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.