Don't Even Breathe

Maggie Novak Thriller, Book 1

By: Keith Houghton

Narrated by: Karen Peakes

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of Crash comes a riveting thriller rife with murder, misdirection, and ghosts from the past.

Florida homicide detective Maggie Novak has seen hundreds of brutal murder cases, but when she is called out to investigate the charred remains of a young woman, in what appears to be a Halloween prank gone wrong, she is confronted with a twenty-year-old secret. The body is formally identified as that of school counselor Dana Cullen, but a distinguishing mark makes Maggie look again. She believes it is the body of her school friend Rita, who perished in a fire twenty years ago. 

Maggie’s hunt for the truth behind the murder takes her back to a cruel high school trick she’s desperate to forget. And when another body turns up, Maggie realizes she too may be the target of a sinister plot creeping toward its final act. 

Maggie needs emotional distance to do her job, but she’s so close to this case that she can’t even breathe. Will Maggie be able to uncover the truth of who wanted Rita dead? Or will her past mistakes catch up with her first?

©2019 by Keith William Houghton. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

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This is a very difficult book to write a review about. The publisher's summary is excellent and gives just enough information to pique your interest. The reason this book is hard to review is because there are so many switchbacks that it is hard not to give anything away.
This book has a really great unique plot that kept me guessing almost right up to the reveal. The characters are interesting and the protagonist is fleshed out and likable. The peripheral characters are perfect. They add enough seriousness to make the story believable but also add the right amount of humor and sarcasm.

Karen Peakes does an excellent job narrating.

If you have kindle unlimited this book is FREE to borrow with the kindle edition.

This book has my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
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Very good read

I found this a well written crime story. I was pleased with the development of the storyline and the characters. I highly recommend this story.

Thriller unexpected plot

Great read that could be great Movie. Unexpected plot with a great story line. Definately a good page Turner. Did not want to put down waiting to see final outcome.

surprised

surprised at the great plot twist and reader was great!!! if you love murder mysteries, jump into this book

Loved

I have read this book a few times. It is intriguing. Each time I read it, it pulled me in.

Startling ending

(As posted in GoodReads)
Such twists and turns! You think you have the whole situation figured, and it all twists! Really good story, and some excellent descriptions and characterizations. My only objection is that failure to complete the capture of the bad guys! For the most part, I had a really good time experiencing this book!

suspenseful

very good. keeps you in suspense the whole time, it's the best novel to date

Great book!!

First time listening to a book by this author, super glad I took the chance!! This was a great book kept me listening the whole time and had a very good twisted ending!!

Intense, shocking

the story has a lot of turns that you wouldn't expect. I was always kept interested, it is good enough to keep you reading but still an easy ready as I read it in between calls at my job so my attention had to leave the book often. Highly recommend.

A Good Book to Listen To

Found book very captivating. Look forward to reading another book by Keith Houghton. Karen Peakes has a very good speaking voice.

Ok, but why does the author repeat everything so much.

Leaving aside the reader’s atrocious Scottish accent, this is a pleasant listen with a decent plot. It’s ruined by acres of repetition. All the characters ‘think’ the same things again and again, repeat their suspicions, feel the same feelings. Worst of all, throughout all the DS Hart books so far, everything the police officers do is not only described in detail, but then reported to a more senior officer directly afterwards, in great detail. Sometimes, that officer then reports it to the Team. We KNOW!! We just read or heard it. We don’t need to be told it all again. I spent more time yelling “I know!” at the story than appreciating it. It’s as if the author is writing the next chapter a few months later and thinks we need reminding what just happened. We don’t.