A memory of a past loved book!

I first read this when I was around 14 and an avid reader. It was my introduction to Mary Stewart, thanks to a local librarian in the village where I lived.
When I saw it on Audible, I couldn’t resist the pull - and I’m so glad I picked it! The story is every bit as good as I remembered. The plot pulls you in, and the characters are fully alive.
Looking for another of her books now!

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Mary Stewart is an amazing authored.

I read a large number of her paperbacks many many years ago and enjoyed them but had forgotten much of the stories and certainly do not remember reading this one and I certainly found it difficult to put it down. It was even more scary than her other books at times.
The narrator was good but it was one of those voices that I find can get irritating for me after a while. I am sure many people will find nothing wrong with it however.
Anyway a jolly good read

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Read second time

I read this book many years ago as a young adult and loved it but now that I have read hundreds of books I didn't love it second time around or at least that is what I concluded. So not sure. its not boring, its read well and you might love it but you won't hate it.

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A little bit different from MS's other books

I read this book many years ago and enjoyed it just as much on audio. A supernatural element to this book which added to the story and gave a twist at the end.

A story that reminds me of Barbara Michaels books - an element of danger, romance and supernatural - unfortunately not available on audio:-(

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4 people found this helpful

A wonderful old-fashioned tale

Beautifully written and suspenseful novel.

I am re-visiting Mary Stewart as her sometimes over-wordy rhetoric translates beautifully to audible!

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1 person found this helpful

Over descriptive

Great tale, intelligent & gripping. However, too many "fanciful descriptions" about the view, countryside, weather, etc., etc.,

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beautiful

a beautiful reading of my favourite book by my favourite author. absolutely loved it. looking forward to listening to the rest of Mary Stewart's books

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A slight departure for Mary Stewart

As another reviewer has commented, this book is a bit of a departure from Mary Stewart's normal romance/mystery books in that it strays into the past, ESP and psychic links / thought transference within families.
All this is enclosed within a modern mystery with the usual murder / general nastiness combined with romance that is Mary Stewart's trademark.
That it's different doesn't mean it's not good, it is - very. It's the story of Bryony returning after her father's death to what has been her family's home for many generations aware that apart from personal bequests the entailed property now moves elsewhere in her family. Sounds like something out of Jane Austen, but it's not, it's set in modern times, holds the attention and builds to a really climatic conclusion.
The book is evocative and enjoyable with well drawn characters, from Bryony herself, her father (although we never actually meet him, he's very real) her cousins, the tough US businessman with a friendly wife and spoiled daughter who are renting the house, the vague minister, the kind and helpful pair of foreign Doctor and local Solicitor to the farm manager / man of all work, Rob Granger.
It also makes you want to whizz back down the centuries and defend Bryony's ancestor, Wicked Nick (well, it does me, anyway). As someone who spends a lot of time researching family trees, both my own and other peoples', it's fascinating.
And on the whole it's well read.
So why not 5 stars all round? For the story, always. For the narration, everything worked for me but Rob Granger. The 'country cousin' bit is so overdone he comes across with the hackneyed tones of a rather stupid straw chewing yokel when he's anything but, and that's a shame because he, of all the voices, jarred and was not believable.
That's the only downside though, and if you can live with that, it's well worth listening to.

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4 people found this helpful

Easy listening

I think this is my favourite Mary Stuart book. Characters you care about, mystery, magic.

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Surprisingly excellent

When I first bought this audio I returned it after three chapters. The telepathic element was ok, but the heroine's continual referring to her telepathic soulmate as "my lover" was mega- cringe and I had to return the book.
BUT.... eventually I had listened to all the other MS books and decided to give this a second chance, so bought it again, determined to steel myself against the cringy "my lover" stuff.
Then the amazing happened. The references petered out and I was sucked into the plot and one of the best romances in Mary Stewart's books. It was excellent, albeit darker and different from her usual work. But now my favourite after Nine Coaches Waiting.

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