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The Girl Next Door
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
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The Girl Next Door
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Summary
In the waning months of the Second World War, a group of children discover an earthen tunnel in their neighbourhood outside London. Throughout the summer of 1944 - until one father forbids it - the subterranean space becomes their 'secret garden', where the friends play games and tell stories.
Six decades later, beneath a house on the same land, construction workers uncover a tin box containing two skeletal hands, one male and one female. As the discovery makes national news, the friends come together once again, to recall their days in the tunnel for the detective investigating the case. Is the truth buried among these aging friends and their memories?
This impromptu reunion causes long-simmering feelings to bubble to the surface. Alan, stuck in a passionless marriage, begins flirting with Daphne, a glamorous widow. Michael considers contacting his estranged father, who sent Michael to live with an aunt after his mother vanished in 1944. Lewis begins remembering details about his Uncle James, an army private who once accompanied the children into the tunnels, and who later disappeared.
In The Girl Next Door Rendell brilliantly shatters the assumptions about age, showing that the choices people make - and the emotions behind them - remain as potent in late life as they were in youth.
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 28-01-21
interesting
Interesting perspective on how murder can affect people. Also an excellent perspective on old age.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Cressida59
- 30-09-17
Tedious at beginning
Rather tiedious n the first few chapters but improved later on. Very well read by Rid Jerrom
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kirstine
- 29-08-14
More about relationships than a crime novel
As with many of Ruth Rendells’s non-Inspector Wexford novels this book hardly qualifies as a crime/detective story. A crime is committed, and we know from the start who did it, but it isn’t the core of the book. The author creates superficially ordinary people who are actually rather odd and do surprising things. It’s the exploration of the psychology behind their actions that is interesting and keeps one reading/listening.
The narrative switches between the last years of the second World War and the present day and follows the lives and loves of a group a people, who met as children in the Essex town of Loughton, and who are all associated in some way with the people or events surrounding the crime. A crime that was only discovered in modern times and the revelation of which brings the now elderly children back together with life-changing consequences.
I enjoyed the book though I see from Amazon reviews that it has divided readers/listeners. Maybe it appeals to older people who can empathize more easily with the characters.
The narrator is excellent.
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18 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Flint
- 03-09-15
Probably not worth the effort
The story dragged, there were too many characters and it got a bit confusing. I didn't like the ending, too many loose ends tied up, the conclusion seemed like a big let down. I wouldn't listen to it again. The narrator wasn't too bad, fairly easy to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susan Random
- 02-08-15
Older People And Their Stories
Although this Rendell novel begins with a murder, it acts as a plot device to reunite a group of older people who played in the tunnels located in Loughton, near London during the Second World War. The Batchelor brothers and their respective wives, retired solicitor, Michael Winwood, whose nearly childhood was blighted by danger and neglect and his former next-door-neighbour, Daphne Furness, nee Jones. All of the friends have now scattered throughout London, but the discovery of a pair of entertwined hands in a biscuit tin in the tunnels during the present day have repercussions for all of the group.
The book was extremely compelling and was a great choice to take on holiday. Ric Jerrom was an excellent narrator with a deep, expressive and slightly laconic manner. My only issue is with an aspect of the plot is the unsavoury past incident towards the end. That said, it doesn’t really detract from the quality of the writing.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Angela
- 14-01-15
Daphne
Found characters bit difficult to follow. Not to sure about story line. Weaved a bit to much back and forth in time before getting to the real base of the story. But still enjoyed it.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maryb
- 05-10-16
A surprising book from Ruth Rendell.
Ric Jerrom is an excellent reader with many accents. He held my attention when parts of the story became a bit overlong. Surprising ending!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Lady Jay
- 06-05-16
really tried to get in to this
but could not just not the sort of book you can have on and relax too . just thinking about who he talking about and have to go back over what just happened .
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 03-09-14
Waste of a credit
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
I'm not sure who would enjoy this book
What was most disappointing about Ruth Rendell’s story?
There is no intrigue or plot, boring book
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
The narration was excellent given the poor material they had to work with
What character would you cut from The Girl Next Door?
Most of them
Any additional comments?
The story is told in the first couple of paragraphs
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Alan
- 21-08-14
Very disappointing
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
A much better story, better character development and less stereotypes
What was most disappointing about Ruth Rendell’s story?
No excitement or surprises, it plodded along and was old fashioned and bland
What didn’t you like about Ric Jerrom’s performance?
Did the best possible with the material
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Boredom and disappointment. Hard to believe Ruth Rendell was the author
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5 people found this helpful