Big Bad: A Novel

By: Christian Galacar

Narrated by: Kevin Clay

Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets the small-town atmosphere of Stephen King...

From the twisted imagination of best-selling author Christian Galacar comes a dark mystery thriller about the difference between living the stories we’re given and living the stories we dare to make for ourselves.

At the height of a blizzard, Molly Rifkin goes missing in her small New England community of Rockcliffe Island. But when she is found dead of an apparent suicide, the story doesn’t add up. There are more questions than answers. And there are those who would like to see the whole thing just go away.

But it won’t be that easy...

Molly’s sister is FBI agent Emma Shane, who has been hanging on to her career by a thread. But when her sister turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, she is forced to confront the horrific past they once shared in order to discover the truth of her death - and the course of her own future.

As Emma digs deeper into the mystery on Rockcliffe Island, she finds herself coming face-to-face with corruption, murder, and two of the island's most powerful and dangerous families.

©2019 Christian Galacar (P)2019 Christian Galacar

Not Horror

Headline says it all. Its not horror. Nancy Drew is referenced a dozen or more times in the book. I cant say Ive read any Nancy Drew, but this is what I would imagine that author writing, had they a mild drug problem.

This is a mystery, maybe an action. Unless Im a complete sociopath I dont think Id even list this as a thriller.

Just because theres a monster, doesnt mean its horror. Disneys got lots of monsters, theyre still high end cartoons.

Just because people die or get killed, doesnt make it a horror novel. I read and listened to books where no one dies that could easily be considered horror. I done the same with books where millions die that dont fall into the classification.

I think a prerequisite to that classification would be the authors intent to horrify their audience. I cant imagine thats what the author was thinking unless indeed they found Nancy Drew super creepy.

You can read the review and think why am I harping on about it. Horror, mystery, whatever. Well, it was $8 and 2 days of my life and it was my Halloween 2019 listen so yeah Im dissapointed I ended up with Nancy Drew instead of Freddy Krueger.

Good mystery novel. Good writing. Good performance. Had I wanted to solve a mystery instead of get scared it wouldve been 4 or 5 stars.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Kept me on the edge!

Wow, I get uber excited when I find a book that keeps me guessing, interested in the both the past/current characters in the storyline and don’t find myself saying ‘seriously, don’t go in there‘ while reading. Of course there’s some things that I thought could’ve been thought out more for a former FBI agent but then where’s the twists? Also the last few chapters were anticlimactic and really wasn’t a value add to the storyline, basically unnecessary. But overall an excellent read. Narrator was amazing with spot on accents and different male/female roles. But alas I’ve lost a ton of sleep. Now I must find a new book to lose sleep over! Loved it. Totally worth a credit...or two.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Twisted

Big Bad starts out during a snowstorm in an island town of Rockcliffe. Molly goes missing during a snow storm and is found dead. The death is ruled a suicide but her sister Emma, a FBI agent on leave, comes to town for the funeral and starts delving into the death, unable to believe that her sister would have committed suicide. The author’s descriptions make you feel that you are right there. The story goes back and forth into the sisters past and present. The characters are well written and the book keeps you interested with mystery, murder and psychology.I found that the Kevin Clay did a great job with the narration. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Intriguing and enjoyable thriller

Emma is an FBI agent on temporary leave. When she finds out her estranged sister Molly supposedly committed suicide, she is suspicious and starts investigating her death.

Molly's death occurred at the height of a blizzard which was described so well and vividly i was teading the story in a blizzard as well, brrrrrr! Emma is a character that is developed at a perfect pace throughout the story. She is so real, doing clever things to unravel clues about her sister's death, silly at times in moments with her son and cab driver, and complex when she battles the demons of her past. She was imperfect and likeable, yet grew on you and tugged at your emotions at times. Overall, she is a brilliant character and one i wouldnt mind reading about again.

The story built up very well. I love how the present and the past intermingle and how Emma untangles the knot of her sister's death and her past to climax at the peak of a very enjoyable and memorable plot. Christian is a very talented and imaginative writer i will be looking out for again.

Kevin narrated well with good energy and character intonation. He is pleasant to listen to and on the whole a good performer.

Overall, i would recommend this exciting and deep thriller. It will make you think, make you feel, and make you not want to stop. You wont be disappointed.

Note: This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this objective review voluntarily.

Death leaves a wake.

Buried deep in the country and never answering her cell phone, Emma doesn't learn of her sister Molly's death for several days, finally arriving at the small island town of Rockcliffe, off New England, the day before her funeral. Molly's death, which had occurred in one of the biggest blizzards for years, had been named a suicide but, strangely, there had been no autopsy - in fact, the medical advisor never even attended the scene, no follow up of a witness report that Molly had been seen running in a panic through the snow just hours before her death, and her body had already been cremated despite her desire for burial. Although now estranged, Molly and Emma shared an horrendous childhood period, and Emma was convinced that her sister would never have committed suicide and she begins to find others who agreed with her.

Although the final chapters of Big Bad then into a much more mundane action thriller, the first two thirds. (at least) of the book are riveting with the combined mysteries of what actually happened with Molly on the night she died, what was the traumatic ordeal that the sisters endured as children and what, if anything, is hiring in this apparently quite and very pleasant little coastal town? The author expertly switches between past and present without causing the interruption feeling which this approach can engender in a novel and all of the protagonists are given decent background personalities, including Molly, her husband Jim, son Ben, Emma herself and the taxi driver she hires for the duration, a great character in his own right. All are expertly voiced by narrator, Kevin Clay, each sounding appropriately different and individually recognisable, especially the taxi driver who reminded this reader of the TV.detective, Columbo. Well paced and read with clarity and good adherence to the emotion inherent in the text, his is a very fine performance.

My thanks to the rights holder of Big Bad, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. It exceeded my expectations and, we're it not for the more conventional ending, I would have put it into the very rare 'bonus star extra' personal rating. As it is, the combination of good writing and unexpected storyline coupled with cleverly portrayed living characters and find narration, the book thoroughly deserves five stars and is a recommended read for all who enjoy well crafted mystery thrillers.

big bad

hinges on a big coincidence but otherwise a good, sometimes brutal, thriller, very well read.