Unlikely story, but all the same great listen

It' s always a treat when there' s a new Sophie Hannah book. The stories are different and keep you guessing until the end. I like the quirky characters of Charlie and Simon and the humour that is woven into the story. This story is quite unlikely, but still I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.

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Another great book from Sophie Hannah

A gripping story, which if it was an actual paper copy book, was hard to put down.
Julia Barrie is a great narrator which makes all of the difference to the enjoyment of the book.
When the book appeared on Audible I bought it immediately as Sophie Hannah has become a "must listen to" for me.

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Great story, until the big reveal.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, story was a let down at the end, made no sense & just totally ridiculous.

Would you be willing to try another book from Sophie Hannah? Why or why not?

Yes, read all of her Culver Valley stories as i really enjoy them, this however was awful.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

None stand out

Was The Narrow Bed worth the listening time?

Yes until about the last 2 hours.

Any additional comments?

Dont bother

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Love the Culver Valley books!

Another great addition to the collection and we'll read. Charlie and Simon at their best!

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Ludicrous plot saved by humour.

The story is told from a first person narrator the stand up comic Kim and third person narration for the police team leading the investigation. The first person narration is actually the supposed reading of a book Kim has written about her brush with the law and a murder mystery in which she should have been a victim. Books are at the heart of this tale and the killer's motive is closely linked to books too. The motive for the killings is perhaps one of the most ridiculous I have ever read and the police work is so far from any semblance of reality that suspension of disbelief is stretched to the utmost limit.
However the reason why I listened to this book straight through was the humour - there are passages which had me in stitches especially Kim's sex-mad lover who verges on the autistic. Her description of life with her husband is highly amusing and various scenes involving the police characters are also very funny.
The sub plot of Charley trailing her sister is also beyond credibility but also entertaining especially when Kim gets involved in this saga.
As a murder mystery I could not honestly rate this book very highly but as a tale of human foibles and eccentricities it does a great job of entertainment. The narrator was very good.

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1 person found this helpful

I think I liked it - but not sure!

What made the experience of listening to The Narrow Bed the most enjoyable?

This audiobook is going to require at least another listening before I can make up my mind whether I enjoyed it or not - up until halfway through I found the number of characters (particularly in the police) and the story hard to follow. One of the downsides of audiobooks is you can't flick back a page or two to remind you who's who. During the second half once I figured things out - I enjoyed the story and the narration. The writing was descriptive and making the lead character quite un-likeable was an interesting choice. The plot left a lot of unanswered questions.Such as what happened with Kim's ex-husband and what the point of the sub plot with Charlie and her sister was, or what happened to Sondra.

Would you be willing to try another book from Sophie Hannah? Why or why not?

I'd read another book by the author, but perhaps not audio book

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

I found this book because I really enjoyed Julia Barrie's narration of I Let You Go.

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4 people found this helpful

Unbelievable

Overly complicated and the denouement and plot were so unlikely. Narration good. Characters not very believable either. Disappointed.

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2 people found this helpful

Compelling

I find this whole series strange, but completely gripping. I have to try and ration my helpings so I don't finish the same day I start!

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1 person found this helpful

Not the author's usual high standard.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, because I follow the Culver Valley series. I don't want to miss anything about the various characters.

Would you recommend The Narrow Bed to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, if they were Sophie Hannah fans and had read other Culver Valley books.

Have you listened to any of Julia Barrie’s other performances? How does this one compare?

It's pretty good.

Was The Narrow Bed worth the listening time?

Yes, but I wish it hadn't been so long-winded. Once one knew who the villain was, there was too much left to listen to.

Any additional comments?

I hope the next one is as good as the ones before this one.

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1 person found this helpful

How can a story be both predictable and far fetched at once?

Disappointed in the latest Culver Valley tale. The long standing characters seem to be becoming cartoonish to the point of irritation rather than developing. The plot of this one lacked the intricate complexity of its predecessors and the stereotypical denouement (at the excuse of the protagonist planning it to be thus) was just deeply tedious. Some interesting new characters, but the motivation of the culprit was laughable. Sadly, left feeling I have wasted a slice of my life listening to this one, despite the excellent narration.

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