Acoustic Shadows

by Patrick Kendrick

A thriller that will take you on a heart-pounding, pulse-racing rollercoaster ride. Perfect for fans of James Patterson and Lee Child.

Erica Weisz, a new substitute teacher in the small town of Frosthaven, Florida, has a dangerous secret. When two gunmen attack the school where she works, it becomes impossible to keep the truth buried.

Wounded and running for her life, she must learn to trust the only person who can help her, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Justin Thiery.

But Thiery has his own personal demons to overcome if he is to save Erica and find redemption for himself.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

Audible Audio

First published June 11, 2015

Reviews

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.0/5.0

A very fast paced thriller about a substitute teacher (Eric Weisz) in an elementary school of a small town. One day two gunmen attack the school and the secret that this teacher has been keeping unfolds. More violent events unravel, but how this teacher will handle them? you have to read to know this mystery.

This is the first time I read for Patrick Kendrick and I am quite impressed with the style of writing and the characterization. For odd reasons I thought the US Marshal Moral was a more multilayered character than the rest. Despite the book showing mainly his negative side I felt between the lines there were times that he might try and do right what he wronged.

My only gripe about the book is that some spoilers are mentioned on its back cover (as well as here on goodreads's synopsis). I feel reading these spoilers ahead takes a bit from the mystery that surrounding the main character's actions. So if you are going to read this book dive into it without reading the back cover or the synopsis here on Goodreads. You will be just ready to have an enjoyable ride of thrills and actions. If you are a fan of thriller actions with a lot of unfolding mysteries you should not miss reading this book. You will love it.

Note: I have won a free copy of this book by participating in a giveaway.

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acoustic Shadows is a hard hitting and compelling thriller. It has great characters that are well developed and make you interested in them. Erica Weisz is a substitute teacher who has recently moved to Frosthaven, a small town in Florida.

At school, two gunmen attack the school and Erica is under siege. There are fatalities, but with a gun in her possession, Erica manages to take out one of the gunmen. She finds herself in hospital but knows this is not a good place to be if she wants to stay alive. It turns out that she is in the witness protection programme because a criminal cartel are after her, and that she has been betrayed. Erica goes on the run knowing that she can trust no-one. With her life constantly in danger she is aided by agent Justin Thiery.

Patrick Kendrick is an accomplished thriller writer. The story is well plotted with a suspense charged narrative. There are a myriad of twists that grip. It is fast paced and I had to keep going until I had finished. I can really thoroughly recommend this book as it will keep you hooked. Many thanks to HarperCollins, the publishers, for the book via netgalley.

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart Pounding, Fast Paced, Compelling, Page Turner! Excellent Storytelling! I Loved It!

[Liz Vinc · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Acoustic Shadows," by Patrick Kendrick, is an exciting thriller about a new substitute teacher with a dark secret. The protagonist, Erica Weisz, moves to a small Florida town, and is in the process of getting settled in, meeting new people, getting familiar with her job, etc. ... until she finds herself under siege as two gunmen attack her school. With a .38 she had on her, Erica is able to help prevent a tragedy from becoming an even greater tragedy, but now her secret is out and she must move fast or lose her life. She finds an ally in Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Justin Thiery, but even he has a wrinkle to his story. Kendrick does an excellent job with the pacing of this story. You really get familiar with the characters as the plot picks up speed. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most avid thriller fans interested. If you're a thriller fan, you'll really enjoy this fresh, gripping read.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I could have done without the music and sound effects. They were just a distraction. This was supposed to be an audiobook, not an audio drama.

Scott Ellis gave a sort of mixed performance. He did make an effort to give distinctive voices to the characters and most were appropriate. However, his timing and pacing seemed a bit off at times. There were also some incorrect words and some mispronunciations. Glaringly, he mispronounced a famous author's name.

The story was very suspenseful, unrealistically so, in fact. The violence, and there was a lot of it, was very contrived and way over the top. Then there was the obligatory romantic entanglements of the protagonist that always seem to plague these stories. This story was just too formulaic.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.

[Monica Ganz · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I would say that I downloaded Acoustic Shadows on a bit of a whim because prior to this I have never read a book by Patrick Kendrick before so I was not sure what to expect. Thankfully it turned out to be one of the rare books that actually had me intrigued from the beginning until the very end. Patrick does a great job of writing a great story with just the right amount of murder, thrill, and suspense that had me glued to it as wen't through this. All of the characters are great but you especially love Erica. She's a very easy character to root for and I love that she is a very strong female lead. Really glad I decided to check this out.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was quite the thriller that had me on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen next. Erica has just moved to a new area and is in constant fear of her life. When 2 gunmen come into the school where she works, it becomes impossible to hide some of her darkest secrets. Erica is part of the witness protection program and is hiding for her life. I enjoyed the thrill in watching Erica hide and kept wondering what would happen next in the plot. This book was amazing and fast-paced. This is one I would recommend!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced book right from the beginning. Hard to put down. Characters are solid and real. I’ve known a few of those ‘good old boys.’ The writing is excellent, the emotion is felt by us rather than told. . . ‘jaw muscles flexed, eyes moistened.’ The inserted backstory has necessary revelations in adding a major character. It doesn’t slow the story. Today’s technology has many good and helpful attributes, but also works against the good guys. Count on mystery, suspense, and drama.

[Sarah-Jane]

I won this book through a give-away. I was glad that I did. I really enjoyed it's fast paced narrative and really loved the main character, Erica, who hides a secret and is betrayed by someone she trusted.

[Scott Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Award Winner - No Doubt

More twists and turns than I could count! Fantastic action and memorable characters. Mr. Kendrick has won several awards for his writing, I urge you to buy this book and find out why!

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frosthaven, FL. Erica Weisz has just been appointed a PT substitute teacher at Travis Hanks Elementary School by Dr. Linda Monessi (Principle).
8:20 AM Erica informed the students what the agenda was for the day. It was Halloween.
Tat; Tat; Tat; Tat; Tat!

Erica & the children heard the noise out in the hall.
The PA system came on with a blare.
The school was under gun-fire. Screams, hollering, & more of each.
Ms. Lynn Laforge was at the door, Erica had locked it & told the kids to get in the back room & shut the door.

Blood splattered all over the door window.
The assailant smashed through the door & had every intention of killing everyone.
Did Erica have a surprise for him, a bullet through the head & 2 more for good measures.
He was dead.
Next, she told the children to stay put & she ran down the hall to where there was still gun fire going on.
This guy had a shotgun, she took aim & finished him off.
The EMT’s, Sherriff, police & fireman were on the way.
When Erica awoke, she was in Lakeland Regional Hospital.
News flash: Gail Summer (reporter): 1 of the killers was David Edward Coody (19, U of CF: agricultural science).

Earlier he had also shot/killed Shelly Granger (ex-wife/wife/mother), & Ernest Granger (2nd. Husband/step-father).
The 2nd. gunman had been ID as Franklin Michael Shadtz.
FBI SA Sara Logan called FBI SA Justin Thiery (FDLE, QB U of Florida) to see how he was doing on the school murder case.
Erica had since vanished from the hospital.

What did Emilio Esperanza (80, father) want his son Julio Esperanza & Anichka Drakoslava to do?
Who will be brought to justice for these heinous crimes?

Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written psychological thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great psychological thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; Harper/Collins (Killer Reads); Autographed; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Victor Acquista · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare for me to read something that I find hard to put down, but Patrick Kendrick's fast-paced thriller was hard to stop reading. I am impressed by the author's skill in creating and weaving together intersecting plot lines, well-developed characters, and sub-plots into a highly engaging, cohesive narrative. From the start, the rapid pacing doesn't let up through to a very satisfying finish. Highly recommended!

[bern carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Patrick, a wonderful writer, love his characters and plotting, if you like eel written mysteries you will love his books.

I have met Patrick. If you like well plotted action stories with well developed and interesting characters you will love his books. He is an excellent writer.

[Bryan Biery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Unnerving Grimness, anguish & death with nightmares in life are woven into the lives and deaths of our protectors, their families, politics and psychopathic destruction.
Thank God for heroes & heroines, for the loyal and the selfless.
They show like the stars on the darkest nights for all of us.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give this one 3.5 stars if it was an option. I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. The story was a good one and certainly held my attention but there was a huge amount of violence that made the story seem more and more unrealistic. Still, I enjoyed the read.

[Carol L. Ely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast moving thriller

Another thriller from Patrick Kendrick. This book grabs you from the first chapter. As in his other thrillers you know who are the bad guys from the beginning but the twists will make you unable to put the book down

[Julie Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

Read this in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. No gratuitous sex scenes and well described characters. Definitely worth reading.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acoustic Shadows – A Fast Paced Thriller

Acoustic Shadows is the book that introduces its author, Patrick Kendrick to the Britain, already well known in the USA. Anyone that reads Acoustic Shadows will be grabbed by the throat by this fast paced thriller that takes us around Central Florida. To those who have been to Orlando on their holidays will recognise some of the places, as we are taken on the run of a lifetime that might just save a life.

Patrick Kendrick has really taken the thriller genre to a new level that achieves all the clichés and more that will draw the reader and have them hooked from beginning to end. The book starts from an explosive beginning to the last stand at the OK Corral at the end, the villains are nothing but evil, the law officers can you really trust them and the victim who literally has nowhere left to run.

Erica Weisz is a substitute teacher in the small Florida town of Frosthaven, when the school is attacked by two gunmen, killing a number of teachers and staff but leaving the children unharmed. Weisz protects her children, and also is concealing a gun for protection. Somehow she is able to kill one of the gunmen and injure the other, while she herself takes a shot.

A whole mass of agencies and Police turn up with the media and governor not far behind, who bring with him from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Agent Justin Thiery. Lots of questions are being asked of why was there yet another school shooting as well as why did a teacher break federal law and take a gun in to school.

When Weisz comes round she is in hospital hooked up to machines, but she knows she will not be able to stay there otherwise she will be a target. She is well aware of why the school shooting took place, she is in the Federal Witness Protection Program, and there is a Mexican crime cartel who wants her dead. She runs and so begins the cat and mouse search for her across Central Florida.

Erica is almost certain she has been sold out by her US Marshall Handler, if she might not have been sure about him, she did not trust him at all now. In fact she does not know who she can trust in the law enforcement agencies, she can only trust herself.

Thiery has to deal with a lot of the internal politics and competing Police departments as well as a surly Sherriff who does not particularly want to cooperate with him. As the investigation continues he is almost sure that Erica is in the Witness Program but knows the Marshalls will never admit that. As he sees his partner from the FBI killed in a gun battle he knows this could very well be a fight to the death for him and when he finds her, Weisz.

This is small town America with all the complications of the American way of life and the ease of gun ownership. Even though this is an American thriller, the reader understands the issues that arise and at the same time there is no preaching. This is an all out thriller that grabs you and keeps hold of you all the way to the conclusion.

[Kaycee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Acoustic Shadows by Patrick Kendrick is a thriller in Florida. Erica Weisz, a substitute teacher, stopped a school shooting before they were able to hurt the children. Now her face is all over the news and her cover in the Witness protection agency is blown and she has some dangerous enemies coming for her.

I wasn't impressed with the characters. The story had potential; it was fast moving and interesting. Most of the characters were flat and underdeveloped, though. It was a decent plot but it really had no depth.

Pros:

The book was a quick read and engaging. There wasn't much slow dragging on of the plot. It moved fast like the action. The action itself was pretty well written.

Cons:

It was generic. The characters must have been pulled from Generic-templates-R-us. All the side characters, the main characters. No one really seemed to be that well rounded.

Even the justification of the young shooter from the beginning was "He played violent video games and went to internet chatrooms." It seemed like the author only had a loose grasp of the situation they were trying to represent on various topics. The Main character, she was fit because she "did CrossFit." It's a very popular workout regime currently and if the character did do it, she'd have been able to do more even when wounded. It seemed like it was just a character trait pulled out of a hat and then not touched on much again. This happened with most main characters and side characters.

There was a lot of head jumping too. In one paragraph it would be focusing third person limited on one character then the next line it'll have been from another character. It was very confusing in one of the final climax scene fights.

Overall:

I was disappointed with this book. The Author could have spent more time fleshing out his characters and less time mentioning every detail of every gun whenever one was brought up, even in passing. There wasn't any depth to the characters, the narrative head hopped mid-paragraph at times, and some of the subjects were obviously ill-informed about.

If this was a movie, you'd watch it on a bored night on Netflix. It'd be a B-Movie. The action scenes will be fun but it won't be winning any Oscars. IT had potential

It had potential but needed more research, more varied non-stereotypical characters (including side characters!), and less head hopping perspectives.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook)
""Like the crack in the glass of the picture ...""
A young nurse named Millie, a desperate gambler, an angry drugs lord, damaged law enforcement agents, a witness protection, a prosecution gone wrong, hired hitmen - and murder, murder, murder.

To say that this story is one of constant action is almost to underestimate the fast paced excitement. But unlike many action thrillers which simply move swiftly from one incident filled scene to the next, Patrick Hendrick manages to infuse his various characters with solid, three dimensional life. This, of course, makes each harrowing attack, whether psychological or physical, that they endure so much more poignant and involving. It is a fairly long book but never for a moment does the tension subside.

The excellent characterisations are further enhanced by Scott Ellis's masterful performance. His voicing of each one is individual, distinct and pertinent to the person concerned. Hard to believe, sometimes, that this isn't a full cast but that he alone is reading. However, I did increase the speed slightly to 1.20, as the slightly faster narration seemed to better fit the pace of the book. 
The overall experience was given an additional little tweak by the inclusion of background sound effects in the first and some concluding chapters.. Whilst adding atmospherics, these occasionalyy surprised or distracted slightly from the reading itself but mostly added to the intensity.

This is one very exciting book with flawed, real life characters and a complex plotting of the storyline. My thanks to the rights holder for gifting me a copy via Audiobook Boom. I enjoyed it immensely and definitely commend it to anyone who likes their thrills to come with a solid story and three dimensional protagonists

[Gordon Mcghie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acoustic Shadows opens with a Hell of a bang – we follow Erica Weisz on her walk to work in the Elementary School in a small Florida school. However, before her day can get started the school comes under attack from two gunmen. However, these killers are not randomly targeting the young students, they seem to be looking for someone in particular.

When confronted by one of the gunmen Erica manages to draw a pistol from her bag and kill the shooter before he can harm her or her students. During the ensuing chaos Erica finds herself face to face with the second gunman and this time she does not escape unscathed.

The authorities are struggling to make sense of the incident. Why was the school targeted? Why did Erica bring a gun to school? And most importantly – who is this young teacher that was able to save the school children? Agent Justin Thiery is brought in to assist local law enforcement agencies, a political move which does not sit well with the town’s police force. But before any answers can be provided Erica disappears.

Acoustic Shadows is a chase novel which unfolds at breakneck pace and keeps readers gripped. We follow Erica’s escape from the aftermath of the shooting. We learn (slowly) of the reasons Erica may have been a target and we get to see her pursuers and follow their progress in tracking her down.

I really enjoyed Patrick Kendrick’s action adventure, it drew me in and kept me reading well into the night. Normally I will have three or four books on the go at one time, after starting Acoustic Shadows I did not turn to any other books until this was finished.

[Wynima Cavagnaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story.Plenty of twists and turns.Never a dull moment! Loved the characters,would recommend to all my friends....maybe a movie?With someone like Sandra Bullock or Charlize Theron as Millie?

[Kelvin Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover of "Acoustic Shadows" (2015) by Patrick Kendrick shows a woman peering around a corner obviously facing danger. However, she actually plays a supporting role in the story. The main character is a male law enforcement officer assigned to investigate a mass school shooting at an elementary school in Florida, where the woman shot the two assailants with a gun she carried in her purse. The story is somewhat interesting and the narration by Scott Ellis is effective but I was never able to get over the false advertising. Barely recommended. Book given free for an honest review.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acoustic Shadows
: Patrick Kendrick

A fast paced twisting and turning law enforcement thriller. It all begins with a school shooting and grabs the listener by the collar, dragging them along on a wild ride. Backstory keeps nerves tingling.


The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. Scott Ellis voices are riveting!



"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."

[Marcie Wegner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was very well written. The book had a nice flow to it and is a page turner. You want to keep reading because it is so interesting and not the typical thriller. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Daleine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Language to rough for my taste

[Pat Kiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good characters and enthralling plot

[Elaine Tucker]

Did not receive the book

[Simone · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 10%, I just can make myself read this book.