Evan Blessed

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

Two weeks before the big day, Welsh Constable Evans is ready to be done planning for his wedding. Just as he's unloading the last boxes into the new home he and his bride, Bronwen, have chosen, he runs into a teenager whose girlfriend has gone missing on Mt. Snowdon. Despite his apprehensions about getting involved in a new case, Evans cannot resist helping the worried hiker. A search yields no trace of the girl but does turn up a well-stocked bunker, complete with chains and handcuffs. Are the two related? And if so, where is the girl being held?

When a series of clues is uncovered, Evans and the police begin to see that they are dealing with a clever but twisted mind. Then a second person vanishes and this time Evans knows the victim: Bronwen. He realizes the culprit's vendetta might be a personal one and that the actual target might have been him all along.

Award winner Rhys Bowen, whose most recent Constable Evans novel, Evan's Gate, was a finalist for the Edgar Award for best mystery novel of the year, delivers another charming and suspenseful cozy mystery set in beautiful Wales and starring fan favorite village constable Evan Evans.

©2005 Rhys Bowen (P)2005 Books on Tape

welsh accent

Would you listen to Evan Blessed again? Why?

I read a lot of the reviews and they all said the narrations weren’t very good. As one said review said it didn’t sound very British. As a Welsh American I can tell you it sounds Welsh not everyone in Great Britain sound like some one out of London. The Welsh have their very own sound just like the Scottish and Irish. All Celtics sound different. I would hope that you would understand that Wales is its own country with its own language and customs. We are very proud of being welsh and we have worked very hard to keep those things that make us Welsh alive both in Wales and around the World. I feel the Narrator did an admiral job with the accent many well known actors say they have a hard time with the accent. So when you listen to this book please look at it as a way of also of a way of enjoying a beautiful country a people. Maybe learn a little about a country in the British Isle that doesn’t get written about in fiction at least on this side of the pond.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Story is set in Wales

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

very good Welsh Accent

29 of 29 people found this review helpful

A bit more grim than I was expecting.

Would you listen to Evan Blessed again? Why?

Probably not. It was a good story but I prefer my audio books to be a little more light hearted.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. It was a very well structured mystery with an occasional chapter from the killer's point of view.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

He could have made each voice more distinct from the others. All the characters sound similar. Even the females.

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

A few parts startled me and because I listen to audio books at night. I had a few creepy dreams.

Any additional comments?

I got this book because I am a big fan of the "Her Royal Spynesss" series by the same author and I was startled at how different in tone "Evan Blessed" is. I'm not a big fan of books than linger on the grim details of violence against women and it's always cute, young women for some reason and this is no different. This book stops short of fetishizing the details of the sad fate of a missing 17 year old female hiker in modern day Wales, but it comes close. I'm not sure if that's good or bad but it definitely different from what I'm accustomed to from Rhys Bowen. To put it another way, it's more James Patterson than Agatha Christie.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Love Constable Evans!

This is the first book other than the Royal Spyness books that I've read by Rhys Bowen. I liked the other books so well that I bought this without even looking at the reviews. I was not disappointed in any way. They aren't quite as funny as the Spyness books but the mystery was good and has a couple of twists in it. I LOVED the narrator's Welsh accent and he just added to the book. If I had read this I know that I would have been left wondering how to pronounce all those names. They just roll right off of John Lee's tongue. I stayed up way past my bedtime to get closer to the end and then had to sleep. I was up at 6 and finishing the story. I won't like functioning today but it was a great story. I wish Audible would get all her books.on audio. I think I'd buy them all! More Rhys Bowen and Constable Evans Please!! Guess I'll have to go to the library to check out some paper books for a change. My housework and husband would prefer I do audio.... I get more done that way. If you love mysteries, you will probably love this book... If you love hunky voices with accents, you'll love this book whether you like mysteries or not. Well worth my credit.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Welsh police (Constable) procedural.

A great Welsh accented mystery. The story is interesting & describes beautifully the locations in Wales. John Lee makes the Welsh voices sound great. The plot & the narration fit together. I like Bowen's Constable Evans series & want to listen to more of them.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

I loved this book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend this book highly. The story line holds my interest and I couldn't stop listening till it was over.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Even Evans character was my favorite. He is smart and independent and he always stands up for the person in need.

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

He makes the characters come to life Listening to him you can picture the village and the people almost as if it is a movie.

Any additional comments?

I'd like to see the rest of the series in Audible. All the other books are in ebook only. I've read them all, but would listen to them if they in audio also.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Lovely Book For A Rainy Day

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, definitely.

Any additional comments?

I love the performance! It took me back immediately to one of my favorite movies, How Green Was My Valley, and the beautiful lilting Welsh speech. The narrator had just the right voice to make the book easy to listen to while still giving it that musical quality I associate with the wonderful people of Wales. A great read.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

A pleasant, solid listen.

What made the experience of listening to Evan Blessed the most enjoyable?

I enjoy most by Rhys Bowen; light without being too simple. The performance was nice also. I wish there were more of this series on audible.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A pleasant read but not by a native!

What did you like best about Evan Blessed? What did you like least?

Good story and characters.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

John Lee is a great narrator but this performance is spoiled by a faltering accent and many mispronunciations of places and things Welsh. As a Welsh born reader I was irritated by these. For example the 'fair' part of Llanfair does not rhyme with hair - the ai sound is pronounced as the personal pronoun ' I '.
If the purpose of attempting a Welsh accent is to add authenticity then an editor who knows Welsh pronounciations should by used. It is a notoriously difficult accent to imitate complicated by regIonal differences.
Most readers would not know the difference but I believe all readers deserve as authentic an experience as possible.

Did Evan Blessed inspire you to do anything?

Yes, to write this review to plead for an Editor who understands Welsh pronounciations!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Good story, worth a listen

I enjoyed the story. Not overly complex, but then i'd prefer that every book isn't about the "crime of the century"... I'd call this a good light read. I will also say, i didn't really care for the narration, though i generally like John Lee. In the past, i had listened to him doing Austrian and German characters and he seems to have a natural voice for that accent. I didn't find the same for the british accent, though that might just be my own personal idea of what they should be. (Still, sounded quite German to me.)

11 of 15 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable listen

I was familiar with the author from previous works so was delighted to find another series to enjoy. The narration was wonderful and easy to understand while maintaining the local flavor of speech.

The plot was very interesting with a nice twist at the end. I think fans of Rhys Bowen will enjoy this series and newcomers to this author are in for a treat.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful