Not as good as hoped

Perhaps I am spoiled by the DC Smith series which I absolutely adore. All the excellent dialogue and small detail that Peter Grainger seems so good at was there but I found this book a little pointless. However the characters are interesting and I can't quite see how they will be kept together to form the basis of the next story (I see there is one). I shall probably download No. 2 to see how this is managed and to see of Peter Grainger manages to really capture my imagination again.

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Couldn’t finish

The storyline was ok, a bit unclear as to what the heck was going on & also I couldn’t get past the narrator. Her voice just grated from the get go - too quickly spoken, strident and a lisp that didn’t help. It’s a shame as I have it a good few chapters but this one for me would have to be in book format to get through.

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Poorly narrated

Stuck with the story as I have enjoyed previous books by this author. However I foundit veryhard going as it was hard to listen to due to the tone of her voice & dreadful accents.

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Enjoyable listen

I actually enjoyed this! Like the narrator and enjoyed the story, I like the two main characters

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intriguing story

Fast paced adventure, well told and a real page turner,I was hooked after a few pages.

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Brilliant

On the edge of my seat from the start . Ending to lead to more I’m sure

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very exciting

The descriptions of the two main characters really brings them to life. A tale full of action.

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loved it

The story was great so was the narration. I was just left hanging. Who were the corrupt official and did they manage to compromise the case?

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Unfinished?

So many unanswered questions it feels like there should be another chapter, the book has a most peculiar ending. Can’t help feeling cheated, fortunately the book was free.

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Thoughtful, intelligent writing let down

The story, as with all his books, is well thought out and lightly written. While it might be a little far-fetched, surely the point of fiction is to take readers away from themselves.

The book is set in the West Country - lively and unusual, during a current trend for gritty and dark urban-based mysteries. The author finds opportunities to present the landscape in appealing and ways that create dissonance that supports his storyline. However, all his work is let down when the narrator is not up to the job.

I listen to audiobooks. A lot. They are vital for those of us no longer able to read a physical book. By the same token, choice of narration makes the difference between enjoyment and escapism and frustration and abandonment, whatever the book’s quality.

This performance meant I had to use the facility to slow down narration from the default 1.0; a first for me. The narrator read the book almost as though she didn’t understand the English language, with sentence breaks at odd, unnatural points and emphasis in random places. She was also TERRIBLE at accents - in fact, she seems to have only two. Her usual speaking is fine, but whenever the text gave direction such as ‘he said in a Dorset burr’, or ‘gentle Glaswegian’, listeners are treated to the same, harsh, grating Yorkshire. Why employ a narrator who is not able to deliver what’s described? Incredibly disappointing and did not encourage me to continue with the series.

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