The Birthday cover art

The Birthday

Detective Natalie Ward, Book 1

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The Birthday

By: Carol Wyer
Narrated by: Diana Croft
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About this listen

One hot summer’s afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home....

When five-year-old Ava Sawyer goes missing from a birthday party at a local garden center, the police are bewildered by the lack of leads. That is, until two years later, when Ava’s body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party....

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that still keeps her awake at night....

Natalie soon discovers that Ava’s mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi, and as she digs deeper, she’s sure Ava’s father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden center Elsa see that day? Something that she’s not telling Natalie....

Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn’t come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?

Gripping, fast-paced, and nail-bitingly tense, this book will keep you listening long into the night. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, and Karin Slaughter.

©2018 Carol Wyer (P)2018 Bookouture
Crime Fiction Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime Exciting Scary

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All stars
Most relevant
I had already read this book as I have of most of Carol Wyer’, but found it more compelling by listening to it. It became very believable almost as though it was really happening. The narrator did an excellent job with the different characters bringing them to life. I’ve aleady ordered the next audible book.

A Gripping story

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I loved how the author created tension between the characters. That element was brilliantly executed. However, to me, the plot was a little predictable and there was no real twist. The killer was always a suspect so there was no big reveal.

good but not great

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The Birthday is a police procedural (the first in a series) which introduces DI Natalie Ward who is investigating the murders of several little girls. As is often the case, especially with female officers, she has many balls to juggle. She is a tough, dedicated police officer, and sometimes this has repercussions for her personal life.

The book is fast paced and had me looking for clue all the way through, but I’m afraid I didn’t guess the identity of the killer. The subject of child killings is an emotional one, but was dealt with sympathetically.

The brilliant narration by Diana Croft really enhanced my enjoyment of the book. She does the different voices superbly, and is one of my favourite female narrators.

First in a series

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Kept my interest to the end. Kept me company while I cleaned my house, which, because of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed!

Classic Who Done It!

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The Birthday was ok. Not too gripping, wasn’t something I found hard to stop listening to. Quite predictable.

Alright

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