Not A Sound

by Heather Gudenkauf

[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