Reviews – The Drift & Immortal in Death

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor
Narrator: Richard Armitage, Nathalie Buscombe, Rachel Handshaw
Published by Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House Audio on January 31, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological
Length: 10 hours 48 minutes
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm

Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.

“[A] tour de force . . . This is a masterpiece of its kind.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors. They’ll need to work together to escape—with their sanity and secrets intact.

Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She’s in a cable car stranded high above snowy mountains, with five strangers and no memory of how they got on board. They are heading to a place known only as “The Retreat,” but as the temperature drops and tensions mount, Meg realizes they may not all make it there alive.

Carter is gazing out the window of an isolated ski chalet that he and his companions call home. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, something hiding in the chalet’s depths threatens to escape, and their fragile bonds will be tested when the power finally fails—for good.

The imminent dangers faced by Hannah, Meg, and Carter are each one part of the puzzle. Lurking in their shadows is an even greater danger—one with the power to consume all of humanity.

I didn’t love this one like I had hoped that I would but I didn’t hate it either. I typically love C.J. Tudor’s books but sometimes a book just doesn’t work as well for me for one reason or another. I tend to enjoy the dire kind of scenarios like the one featured in this book but it just fell flat for me for one reason or another. I just never found myself to be fully invested in the story but I am glad that I gave it a try.

The story is told from 3 different points of view, each dealing with a different difficult situation. Hannah finds herself trapped in a wrecked coach with other students, some of which are showing signs of the same virus they were trying to escape. Meg is a former detective trapped in a suspended cable car with a possible killer on board. Carter lives in a compound with other individuals working to make vaccines to combat the virus that has brought the world to its knees. It seemed like as soon as I would get interested in one of the points of view, the narrative would shift to the next one which kept me from becoming fully invested in any of them. The 3 different points of view didn’t seem to be connected by anything more than being set in the same brutal world. Things did come together but it was very late in the book.

I thought that Nathalie Buscombe, Rachel Handshaw, and Richard Armitage did a great job with the narration. I am not sure if I have listened to any of these narrators before but I thought that each of them did a great job of bringing the story to life. I thought that their performance felt very natural and I believe that their narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

I think that anyone that thinks this book sounds interesting should definitely give it a try. I think that a lot of readers will like it more than I did. I did like the book but not nearly as much as I have enjoyed other books by this author.

I received a review copy of this book from Ballantine Books and Penguin Random House Audio.

Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death #3
Published by Brilliance Audio on May 16, 2017
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Suspense
Length: 9 hours 48 minutes
Pages: 320
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm

She was one of the most sought after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted - even another woman's man. And now she was dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas put her professional life on the line to take the case when suspicion fell on her best friend, the other woman in the fatal love triangle. Beneath the façade of glamour, Eve found that the world of high fashion thrived on an all-consuming obsession for youth and fame. One that led from the runway to the dark underworld of New York City where drugs could be found to fulfill any desire - for a price . . .

This was great! Eve has her work cut out for her in this one. A model is murdered and her friend, Mavis, is in the middle of everything. The model isn’t the only one dead and Eve needs to get to the bottom of the murder and help clear her friend. Eve is under a lot of stress and wants to solve the murders just as soon as possible.

I was hooked by the mystery right away and was eager to see how things would play out. I really enjoyed watching Eve and Peabody working to get to the bottom of the mystery. We also learn more about Eve’s heartbreaking past and there are some pretty big developments in her relationship with Roarke. Can I just say how much I love Roarke? He seems to always know exactly what to do or say.

I thought that Susan Ericksen did a great job with the narration of this book. I really liked the voices that she uses for the key characters in the series and I appreciate the fact that the voices have stayed consistent in the series. I find her voice to be easy to listen to for hours at a time. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to others. This book could work as a stand-alone since the mystery is contained within this book but I would recommend reading the series in order if at all possible. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Related Posts