What do you think?
Rate this book
The Girl Who Heard Everything
A lonely moor. A chilling wind. A terrible crime that they had to hide.
They thought they were alone, but she heard everything.
Disgraced news presenter Emma Underhill goes back to her childhood village to recover from an eye operation. She had vowed never to go back there, and she knows that old enemies wait for her in the sleepy place, yearning for revenge for something she did early in her career.
On the way there, her brother-in-law stops to meet a friend. Emma gets out of the car. With her eyes covered in bandages, all she can see is darkness. The countryside is a lonely place, and with Mark gone she feels alone.
And then she hears noises. A man and a woman are at the bottom of the hill. She hears the sound of a shovel hitting the earth, and then the couple’s voices as they talk about burying a body. She tries to back away, but they know she’s there.
Someone is dead, and only Emma heard the killers’ voices. Then it hits her; they saw her. They know what she looks like. She realises that they could be anybody. The village becomes a sinister place, where every person she passes could be one of the murderers. Who are they? Who did they kill?
Nobody in the village believes her. As Emma tries to find out the truth, the killers make it clear they won’t leave her alone. They won’t rest until she leaves the village. If she stays, they’ll make sure she can never tell anyone.
They thought they were alone, but she heard everything.
Disgraced news presenter Emma Underhill goes back to her childhood village to recover from an eye operation. She had vowed never to go back there, and she knows that old enemies wait for her in the sleepy place, yearning for revenge for something she did early in her career.
On the way there, her brother-in-law stops to meet a friend. Emma gets out of the car. With her eyes covered in bandages, all she can see is darkness. The countryside is a lonely place, and with Mark gone she feels alone.
And then she hears noises. A man and a woman are at the bottom of the hill. She hears the sound of a shovel hitting the earth, and then the couple’s voices as they talk about burying a body. She tries to back away, but they know she’s there.
Someone is dead, and only Emma heard the killers’ voices. Then it hits her; they saw her. They know what she looks like. She realises that they could be anybody. The village becomes a sinister place, where every person she passes could be one of the murderers. Who are they? Who did they kill?
Nobody in the village believes her. As Emma tries to find out the truth, the killers make it clear they won’t leave her alone. They won’t rest until she leaves the village. If she stays, they’ll make sure she can never tell anyone.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2016
440 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Want to read
April 14, 2017I like this idea! Sounds an interesting mystery!
March 9, 2017
I've always loved a good mystery and this was no exception.
May 6, 2017
Could anybody really be as stupid as Mark? To take a temporarily blind woman to a crime scene and then pretend it never happened? As that was the beginning, the rest didn't hang together for me.
And, while I accept that her story damaged a number of families in the village, turning the story teller into the demon, seemed a bit odd, particularly when considering the nature of the crime that the story exposed.
And, while I accept that her story damaged a number of families in the village, turning the story teller into the demon, seemed a bit odd, particularly when considering the nature of the crime that the story exposed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2018
This was one of those you damned if you do,damned if you don't mysteries. No matter what Emma did she still didn't see the whole point of why the people did what they did. It's about being a family, community, loyalty something she cares nothing about or can truly grasp the meaning of. Yes it was wrong for Lee and Kiera to have murdered a man because their infidelities and selfishness ruined their own lives. They had a whole community to help them cover up that they killed a man accident or not because he slept with a unhappy woman in a mentally unstable marriage. Yes Emma should've let that burden of knowing this happened off her shoulders he deserves justice not a shallow grave under a hill. Maybe in the end her career is over and I think that's a good thing, but that town had some deep sinister issues before and after Emma left. I don't know what to say about Lori, she used her embarrassing situation as a crutch to not to have to live her life, and blamed her sister for it. Maybe Emma was a young selfish one tracked mind person but you have to live and learn and she did. She learned like most the hard way, and she barely escaped with her life because those Nelldan villagers would've killed her to keep that secret safe.
August 28, 2018
I know how much it takes to complete a book, so I commend the author for doing that, but I wish he had invested in a good editor, because his book is riddled with errors, and some of the plot points simply aren't plausible.
Some of the characters are more like stereotypical caricatures, and their behavior made me raise my eyebrows in disbelief. Yeah, I know any character can do just about anything, but for an entire town to adopt that behavior...?
Plus, for me, I'm afraid the so-called heroine of the story isn't terribly likable. Self-centered and motivated by what best benefits her career as a journalist, she has a "the hell with the consequences" attitude and remains unabashedly unapologetic for the damage she wreaked on her sister and their hometown, which she subsequently used as a stepping stone to get outta Dodge and find fame and fortune.
So why is she so surprised when her old hometown doesn't welcome her back with open arms?
There are some interesting parts in the story, and even though the ending also included some unlikely and immediate repercussions, it was somewhat satisfying. Judging by other reviews, quite a few readers thought this was a terrific read. Who knows? Maybe you will, too.
Some of the characters are more like stereotypical caricatures, and their behavior made me raise my eyebrows in disbelief. Yeah, I know any character can do just about anything, but for an entire town to adopt that behavior...?
Plus, for me, I'm afraid the so-called heroine of the story isn't terribly likable. Self-centered and motivated by what best benefits her career as a journalist, she has a "the hell with the consequences" attitude and remains unabashedly unapologetic for the damage she wreaked on her sister and their hometown, which she subsequently used as a stepping stone to get outta Dodge and find fame and fortune.
So why is she so surprised when her old hometown doesn't welcome her back with open arms?
There are some interesting parts in the story, and even though the ending also included some unlikely and immediate repercussions, it was somewhat satisfying. Judging by other reviews, quite a few readers thought this was a terrific read. Who knows? Maybe you will, too.
February 12, 2026
Disgraced news presenter Emma Underhill goes back to her childhood village to recover from an eye operation. She had vowed never to go back there, and she knows that old enemies wait for her in the sleepy place, yearning for revenge for something she did early in her career.
On the way there, her brother-in-law stops to meet a friend. Emma gets out of the car. With her eyes covered in bandages, all she can see is darkness. The countryside is a lonely place, and with Mark gone she feels alone.
And then she hears noises. A man and a woman are at the bottom of the hill. She hears the sound of a shovel hitting the earth, and then the couple’s voices as they talk about burying a body. She tries to back away, but they know she’s there.
Someone is dead, and only Emma heard the killers’ voices. Then it hits her; they saw her. They know what she looks like. She realises that they could be anybody. The village becomes a sinister place, where every person she passes could be one of the murderers. Who are they? Who did they kill?
Nobody in the village believes her. As Emma tries to find out the truth, the killers make it clear they won’t leave her alone. They won’t rest until she leaves the village. If she stays, they’ll make sure she can never tell anyone.
On the way there, her brother-in-law stops to meet a friend. Emma gets out of the car. With her eyes covered in bandages, all she can see is darkness. The countryside is a lonely place, and with Mark gone she feels alone.
And then she hears noises. A man and a woman are at the bottom of the hill. She hears the sound of a shovel hitting the earth, and then the couple’s voices as they talk about burying a body. She tries to back away, but they know she’s there.
Someone is dead, and only Emma heard the killers’ voices. Then it hits her; they saw her. They know what she looks like. She realises that they could be anybody. The village becomes a sinister place, where every person she passes could be one of the murderers. Who are they? Who did they kill?
Nobody in the village believes her. As Emma tries to find out the truth, the killers make it clear they won’t leave her alone. They won’t rest until she leaves the village. If she stays, they’ll make sure she can never tell anyone.
May 10, 2017
The book is well-plotted, generating curiosity to know how it will end. Emma Underhill is a reporter who lost her job after a very unfortunate interview she made. She had an eye surgery and went to Nellden, the small town where she grew up, to stay with her sister whom she had not seen for a very long time. On the way to her home, her brother-in-law made a stop. Her eyes were bandaged but she heard a couple speaking about digging a grave. She had to find out what it was about. The character of Emma is absolutely ridiculous. She is selfish and self-centered. She is capable of stepping on anybody or anything to achieve success. She once wrote an article that caused a lot of damage and sorrow in Nellden. She is hated there, starts receiving death threats, and is ordered to go away. But she has to find the truth. Who in her sane mind would put up with such danger for nothing. Besides, she is capable of ruining everybody and now she is interested in the truth. Can you believe it? The character is totally inconsistent and artificial. And to add insult to injury the author is announcing the new adventures of Emma. Hope she kills herself! But I will never know.
July 14, 2017
Firstly, the title was a bit strange. The "girl" who heard everything is actually thirty-eight. Maybe it was named as such because books with "girl" in the title are popular at the moment.
I must admit, even though I gave it three stars, I was hooked and I simply couldn't stop reading until I reached the end. A couple of editing issues here and there but they didn't detract from the experience. It was tense throughout the whole book and the feeling of danger never let up. I was satisfied by the ending but there was something missing and I'm not sure what it was. The characters and the settings were bleak and I did have a bit of empathy for Emma but not the other characters. I wanted to give it 3.5 stars but I had to round down instead of up. I would recommend the book because the story pulled me in and didn't let go. I guess I wanted a glimmer of hope or humanity to round out the story.
I must admit, even though I gave it three stars, I was hooked and I simply couldn't stop reading until I reached the end. A couple of editing issues here and there but they didn't detract from the experience. It was tense throughout the whole book and the feeling of danger never let up. I was satisfied by the ending but there was something missing and I'm not sure what it was. The characters and the settings were bleak and I did have a bit of empathy for Emma but not the other characters. I wanted to give it 3.5 stars but I had to round down instead of up. I would recommend the book because the story pulled me in and didn't let go. I guess I wanted a glimmer of hope or humanity to round out the story.
June 9, 2021
I was given a review copy of this book.
This was a good story though could have been better.
Emma is not a likeable character but maybe that's because her job in media made her ruthless or was it merely a desire to be famous? She did have redeeming features and though she was blamed for everything, I often wonder why criminals don't take responsibilty for their actions? Corruption is rife so why is she to blame? And then the interview…
This story was about the importance of truth and redemption - a good basis - though the cast of characters weren't developed and all rather chilling. There were numerous typos and grammatical errors but a good edit would sort that as well as deciding to use English only rather than mix it with American usage /spelling.
Overall, I did like the writing style and pace, and the plot was quite good.
Worth a look.
This was a good story though could have been better.
Emma is not a likeable character but maybe that's because her job in media made her ruthless or was it merely a desire to be famous? She did have redeeming features and though she was blamed for everything, I often wonder why criminals don't take responsibilty for their actions? Corruption is rife so why is she to blame? And then the interview…
This story was about the importance of truth and redemption - a good basis - though the cast of characters weren't developed and all rather chilling. There were numerous typos and grammatical errors but a good edit would sort that as well as deciding to use English only rather than mix it with American usage /spelling.
Overall, I did like the writing style and pace, and the plot was quite good.
Worth a look.
April 7, 2019
An Easy Read For An Airport
It’s an interesting concept the author has developed. A disgraced tv newsreader returning to the village she was raised in after she’s sacked hears two people talking whilst burying a body. She couldn’t see because she had bandages over her eyes, temporarily leaving her sightless.
A number of plot tricks felt too convenient, and the characters were a little two dimensional for my taste. That said, there are a number of twists that make this book a decent one for an airport read. Did I love it? No. But I didn’t dislike it either. Perhaps with a little more development and polishing of the characters this could have been a four star read for me; maybe the author’s other books achieve this.
It’s an interesting concept the author has developed. A disgraced tv newsreader returning to the village she was raised in after she’s sacked hears two people talking whilst burying a body. She couldn’t see because she had bandages over her eyes, temporarily leaving her sightless.
A number of plot tricks felt too convenient, and the characters were a little two dimensional for my taste. That said, there are a number of twists that make this book a decent one for an airport read. Did I love it? No. But I didn’t dislike it either. Perhaps with a little more development and polishing of the characters this could have been a four star read for me; maybe the author’s other books achieve this.
May 22, 2021
The Girl Who Heard Everything - a review by Rosemary Kenny
*Slight spoilers*
Emma's a TV news presenter, ostracized for victimising a vulnerable interviewee.
To rejuvenate while regrouping, she has an eye-lift and temporarily blind (with bandaged eyes), goes to stay with her estranged sister Lori, taciturn, unfriendly brother-in-law, Mark and their two children.
Even before reaching the family's home, a strange event gets her disbelieved, stalked and warned off in a sickening manner...what's the family's reaction? What does Emma do next?
As a dangerous web of lies and secrets closes around Emma, can she discover the truth of what happened and be able to unmask a killer?
Get your copy of this psychological thriller by Jack Lewis - it will haunt you if you don't!
*Slight spoilers*
Emma's a TV news presenter, ostracized for victimising a vulnerable interviewee.
To rejuvenate while regrouping, she has an eye-lift and temporarily blind (with bandaged eyes), goes to stay with her estranged sister Lori, taciturn, unfriendly brother-in-law, Mark and their two children.
Even before reaching the family's home, a strange event gets her disbelieved, stalked and warned off in a sickening manner...what's the family's reaction? What does Emma do next?
As a dangerous web of lies and secrets closes around Emma, can she discover the truth of what happened and be able to unmask a killer?
Get your copy of this psychological thriller by Jack Lewis - it will haunt you if you don't!
May 12, 2017
Emma screwed over so many people when she wrote had her story published in the paper. Almost an entire town, in fact. Now after having eye surgery, she's back. Staying with her only sister while she recovers. With her eyes bandaged, her capacity to hear is acutely sharp. That's what they say happens, after all. What Emma overhears is enough to make anyone run for cover. Instead, her journalistic instincts have her on a mission to solve a case. Would she risk what little respect she has left of her family to do so?
~ this book started interesting and then it slowly lost mine. Too slow to develop, perhaps. It's good, but not my type of story.
~ this book started interesting and then it slowly lost mine. Too slow to develop, perhaps. It's good, but not my type of story.
August 10, 2017
I really liked this book. It had an interesting story line, and a decent ending. And I would read another book by this author.
The one thing that really bothered me though was the punctuation and grammar. There were so many mistakes. Pronouns were misused so I wasn't sure at times who they were referring to. The word stood, stand, standing always had the wrong tense. I don't understand why so many books lately appear to have not been proffed. I'm a court reporter, and if I turned a job in with so many mistakes, I'd be fired.
I would have rated it higher if it weren't for the punctuation.
The one thing that really bothered me though was the punctuation and grammar. There were so many mistakes. Pronouns were misused so I wasn't sure at times who they were referring to. The word stood, stand, standing always had the wrong tense. I don't understand why so many books lately appear to have not been proffed. I'm a court reporter, and if I turned a job in with so many mistakes, I'd be fired.
I would have rated it higher if it weren't for the punctuation.
May 27, 2017
Despite this being yet another 'Girl Who ...' novel, I found it a compelling read. I liked Emma Underhill as a character - a brave woman who stands up to bullies and does what is right, even though it means alienating herself from both her sister and the villagers with whom she grew up.
There are typos galore, which is a shame, but the depiction of 4 of 5 senses when Emma's eyes are blindfolded, is very good indeed.
My only question is: where is the baby, Janine, at the end of the novel?!
There are typos galore, which is a shame, but the depiction of 4 of 5 senses when Emma's eyes are blindfolded, is very good indeed.
My only question is: where is the baby, Janine, at the end of the novel?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2017
Zzzzzzzzzz.............. I hated every character, Emma was a real "Dick." Not fun, not interesting and makes me thankful I live in sunny So. Cal. Dude, I'm a fan of most things English, especially music. But this book reminded me of being there on a series of gloomy days, eating greasy fries washed down by crappy pint of cheap lager. Glad it was an Amazon freebee.
May 14, 2017
This was a nice surprise that really kept me guessing until the end. Additionally, the end wasn't as predictably tidy as some, which made it stand out from formulaic novels. The characters weren't easy to like, but this made the story all the more realistic. If you're bored with traditional stories, consider this fast read alternative.
April 19, 2018
I was surprised at how well I liked this book. I had not expected to finish but was soon caught up in the story and how things were going south for Emma. She felt telling the truth would set her free. The end was something I did not expect. I’m glad Emma as able to see what she needed to do and was able to choose the proper way to handle the info.
June 11, 2018
2 things I liked about this
1. It was quite short.
2. It was free.
The plot of this book was bizarre and there was not a believable character in it. I always try to finish a book and fortunately this one did not waste too much of my obviously I will not read anything else by this writter.
1. It was quite short.
2. It was free.
The plot of this book was bizarre and there was not a believable character in it. I always try to finish a book and fortunately this one did not waste too much of my obviously I will not read anything else by this writter.
November 7, 2018
The book starts off well and the idea is exciting. But it lacks a bit in the implementation and when I finished reading, I felt some degree of disappointment. I was looking forward to something more spectacular, but it's too much to demand from a small, boring small town.
May 4, 2017
Good premise, but unsatisfying ending
I liked the premise of the book, but the protagonist was an unlikeable person and the ending was rushed to an unsatisfying conclusion.
I liked the premise of the book, but the protagonist was an unlikeable person and the ending was rushed to an unsatisfying conclusion.
May 13, 2017
I had a hard time reading this book because of the poor editing. I've never seen a book with so many errors.
May 16, 2017
Really enjoyed the pace, suspense and plot to this novel!
May 31, 2017
Decent read
The ending was a bit of surprised but I was expecting a bit more. I am looking forward to the next book.
The ending was a bit of surprised but I was expecting a bit more. I am looking forward to the next book.
June 7, 2017
Definitely very unusual.
It is a story that has you on edge through the whole time never knowing who to trust in the whole storyline.
It is a story that has you on edge through the whole time never knowing who to trust in the whole storyline.
June 8, 2017
Meh
The rough writing with many grammatical errors was bothersome. The story itself was not very compelling. Very trite and disappointing ending.
The rough writing with many grammatical errors was bothersome. The story itself was not very compelling. Very trite and disappointing ending.
June 14, 2017
British writers often leave me cold. This mystery was miles ahead of the British "chick lit" I've read, however.
June 23, 2017
Very strange
November 10, 2017
Odd phrasing
This book had an interesting story, but the odd phrasing was so off putting. Phrasing like "She was sat" or "He was stood". Is this a British thing?
This book had an interesting story, but the odd phrasing was so off putting. Phrasing like "She was sat" or "He was stood". Is this a British thing?
December 22, 2017
Needs better editing
Barely a story. No depth of characters. Made no sense. Lots of little mistakes such as "hearth" appearing in the sentence where "heart" was meant to be.
Barely a story. No depth of characters. Made no sense. Lots of little mistakes such as "hearth" appearing in the sentence where "heart" was meant to be.
October 27, 2018
Good plot
I struggled with the characters who were somewhat underdeveloped. Emma was ridiculously stupid at times and helpless. Needs editing. Good first try.
I struggled with the characters who were somewhat underdeveloped. Emma was ridiculously stupid at times and helpless. Needs editing. Good first try.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews