The Golden Room

by Irving Wallace

Narrated by: Robert Ferraro

Everly Yours Revealed!

Irving Wallace, the author, does a great job of combining history with fiction surrounding Chicago and some of its most notorious citizens.  This story is particularly focused on the visit of Prince Henry of Prussia to the Everleigh House making his presence far more important to their livelihood than in real life.  The two sisters that created and ran this famous elite and exclusive gentleman’s club is vividly described and developed into being less self-centered than most businessmen are known to be when faced with adversity.  However, bringing in the serial killer, Dr. Holmes was a stroke of genius on Wallace’s part.  Blending the two non-related incidents into connected occurrences was well done. 

Wallace takes his time building each character fully and guiding the listener into seeing both sides of each character – for example, the sisters are running a house of prostitution, yet they are sensitive and fall victim to politics and the media until they have the opportunity to be magnanimous and save the Everleigh and their niece’s wedding plans.  

Wallace brings in suspense, thrills, romance, politics, murder, and more into one story.  This book has it all.  It is well-done, with gasp-inducing moments.  While he does take some liberty with the timing of different events, one can easily overlook this as the book is gripping and rich in its creative content.

The narrator, Robert Ferraro, gives a solid performance by giving life to the characters in a manner that is rich and evocative.  His narration flows smoothly and easily as he provides a unique voice to each character allowing the listener to follow the story.  His timing is instinctual, and he gives a convincing performance for each character.

The cover is a bit misleading as it does not represent the early 1900’s time period, so if you purchase a book by its cover as I am want to do; don’t.  This book is much better than the cover implies.  The time of this book is a bit unsettling as one cannot tell if it is set in the late 1800s or early 1900s and the cover contributes to this confusion.  Regardless, this is a good solid book with a solid performer.

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