great

a different set of super natural tales which are fun and engaging. i love these

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Great read

I love it. Johanna's voice is incredible. The story is very good. It keeps you hooked all the way through.

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1 person found this helpful

Interesting, but not my thing really.

"Not my usual thing," I thought, "but I have a couple of spare credits so I think I'll give it a fair go." So I listened to a type of story I never had before. I was not disappointed.

Production-wise, I thought the tale - very well written by Lisa and narrated by Johanna - flowed beautifully, dragging me along as it ought. The storyline proved interesting and thought-provoking and, at times, humorous.

Having listened all the way through, I have concluded that this kind of story is really not my personal bag. However, it was a refreshing change and I have no regrets in buying it. I am keeping it in my library to read again one day. All-in-all, if you like this genre, you'll enjoy this well-written and well-presented book.

Recommended. Buy it. Try it. Enjoy it.

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2 people found this helpful

Good story, complicated lead, shocking narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?
I was wondering most of the book if the author was undecided about how she wanted her female lead to be. One minute she is positive Hercule Poirot (even I do not get how she comes to some conclusions), next she is completely clueless. One minute she brags about her gun readiness and past use, next she is afraid to shoot. The story is good, but she really needs a bit of help there as it sounds as if the author is trying to make her human by character flaws we all have, but being unwilling to do so. Perhaps one consistent failing in one thing while talent in another as is usually the way would be the right way? Also, I yet to meet Scandinavians in such group where all are blond! They do not come in such extreme blondiness- there are more of them than anywhere else on average, yes, but blue eyes and different hair colour, if Scandinavian ancestry, is how it is. I would say the author just followed old believed "truths" which are not very correct. There are small details such as the Norwegian (?) agent being all bloodthirsty and talking about celebration by drinking once he kills in such a way, even Die Hard movie Russian badíe would not manage. You expect him to possitively pull out vodka any second and go drunk into action. Scandinavians are very friendly and peacefull people.

What didn’t you like about Johanna Parker’s performance?
The foreign accents are so bad it stopped being funny pretty quick. Poor Norwegians have bad Russian accent (like from cheap American movies)- all Scandinavian languages are Germanic, not Slavic, the difference when they speak English is HUGE! Their English on average is great and their accent slight and very different. Brits would be amazed by narrator's take on theirs too, I am afraid.

Any additional comments?
It is overall good story and book and I will buy the next one in series. Just hoping the narrator either takes some time for research next time around if needed for the story line or that the publishers pick somebody with better ability for this type of book.

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1 person found this helpful

Action Packed Story

Would you listen to The Grendel Affair again? Why?

I expect I will listen to it again - I am a re-Reader/Listener for stories I enjoy and I did enjoy this one

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the developing world the story is set in with hidden monsters and secrets

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The scene early in the book which involved catching the little monster in the shop - funny

Any additional comments?

Lisa Shearin is a new author to me but I will be looking at the rest of this series and any other writings.

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The gothic version of Jasper Fforde

If you like your humour off the wall like Jasper Fforde with a touch of gothic horror then you will probably like this. Lisa Sherin was such an enjoyable revealation I went & bought the next book in the series. I couldn't put the book down.

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Cookie Monster

Yet again the world is full of ghouls, vamps and odd dragons that the world at large is unaware of with an elite organisation dedicated to keeping it that way.

The story stays true to the genre conventions and doesn't break much new ground but it is a good story that is well paced and the main characters are appealing and of interest. The narrator does a good job though the strong accent is a bit jarring at the beginning, you do eventually become adjusted to it.

The world created by the writer has a lot of room to expand in to and I am hoping to enjoy the next novel equally. This one was enjoyable and worth the listen.

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Poor and unoriginal

I struggled with this book. The story was uninspiring and pedestrian. It seemed to have difficulty deciding whether to be a fantasy, a detective or a love story and so was none of the above. I won't be buying another. Personally, I found the narrator's accent incredibly irritating. Don't bother, there's far superior fantasy books out there

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