The Troubles Keeper

By: Susan May

Narrated by: Steve Marvel

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

In The Troubles Keeper, narrated by three-time Voice Arts Award finalist Steve Marvel, we meet a wonderful character we can love, who possesses a unique gift. 

Most of us are lucky if we have one friend to simply be there when we're down. Well, meet bus driver Rory Fine, who possesses the unique gift of relieving others of their troubles. For real! Strangers, friends, anyone he passes by, he can help. With just the barest of touches, for a while, the troubles in their hearts simply fade away. 

It's his way of making the world a better place, by giving people the chance to get out from under the weight of their woes. His bus-driving job is perfect because it allows him to meet so many people every day. And all of them are completely unaware why being near him makes them feel happier and more able to face life's struggles. 

There's another bonus, too. He's smitten with one of his regulars, sweet Mariana, but he can't find the courage to even say hello. He's shy and awkward and, well, different because of his gift. 

Until one stormy night, when he makes a bold announcement to his passengers. Upon disembarking, he suggests they offload their worries into his palm. This might present the perfect chance for him to finally speak to the girl he thinks he just might love. 

But....

There's a killer aboard, and he leaves behind something darker and more terrifying than troubles. Soon Rory will discover a powerful entity also seeks Mariana, but his intentions have nothing to do with love. 

Can a gentle soul such as he, stand the remotest chance of stopping a cold, relentless evil? 

To do so, he’ll face more than this enemy. He'll face his own harrowing past. But he will need to find a way to overcome everything he fears. For not only is Mariana in terrible danger but the very fabric of the world is at stake. 

From international suspense author Susan May comes another story keeping listeners awake way past their bedtime. Board The Troubles Keeper for a non-stop killer suspense ride. Meet memorable characters you’ll love and a world you won’t want to leave.

©2016 Susan May (P)2017 Susan May

Oh, this was such a wonderfully original story!

I should know it by now: if Susan May wrote it, I'll love it.

But seriously, this book is simply fantastic. The idea behind it is fascinating; the premise of the story is original and so intriguing.

And Rory! Rory is probably the best of her characters: generous, a bit shy, sweet but courageous and with an inner fortitude that will help him along the terrifying times ahead. Although, in truth, all the characters are interesting and very well drawn, and I cared deeply about all of them. There are some truly scaring moments and some heartbreaking ones, too, but the thing is, once I began, I simply couldn't stop. I spent the whole day listening to the story, wanting and fearing what would come next.

This is a very much recommended story, and, to be honest, a most recommended author. You won't regret entering in her worlds.

Oh, and Steve Marvel honours his last name, as his narration was a true marvel. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself!) Seriously, the subtlety of his tones, the emotional charge of his narration made this even a better experience.

WOW what a story. Love this author!

The narrator was excellent. Hard to have to stop listening and go back to work.

Awesome

Mind blowing story. Excellent characters. Top notch narrator. What's not to love? Highly recommend it.

It would be nice if my bus driver took my troubles

I loved this book. The premise begins the book of a bus driver thay could take your troubles and dump them in the river is such a nice thought. But of course a horror novel can not let such niceness alone. What a story, I was unable to let the story rest, even when I was supposed to be doing other things. I am falling under the spell of another excellent writer.

The narration was top notch. I love narrators who do not get in the way of the story, this one excelled at presenting without become part of the story.

Another Great Susan May Book!

I greatly enjoyed The Troubles Keeper. A thriller with some science-fiction, tragedy, and romance thrown in, it's another great story by Susan May. Our main character, Rory, is a little simple, super sweet, and very gifted... more than he even realizes. He is also in the sights of something dark and scary.
Susan May always gives a lot of interesting bits of true or nearly true information (fun stuff to Google!). The character development is good, though I would have liked a deeper understanding of both our villain and Rory. I was hoping for more answers about the villain's "goal", but I have a feeling that may come later, and so I'm excited to see what comes next for this cast of characters.
I really liked this Audible narrator!

Troubles Keeper

We all could use someone like Rory in our lives!

I enjoyed this book and the narrator did a good job with the different people. It was the struggle of doing good for others and then what happens when darkness creeps in and puts a spin on the good of helping others. It is a great listen and look forward to possibly hearing more about Rory in the future!

The Troubles Keeper...WOW!!!

Loved it? Oh, yeah, I did! I would highly recommend this outstanding work of art by Susan May. It starts out unusually, I didn't get a sense what was going to happen, but having experienced this author previously, I knew something......something rather dark was lurking around the next turn of the page. We're traveling on a city bus inside the bus driver's head, he knows his special 'talent', hints at it, teases us abit, and picks up the next passenger. He seems so sweet, and respectful of others' feelings. He's really likable so when he begins to feel drawn to one of his young female passenger. ....uh-oh. Our presenter is a master of his voices' capabilities, and changes ever so deftly from our good guy's mind to, oh no, the extremely evil guy's head. Tension? Oh, you bet, and the pace quickens! Get this audiobook! Dick Marvel brings Susan May's thriller to real life extraordinarily well. Do yourself a favor, listen with the lights on!

Great story took my troubles away!

What did you love best about The Troubles Keeper?

Rory has a unique gift wherein he can make other people's lives better, if only for awhile, by taking their troubles away. I like this idea of transforming the lives of others by being a positive force.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Oddly enough, my favorite character was Rory's deceased mother. Rory often refers to his mother by quoting things "as my momma used to say." His reverence for his mother and the snippets he shares, show what an amazing job she did raising a child who was obviously different. By allowing him to be himself, and respecting his "otherness", he became a man eager to use his gift to help others rather than for nefarious gain.

Which character – as performed by Steve Marvel – was your favorite?

I rather enjoyed Mr. Marvels characterization of the psychic Christopher. The change in attitude as the scene progresses was spot on.

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

At times. The beginning was a bit slow and I grew a bit tired of being inside Rory's head as he pined after his love interest. However, once the action started I did want to finish it all at once! I found the serial killer element interesting and a bit freaky. I listened to the book over two days.

Any additional comments?

I really liked this book and hope there will be a sequel. As mentioned before, the beginning is a bit slow and Rory is quite annoying with his washy-washyness over Mariana. However, Rory's character grows throughout the book and it gets better! I was surprised by the serial killer's identity and thought the story pulled together well.

A Thrilling Ride!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Troubles Keeper to be better than the print version?

I think the audio edition is fantastic- especially since the narrator was a great match. I haven't read the print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Troubles Keeper?

Getting to know Rory's methods of Trouble Keeping and how it could take minutes inside his head, but barely seconds on the outside. That was very cool.

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

I'm not sure I've listened to Steve Marvel before, but I surely enjoyed his narration of this book.

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

"It's not always safe to have an open mind."

Any additional comments?

The Troubles Keeper, by Susan May is an exciting story of fate, magic, a little love, and maybe eve a bit of alien intervention. It tells of a bus driver who has an ability to take another's trouble away. It's not a solution to their life's problems; it's just his way of helping them feel better, to see things clearly and with a positive spin to things. But his activity sets a series of activities in motion that are unavoidable and difficult for more than himself.

The story is very well written and is probably my favorite book by May to date. I think it's because Rory was just an ordinary guy. He wasn't overly handsome, nor rich, allowing him to be seen, in my mind as a regular Joe Blow. And he was sweet- something you don't find a lot of. His interactions, at first had be a bit worried the book would be slow, but it turned out to be necessary. Getting to know Rory, the way I did, allowed me to connect to him. Then through his words, focus on his true love and how to stop a killer. It's an amazing story and I even appreciated the narrator, Steve Marvel. He was perfect for the story.

Fantasy!

Wow! Great fantasy! What would it be like to be able to take someone's pain away! Narrator makes the story come alive!

Troubles Keeper

I totally enjoyed this book.Rory Fine is a busdriver with a gift.He can pull troubles from people,if they let him.When he meets a similar soul,he may be the only one that can save her. Steve Marvel was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Exciting Book

There are some lovely characters if this story particularly Rory Fine ,
fine by name and fine by nature so he says
fabulous story an enjoyable story to listen to

Loved it (Audiobook)

This is the second book I’ve listened to by this author, and it’s wonderful. The touch of supernatural adds another level to the story, yet keeps it within the realms of believability. As hinted at, I think these characters have a few more adventures to come, and I look forward to them unfolding, hopefully soon.

you need to listen to this

I'm not a horror genre person and i nearly stopped after the first couple of chapters BUT the story develops into a twisty turny rollercoaster of a sci-fi love plot thriller i couldn't stop listening the only downside was the narrator was two evenly paced

Wow!

Another amazing story from author Susan May. I was completely immersed and couldn’t wait for the next chapter. Good job I didn’t have the paper version as I may have been tempted to read some later chapters 🙈 Twists and turns and intrigue. Just fantastic. Can’t wait for the sequel

couldn't stop listening

I loved The Troubles Keeper from the 1st chapter to the last.
Wouldn't it be grt to have someone take your troubles away ?
I will be looking out for a bus driver named Rory now 😄
The twist and turns of The Troubles Keeper were grt.
Can't wait to listen to more of your books Susan May. keep on writing lv Debs

A new favourite

I should like thank Susan May for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have seen this book compared to Stephen King and rightly so. We are introduced to Rory Fine and he is no ordinary bus driver, with the touch of a hand he can take your troubles. But that's not all this story is about, it's about love and friendship and the fragile nature of the psyhologial growth of childhood and how the consequences can cause a damaged adult.
This is one of those books that you don't want to put down and then miss the characters when it's over. The supernatural elements would look amazing on screen!

gripping page turner

powerful story writing ,
anticipation for Rory's next adventure
truly gifted author
page turning narrative

An original idea for a story, well executed

I have read one of Susan Mays other books and really enjoyed it, so gave this one a try. I'm glad I did. I'm not sure the science bits would hold up to really close examination, but they were put across in such a convincing way it didn't matter. I enjoyed the journey of the main character and couldn't have predicted where he would end up at the start.

Its well performed. I can be very fussy about narrators but I love this ones voice and execution.

Not what I expected!

a love story with such a twist, I loved it. thank you Susan May