Not worth the time.

The narrator was terrible and I found the story boring, flat and predictable. Almost never made it to the end, it felt like if dragged on.

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Intriguing but ultimately a bit hollow

The story did suck you in but then became a bit flat … A nice time filler

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very good

A tad slow to start but very gripping towards the middle. Well written and read, a good read!

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Interesting descriptive read

I really like the descriptive way this story has been written. Even although I found it quite predictable I enjoyed the story. X

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Unique and Devilishly Dark and Delicious - I loved

It took me a while to warm up to this but once it took a hold, it was fiendishly addictive. It really did give me hours and hours of top quality story telling and total immersion in another world with, twist after turn and just what I love to escape to and relax with at the end of the day.

Part of my initial failure to engage was, I think, down to the narration, which while fine, bar a few mispronunciations like chaise longue, was just miscast as sounded much too old for a twenty something just starting out.

At the beginning also, it seemed the word "arcane" cropped up in every sentence which makes me wonder are there any editors left in the world - but after this slightly self conscious start it really took off and I was gripped.

I have to say I am not a fan of museums (though I have been to many), not fascinated by history and zero interest in Tarot Cards and I did not like any of the characters - but I had such a wonderful time listening to this unique book, So if you are reading the blurb and think New York/Museums/Artifacts/Tarot cards are not my bag, do not let this put you off at all as it is a unique and captivating book.

It took me such a long time to finish it as I was enjoying it so much, I did not want to miss a word.
Recently two books I really enjoyed, including this one, have been compared unfavourably to Donna Tartt's work.
I have yet to really get into or finish any of Donna Tartt's highly acclaimed books, so I would suggest they appeal to a different audience of reader/listener and not to be put off by this.

No spoilers but my main - and really only small niggle - is about the sailing details and safety protocols as I would have thought experienced sailors would have strict protocols as with most sports, when people take them seriously they have a safety checklist and that rankled a little.
However this was a minuscule fly in a very, very delicious and enthralling ointment so I am happy to suspend disbelief on this one. The writing was so evocative and intriguing I really got immersed and felt like I had seen a film more than read a book and indeed I hope it will be brought to the screen as would be a cracker of a movie.

In the crowded murder mystery thriller market, where there is so much sub par fare, The Cloisters really stands out for its excellent writing and story telling talent and I am adding Katy Hays to instant pre-order status for her next book, which I am looking forward to already!

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Good idea could have been better executed…

I agree with other comments about the narrator, not the best. There were some good ideas here - using Tarot cards was good - but there was just something that was lacking in the characters - I can’t help feeling if I had read it myself it would have been better. The narrator really didn’t help with this book all about fortune, fate, choices and history.

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Too much hyperbole.

It's unfair that The Cloisters has been offered up as equal to The Secret History because it simply isn't. The protagonist of The Cloisters is just a bit...dull and the rest of the characters lack enough depth to really care about them.
The narration is flat but oddly breathless with strange pronunciation of some words. Not unmissable.

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This could have been so much more

I loved the idea behind this, but it took far too long to get going. The idea of the Tarot cards was great, I just feel they could have played more of a part. The conclusion at the end was actually the best bit.

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could have engaged me more

for me it was slow to start and to fast at end, the setting is lovely the characters a mixture . a good book but not a must read

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Superb story telling!

I loved this story so much that at the end I restarted it and listened right through again. She’s so good at describing her inner process, but also the fascinating environment of the Cloisters and the characters populating it. And the twists and turns are so well plotted! I didn’t see the reveal coming until it arrived. Highly recommended! And well read, which matters a lot to me.

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