Chilling detective thriller

This is the second book in the Detective Natalie Ward series and again I've been shocked (in a good way) by how unflinching the author is when it comes to writing brutal and realistic crimes. She avoids all of the coy euphemisms that normally irritate me in crime thrillers and doesn't shy away from the violent reality of murder.


Wyer's writing style really appeals to me - most of our time is spent in the mind of Detective Natalie Ward (which is only fair, given that this is her series!). She's a very likable main character - practically minded, intelligent, good at her job and trying her best to maintain a work-life balance when it's impossible to do so with an emotionally difficult job and a family with their own needs at home. I found myself becoming increasingly attached to her in this book, she's the perfect character to carry this series forward.

The crimes in this book are well written and investigated, the pacing is perfect and it really feels like you're part of the investigation and learning the facts as the police do - letting you come to your own conclusions throughout. That's the fun of a police procedural, as far as I'm concerned!

All of the characters in this book are complex and well written. For me, having Diana Croft as the narrator for the book was the icing on the cake. This book contains a lot of dialogue between characters and she manages to give each one their own distinctive voice in both tone and accent, with no confusion between characters - it really is impressive.

I'm now going to have to hold my breath until the third book is released in audio, the audiobook has set my expectations too high to enjoy it any other way!

*I received a free copy of this audiobook*

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7 people found this helpful

amazing

loved it all especially the dynamics between all the characters which make you feel invested in the story. having the characters home lives included the pressures they present to them in doing Thier jobs make it seem so real"

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2 people found this helpful

Great

Clever storyline, but the narrator was especially outstanding! So many different accents and so well done!

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1 person found this helpful

average detective story

Baffled as to why there are so many 4 or 5 star ratings?! The writing is average "he might be a world class boxer, but no match for me"...or maybe I have listened to/read too many other detective/thrillers but nothing above a 3 star all round for me.

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1 person found this helpful

As ever ..... brilliant!

Keeps me guessing to the very last half hour of listening. Love the narrator. Love the author! So disappointed when I finish listening to these books, can’t wait for the next

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1 person found this helpful

Would not recommend this audio book, sorry.

Poor story which did not keep my attention at all and some of the male voices sounded quite odd. Did not enjoy and will not be finishing.

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1 person found this helpful

Super-twisty

So many thrillers have the tagline, "with a twist you won't see coming" and so often you can see the twist from space, or the twist is not so much a twist, more of a slight bend. Last Lullaby is NOT like that at all. Every time you think you've got a handle on who has done what to whom and why, you discover you're completely wrong. Detective Natalie Ward is a really great creation. A woman who other women can genuinely relate to. The narration by Diana Croft lifts this book, already head and shoulders above the rest in a crowded market, into the stratosphere. Only book 2 and I'm totally invested in this series.

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Excellent

Detective Natalie Ward is a hard working cop who struggles to balance her work and home life, especially when she is working on a difficult murder case. This is the second book in the series but would work well as a standalone. It is a solid police procedural which feels very realistic. The tension ramps up throughout the book and kept me guessing right up to the gripping finale.

The narration by Diana Croft was amazing. She is so brilliant at different voices and accents!

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Awful accents from the narrator!

It started off as a good read, but I found it quite slow in places and was spoiled by the narration. Quite a few of the characters sounded alike, and drippy, and at times a lot like “Frank Spencer” from an tv old sitcom! Was also disappointed by the ending! Not the best book that I have read from this author!

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Decent series

Well developed characters, likeable. The narration is quite good and the story is an easy listen rather than engrossing which isn’t a criticism, sometimes it’s what you want/need in an audiobook.

Especially as I listened immediately following “The Catch” by T. M. Logan during which, I had my heart in my throat!

The only issue for me is some characters voices don’t match their description or age but that hasn’t stopped me buying the next book.

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