Fantastic Listen

What did you like most about Broken Silence?

I liked that I recognised this book - I knew what I was reading (listening to). Part of that was that I vaguely know the area but the rest of it was because of the fantastic descriptions. This book was pretty brutal and the descriptions a little graphic, but that's what you get with crime and it really added to the atmosphere. I loved the complex plot and all of the twists and turns and that Jack Brady sticks to his ground with what he believes in.

What other book might you compare Broken Silence to, and why?

Pretty much anything by Valerie Laws or Anne Cleeves. Both authors are also local and hit upon a lot of the same issues in the same subtle way.

Which character – as performed by Mike Rogers – was your favourite?

The main character, Jack Brady. I enjoyed Mike Rogers' portrayal of him and it really fit in with the tone of the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES! I didn't want to put it down and probably listened to it in three sittings, which is unusual for me as an audiobook usually lasts a whole week.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to read/listen to more books by this author and performer.

4 people found this helpful

Where's the editor?

A pretty good whodunnit, brilliantly read. Unfortunately the writer seems to have little idea of correct grammar, word order and the use of adverbs. It becomes very irritating and I can't understand why the editors did not correct these errors. 'Jenkins uncomfortably answered...' 'Brady sceptically asked...' It is very jarring. The reader, however, is excellent and manages all the voices and accents very well.

4 people found this helpful

Are there no real Geordies that can read?

I bought this book, as many people must, because it was so specifically set in Whitley Bay. As a (very willing) exile from that town myself I looked forward to hearing the descriptions of the places I know myself - which I did - if a little sketchily. Why go to the trouble of locating a novel quite so specifically, geographically, and then not make use of it except to damn the locality very comprehensively and a little unfairly.

However this is a small point when viewed alongside the inadequacies of the reader! In the descriptive passage he is fine - but his attempt at a Geordie accent is excruciating! This deficiency is, I'm sure, compounded because a higher than average proportion of the listeners are probably from the North East - having chosen the book because of it's local connections.

Surely there must be one genuine Geordie narrator who could have done a better job with this!

4 people found this helpful

Appallingly written book

I was utterly sickened by the brutality, swearing, and appalling mis-representation of a police force that this book depicts. That people actually consider this the type of language and subject matter they listen to for 'pleasure' is beyond me. No, it is not gritty reality, just an excuse for bad fiction and a sick storyline. What a waste of money. By the way - I live in the Northumbria police area and the ones I know are not like this!

3 people found this helpful