Thursday, October 1, 2009

Earplugs- the Weekly audios

I'm so so into audio books.  I cannot imagine sitting down to relax without having a plug in my ear to listen as I do needlework, 'watch' the RedSox blow another one, or just relax and watch the leaves fall.  It's especially de-stressing to listen as I chop veggies for dinner, or fold laundry.  So I felt like I'd found a real kindred spirit when I read fellow blogger Anastasia's terrific post on Bird Brain(ed) Bookblog titled On Audiobooks and why they are awesome.--don't you just love that name?-both the blog and the post? Anastasia makes a cogent and passionate defense of the audio book format. Be sure to check it out.

This weeks' listening involved mysteries, and both were part of ongoing series featuring in the first the urbane, suave Chief of La Surete in Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, and in the other one of my favorite amateur sleuths: 92 year old Victoria Trumbull of Martha's Vineyard.




The Paperwhite Narcissus
Cynthia Riggs
Narrated by Davina Porter
A Martha's Vineyard Series mystery

This one features Victoria Trumbull, 92 yr old journalist, and unofficial deputy chief of police. She has the chief of police (60 some years her junior) driving her around after they took her driver's license away, she still mounts steps like a 10 year old, climbs ladder, catches fish, and has that imperious school marm voice that can bring 60 year old men to their knees.

There's also Colley Jamison, editor of the island's only newspaper. He is supporting 4 ex-wives and desperately trying to get his hands on some money. Someone keeps sending him obituaries purporting to be Colley's. To keep expenses down at the paper, he fires Victoria and several others, replacing them with young female summer interns who work for the glory of it. He acts surprised when Victoria threatens to sue him for age discrimination, and then grudgingly hires her to find out who is sending the obituaries.  Oh yeah....the obits keep showing up right about the time of murders....which seem to be a growth industry on the island.

Cynthia Riggs gives us a great picture of the Vineyard, the separate areas of the island, and the culture of the people who live there year round. This cozy is well plotted, has great characters, and is easy on the ears, and mind.  It's a great fun whodunnit.  Be sure to check it out.  Any of this series is worth reading- with your eyes or your ears.

My only complaint with this audio is having a British voice do the narrating. It seems very out of place. Davina Porter is one of my favorite narrators for audio books, but the voice just isn't right for Martha's Vineyard.
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A Rule against Murder
Louise Penny
narrated by Ralph Cosham
An Inspector Gamache mystery.

This one is just plain fabulous. I have a full review you can read here.

This week I have another mystery on deck: this one a female private eye; and then I just got a wonderful Alexander McCall Smith story that I can't wait to get to.

Stay plugged in.

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