Cloudland

A Crime Novel

By: Joseph Olshan

Narrated by: Eliza Foss

Cloudland is a stunning literary thriller set in rural Vermont from the much-praised author of Nightswimmer and Clara's Heart.

Once a major reporter for a national newspaper, Catherine Winslow has retreated to the Upper Valley of Vermont to write a household hints column. While out walking during an early spring thaw, Catherine discovers the body of a woman leaning against an apple tree near her house. From the corpse’s pink parka, Winslow recognizes her as the latest victim of a serial killer, a woman reported missing weeks before during a blizzard.

When her neighbor, a forensic psychiatrist, is pulled into the investigation, Catherine begins to discover some unexpected connections to the serial murders. One is that the murders might be based on a rare unfinished Wilkie Collins novel that is missing from her personal library. The other is that her much younger lover from a failed affair has unexpectedly resurfaced and is trying to maneuver his way back into her affections.

Elegant, haunting, and profoundly gripping, Cloudland is an ingenious psychological trap baited with murder, deception, and the intricacies of desire.

©2012 Joseph Olshan (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

A Solidly Good Book

I usually shy away from books, that have consistant 3 star ratings, but after reading a few reader reveiws that I trust, I went with it. And I am so glad I did. I only rated it 4 stars because 5 stars for me is what I consider blockbuster. The character, Katherine, and the story reminded me of Jacqueline Winspear and Louise Penny books. Cloudland is a good mystery that keeps you guessing, has a great narrater, and has characters you would might like to know in real life. I could see a serios here, so I hope the Author gives us more of Katherine and Vermont.

This is not a crime novel.

On and in about nothing. No drama. No thrill. Just boring drivel. I’m sorry I wasted so much time giving it a chance.

Slow to start

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I eventually became motivated to listen until the end. Slow to start. The mystery held my interest.

Please, Please, avoid this book.

If you like crime novels, then stay far away from this book. It honestly was probably one of the worst in my current audible library, let alone in the vast range of books that I've read throughout my lifetime. The narration is not good, the characters are indistinguishable at times, and the woman's voice was just desperate and awful throughout. The story itself started off somewhat engaging but eventually I found myself thinking, "What is the author's point of including this?" a few different times. Not to mention the anti-climatic ending.
Some of the reviews here were very misleading, but I can only blame myself. Oh well, on to the next.

Well written, but is this really a thriller ?

Very little happens in this minimalist story. The main characters are not engaging, the plot bland, the end easy to figure out. Too bad, because Olshan knows how to write...