Really enjoyed being read to

What did you like most about Hurting Distance?

I decided to dowload this as my first audio book as I had read Little Face and enjoyed it somewhat. I needed a book for dogwalks and this was a great book.

It is the usual Sophie Hannah type story with some very thin coincidence's and no real shock at the end, but I enjoyed Julia Barrie's reading of it which was gentle on my ears, but fitting to the story.

I was engrossed I have to say, I was listening and walking and wanted to walk much further so I had longer listening time, however the dogs didn't cos it was too hot and sat and refused to budge if I was walking what they considered the longer way round. They won.......... but I really enjoyed my expereance, so much so, I have now joined Audible.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ummm difficult one

What does Julia Barrie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I dont think I would have read much past chapter 3 or 4 as I really didnt like the main charactor...she was a real pain as far as I was concerned

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really

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Chilling Psychological Crime Novel

I love Sophie Hannah so I was keen to purchase her books on audio so that I could listen to them any time I liked. The narration is very good.The plot is tight and well paced. Quickly we learn that in the past something very bad happened to the main character Naomi Jenkins. We also learn that Naomi is in some weird relationship with a married man called Robert. When Robert goes missing the police aren't interested so Naomi decides she will tell a serious lie about him to make the Police investigate his disappearance. What begins as a small lie soon becomes something far worse and more twisted. The lie is far more real than anyone ever imagined. As with all Sophie Hannah's novels, they are written back and forth between - first person narrative by the person linked to the crime and third person narrative from the detectives point of view. This style is great but it does mean that you have to pay attention to the story, especially as you are listening and not reading. On a more serious note this book does deal with rape and some scenes are quite disturbing and graphic - however it works with the story, it's never cliched and provides a different perspective on a theme that has been covered so many times.In my opinion one of the best books I have ever come across - You will be thinking about it long after you've finished listening/reading.

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6 people found this helpful

Disappointed

Would you try another book written by Sophie Hannah or narrated by Julia Barrie?

This is the first book that I have listened to written by Sophie Hannah and I was drawn to it by the enthusiastic reviews. What a mistake, A completely implausible plot that was dragged out by lengthy passages that didn't add to the story. I was on a long car journey and decided to stick it out until the end - what a let down.

What will your next listen be?

Bill Bryson

Did Julia Barrie do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

No, there were just too many names and it was difficult to differentiate between them.

Did Hurting Distance inspire you to do anything?

Yes, never buy another Sophie Hannah book.

Any additional comments?

Yes, follow you own instincts when choosing a book and don't be swayed but the many readers who seem to give five stars to a book far too easily.

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slow starter but has a serious twist!

I found this quite hard going at the start, this was more to do with the style taking a bit of getting used to! Once it picks up and gains pace it's a really gripping, thought provoking read that tackles rape from a different perspective. The big reveal is not what you expect, this is a pretty intense book that takes some concentration to listen to but it still somehow keeps you hooked.

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1 person found this helpful

she does it again

I just love Sophie Hannah, her mind is amazing. another belter that keeps you guessing until the end!

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Disturbing

A woman has been having an affair with a married man for a year. When he doesn't turn up for their usual Thursday meeting, she is sure something bad has happened to him. She goes to the police, but they aren't reacting as quickly as she'd like, so she tells the police he raped her.

I found this quite a disturbing listen, the reveal towards the end was pretty chilling and as such, this is an audiobook I'd only listen to the once.

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1 person found this helpful

Seems so real

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book. The story from the narrators perspective seems so real. Tension is built very carefully. This is almost like two separate books within one where the second builds on the first. Great value for money. I could not guess the various 'reveals' along the way and that is not generally the case.

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WOW!

So many twists and turns I was captivated. My fav Sophie Hannah so far! Buy it!

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Great story but I found the narrator poor quality

I found the narrator to be off key at doing the male voices and the tone she used for Charlie Zailer was annoying unfortunately.

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Gratuitous garbage

A mess of a book, like bring trapped in a nightmare, sickening . she's written far better, tried to hard to shock... Hated it. Sorry sophie

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