The Shadow Constant

De: A.J. Scudiere

Narrado por: John Thompson

Someone is keeping watch over the machine. Should it ever have been built?

The lure of the find behind the loose hearthstone at Hazleton House was too great. The schematic excited Evan, Reenie, and Ivy for different reasons, but it is Kayla who actually begins building it. Her ability to focus to the exclusion of all else is just one of the effects of her Asperger's.

The scribbled initials, E. W., were merely a curiosity, until it's discovered they belong to Eli Whitney. But strange footprints and disturbing visitors let Evan know that the theft of his sister's prize schematic isn't just a coincidence.

It becomes obvious that the generator has no apparent power source. And Eli Whitney was only the first to die because of the machine.

Soon, they realize their enemies are much bigger than they had imagined, and the threat the device poses could topple an empire. The secret now threatens those at Hazleton House.

Who is trying to stop them?

©2013 A.J. Scudiere (P)2018 Griffyn Ink

Murder at the Plantation

Two siblings and a girlfriend get together with a historical expert to restore an antebellum plantation after the girfriend inherits it in a fotuitous manner. To make it interesting, Evan, the only guy in the group, has been looking after his asperger sister Kayla his whole life, and Kayla does not get along well with Reenie, his girlfriend. Ivy, the historical expert was hired to watch over Kayla was well as keep them on the right path in their restoration mission. All four of them contribute, in their own unique and different ways in the effort to restore the main house, Hazelton house into a profitable museum business. In the early hours of the restoration while tearing down a wall they come across some ancient plans for a unique machine, with the initials EW. Kayla finds pieces of the machine in various places on the plantation. Kayla, with her incredible talents as an engineer, builds the machine, discovers the initials stand for Eli Whitney, and soon they start discovering tracks around the plantation, and then listening bugs, and then unwelcome visitors. Other discoveries in the old house reveal scandals in the past along with murder. I enjoyed this book very much however I did find that it was dragged out a little longer than it needed to be. I thought A J Scudiere did an excellent job portrating the "aspie: and Kayla made an excellent heroine. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Good book

A wonderful read, and the narration makes it easy to listen to. I received this audio book for free at my request and voluntarily reviewed.

Lots to like about this listen

You don't find out what the 'shadow constant' is until the very end. Up until that point though, this listen delved into history, science, technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and romance with an overtone of Aspergers thrown in for good measure.

The story was incredibly intriguing with a host of bad guys. The good guys win, of course, but the getting there was special.

The narration was pretty special too. As stated, this book tackled quite a bit of subtext but the narrator kept it all afloat. I really loved how he handled the Aspergers character. He gave her warmth and depth and did not just rely on inflection.

There was lots to like here.

A solid and unique book

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily
left this review.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with this book. The premise definitely seemed unique. I liked the Eli Whitney tie in. The author does seem to go on a bit of a political rant in the book, which is kind of annoying. Thankfully, though, it's not the entirety of the book, so I was able to enjoy the book as a whole. The narration is pretty good and kept my interest. All in all, a good book.

Interesting Suspense

I did enjoy this book but thought a little drawn out. It has mystery, action, sci-fi, and relationships. The main characters are Kayla (has Asperger's) her brother Evan his fiancé Reenie and Ivy. Kayla and Evan invested into Reenie’s inherited planation to turn it into a museum when everything seems to go wrong. Recommend if you enjoy a thriller with historical touch. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you

Unique storyline

AJ Scudiere has done homework! The Shadow Constant opens with a find not unlike an archeological dig. An old house, a secret compartment hidden for years, a discovery too great for big brother to let loose...

I was instantly drawn into the story and thoroughly enjoyed the historical value. One of the main characters has Aspergers, and the author was inclusive of each character’s uniqueness without making me feel like I was listening to an PC novel. Thank you for that!

John Thompson does an awesome job as narrator and switches characters flawlessly. I would definitely listen to him again.

Overall, The Shadow Constant was a great listen. I found myself eager to be alone in the car so I could listen more often ;)

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

Electrifying discovery that will rewrite history.

Four friends go about rehabbing Hazleton House, an old plantation they'll eventually run as a museum. Amidst repairs to the property, they find an old blueprint of sorts for a strange machine. When built, it becomes evident what the machine was intended to be -- a solution to the world's energy production problems. Made public, this machine would render Big Oil obsolete and end its control of the world's economy. The four friends are deemed Enemy #1 to all those who thought the existence of the machine was successfully covered up long ago. The plantation becomes a battleground where the group defends the discovery with their very lives, and work desperately to spread knowledge of the machine and instructions on how to build it.

The complex relationship between the four main characters was established early on, which created a slow start to the story. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, as it turned out to have a unique concept and was altogether rather good. I was especially drawn to Kayla's character, whose Asperger's, I felt, was portrayed with respect and used as a strength rather than a hindrance or flaw. I look forward to reading more from this author.

John Thompson gives a fantastic performance as narrator.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge. My review is unbiased and the opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Dig into science and history!

Where does The Shadow Constant rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Average to slightly above. The storyline is one I'd typically enjoy, but the author gets sidetracked by politics a bit too often and this ends up detracting from the story. Additionally, three of the four main characters are female, yet the narrator is male. This felt odd and was a bit distracting, although the narrator did a fine job with the book.

Would you recommend The Shadow Constant to your friends? Why or why not?

If asked directly, sure. But there are other books I'd recommend first if I've got someone looking for a good mystery or thriller.

What about John Thompson’s performance did you like?

Thompson did a good job handling the narration of four characters, especially the three females. His narration was well-paced, and he did a great job of using vocal inflections to convey emotion without going overboard.

A good History Mystery Thriller.

What made the experience of listening to The Shadow Constant the most enjoyable?

Unique characters doing their best to adapt to a difficult medical condition.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course Kayla

Have you listened to any of John Thompson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No but he is a good narrator that makes us feel closer to the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes I was touched to get close and personal with people who have this disease.

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review..

Very Entertaining!

While remodeling the old family home to turn it into a museum, a packet of papers found hidden in a wall begins an exciting adventure that could cost the lives of the owners.

Evan, his sister Kayla, and Evan’s girlfriend Reenie are the owners. The distinction in this story is that Kayla has Aspergers. That fact adds layers to the book that make it a keeper.

When Kayla first sees a blueprint design for a strange machine, she begins to build it almost immediately. Both the blueprint and the machine become the goal of several others who want the technology, whether for good or bad.

The danger that follows includes fire, kidnapping, theft, listening devices and much more. The characters grow on you, even as their relationships develop with each other. Who can they trust? That may decide the future not just for them, but possibly the world.

Totally fun read! You can find my full review at Mystery Suspense Reviews. This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.