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Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen. It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect. A promotion for Emma’s husband, Alex, means they can finally move to a bigger home with their young son. But with a buyer lined up for their old house, Emma can’t leave without destroying every last trace of her final revenge.... Returning to the shallow grave in the garden, she finds it empty. The body is gone.
Mia Hamilton lived the perfect life with her husband, university teacher Zach, and their two-year-old daughter. But everything changed when Zach committed suicide on the same night one of his students vanished. Five years later, just when Mia is beginning to heal, stranger Alison walks into her life, saying her husband didn't kill himself. Fragile, slight Alison leads Mia on a path into Zach's past, and Mia begins to think she never really knew her own husband.
Sophie's husband, James, is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.
Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her. It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her - a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com.
You think you know the truth about the people you love. But one discovery can change everything.... Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later he is found dead. Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy's death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother? Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life.
Three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal.... For team leader Rachael Lambert, the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide....
Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen. It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect. A promotion for Emma’s husband, Alex, means they can finally move to a bigger home with their young son. But with a buyer lined up for their old house, Emma can’t leave without destroying every last trace of her final revenge.... Returning to the shallow grave in the garden, she finds it empty. The body is gone.
Mia Hamilton lived the perfect life with her husband, university teacher Zach, and their two-year-old daughter. But everything changed when Zach committed suicide on the same night one of his students vanished. Five years later, just when Mia is beginning to heal, stranger Alison walks into her life, saying her husband didn't kill himself. Fragile, slight Alison leads Mia on a path into Zach's past, and Mia begins to think she never really knew her own husband.
Sophie's husband, James, is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.
Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her. It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her - a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com.
You think you know the truth about the people you love. But one discovery can change everything.... Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later he is found dead. Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy's death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother? Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life.
Three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal.... For team leader Rachael Lambert, the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide....
Five figures gather 'round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken, but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood. Years later a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders that shock the Black Country.
How far would you go to protect your family? Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children, with the help of his devoted mother, Judi. And then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben, but Judi isn't so sure.... There's just something about Amber that doesn't add up. Ben can't see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn't want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children.
A teacher goes missing under suspicious circumstances and a man is murdered at a local reservoir. For Detective Robyn Carter, there's no obvious link between the cases. But as she starts to delve into them, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. What was Abigail's connection to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number?
As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it's a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby? As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found.
The bodies of four men have been discovered in the town of Bradfield. Enlisted to investigate is criminal psychologist Tony Hill. Even for a seasoned professional, the series of mutilation sex murders is unlike anything he's encountered before. But profiling the psychopath is not beyond him. Hill's own past has made him the perfect man to comprehend the killer's motives. It's also made him the perfect victim. A game has begun for the hunter and the hunted.
Milly's mother is a serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to make her stop is to turn her in to the police. Milly is given a fresh start: a new identity, a home with an affluent foster family, and a spot at an exclusive private school. But Milly has secrets, and life at her new home becomes complicated. As her mother's trial looms, with Milly as the star witness, Milly starts to wonder how much of her is nature, how much of her is nurture, and whether she is doomed to turn out like her mother after all.
What would you do if the man you love was accused of murder? Bad things never happen to Charlotte. She's living the life she's always wanted and about to marry wealthy banker, Dan. But Dan's been hiding a secret, and the pressure is pushing him over the edge. After he's arrested for the vicious killing of a nightclub owner, Charlotte's future is shattered. Then she opens her door to Keisha, an angry and frustrated stranger with a story to tell.
Convinced of Dan's innocence, Charlotte must fight for him - even if it means destroying her perfect life. But what Keisha knows threatens everyone she loves, and puts her own life in danger. DC Matthew Hegarty is riding high on the success of Dan's arrest. But he's finding it difficult to ignore his growing doubts as well as the beautiful and vulnerable Charlotte. Can he really risk it all for what's right?
Three stories. One truth. They all need to brace themselves for the fall.
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
I am okay with a European accent but, cockney Brittish just doesn't translate to me. I spend so much time figuring out what the heck was said or what possibly that could be sland for that I loose all track of the story.
What other book might you compare The Fall to and why?
I was repeatedly reminded of a book I read this year called Another Piece of My Heart. The author in that book did the same thing I dispise.... As the main character is in the heat of an action they begin to ask themselves repeated questions and ponder the ramifications. So that a run down the flight of the stairs can take five minutes of wondering what is at the bottom. I think it's a ploy to stretch the book out.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
Three people??? Seriously?.... One good performance beats three ho hums
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Fall?
MUCH of the interaction with the parents - Geeez Louise!
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
The story was good, although you could kind of figure it out. But the performances of the three narrators were outstanding!
All three narrators did such an amazing job of bringing the characters to life with incredible vividness! It was so easy to get totally sucked in and empathize with each of the mains. Although it would have been better if Charlotte had ended up with DC Hegarty...but reality, you know.
A lovely liesurely read, this book is a great choice for a winter weekend. It reminds my of a cage fill of colorful parakeets - lots of action to see and enjoy - the crime underlining everything like a cage bottom paper.
Charlotte is a pretty, middle-class, well-educated girl with a good job and her imminent wedding to Daniel and a great future ahead to look forward to. Keisha, a mixed race single mum, is struggling after giving up her chance of further education after becaming involved with her white boyfriend, Chris, having a child and then losing her to Social Services when Chris was accused of physically abusing the little girl. A horrifying event one night in a Camden club brought these two very different girls together in an unlikely union. Neither of them was directly responsible for what had happened but it affected their lives in so many difficult ways. The life of DC Hegarty, a young copper, was also changed when he became involved in the story. The three narrators brought these main characters, plus those that surrounded them, to life in a most believable way and I really cared about the outcome as the girls fought for themselves and the men in their lives. Claire McGowan has written a super book.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
If you could sum up The Fall in three words, what would they be?
Great book but very nearly ruined by the choice of narrator as Charlotte, Jane Collingwood would be very good as a children's book narrator. Think of a scene where a young woman is being brutally beaten unconscious in a public toilet but read aloud in the style of Mr Tumble, from CBeebies at tea time.......
Any additional comments?
The other narrators were good. It's still worth listening to.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This was excellent and I've never come across this writer. From the word go I was hooked the different narrators are great combined with a compelling story.
A murder takes place in a club and a male is apprehended it is not so much a police proceedural as a character study - I really enjoyed this it was a bit different give it a go. I'm going to try and find more by this writer now.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
There was no plot twist, nothing exciting and the end was disappointing. Just a story of events which you knew was going to happen once you had the first part of the story. Just lacked any real oomph and I finished it thinking it was a bit pointless.
What made the experience of listening to The Fall the most enjoyable?
The characters were excellent and very well portrayed
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
The narrator brought the characters to life.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes if only there had been time
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
No. It was an intriguing plot, but I didn't like the two main female characters. I wanted them to be a bit more gutsy and proactive, but I just found them irritating. I don't mind a bit of swearing, but there was too unnecessary f words.
What will your next listen be?
Apple Tree Yard
Did the narrators do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?
Yes, except that they pronounced Keisha differently!
0 of 1 people found this review helpful