Frailty

By: Betsy Reavley

Narrated by: Ally Murphy

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

How far would you go to protect your family?

Danny and Libby are about to face every parent's worst nightmare.

When eight-year-old Hope Bird disappears without a trace from the idyllic village where she lives, life for her family will never be the same again. Her parents know she would never have gone off alone and the police have no idea where she is. Then a child's shoe is discovered and the case takes an unexpected turn. Soon a suspect is identified but this is only the beginning.

Will they ever find Hope?

Frailty is a haunting, gritty, psychological story about the choices we make.

©2016 Betsy Reavley (P)2016 Bloodhound Books

Frailty

Where does Frailty rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best I have listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Libby because the writer did such a good job with her, making the reader really feel her anguish.

What aspect of Ally Murphy’s performance would you have changed?

Not happy with the child's voice and there was so much of it, it was hard to ignore.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me shiver, thinking of the horrors happening.

Any additional comments?

A really well written book that makes you feel the whole range of emotions the characters were feeling.

Dangerous head games will haunt you

I enjoyed Frailty, but did not like it as much as the two other Betsy Reavley books I have read, which are The Optician's Wife and The Quiet Ones. Honestly, I would recommend either of those over this one. However, ultimately Betsy doesn't disappoint with this book.

Hope Bird is only 8 when she disappears without a trace one day when she walks to the small grocery store, which we later find out is owned and run by a man who has a secret past. Her parents are distraught, but Danny, her dad, becomes more convinced each day that the grocery owner has taken Hope and probably killed her. As Libby grieves and tries to take care of her younger daughter, Danny is driven to take matters into his own hands, with tragic results.

This story provoked me to think about the choices he makes versus his wife, when both feel that the police have abandoned them. The plight of both parents underscores their terror in different ways. The suspense is slower to build, but the last 1/3 of the book is where the really good part begins. I struggled a bit in the earlier parts when I wasn't sure if the story was truly taking direction. I guess I would say I was 'waiting for the book to get good.' I'm glad I did stick with it, because things really get going after Danny absconds in an effort to find his own answers about what happened to Hope- by this I mean, after he is done with his mission, as the preceding scenes tend to drag somewhat and might make even the most seasoned crime readers wince with the descriptions.

Overall, I do recommend Frailty, because it finished strong, especially because the conclusion is unexpected and the plot is chilling. I am waiting with excitement for more of Betsy Reavley's books to be available on Audible.

A WANT A BE

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Depends on the friend. The book is a bit melodramatic. The bones are there, but the writing doesn't flesh out everywhere as deeply as it could have.

Would you be willing to try another book from Betsy Reavley? Why or why not?

No, I don't think so. I need more depth. As I stated above, the potential is there. Yet, there is just something missing.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

READ IN TOO SOFT A VOICE.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Mystery

This story is Heartbreaking... An 8 yr old little girl is abducted. The Author and the narrator do an excellent job capturing the distress of all the characters. As the story progresses the mystery deepens. The father takes matters into his own hands, and this takes a devastating turn. Excellent Mystery it held my attention. I Wanted to know what happened to this little girl. The ending was a surprise and shocking. 👍

Chilling thriller - excellently narrated

What made the experience of listening to Frailty the most enjoyable?

Ally Murphy’s use of different voices for the protagonists is excellent and her performance great. You can recognise who is talking at almost any moment and that makes the audiobook a pleasure to listen to – even if the story is gruesome. Ally Murphy easily switches from one person’s voice to another; she has a lovely intonation and a clear voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The heartbreaking parts of the audiobook was when Ally Murphy voices little 8-year-old Hope.Ally Murphy has done a terrific job in giving voice to Hope, who is scared and has no idea why she is locked up. In fact, Ally Murphy was that good that I had much difficulty with, for instance, chapter 15 and especially chapter 17, where Hope and Zoe talk about what they would want and Zoe says “a pet pig.” It sent shivers down my spine hearing the girls giggle knowing what will happen. Then there are the Chapters 60 and 63 bringing tears to my eyes.

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

This was the first time I have listened to Ally Murphy. I would recommend her as a narrator.

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

Yes absolutely! As it is chilling and gripping you need to know what will happen next!

Any additional comments?

The recording is of an excellent quality. The narration follows the book exactly and is perfectly interchangeable with the novel.

Sick and f*cked up, and dragged out way to long

This book is disgusting, and I am not one easily offended. If you want to read vivid descriptions of torture and hear an adult man describe how he "loves" little girls, then this book is for you!

The story is also mostly unbelievable and improbable, and lasts way too long. There are also parts of the book meant to be the perspective of a little girl, and the narrator does it in the most whining, obnoxious, grating voice.

Very disappointing......

The Optician's Wife was excellent and impossible to pause. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this book was impossible to finish. Don't waste your time.

Excruciatingly slow and surprisingly unthrilling

Would you try another book from Betsy Reavley and/or Ally Murphy?

Probably not.

What could Betsy Reavley have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Picked up the pace. For a supposed thriller there was an enormous amount of navel gazing going on.

What didn’t you like about Ally Murphy’s performance?

The child's voice was unbearable.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The ending was okay

Any additional comments?

I took the time to write this review, which I don't normally do because I was deceived into thinking it would be better by the 4.1 rating. I just kept hoping it would get interesting but the story trudged on almost monotonously to its bitter ending.

nothing special...

I read and listen to some many books, this one was very boring with a very generic and predictable storyline. no twists or turns or anything to enjoy really as I listened to it. a disappointment, I would advise to not buy this one