THE ESTATE
BY LIZA COSTELLO
Narrated by Denise Gough
Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
In her gripping debut,
Liza Costello takes listeners on a journey into the world of ‘ghost estates’, sprawling housing complexes left almost abandoned.
The Estate follows Beth Sheehan, a young Irish woman staying in a
Buddhist retreat in Sri Lanka, where she writes down everything that
happened to her back in Ireland in an attempt to believe what she has
been told; that she is not guilty of murder.
The Estate
transports listeners between the remote Sri Lankan retreat where
Beth recovers from her trauma and recession-era Ireland, exploring how
her life began to unravel. Isolated from her friends and family, she
falls for the intense and charismatic Jason, who
persuades her to go with him to housesit in an upmarket ‘ghost estate’
in the rural Irish midlands. When Jason’s arrival is postponed, Beth
finds herself alone, with only the inhabitants of the estate for
company, including friendly Clara, the strange Mr and
Mrs Doran, and Michael, a squatter with substance issues and a medical
problem. As Beth begins to settle into life in her new home, it becomes
clear that something dark is happening on the estate. She hears gossip
about the house she’s living in alone – rumours
about a suicide. And when a child goes missing, the house takes on
deadly connotations. There’s no place like home…and Beth hopes there
never will be again.
Summary
There’s no place like home...and Beth hopes there never will be again.
Beth never had a settled home as a child, but that’s all behind her now. She’s fine. Great. Settled in her single life. Until friends start peeling away, moving on to careers and family, leaving her feeling impatient and angry. When she bumps into Jason at a party, she spots the opportunity for her own fresh start - to turn her back on a reckless life of drinking and missed deadlines. She can build a new life, too...can’t she? When she discovers that Jason has the opportunity to house-sit a new build out of town, she glimpses her chance. There’s only one catch - Jason needs to stay in town for the sake of his new job. But Beth can keep their dreams alive on her own, can’t she?
As her drinking worsens, and new friends turn out to be prospective enemies, her sense of reality begins to unravel. As Beth comes to confront the mysteries of her own past, she moves closer to understanding the desperate crime at the heart of the estate. But first she must learn who is behind the strange attacks on her new home. And is Jason who she thought he was? Can she even trust him?
In this taut crime novel set in the aftermath of the Irish recession, a change for the better turns into a nightmare of uncertainty. An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.
Beth never had a settled home as a child, but that’s all behind her now. She’s fine. Great. Settled in her single life. Until friends start peeling away, moving on to careers and family, leaving her feeling impatient and angry. When she bumps into Jason at a party, she spots the opportunity for her own fresh start - to turn her back on a reckless life of drinking and missed deadlines. She can build a new life, too...can’t she? When she discovers that Jason has the opportunity to house-sit a new build out of town, she glimpses her chance. There’s only one catch - Jason needs to stay in town for the sake of his new job. But Beth can keep their dreams alive on her own, can’t she?
As her drinking worsens, and new friends turn out to be prospective enemies, her sense of reality begins to unravel. As Beth comes to confront the mysteries of her own past, she moves closer to understanding the desperate crime at the heart of the estate. But first she must learn who is behind the strange attacks on her new home. And is Jason who she thought he was? Can she even trust him?
In this taut crime novel set in the aftermath of the Irish recession, a change for the better turns into a nightmare of uncertainty. An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.
The Estate has a very Girl on the Train (by
Paula Hawkins) kind of vibe. I found myself screaming at Beth to put down the
wine and pay attention to life!! Open your eyes Beth! I know I was screaming
the same thing to Rachel for nearly the entire audiobook. There are two big
differences between the two stories... besides the obvious missing train here.
Beth is smart. Beth has people who genuinely care for her. Honestly, Beth has
several redeeming qualities as a person. I also enjoyed this audiobook at least
twice as much as I had Girl on the Train. I wasn't a fan of the bestselling hit
from a few years ago if you can't tell but that's neither here, nor there.
The Estate...
There's a double timeline going on and one
of them is very well developed and I felt confident in what I thought was
happening. The other timeline seemed to only give us small glances at a time
and I was usually left feeling curious and slightly bewildered.
Now The Estate isn't a riveting thriller
that will accelerate your heart-rate and leave you looking over your shoulder.
It is a psychological mind-bender that will have you slowly questioning Beth.
You'll be left wondering what is real and what is the wine? The Estate makes
you reevaluate what you've heard and question the characters.
The narration by Denise Gough is incredibly
done. I do love a good British accent. It's really a favorite for me and I
often find myself searching for it. I believe Ms. Gough's performance led to
some of those frenzied or crazed feelings while wondering on Beth's mental
state. It’s really fascinating… Gough has this warm, and kind of, inviting
voice but mixed with the words she was reading it felt impulsive and frantic. It’s
a good solid story.
I received a complimentary copy of this audio book with the hope that I
would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive
or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
ABOUT THE NARRATOR
Narrated by Denise Gough (People, Places and Things; Angels in America),
The Estate is a shocking story in which motives are thrown into
doubt, ties are tested, and truths are questioned. An edge-of-your-seat
psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Find more information on Liza Costello her website: www.lizacostello.com
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