Tag: Abigail Wilson

In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Gothic Historical, Historical Mystery, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

In the Shadow of Croft TowersBarbara’s rating: 3.4 of 5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: 1/1/19
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: Audiobook (10 Hours) – Narrator Laura Kirman

I enjoyed the story, but I can tell you – if this had been the first book I read by this author, I probably wouldn’t have sought others. It isn’t that it wasn’t a nice mystery, it is that the heroine is TSTL. She makes some of the most convoluted, impulsive decisions, and those put others at risk as well. I love strong, resilient, independent heroines – but they also need to make intelligent, thoughtful, deliberative decisions rather than acting on impulse. I’ve now read all of the books written by this author and her heroines seem to be, for the most part, TSTL. That didn’t keep me from enjoying the mystery part of the book. I do emphasize mystery because there is little romance and no steam. For me, that isn’t a problem, but if you like a bit of steam, you need to look for books from a different publisher.

Whew! There is so much going on in this book that it will make your head spin. There is a house full of distantly related people and none of them are what they seem. Sybil Delafield arrives amidst this pack of wolves and is immediately prey to one or all of them. Can she escape unscathed? The danger goes from being held up by highwaymen to being pursued by the Prince Regent’s Dragoons. There are just too many secrets and too many people with different agendas.

Sybil Delafield had a happy life, but she’d always wondered about her parents. Since no one would reveal her parentage, she assumed she was born on the wrong side of the blanket, but still wanted to know as much as she could learn. Receiving a letter and a gift from the Earl of Stanton made her believe there was a connection to Croft Towers, so when the matriarch of Croft Towers needed a companion, Sybil immediately applied.

She arrives at Croft Towers soaked to the bone and freezing. She got indifferent welcomes from the various residents of the house and wasn’t sure what to make of them. To her, it didn’t matter because she was there to act as a companion to Mrs. Chalcroft. However, almost immediately Mrs. Chalcroft asks her to make clandestine deliveries for her. Those deliveries were at dangerous times and places, but Sybil complied with the request. I did enjoy watching her struggle with how she felt about Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Cantrell. In one story you have multiple plots/sub-plots – there is a blackmailer, a smuggler, a murderer, and a spy and it is up to you to keep it all straight as you weave through the story. We could have done without several of those plots and villains and still had a lovely story.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Laura Kirman. I’ve listened to her narrations before and the only issue I had were with the male voices. However, in this book I found the delivery to be just a bit choppy. It wasn’t anything that really jarred me out of the story, but it was noticeable. As in her previous narrations, her interpretation of a male voice is to be guttural and, in some cases, very slow – as in a US Southern drawl.

All in all, I enjoyed the story and I’m glad I got to meet Mr. Sinclair and Sybil. That said, it wouldn’t be a book I would re-read.

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Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Gothic Historical, Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone TitleLeave a comment

Midnight on the River GreyBarbara’s rating: 3.6 of 5 Stars
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: 7/1/19
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: Audiobook (10 Hours) – Narrator Laura Kirman

Rebecca Hunter and her brother Jacob became wards of Mr. Lewis Browning upon their father’s death. For me, the time between the death of their father and the start of this book is ambiguous and I’m left with questions. For instance – was Browning just an unconcerned, uninvolved guardian? I wonder because Rebecca was living with an aunt in their old townhome, which seems a good choice, but – it seems her brother was running wild. While I wondered about that first period, things went well once the actual story starts.

Jacob got himself ‘into a spot of bother’ and left London to live at their guardian’s estate, Greybourne Hall. When, after several months, Jacob dies, rumors of murder abound among the villagers. Who do they blame? Lewis Browning was on the bridge that night, and his memory of the events is foggy. As the closest male relative, Lewis inherits all the entailed properties and quickly summons Rebecca from London to Greybourne Hall saying he’s selling their townhouse. Unhappily, Rebecca and her aunt arrive at the Hall – with Rebecca determined to discover Lewis’s guilt and see him brought to justice.

Strange things are happening at Greybourne Hall. There are strange, mysterious people who seem to wander into the Hall – and then, there is the strange, lone, masked rider that can be seen in the late, misty, hours of the night. You’ll wonder who is good and who is not. You’ll wonder what is going on with all of the strange and mysterious people and night rides. If you read a lot of mysteries, you’ll soon realize the answer to one of your questions. That isn’t a problem because then you’ll be reading to find out if you are right – and to find the rest of the answers.

I enjoyed the read, but I have to tell you, I found Rebecca almost TSTL. She did the riskiest things – things that would not only cause harm to herself but would/could put others at risk as well. Her reasons for doing the things she does are some of the most convoluted I’ve seen. To this reader, being strong and independent also includes being savvy and making intelligent, well-thought-out decisions. Rebecca fell far short in that department. She didn’t seem to have any impulse control at all.

I listened to the audio version and generally enjoyed the narrator. Her voice is mellow and well-modulated, and her delivery of most of the female voices is good. Her male voices leave something to be desired. The way she makes male voices is to make them more guttural and to slow them so they seem to be the English version of a Southern drawl.

I enjoyed the read and can recommend it. If you choose to read it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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