If Walls Could Talk

Haunted Home Renovation, Book 1

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Melanie Turner has made quite a name for herself remodeling historic houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now her reputation may be on the line.

At her newest project, a run-down Pacific Heights mansion, Mel is visited by the ghost of a colleague who recently met a bad end with power tools. Mel hopes that by nailing the killer, she can rid herself of the ghostly presence of the murdered man - and not end up a construction casualty herself....

©2010 Julie Goodson-Lawes (P)2013 Tantor

Haunted house mysteries rock

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved this book, it is laugh out loud funny, and full of wonderful details on renovating old houses.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to say who a favorite character would be, I liked them all.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the first time the ghost shows himself to Melanie.

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

I did listen to this book in one sitting. That's the great thing about audiobooks, you're free to do many other things while listening. With hard copy you're tethered to the book and turning the pages.

Any additional comments?

Xe Sands once again does a fantastic job narrating this book. She amplifies the story so well and makes the characters really pop.

Nice surprise

Would you listen to If Walls Could Talk again? Why?

Yes, I would. I found that the second listen was actually better than the first.

What other book might you compare If Walls Could Talk to and why?

It was different, I enjoyed the building side and ghosts.

What about Xe Sands’s performance did you like?

At first I thought her words were non distinct. Shortly after I appreciated her manor and she created since of humor.

A good cozy - but not the best narration

In this book you meet Mel, the head of a construction company & soon to be detective. The murder gets set up early on in the book so you dive right in to the "what" aspect of the whodunnit. The "who" part of the equation is slow at first, and you don't really know who to trust. I liked that the murderer wasn't served to the listener on a silver platter, but took real guesswork. The "why" was a bit hit and miss, it makes sense but is somewhat convoluted and drug out. Overall it has an interesting twist with Mel's ability to see ghosts, and the cast of characters are like able. My only qualm is the narrator, every male character sounded exactly the same which made it a little hard to keep up in some scenes. Overall a good listen for a lighthearted cozy.

Interesting story

Would you consider the audio edition of If Walls Could Talk to be better than the print version?

Yes. I enjoy audio books because I can do other things while I listen to them.

What other book might you compare If Walls Could Talk to and why?

The E.J. Cooperman series.

Which scene was your favorite?

When she first saw Kenneth.

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

Yes, they all are.

Any additional comments?

Great story and great narration.

I loved it

This was a well written novel with interesting characters. Melanie Turner moves home after her mother's death to take over her father's construction business restoring historic homes. In doing so she finds out that she can communicate with ghosts. This discovery leads her to help solving a murder mystery and self discovery. The book is a bit slow which give Mel a chance to learn about her new ability, but other than that it is very good and enjoyable. The only thing that I did not like is that occassionally the narrator's voice would play out and I could not hear the end of a sentence. Other than that the narrator did an okay job with the voices and makeing the characters come to life. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Listened while cleaning out my garage

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator! The poor pronounciation almost stopped me from listening, it really drove me crazy. Beaux Art, Fleur de Lis, Gauguin - all mispronounced! I might have been able to accept it if the character was not a cultural anthropologist, anxious to live in Paris.

What was most disappointing about Juliet Blackwell’s story?

The story was OK, it was as expected.

How could the performance have been better?

Slow down, practise the pronunciation.

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

Probably not.

Different

Contemporary ghost story set in San Francisco. The story high lights local spots. Good character development but I found the sort thin. Very good narration. Unusual inflection which was charming.

Very good book!

I really enjoyed this tale of murder and mayhem! It presented fun characters and a great story! Check it out!

A Nice Change

This is pretty lightweight, but it makes a pleasant diversion for summer listening - good choice for the June 2-for-1 credit offering. It doesn't require a long time commitment.

I don't mean this in a bad way. There's a place in most of our reading lives for the modern "cozy" with a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, a bit of humor, and a little bit of information about historic restoration and history. I won't mention a bit of occult, because the "ghost" plot line in "If Walls Could Talk" is basically just silly. I don't know if Blackwell intends to expand this aspect in future books of the series, but it's not taken at all seriously here.

Fun story

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator often spoke in what I would describe as a rapid mumble. Many times I had to hit the "back" button and replay something I hadn't understood-- & sometimes I had to more than once. I liked her style, except for this tendency to be less than intelligible.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the story, the setting, the characters.