Tall, Dark, Dead & Poorly Edited

This book has inspired me to write my first review. I have listened to 100s of book on audible and frequently let the reviews guide my purchase but have never been moved to review a book before. I bought this book because the storyline seemed like fun and the narrator, Ms. Ronconi, is my favorite narrator. She does an excellent job, as usual, giving each character their own unique voice. The story itself was sweet, funny, romantic and entertained me from start to finish. It reminded me very much of Molly Harper's novels, also narrated by Ms. Ronconi. At this point I will try to explain why this book only received a 2 star rating. The editing was awful. The first hour or two was seamless but after that everything went south. Phrases were overlapped on top of each other, spacing between words would lag way, way too long. Everything would be fine for a minute or two and then the issues would start again. I was able to decipher the sentence structure but it was unbelievably frustrating and very distracting. The errors were so noticeable that I believe nobody gave the final product even a cursory listen. If I were the author I would be very disappointed and embarrassed that this was the final result.
I have to admit though I enjoyed the story and narration enough that I plan on downloading at least the next book in the series.

102 people found this helpful

Technical difficulties?

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

I would recommend the authur and the story, but not the audible version. There are an overwhelming number of instances of POOR editing. So many that it distracts from the overall experience of this book. But I do enjoy Amanda Ronconi and look for books she has narrated. .

68 people found this helpful

Book has glitches

I enjoyed the book and the narration was great. The only problem was that in several places throughout the book there were technical glitches where words overlapped or were just garbled completely.

I will continue with the series. Hopefully the next books won't have issues.

27 people found this helpful

Audio editing is a joke

This editing is the WORST I've experienced on Audible. It is horrible! Don't you guys have quality requirements? It made it ecyremely annoying to listen to and hard to follow at times. I can't recommend this title. The editing drstroyed tjis book. The only thing that made me finish was that I like Amanda Ronconi as a narrator.

52 people found this helpful

Even Amanda couldn't save this much

Amanda Ronconi is a fantastic narrator. She brings each book she reads literally to life. If it wasn't for her, I'd have tossed this away within the first couple of chapters.

The book had some flashes of brilliance, some fleeting moments of entertainment, overall I couldn't wait for it to finish. Finish it I did, I wanted to finish the story, there was some curiosity about how it would progress, so I guess it was a sale price well spent for the few hours it occupied my mind. Unfortunately I kept expecting Molly Harperesque brilliance which just does not exist in this story.

Get it if it's on sale, otherwise not worth a credit.

8 people found this helpful

Good...

Tall, Dark, and Dead has a great blend of folklore/mythology that kept me listening to the end. There are witches, Vatican witch hunters, and vampires galore, but Hallaway offers a different take on Vampire lore that is fresh and intriguing. There are the "traditionally" made vampires, and then there is Sebastian. Walking in the daylight is not the only oddity about Sebastian either. While the story is interesting, the characters didn't really do it for me. The book was a decent listen that I did enjoy and would recommend to vampire fans, but unlike with some other series, I didn't have the desire to rush out and buy the second book. I'm not sure I will get around to reading the other Garnet Lacey books anytime soon. I am a huge fan of Ronconi as a narrator, and she did not disappoint here. She was actually the reason I picked up the book in the first place.

All-in-all a good listen.

6 people found this helpful

Thoroughly enjoyable!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It is one of the more light-hearted para-normal books and while it is never laugh-out-loud funny, it is totally amusing.

What about Amanda Ronconi’s performance did you like?

Amanda does a full range of voices never leaving you wondering which character is supposed to be talking! Very articulate.

6 people found this helpful

Funny and enjoyable light listen

What did you love best about Tall, Dark, and Dead?

Good story. Enjoyed the characters, the storyline and the humor. It's not a laugh out loud humor, but a more subtle makes you smile. I enjoy the way the author adds levity to various situations in the story.

What does Amanda Ronconi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love Amanda Ronconi's narrations. She is great at distinguishing the characters voices and good with accents. That's very important to me. If the narration is bad, then I sometimes have to stop listening to the book. NEVER the situation with an Amanda Ronconi narration. She always does an excellent job!

Any additional comments?

If you like light, paranormal romances, you'll enjoy this book.

4 people found this helpful

Paranormal Chick Lit

Would you listen to Tall, Dark, and Dead again? Why?

I would definitely continue the series. I liked the characters and I LOVE Amanda Ronconi's narration.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It felt a little rushed, but since this wasn't a real thriller, it was okay.

What about Amanda Ronconi’s performance did you like?

She sounds like she would be one of my good friends. The right amount of sarcasm and seriousness. She's amazing.

4 people found this helpful

I really wanted to like this series...

I'm a fan of paranormal stories and even paranormal romance stories, but I really just couldn't stand Garnet Lacey. She is a stupid, shallow woman who plots to get in a mans pants from the moment she sees him, sleeps with him immediately and decides the man is her "boyfriend" after a single night together. The whole thing screams "Hello I'm desperate and stupid" and I just need a far better story line in order to keep my interest. I've wasted my time on three of these books since they were recommended to my due to my "taste preferences" and I don't think I'll be trying any more of them.

6 people found this helpful