99% Of The Reading Public Never Post A Review. Rosie’s Review-A-Book-Challenge #RRABC

It’s true!  99% of the reading public don’t post reviews for the books they’ve read. If you’re an avid reader, you probably take a look at the reviews for a book before you decide whether or not to buy.  The average …

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #Thriller No One Can Hear You by @NikkiCAuthor

Today’s team review is from Judith, she blogs here https://judithbarrow.blogspot.com

Judith has been reading No One Can Hear You by Nikki Crutchley

This is a tense and intriguing novel which builds suspense as the story unfolds with many twists and turns.  I enjoyed the read, it’s a good plot and I really liked the author’s writing style.

Written from various points of view the reader is able to empathise with each of the strong, well-rounded female characters.

The dialogue, both internal and spoken is excellent and differentiates each character.

The settings are evocative and are good backgrounds for the action that takes place.

There are various themes woven throughout the plot: criminality and drugs. Isolation (emotional, mental and physical isolation), abduction and murder, friendships and relationships. Alongside these is a hint of romance and descriptions of daily life which, for me, made the more sinister aspects of the book darker in contrast.

The novel begins in 2001 with a prologue and introduces the character of Faith Marsden, a rebellious fostered teenager who is abducted in the town of Crawton and then escapes. Years later she is still haunted by the experience.

The story moves forward sixteen years with the protagonist,  Zoe Haywood, returning to her home town of Crawton to arrange the funeral of her estranged mother, Lilian, who she discovers, had ever increasing dementia. But she finds notes which reveal that Lilian had fears that other young women were missing.

I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews so will leave it there… except to say that Faith and Zoe find a common bond between them from their pasts; a childhood of loneliness and rejection, and  unite to learn the truth of Lilian’s worries.

As I said above, I liked the author’s writing style and would recommend No One Can Hear You to readers who enjoy a book with strong female characters and a good plot.

He said that they’d let me go on purpose. That they could easily find me if they wanted to. He said that they didn’t want me. That I was too much trouble. He said if I went to the cops, he’d know. If I told Sonya, he’d know. If I talked to friends or teachers, he’d know. He told me to pretend it didn’t happen. He told me to consider it a compliment, that I was too strong. His last words to me were, ‘Just forget’. Troubled teen Faith Marsden was one of several girls abducted from Crawton, a country town known for its picturesque lake and fertile farmland. Unlike the others, she escaped, though sixteen years on she still bears the emotional and physical scars. Zoe Haywood returns to Crawton to bury her estranged mother Lillian, who has taken her own life. As she and Faith rekindle their high-school friendship, they discover notes left by Lillian that point to two more young women who recently disappeared from Crawton. But Lillian’s confused ramblings leave them with more questions than answers. As Faith and Zoe delve deeper into the mystery, they become intent on saving the missing women, but in doing so are drawn into Auckland’s hidden world of drugs, abduction and murder. And then Faith decides to confront the mastermind – on her own.

No One Can Hear You is the second novel by Nikki Crutchley, and it’s a cracking female led thriller.

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #thriller No One Can Hear You by @NikkiCAuthor

Today’s team review is from Terry, she blogs here https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry has been reading No One Can Hear You by Nikki Crutchley

4 out of 5 stars

The book opens with an excellent prologue about Faith, a teenage foster kid being abducted, back in 2001.  It then goes back to the main story, about Zoe, a thirty-something, recently unemployed teacher whose life is all at sea, going back to small town Crawton because her mother has died.  Zoe’s feelings about this can hardly even be called ‘mixed’ ~ her relationship with Lilian was cold and distant, and she hasn’t seen her since she was eighteen.  When she arrives in Crawton, though, she is left wondering what really happened to her mother.

Meanwhile, meth-head Megan has been abducted, and is kept prisoner in a storage cupboard.

Despite the themes of abduction, murder and the sleazy underworld of drugs, I’d describe this as a low-key thriller; much of the novel concerns Zoe’s relationship with her mother and the other issues she is working through, and there is quite a lot of domestic and day-to-day conversational detail which, together with the writing style, lends itself more to a dark drama with gradually unfolding sinister developments than edge-of-your-seat suspense.  It’s nicely written and the characterisation is good, particularly Faith, with whom the book opens.  One of the characters has Alzheimer’s, and I thought this was most realistic.

I had a feeling who the baddie(s) might be about half way through, but that’s probably because I watch a lot of TV of this genre; it’s not at all obvious.  The plot is convincing and cleverly structured, I thought the descriptions of what the abducted girls went through was particularly well done, and the ending was good ~ I do appreciate a well-thought out ending.  I can imagine this being the sort of book you might get into reading on holiday.

‘He said that they’d let me go on purpose. That they could easily find me if they wanted to. He said that they didn’t want me. That I was too much trouble. He said if I went to the cops, he’d know. If I told Sonya, he’d know. If I talked to friends or teachers, he’d know. He told me to pretend it didn’t happen. He told me to consider it a compliment, that I was too strong. His last words to me were, ‘Just forget’.

Troubled teen Faith Marsden was one of several girls abducted from Crawton, a country town known for its picturesque lake and fertile farmland. Unlike the others, she escaped, though sixteen years on she still bears the emotional and physical scars.

Zoe Haywood returns to Crawton to bury her estranged mother Lillian, who has taken her own life. As she and Faith rekindle their high-school friendship, they discover notes left by Lillian that point to two more young women who recently disappeared from Crawton. But Lillian’s confused ramblings leave them with more questions than answers.

As Faith and Zoe delve deeper into the mystery, they become intent on saving the missing women, but in doing so are drawn into Auckland’s hidden world of drugs, abduction and murder. And then Faith decides to confront the mastermind – on her own.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #thriller No One Can Hear You by @NikkiCAuthor #fridayreads

Today team review is from Karen, she blogs here https://mytrainofthoughtson.wordpress.com

Karen has been reading No One Can Hear You by Nikki Crutchley

My Opinion

This book’s prologue introduces you to Faith Marsden and what happened to her in February 2001; then – moving on to October 2017 in the first chapter – you get to know Zoe Haywood, a science teacher who has to return to Crawton where her mother has passed away.

With “No One Can Hear You”, Nikki Crutchley has created another gripping as well as chilling thriller with a plot that keeps its promises. It is a plot that kept me glued to my eReader, drawing me very close to Zoe. Nikki Crutchley created a well elaborated thriller with a complex and likeable heroine – as well as a colourful variety of further important characters. Zoe and the others are believable, complemented by the aptly written plot. There is a lot more to the story than simply good versus bad; there are some insights in the human behaviour that will make you wonder. It is a highly enjoyable read with authentic characters, interesting turns, and a great flow. A memorable book to read again, written by an author to watch out for! After completing this book I realised that Nikki Crutchley has made it into my top 15 list of thriller authors.

This is a book for you if you like intriguing suspense, feisty heroines, believable characters, and if you appreciate expertly elaborated stories.

Highly recommended!

‘He said that they’d let me go on purpose. That they could easily find me if they wanted to. He said that they didn’t want me. That I was too much trouble. He said if I went to the cops, he’d know. If I told Sonya, he’d know. If I talked to friends or teachers, he’d know. He told me to pretend it didn’t happen. He told me to consider it a compliment, that I was too strong. His last words to me were, ‘Just forget’.

Troubled teen Faith Marsden was one of several girls abducted from Crawton, a country town known for its picturesque lake and fertile farmland. Unlike the others, she escaped, though sixteen years on she still bears the emotional and physical scars.

Zoe Haywood returns to Crawton to bury her estranged mother Lillian, who has taken her own life. As she and Faith rekindle their high-school friendship, they discover notes left by Lillian that point to two more young women who recently disappeared from Crawton. But Lillian’s confused ramblings leave them with more questions than answers.

As Faith and Zoe delve deeper into the mystery, they become intent on saving the missing women, but in doing so are drawn into Auckland’s hidden world of drugs, abduction and murder. And then Faith decides to confront the mastermind – on her own.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #Thriller No One Can Hear You by @NikkiCAuthor #SundayBlogShare

Today’s team review is from Anita, she blogs here https://jenanita01.wordpress.com

Anita has been reading No One Can Hear You by Nikki Crutchley

A brilliant opening prologue, the story opens in a foster home in 2001.

Faith Marsden had been in worse places, but a late night escapade finds her in somewhere much worse…

Sixteen years later, Zoe Hayward, a teacher at a boys school, is unfairly sacked because of an incident with one of the boys. Her mother, who she hasn’t seen in years, dies and Zoe must return home to arrange the funeral, so she is unable to stand her ground over the dismissal.

Zoe is just doing her duty regarding her mother but gradually becomes involved in the mystery of the missing girls in her hometown. The authorities seem to want it all to disappear, but she isn’t about to let that happen.

Fast paced in the beginning, the thread of this story alternates between the characters and their chapters, which vastly increased the tension.

Such a complicated and skilful plot, you really need to be on your toes with this one. The story unpeels like an onion, each layer full of frustrating clues and red herrings. By the time I was just over halfway through, the tension had built to an almost unbearable level.

The story slowly descends into a gruelling hell as the author describes the extent of the missing girl’s trauma with painful precision.

The climax of the story begins when Zoe makes an important discovery, triggering one of the best finales I have read in a while…

‘He said that they’d let me go on purpose. That they could easily find me if they wanted to. He said that they didn’t want me. That I was too much trouble. He said if I went to the cops, he’d know. If I told Sonya, he’d know. If I talked to friends or teachers, he’d know. He told me to pretend it didn’t happen. He told me to consider it a compliment, that I was too strong. His last words to me were, ‘Just forget’.

Troubled teen Faith Marsden was one of several girls abducted from Crawton, a country town known for its picturesque lake and fertile farmland. Unlike the others, she escaped, though sixteen years on she still bears the emotional and physical scars.

Zoe Haywood returns to Crawton to bury her estranged mother Lillian, who has taken her own life. As she and Faith rekindle their high-school friendship, they discover notes left by Lillian that point to two more young women who recently disappeared from Crawton. But Lillian’s confused ramblings leave them with more questions than answers.

As Faith and Zoe delve deeper into the mystery, they become intent on saving the missing women, but in doing so are drawn into Auckland’s hidden world of drugs, abduction and murder. And then Faith decides to confront the mastermind – on her own.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS