The Siren

By: Katherine St. John

Narrated by: Erin Bennett, Christine Lakin, Kamali Minter, Will Collyer

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A Good Housekeeping "Best Beach Read to Add to Your Summer Reading List"

From Katherine St. John, author of The Lion's Den, comes another sublimely escapist thriller: When Hollywood heartthrob Cole Power hires his ex-wife, Stella Rivers, to act in his son's film, he sparks a firestorm on an isolated island that will unearth long-buried secrets - and unravel years of lies.

In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood's most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, starring dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power playing opposite his ex-wife, Stella Rivers. The surefire blockbuster promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.

Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple, very public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a film she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella's mysterious new assistant, harbors designs of her own that threaten to upend everyone's plans.

With a hurricane brewing offshore, each woman finds herself trapped on the island, united against a common enemy. But as deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more perilous than the storm itself.

©2021 Katherine St. John (P)2021 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"[A] well-done ensemble performance.... Narrator Christine Lakin effectively portrays the grit and determination of producer Taylor, with narrator Erin Bennett's softer tones convincingly portraying the drugged-out ex-wife, Stella. Kamali Minter's portrayal of the assistant, Felicity, is especially convincing. The addition of news snippets delivered by Will Collyer adds to the easy flow of the story. (AudioFile Magazine)

"The Siren by Katherine St. John is more than a juicy insight into Hollywood and its enigmatic stars; it's a wry look at the bright lights of fame that can both illuminate and incinerate. Alternating viewpoints of the three strong female protagonists are interspersed with news flashes and insider gossip allowing the reader to get inside the heads of each narrator, and to gather the careful clues and red herrings St. John expertly drops along the way. The exotic Caribbean setting and conflicted characters coupled with an edge-of-your-seat stormy climax makes this a book you will struggle to put down." (Karen White, New York Times best-selling author of The Last Night in London)

"The Siren may start as a gossipy peek behind the scenes of a high-stakes movie shoot, but it quickly spins into an unflinching portrait of the politics of truth and deception in Hollywood.” (Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, best-selling authors of The Royal We and The Heir Affair)

I love this author.

I finished the lions den and instantly started into the Siren. I personally liked the lions den a little better, but this was amazing as well. Her characters are intriguing and her plots are exciting. I really hope she comes out with a new book soon.

Excellent!

I love this book. Wish there was another one like it. Twists and turns and entertaining the whole time.

Empty entertainment

One of those books that is entertaining initially, but begins to drag, especially during a big climatic hurricane sequence. The ending was just too pat. Good narration except for the actress who read Felicity - not a fan of her voice acting.

Very enjoyable

Loved this book and The Lion’s Den. Katherine St. John is one of my new favorites! Fast reads with good plot twists and great character development. The narrators were all fabulous too. Highly recommend this!

Great story, great performance

I bought this book after reading a review from The Tempest and I’m so glad I got to try a new-to-me author. The subject matter is powerful and relevant. The intersecting storylines, laid out over varying time frames, make you invest in the characters to see how they fair while also hoping for accountability to rain down on them.

I don’t normally enjoy audiobooks with multiple narrators, but this was a strong exception. The voices don’t interact with each other, but instead are used to differentiate between main character biographies. So very well done.

Slow start but good book overall

Very slow start I would say till about halfway through. But good book and plot overall

Kept my attention

This was an intriguing book, it kept my attention all the way through. My only real complaint is the narrator for Felicity…. It just didn’t seem to fit the part.

LOVE

This book had me hooked, couldn't stop listening! I want more books with these characters. Narration was PERFECT!

Great story, great performance

I loved it. Characters were well-developed, the story line was compelling. The different voices were done convincingly. Great story if you love Hollywood, the stars, and the stories of their lives!

great performance, ok story

I listened to this after finishing the Lion's Den. overall I preferred that, but this was still a fun thriller I enjoyed the narration, was a little confusing at first and the narrators helped me along. The characters weren't incredibly relatable, but it was a good escape from reality. I think listening would be preferable over reading.