My Sister's Grave

Tracy Crosswhite, Book 1

By: Robert Dugoni

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

The first book in the series that has garnered millions of fans across the globe, from New York Times best-selling author Robert Dugoni. Tracy Crosswhite has spent 20 years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House - a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder- is the guilty party.

Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers. When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking.

As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past - and open the door to deadly danger.

©2014 Robert Dugoni (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Dugoni does a superior job of positioning [the plot elements] for maximum impact, especially in a climactic scene set in an abandoned mine during a blizzard - which is melodramatic but nevertheless effective.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Combines the best of a police procedural with a legal thriller, and the end result is outstanding...Dugoni continues to deliver emotional and gut-wrenching, character-driven suspense stories that will resonate with any fan of the thriller genre.” (Library Journal)

“Yes, a conspiracy is revealed, but it’s an unexpected one, as moving as it is startling...The ending is violent, suspenseful, even touching. A nice surprise for thriller fans.” (Booklist, starred review)

A sister never gives up

What did you love best about My Sister's Grave?

I enjoyed Tracy sharing memories of her sister, learning how much they loved each other. Tracy never gave up looking for his sister and was very determined to learn the truth of what happened to her.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There were a few dull moments, but for the most part I was entertained throughout the book. I liked that there were several twists that could have led to various outcomes. I went back and forth on who I thought the murderer was a few times, so it wasn't completely clear-cut.

What three words best describe Emily Sutton-Smith’s voice?

Very good narrator. (Another book that could really use both male and female readers, but all in all it wasn't a bad listen.$

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes! There is a chant that the sisters said with each other and it is first revealed in flash-backs. It is an important part of the plot toward the end of the book, and it reinforced how much the sisters cared for each other.

Any additional comments?

This is the first book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. I have download the second book, although I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I am looking forward to see how Tracy gets on with her life.

Mediocre, at best

Would you try another book from Robert Dugoni and/or Emily Sutton-Smith?

No

What could Robert Dugoni have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The dialogue and descriptions tended to be clichéd and stilted. There was not a lot of flow in the book, like each sentence was completely separate from the other as opposed to building upon one another.

What didn’t you like about Emily Sutton-Smith’s performance?

Her voice didn't seem to emote with the narration. It was very one-note, it was jarring to hear her speak for a male character - instead distinguishing between characters to evoke the feeling of separate speakers, it just sounded like her doing a funny voice.

Was My Sister's Grave worth the listening time?

No

Kept my attention

I enjoyed it thoroughly overall. The narrator had to mimic male voices throughout, though, and a few were rather annoying.

Can't get past awful narration

What disappointed you about My Sister's Grave?

I don't know what the story is - the reader's voice was so flat that my mind kept wandering. Absolutely no audio clues as to what was going on, pretty much a failure for an audio rendition.

What could Robert Dugoni have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Demanded another narrator.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

100%. Reviews were mixed and audio snippet was not that bad but unless you are tied to a chair in a closet and have no other distraction, pass on this one.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Refund

Any additional comments?

I always wonder about the author's creative control over narration and if there is any corollary to proof reading.

Back and forth, up and down

The basic plot was interesting, but the implementation was weird. I found myself really liking parts, but the next moment totally lost patience. For one thing, it was not quite believable that the police and others in authority could be so stupid. All of them, not just one side or the other. And on top of all that, why do we have to hear about the quality of the heroine's orgasm in the middle of the legal tension, when so much else was left out? Oh, I should add also, the narrator was wrong for this piece. My dog seemed to like her voice, but the dog didn't understand that this was supposed to be a really suspenseful and violent police/legal thriller. I'd be returning this if Audible hadn't made it so cheap.

I couldn't listen fast enough!

I was looking for a new author to listen to and stumbled across Robert Dugoni and ... OMG ... what an awesome writer! This story takes so many twists and turns till the very end. I have already downloaded his next books in this series.

In and out...

Captured my attention in and out throughout the book. It was okay. I read it, but wouldn't recommend to book club. Eh!

Excited for a new series

I liked the narrator except that some of the accents were annoying.
I used to listen to the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter until she switched narrators and now I can't get through a few minutes of any of the books. Ever since then I have just been picking random books and hoping for the best so as long as this author doesn't switch to some horrible narrator too, I think I've finally found a series I can fully get into again!

Finally something different.

Most police / mysteries are entertaining, but similar and formulaic. Others are unique, but outlandish... This is truly great story that not the standard police mystery, but not ridiculous either. Very enjoyable!

Great book

Unsure why people didn't like it. The narrator was good, story was interesting, plot was not predictable.