Pop Goes the Weasel

A Detective Helen Grace Thriller

By: M. J. Arlidge

Narrated by: Elizabeth Bower

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the international best-selling author of Eeny Meeny comes the second thriller in the truly excellent series featuring Detective Helen Grace.

A man’s body is found in an empty house. A gruesome memento of his murder is sent to his wife and children.

He is the first victim, and Detective Helen Grace knows he will not be the last. But why would a happily married man be this far from home in the dead of night?

The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse: A serial killer preying on family men who lead hidden double lives.

Helen can sense the fury behind the murders. But what she cannot possibly predict is how volatile this killer is - or what is waiting for her at the end of the chase...

©2015 M. J. Arlidge (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Not my thing

What disappointed you about Pop Goes the Weasel?

I was looking forward to a mystery with strong female leads, and I don't mind stories about complicated, flawed people at all. I stopped listening [POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT] about the time that the main female lead goes to visit her male prostitute bondage expert for her weekly kinky slap-around. That's just not my thing and the story permanently lost me with it.

Would you be willing to try another one of Elizabeth Bower’s performances?

sure

Riveting story!

This is the entire package! Thrilling story and an excellent narrator! I could hardly take a break from listening. Definitely a page turner! Not for the squeamish .. violence is quite graphic.

Great characters!

So glad I found Helen Grace. Fast moving and very entertaining. Can't wait to start the next installment.

The price of cheating

A woman who seeks revenge on cheating men is always worth a read. This book didn't fail to disappoint. I love the story, the punishments and the characters. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

Great book

I thought this was a great book. The characters all had human frailties. The narrator was excellent. No glitz nor glamour just people trying to get through life the best they can.

Eh, kind of formulaic, and not enthralled by the formula

I thought I might like this series. I liked the first okay and gave the second book a chance. But, the main character isn’t really all that appealing. She is in some ways, but always has to make “the big moves” in a case on her own. Too “Lone Ranger,” which makes the story feel less believable.

Some possible spoiler alerts to follow.

In addition, all of the supporting cast of officers around her don’t last long. In the course of 2 investigations (1st book & 2nd book), she’s lost 2 Sargents; as well as about to lose the only Detective Constable we’ve come to know. She also lost a boss. This unit has the highest turnover of staff that I’ve come across in reading police procedurals.

I’ve also begun to wonder if Southampton doesn’t have more shuttered and abandoned buildings than any other place in the world. The 2 stories I have read have needed a lot of them to advance the plots & it makes the region sound economically depressed and depressing.

And last, 2 female serial killers in 2 stories?! It beggars belief which kept me from really getting into the story.

4

From start to finish, this ia fine procedural detecting story. A lot of red herrings lead us all over the landscape - interior and exterior.
These first books in the series continue to be my preferred reading. Intelligent, straight forward, interesting characters, well explored plots and a motorcycle riding female head of the detectives' department.

I love this series!!

This is the second novel in the Helen Grace </I> series and it
follows right in the footsteps of the debut, eeny meeny, with brutal murders, multiple storylines, high wire tension, chilling twists, unforseeable turns, and believable characters doing their best to bring justice to the victims of crime. The unique quality of this series makes it very addictive, especially the audiobook editions.

Narrator Elizabeth Bower's performance it crisp, emotional, and down right magnificent! She takes the authors writing clean off the pages, making the story up close, personal, and, quite frankly, ALIVE!
So bring it, Mr. Alridge! Elizabeth will make your masterful stories live and breathe!

NEVER DISAPPOINT

Love all of Arlidge books and the witty titles. All of his books are quick reads. Though I normally prefer lengthier books, I don't mind these because he uses all the pages in his books constructively. No Fluff no unnecessary details just fast pace thrillers. Same fantastic narrator used for all his books which makes the stories even better and bring the characters to life.

enjoyable listen.

This book kept my attention a was a good book to listen to on the way to and from work.