Kate’s 2¢: “The House of Stairs” by Barbara Vine

“The House of Stairs” by Barbara Vine

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Dale Carter narrated this rather strange story about some rather strange people, who seem to make living together work…until it doesn’t.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE (née Grasemann; 17 February 1930 – 2 May 2015) was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries.[1]

Rendell is best known for creating Chief Inspector Wexford.[2] A second string of works was a series of unrelated crime novels that explored the psychological background of criminals and their victims. This theme was developed further in a third series of novels, published under the pseudonym Barbara Vine.

Rendell has sold an estimated 20 million copies of her novels.[3]

Early lifeedit

Rendell was born as Ruth Barbara Grasemann in 1930, in South Woodford, Essex (now Greater London).[4] Her parents were teachers. Her mother, Ebba Kruse, was born in Sweden to Danish parents and brought up in Denmark; her father, Arthur Grasemann, was English. As a result of spending Christmas and other holidays in Scandinavia, Rendell learned Swedish and Danish.[5] Rendell was educated at the County High School for Girls in Loughton, Essex,[4] the town to which the family moved during her childhood. In 2016 a blue plaque was unveiled at her former home, 45 Millsmead Way, Loughton, in recognition of her time living there.[6][7]

After high school, she became a feature writer for her local Essex paper, the Chigwell Times. She submitted a story narrating a local sports club dinner she had not attended. Because of her absence from the dinner, she did not know that the after-dinner speaker had died midway through the speech, and she failed to report it. She was subsequently forced to resign.[8]

Personal lifeedit

Rendell met her husband Don Rendell (not to be confused with the British saxophonist of the same name) when she was working as a newswriter.[4] They married in 1950, when she was 20, and in 1953 had a son, Simon,[9] now a psychiatrist-social worker who lives in the U.S. state of Colorado. The couple divorced in 1975 but remarried two years later.[10] Don Rendell died in 1999 from prostate cancer.[9]

She made the county of Suffolk her home for many years, using the settings in several of her novels. She lived in the villages of Polstead and later Groton, both east of Sudbury. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1996 Birthday Honours[11] and a life peer as Baroness Rendell of Babergh, of Aldeburgh in the County of Suffolk, on 24 October 1997.[12] She sat in the House of Lords for the Labour Party. In 1998, Rendell was named in a list of the party’s biggest private financial donors.[13] She introduced into the Lords the bill that would later become the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (the intent was to prevent the practice).

In August 2014, Rendell was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September’s referendum on that issue.[14]

Rendell was a vegetarian who was described as living mostly on fruit.[15] She described herself as “slightly agoraphobic” and slept in a specially made four-poster bed because “I like to feel enclosed.”[15]

She was a patron of the charity Kids for Kids.[16]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The House of Stairs DB31123

Author: Vine, Barbara

Reading Time: 11 hours, 8 minutes

Production: A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Dale Carter

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction

Psychological murder mystery narrated by Elizabeth Vetch, who recalls her life with Cousin Cosette, owner of the House of Stairs. When Elizabeth meets an old friend, Christabel Sanger (just released from prison), memories of life at the House of Stairs resurface–including the memory of a violent death in which Elizabeth lost the one person she truly loved. Strong language and descriptions of sex.

New York : Harmony Books, 1989, c1988.

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Kate’s 2¢: “House of reckoning: a novel” by John Saul

“House of reckoning: a novel” by John Saul

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

Martha Harmon Pardee narrated this Occult ,Horror Fiction, and Psychological Fiction, so of course I enjoyed the story. It was intriguing how the siblings could communicate.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Saul (born February 25, 1942) is an American author of suspense and horror novels. Most of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.[1]

Biographyedit

Born in Pasadena, Saul grew up in Whittier, California, and graduated from Whittier High School in 1959. He went on to several colleges, including Cerritos College, Antioch College, San Francisco State University and Montana State University, variously majoring in anthropology, liberal arts and theater, but remains degree-less. After leaving college, Saul decided to become a writer, and spent 15 years working in various jobs while learning his craft.[citation needed]

Prior to the start of his career writing thrillers, Saul had around 10 books published under pen names, the first of which he wrote in one weekend after unexpectedly losing his job. His first book sale earned him $200.[2] Today he has over 60 million books in print.[3]

In 1976, Dell Publishing contacted him about his writing a psychological thriller. The resulting novel, Suffer the Children, appeared on all the bestseller lists in the United States and reached the number one spot in Canada.[citation needed] His 1979 novel Cry for the Strangers was made into a 1982 TV movie starring Patrick Duffy and Cindy Pickett.[4][5] In addition to his novels, Saul has had several one-act plays produced in Los Angeles and Seattle.[citation needed]

Saul lives part-time in the Pacific Northwest, both in Seattle and in the San Juan Islands, and has a residence on the Big Island of Hawaii. Saul is openly gay. He lives with his partner of almost 50 years (since 1975) who has collaborated on several of his novels.[1] He is a frequent speaker at the Maui Writers’ Conference.

In 2023, Saul received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.[6]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

House of reckoning: a novel DB71396

Author: Saul, John

Reading Time: 9 hours, 49 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Martha Harmon Pardee

Subjects: Occult and Horror Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Two teens bond out of social isolation: Sarah Crane limps and endures an abusive foster-care family, while Nick Dunnigan hears voices and hallucinates. Their art teacher Bettina invites them to her ancestral mansion, the Shutters, where they unwittingly channel an evil entity that seeks vengeance on the town. Violence. 2009.

New York : Ballantine Books, c2009.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The house swap: a novel” by Rebecca Fleet

“The house swap: a novel” by Rebecca Fleet

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Therese Murray narrated this interesting house swap. The ending may surprise you.

From the Web:

Rebecca Fleet

Penguin Random House

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com › Authors

About this result

Rebecca Fleet was educated at Oxford and works in brand strategy. She lives in London. The House Swap was her US debut; The Second Wife is her second…

Missing: bio

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The house swap: a novel DBC34487

Author: Fleet, Rebecca

Reading Time: 9 hours, 44 minutes

Production: Minnesota State Services for the Blind, Communication Center

Read by: Therese Murray

Subjects: Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

When a married couple takes on a house swap for a getaway, signs of the wife’s personal history emerge in the house. Adult. Violence.

New York : Pamela Dorman Books, 2018.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The House on Olive Street” by Robyn Carr

“The House on Olive Street” by Robyn Carr

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Kristin Allison narrated this story. I enjoyed learning how the four authors differed and how they grew into their improved selves.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.robyncarr.com

Robyn Carr is an American author. She is the writer of the Virgin River series of books and has written more than fifty novels.[1] Her novels have been on The New York Times Best Seller list, including titles such as The Hero.[2]

She is also an executive producer on the television adaptations of Virgin River and Sullivan’s Crossing.

Biographyedit

Carr studied nursing in college. She married her high school sweetheart just before he left for the US Air Force as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. Carr followed her new husband from base to base, and because they did not stay in any one place for very long, she was unable to pursue her nursing career. When a difficult pregnancy required her to be off her feet, Carr turned to romance novels to distract herself. She soon decided to write her own novels.

Carr has since published dozens of historical and contemporary romance novels, a suspense novel, a non-fiction work, short stories, articles, and even wrote several screenplays which have yet to be sold. Carr also hosts monthly “Carr Chats” at the Paseo Verde Library in Henderson, Nevada, where she interviews other authors.

In addition to Virgin River, her Sullivan’s Crossing novel series has also been adapted into the television drama series Sullivan’s Crossing, which premiered in 2023.[3]

Carr has a son and a daughter.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The house on Olive Street DB73033

Author: Carr, Robyn

Reading Time: 10 hours, 28 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Kristin Allison

Subjects: General Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Four fellow writers arrive at their novelist friend Gabby Marshall’s house for her fiftieth birthday only to find her dead. As their own lives start to unravel in different ways, Gabby’s companions gather at her house for the summer. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1999.

Don Mills, Ont. : Mira, c1999.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The House on Olive Street” by Robyn Carr

Kate’s 2¢: “Good girls lie” by J. T. Ellison

“Good girls lie” by J. T. Ellison

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Fiona Hardingham narrated this story. It goes to show how little we know the people we associate with and how deceiving looks can be.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.jtellison.com

J. T. Ellison is a New York Times bestselling American author. She writes domestic noir and psychological thrillers, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens. She also pens the “A Brit in the FBI” series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. With over a million books in print, Ellison’s work has been published in twenty-eight countries and sixteen languages. She is also the co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television series, A Word on Words,[1] which airs on Nashville Public Television. Ellison is also the founder of Two Tales Press,[2] an independent publishing house, and The Wine Vixen,[3] a wine review website. She lives with her husband in Nashville, Tennessee.

Backgroundedit

Ellison was born outside of Orlando, Florida and moved to rural Colorado when she was two, then to Washington, D.C. at the age of fourteen. She graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a double major in Politics and English Creative Writing and a minor in Economics, then received her master’s degree from George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. Ellison was a presidential appointee and worked in The White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce before moving into the private sector to work as a financial analyst and marketing director for several defense and aerospace contractors.[4]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Good girls lie DB126036

Author: Ellison, J. T.

Reading Time: 11 hours, 57 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Fiona Hardingham

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

“Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous. In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide. But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.”– Publisher description. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Harlequin Audio, [2019]

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Kate’s 2¢: “Good Half Gone” by Tarryn Fisher

“Good Half Gone” by Tarryn Fisher

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Tara Sands narrated this story. It held my attention.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tarryn Fisher (born 1983) is a South African-born novelist based in Seattle, Washington, United States.[2] She writes primarily in the romance, thriller, and new adult genres, and is best known for her New York Times best selling novels The Wives and The Wrong Family.[3][4]

Early life and careeredit

Tarryn Fisher was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a White South African family.[1][5] Her father, Dennis Fisher, was a horse trainer and his wife, Cynthia Fisher, was a schoolteacher. The family left South Africa and moved to Broward County, Florida in 1985 when Fisher was 3 years old.[1] She currently resides in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and children.[6]

Fisher self-published her first novel, The Opportunist, through Amazon. Fisher’s two most recent novels The Wives and The Wrong Family, were published by Harlequin Enterprises, a division of HarperCollins.[7] Both titles made appearances on the New York Times Best Seller list.[8][9] In a 2019 review of The Wives, Kirkus Reviews described the novel as “all a bit over the top, but Fisher is a slick writer who keeps a tight rein on her lightning-fast plot.”[10]

Good half gone DB120333

Author: Fisher, Tarryn

Reading Time: 10 hours, 38 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Tara Sands

Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery and Detective Stories

“Iris Walsh narrowly escaped her pretty, popular twin sister’s fate as a teen: kidnapped, trafficked and long gone before the cops agreed to investigate. With no evidence to go on but a few scattered memories, the case quickly goes cold. Now an adult, Iris wants one thing–proof. And it the police won’t help, she’ll just have to find it her own way; by interning at the isolated Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane, where secrets lurk in the shadows and are kept under lock and key. But Iris soon realizes that something even more sinister is simmering beneath the surface of the Shoal, and that the patients aren’t the only ones being observed”– Back cover. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

[Waterville, Maine] : Harlequin Audio, 2024.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The housekeeper: a twisted psychological thriller” by Natalie Barelli

“The housekeeper: a twisted psychological thriller” by Natalie Barelli

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to Susie Berneis narrate this story with a definite twist at the end of it.

From the web:

Natalie Barelli is a USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers. Her work has been translated into 18 languages so far, and her “balance of …

Natalie Barelli an author from Australia, Blue Mountains, New South Wales writes Mystery, Thriller & Suspense books.

Natalie Barelli lives in Australia with her family where she is forever thinking up ways of killing people and getting away with it.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The housekeeper: a twisted psychological thriller DB120138

Author: Barelli, Natalie

Reading Time: 8 hours, 8 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Susie Berneis

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

“She’s a liar. She’s a stalker. She’s in your house. When Claire sees Hannah Wilson at an exclusive Manhattan hair salon, it’s like a knife slicing through barely healed scars. It may have been ten years since Claire last saw Hannah, but she has thought of her every day, and not in a good way. So Claire does what anyone would do in her position–she stalks her. Hannah is now Mrs. Carter, living the charmed life that should have been Claire’s. It’s the life Claire used to have, before Hannah came along and took it all away from her. Back then, Claire was a happy teenager with porcelain skin and long, wavy blond hair. Now she’s an overweight, lazy drunk with hair the color of compost and skin to match. Which is why when Hannah advertises for a housekeeper, Claire is confident she can apply and not be recognized. And since she has time on her hands, revenge on her mind, and a talent for acting … Because what better way to seek retribution–and redress–than from within the beautiful Mrs. Hannah Carter’s own home? Except that it’s not just Claire who has secrets. Everyone in that house seems to have something to hide. And now, there’s no way out.”– Publisher Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

NSW, Australia : Dreamscape Media, [2020]

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Kate’s 2¢: “A treasury of North American folktales” compiled by Catherine Peck  

“A treasury of North American folktales” compiled by Catherine Peck  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   John Polk did a fun job narrating these old and new tales. I especially like the Native American tales based on the wildlife in their region.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A treasury of North American folktales DB48522

Compiled by Catherine Peck

Reading Time: 12 hours, 41 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: John Polk

Subjects: Bestsellers, Folktales, Mythology

Downloaded: 08/16/2026

More than one hundred tales both ancient and modern originating from northern Canada, many regions of the United States, and Mexico. Includes adult and children’s stories about traditional heroes like Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, and Brer Rabbit as well as about ghosts, witches, and lovers. Bestseller.

New York : Norton, 1999.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Eavesdropping: a life by ear” by Stephen Kuusisto

“Eavesdropping: a life by ear” by Stephen Kuusisto

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I enjoyed listening to Neil Berman narrate this biography of how Kuusisto creatively interpreted the sounds he heard as he lived life to the fullest.

   Although I didn’t become blind until I was forty, several of Kuusisto’s journeys resonated with my experiences, too. He is certainly well-read and didn’t hesitate to quote and refer to a plethora of ancient and modern writers and poets.

   While Kuusisto is also well-traveled, I especially liked his description of his visit to Iceland.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article has multiple issues.

Early lifeedit

Stephen Kuusisto was born in March 1955 in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he spent most of his childhood. His father worked as a professor of government at the University of New Hampshire and wanted to study the Cold War, so he moved his family to Helsinki, Finland, from 1958 to 1960. Later in 1963, his father took a job working for New York’s governor, Nelson Rockefeller, to improve the state’s university system, so the Kuusisto family moved to Albany, New York.[1] He was born three months premature, along with his identical twin brother, who died at one day old. Kuusisto’s blindness is a result of a condition called “retinopathy of pre-maturity,” where the eyes’ retinas do not fully develop in the third trimester of pregnancy. As a result, his retinas were permanently scarred, so he could only “see colors and torn geometries”.[1] There were numerous complications because of ROP: nystagmus, also known as, “darting eyes” when the eyes cannot focus, and strabismus or “crossed eyes.” At five years old, he underwent multiple eye surgeries to correct his crossed eyes. Kuusisto says that during this recovery “is when [he] learn[ed] to hear,” which influenced his 2006 memoir, Eavesdropping: A Memoir of Blindness and Listening.[2] Kuusisto also has a photographic memory.[2]

In rural New Hampshire in the 50s and 60s, he was categorized alongside World War II veterans, as he went unnoticed in society. Additionally, there was no information available during Kuusisto’s childhood and adolescence on how to raise blind children. Instead, Kuusisto was taught to “disavow [his blindness]” and attempt to “live like other children” through his kaleidoscope lens.[2] Kuusisto’s mother had to “fight with the local district to gain [him] admission to an ordinary first-grade classroom,” since it would be “another thirty years before people with disabilities are guaranteed their civil rights in the United States”.[2]

College and careeredit

Stephen Kuusisto graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is also a Fulbright Scholar. He became a dual faculty member at the University of Iowa where he taught creative nonfiction in the English Department and also acted as a public humanities scholar at the university’s Carver Institute of Macular Degeneration. For years, he has acted as a speaker on education, diversity, public policy and disability. Kuusisto learned to read Braille at the age of thirty-nine and has produced, and continues to produce professional works of poetry and literature.[3][4]

In his writing career, Stephen wrote a memoir entitled Planet of the Blind (1998) which jump-started his career.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Eavesdropping: a life by ear DB63716

Author: Kuusisto, Stephen

Reading Time: 6 hours, 28 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Neil Berman

Subjects: Biography of Persons with Disabilities, Disability, Poetry

Downloaded: 10/25/2026

The author of Planet of the Blind (RC 45500, BR 11518), who has been legally blind since birth, explains how he perceives the world around him through listening. In these essays he describes childhood influences, adult travels, artful eavesdropping, and love of poetry and Caruso’s singing. 2006.

New York : W.W. Norton, c2006.

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