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  • Land of the Living

  • By: Nicci French
  • Narrated by: Julie Maisey
  • Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (206 ratings)
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Land of the Living cover art

Land of the Living

By: Nicci French
Narrated by: Julie Maisey
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Summary

They say your memory can't be trusted. They say your story doesn't check out. They say you were never blindfolded...starved...or imprisoned in a filthy shed like an animal. But you know it happened. And you know it can happen again.

This masterful novel of brilliantly drawn characters and harrowing suspense will shock you at every turn and force you to walk the fine line between madness and fear.

Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The couple are married and live in Suffolk. There are 11 other best-selling novels by Nicci French: The Memory Game, The Safe House, Killing Me Softly, Beneath the Skin, The Red Room, Land of the Living, Secret Smile, Catch Me When I Fall, Losing You, Until It's Over, and What to Do When Someone Dies, all published by Penguin.

©2002 Nicci French (P)2015 Auidble, Ltd

Critic reviews

"Land of the Living is possibly their most assured outing yet, with all the carefully crafted plotting and assiduous characterisation that has distinguished their earlier work. The basic situation is intense and immediate: Abbie Devereux wakes up and finds herself hooded and bound, with no idea of how she ended up in this terrifying state. She is tended to by a man she never sees: a man who makes the promise that he will eventually kill her 'like the others'. Abbie is forced to re-examine aspects of her identity, her career and the dying relationship she had with her boyfriend. The struggle for survival is physical and mental. If French's compelling novel owes more than a little to John Fowles' masterpiece The Collector, it is none the worse for that. And the delineation of extreme mental states has all the disturbing assurance of Patricia Highsmith." (Barry Forshaw)

What listeners say about Land of the Living

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

What a good book!

An interesting well thought out plot. The only criticism is that the end seemed rushed. The narrator was excellent with subtle changes in her voice and accents.all in all money well spent the first of many books by these authors that I'll invest in.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • MC
  • 15-07-21

imaginative

really liked the story- a twist on the usual kidnap tale- but I wish Nicci French would clean up her language. not so bad when you read it but on Audible it gets to you.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

scary !!

the only reason why the fifth star is not there is because I am not too fond of the topic, the story line. But that said, I enjoyed the story it unwound well, and Julie Maisey's narration was excellent and lively ... thank you !!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Land of the living is a thoroughly gripping story.

This book did not once lack pace, which is what one expects from a Nicki French novel. The narrator is excellent: a five star all rounder.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I was really disappointed with this book, it had such potential! Really great idea that just became long and rambling towards the end. Parts were downright unbelievable.
Good narration.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

ok

Ok not as gripping as I hoped from reading the blurb. I liked the narrator though.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

1st class

A novel one comes to expect from Nikki French, full of suspense and engendering fear all in equal measure. It captured me to the end. I’m full of praise for narrator, 1st class.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

gripping from beginning to end -

couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days.. a page turner in audio format

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping and believable

I found this utterly compelling. The reader was very well suited to the voice of the first person narrator, whose story drew me in and held me right up to the terrifying climax, which at one point I could hardly bear to listen to. The ending was satisfying, but left open enough to be believable. One of the best audiobooks I have listened to.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Tedious and ultimately disappointing

I have many memorable audiobooks in my collection, but sadly this isn't one of them.
The numerous references to animal cruelty means that I'll never buy a book by this author again. I can only assume they get off on hurting animals.
The story itself, if it can be described as such, is over-long and very tedious.
The only good thing was the excellent narration. Congratulations to the narrator for her excellent range of voices.
I won't be buying any more books by this author. I'd have returned this one if it hadn't been in the £2.99 sale.

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