The Vanishing Act

Cirque Macabre, Book 2

By: CS Patra

Narrated by: Zachary Liebenstein

Weeks after their leader, Dante Gallati, was found dead and threatening notes were sent, the Gallati Family Circus is now being relocated to Las Vegas for the time being. There, the police feel they will be safe. The group heads over there and think that they are going to be fine. All the while, they contemplate who would have hated Dante enough to kill him. The list is long and they learn that Dante had many problems in the past. Those problems may have led to his murder.

It doesn't take long before the threatening notes return. Their new friend, Triple Zero, has followed them to Vegas and is still sending strange notes. To make matters worse, Dante's strict mother, Jessica, shows up with plans to take control of all their finances and the circus. She wants Cirque Macabre to be a reality. This doesn't bode well with anyone but they go through to make Cirque Macabre come true. They want to do it for Dante. But what is really going on behind the curtains? Will they be able to find the killer in time?

©2016 Cithara Susan Patra (P)2016 Cithara Susan Patra

The Vanishing Act

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

I find it difficult to review this book. It took a long rambling journey and never seemed to make any progress. I felt lost and wondering what happened. I will try to listen again t see if it makes any more sense but, for now all I can say is "HUH?"



The narration was OK, but nothing spectacular.

Intriguing story line .... Narration is lacking

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For the story line I would recommend the book to a friend because it is a great story. You personally become personally involved with each of the characters. The book is extremely well written.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Vanishing Act?

One of the most memorable moments for me would be after Spencer and Rosalie did their practice performance in the new act for Cirque Macabre and they kiss. I'm excited to see what becomes of their relationship.

Would you be willing to try another one of Zachary Liebenstein’s performances?

I would be willing to try another of Zachary's performances but I found his lack of believability and his inability to due female voices distracted me from the actual book. If he improved on that one area then his performances would be stellar. I enjoyed listening to his natural voice and the voices of the male characters because he has a smooth, clear speaking voice that is soothing to listen to but the female voices definitely need to be improved upon.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Without giving away the story, I was moved by the relationship of Spencer and Rosalie. I can't wait for book 3 to see what happens. I am rooting for the both of them to heal personally and individually and for their relationship to bloom.

Any additional comments?

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com."

Particularly Uninspiring

The fantastic nine are still reeling from Dante's death. They are not given the opportunity to mourn him. Instead, they are moved to Las Vegas and are left largely to their own devices and left pondering what happened to their wonderful Dante and who 000 is. They soon begin to learn, however, that their wonderful mentor once had major anger issues and might be subtly encouraging them to perform when they should be resting or getting over an injury. Who was Dante, really? And who is going to take over the circus?

This might have been good. But the dialogue is uninspired and relentlessly repetitive. No questions are answered. No revelations are made. This book makes no progress in the overall story. Unfortunately, the narration also detracts from the listen as it is not varied in any way. It is as if he is reading to a child and trying desperately to keep the child's attention. The tone and cadence are not in synch with the material at all.

I received this book for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

The Vanishing Act

Any additional comments?

It was okay. The writing and narration is on par with the last book. I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom for my unbiased review.

Mystery with a side of Romance..

Any additional comments?

This book picks up a few weeks after book one.
The performers are still reeling from Dante's death.
I thought that it was an interesting story overall, Mystery with a side of Romance.

Zachary Liebenstein did well with the narration for book one and two.

Note:
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in
exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

The narrator absolutely ruined this one

First, this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast. So I'm very sorry to give such a negative review, but I simply could not listen to the EMOTIVE narration rendered by Mr. Liebenstein. It was like someone reading a children's book to a toddler in a manner calculated to catch and hold its attention. Maybe it would have worked with a toddler, but my teeth were grinding within a few minutes and I had to put it aside.
I wish I could put question marks as ratings for Overall and Story, because until I read this book in print or listen to it narrated by someone else, I will have no clue as to the quality of the writing or the plot.