Once Upon a Lane

by Duncan Wilson

Creepy Lane, Character-Driven!

The author, Duncan Wilson, takes an ordinary place – a Neighborhood or Lane and turns it into something more frightening.  He takes a place that seems normal and unblemished and exposes it for far worse.  The Lane has taken on a life of its own.   The people who seem normal, are not normal.  The Lane has secrets, a life that one must look hard to see.  It is a haunting story that shows one is not safe even in a small neighborhood where everyone knows your name.  Wilson uses his characters to drive the story – including the Lane. 

Wilson seems to imply the house with the dead lawn is encroaching, is growing, is like a drug, an evil that grows unchecked except by one old, hateful resident.  We are shown that residents on the lane are much more than their well-manicured lawns, smiles, and niceness – they have experienced loss, joy, fear, and anger.  Wilson could tell us who is evil and who is not, but instead, he leaves it to the listener to determine the true story of the Lane and its residents!

Although there are a lot of characters, Wilson gives them a depth that allows the listener to understand them and know them – connect them with people in their own life.  This is a rare book that is driven by the characters and is not action-packed.  Wilson tells the story of the Lane with ease.  An accomplished storyteller, Wilson leaves his listener haunted.

The narrator, Bic Sheaffer gives a delightful performance that makes it easy for the story to flow smoothly and the listener to hear the characters.  Sheaffer’s performance had a cadence that kept the listener entertained and spoke in a soothing tone. 

The audio production and quality of this audiobook were excellent.  There were no issues.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book after I understood Wilson’s style of storytelling.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.