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The Facts of Life and Death

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About this listen

'Call your mother.'
'What do I say?'
'Say goodbye.'

This is how it begins.

Lone women terrorised and their helpless families forced to watch - in a sick game where only one player knows the rules. And when those rules change, the new game is Murder.

Living with her parents in the dank beach community of Limeburn, ten-year-old Ruby Trick has her own fears. Bullies on the school bus, the forest crowding her house into the sea, and the threat of divorce.

Helping her Daddy to catch the killer might be the key to keeping him close.

As long as the killer doesn't catch her first...

 Amateur Sleuths Crime Thrillers Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Game

Critic reviews

Bauer at her best . . . the true heir to the great Ruth Rendell
A new Belinda Bauer always goes straight to the top of my to-be-read pile. She's the most interesting crime writer in England today
Belinda Bauer's thrillers are always compelling, always original, always brilliant. I will rush to read anything she writes
Belinda Bauer is one of the best British crime writers out there right now
She writes so beautifully, plots so cleverly and exhibits a razor-sharp understanding of people and places
This gripping, unsettling tale blends a murder mystery with a blackly comic look at the gradual erosion of 'normal' family life. You won't want to put it down
Lingers in the mind like an unwelcome guest, albeit one with a dark sense of humour . . . powerful, compelling reading
Our most inventive crime writer.
One of the most startling plots in contemporary crime fiction
Breathtaking. I read this and wished I’d written it
All stars
Most relevant
I can’t get enough of this author.
Whether it’s the sheer poetry of her writing, the variety of story that she weaves or the characters that seem to unexpectedly link all her tales, I don’t know.
I have to be honest and say that the final scenes of this jarred a little, but I don’t know if that’s because there was no hint in advance of the “setting” that would cause the denouement or the likelihood of it happening was hinted at but I missed it.
Either way it still provided a satisfying conclusion.
Onto the next.

Belinda Bauer does it again.

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Downloaded this after hearing good things but nothing special really. Was a pretty hard slog to be honest and it took me 2 or 3 attempts to get into it and that was only because I'd had it too long to return. On the plus side the author does a good job of making you feel for Ruby due to the lack of decent parenting and for the most part being generally let down by the adults in her life. Predictable ending though. 6/10.

Meh...

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Bauer at her best .I adored this book …favourite so far after Blacklands and Snap. Lots of unexpected twists and turns… likeable characters and fantastic narration.

Absolutely brilliant

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Cant fault Belinda Bauer this book had everything. The plot was gripping, so believable. The narrator read the story perfectly. Couldn't stop listening to it until it finished. Can't recommend it highly enough. Brilliant,

Best book I've listened to for a long, long time

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Well narrated and a great story, love Belindas books, there is always a breath holding moment and this was no different.

Loved it!

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