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Valley of Ashes Audiobook
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(3.06) - 216 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Madeline Dare trades New York's gritty streets for the tree-lined avenues of Boulder, Colorado when her husband Dean lands a promising job. Madeline, now a full-time homemaker and mother to beautiful toddler twin girls, has achieved everything she thought she always wanted, but with her husband constantly on the road, she's fighting a losing battle against the Betty Friedan riptide of suburban/maternal exhaustion, angst, and sheer loneliness. A new freelance newspaper gig helps her get her mojo back, but Boulder isn't nearly as tranquil as it seems: there's a serial arsonist at large in the city. As Madeline closes in on the culprit, the fires turn deadly-and the stakes tragically personal. She'll need every ounce of strength and courage she has to keep the flames from reaching her own doorstep, threatening all she holds most dear.
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"This was the best Cornelia Read book that I have read. Whatever life changes the author has gone thru has certainly changed her writing for the better. There is everyday life, great friendships, managing life marriage and twins no doubt not to forget loss, betrayal, and survival of the fittest. The humor was great and so was the mystery."
— Pam (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Wrenching…There’s an inevitable sense of doom throughout, which Read doles out in perfectly proportioned doses.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Read’s dialog and character and scene descriptions are compelling, and the narrative is touching, humorous, and moves at a satisfying and suspenseful pace.”
— Library Journal -
“Hillary Huber embraces the character of Maddy, becoming the wisecracking young woman who is struggling to overcome her history and handle what life throws at her. Huber cleverly captures the characters, making each subtly distinct…A pure listening pleasure.”
— AudioFile -
“A funny and sad novel about a woman trying to establish an identity for herself…A fast-paced, well-written book.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Valley of Ashes Listener Reviews
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" I had high hopes for this story. It had been showcased in Library Journal's prepub alert and I couldn't wait to read it. Or in my case listen to it. Hilary Huber reads it and she does a very credible job. I had a problem with the story or rather the characters. I didn't like them. Any of them. Starting with Madeline. Madeline is the now stay-at-home mother of year old twins. It is exhausting and she is feeling the strain. Her husband is gone constantly. She finally gets a job at the local paper and from restaurant critic it turns into an investigative reporter job as she follows up on a string of arsons. But when things get personal, Madeline doesn't know if she's going to survive long enough to decide if she's going to make her marriage work, much less her job. There was too much that didn't add up for me in this story. While I have no doubt the arson pieces were well researched, the vocabulary of a one year old was not and certainly not one year old twins. Her husband was such a jerk I would have tossed him out. I enjoyed listening to the story because it was readable but I can't say I'm looking forward to the next one except that it will take place in Cambridge and I'm from Boston and I'm a sucker for books written in areas I actually know. "
— Jodi, 2/20/2014 -
" I absolutly loved this book. Madeline Dare is a tough, strong, smart, kickass chick and I wanna be just like her when I go up!! Cornelia Read's writing style is different and unique. I hope there ALOT more books from her in the future! "
— Erin, 2/14/2014 -
" I love, love her smartass voice. could be me if I had 100 times the facility. "
— Leslie, 2/10/2014 -
" I want to be Madeleine's friend. I want to help her with the twins, vacuum her floor, call her when I'm pissed at my husband and kick back beer and some soggy cheese nips with her. If you haven't read any of Cornelia Read's books, what are you waiting for? I love Read's voice in her novels...it is altogether too real. "
— Lora, 1/30/2014 -
" Loads of fun, even the awful part. It's a good read. "
— Jeanette, 1/25/2014 -
" I finished this in one day. I really liked her main character and will get more of Cornelia Read's books. "
— Ann, 1/21/2014 -
" Rather heart wrenching. Madeline's life turns sucky. "
— Carol, 1/20/2014 -
" Didn't care for this one! "
— Maggie, 1/14/2014 -
" I like Madeline and I've always hated her stupid husband. This Madeline Dare book was really mostly about them, with very little mystery built in. Well-written, and I feel like Madeline's dialogue gets more believable with each book, but it's hard to get over how awful her husband is. "
— Jenny, 1/9/2014 -
" This started out a little slowly but picked up and became very good on several levels. "
— Ann, 12/23/2013 -
" I was very confused by the ending, it just didn't seem to tie in with the rest of the story. Anyone else think that? It just seemed hurried and not thought through. "
— Nazanin, 12/5/2013 -
" So far, fantastic like all of Cornelia's books. Edgy, real voice. Real characters with baggage. More detailed review to come. "
— Sarah, 11/17/2013 -
" I like Madeleine Dare. Having read an earlier book in this series, but not the intervening ones, I wonder how she and her husband got to this difficult time in their marriage. I'll have to find out! "
— Jan, 11/12/2013 -
" Not really a mystery, as the other books in the series, but no less enjoyable as Madeline Dare unleashes her emotions, and fabulous tirades with a bitter edge. Love her! She is one sassy dame "
— Nancydrew, 7/25/2013 -
" Pretty gritty and a good read. "
— Mary, 5/7/2013 -
" Love this author. The book felt a little disjointed though. The end was pretty sad. I read in the acknowledgements that Ms. Read took a long time to finish this book because of some very sad events in her life. I would love to get other people's take on the main character's life choices. "
— Johanna, 4/19/2013 -
" Not as good as i thought it would be. She complained a lot! "
— Angie, 11/22/2012 -
" Probably the best one in the series. The characters have really grown and developed. The plot was more focused on the relationship between the characters than the crime aspect. I found it to be a compelling read. "
— Kathy, 11/15/2012
About Cornelia Read
Cornelia Read is the author of Valley of Ashes, Invisible Boy, and The Crazy School. Read’s first novel, A Field of Darkness, was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel. She lives in Berkeley, California.
About Hillary Huber
Elisa Medhus, MD, is an accomplished physician who has practiced internal medicine for more than thirty years. She is also the award-winning author of Raising Children Who Think for Themselves, Raising Everyday Heroes, and Hearing Is Believing.