• No Name Lane

  • By: Howard Linskey
  • Narrated by: David Leon
  • Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (176 ratings)

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No Name Lane  By  cover art

No Name Lane

By: Howard Linskey
Narrated by: David Leon
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Publisher's summary

Penguin presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of No Name Lane by Howard Linskey, read by David Leon.

The hunt for a serial killer unearths an unsolved cold case from over 60 years ago. Young girls are being abducted and murdered in the Northeast. Out of favour detective constable Ian Bradshaw struggles to find any leads - and fears that the only thing this investigation will unravel is himself.

Journalist Tom Carney is suspended by his London tabloid and returns to his home village in County Durham. Helen Norton is the reporter who replaced Tom on the local newspaper. Together they are drawn into a case that will change their lives forever.

When a body is found, it's not the latest victim but a decades-old corpse. Secrets buried for years are waiting to be found while in the present day, an unstoppable killer continues to evade justice....

©2016 Howard Linskey (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Howard Linskey is one of the best new writers around and this is the start of a must-read series." (Mark Billingham)
"This is lacerating fare that makes most current crime fiction look like thin gruel." ( Financial Times)
"Linskey has elevated this story to a level of complexity and humanity seldom approached by British writers previously.... A new name on our criminal horizon." (Maxim Jakubowski)
"Gripping and convincing." (Kimberley Chambers)
"Brilliant.... This is first class stuff, an unstoppable tale, a real page-turner not to be missed." (Sarah Broadhurst)
"Serial killer thrillers don't come much better than this. Old secrets and terrible new crimes woven into an immensely satisfying, utterly compelling narrative which keeps you constantly guessing. Fans of Linskey's critically acclaimed David Blake series will already know what an outstanding author he is, everyone else...prepare to add another name to your must-read list." (Eva Dolan)
"Linskey weaves together a compelling and twisty tale that gripped me from page one. If you like Val McDermid's thrillers, you'll love this." (Mark Edwards)
"A new master of the gripping, gritty thriller. Howard Linskey takes you right to the heart of it." (Paul Finch)
"Howard Linskey is one of crime fiction's best-kept secrets. An exciting and intelligent writer with a sure eye for plot. Discover him before others do." (Stav Sherez)

What listeners say about No Name Lane

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Lot to Like, but Weak Narration

This book features a number of plot lines, lots of interesting characters, and twists and turns aplenty for any mystery fan. Trying to figure out "who done it" (I was wrong), getting involved in the main characters (often misfits and second-chancers) lives and troubles, and appreciating the local atmosphere and color all add up to a most satisfying story.

What isn't particularly satisfying, in my opinion, is the narration. David Leon's voice is nice to listen to, and I didn't even mind that he is a traditional "reader" - one who makes no attempt at voice-changing or dramatic interpretation. What I found really difficult was his sad tendency to forge without the slightest pause through obvious switches in the narrative. The various story lines, the main characters, even the timeline changes so abruptly in Leon's reading that I found myself - even when paying close attention - confused and at a loss as to when, where, and even who we were switching to. I'm sure that, in the book, there are spaces and other indicating breaks to help the transition. Leon ignored them.

I think I'll pick up a hard copy of this very good book.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating

I bought this book on a whim for a long car trip and was not expecting much. Surprise ! I did not want to stop the story long enough to fill the gas tank. The story was well developed with multiple subplots. His characters are interesting, well developed with flaws and strengths. Like peeling an onion Howard Linskey reveals complex layers of his characters slowly. Well worth the credit and time.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent police procedural

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

Terrific, understated reader. Just loved the sound of his voice and character interpretations.

Any additional comments?

Very well done, and had enough plot twists to keep me guessing. Early on I thought I'd nailed the identity of the serial killer, but continued anyway because I was enjoying the writing. I was pleased to find that I was wrong. So nice when a mystery breaks the formula.
Will certainly check out more from this author.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrator distracts from good story

This one starts slowly and so took time to seize my interest. However, the author comes up with a good trio of mysteries, ultimately, and sympathetic characters. Others have mentioned that the narrator seems miscast. My main difficulty was understanding his monotone while listening and exercising or working around the house.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good story, but unpleasant protagonists

I liked parts of this very much. But the two male protagonists were so often self-pitying, self-serving, and generally annoying that this marred my ability to engage with a surprising and interesting narrative. I have no more to say, but Audible won't allow succinct statements, so I add this: blah blah blah.


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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Reader needs more voices.

Great story, but hard to tell who is speaking. No difference between female or male voices.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A poor narrator can indeed ruin a book!

I didn’t make it very far in this audiobook. Why, you ask? This is the second narrator of a book I’ve run across who reads words with the letter “s” in an extremely exaggerated way as David Leon lingers on every “s,” creating an “sssssss” in every word.”I’ll be putting David Leon in my lisssssst of narratorsssss to avoid. {{{{Yessssss, I do have ssssssuch a lissssst.}}}} Very disssssapointing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

Engaging narrative, excellent narrator. Will definitely look for more from this author and from narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

No Name Lane is brilliant.

What made the experience of listening to No Name Lane the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed this book tremendously. The characters were fresh and vivid but also very human and believable. I also thoroughly enjoyed the narration and the authentic sounding northern accent.I have just bought another Howard Linkskey book from Audible, only wish there were several more. I have a new favourite author and series to follow,I hope Linskey is a prolific writer.

What was one of the most memorable moments of No Name Lane?

It was all amazing and engaging and totally held my attention for over 12 hours.

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

Great Durham County accent and authentic pronunciation of the local speech. The pace and the rapid change of scene and characters kept me totally focused on the story as it developed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I practically did finish it in one go, it was too hard to turn off before the story ended.

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to more books by this author, it's exciting to find a new writer with this much talent.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

loved it from beginning to the end hope there is a follow up book.
must read.

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