Very intricate plot

Shame the leading role had to die but still a good book. Would have made a great series

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excellent

I couldn't put it down. Brilliant narrator, no stumbles or stutters apparent. Good plot and interesting characters who could be easily visualised. Would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.

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39 people found this helpful

A very good detective novel

I've always been an enthusiastic reader of detective novels, but recently I've found my pallet getting a bit jaded. This, however, is very well written and a bit different. According to the blurb, it's the first of a series featuring Simon Serrailler, but Serrailler himself doesn't actually appear all that often and instead the novel is focused through others. It weaves together the narratives of several different characters, leaving you to guess how they all fit together and who the killer might be. The narrator reads clearly and effectively, differentiating the voices of different characters without overdoing it. It isn't a novel that you're going to keep coming back to, but it is a very enjoyable listen.

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9 people found this helpful

Better than PD James

I loved this book. It breaks many of the tired conventions of the crime thriller. The structure is clever and the character development is worthy of a prize winning modern novel. Steven Pacey is one of the best narrators available on this site - listening to him feels like relaxing by a real log fire in the presence of a story telling genius (wonderful accents!). Those who have criticised the book here seem to have missed the whole point of the novel. Life is not neat and the victims of crime do not follow a clear pattern that we can understand. Brilliant. I'm looking forward to downloading the sequel next month....

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6 people found this helpful

Good but not great....

I'm struggling with the review for this.... I listened to it via Audible and had to gave a couple of goes at it as I struggled to stay focussed the first time around. I finished it the second time and enjoyed it till the end... now I just feel a bit short changed.

This is a really long book - and not a whole lot happens. It starts with a missing person and the gut feeling by DS Freya Graffam that there is more to this than meets the eye... when another woman goes missing it would suggest she was right to be concerned. But the investigation is slow - it's as though these women just disappeared into thin air. The reader follows Freya in her investigation and see her settling into her new life. She's a great character, as is her counterpart Nathan.

When we eventually find out what's going on there is a turn of events I didn't like and wasn't expecting. This is one of the few times in crime books where it felt justice was not done and consequently I feel quite cheated. I know real life is like that, but all the same.... the reader spends a lot of time getting to know these characters and invest in them... I really feel that because of how much we are asked to invest that the ending was wrong... but admittedly it packed a massive punch I didn't see coming.

This is the start of a series of books so I think the reader spends a lot of time getting to know characters we'll be spending a lot of time with in future books as it doesn't look as though the other books in the series are as long as this one. It's described as the Simon Serrailler series but he actually features very little in this book. I'm not sure I really know anything about him... I'm not sure whether I'll get round to the others or not...

The Audible narration was pretty good. I'm not usually a fan of male actors doing female voices but to be fair, Steven Pacey did a good job and all the voices were distinct which is pretty impressive given the amount of characters in this book.

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1 person found this helpful

Marks and Spencer literature

I won't say I enjoyed this but it held my attention. It was clichéd and predictable but there's always a place for those qualities, safe and sterile like an M&S ready meal.

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1 person found this helpful

A thin story almost saved by excellent narration

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

There were good parts to this tale but too many unbelieveable or clichéd elements which spoilt it. It was also more of a novel than a detective story - and definitely not a man's read.

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

The ending was actually quite unexpected, so a plus.

Which character – as performed by Steven Pacey – was your favourite?

My favourite character was the detective constable.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

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1 person found this helpful

A bit dull

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

There was nothing about this book that stood out. The plot was pedestrian, the characters not hugely different from other books of this type you have read already. The author spent more time on descriptions of interior decoration than on the detecting process. The author is clearly in love with her own creation, Simon Serrailler. So, just like PD James, but not as good.

Would you recommend The Various Haunts of Men to your friends? Why or why not?

No.There are more interesting books out there.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Steven Pacey?

Yes, the narration was just fine.

Was The Various Haunts of Men worth the listening time?

Barely.

Any additional comments?

Another book more squarely aimed at the female reader, I think.

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1 person found this helpful

Drawn out

A long book with an arr ayyy ending, rushed finish! How often is the supposed main character mentioned?

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Haunts of men!

A winding, twisted story. I was not sure about it to start with but I am pleased that I stayed with it. An emotional ending leaving many questions.

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