Lost Among the Living

By: Simone St. James

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

For fans of historical fiction and Gothic romance, an atmospheric ghost story from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare.

England, 1921. Three years after her husband, Alex, disappeared, shot down over Germany, Jo Manders still mourns his loss. Working as a paid companion to Alex's wealthy, condescending aunt, Dottie Forsyth, Jo travels to Wych Elm House, the family's estate in the Sussex countryside. But there is much she never knew about her husband's origins...and the revelation of a mysterious death in the Forsyths' past is just the beginning.

All is not well at Wych Elm House: Dottie's husband is distant, and her son was grievously injured in the war. Footsteps follow Jo down empty halls. Items in her bedroom are eerily rearranged. The locals say the family is cursed and that a ghost in the woods has never rested. And when Jo discovers her husband's darkest secrets, she wonders if she ever really knew him. Isolated in a place of deception and grief, she must find the truth or lose herself forever.

And then an eerily familiar stranger arrives at Wych Elm House....

©2016 Simone Seguin (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Nice story, not her most ghostly

I love this author. I love her way with characters and with the historical novel. I especially love the way she handles supernatural elements and will always buy whatever she writes. I just wish we had heard a bit more from the ghost this time around.

Gothic mystery!

All the classic elements are here: mysteries upon mysteries, big houses and family secrets, madness, ghosts, and love. The story is quite good, but th skillful narration and many voices of the reader are what really makes it 5 stars.

Good story; less than enjoyable narration

The story itself, a who-done-it with an intriguing ghost angle, was interesting and held my attention to the very end, bouncing from one suspect to the next. That said, I almost stopped listening during the first chapter, as I found the narrator’s voice grating and forced. I’m glad I pushed through, as I learned to ignore the tone of the voice and focus on the narrator’s ability to articulate her words. As a result, I enjoyed the overall experience.

Another great one!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Ms St. James’ books and this is no exception. Her stories are tight and characters well drawn. I can hardly put them down but hate to see them end!

Murder Mystery/Ghost Story

Would you consider the audio edition of Lost Among the Living to be better than the print version?

No. The person who read it was a bit of a distraction. Her tone sounded whiny and when she read the male voices, it just didn't sound right.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Definitely Fran. She had the most interesting story to tell.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator sounded whiny in parts, although her English accent was fitting.

Any additional comments?

Nice bit of historical fiction. The plot was interesting.

So far it's ok

Book seems it could be set anywhere. No historical context present in story at all other than the death of Alex in the 'war'. The voices of the 'men' by the reader annoyed me.

Enjoyable Mystery

This book is an intriguing post WW1 mystery story set in the English countryside. Although there are ghostly elements, it would be a stretch to call it a ghost story. Slow to take shape and set up the story line, it requires the listener to be patient until around the 4 hour mark at which point it takes off and doesn't let up until the conclusion.

I would caution prospective listeners to listen to the sample first. Justine Eyre's narration has a distinct affectation. It took me a while to get used to it and not find it distracting. However, once the pace picked up, I found her voice suited the characters and story well.

Even though I had to suspend disbelief periodically, the book had twists and plot shifts that kept me guessing and pleasantly entertained. If you can get past the narration style I think you will find this to be an enjoyable mystery.

One of the best books I have read in a long time!

I loved this read. I would very much recommend this book to anyone I know.

Perfect combination of author and narrator

Would you listen to Lost Among the Living again? Why?

Yes, it will be a pleasure to come back to this, probably next October.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Joe, with her depth of character, honest openness of her emotions, tied to both the mundane, work a day world and the deeply spiritual (not in a religious sense).

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

Justine Eyre was the perfect narrator for this book. I hope she continues to read for Simone St. James' books.

If you could take any character from Lost Among the Living out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Joe, for the reasons I gave above.

Any additional comments?

As good as The Haunting of Maddie Clare, which I don't think I've ever said before in regards to a romance / crime / ghost / (what is this genre?!) book.

Narration

Wish narrator had not used strong British English to narrate book. Hard to distinguish speech.