Audiobook Review: Fallen by Leslie Tentler

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

Hear the sound wave

 

 

 

 

AUDIO FORENSICS EDITION

 

Fallen by Leslie Tentler

 

 

 

fallen-audiobook

 

 

Written by: Leslie Tentler

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date: 04-08-15

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

 

 

 

Goodreads Description

 

“If it wasn’t an armed robbery, it was a hit. An execution.”

Amid a sultry Atlanta summer, someone is targeting police…

The investigation becomes personal for APD Detective Ryan Winter when a colleague and friend is shot dead, the second victim in just weeks. But even as he finds himself being drawn into the tense hunt for a serial cop killer, he is forced to re-examine his own shattering personal tragedy.

An ER physician at Atlanta’s busy Mercy Hospital, Dr. Lydia Costa is no stranger to suffering. Still, the recent police slayings reopen barely healed wounds — and bring her face-to-face with her ex-husband, Ryan Winter.

As the body count rises and paranoia tightens its grip on the police force, Lydia and Ryan are pulled together by circumstances and fate… causing old passions to reignite despite their painful shared past. But as Ryan moves closer to discovering the killer’s identity, someone is watching, placing both him and Lydia in mortal danger.

 

 

 

HEAR ME OUT….

 

 

 

 

Oreille

 

 

 

 

Leslie Tentler is a excellent suspense writer! Fallen is not only well written but also captivating on many levels. I listened to the audiobook version of this and loved it. Narrator Marguerite Gavin does a superb job bringing the story and characters to life.

Seeing an embattled ER physician, Lydia, having to confront her ex-husband through a series of murders is the center of the story. There is an unmistakable bond between them despite the circumstances.

I can’t say enough about this story. It has all you can ask for from beginning to end. Love, romance, suspense, mystery, crime drama, hope. It’s all there.

 

 

 

AUDIO FORENSICS

 

 

listen to music (+clipping path, xxl)

 

 

Narrator Performance: 8/10

Narrator Marguerite Gavin is skilled in the use of accents. She does a decent job portraying  a male voices in this one. Actually her male voices were flawless. One of the male police officers spoke English with a latin american accent and she nailed it. Fresh, believable, and entertaining. High five Marguerite!

 

Story Connection: 10/10

Marguerite had all cylinders firing in this one. I really didn’t notice her that much. Which is code for excellence. No impedance through voice, skill, or lack of connection. The investment in the story was evident and conveyed with professionalism.

 

Voice Switch Over: 9/10

This is probably one of the hardest things to do as a narrator. Not to mention doing it consistently over the course of the story. Switching of male <-> female characters was very precise without distraction. Hats off to the narrator.

 

Sound quality: 10/10

No problems here. The entire performance upheld professional standards. Nice.

 

Emotional Resonance: 9/10

Very entertaining! All aspects of the story were very touching. The mystery embedded at the core is full of suspense and will keep you guessing until the very end.

 

Overall: 8/10

A great book! I’ll definitely be listening to the next one in the series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

recommended vintage orange seal isolated on white

 

 

 

 

 

Leslie Tentler

Goodreads | Website | Amazon | Facebook

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.mysterythrillerweek.com

 

 

 

mtw-email-logo

 

Audiobook Review: Portraits of the Dead

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

Skeleton X-Ray - DJ 3

 

 

 

AUDIO FORENSICS EDITION

 

Portraits of the Dead by John Nicholl

 

 

 

potraits-of-the-dead-audiobook-1

 

 

Written by: John Nicholl

Narrated by: Jake Urry

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date: 10-18-16

Publisher: John Nicholl

 

 

 

 GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

Emma didn’t know how long he hid, silent and unmoving, in the large Victorian wardrobe to the side of her single bed. She didn’t know how long he peered, salivating and drooling, between the two heavy dark oak doors, and watched, mesmerised, as she slowly drifted into fitful sleep. She didn’t know what time he pushed the doors open and crept towards her in the drab grey darkness of the night.

Detective Inspector Gravel finds himself floundering when a local nineteen-year-old university student is abducted and imprisoned by a sadistic serial killer, who has already tortured and killed at least five young women.

The greater the evil, the more deadly the game… How far would you go to save your life?

 

 

 

Hear Me Out….

 

 

Deaf man

 

 

This is one of my top audiobooks of the year so far. No one captures the twisted mind of serial killers quite like John Nicholl does. He puts you into the demented point of view of the killer throughout the story, which I think has certain benefits. You feel like you are literally there within the story seeing through the eyes of the killer. If you consider it, this is truly a remarkable skill to pull off effectively.

Another POV character was the victim, Emma, a young college student with a bright future ahead of her. In the midst of all of the dark things she endures by a sliver of hope. These kind of stories are always about hope, survival and justice.

It also brings you into the POV of the two primary detectives working the case. Clive Rankin and DI Gravel. We also get to see their quirks and personalities which I found very entertaining.

The only thing I didn’t like was the ending, but I can’t say more otherwise there’d be a huge spoiler.

 

 

 

AUDIO FORENSICS

 

 

listen to music (+clipping path, xxl)

 

 

 

Narrator Performance: 10/10

Of course you should know that I’m a Jake Urry fan by now. He does an phenomenal job of drawing you into the story. He does it so well you don’t even notice he’s narrating at all. I just felt ‘in the moment’. What else can you ask for?

 

Story Connection: 10/10

Like I’ve said before, Urry connects very well to the characters and story as a whole. You can tell when someone is just reading text without much emotional attachment.  This is important to me as a listener. This is difference between experienced narrators and other ones. If your connection to the story is impeded by the voice or skill of the narrator that’s never good. Since they have to act as the medium this is pretty critical. The book could be a classic, but if the narration is not gelling I can’t finish the book.

 

Voice Switch over: 10/10

This is another ninja-like quality that narrators possess. I’m still not sure how they manage to do it the entire story! It’s utterly amazing. I also relate this to the narrators ability to connect with story/characters. Jake Urry does it so well his voices totally sound like different people. Their idiosyncrasies, intonation, dialect, and gender are excellent. The switching back and forth in the midst of dialogue between characters was flawless. This made it more believable and drew me more into the story.

 

Sound quality: 10/10

Definitely professional. It would show if the sound quality was poor. Not the case here.

 

Emotional Resonance: 10/10

I was really drawn into the story at every turn. Emotionally invested to everything that was happening. Whether it was being repulsed by the killer, sorrow for the victim, or hope for the detectives. I was bummed when one of the characters died! Was surprised and a bit disappointed honestly. Not sure if Nicholl is penning another in the series, but I definitely  want more!

 

Overall:  10/10

Listen to it! Author John Nicholl is a very skilled writer. You won’t be disappointed!

 

 

 

recommended vintage orange seal isolated on white

 

 

 

 

 

John Nicholl: Amazon | Audible | Goodreads | Website

 

Jake Urry:  Audible | Website | Twitter

 

 

 

Got Audiobooks?

 

 

 

 

audiobook-image-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.mysterythrillerweek.com

 

 

 

mtw-email-logo

 

 

Audiobook Review: White is the Coldest Colour

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

DJ with Headphones

 

 

 

AUDIO FORENSICS EDITION

 

White is The Coldest Colour by Amazon Bestselling Author John Nicholl

 

 

 

white-is-the-coldest-color-audiobook

 

 

White Is the Coldest Colour: Dr. David Galbraith, Book 1

 

Listen to a sample: Here

 

Written by: John Nicholl

Narrated by: Jake Urry

Length: 9 hrs and 10 min

Series: Dr. David Galraith, Book 1

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date: 05-26-16

Publisher: JOHN NICHOLL

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Description

 

The chilling, dark psychological suspense thriller from ex police officer and child protection social worker, John Nicholl.

Be careful who you trust…

The Mailer family are oblivious to the terrible danger that enters their lives when seven-year-old Anthony is referred to the child guidance service by the family GP following the breakdown of his parents’ marriage.
Fifty-eight year old Dr David Galbraith, a sadistic predatory paedophile employed as a consultant child psychiatrist, has already murdered one child in the soundproofed cellar below the South Wales Georgian town-house he shares with his wife and two young daughters.
Anthony becomes Galbraith’s latest obsession, and he will stop at nothing to make his grotesque fantasies reality.

The novel is entirely fictional, but draws on John Nicholl’s experiences as a police officer, child protection social worker, manager and trainer.
During his career the author was faced with case after case that left him incredulous as to the harm sexual predators chose to inflict on their victims. The book reflects that reality.
The story is set in 1992, a more naive time when many found it extremely difficult to believe that a significant number of adults posed a serious risk to children.
The book contains material some may find upsetting from the start.
It is dedicated to survivors everywhere.

The gripping sequel: ‘When evil calls your name’ is now available on Amazon, or on Audible.

 

 

when-evil-calls-your-name

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY RATING

 

 

 

 

Awesome Word Rubber Stamp 3D Rating Review Feedback

 

 

 

 

AUDIOBOOK PERFORMANCE

Narrator Performance: 10/10

Story Connection: 10/10

Voice switch over: 10/10

Sound quality: 10/10

Emotional Resonance: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ear 1.jpeg

 

 

 

HEAR ME OUT….

 

This story was pretty disturbing to say the least. Of course this was expected given the topic, which is consistent with today’s pedophile problem. Author John Nicholl perfectly captures the mindset of those who carry out such heinous crimes. Dr. David Galbraith was truly a brilliantly devious, sick individual. Who would stop at nothing to satisfy his cravings for young children. Being in his point of view further exemplifies the point.

The story centers around a young boy named Anthony, who’s already been traumatized, and his separated parents on the verge of collapse.

 

 

Narrator Jake Urry

Jake Urry is one of the best narrators I’ve heard on audiobooks. He has a way of drawing you completely into the story through characters and their various points of view.

When I listen to one of his audiobooks; his intimate connection to the story brings everything into life. You’re there. In the moment. You can’t ask for more from a narrator.

He embodies different characters with precision and handles their personalities with skill. When he switches between voices it’s very smooth making for a nice ride. High five Jake!

 

 

John Nicholl: Amazon | Audible | Goodreads | Website

 

Jake Urry:  Audible | Website | Twitter

 

 

 

Got Audiobooks?

 

 

headphones-on-the-ground

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.mysterythrillerweek.com

Audiobook Review: Trail of Secrets by Laura Wolfe

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

listen to music (+clipping path, xxl)

 

 

 

 

AUDIO FORENSICS EDITION

 

Featuring Trail of Secrets by Laura Wolfe

 

 

 

 

laura-wolfe

 

 

 

 

Laura Wolfe is one of our participating authors in Mystery Thriller Week. To find out more about Laura go to her website.

 

 

 

 

 

trail-of-secrets-audio-book

 

 

Trail of Secrets by  Laura Wolfe

 

Narrated by: Kelli Andersen

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date: 3-04-16

Publisher: Author Laura Wolfe, LLC

 

 

 

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

 

2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist (First Novel)

Spending three weeks of her summer at the elite Foxwoode Riding Academy in northern Michigan should have been one of the happiest times of sixteen year-old Brynlei’s life. But from the moment Brynlei arrives at Foxwoode, she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched.

Then she hears the story of a girl who vanished on a trail ride four years earlier. While the other girls laugh over the story of the dead girl who haunts Foxwoode, Brynlei senses that the girl—or her ghost—may be lurking in the shadows.

Brynlei’s quest to reveal the truth interferes with her plan to keep her head down and win Foxwoode’s coveted “Top Rider” award. Someone soon discovers Brynlei’s search for answers and will go to any length to stop her. As Brynlei begins to unravel the facts surrounding the missing girl’s disappearance, she is faced with an impossible choice. Will she protect a valuable secret? Or save a life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY RATING

Four golden stars isolated on white background

 

 

 

AUDIOBOOK PERFORMANCE

 

Narrator Performance: 7/10

Voice switch over: 7/10

Story  resolution, climax: 10/10

Overall: 8/10

Sound quality: 8/10

Emotional Resonance: 8/10

Characters: 8/10

Dialogue: 8/10

 

 

 

 

 

speaker-156844_960_720

 

 

 

HEAR ME OUT…

Narrator Kelli Anderson did a good job connecting to the story and bringing it into life. For me that’s very important component. Otherwise it’d drudgery.

When it comes to voices of narrators it’s a pretty subjective experience. It may or may not reflect on their skill. In this case it wasn’t so much the voice I enjoyed but it was keeping my interest in the story. For that I give a thumbs up. Kelli Anderson does a great job of pacing her reading, dialogue and keeping things going.

 

 

 

 

thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

My impression…

Being short on time, I decided to go with the audiobook version. The story premise grabbed me from the beginning and kept me going. I wanted to find out what the story was about. Once the story got going it began to center around the mysterious death of Caroline Watson at Foxwood.

For a first novel it was great! Loved how everything unfolded especially in the resolution. It exceeded my expectations when everything was wrapped up in such an orderly way.

Brynlei is very likeable character who enters into a new, yet awkward, social experience at Foxwood. She definitely comes to life when she meets some new friends and begins to obsessed with the death of Caroline Watson.

If you like Young Adult reads, mysteries and horses, this is a good one.

 

 

 

CONNECT WITH LAURA WOLFE

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

 

 

Thanks for ridin’ the train!

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.mysterythrillerweek.com

 

 

 

mtw-email-logo

Audiobook Review: Cryptic Lines

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

 

 

 

listen to music (+clipping path, xxl)

 

 

 

I’m happy to announce a brand new series deemed Audio Forensics! It will exclusively be about audiobooks and everything related to them. News, reviews, interviews from the latest and the greatest. Some will go here and others will go to my other site at Mystery Thriller Week. I’ll mix it up and try to keep things interesting. It should be epic fun! There’s more interesting things I’d love to say about Audio Forensics but I’m much too pooped to say more. Another day I promise!

If you would like to do a guest post in relation to this drop me a line in the comment section. The more the merrier.

The growth of audiobooks has been steadily booming the last several years and bound to only get better. Time to give them some lovin’.  I listen to about two per week so this will be a nice outlet for what I’ve experienced.

So, on that note let us introduce my favorite audiobook of 2016. And the winner is….

Drumroll….

 

 

 

drumroll

 

CRYPTIC LINES

 

 

cryptic-lines-audiobook

 

 

 

Written by Richard Storry

Narrated by Jake Urry

Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date: 03-16-16

Publisher: Richard Alan Storry

 

 

 

Goodreads

Set in a sprawling gothic mansion in a remote coastal location, somewhere in the British Isles, the elderly recluse Lord Alfred Willoughby is deciding what is to become of his vast fortune after his death. Whilst his head is telling him to leave nothing at all to his wastrel son, Matthew, his heart is speaking differently. After much deliberation, in a last-ditch attempt to try and show to his son the importance of applying himself to a task and staying with it to the end, he devises a series of enigmatic puzzles cunningly concealed within the lines of a poem – the cryptic lines. If he completes the task successfully and solves the puzzles he will inherit the entire estate; but if he fails he will receive nothing. However, from Lord Alfred’s Will it emerges that Matthew is not the only interested party. The mysterious old house holds many secrets, and nothing is as it first appears

 

 

 

My rating

Five golden stars isolated on white background

 

Performance: Narrated by Jake Urry

Jake had the perfect voice to go along with this story. Absolutely perfect. He has that creepy, eerie, mysteriousness to his voice that brings out the story to the fullest degree. His performance was off the charts in my estimation.

 

 

Story: by Richard Storry

This story was amazing! I honestly didn’t expect it to be as good as it was, but was pleasantly surprised. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book. That’s probably what I enjoy most about it. The SUSPENSE was brilliant. The plot twists toward the end are even better. This one had it all. Out of all the audiobooks I’ve listened to this year, this one resonated with me the most.

 

 

 

Listen to an audio sample: Cryptic Lines

Have fun! Thanks for ridin’ the train folks!

 

 

 

 

train-old-fashioned

 

 

 

 

Up for a challenge? Join the Book Hoarders Bucket List Reading Challenge  (Join the Goodreads group here)

 

 

A Challenge for Book Hoarders Like Me at SallyAllenBooks.com

 

 

Don’t miss the inaugural powerhouse event of 2017!! Check out Mystery Thriller Week on my other site: Mysterythrillerweek.com

 

 

 

waving-by

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com

 

 

Introducing Audio Forensics

Posted on by Benjamin Thomas

listen to music (+clipping path, xxl)

 

 

I’m happy to announce a brand new series deemed Audio Forensics! It will exclusively be about audiobooks and everything related to them. News, reviews, interviews from the latest and the greatest. Some will go here and others will go to my other site at Mystery Thriller Week. I’ll mix it up and try to keep things interesting. It should be epic fun! There’s more interesting things I’d love to say about Audio Forensics but I’m much too pooped to say more. Another day I promise!

If you would like to do a guest post in relation to this drop me a line in the comment section. The more the merrier.

The growth of audiobooks has been steadily booming the last several years and bound to only get better. Time to give them some lovin’.  I listen to about two per week so this will be a nice outlet for what I’ve experienced.

 

 

So, on that note let us introduce my favorite audiobook of 2016. And the winner is….

 

Drumroll….

 

 

 

 

drumroll

 

 

 

 

 

CRYPTIC LINES

 

 

 

cryptic-lines-audiobook

 

 

 

Written by Richard Storry

Narrated by Jake Urry

Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date: 03-16-16

Publisher: Richard Alan Storry

 

 

 

Goodreads

Set in a sprawling gothic mansion in a remote coastal location, somewhere in the British Isles, the elderly recluse Lord Alfred Willoughby is deciding what is to become of his vast fortune after his death. Whilst his head is telling him to leave nothing at all to his wastrel son, Matthew, his heart is speaking differently. After much deliberation, in a last-ditch attempt to try and show to his son the importance of applying himself to a task and staying with it to the end, he devises a series of enigmatic puzzles cunningly concealed within the lines of a poem – the cryptic lines. If he completes the task successfully and solves the puzzles he will inherit the entire estate; but if he fails he will receive nothing. However, from Lord Alfred’s Will it emerges that Matthew is not the only interested party. The mysterious old house holds many secrets, and nothing is as it first appears

 

 

 

 

My rating

 

 

 

 

Five golden stars isolated on white background

 

 

 

 

Performance: Narrated by Jake Urry

 

Jake had the perfect voice to go along with this story. Absolutely perfect. He has that creepy, eerie, mysteriousness to his of voice that really brings out the story to the fullest degree. His performance was off the charts in my estimation.

 

 

Story: by Richard Storry

 

This story was amazing! I honestly didn’t expect it to be as good as it was, but was pleasantly surprised. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book. That’s probably what I enjoy most about it. The SUSPENSE was brilliant. The plot twists toward the end are even better. This one had it all. Out of all the audiobooks I’ve listened to this year, this one resonated with me the most.

 

 

 

Listen to an audio sample: Cryptic Lines

 

Have fun! Thanks for ridin’ the train folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

train-old-fashioned

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up for a challenge? Join the Book Hoarders Bucket List Reading Challenge  (Join the Goodreads group here)

 

 

A Challenge for Book Hoarders Like Me at SallyAllenBooks.com

 

 

Don’t miss the inaugural powerhouse event of 2017!! Check out Mystery Thriller Week on my other site: Mysterythrillerweek.com

 

 

 

 

 

waving-by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com