River Road

By: Jayne Ann Krentz

Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

It's been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she'd been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party - by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing.

Obviously Mason Fletcher - only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up - was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue. Now, returning after her aunt' s fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night - and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who'd targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found.

A lot has changed in thirteen years. Lucy now works for a private investigation firm as a forensic genealogist, while Mason has quit the police force to run a successful security firm with his brother - though he still knows his way around a wrench when he fills in at his uncle' s local hardware store. Even Summer River has changed, from a sleepy farm town into a trendy upscale spot in California' s wine country.

But Mason is still a protector at heart, a serious (and seriously attractive) man. And when he and Lucy make a shocking discovery inside Sara' s house, and some of Tristan' s old friends start acting suspicious, Mason' s quietly fierce instincts kick into gear. He saved Lucy once, and he' ll save her again. But this time, she insists on playing a role in her own rescue.

©2014 Jayne Ann Krentz (P)2014 Recorded Books

Weak story with sing-song narration.

The narration is completely disconnected from the, albeit weak, story: sing song with repetitive speech patterns. Very disappointed by both.

I liked the story

The narrator was great but I would have preferred a male narrator for the males in this story

GREAT Narrator

I wasn't sure that I wanted to download this based on the first review, but I have to say that I am really glad that I did! Not only did I really like the narrator in particular, but I thought she did a really good job portraying all the different characters. Sometimes I find women's voices to be too high pitched or too monotone, but not with this one.

I have enjoyed Jayne Ann Krentz's novels in print, but this was my first audio book purchase for her work, and it was really very entertaining! I got a little confused about some of the dense plot twists towards the end, but it was still a really fun listen.

I love a good murder mystery romance!

Not what I thought it would be

Would you try another book from Jayne Ann Krentz and/or Amanda Leigh Cobb?

I have both read and listened to many of Jayne Ann Krentz's books. But, I will not willingly listen to another book read by Amanda Leigh Cobb if at all possible.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm not sure there was a best part to like in this story. I like Krentz's books, but all seem to be following the same "formula" but with different names of the characters being the only difference.

How could the performance have been better?

Get another reader! She was so horrible. I had to force myself to finish listening to the story.

Do you think River Road needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No follow-up as the story and characters were not very interesting. The whole story, interaction between characters, and outcome were just like so many of Krentz's other books. I rated the story higher than I should have.

Any additional comments?

Better character development, different plots and tone down the sex within the first chapter. Let the connection develop, otherwise it feels like the main characters are not likable people, just trashy people.

Pleasant diversion

Would you try another book from Jayne Ann Krentz and/or Amanda Leigh Cobb?

Yes, I probably wouldn't seek her out but if it was on sale. Good little mystery.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jayne Ann Krentz? Why or why not?

Same question.

What three words best describe Amanda Leigh Cobb’s performance?

I hate this question.

Did River Road inspire you to do anything?

No, also a not helpful question.

Any additional comments?

This book had no real negatives. The characters were good, narration too. It wasn't a book I would listen to again. It was easy to get through, just not like some books you can't put down or can't wait to listen to again.......

Good story...Very Bad Narration

Good story...Very Bad Narration...Thanks for the introduction to Wine Country Chic, but all the voices sounded alike. I got lost sometimes and had to back up to see who was speaking.

Entertaining but not stunning

Narrator was OK but couldn't really differentiate the voices, especially the men. Story was reasonable but not particularly believable.

Excellent mystery romance

Loved the main characters and her aunt and his uncle. The intrigue was thrilling, kept you guessing until the end. Several surprises along the way. Love over-trumps evil. Don’t miss this one. Only slight drawback was the narrator didn’t do male extremely well, but don’t let that stop you.

Fine Narrator, Bad DIRECTION

The narrator isn't bad, but her voice didn't change much, it's true. But, listen up, haters: I happen to know for a fact that she was DIRECTED not to change her voice too much. That's right! If you listen to any of her other work - Brass and Bone (with a British male narrator for half of the novel), Never Say Never (with African American male voices), or her books with male vampires, it is OBVIOUS that she has the ability.

In this case, the narrator's DIRECTION was wrong. They have to do what they are told to do in the booth. And I know what she was told.

As for the story, I liked it. Although I was certain that the aunt's story (no spoiler alerts here) was going to be even more involved or gruesome. And I really thought that the evil young guy might come back and wasn't really dead at all at first!

Good story, but give the narrator a break. Put the blame where it belongs - on the engineer/director, in this case.

Wine Country Casual!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of River Road to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but considering my preference for audio editions of this genre of writing, I'll guess the answer to be a yes.

What about Amanda Leigh Cobb’s performance did you like?

When I read a print copy of any book, I tend to have at the most 3 distinct voices in my head for the main characters - and the rest of the characters tend to have nondescript voices. What Amanda Cobb was able to do with her narration was to give the main characters very distinct voices while, with the subtle use of diction, pause, & even quirkiness, give a lot of the other supporting characters a chance to come alive! This made me pay attention to the "cast" of characters and not just the "stars" of the show! Very nicely done.

Any additional comments?

The combination of the plot style by Krentz and the Amanda Cobb's narration technique, kept me quite engaged in how the whole story would unfold...enough to want to listen to the entire book in one sitting!!!