Sunday, May 22, 2022

No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson

 

Title: No One Goes Alone
Author: Erik Larson
Narrator: Julian Rhind-Tutt 
Publisher: Random House Audio Publishing Group
Release Date: September 28, 2021




From New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson comes his first venture into fiction, an otherworldly tale of intrigue and the impossible that marshals his trademark approach to nonfiction to create something new: a ghost story thoroughly grounded in history.

Pioneering psychologist William James leads an expedition to a remote isle in search of answers after a family inexplicably vanishes. Was the cause rooted in the physical world . . . or were there forces more paranormal and sinister at work? Available only on audio, because as Larson says, ghost stories are best told aloud.

A group of researchers sets sail for the Isle of Dorn in the North Atlantic in 1905 to explore the cause of several mysterious disappearances, most notably a family of four who vanished without a trace after a week-long holiday on the island. Led by Professor James, a prominent member of the Society for Psychical Research, they begin to explore the island’s sole cottage and surrounding landscape in search of a logical explanation.

The idyllic setting belies an undercurrent of danger and treachery, with raging storms and unnerving discoveries adding to the sense of menace. As increasingly unexplainable events unfold, the now-stranded investigators are unsure whether they can trust their own eyes, their instincts, one another—or even themselves.

Erik Larson has written a terrifying tale of suspense, underpinned with actual people and events. Created specifically to entertain audio listeners, this eerie blend of the ghostly and the real will keep listeners captivated till the blood-chilling end.

Featuring Erik Larson reading his Notes for a Narrator.










Erik Larson does an only audio format of a locked-in island ghost story. 

Why? 

Because he believes ghost stories should be told out loud and I agree with that statement. 

What is No One Goes Alone about?

A historical fiction novel set in the 1900s where the psychologist William James invites a group of people to the isle of Dorn to investigate the disappearance of a family. The group goes there to prove or disprove the possibility of the mystical.

To mention a few, the group included William James, a psychologist as mentioned earlier. Adam Winter is an illusionist who is ready to debunk it all. Katherine is a woman who is there because she had seen a ghost as a child. Madeline works as a forensic pathologist while Beatrice is there as a records keeper. Josie Frost is the narrator of the story. Frost is the youngest in the group. He is an electrician who has knowledge of the newest technology of the time, the telegraph. 

This group must decide if what happened to the family who disappeared was an accident vs murder or was there something more nefarious at play? 

I would say that the story was ok for me. I was able to follow the characters well thanks to the narrator Julian Rhind-Tutt. 

The weird rodents, the cove, the cellar, the cliffs, and the surrounding water helped set the eerie and atmospheric setting. The ending felt rushed to me. I also felt like there was a missed opportunity between two characters and the epilogue was too gloomy.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Random House AudioBook via Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.


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