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The Beacon Audiobook
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(3.01) - 259 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Beacon is the fourth book in the Sentinels series. If you like sci-fi adventures, space battles with complex alien invaders, and unexpected twists in humanities exploration of the stars, this could be your new favorite series.
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"ike most readers I was familiar with Susan Hill's work as a crime and ghost story writer and there I was intrigued by the Beacon mainly due to the contrast between this book and her previous works. I read the whole story in one evening,partly because the entire book is only 150 pages, but also because I found the story so unexpectedly absorbing. It is structured in a similar fashion to Hill's short ghost novel 'The Man In The Picture', Jumping between one event occurring in the present and various incidents in the family's history leading up to that point, so always keeping an element of suspense. The overall tone of the book is undoubtedly sad and deals with the ideas of missed opportunities, wasted potential and personal sacrifice. It is also examines how a family can co exist together and never truly know or understand each other despite an unspoken emotional attachment. I found the protagonist, May Prime, sympathetic if somewhat distant but completely human and undeserving of the life she has lead since early events at the Beacon. The other Prime siblings I felt were also warm characters except for Frank whose betrayal is hinted at until it is revealed. The most powerful effect that the book had on me was to cast a seed of doubt over certain real life biographies which are published every year and often become best sellers. The Beacon reminds us that behind every story and headline there are real people whose lives are can be drastically altered by the media and the publics' thirst for scandal ."
— Suzanne (5 out of 5 stars)
The Beacon Listener Reviews
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" Couldn't get on with it all. had to abandon it! :( "
— Lisa, 2/12/2014 -
" Beautifully written, loved the suspense. Highly recommended. "
— Elizabeth, 1/16/2014 -
" Puzzling story about a family with 4 children with one of them committing a terrible tragedy of untruth against the others. Story moves back and forth from early times to older and is compelling in the way it takes your mind in various thought patterns. Outcome is surprising and left me confused. Author writes with skill and picks the reader up on her train of thought for a good ride. "
— Linda, 1/15/2014 -
" also recommended; her Simon Serailler mysteries "
— Sarah, 12/28/2013 -
" This story didn't live up to what I expect from a Susan Hill book. Despite being a short, easy read, it really didn't seem to go any further than you already knew or guessed from the cover blurb. The writing itself was excellent as always, but I reached the end and wondered why I'd bothered. It won't put me off reading books by Susan Hill though! "
— Chris, 12/23/2013 -
" bit dark, good though. Good idea for a book. The narrator took the sombre tone a bit too seriously though - soporific. "
— Mary-Anne, 12/8/2013 -
" Short story with not a word wasted. She is a master of building up suspense using the very minimum. "
— Sue, 11/13/2013 -
" A short but absolutely brilliant book. A subtle and atmospheric story which leaves many questions unanswered but that only makes it all the more thought-provoking. An excellent choice for a book club. "
— Christopher, 10/20/2013 -
" Brilliant, Susan Hill just gets better with every book! Subtle undercurrents of the gothic, compelling family drama that leaves you with more intriguing questions than answers- just the way I like it! :D "
— Lynsey, 9/22/2013 -
" And where was the plot line in this book? "
— Astrid, 11/19/2012 -
" Wanted to give it four stars but found it rather weak in the buliding of characters "
— Birgit, 5/20/2012 -
" I didn't enjoy this book at all. The writing was good, but the story itself went nowhere & just left me depressed and with more questions than I had in the beginning. "
— Lucy, 4/29/2012 -
" Dark! Like her writing very much. "
— Annie, 4/9/2012 -
" Saved by some beautiful prose, otherwise I'd have only given this one star "
— Jo, 3/2/2012 -
" Less is more "
— Lynda, 2/18/2012 -
" One of the blandest books ever penned. Thankfully, it's ludicrously short so it won't waste too much of your time. The most attractive feature of this novella is the pretty cover, which gets a gold star! "
— Matthew, 8/23/2011 -
" Takes about 2/3 of the book to get going, but when it does it's a lovely and sad depiction of wasted lives. "
— Kirsty, 7/2/2011 -
" Ending a bit sudden, and obvious "
— Beverley, 10/23/2010 -
" Quite a short book, but perfectly written. "
— Caroline, 8/30/2010 -
" The death of their mother Bertha at the former family farm (the Beacon) rouses mixed feelings in her four children, Colin, Frank (a successful author), Berenice and May, (who returned home after a year at university in London). "
— Venuskitten, 10/16/2009 -
" A short book and an easy read. Interesting plot and theme, but the characters lacked some depth. Thought about a two* rating, but the end included a twist that made me think again, the book had more promise than I had recognized upto that point. "
— Renate, 7/31/2009 -
" Yeah, ok, I'm a little scattered right now! I have 3 books going in 3 different genres! All very good... "
— Sheila, 6/28/2009
About James David Victor
James David Victor is the pen name used by Dave and Shannon VanBergen for co-authored science fiction projects. It is their way of sharing a wide variety of stories by working with multiple other talented authors.