The Beginning After

De: Kiersten Modglin

Narrado por: J. Scott Bennett

Duración: 7 h y 28 m

Resumen del Editor

Peighton Claiborne's perfect world is built on perfectly crafted lies. When the sudden death of her husband destroys everything she worked so hard to create, Peighton finds herself struggling to cope.

As the police begin digging into the mysterious death, they uncover secrets her husband had spent years trying to keep buried. The people Peighton believed she could count on, and the ones she needs more than ever, begin to turn on her, leaving Peighton to pick up the remaining pieces of her life alone.

When a police officer assigned to her husband's case, Clay Nealson, takes a special interest in her, Peighton thinks they may finally uncover the truth she so desperately seeks. Together, Peighton and Clay search for answers. In a moment of weakness, she finds herself falling for a man she barely knows. But, when Peighton discovers Clay may have his own hidden motivations to finding out the truth of her husband's death, she is forced to realize the only person she can truly trust is herself.

As the world she once knew spirals around her, Peighton must uncover the truth about her husband, his secrets and his death, before it's too late. And, in an effort to protect those she loves, she must reveal a few secrets of her own - ones that threaten to destroy everything she worked for.

©2018 Kiersten Modglin (P)2018 Kiersten Modglin

Like a Russian nesting doll of secrets

It’s a story filled with layer upon layer of secrets. Each character is its own set of nesting dolls within the story. The secrets revealed by the death of her husband are a shock to her and the secrets of those she thought she knew are far darker than she imagined. Alone and lost amidst a web of lies will she find someone who can shine a light on what happened? If she does, remember this. The shadows are darkest and hardest to see when they are behind the light. Well written and well narrated. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

A Household of Cards

One of the questions this book asks is - Which holds more deception, a room full of politicians, or a household with a politician at its head? A second question is how many, and to what degree must sacrifices be made for a politician's image and career? The author does a wonderful job of teasing the audience with these central questions by using the life changing effects and aftermaths seen in the various characters' lives rather than stating them outright.

The narrator does a superb job of lightening his voice and using emotional emphasis to great effect for the female parts rather than trying to produce a faux female voice. His slight drawl and suppression of it as well as his wide range allow for a great deal of distinction between characters.

The book will have you off balance from beginning to end, as just when you think you have one puzzle solved, or at least partially understood, a new twist arises. Also since these characters are organic, the changes in their perspectives and lifestyles also make the ultimate truths more difficult to see. If you enjoy a book that will keep you guessing, I recommend this one.

The Beginning After

A man dies and it brings up many questions and things better left in the past.A twisted tale of trying to keep one mans reputation pristine.J Scott Bennett did a great job narrating.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

take out your

notebook because you'll need it to keep track of everything or your eyes will cross lol Great suspense/romance. narrator was ok for the female parts but made all male's sound like they were nearing 100. I would still recommend the audio nonetheless.

Love this Narrator

What did you love best about The Beginning After?

The Narrator

What does J. Scott Bennett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings the characters to life.

Any additional comments?

This book was captivating in the beginning and suspenseful until the end.

Great performance, gripping story!

Have you listened to any of J. Scott Bennett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first, but I'm looking forward to listening to more. Excellent narrator, voiced all the different characters very well and with just the right amount of emotion and inflection. Not bad on the southern accent either!

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

Yep, and I did!! Started it at 9:00 at night, and by 4:00 AM was finishing it up and wishing I could cram more sleep into my night!

Any additional comments?

Great story! The narration really added to the story and I think made it more interesting and certainly held my attention. ***This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.***

Edge of my seat!

No dull moments here! This mystery will keep you guessing. More twist than most books in this genre.

the politician's secrets

Peighton's husband has just died, in what was ruled as an accident at home...he fell down the stairs and broke his neck. An open and shut case...right? However, the lead detective in the initial investigation, Clay Nealson, does not believe that Senator Claiborne's death was an accident and continues to investigate even after the case has been closed. Clay believes that someone has murdered the senator...and had also murdered his wife a few years ago. He begins a relationship with Peighton, initially, as a means to get info but then starts to develop feelings. Will anything come of that? Meanwhile, the investigation reveals lots of secrets...about the senator and the Claiborne couple. Wow, this was a fast paced thriller that leaves you saying 'I never would have thought...'. Mixed emotion about the ending but it was a great book and awesome narration.
I voluntarily accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, but takes too long to define the mystery

While this was a decent story, I had a problem with how long it took to get to the point. Until perhaps the last 20% of the novel, it's not entirely clear what's driving the story. As readers, we are following people through their lives after the death of the patriarch of the family. Different things are happening, but there's no compelling mystery being laid out, nothing to keep the reader invested. I spent much of this meandering novel wondering when (eventually) there might be a revelation, something that would answer the big question we didn't yet know we needed to ask.

Was it: "Who killed the husband?" "Who is Clay?" "Who is Frank?" "Who is Kyle's father?" People are likely hiding things, for sure. By the time you figure out what the big mystery is supposed to be, you have to have already figured out the conclusion. You have to figure out the who and the why, and then you smack your head and think," Ahh, that's where this was heading!" Cart before the horse, and it doesn't work, at least not from this reader's standpoint.

As well, I'm baffled why an overly-dramatic senior (sounding) gentleman was chosen to narrate a book that predominantly follows a middle-aged woman. The narrator makes everything sound like a formal pronouncement rather than simple dialogue. I felt like he was auditioning for a dramatic Broadway play rather than reading a casual American fiction novel. I kept getting distracted, thinking "Dude, get over yourself. You sound pompous AF!"

I can see that this is not a new author, so perhaps I need to go back and read some earlier works, something which may be constructed more carefully. I see good potential here, especially in characterizations, so this novel may not be representative of the kind of mystery she can produce.

Worth the listening too.

Peighton Claiborne life fell apart when her husband sudden death and her son began to rebel. As for all sudden deaths, the police investigate to make sure there is no motive for the death. Police offer Clay Nealson is in charge of the investigation but only because he believes the death of Senator Claiborne is related to his own wife sudden death. It seems that the deceased had several secrets, those his wife Peighton knew about and others she did not. There are many twists and turns in this novel along with a love interest. This novel is very entertaining and will keep you going until the bitter end when the last person you think is the guilty party. The author certainly knows how to keep you involved in the story and the narrator did an excellent job bringing each of the characters to life. Whether you rather read this story or listen to it as an audiobook, you will enjoy it completely.