Far from True

By: Linwood Barclay

Narrated by: Mark Zeisler, Brian O'Neil

Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times and number-one international best-selling author Linwood Barclay delivers the second spine-chilling thriller set in the troubled town of Promise Falls, following the electrifying cliffhanger ending of Broken Promise....

After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father's house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it's clear that salacious activities have taken place - as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realizes it may not be discs the thief was actually interested in....

Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders - one of which is three years old - he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound. As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls. And when yet another murder happens, Cal and Barry are both driven to pursue their investigations, no matter where they lead. Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of this town - as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results.

©2016 NJSB Entertainment, Inc. (P)2016 Recorded Books

I would have given it a 5 , but.....

This was a 5 star listen for me right up to the last few words......and then it ended with no resolution to any but one "minor" murder. It's a complex story with a LOT of storylines and I like that but I do expect the story to tie it together at the end. I have not read the first in the series so I will now go back and read that one. I understand now that it also leaves you hanging. I'm not sure I like this style at all......I have a hard enough time remembering what I read last week, let alone a year or more later.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Be prepared to be left hanging

I was an hour and a half into the book and felt I was missing something. I reread the summary which said it was 2nd book in the series after reading the reviews of Broken Promises that complained of the abrupt cliffhanger I bought that and read it first. I am glad I did and would recommend anyone reading this read it first. It will be easier to understand it more. Both books take place over a short span of time. This picks up where first one leaves off. Each book resolves one mystery but continues the main mystery started in the first and ends abruptly. You are left with feeling what did I do forgot to download the rest of the book. The story line is interesting and you begin to feel you know some of the characters well but I wish I knew it will be months to a year before I know what happens to them next. This is a trilogy at the very least how long before the primary mystery is solved is anyone's guess. I am hoping that it is wrapped up in the next one but there is enough going on to keep us guessing through a few more. Good book but expect a big WHAT THE at the end.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great mystery but cliffhanger ending

I'm really glad I read Broken Promise and Final Assignment right before I started Far From True because I think I may have felt a little overwhelmed with the large cast of characters and their relationships and histories otherwise. But with the events and characters from those two previous installments fresh in my mind, I thoroughly enjoyed Far From True. But man, there was a lot going on! For a small town, Promise Falls certainly seemed to have an abundance of shady characters and exciting mysteries.
I'm particularly impressed by the way Linwood Barclay made all these characters seem so real. This isn't an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but with the awesome characterization, the carefully constructed layers of the mysteries and the twists that seemed to be thrown in almost leisurely I was really captivated. Of course, then I got furious when I reached that damn cliffhanger and found out, I'll have to wait till November to get the conclusion.
So, if I had thought about this reasonably beforehand, I would have preferred to do a marathon reading session of the entire trilogy come November. As it stands, I'm hoping I'll remember enough of what happened in Promise Falls by the time I can get my hands on the final book. In the meantime, I need to check out some of the author's other work. I just love his writing style.
Mark Zeisler narrated Cal Weaver's perspective while Brian O'Neil read the other chapters, which I thought worked very well. Excellent narration by both of them.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Book Two of a Trilogy

Do NOT read this book if you haven't read Part 1 (Broken Promise). It won't make sense. This is the middle part of a 3 part story. In fact, this trilogy isn't the first time we've met the folks of Promise Falls - a number of the major characters in this book have been featured in previous books.Cal Weaver was the protagonist in A Tap on the Window; David Harwood was in Never Look Away; Derek Cutter was in Too Close to Home. Check the author's website. It makes a whole lot more sense to read his books in order.
I loved the voice and character of Randall Finley - it reminded me of a certain politician who I won't name. Totally hilarious!
Great story if you've been following the Promise Falls saga all along. Can't wait for the conclusion in part 3 (The Twenty-Three) this fall.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I’m Obsessed w/Linwood Barclay Books!

Far from True is Part 2 in a series of 3 books 1) Broken Promise 2) Far from True 3) The Twenty-Three. There is a previous book titled Never Look Back, although not part of this series, provides a tiny bit of back story on the town of Promise Falls, however, it really isn’t a must read. I’m obsessed with Linwood Barclay books, I’ve listened to all that are available on Audible, and I’m not so patiently standing-by for the next new book! Far from True is narrated by Mark Zeisler & Brian O'Neill , both are outstanding.

Let Down

I like a good mystery as well as the next person. and I love Linwood Barclay stand-alone books. I I began the Promise Falls trilogy knowing, of course that it was a series. I did not know however, that the end of each book would leave you hanging REQUIRING you to get the next book in the series. I am disappointed with that tactic. I much preferred, for example, Steven Kong's Mr. Mercedes trilogy where you HOPED there would be more to the story and were excited when a second book with those great characters arrived on the bookstore shelf. Shame on you, Linwood Barclay.
As for narration, there were several reading errors. A couple of times the narrator called David Harwood David Horowitz and threw me off a bit there. Also in speaking to Lucy about putting her daughter, Crystal to bed, he called Crystal Lucy as well.

Good and twisty

2 cliffhanger endings in a row, and I have no hesitation about ordering the next one.

Good Story but Definite Flaws

I am a fan of Barclay, but this book was strange for me.

1st: At least 15 main characters. Hard to keep track of, especially on audio. I made notes for myself on my ITouch to keep them straight. And the relationships were complicated.
2nd: The story was good but it left several murders unresolved. In fact, there was another murder at the end. So clearly, this is just the first part of a series. If that's a deal breaker for you, don't bother with the book.
That said, I still enjoyed much of the action and look forward to the next adventure.

There were two narrators but I just thought it was distracting. They were fine, but I had a hard time distinguishing when each was speaking.

Wow!

Really good story and characters, The narration was spot on. If I'm being picky, the fact that most of the characters are from the previous books in the series, and it was hard for me to remember their storylines. There is still a storyline not finished. I'm assuming it will be in the next one. Hope it's soon!

What Happened?

Enjoyed the book til the end. Left you hanging. No answers of who done it. That really sucked.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful