Writer Finlay Donovan is at it again in the second book in the series. This takes place right after the first book and is a continuation of the story.Writer Finlay Donovan is at it again in the second book in the series. This takes place right after the first book and is a continuation of the story. This book really does not stand alone, though she does go into some backstory. I did not read the first book in the series which would have set the stage. Fin has just gotten over the shocks of book one when she discovers, through a chat forum for women, that someone has put out a 100G hit on her ex-husband Steven. Now she thinks Steven is scum but she also knows he is a great dad and she doesn't want anything to endanger that. However, she is not letting the kids alone with him until the hitman or woman is stopped. Meanwhile, her agent is all over her for a book proposal that has come due; she can't decide what to do about Julian, the young law student she's having a passionate affair with; She "borrowed" a $300,000 car and, let's say it isn't returnable any longer; she is still dealing with the fallout from her ex-husband's ill-fated engagement; and there is a Russian mob boss who really wants to get to know her better. The audio is well read and definitely had some funny moments but it was slow. The pacing would rise to fever pitch and then drop and then rise and drop again but a lot of time between the risings and the dropping. I kept waiting for something to happen. The final denouement was well done, lots of action, bullets flying, well described, well read, but I was hoping for more comedy throughout because the entire plot was unrealistic. ...more
Stefan had always been obsessed with Belinda so the idea that he killed her in a drug-fueled was out of character but not out of the realm of possibilStefan had always been obsessed with Belinda so the idea that he killed her in a drug-fueled was out of character but not out of the realm of possibility despite the fact that Stefan remembers nothing of the events of that night. He was convicted of manslaughter and spent several years in prison. Now he's ready to rejoin society if it will let him. Belinda's mother leads protests against him. He can't get a job until family steps in. It isn't until he starts an ambitious project aimed at healing and redemption that he starts to make real inroads into regaining a place in society. But not everyone is happy about that. His mother Thea wants to protect Stefan as best she can but she keeps getting calls from a young girl claiming that Stefan can't ever talk about what really happened the night of Belinda's death leading Thea to believe that more happened that night than a drug-induced rage. The story is read well but it highlighted how unrealistic the story really is. And how naïve Thea was about the challenges facing her son. The redemption project that Stefan started was too perfect. It worked every time. Real life doesn't work like that. There are always setbacks - real setbacks. That didn't happen here. Nevertheless, the story is fast-paced and kept me entertained. ...more
This is an interesting book to review because I am still not certain what the book was about. Ostensibly it was about the death of a young Ethiopian gThis is an interesting book to review because I am still not certain what the book was about. Ostensibly it was about the death of a young Ethiopian girl at the hand of her adoptive white, conservative religious parents. (Think Quiverfull movement) But really it was the examination of the relationship between Royal, the octogenarian, appointed to defend the white mother, and his son, the narrator of the story. It is perfectly read and it held my interest but I kept waiting for something to happen. The prose is beautiful. Lyrical and lilting. It is delightful to hear. It sings along the sense. It just meanders rather than taking us to an end place. We do get the verdict of the trial but that wasn't really the point of the book, more a side-note. Which leads me back to my initial statement that I am not certain what this book was about. The examination of a life well lived, perhaps? I enjoyed it. It's hard not enjoy the beautifully written words but I am not sure it works as a fully realized story. ...more
This was a very interesting story of a young seamstress who gets the opportunity to work on the gala gowns for the Tobacco Wives of Bright Leaf, NC. MThis was a very interesting story of a young seamstress who gets the opportunity to work on the gala gowns for the Tobacco Wives of Bright Leaf, NC. Maddie is 15 years old when she is brought to stay at her Aunt's house. Her mother drops her off and leaves, anxious to find a new husband to keep her in finery. Maddie doesn't really mind. She has learned everything about being a dressmaker from her aunt but has never helped her during Gala season. When her aunt falls ill with pneumonia, Maddie is forced to step up and take over, which tests her mettle in more ways than one. The war is ending and the men are finally coming home. Meanwhile, since they've been gone, women have stepped in and taken over to ensure that production on the cigarette lines never stopped. Now the company wants to fire these women in favor of the men. But what's worse, Maddie comes across some information that leads her to believe that smoking may not be as healthy as it's being touted to be. How can she get that information out to the public without destroying her aunt's business and reputation. Worse, without destroying the livelihood of the town? I listened to this book and it is very ably read by Sharon McManus and Janet Metzger, they imbue Maddy with all the innocence and righteous indignation of girl who is still young enough to see the world only in shades of black and white. When Maddie goes to a union organizers meeting she immediately becomes inflamed with passion for women's rights. She puts all her passion behind her feelings and is astonished when others don't or won't. It's a good novel, a solid debut and recommended. ...more
Imagine changing and losing your identity every time you moved. Now imagine always moving. That’s what Lauren Hough experienced growing up in a cult. Imagine changing and losing your identity every time you moved. Now imagine always moving. That’s what Lauren Hough experienced growing up in a cult. She grew up around the world and when she finally left discovered she no longer knew who she was. She knew she was a lesbian, but that was just a word. In the cult it was something to be beaten out of her. She tried the Air Force during DADT. Unfortunately, the harassment grew to such levels that she eventually announced her homosexuality just to get a discharge. She spent years working in bars; working at cash jobs; being one paycheck away from homelessness. Yet her essays don’t inspire pity. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself. She’s funny, poignant, sweetly naïve, painfully honest, and constantly brave without effort. Hough and Cate Blanchett pair up as narrators. It is difficult to tell them apart although Blanchett’s voice is slightly less gritty and hoarse, a tad more upbeat and by nature more fluid in her reading. Hough reads her essays and it feels like an intimate setting. If you’re looking for the star-studded life, look elsewhere. If you want to hear about someone who has earned everything she has through blood, sweat and tears, this is your book. ...more
**spoiler alert** I wanted to love this book. It is set in Boston shortly after the art heist at the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum. The case is real **spoiler alert** I wanted to love this book. It is set in Boston shortly after the art heist at the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum. The case is real and has never been solved. The story takes a new tack on the case, looking to the art to see if the art holds the answer. For gallery owner and museum docent, Portia Malatesta, the art, the interplay between darkness and light create a portrait or profile of the thief. Not necessarily the one who did the work but the one who ordered it done. She felt that there were many more valuable paintings that could have been taken so why these thirteen. It is a fascinating theory. The premise is fantastic. The execution is not as well done. Partially because I had just read Daniel Silva's the Heist, it was clear that when Portia is invited to work with the FBI art crimes team and actually go on-site in Columbia (can the FBI even operate there legally?) and make contacts that there wasn't enough time for the FBI to train her unless she dropped everything else in her life and did nothing but train. It is naive to suggest that the FBI would take an amateur on what could be a deadly fact-finding mission. Also, I think the premise would have been most interesting had it been set now, thirty years later. The detailed study that Portia does, a great idea, would have been reviewed by FBI profilers. The time-line was too short for real-time. What Orange did excel at was Boston place and time. She gets right the geography, the restaurants, in-spots of what was happening in 1990. I know because I lived there in 1990 and it felt like she was describing the background of my life. I listened to this. Read by Campbell Scott and his wife, it was well read and the narration switched seamlessly from one to the other. But Portia wasn't a particularly likeable character. She suffers depression, not merely situational, is a little on the selfish side, has relationship problems with men, including her second husband, and tends to make blanket assumptions about groups of people. In other words, despite her nuances about art, she isn't nuanced about people. All in all, it was an okay read that would different editing, could have been extraordinary....more
Ten years ago Milla and five others were at the top of the highly competitive snowboarding world. It all collapsed over one weekend when one of their Ten years ago Milla and five others were at the top of the highly competitive snowboarding world. It all collapsed over one weekend when one of their number was paralyzed and another went missing. Now, nearing the anniversary of that weekend comes an invitation to revisit the scene of the crime. Her instinct to say no wars with her instinct to see the man who invited her, Curtis, brother to the missing snowboarder, Saskia. The remaining members of their loosely knit club are all under the impression that Saskia invited them. Though why she would do such a thing is anyone's guess. As it turns out, in addition to having little trust in one another, they also don't like one another very much. There are petty jealousies that make some sense at 18, less so at 28. Things get nasty very quickly when the group realizes they are trapped on the mountain with no way off. Which, of course, is when the first one dies. Milla knows she didn't do it, but all evidence points to Saskia being the killer. Which doesn't make any sense since Saskia is dead. Milla knows that for sure. The story goes back and forth between present day and 10 years ago and frankly none of the characters are particularly likeable, but I think that's somewhat of the point. That camaraderie is a bit of an illusion when winning is the only thing. But when the characters are unlikeable it makes it harder to care about the end result. It reminded me of Gone Girl in the sense that I felt that everyone got what they deserved because they all behaved badly. This is best enjoyed by snowboarders who will at least enjoy all the technical talk about the sport. I had to look things up so I could understand the point. It was okay but I wouldn't rush to recommend it, though it was read really well, with great accents and voices that really brought home the ages and diversity of the characters....more
The year is 1654. The world's greatest detective, Samuel Pipps, is being transported to Amsterdam to be tried and convicted of a crime no one will disThe year is 1654. The world's greatest detective, Samuel Pipps, is being transported to Amsterdam to be tried and convicted of a crime no one will discuss. His bodyguard, Arent Hayes, accompanies him. Also on the journey is the Governor-General of Batavia who also happens to be Arent's uncle, along with the man's family, including his wife, daughter, mistress and her children. But the voyage is not going to be without incident because they are hardly the only passengers. A demon by the name of Old Tom has also come on board and has threatened the very lives of those on the board the ship. Although the only proof they have of that is Old Tom's symbol, which had been carved into Arent's cheek as a child, and which is suddenly appearing around the ship; and immolated leper who refuses to stay dead; and the promise of three unholy miracles. Arent's uncle puts him on the case despite Arent's declarations that he is no Sammy Pipps. He is joined by Sarah, the governor-general's abused wife who happens to be smart, courageous and willing to do almost anything to get out from under her husband's fist. Her affinity with Arent is unexpected but she embraces it. The mystery is incredibly intricate and the sailors and passengers are rightly terrified of the demon aspect but very few people are telling the truth about either themselves or their motives. When the denouement is finally unveiled it is a surprise to everyone but Arent and Sarah but it is not a cheat to the reader. It is effectively read such that I found reasons to keep listening. I didn't read his first book but I am going to do so. This one is certainly worth reading. ...more
Some books are better heard than read and this is definitely one of those. This is a full cast, full sound effects recording and it works because the Some books are better heard than read and this is definitely one of those. This is a full cast, full sound effects recording and it works because the writing is over the top. Esther Diamond, a NYC actress understudying the lead in an off-off-off Broadway production that includes a disappearing act. It's all fun and games until the lead disappears for real and magician simply isn't that good even at his best. Then Esther starts getting threatening notes telling her the same will happen to her if she goes on. Lopez, the officer in charge, doesn't believe Golly G is really missing. And then there is Max who seems to know a lot about it but he's talking real magic. That can't possibly exist. Can it? It doesn't take Esther long to get deeply involved in the disappearances because it isn't just Golly G, there are a whole bunch of accidentally disappeared people and a lot of magicians who want answers. Esther is hilariously over-the-top, as are the drag-queens and almost every other character in this story. The audio doesn't take itself too seriously which is why it is so entertaining. If you want a good laugh, you'll get one here. ...more
**spoiler alert** This is for people who liked Gone Girl and books where the narrator is unreliable and the characters are all unlikable. Ava Antipova**spoiler alert** This is for people who liked Gone Girl and books where the narrator is unreliable and the characters are all unlikable. Ava Antipova is called back to the States from France when she gets word that her identical twin sister Zelda has died in a fire. Ava is sure that Zelda wouldn't have allowed that to happen and she must have been planning to disappear. Sure enough, emails from Zelda start appearing giving clues - from A to Z - convincing Ava that Zelda is not only alive but she is watching her. Meanwhile, the entire family is barely functioning alcoholics. They run a bad vineyard in NY. Their father, Marlon Antipova (and the name is Eastern European so it isn't accurate for a male) divorced the family, remarried and moved to California to open a vineyard there but came back for this. Nadine, the mother, is dying of early onset dementia. She drinks like a fish. Zelda, first born twin, barely graduated high school, drinks and pops pills and is the wild child, slept with Ava's not-boyfriend, and send Ava running for France. Ava went to Cornell and majored in viticulture but after Zelda took her not-boyfriend she ran to France to study obscure literature. What saved this at all was the brilliance of Jorjeana Marie, the narrator. She milked every word. Zelda was so real she flounced out of the speakers and you could feel her and smell her. In fact, that was true of every character. Marie brought them alive. Dolan-Leach was often caught up in her own literary wonder, waxing poetic with flowery exacting words that really meant nothing. This is not a literary novel. But Marie applied the sarcasm and self-deprecation and irony that kept the listener reading even though the mystery wasn't really compelling....more
In the 4th book in McKinlay's Fairy Tale Cupcake series, it's 115 degrees in Scottsdale so when Oz gets some wheels, the team packs up 10,000 cupcakesIn the 4th book in McKinlay's Fairy Tale Cupcake series, it's 115 degrees in Scottsdale so when Oz gets some wheels, the team packs up 10,000 cupcakes and heads to a Texas Rodeo. They aren't there very long before the shooting starts but that doesn't stop them from making a little frenemy wager with the BBQ-pit boys next-door to them at the rodeo. Whoever earns the least, spends the last day of the rodeo serving up their opponents food in either bright pink aprons or Daisy Duke short shorts. But when the rodeo celebrity gets killed, the mood turns somber. While Mel has no reason to get involved, Angie finds the murder weapon and Oz clears the bull of wrong doing. (Yes, you read that correctly.) It's a cute story, read well by Susan Boyce. I still think the characters are not nearly three dimensional enough but I was happily entertained this week....more
Loading...
