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The Shakespeare Secret

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The Shakespeare Secret

By: J L Carrell
Narrated by: Kathleen McNenny
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About this listen

 You heard it here first: The unabridged edition of The Shakespeare Secret is only available as a download.

A modern serial killer - hunting an ancient secret. A woman is left to die as the rebuilt Globe theatre burns. Another woman is drowned like Ophelia, skirts swirling in the water. A professor has his throat slashed open on the steps of Washington's Capitol building.

A deadly serial killer is on the loose, modelling his murders on Shakespeare's plays. But why is he killing? And how can he be stopped?

A gripping, shocking page turner, The Shakespeare Secret masterfully combines modern murder and startling true revelations from the life of Shakespeare. It has been acclaimed as one of the most compulsively readable thrillers of recent years.

©2008 J. L. Carrell (P)2008 Penguin Audio Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Murder Shakespeare Fiction

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There is no doubt that the author has researched the subject of Shakespeare and the various associated mysteries and conspiricies in commendable detail, but unfortunately it does not make for an enjoyable listening experience. The construction of the plot and the book in general is contrived and clumbsy. Potential enjoyment is further marred by poor narration. The female American first person narration is almost comedic and does not suit the nature of the book at all. Often parts of the narration slump into farce with a Cockney accent that makes Dick Van Dyke sound like a skilled linguist; an English aristrocrat who is a dead ringer for Snake in the Simpsons; and a so called Yorkshire accent that owes more to the west of Ireland!!

The book has been compared to the Da Vinci Code, but in reality it is only similar insofar as it explores age old mysteries and speculation based on historical ambiguity. All in all it is not an enjoyable listening experience. It may be that the book is a better 'read' than 'listen' , or that a more professional narration would help its cause, but as it stands it fails to impress. I was very disappointed as I had been looking forward to this coming out in audiobook format.

Disappointing!

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It's not that it's a bad book, the story is ok, some interesting theories but a bit dull & predictable in places & I found it hard to stay interested at times. It's just a Da Vinci Code style of Shakespeare theories, legends & myths & unfortunately the comparisons are inescapable.
It was well read in general but I found some of the voices used for various characters weird & jarring & the accents were muddled, embarrassing & quite cringe worthy.
It wouldn't come to mind if someone were asking me for recommendations I'm afraid.

I wouldn't recommend

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What would have made The Shakespeare Secret better?

The only thing that would have made this book better was not writing it!

What was most disappointing about J L Carrell’s story?

Nearly everything about this pathetic story was highly disappointing however as a plot idea I think it was a good one but the author must be a Dan Brown fan or was told how much he made with one book as it became a parody! Of the same ilk of Dan Brown but at least hasn't caused the same hysteria. I will never go anywhere near anything written by this author

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The Narrator was awful maybe that's why it uncredited accents what accents someone train this person. However maybe the more accredited narrators read this book and felt the same about this awful drivel and they pulled this narrator from the street.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Couldn't delete this fast enough

Any additional comments?

Do not waste your time on this! How could this rubbish get a sequel!

Awful simply awful!

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Truly the worst narration I have ever heard. At times, during the attempts at national and regional accents, it borders on racism- but most of the time it just borders on insanity. Worth a listen for the 'so bad it's almost good' factor.

Peerless Insanity

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The book is dramatically overshadowed by the narrator's foray into the various accents of the characters. Her English accents are even worse than the famous cockney of Dick V.D. Absolutley amazing. Whoever authorised the release of this version should crawl into a corner and hope the earth swallows them up. The Australian accent has to be heard to be disbelieved! I've only read the first of the two part downloads, but have given up because the story line becomes absolutly purile when you hear it read in some sort of ' ere guvernor - wot a night luv' parody of the English language.

Move over Dick Van Dyke

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