Title: The Invisible Ones
Author: Stef Penney
Narrator: Dan Stevens
Genre: Mystery; Fiction
Pages: 416
Audio: 11.4 hours
Year: 2012
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Source: Personal Collection
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary:
Ray Lovell, who is half-Gypsy himself, is hired to find Rose Janko, a Gypsy woman who went missing 7 years earlier. The search causes him to become intimately involved with the family Rose married into before her disappearance, learning about their “curse” and trying to dig up their secrets.
My Thoughts:
The Invisible Ones is told through alternating narrators: Ray Lovell, the half-Gypsy investigator, and JJ, the young nephew of the missing Rose. The two different points of view keep the story from getting boring or slow. I loved both parts.
I probably have to stop telling you that I am not a reader of mysteries/detective stories since I seem to be reading a lot of them lately, but this one stands out from a normal mystery. The Gypsy culture gave the story an extra layer of intrigue. And the story unravels in a surprising way. The characters are complicated and you never know exactly what anyone is going to do.
I recommend this one both for the story but also for the glimpse into Gypsy culture.
Audiobook Thoughts:
Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey fame) is an absolutely fantastic narrator. Even if the story weren’t as interesting as it was, I would have been compelled to keep listening. He did a great job with the two very different narrators.
my books. my life. 
If you get the right narrator, you could listen to anything I’m convinced. I don’t think I ever stopped and paid attention to the plot of this one, but I’m intrigued. The gypsy culture is kinda fascinating. Although I think they originated in Romania, they are EVERYWHERE in Poland. You can’t help but wonder about them.
LikeLike
I haven’t really read any books about the gypsy culture, but I did read one short story that focused heavily on it, and was really intrigued. It does sound like this one would be an excellent read, and though like you, this is not my usual genre, I think I am going to have to check it out. Great review today, by the way!
LikeLike