• The Scent of Rain and Lightning

  • By: Nancy Pickard
  • Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
  • Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (349 ratings)

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The Scent of Rain and Lightning  By  cover art

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

By: Nancy Pickard
Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
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Editorial reviews

Looks can be deceiving in The Scent of Rain and Lightning, Nancy Pickard’s entertaining, Midwestern murder mystery. And don’t be fooled by Tavia Gilbert’s twangy Kansas accent. Her voice may sound straightforward as she reads Pickard’s tale of murder, betrayal, and redemption, but don’t believe everything you hear. First impressions are not always correct.

That’s the beauty of Gilbert’s performance of this novel; you want to believe everything she says. We’ve been trained to trust that all Midwesterners especially characters from a small Kansas farming town like Rose mean exactly what they say. But like David Lynch’s disturbing film Blue Velvet or Grace Metalious’ scandalous novel Peyton Place, Pickard’s tale reminds us there’s often a hidden, darker side to some seemingly picture-perfect Norman Rockwell-esque towns.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning revolves around one fateful, stormy night 26 years ago. That night, someone brutally murders rancher Jay Linder in his home and Linder’s wife, Laurie, vanishes forever like one of the streaks of lightning flashing across the sky late that evening. Immediately, all the clues and fingers point to Billy Crosby, the violent ranch hand harboring a grudge against the Linder family. Crosby insists he did nothing wrong, but he’s soon sent to jail for the Linder murder. And for decades, Jay and Laurie’s orphaned daughter, Jody, grows up believing justice was served when Crosby was sent off to prison.

Then one morning, Jody’s uncles tell her that Crosby has been released from prison and will soon be returning to town. And worst of all, Crosby got out of jail thanks to the help of his son, Collin, a quiet, intelligent, determined lawyer nearly the same age as Jody a person she feels repulsed by and yet inexplicably drawn to at the same time. And as the novel further unfolds and more details come to light, Jody must confront the past and question everything she thought was true in her life.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning starts off slowly. But like the smoldering embers of a forest fire, the story quickly bursts to life, grips your attention, and keeps you guessing right up until the final, fateful scenes. Ken Ross

Publisher's summary

Written with the wisdom and grace devoted readers and listeners have come to expect from the award-winning author of The Virgin of Small Plains, here is a brilliantly moving tale of family, murder, and redemptive love.

One beautiful summer afternoon, Jody Linder, a young English teacher, is unnerved to see her three uncles parking their pickups in front of her parents’ house—or what she calls her parents’ house, even though they have been gone almost all of Jody’s life. The three bring shocking news: the man convicted of murdering Jody’s father is being released from prison and returning to the small town of Rose, Kansas.

It has been 26 years since that stormy night when Jody’s father was shot and killed and her mother disappeared, presumed dead. Neither the protective embrace of Jody’s uncles nor the safe haven of her grandparents’ ranch could erase the pain caused by Billy Crosby that night. Now Billy has been granted a new trial, thanks in large part to the efforts of his son, Collin, a lawyer who has spent most of his life trying to prove his father’s innocence.

Jody knows that sooner or later she’ll come face-to-face with the man who she believes destroyed her family. But what she doesn’t expect are the heated exchanges with Collin. Having grown up practically side by side in this very small town, Jody and Collin have a long history of carefully avoiding each other’s eyes. Now Jody discovers that underneath their antagonism is a shared sense of loss that no one else could possibly understand. As she revisits old wounds, startling revelations compel her to uncover the dangerous truth about her family’s tragic past.

Engrossing, lyrical, and suspenseful, The Scent of Rain and Lightning captures the essence of small-town America—its heartfelt intimacy and its darkest secrets—where through struggle and hardship people still dare to hope for a better future. For Jody Linder, maybe even love.

©2010 Nancy Pickard (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Pickard shows her storytelling skills, weaving elements of deception, revenge, and romance into a novel with full-bodied characters who deal with tragedy as best they can; Annabelle Linder’s encounter with Crosby’s wife is particularly moving. From an award-winning author, this is engrossing fiction with an eminently satisfying denouement.” ( Booklist)
“With exquisite sensitivity, Edgar-finalist Pickard probes a smoldering cold case….” ( Publishers Weekly)
“This stand-alone story—set in rural Kansas—is a dramatic view into the lives of the Linder family….Highlighting the ripple effect of people’s actions, The Scent of Rain and Lightning is an in-depth tale of unraveling lies and deceit in perfect Pickard fashion.” (Shannon Raab, Suspense magazine)

What listeners say about The Scent of Rain and Lightning

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  • Overall
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    3 out of 5 stars
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The narrater tried her best, BUT!

Would you listen to another book narrated by Tavia Gilbert?

yes

Any additional comments?

Tavia Gilbert did her best to make this book worth a credit, it was not her fault, it was the fault of the author, boring from start to finish.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This one will stick with you a while.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Scent of Rain and Lightning to be better than the print version?

Of course the audio version is better. The narrator did the most excellent job of bringing these characters to life. If I had been reading the book in print, the characters accents would have never been so well developed in my head and I just love how real she made this story for me.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hugh Jr. - bless his heart! And his dear sweet mother Annabell Lendor. We don't get to spend too much time with Hugh Jr but he is a good man who loves his family and is doing the best he can. Annabell is a dear kind soul who wants what is best for everyone and takes on what others either cannot or choose not and this makes me love her.

Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Tavia before but I can tell you her voices and accents really pulled this story into a light that would've not been there on paper for me, at least. She turned the story into much more than a reading of a book aloud but a true and spectacular performance that honestly... I could listen to again.

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

This book isn't the shortest but I deffinitely got through it in good time and could not wait to return to it each time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Simply outstanding.

What made the experience of listening to The Scent of Rain and Lightning the most enjoyable?

It was well written and kept my attention very well.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Scent of Rain and Lightning?

The rain and lightening

Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She was very good.

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

I tried to but had to listen more the next day.

Any additional comments?

I recommened it to one of my Daughter in laws. She loved it as much as I did.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

suspenseful with unusual narrative structure

This is a good story alternating between the past and present in major segments. It's highly descriptive and provides a realistic view of what it's like to live in western Kansas. I found the narrator's efforts to distinguish speakers annoying, especially the accent used for the young farm hands.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Really slow start

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not a bad story, but the first 2/3 was really slow. I enjoyed the ending very much. The first 2/3 were predictable. The rest was good.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where she is taken back to the farm by the villain and he makes her start setting the farm on fire.

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

No

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