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Black-Eyed Susans

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Black-Eyed Susans

By: Julia Heaberlin
Narrated by: Christopher Ragland, Julie Rogers, Patricia Rodriguez, Sarah Borges
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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of Black Eye Susans by Julia Heaberlin, read by Sarah Borges, Christopher Ragland, Patricia Rodriguez and Julie Rogers.

Seventeen-year-old Tessa, dubbed a 'Black-Eyed Susan' by the media, became famous for being the only victim to survive the vicious attack of a serial killer. Her testimony helped to put a dangerous criminal behind bars - or so she thought.

Now, decades later the black-eyed susans planted outside Tessa's bedroom window seem to be a message from a killer who should be safely in prison.

Haunted by fragmented memories of the night she was attacked and terrified for her own teenage daughter's safety, can Tessa uncover the truth about the killer before it's too late?

 Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Exciting Scary Mystery

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Critic reviews

It's a terrific plot, matched by the quality of the writing and superbly paced tension
Black Eyed Susans is a compelling read, especially for Serial fans
One of the classiest thrillers you'll read this year
About as good an example of Grip Lit as you could read
Sophisticated, disturbing and with plenty of red herrings
We can't remember the last time a thriller burrowed under out skin like this. Sparkling characters, authentic emotion, and an unpredictable plot makes this a terrific read from start to end
An absorbing character study and a good choice for readers who want to really sink into a psychological thriller
A truly compelling tale of the fragility of memory and elusive redemption
Black-Eyed Susans is a masterful thriller that shouldn't be missed . . . and in terms of suspense, characterizations and storytelling... is outstanding. Heaberlin's work calls to mind that of Gillian Flynn. Both writers published impressive early novels that were largely overlooked, and then one that couldn't be: Flynn's Gone Girl and now Heaberlin's Black-Eyed Susans. Don't miss it.
Gripping... The suspense builds as Tessie uncovers devastating secrets from the past en route to the shocking ending
All stars
Most relevant
This is an unstoppable listen. Cutting between now and the distant past, and from character to character, the plot unfolds through many plot twists, each shocking in a psychological, not gory sense.
We are with the central character throughout this journey. Brilliantly written

Brilliant

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Really enjoyed the storyline. Thought I knew the killer all the way but felt the twist was a little silly, the person I thought would have made more sense in my opinion!

Unfortunately I found the attempt at a sexy drawl by the voice over playing Lydia aged 17 near the end of the book extremely irritating and out of place with the whole story. I'm unsure why they felt it needed to spoken in that way.

Good story shame about one voiceover

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...but a bit of a drag for me. The time line bounces back and forth - concentration required. My mind often drifted. Pleased I persisted to the end.

Great ending...

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Great story line.

Surprised at the killer identity. But the whole lead up to the exposure was brilliantly told. Highly recommended.

Brilliant

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What did you like most about Black Eyed Susans?

The storey stood on its own feet, was a bit long winded before reaching its climatic end. The characters were plausible, and I grew affection for most of them. The back drop is quite disturbing but that is hardly touched on as you spend your time living in the tormented mind of Tessie/Tessa. Overall, 7/10

If you’ve listened to books by Julia Heaberlin before, how does this one compare?

I haven't but I will keep an ear out for her

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?

Tessie as a teenager and Tessa as the tormented adult

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not particularly, I consider being moved by something emotional in a beautiful way. As I've said the back drop to this storey is quite disturbing.

Any additional comments?

Don't let anyone tell you its like Girl on a Train (a fabulous book). This book deserves to be considered on its own merit, but it didn't blow my mind like some of my recent books.

They said like 'Girl on a Train'. Nothing like it

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