• Out on a Limb

  • A Smoky Mountain Mystery
  • By: Carolyn Jourdan
  • Narrated by: Jodi Gaylord
  • Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (44 ratings)

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Out on a Limb  By  cover art

Out on a Limb

By: Carolyn Jourdan
Narrated by: Jodi Gaylord
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Publisher's summary

Phoebe McFarland has just moved back to her hometown of White Oak, Tennessee, a sleepy rural community nestled in the mist-shrouded ridges and isolated hollows of the Smoky Mountains. Now she spends her days working as a rural home health care nurse, making calls on a quirky roster of housebound characters she's determined to take care of whether they cooperate or not.

She applies this same optimism to her love life, despite the fact that she's been dating for 38 years without locating any husband material. When she runs into her childhood sweetheart, Henry Matthews, a wildlife ranger for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it looks like she might've found her man.

But Phoebe and Henry's chance for romance has to be put on hold while they undertake a desperate search for a young woman who mysteriously vanished from the park during a gathering of world famous biologists and botanists, including a charismatic Frog Whisperer.

©2013 Carolyn Jourdan (P)2017 Carolyn Jourdan

What listeners say about Out on a Limb

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

The story was good and it had an interesting development of the story. The beginning was a bit boring, but I am glad I stuck with it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Out on a limb

This is a very good book. There is a lot of twist and turns in it. A very good mystery. It keeps you interested from start to finish. I live two hours from Cases Cove I enjoyed a story about the area. I highly recommend this book. Jodi Gaylord did an excellent job narrating this book. I received a free copy of this book from unleashed but that has no influence on my review. if this review is any help will you please click the helpful link below. Thank you

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Carolyn has a way of painting a picture with words

Where does Out on a Limb rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was my second audiobook, both written by Carolyn Jourdan, and both 5 stars!

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Henry. His dialect and the stories of his experiences were endearing.

Have you listened to any of Jodi Gaylord’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but her portrayal of the French character in this book was classic!

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

No parts made me cry but there were some laugh out loud moments.

Any additional comments?

It was cleat a LOT of research went into this book, and a LOT of valuable information regarding tourists and wildlife that I hope readers pay heed to!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Want to visit this place!

Vivid description of nature and people. Interesting story, very entertaining , just the thing to dive into

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Colorful and Fun Mystery

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

I'd recommend this audiobook to every friend because it was so fun to listen to! I enjoyed the narrator's voice, she sounded a lot like I imagined the main character sounds. The book has very vivid descriptions of every scene, and I felt like I was right there watching the action. The characters are well-rounded and fully developed, I feel like I know them and I want to hear more from them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Phoebe was easy for me to relate to, and she reminds me so much of little bits of myself and several of my friends. I enjoyed that she's a realistic character and very likeable, strong, and smart. Her energy really drove the book and kept it interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's impossible for me to choose, because each scene was well-set and well-written, and they all fit together with good balance and flow.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Look up!

Any additional comments?

This book was fun to listen to at home on a lazy weekend, and it would also be a great book to listen to while driving because the narrator was so pleasant to listen to and the story is so involving and well-written and easy to follow. The characters are all well-drawn, and I'd love to hear more about them!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unpredictable!

Give me a story that is full of twists and turns and I am a happy listener. Carolyn Jourdan’s Out On a Limb is full of them! It starts with a woman climbing a tree in a national park when someone tries to shoot her down. Definitely caught me up from there, wanting to know who she is, will she survive, who shot her and why! Phoebe has just moved back to White Oak, and she is our local nurse and is interested in her old boyfriend, Henry. Henry is a wildlife ranger and just when these two begin their second chance at love, they are now frantically searching for the stranded tree climber! Not only do we have this mystery, but the driving force behind the shooting of the woman is incredibly interesting. This book is one that will keep you guessing and the results surprising! I love these kinds of stories, the quirky characters, the hometown feel, trying to decide who to trust, and the creepy woods, all bring out the suspense. Jourdan’s descriptive visuals take us right there in the park and let us enjoy the ride to the answers.

Jodi Gaylord gives it her all with the narration of this book. She has a great variety of voices and her storytelling is on mark. Each character has a distinct voice and personality and she brings it all to life.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

A Great Cozy Mystery

I really enjoyed this story—the hair-raising plot is very suspenseful and will keep your interest—wanting to find out what will happen next. As an added bonus, there are so many funny incidents in this story that will keep you laughing out loud…along with the sweet development of two romances. You will also get a kick out of the local “mafia-type” characters as well. Narrator, Jodi Gaylord, did an excellent job bringing this story to life, and I enjoyed listening to her. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Smoky Mountains Mystery

Fun story with interesting characters, local color, and scientific background. I loved the Great Smoky Mountains National Park setting.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A compelling story that appeals to outdoor lovers

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

The story is well read with a light accent that I fell in love with. The book is a fun mystery that appeals to outdoor lovers & environmentalists. Once I started, I was quickly addicted.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Out on a Limb?

Tree climbing is a thing for the main character and she uses a crossbow to get into the upper reaches--how cool is that!?

Have you listened to any of Jodi Gaylord’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I know Jodi from her photography, so I was very interested to see she is now doing audio books. Her accent and melodic voice were memorizing.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great mystery.

The twist and turns in the plot keep you involved in the story. Jodi Gaylord's performance fit the story perfectly. I am planning on getting "The School for Mysteries" next. It has the same characters but a different narrator so I am hoping it is a good performance also. This book was given to me by Audiobooks Unleashed.

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