Pauline

By: John Isaac Jones

Narrated by: Joan Dukore

Jen and Shirley Ann had been best friends in Palm Springs, CA for more than 31 years. Even after Shirley Ann married and divorced Jen's older brother, they remained friends. Although both owned homes in Palm Springs, Jen later purchased a home in Colorado so she could be near her ailing mother Pauline. Once Jen moved, Shirley Ann made frequent weekend trips to the new home to visit and go hiking. During one of those weekends, Pauline suddenly died and, because she was so cheap, her insurance policy didn't cover the transportation for returning her body to Palm Springs for cremation. So, guess who was charged with that grisly chore? The spooky journey would not only test their friendship, but it would be an adventure they would always remember!

©2014, 2017 John I. Jones (P)2018 John I. Jones

Pauline

I like the cover art.I liked the storyline.There were too many'she said,and she said' for a story under an hour.I found the narration by Joan Deluce to be irritating.This has potential to be a bigger story.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Fun, funny story but.....

BOOK REVIEW......
The story is very funny. I really liked it. However the narrator was a bad choice. She was awful.

NARRATOR REVIEW......
This narrator is just plain awful. The voices are like nails on a chalkboard bad. Which to me dragged the story some.

I received a free copy of this book from the author/narrator in exchange for an honest review

Best Friends on a Strange Road Trip

Shirley Ann and Jen must transport Jen's dead mother from Colorado to Palm Springs for cremation to fulfill the demands of the insurance policy.

The quirky events that befall the 31-year friendship are both beyond belief and somewhat comedic.

John Isaac Jones is SO very talented. The scope of which I am amazed at each book I listen to. 'Pauline' is not my favorite of Jones' works but it did keep me interested throughout… even with the narration (see below.)

I was not a fan of the narration. Joan Dukore's performance was VERY SLOW. She also chose to give one of the main characters a nasal voice, which I found grating. Oddly, her performance of the male characters was believable; husky, deep and strong.

*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. While this was not a favorite of Jones' stories, I was captivated and wanted to know if Jen and Shirley Ann would make it to Pauline's final destination!

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Two whining women and a corpse

This story lays out a comedy of errors as three women take a road trip, one of them being a corpse. They must reach their destination by a certain time and as obstacles mount it seems they may not make it. Amidst the harrowing situations they find themselves in there are moments of introspection, a bit of venting, and possibly a little emotional healing as well.

The premise of this short story is not new, but this has it's own unique twist. However, I just didn't enjoy the story. It is an incredibly short story for all the content it holds, and it shows. I respect the authors ability to churn out a good plot line with some good accompanying story elements, but I never felt engaged by the writing in this one. The narration was grating with the voices mousy and whiny. That may be what the author intended for his characters, but that doesn't change the fact it is uncomfortably hard to listen to.

They Just Couldn't Get A Break!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to a friend for a quick, humorous listen.
*I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

If you’ve listened to books by John Isaac Jones before, how does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any other John Isaac Jones books before, so I can't make a comparison.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Joan Dukore?

I was not a fan of Joan Dukore, personally. Her voice was too nasal and whiny and I think she missed the tone of the book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, it has dark humour that appeals to me.