Labyrinth (Audiobook)

Synopsis: When Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France, she unearths a link with a horrific and brutal past. But it's not just the sight of the shattered bones that makes her uneasy; there's an overwhelming sense of evil in the tomb that Alice finds hard to shake off, even in the bright French sunshine. Puzzled by the words carved inside the chamber, Alice has an uneasy feeling that she has disturbed something which was meant to remain hidden...Eight hundred years ago, on the night before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young herbalist and healer. Although she cannot understand the symbols and diagrams the book contains, Alais knows her destiny lies in protecting their secret, at all costs. Skilfully blending the lives of two women divided by centuries but united by a common destiny, LABYRINTH is a powerful story steeped in the atmosphere and history of southern France.

Review: I didn't really enjoy this story, I practically gave up after listening to the first two sides, it seemed long and convulted and a bit clunky. I found I wasn't really interested in the modern day story of Alice but did get more intrigued by Alais's tale and that kept me listening. Nearly all the revelations were second guessed by me which means they must have been pretty obvious to begin with. The story didn't seem to gel or connect .. there was no 'skilful blending' ... and incredulity was stretched too far. Some stories have you suspending disbelief willingly .. I'm happy to imagine a hobbit in a hole or envisage an orangutan librarian but this was more of the 'you're having me on .. right?' sort. If I had had to read it instead of listen to it, it would definitely have been abandoned, lifes too short to turn that many pages of uninteresting, laboured prose. Perhaps I'm being harsh, it has a heavyweight reputation but it just didn't entertain me at all.