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Monday, February 10, 2020

AUDIO REVIEW TOUR: The Estate by Liza Costella


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.








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 
 

Liza Costello was born in County Westmeath, where she lives with her husband and two children. A copy editor and poet, her writing has been broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and published in outlets including The Stinging Fly, The Saturday Independent (Ireland), The Manchester Review and Mslexia. Costello won the Dromineer Literary Festival Poetry Award (2011), came joint second for the Patrick Kavanagh Award for an unpublished collection of poetry (2015), and has been shortlisted for the Sean O’Faolain International Short Story Competition and the Francis McManus Short Story Competition. She is currently completing a PhD on the work of the Irish writer Dermot Healy. 

Find more information on Liza Costello her website: www.lizacostello.com

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