The Distant Echo cover art

The Distant Echo

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The Distant Echo

By: Val McDermid
Narrated by: Tom Cotcher
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About this listen

On a freezing morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in a cemetery. The only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood.

Twenty-five years later the police mount a cold-case review of Rosie’s unsolved murder, and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice....

©2003 Val McDermid (P)2004 Recorded Books Inc
Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Detective Cold Case Exciting

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Critic reviews

"A classic.… McDermid pulls out all the stops. Impeccable." ( Guardian)
"A few more sly, old-fashioned whodunits like this and she’ll join the sturdy ranks of the queens of crime, on course to become Dame Val or Baroness McDermid." ( Sunday Times)
All stars
Most relevant

Would you listen to The Distant Echo again? Why?

I really enjoyed The Distant Echo. The story was interesting and kept me listening late into the night, well past my bedtime! I don't typically re-read (or listen again) to my books, but there would be nothing to keep me from it. I really enjoyed it! The twisted ending blew my socks off!

What did you like best about this story?

The development of the characters from young men in university to grown men with careers, wives, and children. The end of the story was shocking to me, and it's hard to catch me out. I usually have the "whodunit" figured out by the conclusion. I didn't with this book!

What about Tom Cotcher’s performance did you like?

His accent. Otherwise, I didn't really enjoy his performance. I thought his various voices of the main characters were strange--especially Rev."Weird."

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, neither. It just kept me on the edge of my seat.

Any additional comments?

I'm going for the next book in the series now.

Well written, great ending

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The story was nothing less than I've come to expect from Val McDermid - fantastic.
Unfortunately the narrator ruined it in parts for me. He would slip into a Scottish accent when speaking for someone American and sometimes not switch from one characters voice to another when he should have - making it slightly confusing to keep up. There were a couple of times where I had to re-listen to bits to work out exactly who was speaking.

I wouldn't let that put me off listening to one of Val McDermid's books read by him again but I feel it needs to be pointed out.

Fantastic story - narrator could be better!

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Great book. Thought the beginning was a bit strange with only 4 characters but second half if book was fabulous and kept me gripped.

Slow start

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At first thought it was going to be slow pace . plenty of twist to keep u listening.

brilliant

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Only at the last chapter all is reveled. Enjoyed it all. Thank. Great listening x

Wonderful stuff.

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