Written by Samantha Henthorn

Narrated by Lindsay McKinnon

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Published by	Samantha Henthorn 14 May 2020
Genre	Satire, Humour
Listening Length	5 hours and 50 minutes
Audiobook ASIN	B088MJKH2F

I have been enjoying the Terraced House Diaries books for some time now - Book 5 will be available shortly - so when I discovered Book 1 was coming out as an audiobook, I decided to buy a copy for myself.

The blurb:

When Curmudgeon Avenue introduces sisters Edna and Edith Payne, their presence is not welcomed by the proud, yet grouchy Victorian terrace. Widowed Edith is looking for love, and dates one of Edna's ex-boyfriends Maurice. This does not end well, especially for the cat. Edna is heartbroken after her long-term partner moved to France and is now unhappily cohabiting with her idiot sister. Edith's son Ricky Ricketts permanently hangs around Curmudgeon Avenue with his on/off girlfriend Wantha, her sister Toonan, and all the tomfoolery they bring.

The sisters decide to advertise for a lodger, and the notable Harold Goatshed moves in. He is yet another of Edna's exes. Still vulnerable from the Maurice incident, Edith falls for his charms.

This delightful social satire tells of the quarrels, romances, and dramas of the intertwined lives of Curmudgeon Avenue's residents.

Satire Fiction Audiobook

My thoughts:

I love the new and eye-catchingly colourful cover which is being used across the various formats of this quirky, updated story. Curmudgeon Avenue is only the second audio book I've ever played, and the first I've listened to using the Audible app. I moved the playing speed up to 1.15x as that was a more comfortable speed for me, and got through the whole audiobook in a weekend.

The audio book brings to life the weird and wonderful characters that I have long been imagining. Number One, the house itself, has a refined accent, and listeners can hear the house rather pompously looking down its nose at the various visitors who enter within.

Sisters, Edna and Edith, are just as I imagined they would be, impoverished, genteel but not overly bright, middle-aged ladies. At the other end of the social scale is Edith's son, Ricky Ricketts. He is a loathsome individual and not to be trusted, something which comes across in every word he utters, as well as in Edna and Number One's dislike of him.

My favourite character in this series is Patchouli. She has a quirky way of speaking, which I hadn't expected, but it really works for the image I have for the mother of the likeable but not at all bright Toonan and Wantha.

The Narrator, Lindsay McKinnon, has made a good job of telling of this amusing story, and in bringing the numerous characters to life. I look forward to listening to Book 2, The Harold and Edith Adventures, very soon.

Purchase from:

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Author Bio – Samantha Henthorn
Join Samantha Henthorn's mailing list to catch up with all the gossip and freebies from Curmudgeon Avenue. Samantha Henthorn was born in 1970something in Bury, England. Her books include the comedy-drama series Curmudgeon Avenue; The uplifting historical fiction '1962'; 'Quirky Tales to Make Your Day' and 'Piccalilly'. She has two cats, one dog, one gorgeous grown-up daughter and one husband. When not reading or writing, she is listening to heavy metal and would be thrilled to bits if someone read her books.

Author Bio – Samantha Henthorn

Join Samantha Henthorn's mailing list to catch up with all the gossip and freebies from Curmudgeon Avenue.

Samantha Henthorn was born in 1970something in Bury, England.

Her books include the comedy-drama series Curmudgeon Avenue; The uplifting historical fiction '1962'; 'Quirky Tales to Make Your Day' and 'Piccalilly'.

She has two cats, one dog, one gorgeous grown-up daughter and one husband.

When not reading or writing, she is listening to heavy metal and would be thrilled to bits if someone read her books.

Other stories I've read by Samantha Henthorn

Social Media Links –
Web site	https://samanthahenthornfindstherightwords.blog
Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/samantha.henthornauthor/
Goodreads	https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16004689.Samantha_Henthorn
Facebook Author Page	https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHenthornAuthor/
X	https://twitter.com/SamanthaHfinds
Newsletter	https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/d0q2h7

Narrator Bio – Lindsay McKinnon
Lindsay was born in Liverpool, the youngest of five children in a Scots/Irish family. A born writer and performer, Lindsay wrote her first book of poetry by the time she was seven and regularly staged plays in the back garden, to which all the neighbours were invited (but alas, shockingly few turned up.) While in Drama college, she worked at night in the Merseyside Everyman Theatre; a perfect place to learn from the talented people who wrote and performed there, including Alan Bleasdale, Willy Russell and Victoria Wood, and performed by the amazingly talented John McCardle, Bernard Hill, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent. Drama college was followed by a course on Print and Broadcast Journalism at Liverpool University; securing herself internships at Granada TV and on Radio City. Lindsay worked as a writer and performer for a Theatre in Education Co for a year before moving to theatrical digs in London, where she met the man who was to become her future husband and creative collaborator. They formed the duo Little Devils and performed on the alternative comedy circuit with fellow newcomers, Julian Clary (aka The Joan Collins Fan Club), Harry Enfield, Helen Lederer etc. Along with writing sketches for the show, Lindsay also wrote short stories for magazines including Jackie. Choosing a slightly more glamorous life, Little Devils became singing duo Cachet, and they spent the next couple of decades dividing their time between (apparently) glamorous overseas tours and (slightly less) glamorous working men’s clubs including regular spots at Bernard Manning’s club The Embassy. Lindsay also spent a year teaching creative writing to ex-offenders, while still touring the clubs at night. The couple lived in Canada for ten years where, between singing contracts, Lindsay appeared in a few plays, indie films and even an episode of The Outer Limits. Lindsay wrote, Toques Off Stetsons On which won best short film from the Actors Union in Toronto. Lindsay also worked as a dialect coach teaching Canadians, the nuances of American, British and European accents. When their marriage ended, the pair returned to the UK where Lindsay continued to work as a singer and compere on the club circuit. Here she met Blackpool comedian and impresario Tony Jo, and began doing the marketing and social media for his agency, HRH Entertainments. With a few voice overs in the UK and Canada under her belt, Lindsay is pursuing her love of voice over acting, leading to her collaboration with Samantha Henthorn, whose book she auditioned for on Amazon Audio. Curmudgeon Avenue: The Terraced House Diaries proved to be challenging in the number of characters there are to voice, but a huge amount of fun to perform. The project was made all the more enjoyable as Samantha gave Lindsay free rein on the voice and characterisation and even the accents for the inhabitants of her book. Samantha and Lindsay are looking forward to turning the rest of the Curmudgeon Avenue series into audiobooks, which will introduce an even greater range of characters who are standing in the wings, waiting to be given their voice.

Narrator Bio – Lindsay McKinnon

Lindsay was born in Liverpool, the youngest of five children in a Scots/Irish family.

A born writer and performer, Lindsay wrote her first book of poetry by the time she was seven and regularly staged plays in the back garden, to which all the neighbours were invited (but alas, shockingly few turned up.)

While in Drama college, she worked at night in the Merseyside Everyman Theatre; a perfect place to learn from the talented people who wrote and performed there, including Alan Bleasdale, Willy Russell and Victoria Wood, and performed by the amazingly talented John McCardle, Bernard Hill, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent.

Drama college was followed by a course on Print and Broadcast Journalism at Liverpool University; securing herself internships at Granada TV and on Radio City. Lindsay worked as a writer and performer for a Theatre in Education Co for a year before moving to theatrical digs in London, where she met the man who was to become her future husband and creative collaborator.

They formed the duo Little Devils and performed on the alternative comedy circuit with fellow newcomers, Julian Clary (aka The Joan Collins Fan Club), Harry Enfield, Helen Lederer etc. Along with writing sketches for the show, Lindsay also wrote short stories for magazines including Jackie.

Choosing a slightly more glamorous life, Little Devils became singing duo Cachet, and they spent the next couple of decades dividing their time between (apparently) glamorous overseas tours and (slightly less) glamorous working men’s clubs including regular spots at Bernard Manning’s club The Embassy. Lindsay also spent a year teaching creative writing to ex-offenders, while still touring the clubs at night.

The couple lived in Canada for ten years where, between singing contracts, Lindsay appeared in a few plays, indie films and even an episode of The Outer Limits. Lindsay wrote, Toques Off Stetsons On which won best short film from the Actors Union in Toronto. Lindsay also worked as a dialect coach teaching Canadians, the nuances of American, British and European accents.

When their marriage ended, the pair returned to the UK where Lindsay continued to work as a singer and compere on the club circuit. Here she met Blackpool comedian and impresario Tony Jo, and began doing the marketing and social media for his agency, HRH Entertainments.

With a few voice overs in the UK and Canada under her belt, Lindsay is pursuing her love of voice over acting, leading to her collaboration with Samantha Henthorn, whose book she auditioned for on Amazon Audio.

Curmudgeon Avenue: The Terraced House Diaries proved to be challenging in the number of characters there are to voice, but a huge amount of fun to perform. The project was made all the more enjoyable as Samantha gave Lindsay free rein on the voice and characterisation and even the accents for the inhabitants of her book.

Samantha and Lindsay are looking forward to turning the rest of the Curmudgeon Avenue series into audiobooks, which will introduce an even greater range of characters who are standing in the wings, waiting to be given their voice.