Jocelyn Green

Powerful

Reviewed: 07-19-23

A Shadow in Moscow blew me away. It opened my eyes to a not-so-long ago world that I really hadn't understood. The details she included to paint the Soviet reality during the Cold War left me in tears to realize how many freedoms I have enjoyed without even thinking about. The characters were expertly cast to show a variety of roles and viewpoints in a complicated time. I love this novel because it doesn't just move from action to action, but allows room for the characters--and hence, the reader--to explore and contemplate freedom and limits, the joy and burden of choices, and how far one might go to conform before reaching a line one will not cross. A Shadow in Moscow is redemptive, thoughtful, and powerful. I highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction.
The narration was brilliant.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

Perfect

Reviewed: 06-25-20

This book! This series, these characters! Shadows Over England by Roseanna M. White now officially ranks among my all-time favorite series, and Roseanna is officially one of my favorite authors. Her writing is superb. In An Hour Unspent, about a clockmaker's daughter, I loved all the clock/watch and time metphors and themes she wove in. For all of you who told me this book is your favorite in the series, and that Barclay is your favorite hero of the three--I get it! The redemption arcs in all three books are exquisite. In An Hour Unspent, the action and characterization are a perfect blend, and the amount of romance was just right. I can't say enough good about this novel and series.

Also-the narrator, Liz Pearce, is phenomenal. I'm going to see what else she's done and listen to her more.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Profound

Reviewed: 11-08-18

Oh my heavenly days. This book. If you can get the audio version, do it. If not, get it in any format you can. The writing itself deserves multiple awards, and I hope to be able to congratulate Younts on winning those at some point. The voices of each character, the setting, the subjects (hefty subject matter, people!)... all of these combine into an unforgettable story I will not forget. There were times when this book was so painful I had to take it in small doses or just drop everything to hurry through to the end. But it's worth it, and the ending does satisfy. This was my first time reading Elizabeth Byler Younts, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Entertaining and meaningful

Reviewed: 11-06-18

Another winner by Heather Day Gilbert. I have loved each of the Tess Spencer mysteries and this was no exception. Tess is the kind of character I wish I could have as a friend. She's smart, gutsy, she cares about what really matters, and she makes me laugh in every book. I appreciated that in this story, we get to go deeper with Tess and her relationship with her mother, while also delving into the hidden-in-plain-sight world of drug abuse. As always with this series, this book kept me guessing til the very end. The audible narration gave it an extra layer of enjoyment for me.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Deep and funny

Reviewed: 10-25-18

I LOVED this book! I loved that through Violet's grandmother and three aunts, we saw very different aspects of Chicago, the Word's Fair, and women's roles in 1893. Readers are swept into the suggragette movement, the gilded fancy-pants world (complete with the benefits and pitfalls of wealth) and into the charity work in Jane Addams' settlement house and the rallies of D.L. Moody. Violet's way of looking at and interacting with the world is so unique. This book had me laughing out loud in several places. I listened to the Audible version and highly recommend it. The voices were all done so well and added to the depth and hilarity.

I was entertained, educated, and moved by this book. Worth another read or listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Intriguing and humorous

Reviewed: 10-25-18

Another page-turner from Heather Day Gilbert! Loved this book just as much as Miranda Warning, if not more. I loved spending more time with characters I'd already grown to love, and meeting new ones, too. The mystery is well-paced, with enough intrigue and drama to keep me guessing to the very end, sprinkled with humor that had me laughing out loud several times. I'm committed now--I'll read/listen to every Murder in the Mountains that this author writes!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Colorful and entertaining

Reviewed: 10-25-18

This was the first contemporary novel I've read by Heather Day Gilbert, and it will not be the last! I knew the author was extremely talented from reading her Viking fiction, God's Daughter and Forest Child. Now that I have seen how skilled she is with contemporary (and mystery, no less!) I am even more impressed.

I loved the structure of the book, how it was told from two points of view with two different timelines, so I was given clues along the way in addition to what Tess Spencer, the main protagonist was uncovering herself. I enjoyed all the characters, and I must say that listening to it on Audible gave it an extra layer of dimension. The narrator did a fabulous job of making each voice distinctive.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with Tess in Buckneck, West Virginia, and can't wait to see what's brewing in the next novel, Trial by Twelve.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Cats are cool

Reviewed: 01-17-18

Great book. I love cats and have 2 of my own. Thanks Erin! This is a great series and I will listen as much as possible.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Original

Reviewed: 10-12-17

Loved this story, and the narration was perfect! I'm so glad I listened to it instead of read it, because all the accents were so well done. Such an interesting tapestry of characters and conflict.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful