The Trophy Child

By: Paula Daly

Narrated by: Janine Birkett

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Karen Bloom has always wanted the best things in life. And that includes her children; quite simply, she expects them to be perfect. Her son, Ewan, has been something of a disappointment, and she won't be making the same mistake again with her beloved daughter, Bronte. Bronte's every waking hour will be spent at music lessons and dance classes, doing whatever it takes to excel. But as Karen pushes Bronte to the brink, the rest of the family crumbles. Karen's husband, Noel, is losing himself in work, and his teenage daughter from his first marriage, Verity, is becoming ever more volatile. The family is near breaking point. Karen is about to learn just how deadly the pursuit of success can be....

©2017 Paula Daly (P)2017 Isis Publishing Ltd

Unfortunately unrealistic police procedure

Overall not bad. I was just disappointed in the loopholes and unrealistically missed clues and bad police procedure. I am not by any means an expert but I have read enough crime novels to notice it lacking,

I enjoyed the story though- from a mystery point of view. There was enough information and many characters to keep me guessing! I enjoyed the characters too, although there were some offensive moments to me!

Excellent!

Any additional comments?

This book draws the listener in. It is well written, unusual and clever. The characters are well drawn and there are satisfying twists and turns. It's a really great read/listen.

More of a 'who done it' than a thriller

...but still a pleasant listen. The latest in the series set around Windemere with Joanne Aspinal as the principal detective. Unlike the last book in the series this one has an "epilogue" that wraps things up and give us some idea how life moves on after the main story is complete. I like that in a book. If Paula Daly writes another book in this series, I'll definitely buy it.
Great narration from Janine Birkett.

Utterly Brilliant!

Paula Daly's books keep getting better! Eagerly await the next book.
This book is a must for any parent who may at times feel inadequate in any way.
Excellently narrated by Janine Burkett.

Stereotypes and basic storytelling

I had recently watched the series on ITV “Deep Water” which was based on 3 of Paula Daly’s books ( not this one). I liked the strong female characters and dramatic storytelling, with cliffhangers and twists in the tv series. However, I was disappointed to find out that the excellence of the series had more to do with the person who developed it into a screenplay, and the script writers, as well as the performances of the actors. The fact that you needed 3 books to make the short series should have suggested to me that this is not a writer who puts a lot of depth into each book.

In the beginning, the listener is engaged by a likeable almost relatable lady police officer called Joanne. Other interesting characters are introduced, those being the family whose child has recently gone missing from. However, I couldn’t help but notice a reliance on stereotypes, both of people with money, and of people without, the latter being the most critical. Joanne as a character by the end is totally unlikable, after her many scornful comments about poor people, generally viewed by her as criminal types or benefit cheats feigning “syndromes “ , having low intelligence and keeping dirty houses. If Paula Daly attributes these comments and opinions to her protagonist from doing research of police officers and their views, I have to say that based on what I read, I don’t trust the police either. According to the protagonist, that means I’m probably a criminal!!

The story is not at all cerebral or even heart rending, just a basic whodunnit story made up of stereotypes. Not for me.

Irritating narration

Unfortunately the irritating narration overshadowed the story - it sounded more like an episode of The Flumps! Quite why every character had to have a different accent from across the country is beyond me, and the ten year old and the sixteen year old had the voices of five year olds. It made the characters very flat and unconvincing - I didn't actually care what happened to any of them and my attention wandered quite often. Generally quite a disappointing story and a disconnected ending, let down by the narration.

fair story

fair story but not the most interesting I've listened to. felt a bit like the ending wasn't great.

Not a strong, satisfying story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I felt the 'trophy child' aspect of the story was weak and the overall story was contrived in an unconvincing way. The ending, in particular, was not really connected. There was no real substance to the characters.

Would you recommend The Trophy Child to your friends? Why or why not?

No, I wouldn't because it was an unsatisfying. A bit like eating some junk food which you regret.

Brilliant. Fantastic listen. However......

This story by Paula Daly was another thrilling ride, iv yet to be disappointed by anything she has written. I must say though that the narration of the children in this story was simply awful. The 16 year old girl sounded as though she was in nursery school and it did ruin it for me as the character became immediately unrelateable. Huge and unnecessary error and really annoying.

Splendid

Soothing and stimulating all at once. I was totally addicted and carried my phone in my zipped pocket while I went about my daily tasks. I ordered another Paula Daly novel straight away.

Her best so far

Unusual story. Liked everything about this book. Very sad ending with a twist. Can’t wait for the next one.