Enjoyable succinct mystery

A pleasant little mystery novel, set in an old English mansion, with a range of interesting characters and a treasure hunt premise. I found it to be reminiscent of classic mysteries, in that it was built on plausible situations, and did not rely on outrageous coincidences and fiendishly complex plans. Instead, I always felt that I had enough information to be able to solve the puzzles myself - and while I did anticipate one or two of the plot twists, there were several others that I did not.

Jake Urry's narration is excellent; the character voices were nicely distinct, and I found his overall tone to be pleasant and soothing to listen to, which is always an important aspect of an audiobook.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

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Great story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a different genre for me and I listened to it in one day as it just flowed and I so wanted to know how it ended. This is the second audiobook that I have listened to narrated byJake Urry and he did another fabulous job with this book.

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1 person found this helpful

The Cryptic Lines

Who was your favorite character and why?

This book will keep you guessing all the way through with mind boggling twists, and a brilliant ending.

What about Jake Urry’s performance did you like?

He was the best narrator with this genre

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6 people found this helpful

Fabulous 5 Star Story

This is a truly enjoyable story that enthralled me from the very beginning, I just had to listen from beginning to end. The plot is unlike most of the mysteries I read or listen to in that it's not about murder. It's about a most unusual treasure hunt, the clues are provided from beyond the grave, albeit via a reel of film.

The setting is an old mansion that wouldn't be out of place in a horror story, full of hidden secrets. There is a faithful butler to attend their every need and a cook who prepares for them meals fit for the fussiest gourmet.

The clues they must solve are very cryptic, and the attempts to solve them lead along a convoluted route to some very eerie locations. The story has the feel of an Agatha Christie play and I realised I had no idea of the time period in which the story was set, though I might have missed that bit. The ending is both unexpected and satisfying, I felt I had just listened to a rather wonderful play on the wireless. I highly recommend this intriguing tale.

Narrator
Narrated by Jake Urry, and what a wonderful job he made of it, his voice conveyed an ominous significance to the words which was just perfect for this book. He maintains a good rhythmn and his voice has a pleasing cadence which helps bring life to story. I had no trouble differentiating between the characters because he bestowed them with distinct voices, he has also mastered the art of conveying the age appropriate voices. Jake also passed my "old lady voice" test, many of us listeners get tired of any female character over 60 being given a high pitched, weak and quavery voice. Darned good job Jake, I'm sure you will do exceedingly well in the audiobook narration business.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher in return for an honest review

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5 people found this helpful

Gripping tale from my favourite narrator!

Would you listen to The Cryptic Lines again? Why?

I will keep this on my iPod and listen again! In fact I imagine its one of those books that's a completely different story once you know the ending and are reading for the second time.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I loved the climax to the 'treasure hunt', and the dramatic revelations that happen towards the end of the book - really gripping and I couldn't stop listening, so I recommend you have a good hour to absorb the end of the book in one sitting!

Any additional comments?

I'm new to audiobooks and found this great narrator and love his work. Will be keeping an eye out for future narrations by him. This story is the kind of thing I love, and very well executed by both writer and Narrator.

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6 people found this helpful

A short, but fantastically written suspense story

4.5★ Audiobook⎮ The Cryptic Lines was a pleasantly surprising story. It provided precisely what I was looking for on a rainy October night. It was a short listen, full of unexpected twists.

I’ve come away from this experience with much appreciation for Richard Storry’s writing abilities. His storytelling captivated me. He told a better story in just over four hours than some authors tell in double or triple that amount of time. The tale itself slightly called to mind The Count of Monte Christo or some other work of Poe, but without any gore. Richard Storry didn’t need blood and guts to tell this tale. He used skillful writing to create an atmosphere of suspense, which can be much more frightening than outright horror.

Atmosphere was very important in The Cryptic Lines. Storry’s visual imagery plays to the listener’s imagination, allowing it to run rampant for nearly 4 hours. Strangely enough, The Cryptic Lines reminded me of the 1985 movie Clue because of the sprawling mansion setting and the scavenger hunt-type mission the characters go on. Trying to solve the riddle was frustratingly fun and akin to being in a carnival’s haunted house.

I was never in fear of prematurely solving the riddle. The mystery was pretty well cloaked. Even if I had been on the verge of figuring things out, Storry still have plenty more twists up his sleeve. Some of the twists were actually quite heartbreaking. I wasn’t expecting a mystery/thriller story to tug at my heart this much. The ending may seem a little far-fetched to some, but it was written with such fluidity that I took it in stride. Besides, Storry had already thrown so many curveballs that I was prepared for just about anything.

I’m so glad that I saved The Cryptic Lines for October. It was just perfect for leading up to Halloween. Richard Storry’s writing was marvelous and I am very much a fan of his style. I definitely recommend The Cryptic Lines to anyone looking for a short, but fantastically written suspense story.

Narration review: Jake Urry’s narration was as surprising as the story itself. For a young man, Urry managed to sound ageless. If I hadn’t known better, I would have guessed that he was quite a few years (maybe even decades) older than he really is. His voice had an air of distinguishability that really made me buy into the story of an aging British Lord living in a gothic mansion. Urry’s timbre, accent and articulation held atmospheric qualities that greatly enhanced the story. I quite enjoyed listening to his narration and it intensified my feelings of suspense while listening. This was a case of a story and its narration having a perfectly symbiotic relationship which produced something remarkable. ♣︎

➜ This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its narrator, Jake Urry, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Jake!

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2 people found this helpful

A cool thing happens

If you could sum up The Cryptic Lines in three words, what would they be?

A good listen .

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Cryptic Lines?

I can't give it away but it was the twist.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

When Matthew goes into a graveyard at night and makes a discovery.

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

We listened to it before bed and it was scary enough just to listen to a bit of it..

Any additional comments?

Brilliant! I love the sort of story where a cool thing happens. I was a bit creeped out by the narrator's voice at first, but I got used to it in the end. There were a few words I didn't know the meaning of, though.

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Puzzles, Clues and Treasure! Well Narrated Story

Maybe it is just me, but there is something so deliciously inviting about a scavenger type hunt. Searching for clues, second guessing every hint.

This audio book is really a fun one. There is a will that has a challenge presented in a video left by the Matthew's father.

Matthew Willoughby has not lived up to the expectations of his father Lord Alfred Willoughby. His selfishness and immaturity shines through this story.

The book is filled with interesting and somewhat secretive characters. This is my first book by Richard Storry. I like the way he writes. He uses words that evoke emotion that go along with the mysterious old mansion and the out of the way corridors they keep searching through. The clues are tied to a love of classics that Lord Alfred loves. It was well written and entertaining to follow them in their puzzle solving.

Jake Urry has presented this story in the best voices. Each one is obviously different from the others. I keep forgetting there is only one person reading this book. His voice is strong yet when he does the elderly woman Meg, I hear an elderly woman. It is a craft he is well adept at.

This is a really great book. Nicely written and narrated so nicely.

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2 people found this helpful

Be verbally soothed inside a true page turner

Being apprehensive of a book that didn't future dragons, Wizards or Jack Reacher, I was very surprised at The Cryptic Lines. The intrigue I felt extended my normal redoing/listening times as I simply had to know where it was going. A well written tale, that I actually felt satisfied if that can be used with a book, as to the time spent with it and the complete closure the end brought. Jake Urry could not he been cast better as his unique tones placed you truly writhing the house wrapping the story around you. Jim

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Overall

Very well written and narrated. Storyline had excellent twist at the end. I shall endeavour to listen to other stories by this author.

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