Not A Sound

by Heather Gudenkauf

‘Brilliant.’ Heat

The Washington Post selected Not A Sound as one of ‘The Ten Best Thrillers and Mysteries of 2017’

‘I’m going to die tonight. But I won’t go quietly.’

Amelia Winn has a lot of regrets. She regrets the first drink after she lost her hearing. She regrets destroying her family as she spiralled into depression. Mostly, she regrets not calling Gwen Locke back.

Because now Gwen is dead. And as Amelia begins to unearth the terrible secrets that led to Gwen’s naked body being dumped in the freezing water, she realises that she might be next.

But how do you catch a killer when you can’t hear him coming?

Bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf returns with a shocking, unputdownable thriller, perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Paula Hawkins and B. A. Paris.

Praise for Heather Gudenkauf:

‘This gripping tale will keep you up all night’ – Heat

‘An action packed thriller…. Gudenkauf's best book yet!’ – Mary Kubica

‘Fans of Jodi Picoult will devour this great thriller’ – Red Magazine

‘This tense tale keeps you hooked right up to the last page’ – My Weekly

‘A great thriller’ – Radio Times

‘A real page-turner’ – Woman’s Own

‘Tension builds as family secrets tumble from the closet’ – Woman & Home

‘A gripping thriller’ – Inside Soap

‘Deeply moving and lyrical…it will haunt you all summer’ – Company

‘A powerhouse of a debut novel’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Totally gripping’ – Marie Claire

‘Heart-pounding and compelling’ – Diane Chamberlain

• ISBN13: 9781848457140
• Publish Date: 13 July 2017 (first published 30 May 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HQ
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf has an interesting premise. Our protagonist, Amelia, is in a horrific accident that has taken her hearing. As the story progresses, we see how her loss of hearing puts her at a disadvantage when it comes to capturing the antagonist. It’s an interesting concept that falls short when the book is read silently.

Gudenkauf did an excellent job of creating a character that you could be empathetic with. This is a strength of hers as an author. I was drawn to Amelia and her broken world. Her accident put her at a disadvantage. Some of the choices she made after her accident put her at even a greater disadvantage, but Amelia is determined to make amends so when she gets wound up in the mystery of the story this determination shines and you can’t help but root for her to solve the mystery.

The story falls short on two accounts. One of which might be considered a spoiler so read ahead at your own risk.

1) The big reveal of “who-dun-it” in the novel relies on how speech is interpreted (seeing vs. hearing). This reveal would have been more powerful in a more visual (a movie) or auditory format (an audiobook). The twist is built in the text of the story, but if you read quickly, “it’s a blink and you miss it, kick yourself for missing it” when it’s finally explained.

2) The person that caused Amelia’s accident that lead to her hearing loss is never found. The accident has a huge impact on Amelia’s life, I was disappointed this secondary mystery wasn’t wrapped up at the end.

Gudenkauf has found her niche in writing character driven mystery novels. The life situations she places her characters are realistic and believable. While there isn’t tons of depth in the mystery and many times the antagonist is painfully obvious at the conclusion, I do enjoy reading her novels because I’m drawn to the characters she creates in her fictional Iowa towns.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews