A Murderer's Heart

By: Julie Elizabeth Powell

Narrated by: Melanie Fraser

Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Anne Blake, psychiatrist, is good at her job and believes that even the most sick at heart can be cured...or at least saved enough that they can lead a better life.

But maybe she's wrong?

Maybe within a murderer's heart, evil lurks and nothing can be done except to save yourself?

©2015 Julie Elizabeth Aldridge (P)2015 Julie Elizabeth Aldridge

Great Short Listen!!

Where does A Murderer's Heart rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was a great short listen. One of the best under 5 hour books I have listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think my favorite character had to be Sam. I love the way that the author portrayed him and all the little details of his personality. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of this character.

Have you listened to any of Melanie Fraser’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I have not. Melanie was the absolute perfect choice to perform this book.

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

There is a significant twist in the book. I dare not say much so I don't spoil it for everyone else.

Short, and clever and FANTASTIC!

3 hrs and 49 mins felt so SHORT! I wanted more! A Murderer's Heart is my first Julie Elizabeth Powell book, and i can say it is one of the best short books i have heard! Fantastic! You should just get this, trust me. The suspense of the story is intense and the incidents are haunting! What more do you want? Oh, i know: More! The characters are so real and the story is intriguing i don't want it to end, and when it does: What a fantastic end!

Melanie Fraser is back! YEAH! Where i did not like all she did in Lady Concealed, she is back to her old self from The Final Dawn! Here her voice just fits! I could not image this book without her, and if i could give 6 out of 5 i would! I was thinking "AH, there she is the Melanie Fraser i loved in my first meeting with her" She proves again that when she really tries, she knocks it out of the park! Again Melanie Fraser is in my top 5 narrators, and i cant wait to hear what comes next!

I was given this book for free from the narrator for a honest review! All is my thoughts!

A Great Mystery That Will Keep You Guessing

I really enjoyed listening to "A Murderer's Heart." This was a nicely written murder mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. I had my suspicions but it was a good edge of my seat thrill ride along the way. The characters were terrific, the world-building was good. Every ingredient was added to make this a great murder mystery including and especially the narrator who made everything entirely cohesive.

Melanie Fraser is an absolute delight to listen to no matter what she does and this is no exception. She did a fabulous job reading this audiobook. She's a versatile voice actor who takes a good story right over the top to a great story. She had spot on voice inflections displaying Anne's feelings and emotions. This was an enjoyable listen with excellent fusion between author/narrator.

This audiobook was received in exchange for an honest review.

I'm glad it was a short story..

This was an ok read for me. The dialogue was a little childish at times and you really didn’t know what anyone really looked like. The author could have given more description on that. But it was a good mystery, for the most part. I couldn’t guess who the killer was, and then I was shocked when we did find out. So there was that. And each time the killer killed another victim I couldn’t figure out the connection of the two until Inspector Meakin brought it to my attention. Even with the connection realized I still couldn’t figure out who the killer was, and I liked that.

I also like the secondary characters: Barbara, Jenny, David, Sam, Peter and Meakin.

There was nothing romantic about that so if that’s what you’re looking for, keep looking. Also, I don’t remember one swearword in this book.

As to the narrator: She was terrible. Melanie Fraser did read with emotion when it seemed to suit her, so only occasionally. Her women’s voices were fine, except for the MC, Anne. She sounded like a silly teenager. Her men’s voices were awful. At no time did a man sound like a man. So, until she can sound a little manlier I will not be listening to her. I have no idea how she got 14 four and five star reviews. To each his/her own, I guess. If you like your men sounding like a woman then this book is for you.

Great way to spend the afternoon

I am always astounded at how a writer can create the smoke and mirrors needed to offer up a good mystery. I spent the entire time changing my mind as to who the killer would be...and naturally I was wrong in the end.

This is such a fun story to spend an afternoon with and whittle away a few hours. I suggest a cup of your favorite warm beverage and a couch. If it is raining outside, so much the better. This book was given to me as a gift and it made for an excellent birthday present.

Melanie Fraser once again nails her performance. I wish I could hire her to read me to sleep every night...I guess this will have to do.

Entertaining short mystery

A murderer's heart was a short but entertaining listen. It's about a female psychiatrist who becomes involved in a murder mystery surrounding her and her friends/patients. Well plotted and not predictable, I didn't work out who the villain was until the author made it obvious in the last few chapters. I particularly enjoyed the little romantic twist at the end, which I hadn't seen coming at all. This was a very clean (no profanity, no graphic violence, no sex) novel that was easy to listen to.

The female narrator portrayed the male characters very well, but I initially had problems with the female voices, which I found very high-pitched. I got used to it though.

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.

Stalking, Obsession, Murder

Would you consider the audio edition of A Murderer's Heart to be better than the print version?

I almost always prefer the audio version, There is more of a feel for the personality of the characters and the drama in the audio version.

What did you like best about this story?

The dedication of Anne the psychiatrist.

Have you listened to any of Melanie Fraser’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This one compared well with her other performances. Overall she is a good narrator.

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

It was a short compelling listen that could easily be done in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

People associated in some way with Anne Blake are dying. Colleagues, patients and friends have died from suicides, accidents and murder and Anne's best friend is being stalked. The accidents and suicides are actually murders made to look like accidents and suicides committed by the same serial killer obsessed who is obsessed with Anne. The killer is smart enough in that the killer's victims are patients at the hospital where Anne works though not necessary her own patients. The killer is jealous of Anne's relationship with her patients, friends and patients.

I figured out fairly early in the book who the killer/stalker was and why. Sam is Anne's good friend and gay assistant. However Sam has his own agenda. Sam's true background and nature is revealed toward the end of the book and it was a complete pleasant surprise. The book was very good.


“I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot come”

I HAD A FEELING THE KILLER WAS A WOMAN!!!

If you could sum up A Murderer's Heart in three words, what would they be?

Clever, Suspenseful, Great

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

It did...and it all tied together nicely!

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

She was good...clear a precise...I liked her narration very much!

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

This was not long enough for a movie..but maybe a great episode of CSI!!!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

This was a super interesting mystery...and I had a feeling from like ch 5 that the killer was a woman...I never suspected who though till it was revealed....Anne is a psychiatrist and an overall good person...people around her are being killed and one of her good friends is being stalked...very spooky life stuff...it all ties together nicely at the end..and was an excellent listen start to finish!

Mystery, suspense and some great twists

This is a quick, entertaining read that has suspense, mystery, a bit of romance and some great twists in it. Anne, a female psychologist becomes embroiled in a murder mystery that seems to be somehow linked to her. The story is well written, nicely constructed and the author managed to keep the villain a secret until near the end. The female narrator of the audiobook did a great job of both the male and the female voices, making the characters easily distinguishable. This is an enjoyable murder mystery that well worth the read. I received this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kept me guessing to the end!

Anne Blake and her colleague, Frank Miller, run a psychiatric practice. They spend their days listening to people spin out their woes and do their best to help them where they can. Anne’s secretary, Sam, is a true gem, anticipating her needs with well timed coffee. However, nothing can ease Anne’s mind as some of her patients start turning up dead.

This was a fun modern murder mystery that had me guessing up to the end. Peter Armstrong burst into Anne’s life seeking professional help for his mother, who has yet again tried to commit suicide. However, Peter wants to handle things quietly, so after a brief home visit, Anne recommends that she check into Tadmore Psychiatric Hospital. All looks like it will go well for all parties involved. That is, until Mrs. Armstrong ends up dead at home. So of course the police have to chat with Anne, as one of the last people to see her alive. Also, she had Sam follow her to the Armstrong home in a separate vehicle in case things got dramatic. Then there was Peter himself. So many suspects!

Nearly all of the story is told through Anne’s eyes, though we do get a tiny bit from Peter’s point of view concerning his mom. Then there are flashes from the killer sprinkled throughout the book. These are written in such a way that you don’t know the gender of the killer. For the most part, these are written quite cleverly. However, there were one or two scenes where the author fell back on using the pronoun ‘it’ which felt clunky.

Anne does get to have a little downtime in this book. She has some friends, David & Jenny who have a set twins, that she visits often. Then there is her friend Barbara who she has been friends with for ages but lately hasn’t had time to catch up with. Throughout the story, these side characters add depth to Anne’s character. Also, Sam is a potential romantic interest who happens to be gay. Ah, Anne’s complicated life!

All around, it was a delightful mystery. The deaths are described in brief giving you the exact means of death but without being gory about it. Anne is at the nexus of this storm and she was an enjoyable character to connect with. I did find Jenny’s character to be a bit dramatic, but she is also described as the nervous sort. She was a minor character so just when I was starting to get tired of her silliness, we moved on. The suspects were plentiful and I was guessing all the way through. When the real killer emerged at the end, I was totally, and pleasantly, surprised.

I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Narration: Melanie Fraser was an interesting pick for this audiobook. She made everyone sound swarmy. It was odd to hear throughout the book. Now there were certain times when swarmy was definitely the right inflection (fund-raising party, certain egocentric characters) but to have the inflection turned on for most of the book took a little getting used to. In general, once I got use to swarminess, I liked her voice for Anne – which was steady and thoughtful. Her male voices blended together for me, though the male characters were often separated by scenes or the dialogue made it easy to keep them straight.