The Voices, Frank Tallis
The Voices, Frank Tallis
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
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The Voices

Author: Frank Tallis

Narrator: Gildart Jackson

Unabridged: 9 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/14/2014

Synopsis

From Edgar nominee F. R. Tallis comes a new novel of psychological suspense that reinvents the classic haunted-house tale.In the scorching summer of 1976—the hottest since records began—Christopher Norton, his wife Laura, and their young daughter Faye settle into their new home in north London.The faded glory of the Victorian house is the perfect place for Norton, a composer of film soundtracks, to build a recording studio of his own. But soon in the long, oppressively hot nights, Laura begins to hear something through the crackle of the baby monitor. First, a knocking sound. Then come the voices.For Norton, the voices mark an exciting opportunity. Putting his work to one side, he begins the project of a lifetime—a grand symphony incorporating the voices—and becomes increasingly obsessed with one voice in particular … someone who is determined to make themselves heard.

About Frank Tallis

Frank Tallis is a writer and practicing clinical psychologist. He has held lecturing posts in clinical psychology and neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry and King’s College London and is one of Britain’s leading experts on obsessional states. In 1999 he received a Writers’ Award from the Arts Council of Great Britain, and in 2000 he won the New London Writers Award.

About Gildart Jackson

Gildart Jackson’s acting credits span the stage and screen. He is most often recognized for his roles as Gideon on Charmed and Simon Prentiss on General Hospital. He has also starred in numerous television shows, including CSI and Vegas, and he played the lead in the highly acclaimed independent feature film You, directed by his wife, Melora Hardin.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lynda

I love a good paranormal story but this is not one of them. Set back in the very hot summer of 1976 the spooky house is bought and renovated by a young couple. The guy is into music and sets up a sound studio.. his job is music for films. The girl who was a model has her baby.. all nice and cosy up to......more

Goodreads review by Helen

Disappointing.. thought the story initially was good but yet the writer seemed to loose the momentum of the plot and be drawn into unnecessary side stories which added nothing to the main story.......more

Goodreads review by Alisi ☆ wants to read too many books ☆

Okay... Well... I don't know what to say. This succeeded on some levels but failed on others. I was rapt but the ending doesn't make any sense. No, no, you don't get away with giving such a vague ending. There was no explanation at all. No reasons why. We're not told what happens to Laura either and......more

Quotes

“Clever and spooky. For Tallis, the darker recesses of the mind hold monsters enough. The novel is an elegantly constructed psychiatric Gothic, all spires and gargoyles and ghostly echoes—the sort of vast, dread edifice we sometimes build around ourselves when the lights go out.” New York Times Book Review

“Set in the ‘70s, this is sophisticated, creepy, spellbinding, and sinister, but it’s also about a marriage in decay and a house that’s encouraging it.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“Engrossing. Immensely satisfying.” Boston Globe

“A chilling tale of supernatural snooping. On its surface, The Voices is a ghost story set in a haunted house. But its historical setting adds complexity. This horror story is undeniably hair-raising.” Shelf Awareness

“Tallis sets his stand-alone psychological thriller during a time when traditional gender roles were being challenged and cleverly uses the supernatural to underscore the claustrophobia of an increasingly fractious marriage. The eerie voices, the heat, and the oppression that Laura feels, as well as Chris’ frustration with his career and a wife who is no longer his ideal, all come together to create an insidious, creeping dread in this subtle yet ultimately terrifying yarn.” Library Journal (starred review)

“Well-rounded characters and evocative prose distinguish this supernatural thriller…Fans of subtle horror will find a lot to like.” Publishers Weekly

“Tallis…is a master of psychological suspense, and this novel, which reaches its climax during the London heat wave of 1976, is utterly gripping.” Booklist

“Incisive and beautifully observed storytelling…A genuine page-turner.” Kirkus Reviews

“Narrator Gildart Jackson knows his way around an old-fashioned ghost story, and this audiobook is all the better for it. The creepy story of a haunted house, a young family, and an ambitious composer sets the groundwork; Jackson adds even more eerie atmosphere. His subtly disturbing vocalizations for the story’s ethereal beings produce physical chills as well as psychological suspense. He also does a commendable job of portraying the conflicted wife’s desperate efforts to keep her infant daughter safe while maintaining her own sanity. With just enough dramatic restraint, Jackson keeps the paranormal frightening and believable.” AudioFile

Awards

  • Minneapolis Star-Tribune Pick
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