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  • River of Destiny

  • By: Barbara Erskine
  • Narrated by: Gina Peach
  • Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (213 ratings)

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River of Destiny

By: Barbara Erskine
Narrated by: Gina Peach
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Summary

From the bestselling author of Time’s Legacy and Lady of Hay comes a thrilling new novel, River of Destiny, an epic story that spans Anglo Saxon Britain, Victorian Suffolk and the present day.

Perfect for fans of Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth.

On the banks of the River Deben in Suffolk are ancient barns dating back to Anglo Saxon times – within these walls lie secrets that have been buried for centuries.

New arrivals Zoe and Ken move into one of the converted barns, ready to start a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. To the outside world they seem happy, but they are growing further apart by the day. Meanwhile the strange presence Zoe feels within their home and the ghostly shapes she sees through the cloying mists on the river are getting harder to ignore.

Nearby, farmers are ploughing the land beside the river and human bones are found. Are they linked to the Victorian tragedy the locals whisper about? The secret of the grassy mound has remained untouched through history, but now that it’s been disturbed, will there be devastating consequences?

©2012 Barbara Erskine (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
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What listeners say about River of Destiny

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book. Good reading choice.

Another really good book from Barbara. I love all the twists and turns and the different characters she creates in her stories. Now I'm on the hunt for another good read. This book has such lovely indepth plot, with lots of other storylines going on. I really enjoyed this book, and I imagine I will hear of them on audible.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Over zealous editing.

I’ve no problem with the storyline jumping around, but the editing was so tight that it often seemed to jump from present day to Anglo Saxon times within a sentence!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ms Erskine never disappoints

Not read / listened to Barbara Erskine for a while, I forgot how good she was... Loved the three stories that all entwined, the characters and the narrator... definitely worth a few hours of happy escapism...

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Nearly gave up 1/2 way, but pleased I finished

Any additional comments?

Even after finishing, I'm still not sure about this one. For me, Barbara Erskine has never topped Lady of Hay or Kingdom of Shadows but as LoH is abridged and KoSh not recorded, thought I'd try it. I lived in that part of Suffolk for over 20 years, and loved hearing the local references, but the story began to drag for me part way through. The narration was ok, even with a couple of strange mispronounciations, and the book did pick up pace later. What lets it down is the production. The whole thing is set around 3 ancient barns, much rebuilt over time and now finally converted to upmarket homes, and a nearby Anglo Saxon burial mound. Echoes and shadows from tragedies in both the Anglo Saxon time and the mid-1800s spill into the present day and lives and memories become entwined. Add to that an aggressive 'right to roam' campaigner who portrays the worst behaviours of townie incomers riding roughshod over local tradition and there's an additional clash. Maybe it was deliberate, for dramatic effect, but the narration moves within the 3 time frames without a pause for breath, sometimes all in the same sentence. That can make it hard to keep up with, but rather than the reading, I suspect that is down to the editing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Barbara Erskine at her best

I love the mix of real and ghostly in Barbara Erskines books. This keeps you on your toes.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another excellent story

Another excellent story that weaves through history. Great story line, had me hooked from the beginning and very well narrated.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another amazing book.

This book is another really good one by my new favourite author, Barbara Erskine. Outwrites all the rest. Well narrated by Gina Peach, but needs to check pronunciations before reading, especially the authors name.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well constructed and an enjoyable read!

I really enjoyed reading this book, I found it very easy to follow. I was kept on my toes and highly engaged with the subplots. There are many twists and turns to this story to understand before you get to the plot. Excellent pacing, with threads that slowly unwinds as it takes the reader through to a web of mystery, with the many interesting characters which helped the story to unfolds. This is a very well written historical novel!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Barbara Erskine always has a surreal story to tell

I love her stories the ghostiness is exciting and different. This is a great story that I will re listen to then write a better review.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

iver of Destiny<br />

A good story plot though found at times the time shift slightly confusing would recommeand

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1 person found this helpful