Blue Monday

Frieda Klein, Book 1

By: Nicci French

Narrated by: Beth Chalmers

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

The stunning first book in a new series of psychological thrillers introducing an unforgettable London psychotherapist.

Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.

The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.

Drawing listeners into a haunting world in which the terrors of the mind have spilled over into real life, Blue Monday introduces a compelling protagonist and a chilling mystery that will appeal to listeners of dark crime fiction and fans of In Treatment and The Killing.

©2012 Nicci French (P)2012 Penguin

Critic reviews

“Fast-paced and spooky…it leaves readers with the promise of intriguing tales to come.” (People)

“A neat puzzle with a satisfying resolution and a terrific twist at the end.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“A superb psychological thriller…With its brooding atmosphere, sustained suspense, last-minute plot twist, and memorable cast of characters, this series debut will leave readers eager to discover what color Tuesday will be.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

terrific story!

well worth listening to, thoroughly enjoyed! buying the next book in the series right now!

Hard to follow, but gripping at times

It wasn't until I was about two thirds of the way into this before I figured out who was who and what was going on. And this was in no small part due to reading every review I could. As mentioned in the headline, this was gripping at times; ultimately, though, the parts are greater than the whole. Individual scenes work, but this doesn't work as a novel. The promise is there for Nicci French (the pseudonym of a wife-husband writing team) and I wouldn't be adverse to checking out their other works. Not sure I'd go out of my way to do so, though. Should add, if you're a fan of realistic mysteries, this is not for you. There are so many coincidences and a lot of the things the characters do defy common sense.

Love it

Nice beginning to this series. It will definitely keep you thinking and wanting more later

The most unlikeable protagonist in the history of crime fiction

I actually listened to all the books in this series because, well, that’s what crime fiction junkies do when they find something that’s passable. But I find myself coming back to write this review literally years later because the protagonist of these books annoyed me so much that I sometimes still think about it and it bothers me. Yikes! Perhaps it will work for you, but it didn’t for me!

Engrossing thriller - an easy "read"

I often listen to books when I'm doing something else: walking the dog, stuck in traffic, doing housework. I listen on my smart phone with ear plugs. So I like books that capture my imagination from the get-go but also "easy" to follow along. For instance, I love Balzac but I'm not listening to one of his novels while doing housework! I'd get lost.

I enjoy thrillers because when done well they are zippy and engrossing. This is the first in a series with psychologist Dr. Frieda Klein. So there is some ground work laid with the characters who will be regulars, like Frieda's mentor and also, her handyman. Their storylines aren't germane to this plot, really, so the introductions are a bit awkward. But after that business is done, the plot gets going and moves along. Overall, I'd say the book was well written. I was never bored or tempted to "fast forward". I very much liked Frieda as a protagonist. She's flawed but principled. Although, Frieda makes some very questionable ethical choices when it comes to her profession. In the US you might get your medical license revoked. But I am aware that Brits have different rules when it comes to medicine, especially "public" medicine that is paid for by the government.

I am not sure what the complaints are in some other reviews about the narrator. I loved her, I thought she did a great job with all the voices, both men and women. I could tell which character was talking just by the timbre and cadence.

The plot is about child abduction, so be warned if you're sensitive to that sort of thing. There are a couple of big twits -- a few I saw coming, a few I didn't. Which is always fun.

Planning on reading the other books in this series!

Didn't see that coming!

Where does Blue Monday rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is probably one of the best audiobooks I have listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alan's character was one of my favorites because the turmoil he was experiencing was almost palpable and I found myself really feeling for him. This is not to say the others weren't memorable as well - Matthew drew me in and Freida herself was such a strong figure.

What does Beth Chalmers bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator's voices for the different characters was so spot on...I could picture each of these characters as Chalmers moved in and out of them during conversations. She brought a different type of clarity to the book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Riveting all the way to the last word!

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend the story itself and- as an audiobook - OUTSTANDING! I am downloading the next in the series as soon as I finish this review!

Mixed feelings

It took me a while to get into this book...starting and stopping it several times. I think the way it started with many different unrelated character storylines made it hard to engage initially. However, once I did, I found the story interesting, and enjoyed the many twists (although some of them I anticipated). For some reason, I had trouble relating to the heroin, Frieda. Usually, by the end of a story I have grown fond of the main character and want to read more of their stories. With this one, not so much. I think I liked Joseph more than I liked Frieda. The narration took me a while to get used to...somewhat whiny and nasal, but not horrible. In a nutshell, the story was good, the characters were weak, and the narration was just OK. I don't plan on continuing this series. It just wasn't for me.

Intriguing and Addictive

This is one of those books I think gets even better when read aloud. Beth Chalmers does an amazing job of making all the characters--and there are many--come to life. The main character, psychoanalyst (but really more like a psychotherapist, as there's no Freudian anything, thank goodness) Freida Klein, gets drawn into a mystery/thriller. That said, it's much more subtle a story than those terms can convey. I couldn't stop listening--and then I couldn't stop with the rest of the series, either.

Predictable & a little boring

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It was very predictable. The protagonist & detective relatively boring. Pace too slow and no real suspense.

What three words best describe Beth Chalmers’s voice?

One-note but workmanlike

Was Blue Monday worth the listening time?

Barely.

Two twists I wasn't expecting!

At first, it seemed like she was introducing too many characters at first, and maybe a couple were a little unnecessary, but the ending took me by surprise in a few ways, which I like. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.