I'm delighted to be taking part in The Cosies of Christmas Audiobook Blog Tour, organised by Danielle Price for the lovely people at Ulverscroft and all the audio names that come under their umbrella. The blog tour is a celebration of cosy crime and festive romance and I was given A Shetland Christmas Carol to listen to and review.
A Shetland Christmas Carol is the fourth book in Erin Green's Shetland series (preceded by From Shetland, With Love; From Shetland, With Love at Christmas; and Sunny Stays at the Shetland Hotel).
Here's the blurb:
Will the gift of friendship save their past, present and future?
Callie has taken multiple jobs to make the money she desperately needs. Her favourite is being the new guide for Lerwick Manor's alpaca walks. But her troublesome past is making it difficult to prove to others that she's learned from her mistakes.
Heather has been content breeding Sheltie sheepdogs and taking care of her grownup daughters. But now she feels that something is missing. Taking the leap into online dating, she makes an unexpected connection to which her daughters react very differently.
Tabitha sells homemade soap at the Stables Gallery, but her true passion is for amateur dramatics. Winning a role in the group's festive production of A Christmas Carol, Tabby is determined to make her mark—but will her growing feelings for fellow actor Rabbie distract her?
As Christmas draws near, can true friendship save the past, present and future of the Lerwick community?
My review of the audiobook:
One of the important questions to answer when reading a book that isn't number 1 in its series is: can it be read as a standalone? And the answer here is yes, definitely, though having enjoyed book 4, I strongly suggest that you should start at the beginning in order to have the maximum enjoyment, not least of the wonderful setting.
In this well-crafted novel, Erin Green has created a warm and interesting community of characters to care about. If this is your first visit to Lerwick with her and her characters, you're sure to want to read/listen to the others in the series. This book centres around Callie, Tabitha and Heather, all of whom face challenges in their lives as the festive season approaches.
The audiobook's producer made the decision to have a different actor narrating each of the main characters. I must admit I felt iffy about this before I started listening, as I usually prefer a single narrator no matter how many parts there are to play. But with this book, I felt quite at ease with the production style, which can only be because of the casting was spot-on.
Callie's story is read by Lesley Harcourt, who has a brightness and forthrightness in her voice that goes well with Callie's personality.
Sarah Barron narrates Heather's strand of the book. She has a lower-pitched voice and a measured delivery that is a pleasure to listen to.
Tabitha is voiced by Cathleen McCarron whose performance has a confidential note in it, which I found very appealing. It felt as if she was speaking directly to me and no one else.
The verdict:
A delightful, atmospheric story, beautifully read by skilled narrators.
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