The Hot Zone

A Rainshadow Novel, Book 3

By: Jayne Castle

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

The world of Harmony has its wonders, one of them being Rainshadow Island. Just beneath its surface, a maze of catacombs hides a dangerous secret….

Halloween - with its tricks and treats - is a dust bunny's dream come true. Just ask Lyle, Sedona Snow's faithful sidekick. But for Sedona, it's a nightmare. Though her new job managing a small hotel and tavern on Rainshadow is helping her move on from her tragic past, a bizarre disaster down in the catacombs has brought a pack of rowdy ghost hunters to her inn. And now, Sedona's ex has arrived on the island, claiming he wants to get back together, just as a newcomer appears to have a strong interest in her. Cyrus Jones is the new Guild boss in town. He has his own agenda when it comes to Sedona, but even the best-laid plans are no match for the passion that springs up on Rainshadow.…

©2014 Jayne Ann Krentz (P)2014 Recorded Books

Like the book, not the reader.

I am so annoyed with the reader of this book. She sounds like Phillis Diller and I don't like it in reading books. It is distracting.

Love the book!! Wrong narrator for the story!

What made the experience of listening to The Hot Zone the most enjoyable?

I loved the story but it was quite difficult to get though. Do not get me wrong, I love Barbara Rosenblat but she is all wrong for the story. I kept having to focus and remind myself that the main character is not 60 years old.

Not Sure I'm Going to be Able to Finish It....

Would you try another book from Jayne Castle and/or Barbara Rosenblat?

Jayne Castle, sure. Rosenblat, nope.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Have someone else read the story.

Would you be willing to try another one of Barbara Rosenblat’s performances?

Oh, heck no. She sounds like she's trying to do a William Shatner impression. It's horrible.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I like the story fine - I'm sure if I'd just read the book, I would have enjoyed it. I generally enjoy Jayne Castle (Krentz) stories. But the narration just kept pulling me out of the story and it was hard to pay attention ... I kept picturing Shatner mockingly reading a romance novel.

Any additional comments?

I normally grade Castle's stories at a 3.5 - 4.0. If I could actually pay attention to the story, I probably still would. This narration is making me crazy, though.

I should have read it instead of listened to it

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Yes, it was painful to listen to

Was The Hot Zone worth the listening time?

No, I found it hard to listen to so it was difficult to enjoy the story

Any additional comments?

I won't buy or waste a credit on the audiobook next time if the same person is reading it

Arcane's past merges on Rainshadow

Just finished the audio book and whilst the narrator, who i like in other narrations and is a good narrator, i felt she does not quite fit this character, hers is the voice of a much more mature person and would have done justice to Arizona her self but she the handles different characters Male ans female with ease, maybe with future repeat listens she will grow on me in this book as she has in other stories she narrates.

The plot and book its self is a wonderful mix of Arcane, Harmony and Rain shadow and of course the formula, Jayne has created another yet another winner, thank you.

I wish Dust Bunnies were as real as they are in my imagination, i would dearly love such a companion (not a pet) . . .

If you have enjoyed previous Harmony, Arcane or Rainshadow arcs or just like fantasy then ti think you will love this book.

I truely hate the sound of this woman's of Voice

The narrator's I just finished my cigarette smokey voice was insanely grating. I wish I had thrown the money out of my car window. I would have enjoyed wasting the money this way... much more!! I unfortunately have a few narrator's to had to this list. I was happy to see the reviews of Garden of Lies before I wasted some more money.

Nice story but disappointed in narration

What did you love best about The Hot Zone?

The story was interesting. I like that the dust bunny did not have such a big roll in the story as they have in other stories.It is fun to see how Ms. Krentz/Castle has invented and developed her own world.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hot Zone?

It is interesting to see how Jayne Ann Krentz/Castle weaves all the characters of the two main families together in the books covering the centuries.

Would you be willing to try another one of Barbara Rosenblat’s performances?

I have listened to Ms. Rosenblat's performances before, but I did not think she was suited to this story and its characters. I found it hard to figure out the characters, as they all spoke with the same harsh voice. I was disappointed in the complete performance.

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

No.

Any additional comments?

I wish Ms. Krentz/Castle would take more time to develop the characters, give them more depth. The books have become more formula like and shortened. Her earlier books were better in these areas.

Typical JAK

Setting: Rainshadow Island, planet Harmony, future
Genre: Sci-fi/paranormal/romance
This was heavier on the sci-fi than romance. The setting and technology make it more sci-fi, though the psychic abilities of the characters give it a paranormal flavor. This is the background for all the books in this series. The main characters, Sedona and Cyrus, are likable, and the plot is engaging enough. However... The relationship between them feels sort of forced rather than an organic development based on shared background and experience. I couldn't find a way to connect. The suspense wasn't very riveting, as it was such a let-down that everything happened at the end with such a slow build-up. It seems like JAK is so intent on getting books out under any of her names that quality is being sacrificed for quantity.
I loved Barbara Rosenblat's narration on all the Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mysteries, but I don't think she was the right choice for this book. The story-telling style Rosenblat uses for first person narrative isn't really appropriate for this type of book. I do wonder if I would have gotten more immersed in the story if it had been performed by someone like Xe Sands.
Go ahead and get this if you want all your JAK/JC/AQ Arcane Society books in audio format. Otherwise get it from the library or when the ebook is on sale.

Mix between Kathleen Turner and Phyllis Diller

I always enjoyed the Arcane / rain shadow Island books. I really struggled with this because of the narrator. A lot of unnecessary pauses and throat swallows that really should not be involved in this book. Probably will skip the next book if I see the same narrator.

Where is Joyce Bean?

After listening to Joyce Bean for so many Harmony stories this narrator's voice is like chalk grating on a chalkboard.... Something I had to work hard to overcome.

Very enjoyable!

Ms Rosenblat's performance is great (as always) and Rainshadow is as interesting to visit this time as previously.

A flask of the warm Beveridge of your choice, a throw and this book will add up to good "me" time!

Love these stories

Dust bunnies, romance and aliens, a strange take on earth, and life on another planet but that feels contemporary.