Audiobook Review of Semana Santa by David Hewson

Fast Paced Thriller With Excellent Narration by Sean Barrett

Apr 9, 2009

Semana Santa, the first book written by David Hewson, is a fast paced thriller based in southern Spain. Hewson's plot twists and turns, providing an enjoyable listen.

Semana Santa is an audiobook thick with a rich atmosphere and full of plot twists. The powerful combination of David Hewson's writing and Sean Barrett's narration makes for a thrilling listen. Visitors to Spain or people who are aware of the Semana Santa celebrations will find the descriptions of the parades and the preparations particularly enjoyable.

The audiobook edition of Semana Santa is the only way that David Hewson fans will get to enjoy the book as the novel is currently out of print. Copies of the original book, however, can be found in second hand book stores and on online auction websites. Semana Santa was nominated for the 2008 Audiobook Download Award from Audible.

The Plot of Semana Santa

The plot of Semana Santa follows the terrible trail of a murderer who is reeking havoc during the Semana Santa celebrations in southern Spain. The story is set in an unknown city in Andalucia which would appear to be based on Seville. A visiting academic, Maria Gutierrez, is observing the methods of the police and gets caught up in the race to catch the killer. The plot intertwines the quest for power and greed during the Spanish Civil War with its latter day ramifications.

The main characters are believable and likable. Each has a back story that influences their actions during the hunt for the killer and their interaction together. The plot twists keep the listener's attention and move the story forward at an exciting pace.

The Narration

Sean Barrett is an accomplished narrator. His reading of Semana Santa keeps the plot flowing and the listener's attention engaged. Sean Barrett develops the characters identities by using accents and subtle changes in reading style. This helps listeners follow the complex plot and differentiate the characters during pieces of intense dialog.

The Semana Santa Audiobook

At over 14 hours, while Semana Santa is a long listen, it is certainly not a boring listen. At times parts of the plot delve into the realms of dreams and are highly descriptive and fanciful, and these are balanced by a fast pace elsewhere. Semana Santa has adult themes and language.

Semana Santa is a standalone book and not part of a series. However the audiobook leaves listeners wanting to know more about the characters and how they develop. It would be interesting to know if David Hewson has ever considered revisiting the characters of Maria Gutierrez, Quemada and Torillo, and developing further stories based in this fascinating part of Spain.

Semana Santa is an enjoyable thriller and a first class audiobook of this genre.

More About David Hewson

Semana Santa was the first book published by David Hewson and won the 1996 W H Smith Fresh Talent award. David Hewson has written many other books including the Nic Costa series. The Garden of Evil, part of the Nic Costa series won the American Library Association award for Best Mystery of 2008.

Information about David Hewson and his work can be found on the David Hewson website. Visitors have the opportunity to sign up to a newletter and follow the blog. An interview with David Hewson is featured on a podcast available for free on the Audible website.

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The copyright of the article Audiobook Review of Semana Santa by David Hewson in Audiobooks/Ebooks is owned by Kate Pullen. Permission to republish Audiobook Review of Semana Santa by David Hewson in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Apr 9, 2009 11:22 AM

Guest :

Thanks for the kind review. Semana Santa was my very first book. I don't have any plans to revisit the characters but I do hope the book will be back in print soon.