Tell Me Where it Hurts By Dr. Nick Trout Simon Vance, Narrator

Tell Me Where it Hurts
Dr. Nick Trout
Narrator: Simon Vance
BBC Audiobooks America
9 hours, 12 minutes

Dr. Nick Trout Veterinarian and author 

Simon Vance Narrator

Simon Vance narrator for, Tell Me Where it Hurts By Dr. Nick Trout
Narrator Simon Vance did a stellar dramatization of Tell Me Where it Hurts by Nick Trout.  He has a wonderful voice and expressed the right amount of sensitivity.  Simon Vance's voice is melodic and easy to listen to. He enunciates each word clearly without sounding forced or fake. He never stumbles over words. Even when narrating something tragic you feel like everything will be just fine. This once would have been called a good bedside manner. He just has a wonderful voice and is one of my favorite narrators. I fancy he enjoyed the book himself.

Angel Animal Medical Center is located in Boston MA. Dr.Trout is one of the veterinarians. He shows a terrific sense of humor in this book. He takes us through some emergency room events showing all the skill and care of a hospital for humans. Perhaps even better care. Interesting to see things from the veterinarians point of view. If you're not an animal lover this might not be for you. Most any pet owner will like it.

After I finished listening to this wonderful book I thought of all the wonderful pets I've had and loved and the fine veterinarians that cared for them over the years. Dr.Trout is truly a special human being. It is so great when you find a vet that can really understand what a pet can mean to a family.



Cats are wonderful but there is nothing to compare to the love and devotion shining through the eyes of a dog. The absolute trust they have in you. The thrill of excitement they joyously express when you come home. Their willingness to wait for you to tend to their needs. And not the least, their ability to rebound from human abuse and forgive and be willing to love again. Simon Vance, is such an extraordinary narrator, his voice and the way he reads is so full of compassion and kindness. I'm sure he would excel as a hostage team negotiator or a therapist. I'm happy he has become a narrator.

Mary Peiffer reading "C" is for Corpse by Sue Grafton

"C" is for Corpse

A Kinsey Millhone Mystery

The Alphabet Series

By Sue Grafton

Narrated By Mary Peiffer

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Books on Tape

Narrator Review for Mary Peiffer

Mary Peiffer narrates Kinsey and does capture her personality pretty well. In "C' she doesn't seem to do the male voices very well. When she's narrating Bobby it sounds somewhat slow and stilted. Very guttural and her natural voices leaks into more than one sentence. 

She has not yet fully gotten Henry's personality. She does great with Rosy, unlike the previous two books she doesn't maintain Rosie's voice and accent. But overall,  her female renditions are good as is her reading of the text. Mary Peiffer is nonetheless my preferred narrator of the Alphabet Series. Her voice is age appropriate, and Peiffer does give Kinsey a unique identity that gets better as she reads each new book.

Audiobook Review of "C" is for Corpse. 

Author Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton Author

"C" is for Corpse is a light read with a fast pace. Bobby is trying to restore his body in the gym because he had a bad auto accident in which his best friend was killed. Bobby thinks someone tried to kill him and hires Kinsey to investigate. They meet on Monday and by Thursday Bobby is dead. Investigation of the car accident shows his breaks were tampered with and that's what cause him to crash into a tree.

There's a side story of Henry enchanted by a bit of 60 year old fluff. Turns out she is not all she seems to be. Kinsey unravels it all in her dogged way and saves the day. Sue Grafton does seem to make some unique crimes for Kinsey to deal with. In "C" is for Corpse  Kinsey's trek into the morgue scared the you know what out of me.

Yikes

Palaces and Calluses by Rebecca Woodhead

Very excellent romance story. I liked the dog, but Mary is cool too. lol read it for yourself and remember what romance is about. I am looking forward to when Rebecca becomes a narrator. Her voice is lovely, clear and a pleasure to listen to. 

To get a copy of her book that is now on Amazon you can either get it off Amazon or from her links twitter @rebeccawoodhead  or webpage. http://rebeccawoodhead.com She lives in The Cotswolds, England, you know how all of us cozy mystery lovers like books that take place in the Cotswolds. Living there should give Rebecca some good ideas for writing a new book, a cozy mystery we hope.

Celeste Lawson reading Summer in Tuscany by Elizabeth Adler

Summer in Tuscany 

Author: Elizabeth Adler

Narrator: Celeste Lawson

9 hours 15 minutes

Producer: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Now: Downpour.com

Summer in Tuscany  by Elizabeth Adler

Elizabeth Adler
Author

Celeste Lawson reading Summer in Tuscany by Elizabeth Adler

Lawson moves between a monotone boring tone to a monotone syrupy boring tone. Her voice is deep and is hard to listen to. Lawson is not skilled with doing normal intonations especially emotional lines. One thing I didn't like is she reads a long sentence without a pause or taking a breath. The book is not interesting enough and with her poor reading I've had skipped ahead a lot. She is just one of the worst readers I've heard. It's hard to tell if the book is boring or she just makes it boring. I skipped to the last chapter. Her voice is coarse, and she fails to make definition between male and female characters. I listened to all four of Linda Palmer's series, Love You Madly, Kiss of Death, Love Her to Death, Celeste Lawson does a nice narration on all of them. To be fair I did try to listen to this book again and I haven't changed my mind except that the book is fine I just don't care for the narration. Like they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so, listening to audiobooks is in the ear of the listener.

I usually like Elizabeth Adler's books even though I am not a fan of romance stories. The plot in this book was somewhat weak. There was a lot of detail about how each character looked, blond hair, blue eyes, bump in the nose, and on and on, way too much detail. The parts that shine are the descriptions of Tuscany, which are wonderful and add so much to being able to visualize the surroundings.

 Gemma Jericho, a doctor in New York, along with  her daughter and her mother go to Bella Piacere to see what kind of house they inherited. Gemma is ready for some excitement, change, and perhaps a little romance. So when her mother gets an unexpected letter saying she's inherited a villa in Tuscany, it's just what the doctored ordered, or in Gemma's case, needs. When they arrive a man called Ben Raphael says it's his villa and he plans to turn it into a hotel. The place is not in good shape, but they throw  themselves into how it could be restored and are not taking Raphael's words at face value and will do what they can to keep the villa.  

A Little Learning by Jane Tesh, Marguerite Gavin narrator

A Little Learning
Jane Tesh
Narrator: Marguerite Gavin
Audio Book:  Blackstone Audio, Inc
Now http://www.downpour.com/
6 hours 15 minutes

A Little Learning

Marguarite Gavin Narrator

I found Ms. Gavin's voice inappropriate for the character. She sounds too old for the voice of Madeline, but she does alright on the secondary characters. Her voice has a wispy, breathing out sound on the last word of most sentences that is annoying. It's almost blown out on a puff of air and elevated in tone, almost like a question. Sounds more like she's reading a horror story than a young Madeline.

Was sorry as heck that I actually wasted my audible.com credits on this audio book. I purchased this book when I was still a novice to audio books, and narrators. Even to Audible, so I did not listen to the preview or maybe didn't listen long enough.

Madeline Fairweather a former child beauty queen is trying to develop her private investigating business and her art career. Married to her best friend, Jerry, they are living in North Carolina. The story establishes that it is a Sunday, yet when Jerry asks her what her plans for the day are she says she's going to go to her office and also have lunch with a friend. The handy person is also suppose to come that day and repair the air conditioner. All this on a Sunday. Hmmm.

In the first paragraph Tesh introduces two ten year old children Denisa Simpson and her best friend Austin Tarrel. Outside of their interest in buffo cards they don't seem to have much to do with the story. Maybe to connect Jerry, with his knowledge and interest in the cards. I have no idea who these kids are or who they belong to. I went back and listened to the beginning again and still don't know who they were. The buffo cards will come up later in the story.



In the mail she's reading later in her office she finds a letter saying her art is accepted for an upcoming art show but only gives her until Monday Sept 23 to produce 3 pieces of art for the show. She suspects Jerry is behind her being asked to enter and while she is dialing to call him, Nathan Fenton comes into her agency asking her to break a code in a riddle his uncle left to solve in order to inherit a fortune. The code has to be broken also by Monday the 23.

Why he would stop at her office on a Sunday and say "I was hoping to catch you in", made no sense to me. It's Sunday and common sense would suggest she wouldn't be in her office on a Sunday. And why hadn't he called on a weekday and made an appointment?

The story line doesn't hold up good. For me there were too many things going on. The time line and ages are confusing. To many inconsistencies. The book was poorly thought out. Jane Tesh has two other books out . I will not read another poorly constructed book from her again. I sob, at having bought A Little Learning.

Mary Peiffer reading "B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

"B" is for BurglarSue Grafton
Narrator: Mary Peiffer

7 hours 42 minutes
Books on Tape

"B" is for Burglar Sue Grafton

     

Mary Peiffer  Narrator for, "B" is for Burglar: I really appreciate how Peiffer has gotten into the swing of Kinsey's personality. Her rendition of this book is far superior to what she did in "A" is for Alphabet. I was really impressed with her reading of Mrs. Oxnar, the 88 year old woman. It was excellent.

She also did Tilly,  a woman in her sixties, and sounded convincing.  Her voice for, Pat Usher who was boorish, low class and unemotional was read so persuasively. Peiffer has a very expressive voice. The rhythm is good and she maintains the voice of the characters throughout. Again, Mary Peiffer personifies Kinsey to a T. 

Her rendition of Beverly is expressive of a middle aged, somewhat spoiled woman who is use to getting her own way. I enjoyed listening to her. It is surprising that Peiffer found her sense of the main characters so soon into the series and read through the entire book without a hitch. Her performance as Mrs. Oxnar, the eighty eight year old neighbor, is brilliant.

Audiobook Review of  "B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton Author

Kinsey thinks this case will be an easy and quick one.

Beverly Danziger. hires Kinsey to find her sister Elaine Boldt, she's not been heard from for a few months. Beverly needs Elaine's signature on some legal documents to release funds to various family members from an inheritance. Kinsey thinks the case is going to take so little time that she'll have to refund back half the $750 deposit that Beverly gave her. Hahahaha. We know better though. Elaine has two residences, a local condo and one in Boca Raton. Kinsey goes first, to the local address. Elaine is not there,

Kinsey, has to travel to Boca Raton

Kinsey, talks to the manger Tilly and finds out that Elaine left for Boca Raton. Elaine usually goes to Boca Raton the first of February and returns late July or early August. Tilly forwards mail to Elaine about once a week. Elaine drops a postcard or note to Tilly every week or two but she tells Kinsey that she hasn't heard from her since the first of March.

Elaine is not in Boca Raton

Kinsey calls the phone number at Elaine's Boca Raton condo and no one answers. She looks up the complexes information and writes down some of the neighbors names, and calls the manager, he tells her that Elaine hasn't been there and she's usually there at this time of year.

A Surprising development Kinsey gets an eager ally to spy on Pat.

This is when Kinsey hears that a woman named Pat Usher is living in Elaine's condo. Kinsey calls some of Elaine's neighbors and finally gets an answer from an 88 year old lady, Mrs.Oxnar, who is feisty and fun. The old lady tells her that Pat Usher is in the process of packing to vacate the condo. So, if she wants to talk to her, she'd better catch a flight down, right away.

Kinsey bullies Pat into letting her in the condo

Kinsey meets Pat Usher and is dissatisfied with her and being a confessed liar herself she knows Pat Usher is lying to her. Pat is not the kind of person that Elaine would be friends with. Pat is coarse, crude and trashy. Mrs. Oxnar, becomes Kinsey's ally and is eager too help and spy on Pat.


This book has lots of adventures full of hazards and perils. The secondary characters were interesting, and sometimes funny. The story had more substance and variety than "A" is for Alibi.  I think this is one of my favorite alphabet books. I favor Mary Peiffer as the narrator, she sounds young, close to the age of Kinsey, and her voice is pleasing.

Pickpocket

Mary Peiffer reading "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

"A" is for Alibi
Book 1. in the Alphabet Series
Authhor: Sue Grafton
Narrator: Mary Peiffer

Books on Tape
7 hours, 39 minutes

"A" is for Alibi

Narrator Review for Mary Peiffer

Mary Peiffer is feeling around for a voice for Kinsey Millhone. Mary Peiffer does read some interrogations in a more conversational tone unlike so many narrators whose flatness sounds more like bullying. She reads some of it too fast and clipped. Thankfully, in future books she takes complete control of the character so Kinsey blooms into a more mature and agreeable individual.

In  "A" is for Alibi  Mary Peiffer does not do the different characters as well as they could be. Some of the time I couldn't tell who is speaking. Some people she does do a distinctive voice for but she sometimes forgets mid-stream and drops back to her own reading voice.

If this were a stand alone book I'd say the reading is to fast and lacking definition for each character. Kinsey Millhone is not established or fleshed out in this first book. Having listened to all of the series I can really hear how Mary Peiffer improved in her narration of Kinsey.  She does have the right tone for the series and sounds age appropriate.

Her voice expresses the character so you can plainly visualize Kinsey. It soon is to become a perfect fit,  "A" is for Alibi being the first in a long series is not plumped out to well. Kinsey's personality isn't fully formed and the supporting characters lack any dimensions. I found the story line a little contrived. Kinsey gets herself into situations that are downright dumb.

Audiobook Review, "A" is for Alibi
Author: Sue Grafton
Book 1. in the Alphabet Series

Sue Grafton

Nikki Fife,  hires Kinsey to find out who killed her husband and framed her for it. She wants Kinsey to clear her name. Kinsey remembers the 8 year old case and had sat in on the trials. At the time she wasn't convinced that Nikki killed her husband which leads her to take the case.


Kinsey needs to read the police files and to do that she has to persuade the mean spirited Police Lieutenant Dolan to give her access to the now closed case of Lawrence Fife. After some insulting interchange he relents and lets her look at the them.

When she goes through them one of the first things she sees is a series of telexes sent by the Los Angeles, police department indicating a similar case where an accountant named Libby Glas, died of ground oleander poisoning four days after Lawrence Fife died from the same thing.

Kinsey had worked for a Business Management firm that handled the interest of Lawrence Fife's law firm. This sends off alarm bells in Kinsey's head.  Now she understands why Dolan didn't want to let her see the files. Kinsey investigates the case from the Libby Glas angle. Kinsey is stubborn and bull headed and pursues every person and every clue until she puts the whole picture together.



We don't learn much about Kinsey in "A" Is for Alibi, other than she's strong headed, weighs 118 pounds and cuts her hair herself, every few weeks with nail scissors. Cripes.. lol. She has one dress, a multi purpose black dress, runs about 3 miles a day. Has been married and divorced twice.

Kinsey likes to live in small spaces and was raised by her aunt after her parents were killed in a car accident. Overall this is not much to like her, let alone know about her. There are a few other things about Kinsey that are just as uninspiring. What's missing are emotional or personality clues

If not for Mary Peiffer's rendition of the character I probably would never have listen to any more of the series. Peiffer does manage to make Kinsey more interesting and dynamic. I do like the series and Mary Peiffer's narration. It's a light reading and the stories move along at a good clip. There are some funny lines that make you laugh. There isn't anything gory, or at least not too gory, that will give you nightmares. I consider them a fun read. Or in my case a fun listen.

Susan Ericksen narrating J. D. Robb's Indulgence in Death

Indulgence In Death J. D. Robb

Susan Ericksen

                                                       

Author J. D. Robb
Also writes as Nora Roberts

Indulgence In Death
J. D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
12 hours 52 minutes
Brilliance Audio

Susan Ericksen is a fantastic narrator, her rendition of the In Death series by J. D. Robb is just so outstanding. Her genial voice has a wide range of variations. She reads the texts part well and captures the personality of the tetchy, hard core, Lt. Eve Dallas. I love her rendition of Dallas's side kick Peabody. She powerfully portrays the youthful, hip, fun loving Mavis, and paired with Robb's precise descriptions you can form a good image of them. You can't help but enjoy listening to Susan Ericksen as the well written stories unfold. Susan Ericksen exactly captures each person and gives them life and form. Indulgence in Death is Number 31 in the series.

Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband Rourke, take part of their anniversary vacation to visit Ireland so Rourke can see his family. Eve is not so sure she likes the country and her thoughts are as always out of the norm. As in "what are these damn bushes, and why are they here?" Rourke tells her "they're fuchsia, lovely aren't they."  but Eve thinks to herself they remind her of a massacre, possibly by farm animals" Eve is a city gal through and through. Susan Ericksen absolutely captures the Irish brogue of Rourke and the cantankerous nature of Eve.

Wherever Eve goes, so goes a murder, of course they don't have an idyllic time in rural Ireland. Eve has to almost teach the local police how to investigate a murder when a body is found in the woods. When they return home, straight away Eve has two murders that seem connected. One is a limo driver shot in the neck with a crossbow and the other a high priced hooker with a bayonet in her heart. Eve can't figure out what the motives are but she does put it together in a thrilling hang onto your hat fashion.

I highly recommend that you start with the first in the series, Naked in Death and read through the series so you can see how all the characters develop. In this book Eve and Rourke have been married for two years. So you will miss their courtship and marriage as well as their pasts. New York to Dallas is due out Sept. of 2011 which will be number 33 in the series. I really like the futuristic setting with it's faux foods and amazing vehicles. A lot of humor makes this an especially fun series to listen to. Susan Ericksen maximizes the pleasure.

Mike Kellogg, narrating, The Golden Willow by Harry Bernstein

The Golden Willow

By Harry Bernstein

Narrated By Mike Kellogg

AUDIOBOOK

5 hrs and 45 mins

 The Golden Willow by Harry Bernstein

Mike Kellogg has a wonderful voice and is the perfect choice to read The Golden Willow. He emotes warmth,  kindness, and sensitivity without being maudlin or patronizing. His voice is mellow and cultured. His reading is smooth and flows along at a steady pace. He does not have lags between sentences or words. He doesn't linger overly long at poignant or sensitive parts. Mike Kellogg's reading of this book is special because he has a good balance of tone, clarity, and delicacy. He really captures the essence of a deep love and a life time of experiences.

Harry Bernstein Author

Harry Bernstein was inspired to write the The Golden Willow after the tragic death of his beloved wife. Both he and his wife Ruby were in their 90's when she came down with leukemia and died. After nearly 70 years of marriage Harry was so devastated that he thought often about killing himself. He just could not see any reason at his age to continue on without Ruby. Harry and Ruby were very much in love through out their entire marriage sharing everything life handed them. Losing Ruby was more than Harry could bare.

Harry had always wanted to be a writer but his life path did not allow him to do this. He wrote some short stories that were published but as a career it just never came about. After Ruby was gone he revisited this interest and started writing about his life growing up in a Lancashire mill town. This was his first book, The Invisible Wall telling about the poverty and separation between the Jews and the Christians who lived across the road.



From this book came the continuation of his story in The Dream and his migration to the United States and adjusting with eager anticipation to a new life away from England. In The Golden Willow, Harry covers more in depth the love story between him and Ruby. Everyone seeks that one true love of their life and Harry found it in Ruby.

With divorce at all time highs, and so many children being shuttled back and forth between parents with new spouses and children, it emphasizes the vast difference between popular culture of the past 40 years or so and the time Harry grew up. Fewer people in Harry's time threw in the towel at the slightest provocation but stuck out the tough times and worked through things together.

It is pure magic the way Harry writes about his life and there is nary a dull moment. Which ever book you read and you should read them all you will catch a glimpse of history from a perspective that is not revisionist or what a historian pieced together and thinks it was but a first person experience.

Thank God that Harry has lived long enough to share not only a wonderful love story but history as it was lived. Harry is about 98 now and wrote The Invisible Wall when he was about 92. I sincerely hope even at the age of 98 that Harry Bernstein has yet another book in him.

Sadly the following month after I posted this Harry Bernstein passed away. He had a long and productive life and is now with his beloved Ruby. Rest in Peace Harry

Born: May 30, 1910, Stockport, United Kingdom
Died: June 3, 2011, Brooklyn, New York City, NY

Lisa Burgett reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher Narrator Lisa Burgett 

         
Winter Solstice
Rosamunde Pilcher
Narrator: Lisa Burgett
Books on Tape
17 hours 4 minutes

Rosamunde Pilcher Author

Lisa Burgett Narrator

Lisa Burgett has a pleasant mid-range voice so starting from mid-range she easily raises and changes voices for the female characters and a lower tone for the males. I like her mellow British accent. She does a nice Scottish and Irish accent also. At least to my American ears it sounds very good. Lisa Burgett really does add a lot of embodiment to the characters. There are a large number of characters in Winter Solstice and Lisa Burgett manages to cover all of their age groups and personalities. She is such an exceptional reader that I can darn near hear the dog barking and banging his body against the door.

If you are not familiar with Rosamunde Pilcher's books you are in for a rare treat. If you like Tara Road type stories you will like Pilcher. You might need a box of tissues near at hand if you're a very sensitive type. In Winter Solstice, Elfrida Phipps in her early 60's and a retired actress of no great fame, moves from London to Hampshire and buys a small cottage. Acquires a medium sized dog from the shelter and calls him Horace.

Neighbors Oscar and Gloria Blundell  befriend her and introduce her around town and invite her to their parties. Oscar and Gloria live in Gloria's family home with their 12 year old daughter Francesca a product of an earlier encounter between them, and a couple of pooches. Gloria is a bit of a drinker and much younger than Oscar but they have an enjoyable life in Hampshire. Elfrida is immediately drawn to Oscar finding him fun and intelligent company.

She sensibly decides to visit a relative for a month, during the time she's gone, Gloria, Francesca and the two dogs are killed in a horrible traffic accident. Elfrida has heard nothing of this not having read any newspapers during her vacation. She only learns of it when she returns to Hampshire. While Oscar is devastated and mourning his losses. Gloria's son's from a previous marriage tell Oscar they are selling the house. Oscar is in no state financially or emotionally to make a move so Elfrida and an uncle of Oscar's rally and try to think of solutions.

Elfrida finally persuades Oscar to move into the now vacated home in Corrydale, Scotland that he and his cousin own. Oscar is hesitant about driving himself that far alone and setting up housekeeping and essentially a new life. He then convinces Elfrida to go with him and share the driving. Elfrida being a spontaneous person says yes and closes up her cottage, packs a few things and off she, Horace and Oscar go to Corrydale. The house in Corrydale is a lovely large home and the two of them settle into a pleasant routine quickly.

Christmas is not far off and they were not planning to do much but Elfrida's beautiful cousin Carrie who has returned from Austria to London, calls Alfrida and asks if she and Lucy can spend the holidays with her. She found that her niece Lucy is unhappy and leading a very narrow life for a teenager. With a mother who is running off to the States for the holidays and a grandmother who doesn't want to be bothered with her. Lucy a sweet tempered girl is anxious to go to visit Alfrida and Oscar and is elated when Alfrida agrees to have them.

With the cleverness only found in novels a new character is introduced by way of Sam Howard who's transferred from New York to England to restructure a dying woolen factory in Buckley a town near Corrydale. When Sam arrives in England he stays with Neil and Janey, friends from his earlier years in England. They invite Oscars cousin Huey to dinner. Over drinks Huey mentions he's selling his house in Corrydale provided he can get hold of his cousin Oscar.

Huey has not heard about the tragedy that struck Oscar or know that Oscar and Elfrida have moved into the house. Huey tells him he can look it over and see if he's interested in buying it. Sam takes the key and agrees, understanding it will have to meet approval of Oscar for selling his half of the house. Sam is eager settle in and thinks if the house is halfway decent it might work out well for him as he needs something near enough to commute to Buckley.

Angela Dawe Narrating, Maybe This Time by Jennifer Cruise

Maybe This Time
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Brilliance Audio
10 hours 58 minutes

Author Jennifer Cruise

Angela Dawe

         




Audio Book Review

Angela Dawe has a nice strong voice. She reads without over enunciating, no overly long pauses. Her characterizations are excellent. She manages the nuances of the conversations. She really does enhance the book. I liked listening to her. 

For me, Angela Dawe makes this mediocre book much more interesting. I have not listened to many of Jennifer Cruise's books so I'm not comparing, Maybe This Time to any past books about Andie Miller Archer. I felt like her ex husband was fleshed out as much as necessary. At least as much as I needed. He's a handsome workaholic. His brother called Sullivan, nicknamed. Southie is a Peter Pan type, that has little regard for anyone outside himself. He has some charm like so many Peter Pan's do.

Maybe This Time stretches incredulity to it's limits. Andie, is planning on getting married to Will Spencer, she visits her ex at his law offices to return 10 years of un-cashed alimony checks. Goodness, does anyone get alimony these days? I thought that was a thing of the past. Why he was paying her alimony must have been covered in a previous book. As was, why she never cashed them. Hang on to your hat, because after not having any contact with each other for ten years, Andie and North seem to still have a thing for each other.

Therefore, there is much rehashing of their past relationship. Ten years, is a long time in the divorce world and a contrived reunion seemed very silly. Too many years have gone by to rekindle an old flame. Even five years would be a stretch, but more believable. Her new fiancee Will Spencer gets the short end of the stick because he is clueless about Andie's rekindled feelings for her ex. No surprise there, because after being divorced for ten years most people would have moved on.



During the very brief time Andie and North talk, he has wrangled her into going to a backwoods house to straighten out the problems of his two wards, Carter and Alice. Many live in nannies have left after very short stays and North is frustrated with finding each new replacement. Andie has a strong personality and is forth right when dealing with people and gets things done. causing him to think she, of all people can find out why nannies keep leaving and what is going on with his wards.

When Andie arrives at the house it is hard to get to, in very bad condition and being looked after by a very old and testy woman. The children are strange, difficult, and well, just bratty. Andie is up to the challenge though and with indomitable fortitude she immediately starts unraveling the problems one by one. She stands up to the old woman who was very obnoxious and unpleasant. But, Andie not being a hired nanny was able to do that, as the hired help had their hands tied.



All the living people were more easily dealt with than the dead ones. But Andie sorts them out too. Later, Southie, brings his wannabe journalist girlfriend, a camera man, and some other crew, and just shows up on the doorstep and bullies his way in. Andie is not easily bullied and only relents and lets them in when she finds out one of the crew is a parapsychologist.

She thinks she will find out more about ghosts from him. So with a full cast of characters and ghosts, Andie is up to handling them all. If you like ghost stories you may like this one. If you are looking for romance you won't find so much of it in this story. My sympathies are with Will, the poor dupe of a fiancee.