The Lodger

A Tale of the London Fog

By: Marie Belloc Lowndes

Narrated by: Lorna Raver

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

An elderly couple living in Victorian London struggle against despair as their small resources dwindle. When an eccentric and mysterious gentleman answers their advertisement for a lodger, they celebrate. But as women begin dying at the hands of "The Avenger", they start to suspect something too horrific for words.

(P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Lorna Raver’s performance is a tour de force. Her dexterity shifting between accents is breathtaking.... Raver’s performance, combined with Lowndes’s literate, suspenseful plot, makes this must listening." (AudioFile)

enjoyable

This was a lovely listen, if such a word can be used to describe underpinnings that are quite gruesome, but never dwelled on excessively. The narrator has an engaging voice with subtle yet consistent changes for different characters, and her accent made the listen that much more enjoyable.

A Delight!

I am a member of the TV generation but I must say that I look forward to spending some quiet time alone each evening listening to "The Lodger" on my iPod. I can't believe how well written this book is. There's a lot of suspense and it keeps building! The narrator's performance is perfect; I can't read my kids a bedtime story using as many different voices as this narrator does. Her ability to characterize each voice helps the listener follow the dialog easily - something I've struggled with when I've listened to other books. A+

Very Entertaining

I really enjoyed this well written suspense. It's easy to symphathize with the characters' predictament and the story kept my interest right to the end. Would love more like this one.

Great suspense - not much of an ending

I enjoyed almost every minute of this audio book. The narrator is excellent. She makes you believe she's from 19th century England.

The suspense is great and keeps you wanting to listen. But beware - the ending is bland. But its still worth a listen.

Fantastic Narration

Lorna Raver simply nails this wonderfully subtle story about a couple who begin to believe that their lodger is a serial killer. The suspicions of the couple are never actually spoken aloud, but the evidence they witness will bring the listener to harbor the same dark thoughts. Raver not only delivers living characters to our ears, she also keeps the narrative zooming along. No wonder this is a crime classic! Book and narrator: perfect!

Splendid.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good old fashion mystery. Nicely written, with very good narration. A real beaut book.

Old fashioned fun

This is a high-quality period piece, well written and well paced. The reader's performance is superb, which elevates the material. If you have a tast for old-school suspense, this satisfies.

Just dreadful.

Couldn't wait for this one to be over. The story, what there was of it, was boring and I just wanted to smack the main characters silly. You have a creepy boarder who gives you a bunch of money for rent in advance and you don't want to upset the apple cart when you suspect he's a serial killer? Gimme a break. The performance was equally drab, with an American putting on British accents for the various characters. Save your credit!

the lodger

the book was great and so was the narrator

Annual favorite

The audio version of this book is something I re-read each Fall. Deliciously creepy.