Some mini reviews from audiobooks I borrowed from the library today, its taken me ages to write these reviews mainly because I am quite indifferent about them.
First up :-
In the Dark by Cara HunterSeries: DI Adam Fawley #2
Published by Penguin Random House Audio on July 20 2018
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Pages: 444
Goodreads
Also by this author: Close to Home
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE HIDING IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR?
A woman and child are found locked in a basement room, barely alive.
No one knows who they are — the woman can't speak, and there are no missing persons reports that match their profile. The elderly man who owns the house claims he has never seen them before.
The inhabitants of the quiet Oxford street are in shock. How could this happen right under their noses? But DI Adam Fawley knows that nothing is impossible.
And that no one is as innocent as they seem ...
It’s been a while since I listened to this book, I jumped straight into this after listening to Close to Home which just blew me away. Unfortunately for me, this book just did not work for me. I think it didn’t help I was listening to it when it was the beginning of lockdown and my mind was all over the place. It took me ages to finish it and I lost track of who was who and the story fell flat for me. I feel like I need to justify this and say this is me because looking at the reviews everyone loves it, I just didn’t get on with it.
The premise for this was interesting and I was floored in bits of the story. The twists well I did not see them coming! Tackling dementia, but at the same time making you feel like this Harper was all bad was cleverly done. The real story, however, was just really quite sad. I do enjoy stories that flip everything you know and this is what happens here. Fawley, he can’t get his head around what is going on, and we learn more of his heartbreaking story.
I said it in the last review, I love the introduction of the social media, with snippets from Twitter and Facebook because it can railroad cases and some people, well it shows you how vile some people can be!
Lee Ingleby and Emma Cunliffe did such a fab job of narrating again and I do love listening to the series as I get to hear their voices bring everyone to life. I will definitely listen to the next one in the series, and who knows maybe I will try this one again in the future.
I have the next two in the series ready and waiting for me to carry on.
And the next book on my list is
Snap by Belinda BauerPublished by Transworld Digital on May 3, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Pages: 352
Goodreads
On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long.
But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.
Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.
Meanwhile Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.
But the truth can be a dangerous thing ...
A shocking beginning and you are sucked in. 3 children abandoned on a roadside, unaware of the fate of their mother. Moving forward, Jack, is now in charge of his 2 sisters and keeping them safe and away from the world, but his world is going to start crashing down around him.
I thought the story was really clever, how the chess pieces all moved around the board, never quite touching each other but so close to each other without realising. It was so clever, the only bit of the story I didn’t like is the police Reynolds and Marvel bringing Jack in on the investigation, I thought that is when it got a bit unbelievable.
That aside, I loved their characters, the shortness of tempers and the determination. I loved how close in proximity everything became.
Goldilocks, a case that police are trying to solve when “Goldilocks” breaks into Catherine’s house leaving her a note, all of this could be tied with Jacks mum, right? Jack is also out trying to keep his sisters going and to find his dad who couldn’t cope and abandoned them in the house, some elements I found so hard listening to because how could a parent do this.
When the title Snap means something it made this book so much more powerful. It took me a while to finish this book and that is because I didn’t click with the narrator, while I was enjoying the story bar a few niggles I did struggle with the narrator.
I will definitely pick up another Belinda Bauer book because I was excited by how her book played out, all the near misses and red herrings made for a thrilling read.
Nothing yet but I keep looking at a couple of books at my library, Rubberneck for one. What would you recommend?
Until next time xxx
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
nickimags @ The Secret Library Book Blog says
Fab review! I enjoyed it but I think I also struggled with the narrator at times as well! xx
Zoé says
I just didn’t click with this narrator and these are two reviews I have. Held off for ages because I knew how much people liked them and I didn’t so much xx
Kelly says
I loved Snap! It snapped me right out of a reading slump (see what I did there ?) I also enjoyed The Beautiful Dead and Blacklands by Bauer, I haven’t read Rubbernecker yet.
Zoé says
??? I think my library has them so will read them at some point not listen to them! Lol
Stephen Writes says
Great post, Zoe. I really liked In The Dark, but not as much as Close To Home. Snap is on my TBR!
Zoé says
There was something special about close to home and I think in the dark lacked it. I will carry on with the series though. Snap was good just I lost it with the narrator so will read her books instead lol
carhicks says
Nice, honest reviews Zoé. I have heard good things about Snap, but have not yet snapped it up to read. I did read Rubbernecker and I really liked it.
Zoé says
I’ve not read that one yet. It’s on my list to read