Circled

By: Anne McAneny

Narrated by: Laura Jennings

Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A fire ignites a whirlwind of action and accusation in a swamp town that hasn't seen excitement since the big lottery win 12 years ago. Little does reporter Chloe Keyes know that when she sniffs around for clues, she'll end up facing her own demons while unsettling the very foundation of her hometown.

Chloe starts her day by pulling a gun on two intruders - and things only go downhill from there. Driving to Boyd's General for her daily caffeine fix, she finds the place ablaze. When the flames die down, she uncovers evidence that points to a dire fate for her missing childhood friend, Hoop. He disappeared 12 years ago, on the same day his girlfriend was struck and killed by a car. The events have left a dark mark on Chloe.

Over the next two days, strange occurrences pile up: Chloe's neighbor is found floating and bloated in Black Swamp, the head of a cosmetics conglomerate is arrested by federal agents, phone records point to a dead girl making calls, and a handsome stranger mystifies everyone he encounters. Through it all, the promise of a spectacular magic show captivates the local residents.

Close calls with gators, crossbows, and armed felons lead to a startling conclusion, complete with illusion, chicanery, and the most divisive trick of all: cold, hard truth. Will Chloe's murky existence finally be clarified, or will she succumb to the demons that haunt her?

©2015 Anne McAneny (P)2017 Anne McAneny

Clover

Gotta read this to understand Clover. 12 years in the making. This book takes you back 12 years. 12 years of murder deceit drugs magic and in the end holograms showing the truth. The Sheriff in the middle of the entire problem. This has got to be the best story that I have read in a long time.
I received this free for an honest review from the author or narrator.

The Circle of Life

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

I love the feeling that the narrator portrays in this novel. She does an excellent job!

What did you like best about this story?

This novel had so much shadowing and foretelling feelings toward it! The name, in and of itself took, along with the picture on the cover, has so many different means and symbolism within this novel.

Which scene was your favorite?

There was so many excellent scenes, but probably the magic show was my favorite!

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobookworm Promotions. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Captivating tale that is well written and narrated

I loved this story and how easily it unfolded and wrapped me up in it's lovely prose and intriguing tale of love and mystery in the swamps. The author successfully makes you care about the characters and keeps you interested in the tale about Hoop, Macy and Clover. The narration in particular was key to making this story work so well. I have heard this narrator, Laura Jennings, narrate other novels but there is a slight difference here in that she clearly enjoys this book and that enjoyment comes through with her reading. The characters are perfectly delineated without overplaying them and instead of falling into the trap of some narrators who are "performing," Laura keeps the focus on the story and gives each character just the right amount of variation so we always know who is talking. If there are awards for narrators then she could easily win for this book. The marriage of writer and narrator is perfect with this audiobook and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be transported to another world for a few hours.

Loved It!

There really wasn't anything I didn't like about 'Circled' by Anne McAneny. I loved the setting and the vivid imagery that came to life in my mind's eye.

Even though there was one plot point I figured out fairly quick there were still a lot of twists and turns, questions to be answered to keep my interest the whole time. Listening to this book felt like pluff mud had grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

All credit to McAneny for crafting a wonderful story but Laura Jennings' narration was also excellent. There is a low whisper or even sinister tone in her narration that plays well with the mystery that is unfolding. And I thought her vocals for Hoop were fantastic in particular.

Listening to this audiobook made me want to hear more of both author and narrator.

I was provided a copy of this audiobook at no cost from Audiobook Worm Promotions in exchange for an unbiased review.

A great listen!

Laura Jennings' narration keeps this story moving at an excellent pace. Her character voices are distinct and pleasant to listen to.
The ending of the book is interesting and surprising.
This is an enjoyable listen and I recommend it.

intrigue and small town relationships

Chloe Keyes, a reporter and small-town resident of Black Swamp holds onto a dark moment in history.  One moment that has haunted her dreams and her very soul.  She knows better than anyone, that small towns have their deep dark secrets and her beloved Black Swamp is no different.

Faced with writing a “recap” story on the four lottery winners, the largest lottery win ever, Chloe learns firsthand how deep those secrets run and the secrets of relationships.

A gripping thriller filled with guns, knives, men in dark suits and an AARP gator that will keep you engrossed guessing who is behind the intrigue and mystery.  There are moments of humor followed by moments that shake the foundation of human faith.

Anne McAneny sets the stage for the small town secret and its "reveal" in such a way that will leave the listeners gasping!  McAneny builds her characters to larger than life but in such a way that her listeners cannot help but connect to them.  The story line is captivating with moments of humor, love and a deep resonating darkness of evil.

Laura Jennings, the narrator, provides a performance that is natural and precise.  Her easy, smooth flowing voice is soothing and captivating. Jennings was an excellent choice as a narrator as she owned the audio.

I highly recommend this audiobook if you enjoy mysteries, intrigue and small town relationships.  I look forward to more by Anne McAneny.

There were no issues with the audio or production quality of this audiobook.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Oh My Gosh What a Story!

If you could sum up Circled in three words, what would they be?

Gripping, intense and suspensful

Who was your favorite character and why?

Chole, this story depicts her life as a child and as an adult grieving the loss of a childhood friend.

Any additional comments?

This book had me hooked right from the beginning. Such a great murder mystery with a twist. The narrator did a great job performing this story and made you believe you were actually inside the story as was caused by amazing writing. Nothing makes me happier than to be able to crawl inside a book as I did this one. I look forward to the other 3 books in this series. Take a chance on this book and you won't regret it. This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom

Circled

I loved this book!It was a great story of people living in Beulah.Cloe and Hoop are best friends,until he dissapears.A fire twelve years later brings many answers in a spectacular way.Laura Jennings was a fantastic narrator.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

A beautiful example of prose

The descriptions of powerful emotions and scenery take the crown for Circled. The author is extremely skillful with her words and sentence structure. For example, she accomplished making a swamp sound beautiful. The author also includes subtle humor and clever lines, which is necessary for keeping the voice interesting. My favorite line, from near the beginning of the book is: "My adrenaline took an encore." Unfortunately, and every reader is different, I had trouble holding an interest in the plot. The skillful prose is what elevates this novel, but I didn't find myself to become invested in the plot until around the halfway point. With that being said, the ending is memorable and brilliantly executed.

Great Book!!

This book by Anne McAneny was very well written. I loved all of the twists and turns this story had. Laura Jennings did a great performance and put so much into it. I loved the suspense and the imagery this story had. My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it. Before I listened to this book I didn't have a clue what the cover art had to do with the story, but I totally got the bicycle tire and snake after I started it. Love and adventure are two words that describe part of this book. I was voluntarily provided with this review copy audiobook at no cost by the author, publisher, and/or narrator. I will most definitely look for more books by both the author and narrator, and will listen to this one again.