Not great for British English speakers

What disappointed you about The Best Crime Stories Ever Told?

Sadly, even though the reader obviously put in a lot of effort, the accents and voices he used were terrible. All the Europeans sounded like bastardised Arnold Schwarzenegger and the British accents were painful. I'm giving it back. I couldn't get into a single story because I kept waiting for the dreadful voices.

6 people found this helpful

On The Cheap

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

The stories are probably alright but the narration id dreadful.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Better narration

How could the performance have been better?

It could not be worse.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

I shall be returning this book of stories.

6 people found this helpful

very misleading title

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

people who like stories of the supernatural

What will your next listen be?

a henning mankell novel

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Robin Bloodworth and Suehyla El Attar ?

Sean Bennett

What character would you cut from The Best Crime Stories Ever Told?

all of them

Any additional comments?

the title of this book is completely misleading as most of the stories were stories of the supernatural, and had nothing to do with crime. I'm very surprised that Dorothy L. Sayers was associated with this book. Also, the narrator is American and pretending to be English. In this respect, he just couldn't do it, although he was otherwise a very good narrator. This wouldn't have made it under the trades descriptions act, but I suppose it's exempt.

4 people found this helpful

Great stories - bad reading

What would have made The Best Crime Stories Ever Told better?

I feel sad that Dorothy L Sayers' selections are being read by a man who drawls his words in an unsustained but in any case execrable British accent. I dread the female voice and, in any case, am so alienated by the male reader I may not get that far.So, to improve would mean re-recording with the reader having an accent suitable to the stories and capable of empathy with their content.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Best Crime Stories Ever Told?

Should I get to the end I'll amend this review.

How could the performance have been better?

See above.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Best Crime Stories Ever Told?

It's hard to tell as the reading is so bad I can hardly concentrate on content.

3 people found this helpful

Strange accents and really not that great stories.

I found it hard to listen to the story is mainly because the narrators are attempting an English accent that frankly is nothing like any English accent I've ever heard. It makes it extremely hard to concentrate on the story itself. I'm also kind of surprised that these stories are meant to have been pulled together by Dorothy Sayers and also I rate very highly, because they're really not very good: very run-of-the-mill Victorian/ Edwardian crime stories.

2 people found this helpful

Disappointed with content and presentation

Would you try another book written by Dorothy L. Sayers (editor) or narrated by Robin Bloodworth and Suehyla El Attar ?

Hmm, whilst two of the stories were interesting and verging on intriguing, overall this book was a disappointment. I enjoy all sorts of crime and mystery fiction because there is a mystery to be solved. However, in this collection I was completely at a loss in many of the stories to work out what the mystery might me. I have given up trying to plough through the book having got to the half way point, but I will persevere at a later date because I have paid for the recording. I have to say though that given a choice I'd want my money back. If you like PDJames, Reginald Hill, Anne Cleeves, Nicci French, Ian Rankin or any of their contemporaries you probably won't like this collection.
So far I have only heard one story read by the female actor and it was well read. However, the male actor has his limitations. Whilst he can clearly tell a story well he is not good voices and at times I found that I was getting a little confused because the different characters were not distinctive enough from one another. In some of the stories the voices were quite dreadful.
Overall I think I have been generous giving 2 stars.

1 person found this helpful

Unfortunate Narration

Unfortunately, Robin Bloodworth's attempt at a British accent is quite irritating (chewy American twang keeps poking through)

Terrible narration

I couldn't get past the awful English accent of the male narrator to actually listen to the whole book.

The best crime stories ever told

A total lie rubbish stories told by rubbish readers a miss. Named volume bad accents all in all thoughly poor

The first book I've returned

The stories in this anthology my be interesting and entertaining but you can't get past the terrible supposedly English accent. If you like horror then this will fit the bill on that aspect!