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  • Earth, Air, Fire and Custard

  • By: Tom Holt
  • Narrated by: Ray Sawyer
  • Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (247 ratings)
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Earth, Air, Fire and Custard cover art

Earth, Air, Fire and Custard

By: Tom Holt
Narrated by: Ray Sawyer
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Summary

J.W. Wells seemed to be a respectable establishment, but the company now paying Paul Carpenter's salary is in fact a deeply sinister organisation with a mighty peculiar management team. Paul thought he was getting the hang of it (particularly when he fell head over heels for his strangely alluring colleague Sophie), but death is never far away when you work at J.W. Wells, unlike the stapler - that's always going AWOL. Our love-struck hero is about to discover that custard is definitely in the eye of the beholder. And that it really stings.

Tom Holt's exceedingly comic fantasies are populated with evil goblins, annoying sprites, and people like us. However, it's not always possible to tell the difference.

©2005 The One Reluctant Lemming Co. Ltd (P)2005 Isis Publishing Ltd

Critic reviews

"Uniquely twisted … cracking gags." (Rob Grant, The Guardian)
"Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing…. gratifyingly clever and very amusing." (Mail on Sunday)
"Frothy, fast and funny." ( cotland on Sunday)

What listeners say about Earth, Air, Fire and Custard

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Witty, if a bit dull at times.

Also why does the computer work if there's no electricity??

Generally quite fun to listen to.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

enjoyable

Worth the credit. Tom Holt is a refreshing voice in humorous fiction. I'd recommend adding it to your library.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

great listen

another great book in the series! witty dialogues and lots of twists. in fact this book has been my favourite so far. it would help however, to number them somehow as I think this may be the last one in the series and I feel I have missed some plot, as it was referenced in this book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another good listen

I enjoy listening to Tom Holt's books. They can seem slow going sometimes, but they are well put together and great to relax to.

Ray Sawyer is a brilliant narrator - when I read the books I always have his voices in my head and the characters come alive.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good follow on to the portable door.

Would you listen to Earth, Air, Fire and Custard again? Why?

Probably not, nothing against the book but has to be great to bother listening to again.

Any additional comments?

Its a good sequel to the portable door but I wouldn't say it was as good as the portable door.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

warning listen when you have time as can't stop x

This had more twists and turns than spaghetti junction, it was gripping humorous and given its now 5am very hard to stop listening too.!
although the third in the series you could listen to it and enjoy a complex Web of fantasy and fun but if you can listen to the "portable door" and "in your dreams" first

my only regret is that audible don't have the next two books in the series avalible .... shame on you audible

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another winner from Tom Holt

Since reading a couple of Tom Holt's books I discovered Audible and have been enjoying Ray Sawyer's readings. He brings the story and characters in Earth, Air, Fire and Custard to life.



The audible version of a real page turner.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantasy comedy at its very best

Perfection is a difficult attainment, probably impossible, but this novel gets pretty damn close. Populated by wonderful characters, more twists than a pack of curly fries and a denouement that will melt the stoney heart of a refrigerated troll.

It's the further stories of the hapless Paul Carpenter, junior clerk at JW Wells and Partners, and deceased three times. Paul's sole ambition is be in love and to be loved. The object of his ardour is Sophie, another junior clerk, who has had her love for him wiped from her mind by any evil magical countess. His father has other ideas, which isn't surprising when you find out who dad is.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another Tom Holt masterpiece!!!

I love Tom Holt books.
This is definitely one of his best works.
Brilliantly read by Ray Sawyer.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book. Very confusing at times but I think that was the plan!

Great 3rd book in series. Narrator just fantastic. Weird storyline but then that’s pretty standard for Tom Holt!

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