A classic brilliantly narrated by Kathryn Drysdale.
Mary goes to stay with her Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss after the death of her mother .
Joss isn’t hospitable towards Mary and her Aunt seems like a timid mouse , it doesn’t take Mary long to find out what her uncle is up to and she soon finds herself in the thick of things .
Beautifully written and the story stands the test of time .
The narration really brought the story to life .
An excellent audiobook .
Pull up your favourite chair and lose yourself in this classic tale .
Thanks to NetGalley and W.F Howes Ltd .

Wow I requested this on a whim, but did not regret it. Really enjoyed this listen. Did me good for a long plane journey. Great narration which made the book tbf, excellent plot. Will listen to more from the author for sure

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Kathryn Drysdale, who expertly brought the wide range of Cornish characters to life, from the dull-witted but well-spoken squire and his wife to the growls and thickly accented tones of Joss Merlin.
Du Maurier’s atmospheric thriller stands the test of time, as the brave but naïve Mary Ellen pits her wits against her wicked uncle, the landlord of Jamaica Inn and scourge of the Cornish countryside. The writing is top quality, the story well paced, with all the twists, turns and suspense that attracted Hitchcock’s attention.
Well worth a listen if you get the chance.
Five stars from me with thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, WF Howes Ltd.

This is a classic for a reason! It's simply brilliant. You think you know where it's all going but, you just don't quite!

Mary had to be very strong when her mother dies and she moves to live with her aunt, at their inn. This being Cornwall, there's lots of smuggling and corruption. The story is quite a simple one, on the face of it, but there's so much going on, under the simple text.

Narration by Kathryn Drysdale is not fantastic. Her diction is clear and the distinct voices are good, but she's so slow I had to listen on 1.75x to be able to cope. I don't really want anything by her again.

A Classic!

Gothic, dark, mysterious, and oozing with danger, Jamaica Inn stands the test of time. Daphne du Maurier stayed at the real Jamaica Inn in 1930 where she and a friend became lost in the fog and their horses led them back to the inn. That visit inspired her to write this book.

Mary Yellan, at her dying mother's request has traveled to Jamaica Inn where her aunt Patience lives with her husband, Joss Merlyn. The coachman who brought her to Jamaica Inn did his best to warn her, but she continued to the dark, menacing, and isolated Inn. There she will learn of schemes, see strange happenings, and be given vague warnings. She will also be tempted by a horse thief named Jem.

This book is oozing with atmosphere and has the perfect setting. A dark, gothic inn on the damp Cornish coast. The dampness and chill in the air jump off the pages with Daphne du Maurier vivid descriptions. The tension between the many characters is palpable and there is an underlying feeling of dread and unease. The characters are well drawn with several that readers will enjoy booing and hissing at for their evil and dastardly ways. Mary is a strong young woman who does her best to solve the mystery of Jamaica Inn while trying to figure out who she can trust.

Jamaica Inn remains a great gothic, historical mystery that continues to shine despite it's dark storyline!

Wonderfully written, gothic, dark, well thought out and atmospheric!

*I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the wonderful narration.

I've absolutely loved listening to this audiobook. The narrator really brought the storyline to life. I did try this book with a different narrator in the past, and I didn't enjoy it as much. I'm so glad it's been re-released with a different voice

Kathryn Drysdale is an excellent narrator, but I just couldn't get into this book. I wonder if it perhaps wasn't the best place to start with Daphne du Maurier or whether this just wasn't the right book for me right now, but the underlying violence of it all just wasn't my cup of tea for the moment.

An absolute wonderful reading of this novel by Katheryn Drysdale her voice characterization of each character makes this classic a must have audiobook. This book has stood the test of time the authors writing draws you in and transports you to Cornwall. Thanks to W F Howes and Netgalley for this review audiobook

Fantastic reading by the wonderful Kathryn Drysdale of this classic gothic story of Jamaica Inn. A dark, mysterious and terrifying tale, this audiobook really brings it to life in the way it deserves, I understood the dynamics between Mary and her aunt and uncle better than ever. It also captures the trepidation and fear around Jamaica Inn incredibly well. Thoroughly recommend.

In my opinion, du Maurier is seriously underrated as an author. She’s written so many classics as well as numerous shorts and other less well known titles, but all have merit. I recently watched the Hitchcock version of this story starring Charles Laughton, who hams up his role way beyond the original character. It’s still brilliant, but revisiting the narrative has been an absolute pleasure.

It’s a rollicking tale but somehow it withstands the test of time in both written style and setting. The themes are universal and there’s such a range of convincing characters that come to life with every word. At first, I thought the narration wasn’t quite suited, but the voices are just outstanding. It really added to the listening experience with every character clear and defined. Simply brilliant all round and one of my best listens this year.

🎧4⭐️

I had the audiobook version of this classic read by Kathryn Drysdale who does a good job. This is my first delve into this author’s work.

Mary promised her dying mother that she would go to stay with her Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss at Jamaica Inn. On arrival the coachman warned her away from the Inn.

The very descriptive narrative common of the classics making the weather and the location a character adding to the doom and foreboding atmosphere. It gives the reader a good idea of life in the era, The language used draws the reader into the time and setting.
A dark story encompassing several tropes. It’s not all doom and gloom, there’s a lighter element too.

This was really good! It hooked me right from the beginning and didn’t let go.
Having previously enjoyed Rebecca, and The Birds by Daphne du Maurier, I jumped at the chance to listen to this when I saw it on NetGalley recently. It’s been on my audiobook TBR for ages, but I wasn’t so keen on the different versions available. This audiobook is superb and immediately transported me to 19th Century Cornwall.
I liked Mary Yelland, she was a feisty independent 23 year old woman, who following the death of her mother is sent to live with an Aunt she doesn’t recognise, and a violent drunkard Uncle, who’s the landlord of the notorious Jamaica Inn. Add to this the mysterious wagons arriving at night, and a terrified Aunt who won’t talk about what’s going on, it was a very atmospheric book, full of all the twists and turns of a modern thriller, even though it was first published in 1935.
The landscape of the Cornish moors felt like a sinister character in the story. Daphne du Maurier’s descriptions were vivid, especially when detailing the bleak marshland and the fog in which people could disappear without a trace.
Kathryn Drysdale, a new-to-me narrator, was so amazing, that at times I felt like I was listening to multiple narrators, instead of just one person.
Highly recommended if you want to discover Daphne du Maurier’s other books, particularly on audio.