Folly

By: Laurie R. King

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Laurie R. King creates unforgettable characters and situations in her mystery series featuring Kate Martinelli and Mary Russell. In Folly, she tells the gripping story of a woman on the edge of the world--and the edge of sanity. Tragedy and mental illness have been dark companions of Rae Newborn for more than 50 years. Her life seems to start rebuilding itself, though, when she moves to a deserted island to restore the house her mysterious great-uncle built in the 1920s. But Rae senses powerful forces stirring on the island. Is the skin-crawling feeling she has of someone watching her only in her mind, or has something disturbingly real taken notice of Rae? Like King's best-selling suspense thriller A Darker Place, Folly brilliantly portrays a woman pushed to her limits and beyond. Frank Muller's powerful narration captures all the terrors that stalk Rae from without and from within.©2001 Laurie R. King (P)2001 Recorded Books LLC

Loved the book

The main character in this book was incredibly inspiring, her struggles through mental illness and the internal conversations were very relative. The intricate nature purveyed of her inward and outward struggles, relieved by labor mindless or not. Raye's solutions touched upon so many ways in which we are able to re-wire ourselves.

The only criticism l have is that it felt as though the ending were rushed toward, that the conclusions were not as thoughtful as the rest of the body of the book.

Introspection and Mystery! What's Not to Love?

With a non-conventional protagonist (Rae Newborn, an older woman who suffers from severe depression) and a non-conventional mystery (one that plays a subtle role till the later half of the novel and doesn't involve a recently deceased corpse), Folly remains one of my favorite novels to date. Using the isolated setting, King gives her characters the space to breathe and grow satisfyingly, while the plot is propelled by the construction of the house which further brings the central mystery into focus. The narration by Frank Muller is also excellent, with distinct voices given to the characters and a wryness that felt natural given the 3rd person perspective from Rae. All in all I would highly recommend anyone listen to or read this novel in one form or another.

Serious and Entertaining

I have read all the Mary Russell novels -- this is a very different book. The first few chapters are difficult because King chooses to reveal her central character's history gradually through a haze of grief and depression and flashbacks; however, these are deftly done, and they have a purpose -- to mimic the heroine's slow climb to clarity after a series of horrific experiences. Similarly, King's lengthy descriptions of the house-building are sometimes a bit tedious, but also echo the heroine's struggle to build a life on the ashes of the one she lost. Throw in a mysterious uncle, a hippie smuggler, a kind Sheriff, and other mysteries to be unwoven, and the novel sustains interest to the last minute. I highly recommend it as well as "Keeping Watch," the sequel. Both books fearlessly delve into the disturbed minds of good people faced with horrors almost too great to bear, and finding unorthodox ways to master the pain.

worst narrator ever

I liked this book when I read it and I was looking forward to listening to it. I'd forgotten how slow it was -- it doesn't start moving until the second half. I wouldn't have minded that if the narrator hadn't read the text so breathlessly as if every word was the most important and exciting word ever. Everything was "oh, wow, look at this amazing stuff!" with no variation in tone. It took me six tries to get through the first half. Frank Muller's reading is really really irritating.

The story isn't one of Laurie King's best but it is intriguing. I especially liked the World War I connection. I may read the book again but I'll never again listen to Frank Muller.

Deep and Complex

This one is very different from L.R. King's other books and takes some time to get going. However, the characters are very deep and interesting. It's slow in the 1st half, but the second half picks up with some twists and turns.

I loved this story.

This book is different than L. King's usual stories, I look forward to the next one about Rae. I loved this story of a woman trying to get herself back together after many tragic blows. Wonderful story that keeps you on your toes and guessing what will happen next.

Well written and performed

What made the experience of listening to Folly the most enjoyable?

Frank Muller as the narrator makes any book come to life and he told stories to their best advantage. The writing was great, I was intruiged the whole way until the end when unfortunately, the writing took a dive and it became disapointingly formulaic. For this reason I had to give four stars instead of five. Until then though I was impressed with the distinct and complex characters and the unpredictable, unusual story.

Which character – as performed by Frank Muller – was your favorite?

Rae, the main character was strong and fragile in almost equal measures. Her vulnerability and strength was very relatable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I'd had the time to do that, absolutely.

Narration so bad it's difficult to get through

I'm a big fan of Laurie R. King, but this narrator is so bad he could be a satire. I stopped and started the book half a dozen times before I finally managed to not hear the narration. The book itself is great.

Slow! Slow story but well written.

I have enjoyed King's mysteries with Mary Russell in the Beekeeping series. They have a smooth intellectual pace with action enough to keep me interested. This title I found slow and unnecessarily complicated with long descriptions. I gave up listening after 5 hours & searched ahead in Pt. 2 for clues to the introduction of additional characters or action. Okay, I found them & went back to listening in order. The action peaks in the last 3 hours of a 16 hour book.

"Folly" is best described as a psychological mystery with long periods of descriptions of inner thoughts, landscapes, & interpersonal relationships. It is well & cleanly written. It takes place mostly in the Northwest San Juan Islands & a fictional island in the chain. The narrator is surprisingly appropriate even though the voice is that of a middle aged woman. He "sounds" like Rae perfectly.

Buy "Folly" if the title is discounted or if you are a dedicated King fan.

Great book Great writing

The book is new and unique. Enjoyed it and look forward to more books in future