The Invisible Guardian

By: Dolores Redondo

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Already a #1 international bestseller, this tautly written and gripping psychological thriller forces a police inspector to reluctantly return to her hometown in Basque Country - a place engulfed in mythology and superstition - to solve a series of eerie murders.

When the naked body of a teenage girl is found on a riverbank in Basque Country, Spain, homicide inspector Amaia Salazar must return to the hometown she always sought to escape. A dark secret from Amaia's past plagues her with nightmares, and as her investigation deepens, the old pagan beliefs of the community threaten to derail her astute detective work. The lines between mythology and reality begin to blur, and Amaia must discover whether the crimes are the work of a ritualistic killer or of a mythical creature known as the Basajaun, the Invisible Guardian.

Torn between the rational procedures of her job and the local superstitions of a region shaped by the Spanish Inquisition, Amaia fights against the demons of her past in order to track down a killer on the run.

©2012 Dolores Redondo (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved, recorded by arrangement with Atria Books, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. English-language translation © 2013 by Izzie Kaufeler. Originally published in 2012 in Spain as El guardián invisible by Planeta by agreement with Pontas Literary & Film Agency.

Lead character inconsistent

Would you try another book from Dolores Redondo and/or Coleen Marlo?

I actually did buy the second in this series...something about bones. The early pages confirm my views of this first novel.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Invisible Guardian?

I did not find a most memorable moment.

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

Her ability to give voice to emotions such as fear, contempt, guilt...are impressive. I will look for other books she has read/performed.

Do you think The Invisible Guardian needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, a second book is called for because the character development in the first is rather awkward. I thought the main character's mother, who was described alternatively as maliciously and intentionally mean as a snake then mentally ill, was representative of somewhat clumsy character development--too extreme? Neither was believable, and an editor who could smooth out the edges would be good. Similarly, the main character is portrayed as someone with strong instincts and intuition but still someone with the self-awareness and insight of cement, traits that seem mutually inconsistent. I'm hoping the second book may address these problems. So far--about 25% of the book--however, the main character is still presented as having the self-awareness and insight of cement but amazing intuition.

Any additional comments?

I'll keep listening to book two and hope for the best. So far, I find myself mostly disengaged from the fate of the main character. Subtle, introspective, but compelling character development for me is the key to a book I enjoy.

Fantastic complicated story

Fantastic story filled with great characters, mythological characters, and true to life family relationships. Great thriller.

A little slow at first but great read

Honestly so well done! So happy I read this. Everything I wanted in a book.

Great Story

This story had me guessing until the very end. It was a great concept and very entertaining.

Very dark and engaging

Very dark and engaging a good fast read. Some facts ambiguous at the end but still a great book

Poor reader

This is a captivating story and mystery. Very deep in its controversial subjects. However the narrator/reader. Is terrible. Her attempts at changes voiced to match characters is dismal at best. She sounds like a fake “Mexican” accent used in typical 50’s thru 70’s American movies with whites men imitating s Mexican accent. Mind you, the books is based in Spain. She reminds me of the cartoon character “Speedy Gonzalez”.
Really ruined the listening experience for me. 😞

I've been spoiled

Growing up listening to the voices of Jim Dale really makes you appreciate just how important it is to have each character have their own voice. While this narrator does a brilliant job, it falls short of perfection as there were quite a few moments when I could not always tell one character's voice from another.

This Is A Ladies' Book... Okay I'm seeking cover..

Got it... My headline is contentious. BUT... look. There are distinctly books that are generally injected with testosterone while others are flavored with oestrogen and progesterone. Look, people like to listen to, watch, and read people like themselves. Okay, it's important to stretch beyond our comfort zones... But I listen to this sort of book for escape, not cultural discipline. There's an intriguing murder mystery here, but there's also at least twice as much relationship discussion which frankly bores a big swath of men to ... SOB!

This book is the literary equivalent of a ChickFlick. And it probably will appeal to a lot of my female friends. The artistic director Charles Amirkhanian once wrote, "Boredom has become a lost art form."

For me, and I suspect a large bunch of men, Dolores Redondo has revived that art :-)

Coleen Marlo does what she can, but what she can do didn't overcome what the book couldn't do to make me love it.

Not great

Disappointed. Since this is the first of a trilogy, thought it would be comparable to Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. Irrelevant history and bad conversations.

Surprising "guardian"

Maybe two stars is a bit harsh because it's not a bad book. It's original in it's use of folklore and in the complexity of its characters. The problem is the main case (which is brutal) gets drowned out with all the other drama going on with the characters. Honestly, can't say I cared for any of them in the end, even the strong females. The killer was obvious too, which is always a bit of a downer. The ending redeems much of the dragging on in the middle but, for me anyway, if was too little to late.