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Awakening

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Awakening

By: Sharon Bolton
Narrated by: Alison Reid
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About this listen

How did it all begin? I suppose it would be the day I rescued a new-born baby from a poisonous snake, heard the news of my mother’s death and encountered my first ghost…

Veterinary surgeon Clara Benning is young and intelligent, but practically a recluse. Disfigured by a childhood accident, she lives alone and shies away from human contact wherever possible. But when a man dies following a supposed snake bite, the victim’s post mortem shows a higher concentration of venom than could ever be found in a single snake. Assisted by her softly spoken neighbour and an eccentric reptile expert, Clara unravels sinister links to a barbaric ancient ritual, an abandoned house and a 50-year-old tragedy that left the survivors fiercely secretive. Then the village’s inventive attacker strikes again, and Clara’s own solitary existence is brutally invaded. For someone the truth must remain buried in the past…even if they have to kill to keep it there.

©2009 S J Bolton (P)2010 Random House Audio Go Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Medical Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime

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All stars
Most relevant  
First, I did not like this one as much as her novels on PC Flint. Second I couldn't stop listening (audio book). The story swivels and changes directions like a snake and, by the way, do NOT read it if you suffer from snake fobia. This said, it's a well written story with interesting characters and dark secrets in a small remote village.

a nice one

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Thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. Second Sharon Bolton I've listened to. Just as good as the first

Brilliant

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though the story was far-fetched in places. You can empathise with the main character, Clara Benning, a vet, who was disfigured in early childhood. I was hooked by the first few lines. The story is set in a small village and present day events are all related to a tragedy that happened in 1958. Not to be recommended if you don't like snakes!
The narrator was excellent and really brought the tale to life.

Unusual plot

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stayed up all night to listen a proper ear catcher. Going to try a few more of these books

Loved this book

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Couldn't put it away - very... mesmerizing in a way... Really managed to create vivid scenes!

Fantastic read

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Snakes invading an English village. Just the thought of it makes me terrified! That's what happens in this book, and disfigured wildlife vet Clara tries to find out what is happening.

I found the storyline intriguing and as I listened I got more engrossed in the story, until I looked at the clock and realised it was 3am, and had to finish the next day! I liked the character of Clara, though found her a little annoying at times. There's lots of obviously well researched info about snakes in this book. book has quite a creepy vibe with an eerie abandoned old house and a burnt out church. The ending, complete with a storm cutting the village off, is thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat.

The narration by Alison Reid was excellent.

Snakes!

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Slow, disappointing and unless you like snakes you might find it hard to finish. By the time you do finish the book you forget most of the story well for me anyway.

Not the best

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This review will contain a bit of a spoiler not about the central mystery, just the romantic interest sub plot. Miss Bolton, I'm assuming it is Miss, likes to add a bit of Mills & Boon to her stories. Being a bit soppy myself I don't object to this but in this particular case I found the love interest distracting and annoying. The author spends a lot of time establishing what you think may turn into a romance and then in the last hour you find that the man has a girlfriend and is also trying to seduce our gutsy heroine. I maybe old fashioned but in my book that makes him a despicable cad, so why have we been encouraged to think of him as the romantic lead for the last 17 hours. To be honest I didn’t really cotton to him before the emergence of the girlfriend and our heroine leaves him behind in the end anyway. All this left me wondering why he was there in the first place, it all seems quite distracting and nothing at all to do with the main story. Add to this the heroines quite baffling ignorance of her rights viz a viz police interrogation and I was left feeling irritated and grumpy. This is not the kind of book you would listen more than once

A bit of a disappointment

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First book by this Author

The story was well written and the narrator was brilliant too.

A who done it right to the end :)

Brilliant

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As a snake and animal lover I found this book extremely interesting. Peppered with scientific facts and interesting explanations of the life and work of veterinary surgeons, all wrapped up tidily in an intriguing thriller, peopled by well drawn characters. It’s a great listen and Sharon Bolton is of course up to her usual high standard. Narrated well byAlison Reid. Just have to hurry up and wait for Ms Bolton’s next novel.

Good listen.

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