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Thornyhold
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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Mary Stewart, one of the great British storytellers of the 20th century, transports listeners to rural Northumberland for this tale of romance, ambition and deceit - a perfect fit for fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym. Whitescar is a beautiful old house and farm situated in Roman Wall country. It will make a rich inheritance for its heirs, but in order to secure it, they enlist the help of a young woman named Mary who bears remarkable resemblance to missing Whitescar heiress Annabel Winslow. Their deception will spark a powder keg of ambition, obsession and long-dead love.
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Not as Anticipated
- By patti on 2019-09-15
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Rose Cottage
- Written by: Mary Stewart
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Summer, 1947. Kate Herrick, a war widow, returns to her childhood home for a final visit before the house is sold. But Rose Cottage is not the idyllic paradise she remembers from her youth and someone has been there before her. As Kate uncovers an old secret that haunts the home she thought she knew, she is forced to confront a dark truth from her own past.... Beyond the weedy garden with its riot of rose bushes, nothing had changed. And someone was crossing the bridge to approach the garden gate. Someone I knew well....
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Overall
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This is what happened. I saw it, and it is a true tale. So begins the story of Merlin, born the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess in fifth-century Britain, a world ravaged by war. Small and neglected, with his mother unwilling to reveal his father's identity, Merlin must disguise his intelligence - and hide his occasional ability to know things before they happen - in order to keep himself safe.
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What a wonderful book
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-10-08
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While on a walking holiday through the beautiful, deserted hills of Crete, Nicola Ferris stumbles across a critically injured Englishman, guarded by a fierce Greek. Nicola cannot abandon them and so sets off on a perilous search for their lost companion - all the while being pursued by someone who wants to make sure none of them leave the island....
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My Brother Michael
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Camilla Haven sends a letter home during her quiet holiday in Athens. But when a stranger begs her to drive a car to Delphi, swearing that it is a matter of life and death, Camilla impulsively takes the opportunity she's been offered. Before long she is caught up in a whirlwind of intrigue, deceit and murder as she spins along the dusty Greek roads in a race against time to solve a 14-year-old mystery.
Publisher's Summary
Mary Stewart's storytelling is as spellbinding as ever in her 12th novel, a Gothic romance featuring sparkling prose, delightful characterisation and classic intrigue.
The rambling house called Thornyhold is like something out of a fairy tale. Left to Gilly Ramsey by the cousin whose occasional visits brightened her childhood, the cottage, set deep in a wild wood, has come just in time to save her from a bleak future. With its reputation for magic and its resident black cat, Thornyhold offers Gilly more than just a new home. It offers her a chance to start over.
The old house, with its tufts of rosy houseleek and the spreading gilt of the lichens, was beautiful. Even the prisoning hedges were beautiful, protective with their rusty thorns, their bastions of holly and juniper, and at the corners, like towers, their thick columns of yews.
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What listeners say about Thornyhold
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mary B.
- 2019-11-11
Dreadful narrator
The narrator, Jilly Bond, is dreadful. Doesn't anyone at the publisher or Audible review these recordings?
11 people found this helpful
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- Ann
- 2019-11-21
So Disappointed!
This is one of my favorite Mary Stewart books and I couldn’t wait for an unabridged audio version to be released. The narrator really bothered me! I found I got somewhat used to her voice for Gaelis by telling myself “this is an old lady retelling her love story,” but I cringed every time William or Christopher John spoke.
6 people found this helpful
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- Ree
- 2019-12-04
A bewitching tale from the masterful pen of Mary Stewart
Thornyhold has long been one of my favorite books since I discovered it as a teenager in our tiny country library. Brimming with Lady Stewart’s light magic, lush imagery, and signature wit, and with just a hint of mystery, Thornyhold tells the story of a lonely young woman and the magical and idyllic house and gardens left to her by her good-witch-godmother, a Mary Poppins sort, and the healing the house brings to everyone who loves it—humans and animals alike. A short, delicious story with a witchy-wise-woman atmosphere that I savor every autumn. So grateful audible released this new version as the previous one was severely abridged and had poor audio quality. The narrator did a lovely job overall; I enjoyed her regular voice as she read the novel which is in first person, but I didn’t particularly love the voice she used for the heroine. Since the novel was in first person, I wish she had just stuck with the main voice she used. But it didn’t bother me enough to return it, and I’ll certainly listen to it many more times.
3 people found this helpful
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- SusieQ
- 2019-11-09
Narrator is awful
Looked forward to this book, but the narrator is awful, and truth be told, the story isn't as good as I remember. In 25 years I think my taste has changed a great deal. I have requested they add Victoria Holt THE INDIA FAN, and if they do, I hope the narrator does it justice
7 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 2020-04-29
Thornyhold
One of my favorite Mary Stewart novels. I thought the reader was very good. I almost didn't buy this because of the negative reviews about the reader. I am so glad I did. A lovely story!
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-05-11
My favorite Mary Stewart so far
It’s a bit slow on the romance at the start, but I didn’t mind that. I loved Gilly and her aunt and all the little features of her life. She’s such a kindhearted and intelligent heroine and Jilly Bond brings her to life so well. This is a wonderfully cozy read. Recommended for winter nights or summer afternoons... or anytime you want a comforting friend.
1 person found this helpful
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- justkeepswimming
- 2020-03-07
Entertaining
This story is told by a grandmother looking back on her earlier years. She was an unhappy child who grew into a confident, wise woman in later life with the help of an eccentric aunt. All the Stewart familiars are there, lonely children, animals in need, and historic context with supernatural implications. I liked the book which dealt more with the characters’ psychological and personal motivations and insights rather than overly sensual romance. It is a kind of coming of age and personal growth story which made it a little deeper than her usual story. I thought the narrator’s voice was appropriate for the story which is told about events that happened many years prior. She had a nice tone which was easy to listen to for me. I did not like her voice of the male love interest, but he does not say much so it was not much of a distraction. The rest of her voices seemed fine to me. I combined reading and listening to the book and heard some parts twice. It is a book I may pick up again in the future either to listen or to read.
1 person found this helpful
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- Eileen
- 2019-11-12
NOT Mary Stewart's best
I stuck it out to the end, because I hate to leave any story unfinished. However, this book was a big disappointment. It was slow, and much of it dreary. I didn't care for the narration. The characters were pretty interesting. If I had known what I know now, I would have bought the abridged version narrated by Jenny Agutter.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-08-24
Childhood Favorite Relived!
Although it was not this particular recording Thornyhold was the first Audiobook I listened to with my mother as a child and has always been one of my favorites! It took me a little while to get used to the reader, but once I did I felt she was absolutely perfect! It is a beautiful story and very calming to listen to. I have found myself also having somewhat enchanted dreams as I've been listening to it. A+++ Highly recommended!
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- sharla hill
- 2020-03-01
Great Storytelling!
Nothing better for a cozy listen than a Mary Stewart mystery. Always worth the time.