Another Masterton Goodie

Time of new settlers in America when witchcraft was rife. A story of a young girl with knowledge of apothecary turns detective as unusual deaths begin to happen in her village. This was a good story as are all of Graham Mastertons. I'm not really into to female narrators as they can't do all the voices especially male but Emma Gregory really does this book justice. Listened to it all in one go. Recommend this book with supernatual overtones.

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5 people found this helpful

brilliant!!

loved this book as I had read the coven first so it was nice to get the whole thing in perspective.

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One slight flaw !

The title rather gave it away. The story was tense and thrilling. Informative as well the narrator was wonderful and moved seamlessly around the characters.
I’m now going to book 2 - yep I’m hooked. Highly recommend

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Gripping historical thriller

Beatrice's story is riveting from the outset and maintains the momentum to the very end.

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3 people found this helpful

Formulaic...until chapter 8...when I quit

Classic Cinderella with cookie cutter characters. Perhaps after chpter 8 it improved. Poor but talented orphan, bilked out of her inheritance and turned into the house servant by superior, shrew relatives etc. I am 66 and will die. I don't have time for the unexceptional

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Warning, contains gruesome detail and graphic rape

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this book. I wish there had been a warning at the beginning about how much torture and murder was in it and the rape was very graphic. The writer was very gifted at creating such a very clear picture but I really didn't want those horrible images lodged so bluntly in my head.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The author was really clever at bringing the novel to life, you could see the images he created very clearly as though you were watching a movie. It's an unusual and creative storyline, it's unlikely you would have read something identical before. It has many components including detective work, religion, unexpected outcomes in various places throughout the story (which I did appreciate because it was often in the smaller parts/details of the novel rather than the overall outcome of the storyline direction).

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I didn't enjoy the audiobook because it was too gory/violent/unpleasant and I really wished I had been warned of the content as I wouldn't have purchased it but in fairness to the author it was well written and the narrator read it well.

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6 people found this helpful

A very different setting for a thriller

Would you consider the audio edition of Scarlet Widow to be better than the print version?

I don't know as I have never seen a print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of Scarlet Widow?

I do not want to answer this question for a thriller or it will spoil it for subsequent readers but there are numerous memorable moments, some for more gruesome reasons than others.

What about Emma Gregory’s performance did you like?

Emma has a nice voice to listen to which is always a bonus. Her ability to make each characters voice unique was good and I enjoyed her narration greatly.

Any additional comments?

This is a fabulous thriller, although it is a little gruesome in places as are many of this author's novels. At several points throughout the story I was positive I had predicted the outcome, but I have to admit, I hadn't got it right until very near the end.

An unusual setting in that it moves from England in the 1700's to America and maintains the historical references essential to the time. In fact the historical setting really adds to the story and makes it unique with the main character's personality very much being one sculpted from her life experiences during her childhood in England and then her life as a married woman in a small religious town in New Hampshire.

If you like thrillers but want something a little different then this could be a good listen for you.

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5 people found this helpful

Interesting book

Graham Masterton always writes interesting stories . Loved Widow Scarlett top read. Recommend it to your readers.

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Masterton gores the past.

Set in the 1750 in America, we are presented with Beatrice Scarlet the apothecary's daughter growing up in England and her earlier upbringing, this feels like the setup for a series of a new heroine and her adventures in the new world, this is a long setup for what is a crime story set in the past with Christian dominance of society and all kinds of ignorance dominating reality, making it vulnerable to the shenanigans of those who knew some of the powers of nature.

An interesting story, that has potential while being entertaining, but one must suspend disbelief, especially with anachronistic ideas and scientific knowledge. You must also remember who wrote it and that will let you know that some very unpleasant things will be described in detail including rape.

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7 people found this helpful

SUCH a great story with suspense throughout

What did you like most about Scarlet Widow?

I loved that it was set in the new colonial settlements in America. The language and historical detail made the story come to life.

What does Emma Gregory bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

What a lovely soft voice with great accent ability. Although, if I were Welsh I might think so :)

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

Yes I wanted to. It was a 'can't put it down-er"

Any additional comments?

So different to Mastersons other novels, and it was such a refreshing difference.

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5 people found this helpful