Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts Narrator: Luke Daniels
Published by Brilliance Audio on April 16, 2013
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Length: 14 hours, 54 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore — and its secrets.
To summer tourists, it’s the crown jewel of the town’s stunning scenery. To the residents of Whiskey Beach, it’s landmark and legend. To Eli Landon, it’s home. . . .
A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigation after being accused of murdering his soon-to-be ex-wife. And though there was never enough evidence to have him arrested, his reputation is in tatters as well as his soul. He needs sanctuary. He needs Bluff House.
While Eli’s beloved grandmother is in Boston, recuperating from a nasty fall, Abra Walsh has cared for Bluff House, among her other jobs as yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist. She is a woman with an open heart and a wide embrace, and no one is safe from her special, some would say overbearing, brand of nurturing — including Eli.
He begins to count on Abra for far more than her cooking, cleaning, and massage skills, and starts to feel less like a victim — and more like the kind of man who can finally solve the murder of his wife and clear his name. But Bluff House’s many mysteries are a siren song to someone intent on destroying Eli and reaping the rewards. He and Abra will become entangled in a centuries-old net of rumors and half-truths that could pull them under the thunderous waters of Whiskey Beach. . . .
I’ve been collecting some of the Nora Roberts audio books which are not at the library. I’m trying to fit them in now since I have lots of them now. They seems to be mostly stand alones.
Eli is an attorney who has now left Boston after a year of fighting the charge of killing his wife. His wife was cheating which he found out and had a fight with him the day she was killed. He found her dead in their home.
Now he has moved to Whiskey Beach to the Landon family home where his grandmother, Hester lives. Hester has recently had a fall, breaking her arm and bumping her head. She is back in Boston with his parents. His sister is the one who took over the family business. Eli is trying his hand at writing legal thrillers.
Eli is a bit put off by his grandmother’s house cleaner, Abra, who pushes him to eat, get fresh air, meet old friends, and more. Eli is buoyed by her support and his demeanor and life improve. He gains back a bit of weight he has lost and delves into his writing.
Whiskey Beach is a longer story, as is typical to Nora Roberts. She takes her time with both plot and character building. It feels slow and steady. There is a romance between Eli and Abra. There is personal growth for Eli in his life and new career possibilities. The mystery of how his wife died is always there, hanging over his head. Then someone is breaking into his grandmother’s house where he is living now.
Eli finally decides he won’t be free until he figures out the mystery and with Abra’s support, they delve into the investigation. I worried for them as they learn more, it also gets more dangerous. The worry is tempered by the beauty of the area, and the great food Abra prepares, and all the support Eli gets from Abra, friends and family.
Narration:
Luke Daniels is a favorite narrator. His narration was comfortable but it didn’t have personality he has infused into characters in some of his later work. They were distinct enough for me to recognize characters and comfortably appropriate. I was able to listen at my newer 1.7x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
About Luke Daniels
Luke Daniels has narrated over 250 audiobooks, has been the grateful recipient of thirteen AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has earned three Audie nominations. His background is in classical theater and film. Luke has performed at repertory theaters around the country, but now he resides in the Midwest with his pack.
About Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the youngest of five children. She married young and settled in Keedysville, Maryland where she worked briefly as a legal secretary. After her sons were born she stayed home and tried every craft that came along. A blizzard in February 1979 forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old.
Born into a family of readers, Nora had never known a time that she wasn’t reading or making up stories. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981.
Nora met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Since that time, they’ve expanded their home, traveled the world and opened a bookstore together.
Through the years, Nora has always been surrounded by men. Not only was she the youngest in her family, but she was also the only girl. She has raised two sons. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming.
Nora is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.”
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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:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
I ended up loving this story after having put it off for years. It was the beginning of Roberts’ shift to more character based romantic suspense. Glad you enjoyed it, too, Anne💜
Well character based is a good thing!
It’s hard to imagine Daniels doing a “serious” story after hearing him do all of Hearne’s books.
yes but he is incredibly talented.
I have a few of Nora Roberts I’ve collected off Chirp sales, too. I buy them because you usually can’t get them at the library. I have several I need to listen to as well! I might have this one, too. I’ll check. It sounds like one I’d like.
yes that’s exactly it. I got them because they just aren’t available at the library and it’s easier to fit in audio. I really liked this one.
I’ve reread this one recently and while it isn’t one of my favorites I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I didn’t realize Luke Daniels did the narration. I’ll have to look for it on audio.
I picked it up because of Luke Daniels but Jonetta tells me it’s one that is the start of a different style of romantic suspense stories.
I’ve read a couple by Nora Roberts. There is something about her writing I just don’t connect with.
Sometimes I connect and sometimes I don’t. I like her romantic suspense better than her fantasy books so far. Except for the UF she writes as JD Robb – I love those.
Wow, 1.7 speed? I don’t know how you do it! Glad you enjoyed this one.
Over time I’ve gotten faster. I started at 1.25, then 1.5 for a long time. Now a bit faster. It depends on the narrator. Another friend listens at 2 or 2.5x speed and I can’t imagine that.