Midnight Bayou

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: James Daniels, Sandra Burr

Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he couldn't understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knew was that ever since he saw Manet Hall, he'd been enchanted - and obsessed - with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up Declan jumps at the chance to live out a dream.

Determined to restore Manet Hall to its former splendor, Declan begins the daunting renovation room by room, relying on his own labor and skills. But the days spent in total isolation in the empty house take a toll. He is seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief - sensations not his own, but those of a stranger. Local legend has it that the house is haunted, and with every passing day Declan's belief in the ghostly presence grows.

Only the companionship of the alluring Angelina Simone can distract him from the mysterious happenings in the house, but Angelina too has her own surprising connection to Manet Hall - a connection that will help Declan uncover a secret that's been buried for a hundred years.

©2004 Nora Roberts (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Narrator James Daniels depicts this romantic, suspenseful ghost story with finesse, switching Cajun accents as he navigates between Declan Fitzgerald and the restoration of Manet Hall in 2002, to betrayal, rape, and murder in the early 1900s." ( AudioFile)
"To add to the pleasure, tastefully choreographed, highly erotic lovemaking scenes are seamlessly woven into a novel that exemplifies storytelling at its finest." ( Booklist)

Predictable

This story was so predictable - the plot has been done to death.

The saving grace was the narration paricularly James Daniels. He was very believable even with the female characters.

It's great, cher!

Where does Midnight Bayou rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's a fantastic reading, with tension, dynamic, great performance skills. I thoroughly enjoyed it. (I had read this book years ago but couldn't remember it's name or author, and finding the audiobook rekindled my previous love for the story.)

Who was your favorite character and why?

Declan is an easy choice. It's mostly from his point of view, and we get to see that this smart-ass, hunky, man-from-money Yankee isn't just some punk rich kid wanting a good time down in New Orleans. He's a good guy, a caring man, and really fights for what (and who) he wants to love.

What about James Daniels and Sandra Burr ’s performance did you like?

I like James Daniels's attention to dialogue. It felt real and believable and was easy to get lost in his changing of voices for different characters. I really appreciate his effort and dedication. Sandra Burr brought the past back to life, which was the main draw for the present story. They worked well as a team bringing this story together.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The opening is a bit intense. It can be a trigger for some people, and it was startling for me to listen to and imagine. The twist ending had me reacting and spitting fire, which was great because those are always the best.

Good listening g

Different plot. strung story out. likable characters. interesting setting. different from anything I have read

Typical but good

My only complaint is the ring that was bought was not given at the end, unless I missed something in the story.

Enjoyable yet flawed

Would you consider the audio edition of Midnight Bayou to be better than the print version?

I love audio books and have found myself lately listening more than reading. That being said, I do believe this book would have been better in print mainly because of the botched accents in the audio version. If you have ever lived in the south, especially Louisiana, this will drive you CRAZY! The narrators, especially the female reader, bounced back and forth between an Irish accent to a feeble attempted Cajun accent. With a bit of research and coaching, the narration could have been tremendously better.

Any additional comments?

This audio book would be enjoyable to anyone who is fond of the romance/mystery genre and not very familiar with a true Cajun accent. The story has a supernatural twist which I found interesting and the main characters (especially Declan) were easy enough to embrace. It was predictable at times but that isn't always a bad thing especially in a romance novel. I would recommend this book to someone wanting a fun weekend or vacation read.