Who Killed Little Johnny Gill? cover art

Who Killed Little Johnny Gill?

A Victorian True Crime Murder Mystery

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About this listen

He's just seven years old. He's your son. You wave goodbye to him one morning as he disappears into the swirling fog. And then he is gone. Forever.

This gripping historical crime fiction novel, based on fact, is set in Bradford, England, 1888. It explores the horrific murder of Johnny Gill; a murder and mutilation so gruesome, it stuns a nation. Even hardened detectives are affected by its savagery, swiftly comparing it to the work of Jack the Ripper.

Who Killed Little Johnny Gill? is Kathryn McMaster's debut novel. It is a noir pause-resister that immediately immerses you in a maelstrom of emotions, keeping you in suspense as Chief Detective Constable Withers and his dedicated team of British detectives try and gather sufficient evidence to bring a conviction against their suspect.

In 1888, police procedures and knowledge of Forensic Science are rudimentary and juries are exposed to persuasive newspaper reports and public opinion. Will justice prevail, or will the guilty walk free?

This is one crime fiction novel you won't be able to put down until the last word!

©2016 Kathryn McMaster (P)2016 Kathryn McMaster Crime Historical Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Murder Detective
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Most relevant

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Better narrator

How could the performance have been better?

A better narrator it is a very good story done extremely well.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Sadness disappointment

Any additional comments?

Good story terrible narrator

Boring

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Would you try another book written by Kathryn McMaster or narrated by Sam Warren?

Not on your Nellie. You're given three options in this book: 1. Either you believe that the author was in attendance for every scene described. 2.She drifted off into the realms of fantasy in her description of every scene. Or, 3. There are very descriptive eyewitness accounts including the (deepest) thoughts of every single person concerned with this sorry tale of a young lad's horrific murder. Even a Channel 5 staff writer couldn't manage this amount of 'detail'.

What was most disappointing about Kathryn McMaster’s story?

Everything. This could have made a good book but at best it was just (less than) adequate.

Did Sam Warren do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

Not particularly although he was a slightly better narrator than McMaster was a writer.

Did Who Killed Little Johnny Gill? inspire you to do anything?

Yes. I'm inspired to check in future before wasting a credit on a pre-order.

Any additional comments?

Had this been a novel, McMaster would have owned the characters and therefore would also have known their every thought. She did the characters a dis-service, especially poor little Johnny Gill.

Poor Johnny Gill, badly treated in book form too.

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The story is told well and you could overlook the somewhat shaky narration if the editing had been done properly. In chapter 4 especially, the clearing of the throat, clicking of fingers, presumably as a place marker, and narrator teaching himself how to say ‘unequivocally’ were so distracting from the story itself that it was nearly unlistenable. The narrator’s voice is nice on the whole so it is a shame. RIP Johnny x

An interesting and sad case spoiled by poor editing

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Worst narration I've listened to, parts of it not even edited! Talks really fast in some chapters very hard to listen to.

Dreadful narration

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The narrator is not good to say the least, but it is made worst by the dreadful editing, or should I say lack of editing. This should be an interesting story but between the way the story is written and more especially how it is told with the awful accents and the stop start coughing and clicking of fingers around chapter 4........ incredible!

Should be edited!

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