The Fall

A murder brings them together. The truth will tear them apart

By: Claire McGowan

Narrated by: Tanya Moodie, Jane Collingwood, Anthony Howell

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2012 Claire McGowan (P)2012 Headline Digital

Critic reviews

"One of the very best novels I've read in a long while...astonishing, powerful and immensely satisfying." (Peter James)

"There is nothing not to like...a compelling and flawless thriller." (S J Bolton)

"A cool and twisted debut." ( Daily Mirror)

"She knows how to tell a cracking story. She will go far." ( Daily Mail)

"It's crime-novel-meets-Hampstead-novel but without the contrivances of the former genre and the navel-gazing of the latter. Funny and perfectly paced, the pervading sense of "there but for the grace of God go you" chills you to the bone." ( Daily Telegraph)

Great characters, riveting story

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.

Very slow start

Didn’t like it at first but eventually got into it. One of the characters was hard to understand. Another the voice was low and quiet. The last half of the book was good and entertaining.

Great Performances

The story was good, although you could kind of figure it out. But the performances of the three narrators were outstanding!

Just a handful of characters

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.

Not her best

I’ve listened to quite a few by this author, and so far this one is my least favorite. It was slow with not a lot of action. There wasn’t really a big mystery to it, and the amount of profanity is ridiculous

Decent story, poor audio

The narrators were great but the inconsistent volume of DC and Keisha were so annoying. I constantly had to adjust the volume to compensate for periods of extreme quiet followed by extreme loudness.

well performed

great listen, but beware of strong language if children are around. loved the performance. really portrayed the characters well

Okay, but can't listen around children for sure!

The story is good and unique. The perspectives from the three characters is interesting. However, if you have young children, know that you CANNOT have them around and listen to this book. The number of swear words is astonishing (and I'm definitely not against the occasional curse word). I like to carry my phone around the house and listen to audio books while I clean/cook. However, I couldn't do that with this book. I had to limit listening in the car on my way to work, which was disappointing.

Boring and terrible narration

This is one of about 3 books I have ever not finished on audible. The story is so drawn out and boring that I don’t care what happens in the end. I couldn’t listen to Keisha’s voice another minute. The good reviews have me completely perplexed!!

It Fell

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!