Not bad

Not at all what I expected. There are crazy parts and a part that gave me goosebumps. Random pauses throughoutthestorywastheonlynegativeforthenarratororperformance.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Good storyline

I really like the idea in this book but at times it seems a bit wordy. All in all I would recommend it if you are into any type of supernatural stories. There is not a lot of adult themes in this book but it does get a little gory which is to be expected given the subject matter. I found myself wanting to keep listening to this book. The performance was good, a bit over-the-top in parts and in others it seemed like the narrator was bored and saying the words. I will look for more books by this author. I received this book at no charge in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

A Real Page Turner. Fun and Scary.

In the House of Mirrors is a thrill from start to finish. It's a horror novel with a supernatural mystery and a character study into one of the most unluckiest people in the world, Ritchie Naughton. Ritchie was a happy young man with a beautiful girlfriend and a job he loved until he had the misfortune of leaving his wallet at home one day. This singular event had life altering consequences. Upon returning home, he discovered his long-term girlfriend in bed with another man. The shock is too much for Ritchie and he ends up in the hospital with a heart problem.

Facing the end of his relationship and looking for a change of pace in his life, Ritchie returns to his home state of New Jersey. He takes up residence in the fictional town of Red River with his sister and her husband until he's ready to get on his feet again. In an effort to better himself, he takes a job with a local newspaper as a photographer and is given a camera which captures more than meets the eye. With camera in hand and the universe seemingly setting unavoidable events into action, Ritchie is drawn into a world of darkness, magic, and terror.

In the House of Mirrors features a wide cast of characters which the narrator, The Soliloquy Man, brought to life brilliantly. Although, some times the parts where he yells or shouts get too loud. He does an excellent job bringing different voices to each character and making them feel authentic.

Unfortunately, the majority of the characters except for Ritchie are one dimensional. The helpless love interest, check. The bumbling sidekick, check. The nonredeemable villains, check. It was very difficult to empathize with the villains. Their motivations were stated but I never really felt as if I could relate to them since they were so cartoonish in their evil. Ritchie's sister's family is also central to the beginning of the story and are never mentioned again for the rest of the story until the end. Considering he was living with them, it would have been nice for them to have had a little more interaction.

Despite the characters, the plot is fascinating. If I'd been reading a book, it would have been a real page turner. The pacing was just right for this book. It slowed down long enough for the reader to catch their breath. It picked up the pace when it started to seem as if it would languish. There were moments of humor as well which relived some of the tension, Ritchie-my-Bitchie! Gar Gar instead of Wawa. Red River is a play on Red Bank and Toms River. Small details like this made the story more enjoyable.

For the scale of the forces at play in this universe, the ending was as satisfying as could be. That's a rare thing to find these days.

Overall, In the House of Mirrors is a fun novel. It doesn't take itself too seriously and in doing so allows the reader to enjoy the experience. I'd definitely read more from the author's future releases. Great job!

Since this was the audio book version I heard, I should mention the narration by The Soliloquy Man. As I said above, he did an amazing job bringing these characters to life and acting out the parts in different voices. It made it easier to follow the conversations and figure out which character was speaking without getting lost. His voice range is great. He can do from doing a feminine voice one moment to a deep gravely voice the next. My only gripe with the audio book are some of the extra long pauses. They feel awkward considering I don't think they should be there. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable listen and kept me entertained during my commute to work and washing dishes in the kitchen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Good Story -- Irritating Reader

Would you consider the audio edition of In the House of Mirrors to be better than the print version?

No. I am sure the narrator does a fine job, but this book he literally drove me nuts!

What didn’t you like about The Soliloquy Man’s performance?

The narrator fluctuated his voice to the point that the was speaking so low you had to turn up the volume only to blown out of your chair with blood running out of your ears! Not really that extreme but you get the idea. The story behind this book is good, but the narration pulls away from it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, after having to have my heart defliberated a couple of times due to really really really low narration AND THEN THE EXTREMELY LOUD NARRATION IN THE SAME BREATH...sheesh

Any additional comments?

No, other than the narration really made this book a hard one for me to finish. I think if the fluctuating had not been there, I would have really liked this book. As a side note, on the parts he was not either talking really low or SCREAMING, he did a fabulous job. I did not mind him at all.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

Too Bad To Finish

Any additional comments?

This was one of the very few audible books I could not finish. The reading performance was very awkwardly done with so much emphasis on so many words. It was difficult to listen to. The story line was not easily believed because there were no rhyme or reason to the paranormal happenings. The plot did not progress in a way that made you want to continue to read.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Overall I enjoyed this read.

This book did meet my expectations. The main character was pretty funny Although the plot was somewhat predictable it was a good story and I enjoyed the different take on how Satan was portrayed. It's worth the credit or the price if you enjoy horror with a bit of humor.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

This is a novel of supernatural horror?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I'm an hour and a half into this book, and have yet to encounter any trace of the supernatural. You don't have to hit the reader with a ghost in the first 5 minutes, but you'll lose him in 30. Struggling to stay with this. Hoping for a payoff. I'll update my review at that point.

Any additional comments?

"His words tugged on my empathy like an angry puppeteer." (Favorite metaphor!)

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Had to fight to get into and finish the book

I wanted to like this book but really had to fight to both get into and finish this book. I like horror but this book was just not for me.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Pretentious / Juvenile Narrator

Would you try another book from Tim Meyer and/or The Soliloquy Man?

I might buy another Tim Meyer book, but not anything with The Soliloquy Man will be in my library.

If you’ve listened to books by Tim Meyer before, how does this one compare?

Have not listened to one before.

How could the performance have been better?

Choosing a different narrator would have vastly improved the product.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I don't know because the narrator was so ridiculously bad that I could not continue. It sounded like a high school student replaced the professional recording with a joke recording.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

So so

Kept thinking the writer was trying to be Stephen king but failing. Rather disappointed. Could have been much better book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!