A Fatal Inversion

By: Barbara Vine

Narrated by: William Gaminara

In the long, hot summer of 1976, a group of young people is camping in Wyvis Hall. Adam, Rufus, Shiva, Vivien and Zosie hardly ask why they are there or how they are to live; they scavenge, steal and sell the family heirlooms. Ten years later, the bodies of a woman and child are discovered in the Hall’s animal cemetery. Which woman? And whose child?©1987 Kingsmarkham Enterprises (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Oh my!

This story starts a little slow but when the mystery starts to unfold you cannot stop listening. The moral of the story I guess is you can never truly escape your past. The title is strangely apt. I do not want to say more due to spoiler potential.

One of the best mysteries...of THE best writer

Ruth Rendell at the height of her power. I only wish she had not passed away.
In this story her descriptions and characters never are off.
While in the plot she surprises at every turn. you realize how true each character is to him or herself. There is the combination of the chilling aberration of the strange, mentally ill elfin Zoey. and the more "everyday" (yet equally chilling) evil of Rufus., Shiva and their friends.
Added to that the descriptions of the gorgeous manor of Ecalpemos --the setting for the events...and you have a book that is perfect I every way.

Good, and yet I didn’t like it

Whether as Vine or Rendell, this is a fine writer possessed with a ine intellect. Her characters are realistic as is the dialog he puts in their mouths. And yet, I wanted this book to be over long before it’s rather weak and unsatisfying final scene. This is not the first of her books I’ve slogged through. From now on, it’s Inspector Wexford only. That series is more my speed. The reader was excellent

Compelling story

I normally have trouble with books whose main characters aren’t likable. The main characters in this story are peevish, pedantic, neurotic, boorish, sanctimonious, and schizoid (perhaps?), so it took me a while to get into the story. However - it had me in suspense the whole way through. The mystery unpeels in layers and it’s fascinating.

For some reason the narration is too fast, but if you play at 0.8 speed, it sounds normal and the performance is very good.

What a story! What a narrator!

Sublime narration! Every voice and nuance correct, just as I heard it in my head upon reading this gripping story years ago. Usually in this situation, the narrator and I disagree on tone and inflection, but this guy was spot on, lol. Perfection

Terrible narration

I usually like Barbara Vine books but I'll never know if I liked this one, since I didn't make it beyond 2 or 3 chapters. The narrator talks way too fast so that it requires intense concentration to listen to the book. That's not fun! I guess I wasted a few dollars for this audiobook, so maybe I'll read it on my Kindle instead.