Catch Her When She Falls

A Novel

By: Allison Buccola

Narrated by: Frankie Corzo

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

In this “propulsive” (Kimberly McCreight) debut thriller, a young woman questions everything she thought she knew about the shocking murder that changed her life when she was in high school.

“Wildly suspenseful and almost gothic in tone.”—BookPage

Ten years ago, my boyfriend killed my best friend.

When Micah Wilkes was a senior in high school, her boyfriend was convicted of murdering her best friend, Emily, a star ballerina with a bright future. A decade later, Micah has finally moved on from the unforgivable betrayal and loss. Now the owner of a bustling coffee shop in her small hometown in Pennsylvania, she’s happily coupled up with another old high school friend, the two having bonded over their shared sorrow.

But when reminders of her past begin appearing at her work and home, Micah begins to doubt what she knows about Emily’s death. Questions raised on a true crime blog and in an online web sleuthing forum force her to reexamine her memories of that fateful night. She told the truth to the investigators on the case, but was there another explanation for Emily’s murder? A stranger in the woods. An obsessive former classmate. A domineering ballet instructor. Or the internet’s favorite suspect: Joshua, Emily’s outcast younger brother who hasn’t been seen since his sister’s death.

As Micah delves deeper into the case, she feels her grip on reality loosening, her behavior growing more and more secretive and unhinged. As she races to piece together the truth about that night ten years ago, Micah grapples with how things could have gone so wrong and wonders whether she, too, might be next to disappear.

©2022 Allison Buccola (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A riveting mystery debut . . . an intriguing story about crime, punishment, and how a murder case changes countless lives forever—no matter what the verdict turns out to be.”—Mystery Scene

“Buccola’s deeply developed characters and simmering suspense propel this story of one woman’s quest to discover the truth about the mysterious death of her best friend.”—Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“Promising . . . startling twists and troubling questions concerning guilt and justice . . . Psychological thriller fans will be curious to see what Buccola does next.”—Publishers Weekly

meh

with it being a new book I was excited to listen over all it was a good listen. kinda hard to follow in some spots. nice twist and unexpected turns. felt like it was too many unnecessary details that cause me to tune out.

Loved it

Couldn’t stop listening, really interesting premise. Gave a 4 for story bc the end was not as satisfying as the majority of the story.

Really excited about this book and author!!

I am so glad I took a chance on this book. One of my favorites that I have read in some time.

Captivating, intelligent, and carefully drawn. I felt present for this whole story, which is better read than explained.

Will look out for more from this author in the future!

Good narration as well. Julia Whelan would also be good for this.

Deeply tense and mysterious

The audience for this book is not even me. I listened to it on a whim and it was very enjoyable. The book is a mentally claustrophobic and paranoid filled ride where we are looking at a small town mystery of the past that once was thought solved but now is brought back to the forefront.

I believe that if you are a fan of mysteries in general this will be a fun ride. I could see this as being made into a film one day. The strength of this story is in the dramatic headspace of the main character Micah. If you are okay with not always agreeing with a character’s choices but are willing to go on the ride then you should sign yourself up for this book.

The narrator is great for making the story easy to follow and clear in voice in regards to the emotional tones of the characters.

Don’t expect a clear understanding till the end. The twist of this book is overly simple and maybe not even a real twist in my mind. That might be a critique, my only criticism for the most part. Or you can look at it as grounding the story in a logic that feels plausible. I think it just makes sense upon finishing it.

Lastly this novel would be a great book club read if you need one of those. It has much to discuss and dissect. I’m sure it will keep you guessing till the end. The book reminds me of a modern “Crime and Punishment” or a book in similar genre to a Lucy Foley novel.

The title grabbed my eye then I couldn’t stop reading it!

This book is a detailed, well written, story about a strong young woman, her best friends death and was the right culprit found guilty?! I couldn’t turn it off all day. It just grabbed me right from the title! The narrator is also excellent (which can ruin a book for me)

character voice

the book was AMAZING. the author did a fantastic job, I just wish the reader would have had more character voice so it's easier to know which character is speaking, like the other books I have listened too. I couldn't wait to know how the book ended.

I HATED This Book

Because I could not tolerate the selfish, paranoid protagonist. I could not wait to end her woe-is-me whining and blaming others. Ugh!

I do not remember how many times I fell asleep

Long, long, long
And without suspension or anything that would bridge the hours till the end of the story.

Strange story line

I thought the storyline of the book was very weird, the main character literally suspected everyone at one point and was like super manic throughout. It wasn’t the best book