Shoebox

By: Michael Bray

Narrated by: Chris Barnes

Length: 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Lee Schofield is about to be taught a valuable lesson. He is about to learn that sometimes, the things that look like the answers only pose more questions, and things that seem to have been presented by fate as a means to help, bring their own problems.

When those around you want what you have, some men will go to any lengths to stop them...

A short, dark, psychological thriller, Shoebox is a story that follows Schofield on a spiraling journey into paranoia, madness, and insanity. Nobody can be trusted. Nobody is safe. The shoebox belongs to Schofield, and he will do whatever it takes to protect it.

©2015 Michael Bray (P)2015 Michael Bray

Chris Barnes will get in your head

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

I don't know if it's better. It served its function. I didn't feel like reading and I still managed to get a great story with my eyes shut.

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

I actually wanted to get some sleep and I figured I'd listen to an audiobook until I fell asleep. I ended up listening to the whole damn story and stayed up way too late.

Which character – as performed by Chris Barnes – was your favorite?

The main character of Lee is pretty much the focal point of the story and Chris makes you believe this character is becoming more and more paranoid. There's a downward spiral and Chris captures it.

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

Kept me awake, wanting to know what happened next.

Any additional comments?

I would definitely listen to him again.

This One Will Mess With Your Head

Once upon a time, I thought audio books were boring and monotonous. The few books I chose to listen to were narrated by people who didn't care how much life and personality they brought to a story and its characters, which made most of them unbearable. After trying a few, I gave up on the medium all together.

Then I discovered Chris Barnes. Chris has a delightful Scottish accent, but reads in whatever accent is necessary to be as true to his characters as possible. More importantly, he figures out what makes each character "tick" and brings each to life in a way I never imagined, even if I've read the book beforehand.

Shoebox is the story of Lee, a man who finds a box filled with money buried in his garden. He knows this money will change his life and solve all his problems, so he will do anything to protect it. This is a dark psychological thriller with an ending you won't soon forget.

I have always loved Michael Bray's stories and when he teams up with Chris Barnes, the combination is brilliant.

Shoebox is short, but it will make you think and shock you with its ending. It is a must-have for fans of horror or dark thrillers.

Nothing scarier than skewed reality

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

Psychological, Terrifying, Depressing

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

The plot most assuredly kept me on the edge of my seat. The unwinding of Schofield, quite sharply, I might add kept you listening to find out just how far down the rabbit hole he's gone. His paranoia at even the most outlandish situations makes you question the realities around him.

Which character – as performed by Chris Barnes – was your favorite?

Schofield of course. His sudden find of the shoebox, to the downward spiral, to the terrifying conclusion is portrayed to perfection. He gives nothing away as the story twists and turns and leaves you shocked as the final words are spoken.

Any additional comments?

Isn't the first audio I've listened to by Chris Barnes, won't be the last. His ability to tell a story, and get deep inside the characters heads creates a connection that envelops you, and draws you into the story.

If you've not heard him yet, this is a great way to start!

no one can be trusted, especially yourself

The Shoebox is a very short, quick listen, dark psychological thriller. With a small character count of three. But really the only one that matters is Lee Schofield the protagonist.

One day Lee is out in his garden when he discovers a shoebox that doesn’t belong out in his garden. A quick peek inside he discovers the box contains £180,000. With this amount of money Lee believes that he will be able to start his life over and fix all of his problems.

Almost immediately Lee is over come with paranoia. Thinking that whoever lost this much money would be looking for it and would probably hurt him if they found he had it. Afraid that his lodger (roommate) could also take the money and ruin Lee’s life. Lee began to think of ways to secure the cash in his room with locks and such. The only problem is that Lee is also sort of lazy and puts it off for a day while his paranoia grows.

What something to screw with your dreams? Give this a listen before bed. You and your dreams will not be disappointed. I really enjoyed the darkness and the surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming. I will be looking for more from Bray.

The lesson to be learned from this story is that no one can be trusted, especially yourself.

Have yet to come across a performance by Chris Barnes where he stumbles. He is a narrator that you can count on time after time for a solid breath of life to the authors words.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.

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

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