Bernadette Aitken

Amazing

Reviewed: 30-11-2018

What a fascinating series. The series is a very high quality production. The addition of experts in their fields, actors reading diary and journal entries and the music made this an enjoyable series to listen to. When you think you know a lot about the Victorians, you will still find that there is a lot you didn’t know.

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What a find!

Reviewed: 29-10-2018

I love a good English murder mystery/ thriller and this is right up there with the best. The way that the stories within the novel all eventually linked were unraveled by the team was a pleasure to read. I couldn’t put it down, which was good because I had the audio book linked with the e-book.
The police team were believable and worked well with each other and were very likeable. I can see myself moving on to other books in the series.
I consider this to be a great find and I would recommend it to anyone who likes murder mysteries.

Lovely

Reviewed: 26-10-2018

Brilliant as usual. A lovely treat to tide you over until the next book. Familiar characters and wonderful narration.

Brilliant

Reviewed: 11-10-2018

A wonderful story, flipping through a number of time periods. Each one with unique characters. The narrator grew on me as the story developed. She made it easy to keep all of the characters in my mind as they came into the story.

The Rock King

Reviewed: 10-10-2018

I have read all of the Maiden Lane series and I’ve enjoyed each one. This one is the first I’ve had as an audio book. The reader was expressive and engaging. She moderated her voice for both pitch and tenor. Her pace varied depending on the situation and all of this attention to detail added to the pleasure of the story.
Having said that this is the darkest book of the series, which is unavoidable as we learn more about the Lords of Chaos and their impact on people. This story is also sexual in ways I don’t remember the others being. This may be because I was listening this time not reading.
Raphael, Duke of Dyemore, has suffered for the fact that his father was the head of the Lords of Chaos and he means to get revenge. He is a hardened character, created from a childhood experience and knowledge about his father. He was able to escape, others he knew had not been able to. His whole purpose for returning to England was to expose and stop the Lords.
Raphael rescues the kidnapped Lady Jordan, then marries her for protection, or so he says. Together they embark on a quest, one to destroy to Lords and one to destroy the preconceived self image of the other.
The story is stark and raw, but those readers who have come along for the journey from the beginning will appreciate the conclusion. Tying up loose ends from previous stories is satisfying. The legend/folktale/fairytale that Elizabeth creates at the beginning of each chapter is always one of my favourite parts of the book. Thanks for another winner.

Intriguing

Reviewed: 18-09-2018

This is an interesting story and as it went along I became far more intrigued with it than I thought I would be when I started it.
A community seperate from the rest of the country by royal decree. No study of their history is allowed, but what a tangled history it turns out to be.
A new history teacher and the renovation of the town’s Manor house appear to be the catalyst for some extraordinary revelations and suspicious deaths.
The characters have rather unique names and I will admit that I found it hard to keep the names in my head to begin with. The story wove in directions I hadn’t anticipated. I did feel as if not all loose ends we tied up at the end. Maybe I just need to go back and check.

Expect the unexpected

Reviewed: 03-09-2018

I liked this story. The past rearing it’s ugly head to bring down Olivia and Zac Savage ready to step in and help her out.
The connections between the ‘family’ members in this series means that they are all willing to pitch in with their expertise to help each other out.
Their methods may not always be strictly legal, but they don’t exploit anyone. There is a rather complicated series of links between the villains that I didn’t realise were coming. Expect the unexpected should be the catch cry for this book.
There are two occasions at the end that set up two of the other family members for following stories. You don’t need to read this series in order as the books can stand on their own, but it is a nice way to come to know everybody and anticipate what is in store for the rest of the cast.

Unexpected twists

Reviewed: 24-08-2018

I liked this story. The past rearing it’s ugly head to bring down Olivia and Zac Savage ready to step in and help her out.
The connections between the ‘family’ members in this series means that they are all willing to pitch in with their expertise to help each other out.
Their methods may not always be strictly legal, but they don’t exploit anyone. There is a rather complicated series of links between the villains that I didn’t realise were coming. Expect the unexpected should be the catch cry for this book.
There are two occasions at the end that set up two of the other family members for following stories. You don’t need to read this series in order as the books can stand on their own, but it is a nice way to come to know everybody and anticipate what is in store for the rest of the cast.

Trust me

Reviewed: 21-08-2018

I have really enjoyed listening to the Cold series books as read by Eric G Dove and this is no exception. His voice is lovely to listen to and his subtle differences in characters is more than enough to keep each character separate. I have had a few times in past books where his pronunciation of a word has been noticeably American, but nothing compared to the pronunciation of brothel in this book. I’ve never heard it said this way, so strange was it I had to check with the written version of the book to make sure of the word.
This distraction didn’t take away from an otherwise great action packed thriller. Strong characters and strong plot lines make for a ‘can’t put it down’ novel ( or in this case - can’t stop listening).
The FBI team is trying to solve a problem on home soil which becomes international. One of their own agents then becomes the target of this group because of her secret former life. Trust is the main theme running through this story. Breaking, making and rebuilding trust.

Unexpected

Reviewed: 21-08-2018

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but it grew on me over the course of the telling. Set in modern day London in an alternate, secret and parallel magical community it is full of interesting characters and action.
I found that the beginning was a slow burn as the main characters and their world was opened to the listener. The pace and the twists pick up after this establishment phase.
Alex Vruus is happily running his magic shop when a friend brings him a relic to him which has strange properties. This item is the catalyst for marking them targets of a few factions in the magical community, none of whom are friendly.
Alex’s talent, of forseeing the many possibilities of any action, is needed to keep them alive and to solve a centuries old problem.
This story is well read and very pleasant to listen to.