Precious Thing

By: Colette McBeth

Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins

Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

A startling psychological thriller debut for any fan of Gone Girl or Before I go to Sleep.

Menacing, suspenseful and utterly compelling, this is a stunning debut novel that throws the spotlight on the fine line between love and hate, and leaves you wondering just who you trust.

Remember the person you sat next to on your first day at school? Still your best friend? Or disappeared from your life for good?

Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last for ever. They met when Rachel was the new girl in class and Clara was the friend everyone wanted. Instantly, they fell under one another's spell and nothing would be the same again.

Now in their late twenties Rachel has the TV career, the flat and the boyfriend, while Clara's life is spiralling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound.

Then Clara vanishes. Is it abduction, suicide or something else altogether? Imagine discovering something about your oldest friend that forces you to question everything you've shared together. The truth is always there. But only if you choose to see it.

©2013 Colette McBeth (P)2013 Headline Digital

Critic Reviews

”This is a page-turner and no mistake. Dark, intriguing, and full of unexpected twists” (Lynn Shepherd, author of Tom-All-Alone’s and A Treacherous Likeness)

"A brilliant, chilling debut. Psychopathy has never seemed so attractive" (Ali Knight, author of Wink Murder)

Excellent listen! Narrator fantastic!

What did you love best about Precious Thing?

I loved the twists and turns.

What did you like best about this story?

I felt like I was there in the story all the way.

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

Her lovely English accent!

Who was the most memorable character of Precious Thing and why?

Both girls were excellent characters.

Any additional comments?

Loved this story. I heard an interview with the author on radio and thought I just had to have a listen, especially as the author is a newscaster the same as her main character.

Another tedious psychological drama

Well, here's another psychological drama with a female protaganist labelled as the next 'Gone Girl' and I am really tired of listening to them. Very few of them live up to the hype and this one definitely doesn't. The writing is unimaginative, the plot is tedious and laboured and I am afraid I gave up halfway through. By that point I had given up hope that things would improve and had no interest in the characters or in discovering what had happened to Clara. I enjoyed this book more when the narration was based in the present and found the writing became increasingly tedious when it moved to the past and Rachel and Clara's teenage lives. I also found Penelope Rawlin's narration increasingly irritating, her immature, sugary voice really grated on me. If you are looking for the next 'Gone Girl' I would suggest Lottie Moggach's 'Kiss Me First' or Sabine Durrant's 'Under Your Skin'. Both excellently written, compelling novels. Give this one a miss.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Excellent listen

Could not stop listening to this story, excellent psychological thriller with twists and turns that keep you hooked until the end

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Stunning

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

Yes, we always know exactly what is happening/had happened, but we don't know what has happened until the end. Perhaps we never know...

Which character – as performed by Penelope Rawlins – was your favourite?

The lead charecter

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

Not really, but I didn't want it to finish

Any additional comments?

A bit chiclit at times, but that's part of it, part of who she is. Yet we never know who she is until the end.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Interesting and enjoyable.

What did you like most about Precious Thing?

The twists in the traits of the characters and the way the story weaved a variety of possible outcomes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Without doubt the main character is living and breathing through her well articulated thoughts.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The final scene was quite disturbing but enthralling.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book and the narrator......It was full of unexpected turns. Very clever.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

More twists than a pair of knickers

If you could sum up Precious Thing in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, unexpected, suspenseful

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rachel was my favourite because I identified with her troubled childhood and her relationship with her best friend

Which character – as performed by Penelope Rawlins – was your favourite?

Still Rachel. She portrayed Rachel as a survivor and the lack of emotional excitement portrayed Rachel's ability to keep calm and logical so well

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

Yes definitely. The story is very interesting and the characters seem real. I really didn't see the twists in the story coming. The narrator's ability to portray the characters' state of mind was brilliant.

Any additional comments?

This book is not just a brilliant unexpected story full of twists. It also describes the scenery and the people's feelings so beautifully.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Very Strange

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

Would recommend. The ending is unexpected - Left me wondering who is actually the mentally unbalanced one.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rachel - Is she mad?

What about Penelope Rawlins’s performance did you like?

Clear and expressive.

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

Made me vaguely disquieted.

Any additional comments?

Kept not wanting to listen on but was compelled to do so. Glad I did as the ending has an unexpected twist.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Couldn't stop listening

What made the experience of listening to Precious Thing the most enjoyable?

It was fast paced and well read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked all the characters.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I enjoyed all of them.

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

I was kept in suspense to the end.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Started slow

At first I couldn't get into this I think it was the monotone voice and after a while I started it again. The book turned out to be intriguing and I did enjoy the twist and turns and the unexpected relationships that enfolded. There was some suspense and glad I listened to the end

Enjoyable read

What did you like most about Precious Thing?

The sense of mystery a few the character development as the story unravelled.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rachel. Very interesting character. Felt she was a good strong and well developed personality but always felt there was a lot more to come.

Have you listened to any of Penelope Rawlins’s other performances? How does this one compare?

no this was first of her performances I have listened to. It was excellent, and I would like to read more.

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

the ending was a little unbelievable. It made me neither laugh nor cry, only to think that it was a little too much.

Any additional comments?

the book was very gripping, and I couldn't put it down. The development of the characters was amazing. Since finishing it, it has me thinking about the 2 main characters and now this character development was integral to the plot. The title confused me, until the very last chapter. 'Don't believe a word she says'....I see now why this was important, and who it referred to. A great story.

Never lets up

I have really enjoyed this book. The reader is excellent, and the story gripping. I shall look out for others by thus author.