This is border line cruel… but whoever voiced Stella is less human than Siri. I found myself “one chapter into Stella” desperately hoping that she’d be the one murdered so I wouldn’t have to hear the reader again. Never has someone so over articulated every single word and consonant. Have you ever watched the original Iron Chef… no… not the American version… the one from Japan with voice overs circa the early 2000’s? THAT is the closest approximation I can come to of how stiff and horrible (but not quite as funny) is the “voice” of Stella. Please, please, please, for the future of all listeners… relax a little. Read your lines more like you would talk to a friend. Not. Like. Someone. Who. Is. So. Traumatized. They. Need. To. Speak. Like. A. Robot. Throughout. The. Entire. Story.
Other than that tiny little (glaringly painful and excruciatingly painful) part of this story; it’s fine. Maybe even good. The Great British baking show meets murder.
Read it. But maybe, don’t listen to it. Unless you have a crush on Siri or Alexa.