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The Distant Echo

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The Distant Echo

By: Val McDermid
Narrated by: Tom Cotcher
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About this listen

On a freezing morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in a cemetery. The only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood.

Twenty-five years later the police mount a cold-case review of Rosie’s unsolved murder, and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice....

©2003 Val McDermid (P)2004 Recorded Books Inc Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Detective Cold Case Exciting

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Critic reviews

"A classic.… McDermid pulls out all the stops. Impeccable." ( Guardian)
"A few more sly, old-fashioned whodunits like this and she’ll join the sturdy ranks of the queens of crime, on course to become Dame Val or Baroness McDermid." ( Sunday Times)
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The story great narration very good . This has been the first book that I have listened to of Val McDermid and couldn't put it down , looking forward to the next one

A Great Listen

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I really enjoyed this book. A fantastic performance by Tom Cotcher made this thriller such a great listen.
One of my favourites!

Gripping story

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I have really enjoyed listening to this audio book, the narration was excellent and this story itself was full of surprises. I didn’t realise who the murderer was until the end.
Very well written.

The distant echo parts one and two

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I use my 2 credits every month and so get through a lot of audio books.
The Narrator is pretty awful at accents. He is Scottish so he does a good range of Scottish accents, but everyone else sounds Scottish as well, even the french lady. So that is a bit hopeless but it did not ruin it.
As the story itself... a lot of it is really good. The murder is realistic and atmospheric, the time period is recreated very well and the large number of characters are fleshed out well and so a convincing world is created around St Andrews at the end of the 70s.
But and it is a big butt, there are a lot of lazy plot movements, an artist just happens to be friends with a forensic paint expert because they both use paint. No one believes 2 murders are linked when even an idiot can see they are linked. There ore others but you will see. I think it might be her first novel if not she needs a better editor who won’t let her be so lazy.
I would try another. So take of that what you will, lazy, sloppy but good fun.

It is pretty good but not amazing

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I nearly gives up on this book purely because of the narrator, I found his speech pattern unusual and it overshadowed the story but I stuck at it and so glad I did. In the end I enjoyed the narration I think it suited the East coast characters and feel of the book. This is my first Val McDermid novel I’m ashamed to say but won’t be the last. I loved the Scottish feel of the book which maybe is only something you really feel if you are a Scot and know the place, I don’t know. The characters were interesting and believable and the story was a great whodunnit that even once I thought I had it figured out there were still surprises at the end. Off to download another of Vals books!

Gripped

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A good, clever and plausible story from a writer at her peak. Especially good for Scottish listener's as they know the scenario locations. Highly recommended.

An audio page turner

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Really great audio book. The story was really good, and I liked it had 2 parts. I could listen to the narrators voice all day!

Great story & great narrator

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This was a great listen. The narrator was excellent (occasional dodgy US accent though!) his diverse Scottish accents were on point! A really good story.

A good story, reels you in, couldn't stop listenin

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The first half was a bit long winded but picked up momentum further on. good story and well read

I thought it a good plot

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This book was brilliant, well read and kept me guessing till the end. Off to download another book by Val and hopefully Tom Cotcher will be narrating it.

Enthralling to the end.

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