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In Bitter Chill

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In Bitter Chill

By: Sarah Ward
Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
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About this listen

You can't bury the truth forever....

Derbyshire, January 1978. Two girls go missing: Rachel Jones returns, Sophie Jenkins is never found.

Thirty years later, Sophie Jenkins' mother commits suicide. Rachel Jones has tried to put the past behind her. But news of the suicide reopens old wounds, and Rachel realises that the only way she can have a future is to finally discover what really happened all those years ago.

This is a story about loss and family secrets and how often the very darkest secrets are those that are closest to you.

©2015 Sarah Ward (P)2015 W F Howes Ltd Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Exciting Scary Crime

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Critic reviews

"Deserves to be one of the standout debuts of 2015." (William Ryan)
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There are a lot of female characters in this story which I got mixed up in my mind. Other than that the story and the narrator are both very good.

Highly recommend

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The story keeps you guessing howeverJuanita McMahon reads beautifully; very important for an audio book. This is my first Sarah Ward. I shall try another at some point.

A sort of cold case story

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This story and reader stands out amongst so much of the low-bar quality here. It’s a good enough story to keep you listening, and the reader is a cut-above most.

Well written, well read

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An easy listen - good story and well read. Not too predictable like a lot of the crime novels.

For once I didn’t guess the ending early on.

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What made the experience of listening to In Bitter Chill the most enjoyable?

I liked the characterisation and the irony of the plot. Little clues were to be found all through the book. The ending was sad but happy as well; life was moving on and old issues were resolved.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Bitter Chill?

When Rachel discovered that her family history was not quite what she thought it was.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, it did, but I was disappointed with the mistakes that keep happening in audio books. It is not GeneOlogy, it is GeneAlogy. And it is NOT renumeration it is remuneration, from the Latin verb munire, to reward.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I really don't know; the story is a little complex to tag.

Any additional comments?

I would listen to another of this author's books.

A good book on the whole

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The story is quite absorbing, although it seemed to get bogged down in the genealogy, which the narrator kept pronouncing "geneology". The name 'Yvonne fluctuated between the correct way and "Eevonne", in the same sentence sometimes. The worst, though, was the lovely Welsh name 'Mair', which was just pronounced "mare". I nearly threw my kindle out of the window! Ask any Welsh person.

Pronunciation coach needed.

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I enjoyed this novel, but it was let down by rather bland main characters and some dodgy narration. I found myself muddling Inspector Sadler with his male sidekick, neither character being strong or their names particularly distinctive. I also found Rachel deathly dull and could quite happily have shaken her to get some reaction out of her. The plot twists were good and the outcome satisfying and, overall, it was a well-structured novel. Sadly, I don't care for Juanita McMahon's narration, some of her accents are very dodgy and there were some odd pronunciations which should surely have been sorted before recording?

Entertaining, if slightly bland

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Story really good, a real "page turner". Well worth the listen. Main characters are likeable, but I didn't feel that I knew them well. Performance - what a wonderful narration, really lovely voice - but some of the accents were a bit squint - but please do not let that put you off - really not enough to spoil the experience!! Overall worth a credit!

Kept me guessing until the end

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What made the experience of listening to In Bitter Chill the most enjoyable?

Firstly, the storyline was very well constructed and involved a cold case review of the disappearance of two schoolchildren in 1978. Exceptional plotting, numerous twists and characters who are believable. This is the kind of incident that could happen in any village or town and is sensitively portrayed and well paced.

Secondly the narrator did a superb job and must be given credit. She gave an impassioned delivery of the novel and I really did get the feeling she was involved and interested. The narrator brought the village and characters of Bampton alive! From the elderly folk in the village to the police team, she found the perfect voice and her distinction between characters was excellent.

Who was your favorite character and why?

DI Francis Sadler headed up the cold case review for the police as is a fascinating character who I long to see reappear in future novels. Slightly reticent and staid, he is a thoughtful man who commands his team well and the undercurrent of tension with DC Connie Childs is authentic. I would love to see this police team return in future novels.

Which character – as performed by Juanita McMahon – was your favourite?

Juanita McMahon did a thoroughly superb job with all of the characters, but DI Sadler came across as a good man who cared about the girl who was returned and his understanding of her fragility was well conveyed.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

In Bitter Chill was very thought provoking as this is a scenario which is plausible and could happen to any of us, anywhere in the country. At the time it would have been harrowing for Rachel Jones and never totally unravelled it has remained with all of the locals.

Any additional comments?

The narration and the gripping storyline make this an involving listen and I will look out for Juanita McMahon again.

The Secrets That Won't Stay Buried - Gripping!

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Initially this annoyed me with esther thumping historical references which felt a bit heavy handed. I did get drawn into the story and enjoyed unpicking it, and it kept everything believable right through to the end. The 'but' I'd that I found the characters a bit lack lustre, and the way they were tired up at the end was all a bit smultzy for me. A good read but the writing was a bit pedestrian and so not a great read - but the narration is pretty good!

Good plot, but.....

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