Great review. I used to have doubts whether this would be for me, but now I'm thinking it might be after all. (And I agree on cliffhangers. They're cheap, emotional blackmail -- and a terribly overused nuisance.)
I was reluctant at first, too, but I really did end up enjoying it, especially the narrator, so if you can get your hands on the audiobook, I wholeheartedly recommend 'reading' it that way.