Painting the Darkness

By: Robert Goddard

Narrated by: Michael Kitchen

Length: 20 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

On a mild autumn afternoon in 1882, William Trenchard sits smoking his pipe in the garden of his comfortable family home. When the creak of the garden gate heralds the arrival of an unexpected stranger, he is puzzled but not alarmed. He cannot know the destruction this man will wreak on all he holds most dear.

©1989 Robert and Vaunda Goddard (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Definitely rivetting!

This book definitely kept me hooked right to the end - I sort of guessed the ending part way through and, being a gal who generally likes a happy ending I am surprised that it did so well to keep me listening.

The narration was good although MK still occasionally irritates me with his slightly too languid delivery - some intonations jarred but not enough to mar my enjoyment of the plot.

As an audio listener I found the flashbacks occasionally hard to follow, especially if my attention had been a bit distracted and I had to listen hard to work out which time period was being lived at the moment and the flipping from third to first person reporting was sometimes a bit off putting especially when it wasnt Trenchard in the first person but James doing the reporting.

Nevertheless, I was gripped to the end!

FASCINATING

I ENJOYED THE BOOK,ITS INTRIGUING PLOT,THE EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, AND ESPECIALLY THE FINE,IF A LITTLE OLD-FASHONED, LANGUAGE.RECOMMENDED.

Fabulous!

This book has more twists and turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco! Well written, well read, you will be amazed at this writer’s abilities and absolutely will NOT be able to unravel the mystery until it is revealed. Totally unpredictable and very deep. Sooooo good!

A Knockout Puzzle.

What made the experience of listening to Painting the Darkness the most enjoyable?

Though longer than it needs to be, this thriller keeps the reader on tender hooks. The author weaves a psychological tale with so many ins and outs that the reader will be constantly mesmerized. One vacillates every few minutes between certainty and uncertainty over what the truth really is in this engaging mystery. Michael Kitchen's mellifluous voice is the icing on the cake.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the psychology of the choices of several characters .

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

Not a thing.

Twists & Turns in Every Page

Goddard is one of my favourite authors. He is a great teller of tales and keeps you guessing from the first to last page. This novel is no different.

The character build up is excellent and Goddard takes us through a Rollercoaster ride of through the late 18th and early 19th centuries. From the very first page and found myself trying to work out and guess the ending which always left me seconding guessing and questioning my original judgment. This is Goddard at his best.

But the highlight of this audio book is the performance of Michael Kitchen. He brings every charecter to life and truly makes them believable.

Overall, this is an excellent production and one of the best I've listened to on Audible, I'm so glad I listened to it and will certainly be exploring more audio books with either Goddard or Kitchen or both. EXCELLENT!!!

Hmmm

My first Robert Goddard book started out smashing, then took a deep nose dive, and ended midway.

The book rolled along nicely until a certain point, and then it just went kablooey. It lost its cohesion and became a patchwork of scenes, I ended up skipping to the last chapter. I had no desire to wade through the rest of it.

Still he is a wonderful writer and I look forward to trying another hopefully better one.

Mesmerizing

Would you listen to Painting the Darkness again? Why?

I would listen again for two reasons. Primarily for Michael Kitchen's compelling voice. I felt like the snakes in Ireland when they heard the Pied Piper's music. I could hardly shut it off.
The story had me feeling as if I were on a literary tilt-a-whirl. I didn't want it to end.

What other book might you compare Painting the Darkness to and why?

Robert Goddards novels are similar in style and something I definitely enjoy.

What about Michael Kitchen’s performance did you like?

Everything. His voice is incredible. I was so taken by it that ,as I said I couldn't shut off the book.

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

No

Any additional comments?

This book is so complex, and intricate, that I am amazed how the author could keep the story line in his head. Truly a genius.

Unable to stop listening.

I am often easily bored with novels, but this one was not only well written, but it's plot was so intriguing that I found myself neglecting everything I needed to do, to keep listening to try to find out, if I would be able to dismiss this, with a "Oh, I know where this is going," and put it down, so I could go about my business.

Fascinating characters which are well drawn.

I would highly recommend this book to those who are jaundiced with formulae plots, and want to be kept guessing.

excellent narration from Michael Kitchen

Good story from Robert Goddard, though not my favourite.
That is simply my personal preference.

An audio book I expect to listen to again, as I have done with all Goddard's novels so far..
Michael Kitchen adds greatly to any book I have heard him read, and is a joy to hear as he has such an expressive voice.
The story does give rise to wondering about morality when it comes to sexual relationships and the nature of a personal guilt for the deeds of others. While women do feature in this story they seem to have little to say.Yet what they do have to say seems to show a way through a seeming man made impasse.

The story is a little like the untangling of tangled fishing line or skeins of wool.

What Fun!

Any additional comments?

I've never read any Goddard books before, but I will definitely put them on my wish list. This is a fun, well-written, historical thriller. Sort of Dickens, Bronte, and du Maurier combined. Michael Kitchen's narration was fantastic.