Valley of the Shadow

Book 1

By: Kathryn Le Veque

Narrated by: Leslie Wadsworth

Get ready for action-packed romance with archaeologist Dr. Kathlyn Trent and her husband, Egyptologist Marcus Burton. In the first book of the series, meet Dr. Kathlyn Trent. A cross between Indiana Jones and The Crocodile Hunter, Dr. Trent has made a name for herself as a Media Archaeologist. Beautiful, intelligent and educated, she is one of the most famous faces in the world. Her television specials bring millions of viewers as she tackles subjects that most credible archaeologists won't touch. But beneath the flash and hype, she has a true gift. A "sixth sense", this gift has helped her locate mystical and wonderful things all over the world. Whether or not people believe in her gift, her results speak for themselves.

Because of her ability to find the unfindable, Dr. Trent is called in to assist the floundering dig of one of the world's top Egyptologists, Dr. Marcus Burton. Dr. Burton has a highly publicized dig in the Valley of the Kings, and Kathlyn is met with animosity the moment she sets foot on his dig. Tall, dark, and ruggedly gorgeous, he has no desire to attract the attention she brings. But the excitement they come to share as they explore long-lost pharaoh's tomb destroys the animosity in favor of an emotional bond that cannot be broken. Elements of intrigue endanger their lives and create chaos amidst their blooming romance, and the situation soon explodes in a running gun battle amongst the ruins of ancient Egyptian temples. It takes all of Kathlyn and Marcus' strength to keep each other alive.

©2012 Kathryn Le Veque (P)2014 Kathryn Le Veque

"Oh Mighty Isis!!"

What did you love best about Valley of the Shadow?

I loved this story!! A contemporary love story interwoven with the intrigue of ancient Egyptian lore and history- it is a perfect combination!

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Kathlyn because she is an intelligent, capable woman who is driven to succeed, but not to the point she will forgo love when she comes upon it. I also loved Marcus- he is a perfect H, gorgeous, courageous, brilliant- altogether hot! I also liked Kathlyn's best friend Juliana, she was really funny and bright.

What does Leslie Wadsworth bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her rendition of the story was fantastic! Ms. Wadsworth is a gifted storyteller and actor, and her voice was the character of Kathlyn come to life. I enjoyed her interpretation of each of the characters' voices and personalities. Each person in the story was distinct and easy to identify while listening. Her voice is very clear and smooth, and her inflection and enunciation perfect. It was very easy to listen to Ms. Wadworth.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this in nearly one sitting as I couldn't put it down! The romance was hot, the relationship between Kathlyn and Marcus began with and had such a humorous element I found myself chuckling throughout. Then as I was drawn further into the plot, the characters and their machinations brought the action into the forefront. There was SOOO much action- it has you on the edge up until the end!

Any additional comments?

I loved this present day story with the added twist of the ancient Egyptian story thread. Ms. Wadsworth was a perfect selection to tell this tale and I highly recommend it .

Entertains lite listen

Overall I enjoyed this story. It is always nice to have a heroine be the equal of the hero, and not just an inexperienced young girl who lands an amazingly accomplished guy. That being said, my one complaint about the story is that the heroine seems to be too rash and impulsive for the established archeologist she is supposed to be. There were some other ridiculous plot elements that had me rolling my eyes too. Otherwise though it was entertaining and good listening while stuck in traffic.

Reminiscent of Romacing The Stone - LOVED IT!

Would you listen to Valley of the Shadow again? Why?

It was absolutely mesmerizing. I could not stop listening to this narration. It makes you wonder what's going to happen next.

What other book might you compare Valley of the Shadow to and why?

Romancing the Stone, because of all the ups and downs in pursuing their archeological object.

What about Leslie Wadsworth’s performance did you like?

It was perfectly modulated.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I just sat there and listened - just totally enraptured with the story.

Any additional comments?

The book was worth reading over and over. Imagine listening to it over and over too. What a mesmerizing story!

Loved It!

I've read/heard so many of her medieval books that I was hesitant to try this but was caught up from the first chapter and couldn't stop listening until the end. It was both intriguing and funny and I'm simply awed by her writing style and plot development. It was worth the risk of tearing away from the knights and world of kings to enjoy this book. Hope many more follow. And the narration was excellent. Kind of missed the vivid romance scenes of her other novels, but it didn't take away from the story at all. If you haven't tried it, do so. You'll love it too!

Loved It

Loved this book and the whole series. I wish that Kathryn would do more books in this series.

Great adventure! I wish this was a movie!

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

It's a great story that weaves between modern contemporary times & the nostalgia & romance of the ancient Egyptians.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters & their love story & the action - all of it!

What about Leslie Wadsworth’s performance did you like?

I liked how she did the male voices. It took me a little while to get used to her voice. I've been listening to all male narrators before this audiobook, so it was a little adjustment for me, & her voice is very smooth/polished. It reminded me of a pre-recorded voice message like you'd hear in an elevator or something. But I appreciated how she did the various voice effects like when they were speaking/shouting from far away or on the phone or over CB radios in the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I wish I could have!

Any additional comments?

Onto the next audiobook in this series! Hope its as good as this one!

Echoes Of Ancient Egypt And One Woman's Sorrow

Kathlyn Trent thought she only came to the Archeological Dig for a short stint for her university, but little did she know the good looking hunk that resented her presence would change her life. Marcus Burton was not only one awesome looking man, but the sexual vibes she was picking up was returned in full. One problem after another interfered with the site and their discovery. A woman Indiana Jones was the last thing Marcus expected and only she could tame his heart.

great story wrong narrator

I really enjoyed the story but the narrator was not right for this one. soft voice more for romantic novels or bedtime stories.

Not the Author for Me

I struggled to finish this book, but I did. If you like your main man to have anger control issues and chauvanistic tendancies, enjoy your main woman to be as gorgeous and popular as a movie-star and make poor decisions, like Jews and Muslims to be the bad guys, and don't mind reading an author who doesn't have great grammar or vocabulary,* then go for it. I'm sure there are tons of folks out there who wouldn't be bothered by these things and instead just enjoy the adventure romance. I'm just not one of them, so this will be the last book I listen to by this author. The narrator wasn't bad and did a credible job of trying to give different characters different voices.

*For example: doesn't know the definition of "literally," uses "could care less" when it should be "couldn't care less," doesn't know what a pilaster is.

Disappointing

This book is the first book that disappoints me from Kathryn Le Veque, I am surprised that for a historical author that supposedly have a setting in an archaeological dig, the historical or archaeological information doesn't come from Egyptian history but rather from Indiana Jones movies... I was very disappointed !!