Folly

By: Laurie R. King

Narrated by: Frank Muller

An acclaimed master of suspense creates a heroine you will never forget in this superbly chilling novel of a woman who begins a desperate undertaking that may transform her life—or end it.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR WORST FEARS AREN’T ALL IN YOUR MIND?

Rae Newborn is a woman on the edge: on the edge of sanity, on the edge of tragedy, and now on the edge of the world. She has moved to an island at the far reaches of the continent to restore the house of an equally haunted figure, her mysterious great-uncle; but as her life begins to rebuild itself along with the house, his story starts to wrap around hers. Powerful forces are stirring, but Rae cannot see where her reality leaves off and his fate begins.

Fifty-two years old, Rae must battle the feelings that have long tormented her—panic, melancholy, and a skin-crawling sense of watchers behind the trees. Before she came here, she believed that most of the things she feared existed only in her mind. And who can say, as disturbing incidents multiply, if any of the watchers on Folly Island might be real? Is Rae paranoid, as her family and the police believe, or is the threat real? Is the island alive with promise—or with dangers?

With Folly, award-winning author LAURIE R. KING once again powerfully redefines psychological suspense on a sophisticated and harrowing new level, and proves why legions of readers and reviewers have named her a master of the genre.

"Acclaimed mystery writer King has crafted a labyrinthian tale that is as haunting as it is touching."—People

©2001 Laurie R. King (P)2001 Recorded Books

Loved the book

The main character in this book was incredibly inspiring, her struggles through mental illness and the internal conversations were very relative. The intricate nature purveyed of her inward and outward struggles, relieved by labor mindless or not. Raye's solutions touched upon so many ways in which we are able to re-wire ourselves.

The only criticism l have is that it felt as though the ending were rushed toward, that the conclusions were not as thoughtful as the rest of the body of the book.

Introspection and Mystery! What's Not to Love?

With a non-conventional protagonist (Rae Newborn, an older woman who suffers from severe depression) and a non-conventional mystery (one that plays a subtle role till the later half of the novel and doesn't involve a recently deceased corpse), Folly remains one of my favorite novels to date. Using the isolated setting, King gives her characters the space to breathe and grow satisfyingly, while the plot is propelled by the construction of the house which further brings the central mystery into focus. The narration by Frank Muller is also excellent, with distinct voices given to the characters and a wryness that felt natural given the 3rd person perspective from Rae. All in all I would highly recommend anyone listen to or read this novel in one form or another.

Serious and Entertaining

I have read all the Mary Russell novels -- this is a very different book. The first few chapters are difficult because King chooses to reveal her central character's history gradually through a haze of grief and depression and flashbacks; however, these are deftly done, and they have a purpose -- to mimic the heroine's slow climb to clarity after a series of horrific experiences. Similarly, King's lengthy descriptions of the house-building are sometimes a bit tedious, but also echo the heroine's struggle to build a life on the ashes of the one she lost. Throw in a mysterious uncle, a hippie smuggler, a kind Sheriff, and other mysteries to be unwoven, and the novel sustains interest to the last minute. I highly recommend it as well as "Keeping Watch," the sequel. Both books fearlessly delve into the disturbed minds of good people faced with horrors almost too great to bear, and finding unorthodox ways to master the pain.

worst narrator ever

I liked this book when I read it and I was looking forward to listening to it. I'd forgotten how slow it was -- it doesn't start moving until the second half. I wouldn't have minded that if the narrator hadn't read the text so breathlessly as if every word was the most important and exciting word ever. Everything was "oh, wow, look at this amazing stuff!" with no variation in tone. It took me six tries to get through the first half. Frank Muller's reading is really really irritating.

The story isn't one of Laurie King's best but it is intriguing. I especially liked the World War I connection. I may read the book again but I'll never again listen to Frank Muller.

Deep and Complex

This one is very different from L.R. King's other books and takes some time to get going. However, the characters are very deep and interesting. It's slow in the 1st half, but the second half picks up with some twists and turns.