Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Narrated by Peter Berkrot

Peter Berkrot is a new-to-me narrator and I wasn’t sure of him at first. He has a slightly gravelly voice that can’t be called soothing, but it did fit the suspense setting. As I listened, Peter’s voice became part of the story, and each time I came back to audiobook, the quality of his voice pulled me right back into the plot. Some narrators add to a story, some take away from the enjoyment, and there are still others that do neither. I would add Berkrot, at least for this book, to the last category. A listener may come to enjoy the gravelly voice as I did, but Berkrot’s inconsistent character voices and the occasional inability to distinguish between characters during conversations can be an issue.

Eli Landon comes back the Whiskey Beach to take care of Bluff House while his grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a fall. For the past year Eli, a former defense attorney, has been under suspicion of murdering his estranged wife. With his personal and professional lives in tatters, Eli wants to move on with his life. When it becomes clear the police don’t have enough evidence to bring charges against him, he is ready to escape the constant strain of Boston for the peace of Bluff House.

Abra Walsh has been his grandmother’s housekeeper and yoga instructor for several years, although Eli has never met her. Abra moved to Whiskey Beach for her own fresh start after a personal trauma. Their lives become intertwined while Eli lives at Bluff House’ and even more so after Abra is attacked by an intruder in the house one night. As the mysteries deepen, both around the recurring incidences at Bluff House and the murder of Eli’s wife, Eli and Abra become attracted to each other and tentatively start a relationship. Abra brings new life to Eli, and Eli brings trust back to Abra.

I like the way Nora Roberts writes suspense, and anyone who does is going to enjoy this latest effort. It has good characters, vivid descriptions, and enough twists and turns to keep a mystery lover happy. Whiskey Beach isn’t as good as The Witness; it feels a bit long and at times one doesn’t know whether the main plot is Eli’s recovery or solving the various mysteries, but perhaps that’s just as it should be. There is a cardboard character in the book named Detective Wolf that could have been left out, and a few other small plot issues, but the relationship between Abra and Eli is sweet and satisfying. I especially appreciate that when Eli and Abra are on the verge of a “big disagreement,” the author has these adult characters act like adults and actually talk. That scene is real, and the characters act believably. I wanted to high-five Nora Roberts right then!

The combination of Nora Roberts and Peter Berkrot worked well for this book. I would definitely listen to him again, just as I will definitely listen to future suspense novels by Nora Roberts.

Carrie

Narration:  B-

Book Content:  B

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence:  Fighting, not overly descriptive

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Brilliance Audio

Whiskey Beach was provided to AudioGals for review by Brilliance Audio.