Hour of Need

Scarlet Falls, Book 1

By: Melinda Leigh

Narrated by: Cris Dukehart

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

A 2015 Daphne du Maurier Award finalist from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

While fighting in Afghanistan, Major Grant Barrett receives devastating news: his brother and sister-in-law have been murdered in Scarlet Falls, the sleepy suburb of Grant’s youth. Emotionally scarred from war, the career soldier returns home on emergency leave to temporarily care for his orphaned nephew and niece. But when someone tries to kidnap the kids and their teenage babysitter, Grant knows it’s not a random act…and neither were the murders.

Already devastated by her neighbors’ violent deaths, Ellie Ross is shattered by the attempted abduction of her teenage daughter so she desperately turns to Grant for help. As they navigate a deadly search for the truth, they struggle with growing feelings for each other and Grant’s impending return to Afghanistan.

But time is running out. The killer is growing bolder by the hour, and Ellie and Grant must find him before the children become his next victims.

Bestselling author Melinda Leigh delivers another gritty mystery simmering with spine-tingling passion in this first Scarlet Falls novel.

©2014 Melinda Leigh (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Unoriginal

Despite the fact I wanted to find out "whodunit", skipping to the end would have been the only answer had I been reading the actual book. Since I was using the audio book I just let it keep running while I was painting a large room. The plot was ordinary, the characters were generic and the 'romance' was contrived. I found the love sequences so ridiculous, out of place and unnecessary that I did speed through them. Maybe it was the paint fumes, but I held on to the end for the mystery to be solved and was left with an ehhhh who cares feeling.

More than an hour...

The story was very good,and I enjoyed the characters. The description of Grant Barrett gave me a very good idea of what he looked like, and I could picture him and Ellie working together side by side.

The story had some great twist and turns, and I liked how the story was all tied together in the end.

Hour of Need is the first book by Melinda Leigh I have read and the first narrated by Cris Dukehart. I thought the narrator was a little flat in the beginning of the book, but she seemed to improve as the story moved along.

Overall, I enjoyed Hour of Need, and would recommend this book.

Narrator is the worst I've ever heard!

This was the most colorless, monotone, and at times, robotic reading I've been subjected to. Rather than enhancing the writing, it did the opposite. I should have heeded the reviewer whose advice was to read this book rather than to listen to it.

Excellent suspense novel, but too much...

...romance in the form of graphic sex scenes. This seems to be the case of lots of female authors who write both romance and novels. The novel kept me guessing until the end.

Fantastic Romantic Suspense @$7.34 Bargain

I was already hooked by the story from the very beginning when a shocking event happened. Lee and Kate, who had just being described as ordinary people, parents of a 4-month-old baby girl and a 6-year-old boy, are shot to death right after leaving the restaurant where they had been diligently celebrating their anniversary, in a moment that seemed to be turbulent in their marriage . When I thought I was being coaxed into the difficulties and lies of a couple in some kind of crisis, I was involved in a different atmosphere, skillfully created by the author, in which I then wanted to know who had killed people I already cared about.
From then on, through an outstanding writing style, we get to know several well-built characters, smoothly and purposefully introduced to us in a multi-layered plot that showed a perfect balance between romance and suspense, which intensely held my attention until the last page.
The center of the narrative is the murder whose investigation introduces all the characters. The mystery around it is very well built and the solution is so craftily hidden that it makes us keep on trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together until the very end. If after the startling solution of the suspense we rewind the story back to the beginning, we can see the clues leading up to the unexpected and intelligent elucidation. The gradual unfolding of events is masterfully tied through to the end, with flawless development and no loose ends.
The romantic aspect of the book establishes a solid foundation for the mystery because it has a lively plot with realistic and lovable characters, whose background we get to know gradually, and of whom we become fond since they are well developed and psychologically deep. Even the supporting characters have their spark, and not only make great sense in the story but also play a significant role in the dynamics. They all touch us deeply, either because we care about them or because they are so puzzling that we can’t stop trying to figure out their actions. We feel captivated by each developing conflict because the author harmoniously integrates the characters in a consistent unity, which is a positive foundation to establish the connection with the listener.
Furthermore the author brings to light two topics really worth thinking over, bullying and PTSD, which are centrally plotted and, although not fully explored and with no pretension to deplete the subject, are very well dealt with by being displayed from a thought-provoking perspective.
It is a heartwarming book and the author is brilliant at creating a gripping thriller along with a believable moving romance. I think she masters not only the art of writing but the one of talking very close to the reader through her sensitive and high quality work.
Melinda Leigh artfully ties everything in the plot, leaving no loose ends for us to question in the rewarding unfolding of the mystery, and the only thing she leaves open is our positive expectation for the following book in the upcoming series.

Cris Dukehart was fantastic with the delivery of the story

outstanding

What made the experience of listening to Hour of Need the most enjoyable?

It had a real nice flow and some nice twists.

What other book might you compare Hour of Need to and why?

I couldn't do that. Different in a nice original way.

What does Cris Dukehart bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was able to tell who was talking without a problem.

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

No, just very enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

Will read or listen to more.

Good book....bad narrator.

This book was a great read, but I don't enjoy the narrator. I've read another of Morgan Leigh's books and have the same criticism. Great read, but the inflection and tone of the narrator is not enjoyable.

Enjoyed it

Liked it enough to get the 2nd book and I do not read mysteries. The performance was good too.

monatone reader

maybe just me but the reader seemed to monatone. like she was just reading a script a lot of book. plot was good but not impressed with audio.

not worth it

Terrible narrator. Story too sappy for suspense. I didn't enjoy the book at all. Beware

Good murder mystery with a realistic romance

Some of the many things I loved about this book:

• Characters were not just black and white. Most were fundamentally good people, but were not perfect, made mistakes, and sometimes messed up. Some people were more likeable than others, and some unlikeable people then had moments when you empathised with them. The bad guy was not immediately obvious – right up until the end it could have been one of several people.

• I loved the scene where the two brothers did not automatically assume that their sister would be the best caregiver for orphaned children, purely because she was a woman. In fact initially they both acknowledged that she was not maternal, and that the responsibility fell to them to take care of the kids.

• The H and h were mutually attracted, but for much of the book did not act on this attraction. People close to them had been murdered, and romance was, realistically, the least of their priorities. Even when they admitted to their mutual attraction they both knew that a relationship was not a realistic proposition and both, all the way through, always put the kids first. At the end, when circumstances changed and a relationship become possible, they decided to “see where it developed” rather than claim “insta-love”. The epilogue very nicely showed where everything had developed!

• I particularly loved the h in this book. She did not fall to pieces in moments of crisis and do stupid stuff. When held at gunpoint she carefully and rationally considered all her options, and acted appropriately. She did not automatically trust the H just because she liked him, nor did she discount anyone as a suspect for anything but very logical reasons. In other words, she had a brain, and she used it. Hallelujah!!!

Great book, really good narration. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Moderately entertaining.

The book is interesting with an unlikely cast of characters.
It is not full of action, no especially violent, has reasonable back story but not an edge in your seat, "un-put down able" ripping yarn.
I mark it down too due to the romantic stuff not a personal preference in a murder mystery.

Deadly Bullies!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Melinda's brilliant tale of bullying turning deadly and the damaged man who must face his demons. The author has written a brilliant book which is only enhanced by Cris Dukehart's narration.

A war weary soldier returns home to care for his orphaned niece and nephew and finds himself embroiled in a fight against a merciless killer. His lust for revenge wars with his need to protect his family and the woman he is coming to care deeply for. No one will come out of this unscarred least of all him.

Warning this book contains triggers including severe violence and bullying.

loved it... finishednit super quick!

I downloaded it to listen to when I was doing exercise but ended up listening to it at home too!!

All is not as it seems

A couple go out to dinner, Lee a lawyer and Kate a figure skater/coach. They leave the restaurant, both carrying secrets then tragedy strikes. They are robbed and killed what is behind it?

Meanwhile Major Grant Barrett is in combat and when he receives the devastating news he is given a months leave to take care of affairs. Lee, his brother was the caring most sensitive one and Grant cannot understand what was behind it.

Back at home Ellie who who works at the same law firm as Lee lives next door with her daughter and grandmother is getting concerned. Her daughter is babysitting for Lee and Kate and the time is getting on so she takes her Grandmother over and soon the devastating news reaches them, Grant arrives and he contacts his other siblings and finds more questions and he knows his neighbour Ellie is holding out on him re what she knows. He knows things are not as they seem and as he probes with his siblings help the plot becomes darker. He is determined he will get to the truth which he does with balancing the danger to his immediate family. As he bonds with his niece and nephew the experience makes him reconsider his role within the military.

There are a whole catalogue of twists and turns and we find out there is a connection to Lee and Kate regarding one particular case and the shocking lengths that people will go to prevent secrets coming out.

Fantastic Story, poor narrator.

First book by this author, fantastic book, great story and characters. Although I gave 5*s, I will not read the next books, because there is too much passion in the books for me. That's a personal thing, please do not let that put you off. Great book

Great Read

Great read cannot wait to read the second or third book in the series. The narrator was excellent

A really interesting story.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes bbecause i enjoyed the story and found it an easy read.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the characters and the way it was not easy to figure out.

Which character – as performed by Cris Dukehart – was your favourite?

Iliked the way she read grants character.

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

yes.

Any additional comments?

I came across this author by accedent while brousing my updates on goodreads and noticed that one of my friends had read this so decided to add it to my shelves. i then came to audible and was glad to find that i was able to get hold of it. really enjoyed the book and i am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.

LOVED THIS BOOK

Where does Hour of Need rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

10/10

What other book might you compare Hour of Need to, and why?

The style makes me think slightly of James Patterson and John Grisham but mostly she is up there with Jeffrey Archer too.
A gripping story !!

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

This book played with all my emotions

Any additional comments?

Very well written and beautifully told.