Audio Books

Nothing like a drive down and back to Florida to up the number of audio books listened to.  Here are short reviews of a couple.

The Clocks A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie, narrated by Robin Bailey, 7 hrs 12 mins

Agatha Christie never fails to entertain.  This is a straightforward mystery.  A woman is summoned to a house for a secreterial assignment.  When she arrives she finds a deadbody on the floor.  The owner of the house, a blind woman, arrives and professes not to know anything about the summons or the dead man.  The police investigate with the help of a British secret agent who is on the scene looking for a communist spy (it's the 1950s, there everywhere).  The case doesn't get solved until Hercule Poirot becomes involved.  All the clues are in the story but I admit to not solving the case before the legendary detective laid it all out.  Good mystery.  The narration was a little over the top.  Robin Bailey exaggerated so many of the character accents I found it distracting.  Good story, so so narration. (Borrowed from the library)

The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina narrated by Jane McFarlan, Hachette Audio, 13hrs, 13mins, October 2011

In this murder mystery set in Scotland, Alex Morrow a tough female detective is the lead character.  She is pregnant with twins but gets no soft assignments.  A murder is committed early on in the story and we know who did it but the twists and turns that this plot takes are engrossing.   I really enjoyed this story, the characters were very well developed, the plot complex without being contrived, and the setting in Glasgow well described.  It is a little dark though.  Jane MacFarlan's narration was spot on as they say.  (Bought this one)

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt narrated by John Pruden, 7 hrs and 42 minutes, Harper Audio, April, 2011

This is the story of two brothers, Eli and Charlie Sister, hired killers working for a robber baron in California in 1849.  The story is narrated by the younger brother Eli. Charlie is a borderline psychopath, Eli somewhat gentler in this approach to life.  The boys are sent into San Francisco during the gold rush to eliminate a charlatan who has deceived their employer.  The adventures for these two brothers are non stop and fairly violent.  What a strange story, several times I came close to abandoning it but was mesmerized along by the prose and the excellent narration.  It is not exactly a western more a dark comedy.  What an unusual imagination this author has!  Expecting this to be turned into the next Coen brothers movie.  Recommened if you can over look the violence.  (Received a copy from the publisher)