Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Witness  By  cover art

Witness

By: Caroline Mitchell
Narrated by: Steve West, Elizabeth Knowelden
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.00

Buy for $20.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

To Rebecca it was a brave decision that led to her freedom from domestic abuse. To Solomon it was the ultimate betrayal.

It's been ten years since Rebecca's testimony saw Solomon locked away. Enough time for the nightmares to recede, the nerves to relax; enough time to rebuild her life and put the past behind her.

Then one day a phone rings in her bedroom - but it's not her phone. Solomon has been in her home, and has a very simple message for her: for each of the ten years he has spent in jail, Rebecca must witness a crime. And, to make matters worse, she has to choose the victims.

Fail to respond and you get hurt. Talk to police and you die. Ready to play? You have sixty seconds to decide...

As the crimes grow more severe, the victims closer to home, Rebecca is forced to confront a past she had hoped was gone forever.

©2016 Caroline Mitchell. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Witness

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    312
  • 4 Stars
    164
  • 3 Stars
    71
  • 2 Stars
    24
  • 1 Stars
    14
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    349
  • 4 Stars
    122
  • 3 Stars
    40
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    263
  • 4 Stars
    136
  • 3 Stars
    80
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    22

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Rebecca vs. Solomon

Witness is a psychological thriller set in Wales by British author Caroline Mitchell. The book jumps back and forth very frequently between the years 2007 and 2016. The antagonist, Solomon, is totally evil as he seeks to control every aspect of his girlfriend's/fiance's Rebecca's life in 2007 and tries to destroy her in 2016. Rebecca, who is a weak and dependent, is not an admirable or likable protagonist. The plot twist at the end is unexpected, but it does little to help because it effectively sinks the protagonist to the moral level of the antagonist. In summary, Witness is an interesting (at times) but deeply flawed very dark psychological thriller. The narration is excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The main character, Rebecca, is weak and annoying

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I have read a great many books about spousal abuse, and I have never seen a less sympathetic female lead.
The book had a couple surprises so I would think some readers might find this interesting.

What was most disappointing about Caroline Mitchell’s story?

I did not like the main character at all. The things she allowed to happen were reprehensible. I kept waiting for her to get a back bone and stand up to the guy.
I totally agree with one reviewer who commented on some of the ludicrous incidents with the home monitoring system. Rebecca knows Soloman is some computer wizard but she doesn't even think about the phone call from a monitoring company wanting to "upgrade" their home system.
There are some subjects brought up but never explained or expanded upon. Ie: Solomans school experiences, his sentencing to prison.

What does Steve West and Elizabeth Knowelden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought the narrators did a very good job especially in light of the material they were reading.
The voice of Soloman was convincingly threatening and evil.
.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I was definitely angry at Rebecca and went so far as to yell at her a few times.
How could she stand by and "witness" the awful things happening to her friends, neighbors and family?

Any additional comments?

I obviously did not care for this book at all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

no imagination

I never quit a book halfway through but this is the second one this week. a story about a violent ex and a very stupid female staying silent and going along with the threats. Irritating story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

thoroughly engaging

I loved this book from page 1. Of course it did help that I also love a Welsh accent. Anyway the story itself was difficult put down. I listened to this book with Audible which made it all the more real to me. Both narrators gave an amazing performance. Near the ending and at the ending were big surprises I did not see coming. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Suspend your belief.

I feel like the portrayal of a controlling person/abuser was probably accurate. Something I would never hope to experience. A crime was committed and Solomon was incarcerated. Ten years later he is out. He blackmails Becky into “Witnessing “ 10 crimes, one for each year of his incarceration. Although she always checks her locks and has security cameras she goes out at 2:00 am to comply?? I am thinking Don’t do it! Tell someone! But we would not have a story then would we? Always a plus when you have a male and female narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not all that.

The story has a strong opening. It is to from the POV of Rebecca, the victim and Soloman the murder. The story is told from the past and present view of their interactions. How they met and their relationship is an interesting part of the story. Rebecca was still a victim at the end of the book. Rebecca was abused mentally and physically by Soloman. She was a prisoner in her own home with her activities being lived streamed to Soloman. A crime is committed, Rebecca testifies against Soloman, who spends ten years in jail. ** spoilers **

When he is released, he sets up ten scenarios for Rebecca to follow with the same threat that all criminals make, “don’t contact the police.” These scenarios are crimes against people Rebecca knows. Each scenario has increasing degrees of threat to the people and culpability to Rebecca. We endure 8.5 hours of Rebecca, being pulled around by Soloman. She felted compelled to participated in his macabre game, thinking that he would leave her family alone if she plays his game. As each scenario gets more dire Rebecca’s morals compass is more compromised. Her reasoning is, “This is all my fault, and it is up to me to sort it out.” She rationalizes she can make it up to the people when the situation with Soloman, is over.

She was constantly saying that he was intelligent and “clever” with computers, yet, it was 8 hours before she thought he could be monitoring her home. The author showed the reader when Soloman “upgraded” Rebecca’s home monitor system. You are live in protection mode, locking doors, windows and you have a big dog. You get a call for an upgrade to your home system. Do you take it?

There is not one point in this story that Rebecca makes a decision to eliminate the threat to her situation. She does not tell her family nor does she contact the police. Why does this woman think that she can handle someone who physically and mentally abused her? Rebecca is not like many abused women who take self-defense classes.
The police offer her witness protection; she refuses the offer. Ten years later, her spider senses go off, and she contacts the police to see when is Soloman being released. They want to help/work with her. Rebecca is very adamant about protecting her location. How did Soloman find her?

For 7.5 hours Rebecca is giving up victims for Soloman’s crimes. Her final confrontation with Soloman consisted of her begging for Soloman to release her sister-in-law and daughter.

You do get a surprised 20 minutes before the end. There are a few things mentioned or referenced that are left unexplained in the book. What happened to Soloman in school? How was Soloman convicted? Why did Soloman pick Rebecca?
Did I find this riveting? No. Will I read another novel by this author? No. Why? Nothing original and a sloppy job in setting up the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Irritating

That’s all I can say. I found the heroine most irritating. Of course that is only my opinion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Twit on a Scooter

Found the main character self-absorbed and totally lacking in discernment and compassion . This reader was often heard uttering, "Idiot"!" out loud.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

ridiculous

I was only able to get to Chapter 14 with this book for the simple reason that the main character's behavior was baffling. Without giving anything away, I could not understand why the main character would fail to communicate the major life threatening issues that were happening with her significant other and to the police. She's going to handle it on her own?? not a chance. It simply makes no sense, and because of that, I could not continue listening because all I wanted to do was yell at her to stop being an idiot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

kept me on the edge

story plott kept me on the edge and guessing at what was coming next. love it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful