The Moon-Spinners

By: Mary Stewart

Narrated by: Daphne Kouma

The pioneer of romantic suspense Mary Stewart transports listeners to the idyllic hills of midcentury Crete in this tale of peril and intrigue that will keep fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym on the edges of their seats.

While on a walking holiday through the beautiful, deserted hills of Crete, Nicola Ferris stumbles across a critically injured Englishman, guarded by a fierce Greek. Nicola cannot abandon them and so sets off on a perilous search for their lost companion - all the while being pursued by someone who wants to make sure none of them leave the island....

When the big white bird flew suddenly up among the glossy leaves and the lemon flowers, and wheeled into the mountain, I followed it.

©1962 Mary Stewart (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

"Mary Stewart is magic." (New York Times)

"One of the great British storytellers of the 20th century." (Independent)

"A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors." (Harriet Evans)

Marvelous story, excellent voice actress!

Story (5 stars)

I've read this book multiple times over the years, but decided that it would be fun to listen, if the narrator was good. I listened to the sample and was excited to give it a try!

Mary Stewart weaves an intense and romantic narrative. Her descriptions carry you to Greece and paint a vivid picture of the place and people during that time (the book was written in 1962, I believe).

As is usual for Mary Stewart, the character's traits in this book are detailed and deeply drawn. She doesn't lay out a character's full personality all at first, but unfurls it slowly as the book progresses. It's what makes her books so believable and enjoyable. It is also what makes one uncertain of, besides the protagonists, who are the bad guys and who are the good--it is a mystery, after all!

The romance, in true Mary Stewart style is clean and much is left to the imagination. At the same time, there is no doubt that the protagonists are well-suited and will be happy together. Many of the romantic moments have danger attached and yet our hero and heroine are able to escape for a bit to learn more about one another. It's truly magical how the story is woven together!

Narrator: (5 stars)
I only give 5 stars to narrators who can do accents or who are exceptional actors. Daphne Kouma does authentic-sounding British, Greek, Danish, and American accents. Plus her acting is amazing!

As a shout-out to other reviewers, she did make a couple of errors in pronunciation. Those errors didn't take away the enjoyment of the book for me at all. Here's what I noticed: the most notable mispronunciation was the word "Levite". One listener mentioned that she pronounced "caique" three different ways. I'll be interested to see, when I re-listen, if she pronounces the word differently depending on who is saying it. Does she pronounce it in British-accented Greek when Nicola says it, as compared to unaccented Greek when Lambis says it? If so, then that is voice acting at its most excellent! The only other error I noticed was a mispronunciation of the name Nicola as Nicolai one time.

I LOVED the mood and the excellent voice acting that Ms. Kouma brings to this book! She gets quiet and whispers when the characters whisper, she gets louder when the characters cry out. She has given Nicola the most delightful laugh I've ever heard. She's not afraid to add a 'sucked in breath', a sigh, a chuckle, a laugh, a frustrated groan, etc. It adds such a depth to her voices.

I will be listening to this book again, soon. I missed the feeling the book created when I was finished. I'll also be searching out other books acted by Ms. Kouma!

*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special

The Moon-Spinners

Really good read. I recommend it especially to those of us who are tired of profanity and unnecessary sexuality.

Moon-Spinners

The book is well written and the narrator does an excellent job. Her voice and characterization create variety and interest adding enjoyment to the “reading”.

A good listen!

Another Mary Stewart favorite. It's terrific that I can listen to it, because I can then do chores at the same time; can't do it with a book in my hands! :-)
Good job in the reading and recording. Thanks!

If You Appreciate the Golden Age...

...of mystery fiction, you really must read Mary Stewart. I've loved her work for years. Her heroines are gutsy, resourceful, intelligent and brave. Her mysteries - well-plotted, fast-paced, and extremely enjoyable - are a departure from her Arthurian legend series (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, etc.) though those are equally well-written.

Despite the fact that most of her work was written in the 50s and 60s, you won't find it particularly jarring or dated. Her female characters perform better than a lot of current day female leads, and her male characters are clever and appealing. Her books are set in interesting locations, and her ability to set a scene and tone are admirable. I only wish that these worlds were not so overrun with holiday-makers and tourists as they've become - I suspect that the Crete, and particularly Corfu (the setting for This Rough Magic) about which she writes would be unrecognizable to modern visitors. But Stewart is an excellent guide to a less crowded time, and I heartily recommend her books. I have always felt that she's deeply underrated - for sheer likeability of characters, I much prefer her to Agatha Christie and most other Golden Age mystery writers. I think only Du Maurier shows a similar adeptness of character development and mise-en-scene. You likely won't be disappointed.

One of my favorite Mary Stewarts

I love Mary Stewart. I’ve read this one probably a dozen times over the decades. Thought I’d try it on Audible, and I was not disappointed! This narrator is absolutely fabulous, I adored her. I’m going to see what else she has narrated so I can hear her again!

Mystery and Adventure!

I had seen the Disney version From the 1960s Hayley Mills film, so I wanted to hear the original story. I loved it! There were definitely some differences, but I really enjoyed the story! The narrator did a wonderful job playing all the characters. If you enjoy a bit of mystery and suspense, you will enjoy this book. It’s definitely more intense than the Disney movie, but still very light hearted and even humorous in places. I love Mary Stewart’s descriptions, you feel like you’re really there in the scene with the characters. I won’t spoil the ending, but it very is exciting!

Perfection!

I read The Moon-Spinners in the 60's when it was first published and the book holds up wonderfully well.
The Moon-Spinners is refreshingly devoid of explicit sex and profanity as the writing and plot render both unnecessary. Daphne Kouma provides a flawless performance.

A Vacation in Crete Interrupted by Murder

Nicola Ferris and her Aunt Franves go on vacation to Agios Georgios, a tiny fishing village at the foot of the White Mountains in Crete. They find themselves drawn into the search for a missing fifteen-year old boy and come face-to-face with a murderer. Beautifully written.

Superb in every way

I now want Daphne Kouma narrating all my beloved Mary Stewart novels - and all my other favorites! Perfect tale finally having the voice my head knew it should have. Perfectly done!
Hard to pick a favorite when it comes to Mary’s novels, as she always succeeds in transporting you right out of yourself and immersing you in rich and beautifully woven tales that grip from first to last page - so delighted I can revisit them all now in audio version, and ever so pleased with myself with choosing this particular delight first, reminding me happily why I read and re-read her books as a young adult. Thanks to the English teacher who introduced me to the worlds of Mary Stewart with the Crystal Cave, and all the delightfully spent hours exploring the rest of her works- and thanks again to Daphne Noumi for doing such justice to the tale - giving it the voice it richly deserves. ❤️