Captain John Staple’s exploits in the Peninsula had earned him the sobriquet Crazy Jack amongst his fellows in the Dragoon Guards. Now home from Waterloo, life in peacetime is rather dull for the adventure-loving captain. But when he finds himself lost at an unmanned toll-house in the Pennines, his soldiering days suddenly pale away beside an adventure - and romance - of a lifetime.
©1954 Georgette Heyer (P)2010 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
"Great book - reader only OK"
I LOVE GEORGETTE HEYER!!!!! And this is a really fun book!!! Mystery, laughs, & romance! Daniel Hill is ... (disagreeing somewhat with a previous reviewer) ... a fairly good reader who goes over the top sometimes, and when he goes over the top he makes the character that he is reading sound like an asthmatic that is trying to shout while having an asthma attack. Luckily, this happens less and less as the story progresses. I was able to get past this issue pretty easily. (And if he sounds familiar ... he played the obnoxious Harvey Nigel Baines in the BBC's '90s sit-com "Waiting for God".)
"Great book, very fun narrator"
This classic Georgette Heyer is sparkling! I have bought all of the unabridged Heyer books, and have listened to them more that once. I am impressed with the quality of the narrators of her books, and Daniel Hill is no exception. I think the lively dialogue and period idioms challenge the narrators. Hill amused me as much as Heyer with his lively performance.
"Book Great! Narrator STINKS"
Have you ever wanted an Audible book and it finally showed up? You are so excited! BUT, then you hear to the WORST voice you have ever listened to!!!
I will listen to this again,(because I LOVE the book) but Audible PLEASE don't have Daniel Hill narrate anymore Georgette Heyer books.
His normal voice is pleasant...his characters are horrible.
I love Audible...I don't have the time anymore to sit down and read. I listen as I am working on a project. Thank you so much for the wonderful books you have.
"No bad Georgette Heyer Book, STOP ABRIDGING THEM!"
I have read and re-read these books since I was a child and they are all wonderful! Please don't fob us off with abridged versions though - two of my favorites, Venetia and Slyvester are only here in an abridged versions, and there is no point in even trying to listen to them if they do not contain every beautiful word and cant phrase!
trying to see the world with my ears
"Heyerites will hate this review"
For the most part, I'm really enjoying the Heyer novels available on Audible. I can suspend my disbelief and 21st century sensibilites and sympathecially enter the universe she creates --For me, she shatters this otherwise moral universe in this and in "Devil's Cub" with a casual, flippant attitude towards violence --- Too bad, because 90% of this one is prime Heyer - more her mystery mode than romance, though.
If you are a casual Heyer reader, I'd suggest choosing another of her novels. If you don't agree with my "violence" objection, the narration, while OK, is not up to par with most of the others and her usual plot elements are better woven in several others.
Australian, living in beautiful central Victoria. Audio book addict otherwise fairly well balanced.
"This is Georgette Heyer for boys"
Not the book for you if you enjoy a 'will he, will she' romance. This is an adventure amongst blokes( including a highwayman with a heart of gold) salted with enough local idiom to make you scream for mercy. The narrator makes a good fist of it and the hero is a good'un but I don't think Ms Heyer would have rated this as one of her finest.
"Excellent Narrator!"
Georgette Heyer has been a favorite for years - I never get tired of her stories. "The Toll Gate", as narrated by Daniel Hill, made me appreciate her skills even more, if that is possible. Absolutely outstanding performance of the characters voices as well as descriptions of the action - particularly the scene in the cave towards the end, which was very well done - fast paced and thrilling!
I sincerely hope that Mr. Hill will narrate more of GH's books. I will most definitely be looking for his name in the future....."Regency Buck"? Or "The Talisman Ring", perhaps?
"Great narrator"
One of the best narrators I've heard. He is very gifted. I really like to be able to disquish the characters and when a male voice is able to make a female sound like a female without using a high-squeeky voice.
"An old favorite of a story, but an awful narrator"
It almost seemed as if the narrator didn't think the book was exciting enough, and as a result made all of the scenes with any action BREATHLESS AND URGENT and RIDICULOUSLY MELODRAMATIC. Keep it simple, Mr. Hill. Your performance was distracting, mannered, and disappointing.
"I enjoyed the book"
It was typical Georgette Heyer and was easy listening.
It was of course unrealistic. Love at first sight kind of thing.