Samyann's Blog, page 10
August 12, 2019
The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb
The End of Temperance Dare is a ghost story by Wendy Webb.
Plot. A retreat, with the glorious environment of a huge old house, is the setting. Dark, mysterious. Eleanor, the new manager of the retreat, is unaware of the prior purpose of this beautiful place: a tuberculosis sanatorium. It’s a ghost story – let your imagination take it from there and you’ll be on target for a terrific mystery.
No blood and gore, no objectionable language, no sex scenes. Clean read. Just a comfy ghost story!
Wonderfully narrated by Xe Sands, 9 hrs and 22 mins of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released 06-06-17 by Audible Studios.
Under Currents by Nora Roberts
Plot. Under Currents tells us of a couple of youngsters subjected to the unspeakable abuse and brutality of their parents, their ultimate rescue, and subsequent lives. In my opinion, the story is basically three stories. First, the horrible abuse. Second, the abused boy-meets-girl hot romance. Third, another psychopath, the girl’s ex-husband, lets loose on the couple.
Liked. The beginning, and the ending. Thrilling.
Not so not. The middle – predictable. Page upon page of happy-happy-happy.
Okay narration by January LaVoy, 14 hrs and 36 mins in unabridged audiobook format, released 07-09-19 by Macmillan Audio.
Read about thirty Roberts books, plus the entire In-Death Series – over sixty books? Yikes. Anyway, Roberts has done better – much better.
The Singularity Trap by Dennis E. Taylor
The Singularity Trap, a Sci-Fi novel by Dennis E. Taylor.
In the distant future, we mine asteroids for minerals like gold, silver, yada-yada. It’s an extraordinarily lucrative job if you hit a good rock. The hero, Ivan Pritchard, is a family man who needs an influx of cash to pay the bills, send kids to college, etc., so commits to a long space journey with a group of other men with similar hopes. While on an excavation, Ivan reaches into a crevice to touch a strange substance and it immediately begins to slither up his arm. He’s in a spacesuit, so … we’re not too concerned. Back in sickbay Ivan’s body changes, slowly morphs to chrome! No spoilers, but he maintains his persona. Why? Who? What do we do? There ya go!
Liked. The story moves along, the concept of mining asteroids not being particularly far fetched, the morphing to chrome and the alien thing – well, really? Stretch the imagination, it’s SciFi! Narration by Ray Porter is fine, no issues.
Not so hot? The story trumps what I’d consider ‘not much’. There could have been more detail of shipboard life, the weightlessness, the diet, entertainment, etc. Basically, what would months and months of life on board be like?
About 11.5 hours of listening in unabridged audio, released in June 2018 by Audible Studios, an Audible Original.
July 29, 2019
Dying Games by Steve Robinson
A genealogy expert, Jefferson Tayte, lives in London. He’s contacted by an American investigator because the victim of a recent murder was part of Tayte research. Tayte immediately flies to the States to give all aid he can to solve the murder. Soon, another victim is found, also from his genealogy research – bodies pile.
Terrific murder mystery – a touch of Agatha Christie who-done-it. Even though we know who-done-it …. or do we?
If you’ve never listened to a narration by Simon Vance, give him a go, you won’t be disappointed. Narration is great, no issues with production.
Dying Games is nine hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in May 2017 by Brilliance Audio, and Book 6 in the Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mysteries. You do not need to listen to the entire series to enjoy the story – but, you might after you hear Dying Games.
Recommended!
Red Cell Trilogy by Stephen Frey
The Red Cell Seven is a covert group created in the 1970s by US President Richard Nixon in an effort to prevent attacks against this country. The black-ops group reports only to the President. No oversight. No restraints. Free from any prosecution. Unlimited budget. No questions asked. Basically, government-approved vigilante authority, include murdering at will as required, at their discretion – even innocents deemed a threat.
Book 1 starts with the formation of Red Cell Seven. It’s called ‘seven’ to throw the Russians off – President Nixon thinks Russians spend all their time looking for the first six covert operations. That’s pretty much the only reference to Russia – the series is mostly about preventing domestic and Islamic terrorism – in addition to targeting the current administration with multiple assassinations because the current President wants to shut down Red Cell Seven.
Liked. No explicit sex, no objectionable language, clean reads. Okay espionage stories.
Not so hot. The books are very similar, not that there is anything wrong with any of them – none stands out. It’s just a very long espionage story. Depressing in that it’s possible. Read from book one.
You’ll be left torn as to if the behavior portrayed in Red Cell Seven is a good thing – or not. It’s sorta scary to think our government is capable of this stuff – but, it is. Exhibit the current President in 2019, who believes he can “do anything he wants”, and America does nothing to stop him.
July 20, 2019
The Deep, Deep Snow – by Brian Freeman
The Deep, Deep Snow is a character-driven story. A small-town cop, abandoned as a baby is adopted by the local sheriff. As an adult, she too becomes a cop and is confronted with the murder mystery of a ten-year-old little boy, Jeremiah – it takes her ten years to solve the crime. She’s also dealing with the gradual deterioration of her father from Alzheimer’s disease.
Liked. It’s a murder mystery, loaded with suspense, lots of suspects, guessing and intrigue. Shelby, the lead character, is very likable, easy to root for – no explicit sex, no objectionable language, a squeaky clean read. Heartbreakingly educational regarding Alzheimer’s.
Not so hot. Be prepared for the selfish, angst-ridden Anna. Although you really want to be sympathetic, she’s an obnoxious narcissist. She’s the daughter of Shelby’s best friend, a woman who died of cancer. Anna blames herself for her mother’s death 10 years ago, in addition to the disappearance of Jeremiah. Shelby finally loses it, raises hell with Anna for her irresponsible, thoughtless behavior, and, immediately feels guilty. 
July 16, 2019
Just had to….
Cuz I had one of each, once.
Both are so cute pic.twitter.com/ZkoRh2MKNP
— Reliable Friendship (@RelibleF) May 4, 2019
July 15, 2019
Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli
A character-driven story based in England, UK narrator. Plot: Twelve-year-old Molly escapes with her life from a man who kills her entire family – father, mother, sister. Years pass. Now happily married with a young child, Molly has a new identity: Rachael, a journalist. The company she is working for is scrambling to stay in business and decides to solve a cold case via podcast. The cold case is the murder of Molly’s family and her subsequent disappearance. Everyone assumes Molly is long dead.
Liked. Interesting premise, most everyone loves a murder mystery. So … Missing Molly fits the bill.
Not so hot. Predictable, not very plot twisty. Personally, I had an idea of who the bad buy was as soon as he appeared on the scene.
Narration by Lucy Price-Lewis is fine, production okay – no issues, albeit my criteria are low. If I’m able to enjoy the book without the distraction of narration, it’s good. Missing Molly is, ergo, good. Missing Molly is about eight hours of listening in unabridged format, released in January 2019 by Dreamscape Media.
Not earthshaking literature, not intended to be – but an okay story. Recommended beach read.
July 13, 2019
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
The Notebook and The Wedding are two stories of familial love, spanning two generations. Start with The Notebook as the series opens with this story.
Plot, The Notebook. A man, Noah, reads a love story to an Alzheimer’s patient, Allie. It isn’t long before we realize that Allie is Noah’s wife, and the love story is her journal of their lives together. Much of the story is told through the journal, in flashback. Plot, The Wedding. Noah and Allie’s son-in-law, Wilson, after thirty years of marriage, has finally figured out that he has been an ass of a husband, his wife has lived a loveless life with a thoughtless jerk, and he needs to fall in love with her again – or at least show her that he does, indeed, love her.
The Wedding Gift by Marlen Bodden
The Wedding Gift is a character-driven, familial novel of the pre-civil war antebellum era of the deep southern states of America.
Plot: Two girls are born of the same father – a wealthy plantation owner. Clarissa is heiress to the family fortune; Sarah is a mulatto slave. The actual ‘gift’ is Sarah, given to Clarissa as a wedding present. Clarissa is the typical southern belle, a spoiled, narcissistic, and bless-your-heart brat. Sarah is hell-bent on the freedom of herself and her family. Years pass and the trials of slavery and the dominating character of southern men of the era are two major elements that traverse the pages. Sarah’s mother is not only in bondage for the financial benefit of farm labor and cooking but, for the sexual appetite of her master. Clarissa and her mother are also subject to the whims of the plantation owner. Breeders of heirs and images of propriety.
Liked. The Wedding Gift is historical fiction, always interesting. No explicit sex, no objectional language. The epilog is a surprise.
Not so hot. If you’re familiar with the history of slavery in the southern United States prior to the American Civil War, you’ll find this book to be extraordinarily tame. The violent and abusive treatment of blacks is only hinted at, not defined. Ergo, don’t bother with The Wedding Gift if you’re looking for an in-depth history of events. You’ll need to read non-fiction to find out – some Frederick Douglass – or Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs.
Written by Marlen Suyapa Bodden, narrated by Jenna Lamia and January LaVoy, about 10.5 hours of length unabridged audiobook format, and released in September of 2013 by Macmillan Audio.
An entertaining read, recommended.
