Anybody Out There?

Irish native Anna Walsh enjoys her life in New York as a PR person for an upscale cosmetics company. As she meets and falls in love with Aidan Maddox, her life is almost perfect. When tragedy strikes, Anna must rely on her family in Ireland to support her through difficult times. Terry Donnelly's crisp Irish accent embodies Anna and changes subtly to show her tender broken heart. Donnelly ably varies pitch to distinguish between the characters. The production's only drawback concerns the accents of the American characters, who still retain a slight Irish lilt. Nevertheless, Donnelly's smooth lyrical voice will lure listeners into this entertaining audio experience. S.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

March 6, 2006
International bestseller Keyes is back with another quirky, heartwarming story of the Walsh sisters (Angels
, etc.). Anna Walsh has returned to the bosom of her family in the Dublin suburbs to recuperate from the horrendous car accident that has left her with multiple fractures and a disfiguring scar across her face. Desperate to go back to New York and resume her normal life, she soon packs up her bags and returns to her job in beauty PR for punk cosmetics brand Candy Grrrl. A lonely and debilitated Anna leaves e-mails and phone messages for her mysteriously absent husband, Aidan, pleading for him to reply. Just as the reader is bursting with indignation that the cad hasn't contacted her (a quarter of the way into the novel), we learn that Aidan died in the car accident, and that Anna's missives are her way of dealing with grief. Desperate for contact, Anna tries charlatan psychics, celebrity mediums and contacting-the-dead support groups. Meanwhile, she reminisces about their courtship and marriage while her kooky family (especially her Mum and hyperactive PI sister Helen) tries to buoy her spirits. Keyes's trademark blend of humor, diverse characters and a warm but unsentimental tone strikes gold.

September 1, 2006
Keyes returns to the Walsh family with humor and drama by focusing on fourth sister Anna who is recovering from a tragedy in Dublin under Mammy Walsh -s care. Returning to her job in New York as a PR executive for Candy Girrrl cosmetics, Anna has a real desire to reconnect with her now strangely absent husband, Aidan, whether it -s through phone calls, the Internet, support groups, psychics, mediums, or other paranormal activities. Keyes finds the right balance of pathos and wit by entwining Anna -s plight with emails from mom and Helen in two minor subplots that strain believability but keep the book from turning maudlin as Anna -s memory returns. Terry Donnelly provides the characters - dark wit very well. Recommended." -Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NY"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.