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All the Hidden Truths
- DI Birch, Book 1
- Narrated by: Sarah Barron, Angus King
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
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All the Hidden Truths
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Summary
WINNER OF THE MCILVANNEY DEBUT PRIZE
LONGLISTED FOR THE MCILVANNEY PRIZE SCOTTISH CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AND CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) AWARDS
A wrenching, gripping, unforgettable debut crime novel for fans of Susie Steiner and Kate Atkinson.
This is a fact: Ryan Summers walked into Three Rivers College and killed thirteen women, then himself.
But no one can say why.
The question is one that cries out to be answered - by Ryan's mother, Moira; by Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and by DI Helen Birch, put in charge of the case on her first day at her new job. But as the tabloids and the media swarm, as the families' secrets come out, as the world searches for someone to blame...the truth seems to vanish.
A stunningly moving novel from an exciting new voice in crime, All the Hidden Truths will cause you to question your assumptions about the people you love, and reconsider how the world reacts to tragedy.
Critic reviews
"(a) meticulous and compelling novel about the aftermath of a major crime and its effect on the affected families and investigating officers both." (Ian Rankin)
"Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn't tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction." (Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said)
"Raw, powerful, compassionate and deeply moving, with page-turning tension to the end. A stunning debut." (Karen Robinson, Sunday Times Crime Club)
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What listeners say about All the Hidden Truths
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
- ruthraemoir
- 12-08-18
In my Top 5 this year
Difficult subject matter sensitively handled makes this a book to remember. The way the story is told, through the very ordinariness of three women, makes it all seem so possible. The characters are well drawn and believable. Here is an author who can plot and pace, write sensitively and sustain interest throughout.
The narration is brilliant and the narrator has a real talent for different accents and clear diction.
Can’t recommend highly enough.
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7 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
- Dom
- 10-08-18
Really quite stunning
This is a really gripping book. From start to finish it drags you on an emotional roller coaster. Such strong characters who you really invest in.
This is definitely a book that you can sit back and enjoy before being dragged closer to the edge of your seat.
Really went narrated too. The reader grasped the emotional magnitude of the story and made it an amazing listen.
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6 people 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
- CA
- 13-10-18
Not for me
Read all the amazing views. I think I’m missing something here. This did not peak my interest until 45 minutes in when I thought ok this might be ok after all. It wasn’t.
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5 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
- Jules
- 04-10-18
A Great Book, A Definite Listen
It’s unusual to find an intelligently written book and one that is beautifully narrated, but this is one of those rare finds. The story is written from the perspective of three women, each of whom finds herself looking at the same situation but from a very different angle. As a mother of boys and a girl I’ve watched them go through those painful years, am still doing so to an extent, so this book made my heart ache for both mothers in the story. I would definitely recommend this book without any hesitation (and I’m quite difficult to please).
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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
- Cabaspre
- 28-09-18
Brilliantly enabling empathy for all characters
Well done to the narrator. Every single one of the characters evoked a strong feeling of sadness - even the perpetrator. The construction of the tale was masterly and only towards the end did I understand the beginning. How does a parent live with the repercussions of such an act? A very good and thoughtful book. Highly recommended
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rox
- 17-12-18
Mouth sounds so off-putting
I could barely concentrate on the story as the mouth sounds from the narrator were so off-putting!
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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
- None
- 20-08-18
Beautifully crafted moving story of terrible loss
What would you be left with if your only child was the first killed in a college massacre? and how would you feel if you were the mother of the killer? This is the central theme of this very moving story. Each woman's narrative is held together by the narrative of the detective responsible for trying to answer the question why? My favourite book ever is "We need to talk about Kevin" which covers the same subject of teenage mass murder and at first I was disappointed that this book appeared to fall short of the narrative of Lionel Shriver. However a quarter of the through I could appreciate the different way in which this horrific subject had been handled and I began to enjoy Claire Askew's total empathy with the extreme emotions that each woman had been left with. Two shattered women looking for an answer whilst dealing with the loss of a child in their own ways. The only downside to this book was the depiction of the journalist, essentially I did not feel he added much to the story and his role could have been played down without affecting the overall outcome. I also liked the narration of Sarah Baron.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Karen S.
- 23-06-23
Was ok
Well I did finish the book but it didn’t jump out at me .. got confusing at times
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Niall W.
- 10-05-22
good narration. disappointing story
a bit disappointed. I liked the narrator doing her best to bring out the characters of the story. Its just a bit too formulaic. I think i gave it enough of a listen, i made it to 4th chapter before quitting.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Ms. H. Forbes
- 23-12-21
OK but didn't really go anywhere
Story OK but didn't really develop much and was a bit thin. Thankfully , Angus King's involvement was little which didn't give him much opportunity to ruin the book.
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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
- Scotty
- 11-12-19
Didn't enjoy this one as much!
Good story, but much repetition about the same thoughts and feelings. Overall VERY depressing, due to heavy subject. More than half way through it took a completely unexpected turn, about a completely different possibility of why the whole thing occured. However, the author didn't follow that, but dropped it and returned back from that to follow a different ending. Also good, mind you, but just saying. Sarah Barron is an excellent narrator, but for most of this book she used such a menotonous tone of voice, several times I struggled to stay with it.
Audible addict,
Scotty
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1 person 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
- StL Reader
- 18-04-22
A good listen, but sad
This is a good story and well written. The subject matter (mass shooting) is timely. The story gets into seemingly real reaction and emotion of the closely involved characters. This is played against the concurrent media surrounding the incident. The tough thing is the sadness throughout. I found the ending especially melancholic.
This is all fine for what it is, but given the state of the world right now (early spring 2022), I need a break from melancholy. I would like to get to know the character DI Birch better. But , I can’t continue with the series, at least not right now, because I can’t continue with the melancholy.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- John Neely
- 10-12-21
Too slow
Much too long and repetitive. I listened to half of it in hopes the pace would pick up, but am returning it with very little curiosity as to how the story ends.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Yikes
- 11-08-18
Not For Me
I only listened to the first couple chapters of this book. The accent is so thick that I'm having trouble understanding it. I will be returning it.
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