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The Stopped Heart

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About this listen

What happens when every parent's worst nightmare comes true - and when the past is unwilling to be the past? Some memories are too powerful to live only in the past.

During a ferocious storm, a red-haired stranger appears in the garden of a small farming cottage. Eliza and her parents take him in. But very soon, it's clear he has no intention of leaving.

A century later, Mary and Graham have experienced every parent's worst nightmare. Now, escaping their old London life, the memories and the headlines, they have found an idyllic new home in rural Suffolk. A cottage, a beautiful garden. The perfect place to forget. To move on. But in The Stopped Heart, the past never dies.

©2016 Julie Myerson (P)2016 Bolinda Ghosts Historical Fiction Horror Psychological Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Scary Paranormal Fiction Haunted Exciting Mystery
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Most relevant
I’m glad I stuck with this book until the end but I did nearly give up a couple of times. As others have mentioned the fact that nearly every question is answered with a ‘What?’ Or ‘I don’t know’ or even worse, the question repeated back again drove me mad! Who has such wishy-washy conversations!!!

Despite that, there were some heartbreaking moments which were told very well. The descriptions of small details and atmosphere were also very well captured.

Good story, tedious and long winded dialogue, well narrated.

‘What?’ ‘I Don’t Know’

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This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to. Julie Myerson is a wonderful writer and the two strands of this story are equally compelling. The ending delivered everything I hoped and proves it isn't necessary to resort to complex plot twists (though there is a twist within a secondary strand of the story) to keep readers hooked. It is brilliant on grief, marriage and coming of age, too. Thoroughly recommended.

One of the best

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Mostly gripping and genuinely scary but also just…so weird. I just found myself asking “but why” to pretty much everything. The parallels are interestingly done but you’re left feeling extremely adrift regarding the absolutely zero condemnation of paedophilia. Not really a recommend, it was easy to want to keep listening but not well done enough to make me want to read anything else by her.

A very strange book

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The story was great and gripping. The narrator brilliant and so good it was almost like listening to a BBC play.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them except (of course) James.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Not so much a particular scene but the description and atmosphere was fantastic.

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

Impossible. I needed to have spaces between myself and the story as it is very dark and intense.

Any additional comments?

Yes. Huge credit to Katie Moore the narrator. So skillfully read. Not only did she have many different voices to change but ages too. Each time I listened, I knew who she was reading by her amazing talent with accents age and gender. Even sulky teen. All very subtle and not overpowering.

Haunting and amazing.

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Heart breaking story. Beautifully read. I loved it but it's so very sad and distressing

Superb

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