The Guilty River


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(3.9 stars; 82 reviews)

After his father’s death Gerard Roylake returns from Germany to take up his inheritance at Trimley Deen. On one evening he meets his childhood friend, Cristel Toller. They fall in love, but there is a crux. A deaf man, called The Lodger is obsessed with Cristel. He invites Gerard to tea with evil intentions… and Gerard accepts the invitation.

The book is written in the first person and tells the story from Gerard's point of view. (Summary by Diana Majlinger)
Additional proof-listening by Betty M. (4 hr 27 min)

Chapters

01 - On the Way to the River 13:27 Read by Ernst Pattynama
02 - The River Introduces Us 12:05 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
03 - He Shows Himself 6:26 Read by Diana Majlinger
04 - He Explains Himself 7:28 Read by scrawl
05 - He Betrays Himself 25:51 Read by scrawl
06 - The Return of the Portfolio 27:31 Read by Kathleen Costa
07 - The Best Society 10:18 Read by scrawl
08 - The Deaf Lodger 16:45 Read by scrawl
09 - Mrs. Roylake's Game: First Move 10:59 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
10 - Warned! 9:04 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
11 - Warned Again! 9:50 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
12 - Warned for the Last Time! 21:37 Read by Kathleen Costa
13 - The Claret Jug 26:01 Read by Barbara Derksen
14 - Gloody Settles the Account 10:37 Read by Barbara Derksen
15 - The Miller's Hospitality 33:18 Read by Barbara Derksen
16 - Bribery and Corruption 9:08 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
17 - Utter Failure 7:02 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
18 - The Mistress of Trimley Deen 10:26 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet

Reviews

Pretty good book


(4 stars)

This is a neat boy meets girl story with a wicked stranger twist to it. It is not your usual 'mystery' but there are plenty of intense scenes in it. One word of note - some of the chapters have a lot of background noise, and I spent a lot of time adjusting my equalizer and my volume control. There was no consistency - the issues were as varied as the readers. Overall, the story is good, but the reading does detract from it a bit.

Just ok


(3 stars)

This is the third Wilkie Collins novel I have listened to. It was very different from The Woman and White and the Mystery in Venice stories. I can't say I loved the book, but I cannot say I hated it either, thus my rating of a 3. The narration was also just okay. Not terrible but not great either. The story itself is rather short so if you are a die hard Wilkie Collins fan then it would be okay and really was the only reason I stayed with it until the end. A word of caution to narrators overacting with voice work is really not necessary. If you are not a native British speaker please do not try to do a British accent. One narrator did this and was really atrocious.

fun story hurried ending


(3 stars)

I have read at least 10 stories by this author and I found this one fascinating in the beginning. Just when the end was going to be resolved and I was excited it ended! I was shocked as all of the other books had a wonderful ending. It seems almost as if he was hurried or decided to leave it unfinished. One can gather by inference the ending yet I craved the author's regular explanation and finishing touch. Some of the readers lacked experience in how to pronounce things yet overall it was tolerable . If you are a fan of this author it is worth listening to.


(2 stars)

The narration by non- English speakers sometimes becomes unbearable. The readings by volunteers should be vetted. Mispronounced words make it difficult to understand and detract from the plot. Nadine (who is the reader in other WC novels) should hear herself and withdraw.

The Guilty River


(2 stars)

mystery solved I'm hating those social norms. the clever interaction with the deaf worked. I guess I always wish 1st person narratives be read by the right sex.

NOT HIS BEST


(3 stars)

I feel as though WK wrote the first 16 chapters and the last 2 were written by the Reader's Digest.

Good


(4 stars)

Not the Woman in White or The Moonstone but it did keep my interest and the readers were good.

SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE NARRATOR BOOK


(2.5 stars)

LOVED THE STORY LINE BUT MULTIPLE READERS WAS NOT GOOD