Secondhand Spirits

A Witchcraft Mystery, Book 1

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Lily Ivory hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion - she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry - her store becomes a big hit. But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime.

She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy - especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

©2009 Juliet Blackwell (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Lily Ivory is a 21st-century Samantha Stevens, minus the nose wriggling. The story combines fun and seriousness for an entertaining read." ( Romantic Times)

The narrator ruined it for me

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The book yes. The audible book, no.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

From the first sentence, I knew this book would be difficult to get through because of the narrator. The vocal fry drove me crazy. I live in Texas. There is a difference between a Texas accent and a general southern accent. Her accent was awful and she fading in and out of it throughout the whole book was distracting. The quietness/softness of her voice made it sound like she was in a closet conspiring. She didn't want anyone outside of 3 feet to hear her.

Any additional comments?

I'm sad to say that I won't download the rest of the series because of the narrator.

The review are right, uninspired narration

I am generally not put off by bad narration if the story is good. But in this case it was so monotonous that it was hard to stay with it. It’s a good plot, and the characters were well developed, but the narration made it hard to stay the course. I have listened to other books Ms. Sands narrated and they were not this bad. I wondered if her attempt to do a Texan drawl is the culprit. Whatever the reason, be forewarned, the slow, emotionless narration might be a deal killer.

Loved this story and series!

Loved this story and series! Wonderful storytelling with a mixture of love and supernatural elements.

Eh

It was pretty intriguing, but the narrators voice was slightly grating. I enjoyed the story and Oscar is my favorite. I was sad for the story to end. I will be trying at least one more of the books to see if I can get over the voice.

Needs a different narrator

A decent story, but the narration is a distraction. Ms. Sands is not without talent, but her style doesn't fit this type of story. She speaks in a throaty almost-whisper that trails off at the end of each sentence, sometimes to the point that I had a hard time understanding the last word. Her accent sounds genuine and she doesn't overdramatize (an annoying habit of some narrators), but the low, gravelly softness of her voice made it sound like she was going for some sort of languid, ultra-sexy sound even when there was nothing languid or sexy about what was happening in the book. The end result is that the book had a heavier feel that I was looking for and that the reviews I read by people who had read the print version indicated. Granted, there are some heavy themes in the book, but even Oscar's antics seemed almost depressing when described by this narrator. It did get slightly better as the book progressed, but overall I found the voice so distracting that I sometimes lost track of the story.

Otherwise, it was a good story, and the descriptions of vintage clothing, witchcraft, and San Francisco were excellent. I would like to continue the series, but I might switch to the print version.

I'm hooked!

Any additional comments?

I loved it. Creative and suspenseful. I listened to it in a say and it ended too soon. I downloaded the second installment before the ending credits were done.

Love this series

What did you love best about Secondhand Spirits?

I love the concept, so "Bewitched" in a fresh and charming way. I love the level of detail, the open-hearted approach the author has taken, the main and supporting characters with all their attendant foibles.

What did you like best about this story?

The kindness of Lily Ivory. Through her narration, she brings her store, which she dearly loves, to life, her struggle to change her circumstances, the people she meets, and the magic is just fun.

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

I love this narrator. She is a bit unusual, and took me a little while to get used to her delivery, but now, 4 books into the series, I can't imagine anyone else doing it as well. She clearly loves the characters and presents them congruently and well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It makes me feel comfortable and engaged. I want the series to just go on.

Cute

Cute little story. It's probably better than 3 stars but the narrator really hurt it.

Give the book at Least a Hour Before You Give Up

Agree with other reviewers the book starts off slow, but since it is a series I listened all the way. You don't get addicted or find a hook in this book until almost the end of the book. I wonder if the rest of the series follows from the first so if you get past this one, you will already have the gist and plenty more books to entertain you for hours. The narrator has a definite accent but since the main character has one too I suppose it's suppose to fit.

This book is about vintage clothing, witches, goblins, death and mystery. Murder intrigue is full of suspicion. I kept waiting for more of a love story to unfold but I suppose for some people that will be a plus. I do love her descriptions of fashion, I am pulled right into that and almost wish I could see the designs Juliet Blackwell describes.

Guys: ITS CHIC LIT..

different narrator would help

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Story was interesting and engaging

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Spoke in undertones and trailed off sentences to the point where at times I couldn't understand last words. I wanted to give her a big jolt of caffeine.

Any additional comments?

Not going to continue with series as I see it's read by the same narrator. Shame.