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What July Knew

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

This audiobook contains a bonus interview with the author.

A moving family mystery about the secrets we keep to protect those we love. For fans of Joanna Cannon, Janice Hallett and Jo Browning Wroe.

July knows 18 things about her mother. But not the truth.

Summer, 1995. On her tenth birthday, July's teacher sets the class a project to find out about a relation they don't know. It's easy for July to choose her subject. She doesn't remember her mother, who died when she was small, and her father refuses to talk about her. Ever. The only memories she has of her are flashbacks from the accident that claimed her mother's life.

But then she receives the note: 'She didn't die in a car accident.'

Determined to discover what really happened, July begins to investigate, cycling around the street where her family used to live and questioning the neighbours. When she is caught snooping round a crumbling house at the end of the road, she learns that the man living there was the last person to see July's mother alive.

In his version of the story, he is a hero. In everyone else's, he is anything but...

©2023 Emily Koch (P)2023 Penguin Audio Domestic Thrillers Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Psychological Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Mystery Detective

Critic reviews

"Really well-written, deeply moving and psychologically affecting... Highly recommended." (Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient)

"A debut to be reckoned with." (Guardian)

"Packs a real emotional punch." (Cara Hunter, author of Close to Home)
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyed this third book of Emily's, as I did the previous two. Nicely narrated, I thought it really was different from the norm, the way we learned along with July,as the story unfolds.

Fantastic!

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Magnetic storyline, sensitively written with beautiful words. Narration was perfect. I 100% recommend this book!

Exceptional

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This story does involve domestic and child abuse so it's not for everyone. However, I'm so glad I read it, it really is a good story. Most of the book is told from the perspective of a ten year old girl, so it's fairly innocent. She even believes she totally deserves the lessons her father bestows upon her. Thankfully, not many of these 'lessons' are described but we know they happen more frequently. July is trying to find out more about her dead Mother, but no-one will talk about her, so she takes it upon herself to find out more from other resources.
Other parts of the story are filled in by letters and views from neighbours and even passers by.
Set over just a small part of Summer in 1995, the story evolves quickly and keeps you engrossed to find out more. It is certainly very emotional.
The narration is good too, I thought Charlotte Worthing did a good job of portraying the story and the addition of the Male narrator, Mark Meadows, for the male letters was a nice touch.

Harrowing but addictive

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it is a fantastic book and i am now a fan and follower of Emily Koch.

captivating

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There are some strong themes of child abuse and domestic violence that people who read this should be aware of as it not mentioned in the blurb making this book quite brutal to honest. Combine that with the protagonist being a child it’s definitely not a light read.

Pretty horrific

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