If Walls Could Talk

Haunted Home Renovation, Book 1

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Melanie Turner has made quite a name for herself remodeling historic houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now her reputation may be on the line.

At her newest project, a run-down Pacific Heights mansion, Mel is visited by the ghost of a colleague who recently met a bad end with power tools. Mel hopes that by nailing the killer, she can rid herself of the ghostly presence of the murdered man - and not end up a construction casualty herself....

©2010 Julie Goodson-Lawes (P)2013 Tantor

Good book, good story

really enjoyable read, story moved along smoothly, alot of extra characters though, maybe for later use?

Good

$5 Audible book sale purchase. Easy listen. Some unanswered questions but mostly good listen. Would recommend.

Remodeling with a Ghostly Twist!

Read/Listened for Fun (Physical Copy, Kindle, and Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 3.75
Character Rating: 4.25

Audio Rating: 4.50 (Not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: I was actually redoing a room while listening and this just added to the fun factor!

Story Thoughts: Poor Melanie! All she wants to do is disappear to France and go native for a bit. Family responsibilities though prevent that and so she is now running the family's remodeling historic houses business. She also can see ghosts. These two combine to make for quite a fun way of solving a murder, discovering clues, and looking like your crazy! Actually I felt a bit bad for her as those pesky spirits could just pop up when it is inconvenient. Overall, the case is pretty solid and there were a few twists/turns. Not being able to figure out who did it immediately was great! Though you will figure it out before Mel, you will still have fun watching her come to the realization of who was behind it!

Character Thoughts: I really liked Melanie. Her forthright behavior, backbone, and smarts made her a very strong woman. She was just quirky enough to identify with and knew when to stand her ground. She was also loyal to everyone: family, step-children (previous marriage), and friends. She is the kind of person I would want to have as a friend. Graham, I am not sold on yet but their eventual love match wasn't played up to much in this book. So I can take time to get to know him just as Mel will again.

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Xe Sands / Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins


Xe is one of those narrators that truly sounds different in every book they do. She tends to merge with the characters and bring out their quirks, behaviors, and insecurities. She is fantastic at pacing, nuances, and emotions. I loved her as Mel! She just got her really well. I can't wait to get book 2!

Final Thoughts: Great beginning to a fun series. I just wish I had half the remolding gumption as Mel!

DIY murder, that spans the here and hereafter....

Would you consider the audio edition of If Walls Could Talk to be better than the print version?

N/A

Which scene was your favorite?

I particularly enjoyed the first time Mel saw Kenneth's ghost.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved all of the times Graham showed up and helped Mel.

Any additional comments?

Mel is a thoroughly relatable character, and XE Sand's portrayal of her is spot-on. She channels Mel in every aspect of her delivery, and flawlessly conveys all of Mel's emotions, down to wry humorous moments. XE does an admirable job on the elderly ladies, and the younger men, but I found at times I had difficulty hearing all of the older men's parts, and also Matt's, because the volume dropped off. Her pacing was wonderful, and the pauses were well-placed. This narrator inhabits each of her characters and has a solid grasp on how to differentiate between each of them. I would absolutely look for more from this narrator/author combination.

Story good, narration not so much

I had difficulty understanding the narrator’s male voices. They sounded lazy and slurred and not enough difference to always tell them apart. It took me quite a while to get my ears attuned to the narration.

I enjoyed the story - a little paranormal but not over the top, enough descriptions without a lot of fluff. I liked the historical tie-ins, too.

I will definitely get the next book in the series.

Loved the local details

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

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved old houses and always wondered what stories it held. This is wonderful book were a women discovers her new gift and it fits well with her profession of home remodeling/construction.

What was one of the most memorable moments of If Walls Could Talk?

I love that the book is set in California and the author uses actual events that took place there. Some of the streets and areas mentioned in the book are places in Northern California and it really helps to connect to the book.

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

I would have loved to listen to this book in one sitting. However, I use the audio books for my long drives into the Bay Area from Sacramento. So, I only allow myself to listen to the audio books during my drive time.

Any additional comments?

I love this author. She always has twists and turns that I wouldn't really expect.

Love At First Listen

I enjoyed this so much I immediately bought book two. I highly recommend this book.

Time flies

Listening to this story made time fly by. So enjoyable! I really enjoyed the story and characters. Well performed as well. Cannot wait for the next story!

it was good not great but good

Is there anything you would change about this book?

ummm probably not

If you’ve listened to books by Juliet Blackwell before, how does this one compare?

never have

Did Xe Sands do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

yes decent

Do you think If Walls Could Talk needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no

Any additional comments?

it didn't grab me like i like but I finished it none the less

If Walks Could Talk is a good spooky Mystery.

I love home renovation stories, but add mysterious spirits and crimebusting and you've got a winner! Great character descriptions and a few interesting subplots. I reccomend it.