indeed, and I will take a road more original for my next read.

And, as always, YMMV.

More depth than typical for this sort of book. Fairly predictable but not stupidly so. I enjoyed the book and appreciated the fine narration. Characterization was mostly strong. Reminded me, sort-of, of Barbara O'Neal's writing.

The characters are sympathetic even though I get a bit of a emotional jolt when I hold up to culturally expected standards. I like them all, and thankfully the author doesn't present the victims as either completely victimized nor totally abhorrent. I enjoy books that make me sit back and take a look at my reactions without getting all emotionally manipulative about it. I am also glad that it is more entertainment than scary/thriller/bump in the night stuff. Not my first Lawrence Block book, and will not be my last, either.

It was factual, interesting and didn't seem to have an axe to grind. The reader was capable if a bit dry. Not up to the bar set by Sex at Dawn, but a worthwhile listen none the less.