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What She Left

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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook production of this year's most haunting and unforgetting debut. Brought to life by a stunning array of actors including Charles Dance, Emilia Clarke and Imogen Stubbs, this is a truly unmissable listen.

'If you liked The Girl on the Train then I think you'll like this just as much, if not more' Scott Pack

******
Who is Alice Salmon?
Student. Journalist. Daughter.
Lover of late nights, hater of deadlines.

That girl who drowned last year.

Gone doesn't mean forgotten.
Everyone's life leaves a trace behind.
But it's never the whole story.

"I will stand up and ask myself who I am. I do that a lot. I'll look in the mirror. Reassure myself, scare myself, like myself, hate myself. My name is Alice Salmon."

When Alice Salmon died last year, the ripples from her tragic drowning could be felt in the news, on the internet, and in the hearts of those closest to her.

However, the man who knows her best isn't family or a friend. His name is Professor Jeremy Cooke, an academic fixated on piecing together Alice's existence.

Cooke knows that faithfully recreating Alice, through her diaries, text messages, and online presence, has become all-consuming.

But he does not know how deep his search will take him into this shocking story of love, loss and obsession where everyone - including himself - has something to hide . . .

********

Praise for What She Left:

'What She Left is an extraordinary and bold creation' Laura Wilson, Guardian

'Every month brings another book billed the new Gone Girl, but we think we've found a winner' Marie Claire

'An absorbing, intricate and extremely original novel. It is also immensely clever and intriguing . . . What She Left is beautifully written and very emotionally involving. I hope that it garners all of the commercial and critical success it deserves' Claire Kendal, author of The Book of You

'Guaranteed to keep you guessing' Irish Independent

'A deliciously modern take on the psychological thriller ... a shifting, mesmerising, mysterious story ... very well-written and intelligently realised, occupying a territory half way between literary novel and thriller ... a memorable debut' Daily Telegraph

'An ingeniously original premise ... addictive' Sunday Express

'What a wonderful new voice. What a pleasure to read a thriller that's so ambitious and so full of emotion and suspense. Bravo!' Nicci French, author of The Memory Game and Blue Monday

'Strikingly modern' Sunday Times

'Intriguing and successful ... a crime thriller from a different angle, Richmond's accomplished debut encourages the reader to become the sleuth ... Genuinely chilling' Maxim Jakubowski

'This is how books should be written; full of trust and respect for the reader, allowing you to follow the darker paths and investigate yourself. This is a book of immense accomplishment, thrilling and clever - I absolutely devoured it, and I am left thinking simply that none of us are quite what we seem' Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner and Human Remains

Crime Thrillers Mystery Psychological Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Heartfelt

Critic reviews

If you liked The Girl on the Train then I think you'll like this just as much, if not more (Scott Pack)
What She Left is an extraordinary and bold creation (Laura Wilson)
Every month brings another book billed the new Gone Girl, but we think we've found a winner
A deliciously modern take on the psychological thriller ... a shifting, mesmerising, mysterious story ... very well-written and intelligently realised, occupying a territory half way between literary novel and thriller ... a memorable debut
An absorbing, intricate and extremely original novel. It is also immensely clever and intriguing. It kept making me recall how I'd felt watching Twin Peaks. The kind of immediate shock and grief I felt for Laura Palmer was what I felt for Alice. The process of piecing together the heroine's life is so absorbing. I mourned her more and more powerfully as the story went on. What She Left is beautifully written and very emotionally involving. I hope that it garners all of the commercial and critical success it deserves (Claire Kendal, author of The Book of You)
There are a million psychological thrillers out there right now, but this one stands out . . . Richmond keeps you guessing until the final pages in this compelling debut
Strikingly modern
A tight, clever, compelling story ... the reader must act as detective, rebuilding Alice Salmon from the digital footprint she leaves behind (Paula Daly, author of Just What Kind of Mother Are You)
A clever, imaginative and entertaining attempt to immerse the whodunit in the world of social media (Marcel Berlins, The Times)
An ingeniously original premise ... addictive
All stars
Most relevant
I downloaded this initially as a friend had written it (I was so excited that I knew a suddenly famous author!). But the more I got into it, the more I was consumed by the story and the way it had been written.
It's unusually written, and I didn't know if I was going to like it at first as it jumped from articles to blogs and letters to Twitter, but it is staggeringly well-constructed and written.
The author also has an uncanny understanding of psychology, especially in young women!

A masterpiece!

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Enjoyed the narrators. Story started well, but guessed who done it pretty early on, just didnt know the reason.

Great cast

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A story based on social media posts. I thought this was a great idea, but was a bit confusing at times. Some of the narrators were excellent. It is important to listen to the dates of each part as it jumps around quite a lot. I felt the author added too many unnecessary words to some parts, which is why I have only given 3 stars. I think I was glad I chose it in audio format, the different characters were easier to imagine!

Good in parts

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I think if I had read this book I may have felt it was slow- but the dramatisation of it was superb and provided me with a gripping story that unfolded beautifully. My first T R Richmond and defiantly not my last!

Absolutely Fantastic Performancd

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If you could sum up What She Left in three words, what would they be?

Enthralling, tantalising and intelligent

Any additional comments?

A genuinely enthralling listen that is intelligently written and told with conviction by its cast. It builds on a fascinating premise to deliver a novel that is a fit for our time. Anyone who is a recent graduate, is an avid user of social media and wants a enticing day job that gives you a true sense of satisfaction will enjoy What She Left. We can all draw parallels with Alice and we all know a Jeremy, or at least a pedant.

A gripping 'of our time' read

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