>
Showing posts with label #HarperCollinsUKAudio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #HarperCollinsUKAudio. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 September 2026

To All the Men I've Killed Before (Kitty Collins #3) by Katy Brent


🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by 
Victoria Morrison and Imogen Front🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"If a man hurt your best friend – like, really hurt her – what would you do?

Key his car? Broadcast what a scumbag he is to everyone in his life? Hunt him down and chop him into little pieces? If you picked number 3, I think we could be friends. Because that is exactly what I intend to do.

I've tracked this lowlife to LA and brought my little sister Antoinette along for the ride. It's like a girls' trip, only with more knives.

It won't be the first time I've killed for revenge. But it will be the sweetest."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

A brilliant finale packed with dark humour 

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I have to say the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Their performances captured all the sharp wit, chaotic energy, and underlying tension perfectly.

Kitty Collins is back, and this time she is taking her unique brand of vigilante justice across the Atlantic to sunny LA. The setting swap from rainy UK to chaotic Hollywood adds such a fun, glamorous backdrop to all the gory carnage. Escorting her on this trip is her younger sister Antoinette, who turns out to be quite the apprentice in murder, even if her messy tendencies leave Kitty doing plenty of cleanup. The dynamic and banter between the two sisters was easily one of my favourite parts of the entire story.

The plot moves at a relentless pace as Kitty sets out to avenge a friend, only to find herself mixed up in even more twisty chaos over in California. Katy Brent balances absolute bloodthirsty revenge with laugh out loud comedy so effortlessly. It is dark, unapologetic, and packed with that satisfying girl power energy where terrible men get exactly what is coming to them.

I am honestly quite sad that this is the final book in the series. I am going to miss Kitty terribly, as she has been such an iconic character from start to finish. Having said that, with Antoinette bringing so much chaotic potential to the table, it makes me wonder if we might get a new spin-off series featuring her in the future.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts.

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧


Saturday, 8 March 2025

Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine [Audiobook]


🎙🎙🎙Narrated by Jeremy Vine🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:


"The first in a brand new murder mystery series now!

There's a killer on the airwaves … and they're calling for you.

Darkness looms over sunny Sidmouth, when an unsolved murder comes to the attention of late-night radio talk show host Edward Temmis.

Recently sacked from his beloved job after a devastating tragedy, Edward is cast adrift – until he meets Stevie, whose grandmother, a devoted listener, died in a suspicious fire last year. Well, nobody hurts his listeners and helping Stevie might just give him the purpose he needs.

Joined by his old fling, Kim, they discover Stevie's grandmother wasn't the only one of his listeners targeted – this is just the tip of the iceberg.

But who is pursuing his ageing audience and why? And can Edward, Stevie and Kim get to the bottom of this mystery before it’s too late?"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

Unfortunately, this was a 'did not finish' book for me. I just couldn't get on with Jeremy Vine's voice as the narrator - I found him stilted and didn't project the characters very well. I don't mind listening to him on the radio but he shouldn't have narrated this book which ruined it for me. As a consequence, I couldn't get into the story or the characters so had to stop listening.

Unless the narrator is changed, I will not be following this series but thank you to the author, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this book.

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

Sunday, 13 October 2024

Dead Man Walking by M.K. Murphy [Audiobook]


 ðŸŽ™ðŸŽ™ðŸŽ™ Narrated by Ethan Kelly 🎙🎙🎙

Description from the Publisher:

"His team is compromised
As dusk falls the night before the trial of notorious crime boss Thomas Unwin, the prosecution’s star witness is brutally murdered, his killer escaping in plain sight from a secure hotel.

His girlfriend is in danger
Detective Rick Turner spent months building the case against Unwin, and he’s not willing to give up now. But Unwin has one final trick up his sleeve to turn the trial in his favour: he has Rick’s girlfriend, Jess, kidnapped in a plan to coerce Rick into throwing his own testimony.

The biggest case of his life hangs in the balance
Faced with a stark choice, Rick must find Jess or give false testimony which would cost him his career and let Unwin walk free. But with the net closing in Rick must soon face a terrifying truth: the killer is closer to him than he ever expected, and as the case turns personal there is no one he can trust, not even his closest colleagues…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This is the first in a new series starring Detective Rick Turner and I, for one, became totally immersed and engrossed in the story.

I admit to initially thinking that this wasn't going to be the book for me as it took me a while to get into it but once I did, I couldn't stop listening so desperate was I to find out how it all worked out and I wasn't disappointed.

With great characters, an intriguing plot, some great twists and excellent narration, this is a really good start to a new series and one which I am looking forward to reading/listening to more of in the future.

Many thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ Digital and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this great start to a new series.

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧




Saturday, 17 August 2024

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay [Audiobook]


🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by George Newburn and Johnathan McClain 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"How would you react in a life-or-death situation?

It’s a question everyone asks themselves, but few have to face in real life. English teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others, but when Mark LeDrew shows up at Richard’s school with a bomb strapped to his chest, Richard immediately jumps into action. Thanks to some quick thinking, he averts a major tragedy and is hailed as a hero, but not all the attention focused on him is positive.

Richard’s brief moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle. The situation rapidly spirals out of control, drawing Richard into a fraught web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth he discovers that there’s something deeply wrong in the town—something that ties together Mark, the blackmailer, and a gang of ruthless drug dealers, and Richard has landed smack in the middle of it. He’s desperate to find a way out, but everyone in his life seems to be hiding something, and trusting the wrong person could cost him everything he loves.

What price will he pay for one good deed?"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I have read a few of Linwood Barclay's novels before and have enjoyed them for what they are ... suspense and action filled stories that entertain and I Will Ruin You is no exception.

Richard's day starts off like any other day but soon turns into a nightmare and it doesn't get any better.  A student threatening to blow up the school, accusations about inappropriate behaviour with students, drug dealers, another teacher stirring the pot, murder and so much more.  

The action and suspense start from the beginning and doesn't let up until the end; yes you have to suspend reality whilst listening but this was easy to do and I just enjoyed the ride and the twists as they came along.  The narrators were excellent and really brought the characters and story to life.

Definitely recommended for people who love this author's work and enjoy an action-packed thriller that's full of suspense and twists that you can lose yourself within its pages for a few hours.

Many thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen and share my thoughts of this suspenseful book.


👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:


👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Linwood Barclay I have read and reviewed:

Sunday, 16 June 2024

The Deadly Spark by Roxie Key [Audiobook]


🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Imogen Wilde 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"Once secrets catch… they spread…

Deadly fires are lighting up Brighton, and the latest case is alarmingly close to home for DC Eve Starling. The blaze was deliberately set, and a mother and daughter didn’t make it out of the smoke.

Eve’s investigation takes her deep into her own uncomfortable past. When her key witness disappears, and with the killer always one step ahead, Eve is desperate to solve the case – whatever the cost.

But Eve has no idea how close she is to the flames, and playing with fire can get you burned…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This is a solid debut from yet another good British author that I am looking forward to reading more of.

The story-line is told from different perspectives and in past and present timelines which I found a little confusing as I was listening to the book rather than reading it; I definitely think it would have been easier to follow had I been reading an actual book.  The plot was engaging and the characters were well developed, especially Eve, and they are pretty likeable and relatable.  The pace was a little slow to begin with but it ramps up as the story moves on when the tension and suspense increases.

Overall, a decent police procedural with a good narrator who kept me engaged even in the slower parts and I must thank the author, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Deadly Spark.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:


🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

Saturday, 18 May 2024

Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor [Audiobook]


🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Clare Corbett 🎙🎙🎙
 
Description from Goodreads:

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Alexandra, Lucy, Bridget, River and Natalie. Five friends who wish they’d never met. Because the one thing they have in common is the worst thing in their lives: they are all being stalked.

When one of their group is murdered, days after their stalker is released from prison, time stands still for them all. They know their lives could end just as brutally at any moment—all it takes is for the people they fear the most to catch up with them.

When the group receive a threat that one of them will die in ten days’ time, the terror that stalks their daily lives becomes all-consuming. But they know they don’t want to be victims anymore—it’s time to turn the tables and finally get their revenge.

Because the only way to stop a stalker is to become one yourself…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I have read a few books by C.L. Taylor and have mostly enjoyed them and would say that I am a bit of a fan and this, her latest, didn't disappoint.  I quickly became engrossed in the stories of the main characters and I was totally drawn in until the end.

With really interesting characters, a gripping story line and absolutely excellent narration, this is a book that had me gripped so much so, I found myself wanting to get stuck in traffic just so I could listen for a bit longer! 

I would definitely recommend this to lovers of psychological thrillers and would definitely recommend this as an audiobook, the narrator was absolutely brilliant and really brought the characters to life and captured their tension, fear and desperation.

Thank you must go to the author, HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this riveting book.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:



👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by C.L. Taylor that I have read and reviewed:


Sunday, 24 September 2023

The Sentence by Christina Dalcher [Audiobook]


🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Laurel Lefkow and Greg Lockett 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"A law intended to end capital punishment.

Prosecutors who seek the death penalty put their lives on the line if the guilty are later found innocent.

A lawyer convinced beyond reasonable doubt.

Justine Boucher is presented with overwhelming evidence in a brutal murder case. Her request for execution is granted.

But what if she’s wrong?"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This is a riveting and thought-provoking legal thriller set in a future America where the sentence of a death penalty for the most heinous crimes comes with a catch ... if the person is subsequently found to be innocent, the prosecutor gets the death sentence as well!!!

Justine is a prosecutor who was instrumental in creating the new law but following the murder of her husband and whilst in the throes of grief, she takes on the case of Jake Milford, a man accused of murdering a little boy.  The evidence is strong and he gets the death penalty.  Years later, new evidence comes to the fore and Justine has to decide whether she faces the consequences or runs but all is not as it seems.

Told from the perspective of Justine and from Jake's perspective whilst on death row, this is a riveting book with some great twists and tense moments that I thoroughly enjoyed.  The narrators were excellent and really brought the characters to life.

Highly recommended to those of you who enjoy a good legal thriller and thank you to the author, HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Sentence.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:




Sunday, 30 April 2023

The Fall by Louise Jensen [Audiobook]


🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Helen Keeley  🎙🎙🎙

Description from Publisher:

"She promised not to tell. They made sure she couldn’t…

At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.

Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.

Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.

Because some secrets are worth killing for…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This was an enjoyable book to listen to partly because of the mystery surrounding who pushed Caily off the bridge but also because of the excellent narration.

There are lots of elements and sub-stories to this book which created additional mystery to an already intriguing story.  There are a lot of characters and the book is told from multiple points of view however, whilst you might think this would be confusing, it is anything but ... the narrator does an excellent job of being able to distinguish between each of the characters with subtle changes.

Louise Jenson managed to create a lot of tension and some great plot twists that caught me off guard.  The pace worked well for me and I found myself looking for reasons to listen for a bit longer ... even hoping for a traffic jam!!!

Overall, a really good book to read/listen to with loads to hold your interest and my thanks go to HQ an imprint of HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Fall.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:


👀👀👀👀👀👀

Check out my review of The Stolen Sisters also by Louise Jensen




 

Sunday, 16 April 2023

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto [Audiobook]


🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by Eunice Wong🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing …

Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

After initially thinking "oh dear, I'm not going to like this", the more I listened the more I grew to love Vera Wong.

Vera lives on her own after the death of her husband, her son being successful and not in her life quite as much as she would like.  Once a thriving tea shop, Vera Wang's World Famous Tea House is now on it's last legs having only one regular customer so when she discovers a dead body in the middle of her shop one morning, she decides it has to be murder and begins to investigate and find out who killed Marshall.

Using her own logic, Vera decides that those who turn up at her shop to ask questions about the body immediately become suspects and she begins to ingratiate herself into their lives using her forthright nature, a little bit of manipulation, fantastic cooking and, if course, tea.

As the story develops, we get to know each of the characters and suspects more so by the end, you don't want any of them to be guilty of murder but one of them must be surely?

This is definitely within the 'cosy mystery' genre and whilst there is little action, I was caught up in the story hook, line and sinker and desperate to know what the ultimate outcome was going to be and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

The narrator was excellent and she totally drew me into the story and into Vera's life.  This, for me, was definitely a book to listen to rather than to read myself and I am hopeful that Vera will do more investigating in the future.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:




 

Sunday, 5 March 2023

Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay [Audiobook]

 


🎤🎤🎤Narrated by Ako Mitchell🎤🎤🎤

Description from Goodreads:

"These headlights are watching you…

The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.

As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.

But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.

Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?

Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I would say that this book is a cross between Christine and The Terminator and is one crazy ride!

Garrett Island's inhabitants have had all their cars removed and self-driving and fully automated 'Arrivals' given to them as an experiment.  Arrivals are aware of each other and of everything around them ... gone are accidents, speeding, dints and scrapes; well, that's the theory anyway and it works until someone throws a spanner in the works and all hell breaks loose.

There's some great characters; I especially liked Bruce, Kate and Archie.  The story is solid and the action comes thick and fast and whilst I found it a very entertaining story which I enjoyed, I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the actual book as the narration just didn't do it for me unfortunately and it just didn't seem to be right for the story somehow. 

Overall, a great book that makes you think twice about what the future is likely to hold and my thanks go to HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Look Both Ways.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:


👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Linwood Barclay I have read and reviewed:




Sunday, 5 February 2023

Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah [Audiobook}


🎤🎤🎤 Narrated by Tania Rodrigues ðŸŽ¤ðŸŽ¤ðŸŽ¤


Description from Goodreads:

"You can choose your house. Not your neighbours.

Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen.

Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner she put in her front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead.

But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher and higher, it's clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This is a tense story of how one seemingly innocuous action can spiral out of control resulting in tragedy and heartache.

Salma, Bill and Zain move into their new home in the hopes of making a fresh start.  The move has stretched them financially but they are determined to make the best of things and when they are invited to a barbecue in order to get to know their neighbours, things appear to be going well. However, when Zain's banner is removed from their front garden and dumped on their lawn by their neighbour, Tom, things quickly start to escalate culminating in a horrendous incident which leaves on of the characters in a coma and another standing trial for attempted murder.

This a really tense and, sadly, believable story of how misunderstandings, intolerance and lies can ruin lives.  The characters aren't particularly likeable and this did mean that I actually didn't care what the outcome was for any of them but I did enjoy getting there and the twists and turns along the way!

The narrator, Tania Rodrigues, was excellent and really brought the story to life.

I have never read or listened to anything by Kia Abdullah before but I will certainly be keeping my beady eyes and ears open in the future and I must thank HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Those People Next Door.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:




 

Sunday, 8 January 2023

The Judas Tree by Amanda Jennings [Audiobook]


Narrated by Joe Jameson

Description from Goodreads:

"At a bleak boys boarding school in Cornwall in the eighties when bullying is rife, Will and his best friend Luke are involved in a horrific incident that results in Luke leaving.

Twenty-five years later their paths cross again and memories of a painful childhood come flooding back to haunt them both.

Will’s wife, Harmony, is struggling after a miscarriage that has hit her hard, and wishes Will would open up about what happened. But as Will withdraws further, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic stranger from her husband’s past, Luke, and soon all three are caught in a tangled web of guilt, desire and revenge…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

I was unsure where this story was going for most of it but I was intrigued and once it got there, it had me hooked.

Will is married to Harmony; their marriage is somewhat strained and when they meet Will's childhood friend, Luke, at a party, things begin to unravel in spectacular style.

With increasing tension and a realisation that things are becoming more sinister, I found The Judas Tree almost impossible to stop listening to and this was helped by the narrator, Joe Jameson, who was great; he kept me engaged and really brought the characters to life.

This is a very powerful story of how bullying and trauma in childhood can impact the rest of your life and shape the choices you make and if ever there was an advert not to be a bully, this is it and I must give my thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen and share my thoughts of The Judas Tree.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:



 

Sunday, 30 October 2022

How to Kill Men and Get Away with It by Katy Brent [Audiobook]



Narrated by Victoria Morrison

Description from Goodreads:

"Meet Kitty Collins.
FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

Have you ever walked home at night, keys in hand, ready to throw a punch in self-defence? That’s how it all started. The killing spree, I mean.

I sort of tripped into this role… Literally. The first one was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone. I pushed him, he stumbled, and fell onto his own broken wine bottle. Oops. It was such a waste of a good house white.

But now I can’t seem to stop and nor do I want to… I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

Outrageously funny, wicked and addictive!

Kitty Collins is a social media influencer; totally loaded and with a lifestyle and friends that show it but when she is followed home by a creep that won't take no for an answer and he accidently ends up dead and then it happens again when all she wanted was an apology, Kitty finds herself a new calling ... getting rid of similar despicable men and so begins a riotous journey into the life of Kitty Collins.

I'm not going to pretend that this is a believable story but it is fun and I enjoyed the ride.  I found myself giggling like a school girl at totally inappropriate moments and holding my breath with anticipation at others.  

The characters are great - not all of them particularly likeable but then I think that's the point; the pace is perfect and the major twist, whilst I half guessed it, was a surprise and that ending ... very satisfying and leaves me wondering if there is more to come from Kitty Collins?

The narrator, Victoria Morrison, was brilliant and captured Kitty's voice as I imagined it perfectly along with all the other characters; she did an excellent job.

Highly entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it; I was even hoping for a traffic jam so I could keep listening for longer and so I must give a thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ Digital and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:


 

Sunday, 11 September 2022

The Last House on the Cliff by Anne Wyn Clark [Audiobook]

 


Narrated by Gloria Sanders

Description from Publisher:

"When a young widow’s little girl vanishes, could a dark family secret hold the answer?

On the death of her aunt Gwyn, Lowri returns once more to Gwyn’s home on the remote island of Anglesey, Wales, with her young daughter Ruby in tow. Lowri hadn’t seen her aunt in years, but this beautiful island offers a fresh start.

Yet right away, strange things begin to happen. Ruby insists an old woman is visiting her when no one else is watching, and a tattered old doll keeps being left for Ruby to find.

Then Ruby goes missing. Desperately seeking answers no one seems to have, Lowri looks to her dark family past for clues. But the secrets she uncovers suggest that Ruby is not the only one in danger, and time is running out – for both of them…"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

This is a dark and creepy mystery/thriller that kept me engaged from the start.

Lowri hasn't had the happiest lives so far and when she returns to Anglesey on the death of her beloved aunt, Gwyn, she thinks this might be the start of a better life for her and her daughter, Ruby.  Little does she know what nightmare awaits.

The location and setting of this story is genius; the author captures the small island village and the ever present dangerous cliffs together with the dark and creepy atmosphere of the house perfectly and I was transported there by her excellent and vivid descriptions.

There are quite a few characters and it did take me a while to get a grasp on them all but they are an interesting and eclectic bunch and not all of them are particularly likeable but all fit in and have their place in the story.

The story itself is a complex one of historical family trauma that spans generations.  There is a pervading sense of the creepy and the unsettling from the start with some great twists culminating in a very satisfying ending that brought everything together.

The narrator was excellent; her voice was absolutely perfect for the story and I actually think I enjoyed it more because of her narration.  Would I have enjoyed it had I read it rather than listened?  I think so but I would definitely have had trouble with pronouncing the Welsh words!

Overall, a great audio book to keep you company whilst driving, cleaning or doing just about anything that doesn't need a lot of thought and many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts on The Last House on the Cliff.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:


Sunday, 14 August 2022

The Serial Killer's Daughter by Alice Hunter [Audiobook]

 


Narrated by Heather Long and Ciaran Saward

Description from Goodreads:

"Is murder in the blood?

In a sleepy Devon village, a young girl is taken from the streets. Local vet, Jenny, is horrified. This kind of thing doesn’t happen here.

But it’s not the first time she’s been so close to a crime scene. The daughter of a prolific serial killer, she’s spent her whole life running from who she really is.

And the crime is harrowingly similar to those her father committed all those years ago…

But she’s not her father’s daughter.

Is she?"

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

As with the first in the series, The Serial Killer's Wife, this is not your usual serial killer story and although this is the second book, you don't have to have read the first ... this can be listened to/read as a standalone very easily.

Jenny is a local vet living with her husband and 2 children in a quiet village in Devon where nothing usually happens but then a young woman goes missing, Jenny is having blackouts and someone is leaving her "presents" on her doorstep.  Jenny starts to doubt her own sanity and suspects those around her but could it be related to her father, the serial killer known as The Painted Lady Killer?  Is Jenny taking after her father?

This is a great book to listen to and although it's a slow burner, it certainly kept me engaged throughout.  It's full of suspense and mystery with a great twist at the end and I particularly liked the narrators who did a great job.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to The Serial Killer's Daughter and share my thoughts.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author:



👀👀👀👀👀👀

Other books by Alice Hunter I have read and reviewed:



Sunday, 8 May 2022

Every Little Secret [Audiobook] by Sarah Clarke

 


Narrated by Katy Federman

Description from Goodreads:

"From the outside, it seems Grace has it all. Only she knows about the cracks in her picture-perfect life… and the huge secret behind them. After all, who can she trust?

Her brother Josh is thousands of miles away, and he and Grace have never been close – he was always their parents’ favourite.

Her best friend Coco walked away from her years ago, their friendship irreparably fractured by the choices they’ve made.

And her husband Marcus seems like a different man lately. Grace can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something.

But when her seven-year-old daughter makes a troubling accusation, Grace must choose between protecting her child and protecting her secret… before she loses everything."

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧

"Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth." 
Buddha

From the outside, Grace, Marcus and their daughter Kaia appear to be a happy family who have it all but, below the surface, secrets lie which threaten to tear their lives apart.

This was a good book to listen to; it started strong, had a few chapters that dragged on a bit but then finished strong.  The story is told from 3 timelines and from multiple points of view but whilst I did get lost a few times, this was probably because I was dipping in and out of the audiobook rather than listening to it in big chunks but I soon got back on track.

The characters are strong and well developed and whilst they might not be the most likeable people in the world, I didn't think it mattered too much to me in this particular instance.

The story and plot were interesting and it was a real puzzle trying to work out who was telling the truth and how it was all going to end which I really enjoyed.  There are a number of twists and the ending was great.

Overall, a good domestic, family thriller which the narrator did a good job of distinguishing between the characters and keeping you engaged.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and share my thoughts.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Connect with the author: