
Mrs. Saint and the Defectives
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $25.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Elizabeth Wiley
About this listen
Critically acclaimed author Julie Lawson Timmer returns with a tale of how community can heal the brokenness in all of us.
Markie, a fortysomething divorcée who has suffered a humiliating and very public fall from marital, financial, and professional grace, moves, along with her teenage son, Jesse, to a new town, hoping to lick her wounds in private. But Markie and Jesse are unable to escape the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint, an irascible, elderly New European woman who takes it upon herself, along with her ragtag group of "defectives," to identify and fix the flaws in those around her, whether they want her to or not.
What Markie doesn't realize is that Mrs. Saint has big plans for the divorcée's broken spirit. Soon, the quirky yet endearing woman recruits Markie to join her eccentric community, a world where both hidden truths and hope unite them. But when Mrs. Saint's own secrets threaten to unravel their fragile web of healing, it's up to Markie to mend these wounds and usher in a new era for the "defectives" - one full of second chances and happiness.
©2017 Julie Lawson Timmer (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Next Thing on My List
- A Novel
- By: Jill Smolinski
- Narrated by: Staci Snell
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet June Parker. She works for L.A. Rideshare, adores her rent-stabilized apartment in Santa Monica, and struggles with losing a few pesky pounds. But June's life is about to change.
-
-
pleasantly surprised
- By S on 03-19-09
By: Jill Smolinski
-
True Places
- A Novel
- By: Sonja Yoerg
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone...and collapses. Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her - a change she both fears and desperately needs. Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family.
-
-
All Suburban Mother's Dream
- By Kathleen on 01-09-19
By: Sonja Yoerg
-
Five Days Left
- By: Julie Lawson Timmer
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mara Nichols, a successful lawyer, and devoted wife and adoptive mother, has recently been diagnosed with a terminal disease. Scott Coffman, a middle school teacher, has been fostering an eight-year-old boy while the boy’s mother serves a jail sentence. Scott and Mara both have five days left until they must say good-bye to the ones they love the most.
-
-
Perhaps My Expectations Were Too High
- By Lulu on 08-21-15
-
The Road Towards Home
- A Novel
- By: Corinne Demas
- Narrated by: David de Vries, Erin Bennett
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Widower Noah Shilling considers Clarion Court to be less an independent living community and more a prison. But there may be hope for the place yet. The newest resident is bold, eccentric, rule-breaking Cassandra Joyce—whom, as it turns out, Noah met long ago in college. As Noah and Cassandra get reacquainted, major changes at Clarion Court force them both to reevaluate their living situation. When Noah invites Cassandra to rough it with him at his Cape Cod cottage, the old friends must decide whether they should risk embarking on the next stage of their journey together.
-
-
Great read
- By Susan L. Chaplin on 07-06-23
By: Corinne Demas
-
The Better Half
- A Novel
- By: Alli Frank, Asha Youmans, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a difficult five years, at age forty-three, Nina Morgan Clarke’s time has finally arrived. With an ex-husband relocated across the country, her father bouncing back after the loss of his beloved wife, and her daughter, Xandra, thriving at boarding school, Nina is stepping into her dream job as a trifecta: a first-generation, Black female head of the storied Royal-Hawkins School. To mark the moment, Nina and her best friend, Marisol, take a long-overdue girls’ trip to celebrate the second half of Nina’s life—which is shaping up to be the best part of her life.
-
-
Love a great story for we 40+ folks
- By MicJor on 07-03-23
By: Alli Frank, and others
-
I'm Fine and Neither Are You
- By: Camille Pagán
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all - and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.
-
-
The most self-involved protagonist ever
- By tsil123 on 06-08-19
By: Camille Pagán
-
The Next Thing on My List
- A Novel
- By: Jill Smolinski
- Narrated by: Staci Snell
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet June Parker. She works for L.A. Rideshare, adores her rent-stabilized apartment in Santa Monica, and struggles with losing a few pesky pounds. But June's life is about to change.
-
-
pleasantly surprised
- By S on 03-19-09
By: Jill Smolinski
-
True Places
- A Novel
- By: Sonja Yoerg
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone...and collapses. Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her - a change she both fears and desperately needs. Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family.
-
-
All Suburban Mother's Dream
- By Kathleen on 01-09-19
By: Sonja Yoerg
-
Five Days Left
- By: Julie Lawson Timmer
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mara Nichols, a successful lawyer, and devoted wife and adoptive mother, has recently been diagnosed with a terminal disease. Scott Coffman, a middle school teacher, has been fostering an eight-year-old boy while the boy’s mother serves a jail sentence. Scott and Mara both have five days left until they must say good-bye to the ones they love the most.
-
-
Perhaps My Expectations Were Too High
- By Lulu on 08-21-15
-
The Road Towards Home
- A Novel
- By: Corinne Demas
- Narrated by: David de Vries, Erin Bennett
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Widower Noah Shilling considers Clarion Court to be less an independent living community and more a prison. But there may be hope for the place yet. The newest resident is bold, eccentric, rule-breaking Cassandra Joyce—whom, as it turns out, Noah met long ago in college. As Noah and Cassandra get reacquainted, major changes at Clarion Court force them both to reevaluate their living situation. When Noah invites Cassandra to rough it with him at his Cape Cod cottage, the old friends must decide whether they should risk embarking on the next stage of their journey together.
-
-
Great read
- By Susan L. Chaplin on 07-06-23
By: Corinne Demas
-
The Better Half
- A Novel
- By: Alli Frank, Asha Youmans, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a difficult five years, at age forty-three, Nina Morgan Clarke’s time has finally arrived. With an ex-husband relocated across the country, her father bouncing back after the loss of his beloved wife, and her daughter, Xandra, thriving at boarding school, Nina is stepping into her dream job as a trifecta: a first-generation, Black female head of the storied Royal-Hawkins School. To mark the moment, Nina and her best friend, Marisol, take a long-overdue girls’ trip to celebrate the second half of Nina’s life—which is shaping up to be the best part of her life.
-
-
Love a great story for we 40+ folks
- By MicJor on 07-03-23
By: Alli Frank, and others
-
I'm Fine and Neither Are You
- By: Camille Pagán
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all - and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.
-
-
The most self-involved protagonist ever
- By tsil123 on 06-08-19
By: Camille Pagán
-
There's No Coming Back from This
- A Novel
- By: Ann Garvin
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It seems lately that Poppy Lively is invisible to everyone but the IRS. After her accountant absconded with her life savings, newly bankrupt Poppy is on the verge of losing her home when an old flame, now a hotshot producer, gives her a surprising way out: a job in costumes on a Hollywood film set. It’s a bold move to pack her bags, keep secrets from her daughter, and head to Los Angeles, but Poppy's a capable person—how hard can a job in wardrobe be?
-
-
Inaccurate & poorly researched
- By Amazon Customer on 08-12-23
By: Ann Garvin
-
The Ragged Edge of Night
- By: Olivia Hawker
- Narrated by: Nick Sandys, Olivia Hawker
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1942. Franciscan friar Anton Starzmann is stripped of his place in the world when his school is seized by the Nazis. He relocates to a small German hamlet to wed Elisabeth Herter, a widow who seeks a marriage - in name only - to a man who can help raise her three children. Anton seeks something too - atonement for failing to protect his young students from the wrath of the Nazis. But neither he nor Elisabeth expects their lives to be shaken once again by the inescapable rumble of war.
-
-
The Ragged Edge of Night must be made into a movie
- By M. King on 10-04-18
By: Olivia Hawker
-
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
- By: Kelly Harms
- Narrated by: Amy McFadden
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City. Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and - with a little encouragement from her friends - a few blind dates.
-
-
Enjoyable narration. Story is an easy read.
- By Em Jay Reads on 07-18-19
By: Kelly Harms
-
The Red Address Book
- By: Sofia Lundberg, Alice Menzies - translator
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The global fiction sensation - published in 32 countries around the world: Meet Doris, a 96-year-old woman living alone in her Stockholm apartment. She has few visitors, but her weekly Skype calls with Jenny - her American grandniece, and her only relative - give her great joy and remind her of her own youth. In writing down the stories of her colorful past - working as a maid in Sweden, modelling in Paris during the '30s, fleeing to Manhattan at the dawn of the Second World War - she may help Jenny, haunted by a difficult childhood, unlock the secrets of their family....
-
-
narrator was overwrought
- By Janet L. Hamilton on 02-22-19
By: Sofia Lundberg, and others
-
Everything We Keep
- A Novel (Everything, Book 1)
- By: Kerry Lonsdale
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral - a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.
-
-
Narrator Issues
- By R. Graham on 09-12-16
By: Kerry Lonsdale
-
Not That I Could Tell
- A Novel
- By: Jessica Strawser
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It's a rare kid-free night, and they're giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal. By Monday morning, one of them is gone. Everyone knows something about everyone else in the quirky small Ohio town of Yellow Springs, but no one can make sense of the disappearance.
-
-
Pleasant - yet thrilly - companion to jogging
- By Roberta Greene on 04-02-18
By: Jessica Strawser
-
The Secrets of Lost Stones
- By: Melissa Payne
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thirty-two-year-old Jess Abbot has lost everything: her job, her apartment, and - most heart-wrenching - her eight-year-old son, Chance, to a tragic accident. Haunted by memories and grief, Jess packs what’s left and heads for the small mountain town of Pine Lake, where she takes a position as caregiver to an eccentric old woman. A rumored clairvoyant, Lucy is strange but welcoming and immediately intuits Jess as a “loose end” in need of closure. But Jess isn’t the only guest in Lucy’s large Victorian home.
-
-
Exceptional
- By Rebecca R on 09-10-19
By: Melissa Payne
-
White Rose, Black Forest
- By: Eoin Dempsey
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
December 1943. In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family’s summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, as deep drifts of snow blanket the Black Forest, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless. Fervor and brutality have swept through her homeland, taking away both her father and her brother and leaving her with no reason to live.
-
-
Could not handle the narration
- By Maggie on 03-26-18
By: Eoin Dempsey
-
When Never Comes
- By: Barbara Davis
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a teenage runaway and child of an addict, Christy-Lynn learned the hard way that no address was permanent, and no promise sacred. For a while, she found a safe haven in her marriage to bestselling crime novelist Stephen Ludlow - until his car skidded into Echo Bay. But Stephen’s wasn’t the only body pulled from the icy waters that night. When details about a mysterious violet-eyed blonde become public, a media circus ensues, and Christy-Lynn runs again.
-
-
A great story about healing and new starts in life
- By Virginia Kilmer on 08-18-18
By: Barbara Davis
-
A Man Called Ove
- A Novel
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: J. K. Simmons
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. But behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul.
-
-
By Far the Best Narrator of a Book I've Had
- By WanderLaw on 04-05-20
By: Fredrik Backman
-
P.S. from Paris
- By: Marc Levy, Sam Taylor - translator
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the big screen, Mia plays a woman in love. But in real life, she's an actress in need of a break from her real-life philandering husband - the megastar who plays her romantic interest in the movies. So she heads across the English Channel to hide in Paris behind a new haircut, fake eyeglasses, and a waitressing job at her best friend's restaurant.
-
-
Book=Good, Audio Book - Robotic
- By Nancy Thompson on 11-06-17
By: Marc Levy, and others
-
Apples Never Fall
- By: Liane Moriarty
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 18 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after 50 years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?
-
-
I wanted to love this BUT.....
- By Mary on 09-27-21
By: Liane Moriarty
Editorial reviews
Editors Select, August 2017
From the first day recently divorced Markie and her teenage son, Jesse, move into their downgrade of a bungalow, the curmudgeonly, busybody little woman with a French accent who lives next door will not leave them alone. Meet Mrs. Saint: a kind of mysterious matriarch who employs a quirky but loyal group of oddballs. Her skills of manipulation are exemplary, her unsolicited parenting advice unwelcome, but the intent behind her scheming will ultimately melt your heart. Narrator Elizabeth Wiley perfectly captures Markie's hurt and frustration, Jesse's teen angst, and Mrs. Saint's unapologetic directness. This is a light listen, perfect to devour in a summer day or two, with characters that stick out and hold tight long after the story ends. —Tricia, Audible Editor
What listeners say about Mrs. Saint and the Defectives
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- missjmrw7296
- 12-03-17
Don't let the title throw you! Read this book.
Sometimes we find a book that really touches our souls. This one touched mine. It was not a romance, nor a thriller, not science fiction or fantasy. Family was the main theme while trying to make up for the past. Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is definitely a book I will read and listen to again. I definitely recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Taryn
- 01-02-18
I want to be a serial adopter when I grow up
Though the plot was pretty predictable, I didn't find it boring. I actually liked how the story unfolded, and even though I really wished certain things turned out differently, it was still a good story that showed how different people deal with depression and change and cutting ourselves off from the world around us. Lots of interesting characters and the dynamic that builds between them is wonderful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CSinAZ
- 07-22-18
Everybody should listen to this.
An entertaining, emotive, life lesson. Gives you pause for thought and self examination without recrimination or preaching. A happy, hopeful story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mandy Lynn Curl
- 06-01-19
Great story.
The characters are very relatable. I enjoyed the story it was a little hard to get into at first but then you find yourself in love and rooting for Marky. Mrs.Smith is fisty and loveable as well. It's a good heart warming story that reminds you there's a place for everyone.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marnie Williams
- 08-06-17
Good read
I truly enjoyed this book. it was a change from what i normally read and I found it refreshing and funny. I would read more of her writing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aeren Thomas
- 02-20-18
Get to the point
While I enjoyed story, the writing of the book was droll in the constant regurgitation of the philandering husband. The book would have been amazing had a little more time been spent telling the story of Mrs. Saint. All the drama was held back for the last few chapters and while it was a great reveal, it left me wishing less time had been spent on talking about Kyle (husband) and more time about Mrs Saint.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nicole
- 02-24-18
I enjoyed the story
as much as I enjoyed the story, the narration was extremely annoying to listen to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cathy
- 01-02-20
The book cover is misleading
In retrospect it is kind of odd that I purchased this book to begin with. From the appearance of the book cover I had expectations of a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek book, with a hardy-har-har type of humor ~ which is not my normal choice. I would guess that there are others that did not buy this book because of the misleading cover.
As for the actual book, the narrator is the primary character, Markie. She (Markie) spends a large portion of the book complaining and seeing all glasses as suspiciously half-full. This gets tiresome.
The redeeming portion of the book is the last several chapters, where everything comes together and is revealed. Although not a 'storybook' ending, it is mostly upbeat and with a positive message.
I wish that Audible had a 10-star rating system rather than 5. This book would have fallen in around a 7.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary
- 08-08-17
The world needs more Mrs. Saints
I enjoyed this story about second chances filled with quirky characters and all with a connection to the intriguing Mrs. Saint. Going in unexpected directions the novel kept me interested and on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride - yet left me smiling at the end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carolyn
- 03-03-18
surprised
this book was surprisingly good. I actually misread the title and thought it said detectives instead of defectives. it was a very cute book that showed that everyone has flaws inspite of what we may think.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!