Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb Narrator: Xe Sands
Published by Brilliance Audio on November 1, 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Mystery
Length: 8 hours, 21 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
After a devastating loss, Brynn Wilder escapes to Wharton, a tourist town on Lake Superior, to reset. Checking into a quaint boardinghouse for the summer, she hopes to put her life into perspective. In her fellow lodgers, she finds a friendly company of strangers: the frail Alice, cared for by a married couple with a heartbreaking story of their own; LuAnn, the eccentric and lovable owner of the inn; and Dominic, an unsettlingly handsome man inked from head to toe in mesmerizing tattoos.
But in this inviting refuge, where a century of souls has passed, a mystery begins to swirl. Alice knows things about Brynn, about all of them, that she shouldn’t. Bad dreams and night whispers lure Brynn to a shuttered room at the end of the hall, a room still heavy with a recent death. And now she’s become irresistibly drawn to Dominic—even in the shadow of rumors that wherever he goes, suspicious death follows.
In this chilling season of love, transformation, and fear, something is calling for Brynn. To settle her past, she may have no choice but to answer.
I chose The Haunting of Brynn Wilder for a few reasons. First, because Xe Sands is a favorite narrator. Second, the setting is Minnesota where I lived for many years. Next, because is was near Halloween so something spooky seemed fitting. I sort of expected a “real world” haunting, like someone trying to scare Brynn. It is more a paranormal story with some mysteries and there are a couple ghosts.
Brynn has known a lot of loss and grief so she goes to a small seaside resort town where her friend lives to recover over her summer break. She meets some great people from various stages of life. Observing their issues and choices, she considers the people in her life past and present and future. Stepping into a whole new environment, and back from her everyday life lets her review her own options.
There is more a journey here. The epilogue does show us what happens after the summer in a summary. I found it a thoughtful reading with real world issues to ruminate. However, it didn’t feel very well-defined or factual, but more open-ended.
Narration:
Xe Sands is a favorite narrator. Her tone is haunting in this performance. It’s well-matched to the type of story here. Her male and female voices are familiar to me and comfortable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Xe Sands
Award-winning narrator known for credible characterizations and an intimate delivery with more than a decade of experience bringing stories to life through narration, performance, and visual art. I believe an authentic performance demands authentic connection to the text and subtext.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER-20
It seems to have a good set up to be spooky, but I’m a little wary of “open ended” stories sometimes.
I don’t know how to explain well what I meant by open-ended. Just that the story didn’t have a big purpose other than describing her eventful summer, with a quick summary of the rest of her life at the end. But the summer defined the rest of her life so I guess that makes some sense.
I’m glad to see that you enjoyed this one and fun that it was set in your old stomping grounds. I’ve got the print version.
I hope you enjoy it and can better describe it than me.
Doesn’t sound like my cup of tea but it does sound interesting. Do you think you’d read more by this author?
Probably if I like the description in the blurb.
I picked this book as my Kindle First Reads pick a month or so ago. I do like the sound of it. Maybe I will add the audio and go that route. Glad you enjoyed it!
I liked it. And the narrator is a favorite. I hope you enjoy it!
Xe Sands is becoming one of my favorite narrators. Glad you enjoyed this one.
I did! It wasn’t typical and that’s often a plus.
I absolutely love Xe Sands. She’s my new favorite narrator. I have this in book form but haven’t started it yet. Now I am wondering if I will even like it? I got it free so no big loss if I don’t read it.
I liked it. And you can probably add the narration for cheap like $1.99