Wonderful listen!

Really enjoyed this story and how it takes a new turn two-thirds of the way through. Riveting characters, many unlikeable but well fleshed-out and believable. Toby the narrator is annoying in his lazy privilege, but I do feel for him at many points in the novel. He certainly goes on some journey!

Thus novel draws you in to the family dynamics with lovely descriptions of the Ivy House. Great narration too.

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Strange twisting story

A strange twisting story with characters it is difficult to empathise with. Thought provoki ng
and disturbing.

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Bloated, with melodramatic narration

I’m on the verge of not finishing this which is a shame because I’m kind of curious about what will happen. The problem is the main character combined with the very dramatic narration. Because every little event (and MANY little events are described) is treated with a kind of breathless ‘reveal’ with over-emphasis by the narrator it becomes numbing. By the time an actual plot reveal occurs the reaction is basically ‘meh’ because it’s told with the same intensity as minor grievances.

Because of this style, Toby comes across as so insufferably self-obsessed and whiny that it’s hard to continue feeling sympathy for him. It gets to the stage where awful things are happening to other people and we are treated to several minutes of him bitching and complaining about how bad it makes him feel. I get that he is supposed to be a bit of a snowflake and unable to cope with the one negative event that has ever happened in his otherwise easygoing life .. and perhaps reading instead of listening would have made his moaning less annoying. But when combined with the OTT narration it becomes annoying to the point where you just want Toby to stfu. Which is a shame because interesting events are starting to occur and many of the other characters are intriguing. Just don’t think I’ve got enough Toby patience left to find out how they develop.

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Not sure about the reviews

I read the reviews for this and was looking forward to listening to it. Have to say I was a bit nonplussed. I am a Dubliner so that privileged dublin thing came through but I found the narrators voice a bit irritating.
I’m not sure about the story either, it is ok but not one of her best. Some of the characters felt a bit thin to me, e.g Melissa
Overall, it’s ok but nothing to write home about, the guardian review and I have a definite difference of opinion on this.

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Disturbing

Firstly I must say the narrator was outstanding - the best on any audible book I have listened to.
The book itself is thought provoking, eerie, disturbing and I could not stop listening. Will stay with me for a long time - in a good way. A bit overlong and dragged in places but would recommend it over all.

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Good Story, possibly a bit long.

I really enjoyed this book, Tana French has an excellent writing style and Paul Nugent’s narration was good, though I kept wishing it was Andrew Scott!

I agree with some reviews that it was probably over long and somehow the characters seemed a bit shallow and two dimensional but it was a flowing narrative with some interesting twists and turns.

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Excellent

An excellent story with many twists and turns. And a truly fantastic performance by Paul Nugent

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Disappointing

This book is a very long one, with very little substance, in my opinion. It reminded me a little of Donna Tart's Secret History but it failed to create the atmosphere of that book and became just irritating. It was a relief to finish it. Pity, I loved her earlier books.

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it's very long

some good bits but overall just too long. Narrator 'put on' women's voices which was pretty grating, but was fine other than that.

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5 people found this helpful

a story about the blindspots of class & privilege

this is a crime novel, but its real merit is in its portrayal of privilege, and what can happen when life knocks someone off their previously easy course. The story stayed with me for a while afterwards - particularly given how current the theme of privilege, and particularly privilege as it aligns with gender, is today. It gets quite dark - and it kept me guessing and uncertain of my own understanding of reality within the novel

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