Listening Still by Anne Griffin, the authors second novel. I haven't had the opportunity to read her debut as yet, I hear it's very good, after reading this I would certainly like to try it.

By just over 10% of the way into this book, I was hooked, I couldn't put the book down and kept thinking to myself "I'll just read one more chapter". The chapters aren't overly long (I know some readers prefer this) so it is really easy to get lost in its pages. In all honesty, it wasn't what I was expecting, I thought there would be more in the way of Jeanie communicating with the dead but instead, we get the intricacies of her family life as she is really starting to question everything.

I did enjoy this book overall, I will admit the pacing felt slightly off to me, the middle dragged slightly and the end felt slightly rushed and left me with too many unanswered questions. The writing is great, easy to take in and I felt the scene-setting was very good. The characters are all believable, flaws and all. I just didn't connect to the book as much as I had hoped I would and in the end, it left me feeling a little bit flat.

My thanks go to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 stars

3.5 stars (rounded up)

Jeanie Masterson hears dead people, not all the time but for a short time after they have passed. This is both her gift and her cross to bear.

There is lots to like about Listening Still, it is brave and honest with no compromising. Having said that I really wanted more, the draw (well at least for me) was ‘the gift’ of speaking to the dead so I felt a bit short changed when I thought about how that storyline could go and didn’t. Jeanie as a character I didn’t really warm to, but that’s personal taste I guess and that family secret, well that was a bit of a let down as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful, interestingly quirky and enveloping read. I was totally absorbed in this book set in a small Irish town based around Jeanie and her family’s business of undertaking. The village is a tight-knit, caring community and quintessentially Irish.
The story slips back easily into the past to establish Jeanie and her friends back stories, reliable and caring Niall, Peanut - fiercely protective and Ruth, along with a new member of school, the charismatic Fionn. It is beautiful and tragic and emotional at varying times throughout the book.
I felt I was part of this community and friendship group and read avidly to see where the plot would take me. The ending considered all aspects of the story but I have to say I couldn’t have predicted where it ended up. Well in all honesty I didn’t stop reading to consider it, as it felt real and in the moment.
Poor Jeanie, with her unique ‘gift’, facing lots of deep thinking and decisions, from her youth in school, right until the end of the story. The strength of her friendships are enviable and the decisions she faces are certainly not! I was sad to say goodbye to Jeanie and Niall.

I wondered if any follow-up could possibly be as good as When All Is Said, Ann Griffins' debut novel, but this brilliant author has done it again with the story of Jeanie, a 32-year-old woman living in a small Irish town where she works at the family funeral parlour. When her parents announce they are retiring, leaving Jeanie and her husband, Niall, in charge, Jeanie feels conflicted, remembering how once she longed to spread her wings.
But she's trapped in Ireland, by the living and the dead - the latter, it transpires, need her as much as her family, For, like her father, she can hear their final thoughts and relay their messages to their surviving loved ones. Messages as banal as where they can find the will to as shattering as revealing their parentage isn't what they thought!
Against the backdrop of conversations with the the dead, Jeanie's own story emerges, of schoolday friendship with Peanut, Ruth and Niall, of taking up her post at the funeral parlour, of meeting the love of her life, Fionn, who wanted her to move to London. But she could not abandon her responsibilty to the dead - a decision that may come back to haunt her.
Bent under the weight of her responsibilities as a listener to the late departed, facing trouble in her marriage and touched by personal tragedy, Jeanie must finally decide where her future lies. Can she continue to bear the needs of her clients - or is it time to turn her back on the dead?
What a joy of a read! Funny and emotional, the story draws you in straightaway with its matter-of-fact acceptance of the living and the dead conversing "as naturally as woodpigeons." It's peopled with wonderful characters, from Arthur the Twix-addicted postman to Jeanie's autistic brother, Mikey, her embalmer aunt Harry, and her friends Peanut and Ruth.
The author's prose is superb - descriptions of people, places and events spring naturally from the pages, and she makes great use of similes and metaphors to capture exactly the emotions she want us to share - like Jeanie feeling as if "I'd jumped into Lough Sear on the coldest day in winter" to describe her reaction to Fionn.
None but a born storyteller could tell us Jeanie's "Irish freckles cover every surface like daffodils in March", and that's what Ann Griffin is - a born storyteller who has given us another great story of human relationships between family, friends and lovers, introduced a quirky twist with the voices of the dead, and encouraged us to think about the importance of being true to ourselves in this life, and maybe even the next.

I am really struggling to review this book.

I really wanted to enjoy it, and I did to a point, but I also found it slow and boring. I think this will be a marmite book, I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either, but that will not stop me from reading other books by this author as I really enjoyed When All is Said.

3 stars

I don’t know if it’s just the way I’m feeling due to personal circumstances but I just couldn’t get into this book. I couldn’t warm to Jeanie and found her relationship with Niall to be odd at times, while it’s very well written I don’t think it touched enough on her “gift” and more on other characters that you wernt invested in. While being thought provoking at times it just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

What a magnificent book!

Jeanie is someone so very special.. she can hear the dead for a little while after they’ve passed away.. what a gift.. or curse?

The struggle of a young girl growing up following her family’s path and not managing to find her own.

When her dad announces he’s retiring and living her the undertakers business, things start to unravel and Jeanie needs more than ever to find herself and what she wants.

Anne takes you deep in the psyche of Jeanie and demonstrates how hard it I can be to make a choice and find one’s place. The love story between Jeanie and Fionn; Jeanie and Niall, the family dynamics, the secrets. This was all truly beautiful.

It was so heartbreaking... I cried so many times and I can’t say more for fear or letting out spoilers but this is a masterpiece that we all ought to read.

Wonderful and soul crushing at the same time, I can’t explain why I related so much but I don’t often cry that many tears!

Thank you so much Net Galley and Sceptre for giving me the opportunity to read this gem in advance.

Listening Still by Anne Griffin Pub Date 29 April 21
Jeanie Masterson has a gift: she can hear the recently dead and give voice to their final wishes and revelations. Inherited from her father, this gift has enabled the family undertakers to flourish in their small Irish town. Yet, she has always been uneasy about censoring some of the dead's last messages to the living. Unsure, too, about the choice she made when she left school seventeen years ago: to stay or leave for a new life in London with her charismatic teenage sweetheart.
Although it was a well-written story of family, friendship, grief, and secrets, this book wasn't for me.

Jeannie works in the family undertakers but she has a gift of hearing the dead say their final wishes and secrets.
When her parents announce their retirement she is forced to face decisions about her life and the way forward. She is married to Niall who also works in the business but she feels her marriage is falling apart. Niall was her first love but Fionn was the love of her life and when he moved to London she had to decide whether to follow him or stay..
Then Fionn dies and Niall leaves her.
With her life unravelling she escapes first to Norway to stay with an old school friend and then to France.
What will happen when or if she moves back?

There was something about 'Listening Still' that drew me in completely. Whether it was the peacefulness and serenity of the cover or the unique plot, I was really compelled to read this book.

Admittedly, I struggled to read this book. It was a real slow burner to begin with and the flipping back and forth in time made me fall out of interest. I could understand and appreciate the pressures that Jeanie felt with having to take over the family business, looking out for her older brother as well as her marriage. I also got the whole regrets and what ifs about moving to London with Fionn. But it just made it all seem a little patchy and like too much was going on at once. Because of that, I felt like the whole communicating with the dead part of the plot was cast aside instead of being the main premise. Also the big plot twist personally felt like it was thrown in as an extra rather than allowing it to fully develop. That said, one thing I did really like about this book though was the ending with Niall. As torn as I was with what happened between them, I thought it was a very poignant and realistic way to end the book. It's that 'ripping of the band-aid' kind of feeling, it had to be done.

Overall, although 'Listening Still' wasn't my type of book, that ending definitely left a powerful imprint on me.

Listening Still by Anne Griffin

This is the story of Jeanie Masterton, a young woman who can hear the dead and pass messages on to their family and friends. This gift has both helped and hindered her in her job in the family undertakers business and in her personal life. We follow Jeanie in the present day when her parents have announced their intention to retire and revisit her teenage/early adult years.

What a beautiful book! I loved Anne Griffin's first novel, When All is Said, and this is just as brilliant. Fantastic story, great characters, really original and such beautiful writing. This is a book that really makes you think and that lives on with you after you've turned the last page. I can't wait to read what Anne Griffin writes next. Very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Having read and loved When All is Said by this author, I couldn't wait to read Listening Still. This book didn't disappoint and I know I've found a new favourite author and won't hesitate to buy any book she releases. Listening Still tells the story of Jeanie a girl with the gift of being able to hear the final words of the dead. The story is beautifully written and gave me lots to think about. It is a story about courage and family and finding oneself. The story is filled with emotion and deals with death, loss, love, lies, truth, and so much more and I loved that it was balanced with some great humour. I read this book in two sittings but I know its a story that will stay with me for a long time just as Maurice from When All is Said has. I highly recommend this book to any one that loves to read and even those who don't. Jeanie is a great character and Anne Griffin is a superb author. A very easy 5 star review from me.

Overall, this book was odd, interesting and boring all at the same time. Jeanie Masterson can talk to the dead - but only for a limited time immediately after they die. She works with her dad, auntie and husband at the family undertakers business. The story about her marriage and husband was interesting and realistic - the sense of feeling lost and stuck, wondering what might have been if she had made different life choices. Jeanie was a somewhat interesting character but lacked drive and self-esteem. Considering she had this amazing gift (though also a curse at times), she could have been and done so much more which was frustrating. The feeling that she couldn't leave Kilcross or her family didn't come across strongly enough for me. Her husband, though he loved her deeply, seemed angry and cold, which is understandable, but made me annoyed why she married him and not like him very much.

I thought there was the right balance of character development and plot, any more back story might have been boring and not much happening. Although, a little more drama with the dead could have made it more engaging in parallel to Jeanie’s story. It was a good story but at times I did feel a little underwhelmed and the big reveal at the end seemed a bit ‘oh, is that it?’, ‘and, so?’ There wasn’t much build up and excitement to that particular twist and I wasn’t convinced it would throw too much of a spanner in the works - though it had potential. It was quite a bland story but easy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Sceptre AND Anne Griffin for this book.

Well-written, thought-provoking, and yet sadly for me, underwhelming. I can't put my finger on why, but for some reason I just couldn't engage with this book at all. I struggled to warm to Jeannie, and found her to be a rather shallow and unlikeable character. Her circumstances were interesting, but her 'gift' was almost swept under the carpet while other characters stories were focused on instead. While it was enjoyable enough, it fell short of what I expected based on a very unique and intriguing synopsis, and whilst I'm sure others will love it, for me it just didn't work.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

The premise was interesting but I felt it could have created more intense, exciting scenarios. As it was the book meandered along without making the most of a great idea and the big twist was a bit flat.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book, I thought from it's description it would be quirky and a bit different, and it certainly was. But it was so much more than that, the characters were well written and real, the setting were well described and interesting, and I loved the main character. I thought the book was beautifully written, and brought a tear to my eye in some parts, not usual for me but the beauty of the writing really moved me .I loved this unusual book and I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did.

I really enjoyed this. A quirky idea for a story line and great characters that were well written. Definitely highly recommended.

*Many thanks to Anne Griffin, Hodder&Stoughton, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A book about ordinary people who have one special extraordinary skill. The family of Mastertons are undertakers in a small Irish town of Kilcross. The family business is run with respect to the departed, and there is one skill which is rare in the business: they can speak to the dead. They listen to their last thoughts and wishes, and try to fullfil them. The family is going to be handed over to the daughter and her husband and it seems this prompts her to ponder upon her life and her marriage.
A quiet book that kept my attention and Anne Griffin surely does have the talent for writing about choices we make and love we experience.

Listening Still
Jeannie Masterson is 32 and about to inherit the family funeral business in a small Irish town. Mum and Dad want to retire and move away to another town and will take her older brother Mikey with them.
But their decision has brought matters to a head between her and her husband Niall. He also works for the Mastersons as their embalmer and sees it as an opportunity for them to start over again and decide where their lives go next. He wants children and a dog but Jeannie doesn’t. What will happen to them?
Jeannie has a special gift that has come down through the generations. She is the last listener of the dead and that is what has decided her against having children much to her parents disappointment. She doesn’t want to have another child go through it and so she will be the last one. The dead speak to her, only for a day or two after death, before falling silent forever.
There was no choice for her except to go into the family business and yet she had a chance to escape and didn’t take it. She stayed in the safety and security of her family and home town. But as Niall makes his decision, she travels to France to meet a woman who shares her gift. Will her marriage survive and is her gift really a curse in disguise?
This book reminded me very much of the late, lamented TV series, Six Feet Under which featured a family who owned a funeral home. Season One had talking dead people as well as they waited to be made ready for their eternal slumber.
I didn’t warm to Jeannie as a character. She seemed very trapped in her life by her family, the business, her gift, the small town in which she lived and, despite wanting to leave with the love of her life, Fionn, she didn’t. As she was crying over his body she was thinking of herself and not his loved ones and then she went straight into Niall’s arms. He was the one I felt really sorry for. He was almost a consolation prize when she decided not to go to London. He was safety and security and so she married him I had to agree that their lives were all on her terms. I found it strange that they had never discussed having children or dogs until her parents retirement made his frustration finally come to the surface. I felt that Jeannie was just going round in circles.
Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me although it was well written and engaging.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC,

After thoroughly enjoying this authors last book, ‘When All Is Said’, I looked forward to reading this second offering from her.

It tells the story of Jeannie Masterson, a woman who works at her families undertakers in a small village in Ireland. She has a distinct gift of being able to talk to the dead, in their final moments before they pass over, passing messages to their loved ones in a unique way. However this ‘gift’ isn’t always one that Jeannie wants, she sometimes wonders if life would’ve been different if she’d left?

I love the style of writing, continued from her first book (and also loved the nod to Maurice too!) and feel part of the story. Telling the story of Jeannie’s life, the flashbacks slotted in perfectly, and although it might be a depressing subject matter of death it is never portrayed as such, all of the stories told instead add to the characters background and life story.

A great book and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Thank you to Anne Griffin, Sceptre Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.