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Did You See Melody?
Pushed to breaking point, Cara Burrows abandons her home and family and escapes to a five-star spa resort she can't afford. Late at night, exhausted and desperate, she lets herself into her hotel room and is shocked to find it already occupied - by a man and a teenage girl.
A simple mistake on the part of the hotel receptionist - but Cara's fear intensifies when she works out that the girl she saw alive and well in the hotel room is someone she can't possibly have seen: the most famous murder victim in the country, Melody Chapa, whose parents are serving life sentences for her murder.
Cara doesn't know what to trust: everything she's read and heard about the case, or the evidence of her own eyes. Did she really see Melody? And is she prepared to ask herself that question and answer it honestly if it means risking her own life?
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
624 people are currently reading
8964 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Hannah
107 books4,530 followersSophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling writer of psychological crime fiction, published in 27 countries. In 2013, her latest novel, The Carrier, won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. Two of Sophie’s crime novels, The Point of Rescue and The Other Half Lives, have been adapted for television and appeared on ITV1 under the series title Case Sensitive in 2011 and 2012. In 2004, Sophie won first prize in the Daphne Du Maurier Festival Short Story Competition for her suspense story The Octopus Nest, which is now published in her first collection of short stories, The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets.
Sophie has also published five collections of poetry. Her fifth, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the 2007 T S Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A-level and degree level across the UK. From 1997 to 1999 she was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge, and between 1999 and 2001 she was a fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford. She is forty-one and lives with her husband and children in Cambridge, where she is a Fellow Commoner at Lucy Cavendish College. She is currently working on a new challenge for the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
Sophie has also published five collections of poetry. Her fifth, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the 2007 T S Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A-level and degree level across the UK. From 1997 to 1999 she was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge, and between 1999 and 2001 she was a fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford. She is forty-one and lives with her husband and children in Cambridge, where she is a Fellow Commoner at Lucy Cavendish College. She is currently working on a new challenge for the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,158 reviews
August 2, 2017
Cara Burrows has problems that she feels unable to sort out in the maelstrom of daily life, so she withdraws the family savings and leaves her husband and two teenage kids behind, and flies to a luxury spa resort in Arizona.
On arrival at the resort she is mistakenly given the keys to a room that is already occupied by a man and a teenage girl. The next day Cara hears a conversation about the sighting of a girl called Melody Chapa who was thought to have been murdered some years before, though her body was never found. The girl's parents were charged with her murder and are serving a prison sentence. There have been numerous reported sightings in the past, but they've all been discounted. However, Cara is convinced that the teenage girl she saw the previous night is none other than Melody Chapa, and it's at this point that the story really takes off.
I wasn't sure initially that I was going to like this one. As I started reading, it felt to me more like chick-lit, but then it quickly veered in another direction to the psychological thriller that I was expecting, and at that stage I was hooked!
The characterisation was great, the plot was well paced and had plenty of twists to ensure interest was maintained and just for good measure, there was a cracking ending!
* Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*
On arrival at the resort she is mistakenly given the keys to a room that is already occupied by a man and a teenage girl. The next day Cara hears a conversation about the sighting of a girl called Melody Chapa who was thought to have been murdered some years before, though her body was never found. The girl's parents were charged with her murder and are serving a prison sentence. There have been numerous reported sightings in the past, but they've all been discounted. However, Cara is convinced that the teenage girl she saw the previous night is none other than Melody Chapa, and it's at this point that the story really takes off.
I wasn't sure initially that I was going to like this one. As I started reading, it felt to me more like chick-lit, but then it quickly veered in another direction to the psychological thriller that I was expecting, and at that stage I was hooked!
The characterisation was great, the plot was well paced and had plenty of twists to ensure interest was maintained and just for good measure, there was a cracking ending!
* Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*
October 1, 2017
When I first read the description for this novel, I was so excited, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I've read a few of Sophie Hannah's previous books and really enjoyed them. I’m sorry to say I had a tougher time with this one.
Cara Burrows has had it with her family and decides to travel from her home in the UK to a five star resort in the United States. She cuts off all communication. She’s not abandoning them forever; she does give them a date of when she will be back. She has some things to figure out and she feels that this is the best place to do it.
When Cara finally gets to the resort she can’t wait to get up to her room to sleep. After checking in she makes her way to her room. But when she gets inside she’s in for a shock. The room is already occupied by a man and a young girl. At first she’s terrified but after proving she is who she says she is the man lets her go. The girl at the front desk is so horrified at her mistake that she upgrades Cara to one of the best suites the resort has to offer. Cara should be thrilled. But something is bothering her. For some reason she can’t get the girl in the room out of her mind. She looks so familiar…
She looks exactly like Melody Chapa. Cara thinks she must be wrong, it can’t be her. Melody has been missing for many years and was presumed dead. Her parents are in prison after being charged with her murder.
Is it possible that Cara actually saw Melody? And if the man realizes that Cara thinks it is Melody, could Cara herself be in danger?
Did she see Melody?
I really wanted to love this novel. I’ve enjoyed Sophie Hannah’s previous novels and this one sounded perfect for me. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time with it. It took me quite a while to get through as I kept picking it up and putting it down again.
I was really frustrated with the amount of description about things like the resort, the plants, the rooms, the pool, the drinks, etc. Don’t get me wrong it sounds delightful but my mind kept wandering. I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen. It seemed like things were going one way and then it would veer off into an entirely different direction. Despite all of that, I wanted to know how it ended so I stuck with it. I will say that with all the twists and turns, I never would have guessed the ending. I'm sure that there will be a lot of people that will enjoy this book, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. However, I am still looking forward to reading more from Sophie Hannah.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
Cara Burrows has had it with her family and decides to travel from her home in the UK to a five star resort in the United States. She cuts off all communication. She’s not abandoning them forever; she does give them a date of when she will be back. She has some things to figure out and she feels that this is the best place to do it.
When Cara finally gets to the resort she can’t wait to get up to her room to sleep. After checking in she makes her way to her room. But when she gets inside she’s in for a shock. The room is already occupied by a man and a young girl. At first she’s terrified but after proving she is who she says she is the man lets her go. The girl at the front desk is so horrified at her mistake that she upgrades Cara to one of the best suites the resort has to offer. Cara should be thrilled. But something is bothering her. For some reason she can’t get the girl in the room out of her mind. She looks so familiar…
She looks exactly like Melody Chapa. Cara thinks she must be wrong, it can’t be her. Melody has been missing for many years and was presumed dead. Her parents are in prison after being charged with her murder.
Is it possible that Cara actually saw Melody? And if the man realizes that Cara thinks it is Melody, could Cara herself be in danger?
Did she see Melody?
I really wanted to love this novel. I’ve enjoyed Sophie Hannah’s previous novels and this one sounded perfect for me. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time with it. It took me quite a while to get through as I kept picking it up and putting it down again.
I was really frustrated with the amount of description about things like the resort, the plants, the rooms, the pool, the drinks, etc. Don’t get me wrong it sounds delightful but my mind kept wandering. I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen. It seemed like things were going one way and then it would veer off into an entirely different direction. Despite all of that, I wanted to know how it ended so I stuck with it. I will say that with all the twists and turns, I never would have guessed the ending. I'm sure that there will be a lot of people that will enjoy this book, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. However, I am still looking forward to reading more from Sophie Hannah.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
August 28, 2017
Yikes. This was bad, really bad. This started off as a buddy read with my reading pal Nicki @ The Secret Library, but she couldn’t even finish this one… and I don’t blame her!
Prepare yourselves for a very harsh review.
First off, let’s talk characters. Cara, our main character, has run away from home for a pathetically trivial reason, and not only that, has spent 1/3 of her families life savings to get away. She was an irritating, whingy character who talked to herself too much. Enough said.
Next, Tarin Fry. Biggest bitch in the world, and not in a sassy way… she was just a bitch. She didn’t speak her mind, she just spewed abuse at / about people.
Who next? How about Bonnie Juno. Awful name for an awful character. Another abuse spewer. In another life, Bonnie’s character could have been a strong female character who would have been likeable and someone to root for, but she isn’t. Not in the slightest.
Then we have a whole mash of random characters who were only half relevant in my mind. Riyonna Briggs, annoyingly happy and needy. Orson (was that his name?) Priddey, whingy and weak-willed, for a cop. Heidi whatever-her-name-was, waste of ink.
As for the story, I have mixed opinions. Firstly, if you are going to put yourself through this, skip the first 30% of it. It one long description of a 5 star hotel and spa. I’m not even kidding. Then the story picks up a little bit and there is some mystery to the story (finally!) but then thing get weird and we begin reading tedious interviews surrounding Melody’s case rather than present day stuff. Towards the end, things just got really ridiculous and unbelievable that I began skim reading the story, just to get the important “twisty” bits.
Although the book began badly, things did start picking up nearer the middle of the book, and for a while I thought I was actually enjoying it. The story of Melody was an interesting one and I liked following the theories on who killed her. But then, as I said before, things got ridiculous.
For example, the people discussing the case, and trying to solve the thing, consisted of Bonnie Juno, her assistant, 2 police detectives, Tarin Fry and the hotel manager. AS IF the police would just let civilians sit around the table with them to discuss a case, and more to the point, let a random member of the public (Tarin Fry) basically run the entire show by bossing everyone around. This then happens again at the end where things are coming together and really important police stuff is happening, even the FBI are involved at this point. They just let these random people sit in on the conversation like it’s not a hugely important case to find a girl who’s been believed dead for years and years.
The twist(s?) in this story were dulled down by the time they came around. I just wasn’t interested anymore and they didn’t do enough to bring me back to liking the book. I had guessed a couple of the reveals, but not all of them, but even that didn’t entertain me.
Writing? Well, it was nothing special. Not bad, but not great. At some points it felt like Hannah was talking down to us, repeating very simple things like the reader didn’t get it the first time… and I mean very simple things... like “the door was unlocked. That meant he had forgot to lock the door before he left”. Yeah, no shit.
This book was a huge fail for me and I wish I had given it up early on like Nicki did!
You might be thinking “but why give it 2 stars if you hated it so much? why not one star?”… well, I don’t really get 1 star book reviews… if you hated it that much would you not just have put it down? I didn’t put this one down so something about it kept me going… but that being said, my two star rating is practically a one star rating.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Prepare yourselves for a very harsh review.
First off, let’s talk characters. Cara, our main character, has run away from home for a pathetically trivial reason, and not only that, has spent 1/3 of her families life savings to get away. She was an irritating, whingy character who talked to herself too much. Enough said.
Next, Tarin Fry. Biggest bitch in the world, and not in a sassy way… she was just a bitch. She didn’t speak her mind, she just spewed abuse at / about people.
Who next? How about Bonnie Juno. Awful name for an awful character. Another abuse spewer. In another life, Bonnie’s character could have been a strong female character who would have been likeable and someone to root for, but she isn’t. Not in the slightest.
Then we have a whole mash of random characters who were only half relevant in my mind. Riyonna Briggs, annoyingly happy and needy. Orson (was that his name?) Priddey, whingy and weak-willed, for a cop. Heidi whatever-her-name-was, waste of ink.
As for the story, I have mixed opinions. Firstly, if you are going to put yourself through this, skip the first 30% of it. It one long description of a 5 star hotel and spa. I’m not even kidding. Then the story picks up a little bit and there is some mystery to the story (finally!) but then thing get weird and we begin reading tedious interviews surrounding Melody’s case rather than present day stuff. Towards the end, things just got really ridiculous and unbelievable that I began skim reading the story, just to get the important “twisty” bits.
Although the book began badly, things did start picking up nearer the middle of the book, and for a while I thought I was actually enjoying it. The story of Melody was an interesting one and I liked following the theories on who killed her. But then, as I said before, things got ridiculous.
For example, the people discussing the case, and trying to solve the thing, consisted of Bonnie Juno, her assistant, 2 police detectives, Tarin Fry and the hotel manager. AS IF the police would just let civilians sit around the table with them to discuss a case, and more to the point, let a random member of the public (Tarin Fry) basically run the entire show by bossing everyone around. This then happens again at the end where things are coming together and really important police stuff is happening, even the FBI are involved at this point. They just let these random people sit in on the conversation like it’s not a hugely important case to find a girl who’s been believed dead for years and years.
The twist(s?) in this story were dulled down by the time they came around. I just wasn’t interested anymore and they didn’t do enough to bring me back to liking the book. I had guessed a couple of the reveals, but not all of them, but even that didn’t entertain me.
Writing? Well, it was nothing special. Not bad, but not great. At some points it felt like Hannah was talking down to us, repeating very simple things like the reader didn’t get it the first time… and I mean very simple things... like “the door was unlocked. That meant he had forgot to lock the door before he left”. Yeah, no shit.
This book was a huge fail for me and I wish I had given it up early on like Nicki did!
You might be thinking “but why give it 2 stars if you hated it so much? why not one star?”… well, I don’t really get 1 star book reviews… if you hated it that much would you not just have put it down? I didn’t put this one down so something about it kept me going… but that being said, my two star rating is practically a one star rating.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2017
For me, "Did You See Melody" by Sophie Hannah is one of the better 5 star books I have read in a long while. In my opinion this story is an excellent example of psychological crime thrillers at its best.
Cara Burrows flees her home and family in England to fly to the five star spa resort hotel called "Swallowtail" in Arizona to spend time by herself and help sort out her future. On arrival at the resort she is mistakenly sent to the wrong room where she stumbles across a man and a teenage girl. Once settled in her now upgraded 'casita' she begins to realise the girl she saw was the most famous murder victim in the country, Melody Chapa, whose parents are serving life sentences in jail for her murder.
Did she really see Melody? Did YOU see Melody?
I truly loved everything about this story including the many varied and diverse characters and the interesting and entertaining plot line. I did find the fact that Cara was prepared to spend a third of her family's life savings on an unnecessary trip to help sort out her problems a little unbelievable but that aside I found the whole premise of the book original and compelling, especially with TV interviews used as a method of relating the facts of the 'murder' case.
I did sort of realise where the story was going towards the end and I wasn't far wrong but it did catch me out on the last couple of pages and think that the author had got it perfect in the amount of twists in the plot and it was highly intriguing to see how the author was taking the story to its finale.
From what I've read of reviews from fellow readers this appears to be a bit of a marmite book which I find very surprising but I personally really enjoyed it and found it an impressive book from the first page in.
This is the first novel I have read by the excellent Sophie Hannah and I'd have no hesitation in reading more of her works in the future.
Cara Burrows flees her home and family in England to fly to the five star spa resort hotel called "Swallowtail" in Arizona to spend time by herself and help sort out her future. On arrival at the resort she is mistakenly sent to the wrong room where she stumbles across a man and a teenage girl. Once settled in her now upgraded 'casita' she begins to realise the girl she saw was the most famous murder victim in the country, Melody Chapa, whose parents are serving life sentences in jail for her murder.
Did she really see Melody? Did YOU see Melody?
I truly loved everything about this story including the many varied and diverse characters and the interesting and entertaining plot line. I did find the fact that Cara was prepared to spend a third of her family's life savings on an unnecessary trip to help sort out her problems a little unbelievable but that aside I found the whole premise of the book original and compelling, especially with TV interviews used as a method of relating the facts of the 'murder' case.
I did sort of realise where the story was going towards the end and I wasn't far wrong but it did catch me out on the last couple of pages and think that the author had got it perfect in the amount of twists in the plot and it was highly intriguing to see how the author was taking the story to its finale.
From what I've read of reviews from fellow readers this appears to be a bit of a marmite book which I find very surprising but I personally really enjoyed it and found it an impressive book from the first page in.
This is the first novel I have read by the excellent Sophie Hannah and I'd have no hesitation in reading more of her works in the future.
October 5, 2017
Not a review, just random thoughts.
Phew! What a modern day Hercule Poirot riddle!
What a great mystery! And the ending? Oh myyyyyyy.... I'm more confused than a sloshed tick on a hot stove plate.
Far-fetched but fantastic.
I had a few laughs too. I wonder the same thing about American advertising of products. Who buys it when the ad says:
My favorite characters in the book were Detective Orwin Priddey and Tarin Fry. Mrs. Cara Burrows from Hertford England did not impress me at all. But as Hayley said, she is very nice. Someone who can be talked to. Bonnie Juno of the popular NBC show Justice With Bonnie was not suppose to be liked, and I did not like her. Still don't. And man, you think you know what happened, but you don't. You absolutely have no idea. The blurb is playing tricks on you. Don't believe it :-)
And the ending? Was it a bigger riddle or a cliffhanger ending? As I say, I must have gotten lost in the Swallowtail Resort in Arizona's garden maze. Or I am totally gobsmacked.
I LOVED it!!!
Phew! What a modern day Hercule Poirot riddle!
What a great mystery! And the ending? Oh myyyyyyy.... I'm more confused than a sloshed tick on a hot stove plate.
Far-fetched but fantastic.
I had a few laughs too. I wonder the same thing about American advertising of products. Who buys it when the ad says:
The Dolbrynol advert has ended and the next one, for something called GlucoFlush, is behaving in exactly the same bizarre way: listing the negative side effects of the product in the loud, pedantic tone of a worst-case-scenario-obsessed neurotic: ‘GlucoFlush may cause cardiac arrest, leukemia, athlete’s foot, blindness or halitosis. Do not take GlucoFlush if you are pregnant, asthmatic, diabetic, a talented violin player or keen on tennis. Side effects include loss of teeth, hair, sense of humour, car keys and virginity. Ask your doctor before taking GlucoFlush if you don’t want to die, shrink, turn to green slime, swell up like a balloon, lose all your friends and family, or vomit forever.’(exhagerated hehehe)Sometimes when I watch Youtube videos, the American ads are shown as well. And I just watched it amazed. We're suppose to read the inside leaflets coming with the meds.
My favorite characters in the book were Detective Orwin Priddey and Tarin Fry. Mrs. Cara Burrows from Hertford England did not impress me at all. But as Hayley said, she is very nice. Someone who can be talked to. Bonnie Juno of the popular NBC show Justice With Bonnie was not suppose to be liked, and I did not like her. Still don't. And man, you think you know what happened, but you don't. You absolutely have no idea. The blurb is playing tricks on you. Don't believe it :-)
And the ending? Was it a bigger riddle or a cliffhanger ending? As I say, I must have gotten lost in the Swallowtail Resort in Arizona's garden maze. Or I am totally gobsmacked.
I LOVED it!!!
November 3, 2017
3.5 Stars, rounded down
Sophie Hannah is an incredibly gifted writer; her words flow off the page and keep me both engrossed and entertained. Sadly, in as much as I thoroughly enjoyed reading Keep Her Safe, the book was so problematic that it is difficult to rate it highly.
Cara Burrows is a distraught wife and mother who flees from her home in London all the way to Arizona to a posh 5 star resort that she cannot afford. This is, of course, what angst ridden females do. While there she sees a young girl who allegedly is the most famous child murder case in the US (think JonBenet Ramsey.) There is confusion, mayhem, a comedy of errors, Keystone cops and even a talk show hostess ala Nancy Grace. Ultimately, poor Cara is kidnapped no less.
In order to like the book, you have to suspend all believability- which I did - and just go along for the ride. At that point it really is a fun read! But only then. I recommend this one for light reading, don't take it seriously, think of it more as a cozy and enjoy it as such.
August 7, 2017
Cara Burrows goes on holiday to a five star spa hotel in Arizona to get away from her family and to have some time to sort out her future. When she arrives at the hotel she is given the wrong room key and finds herself caught up in the mystery of a missing girl. Did you see Melody? by Sophie Hannah is a thriller that has many twists and turns. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2017
**Copied from Blog Review**
So I’m going to be taking one book out of my well loved previous or recent/early advanced reads that I have loved and recommending it each week – these novels will always be available now and may be old, new or somewhere in between the two.
This week I’m going with “Did You See Melody?” the latest twisted thriller from Sophie Hannah – I read this a few months ago but it is now out there in the world and if you are a fan of the hard to see resolutions and the twisted path to the truth of the matter then you could pick up almost any Sophie Hannah novel to be fair, but Did You See Melody was definitely, for me, one of the most addictive.
This story follows Cara, who has (rather childishly I felt but that somehow made it all the more compelling that she ended up stuck in an enigma wrapped up in a mystery) run away from home. Wanting peace and quiet and time to think, she ends up at a relaxing resort. A mix up on the first night finds her in the wrong hotel room and seeing people who don’t want to be seen – but was the girl she saw REALLY the supposedly murdered Melody Capa or just someone who has a remarkable resemblance to said girl. Should Cara say what she has seen? Oh what to do…
As usual Sophie Hannah peppers her cast with a diverse range of characters, often hard to like ones, then mixes them all up, making everyone seem suspicious at one point or another, draws out the background to tell you everything you need to know but then blindsides you with something you didn’t think about. It is clever writing, I mostly love how I spend the entire time trying to second guess the author, who never ever makes things easy for me.
Added to that of course is the sheer vitality of it – once started pretty much not put down – I devoured this one in two quickfire, immersive sittings, predicting some things and absolutely not predicting others. As usual Ms Hannah explores some dark themes but makes it just as entertaining as it is thought provoking and makes it almost impossible to second guess. Obviously occasionally you need a slight suspension of disbelief during but then when it all comes together in her Christie-esque way, you go AH THAT is what that was all about – and give a nod to the genius thinking.
With the poetic prose and intrepid plot construction that is her trademark, Sophie Hannah gives us yet another twist fueled, character driven, intensely intriguing psychological thriller and I will continue reading them as long as she continues writing them. Bring on the next challenge, I anticipate it eagerly.
#ISawMelody
Recommended for: Fans of psychological thrillers with twists you are actually unlikely to see coming.
So I’m going to be taking one book out of my well loved previous or recent/early advanced reads that I have loved and recommending it each week – these novels will always be available now and may be old, new or somewhere in between the two.
This week I’m going with “Did You See Melody?” the latest twisted thriller from Sophie Hannah – I read this a few months ago but it is now out there in the world and if you are a fan of the hard to see resolutions and the twisted path to the truth of the matter then you could pick up almost any Sophie Hannah novel to be fair, but Did You See Melody was definitely, for me, one of the most addictive.
This story follows Cara, who has (rather childishly I felt but that somehow made it all the more compelling that she ended up stuck in an enigma wrapped up in a mystery) run away from home. Wanting peace and quiet and time to think, she ends up at a relaxing resort. A mix up on the first night finds her in the wrong hotel room and seeing people who don’t want to be seen – but was the girl she saw REALLY the supposedly murdered Melody Capa or just someone who has a remarkable resemblance to said girl. Should Cara say what she has seen? Oh what to do…
As usual Sophie Hannah peppers her cast with a diverse range of characters, often hard to like ones, then mixes them all up, making everyone seem suspicious at one point or another, draws out the background to tell you everything you need to know but then blindsides you with something you didn’t think about. It is clever writing, I mostly love how I spend the entire time trying to second guess the author, who never ever makes things easy for me.
Added to that of course is the sheer vitality of it – once started pretty much not put down – I devoured this one in two quickfire, immersive sittings, predicting some things and absolutely not predicting others. As usual Ms Hannah explores some dark themes but makes it just as entertaining as it is thought provoking and makes it almost impossible to second guess. Obviously occasionally you need a slight suspension of disbelief during but then when it all comes together in her Christie-esque way, you go AH THAT is what that was all about – and give a nod to the genius thinking.
With the poetic prose and intrepid plot construction that is her trademark, Sophie Hannah gives us yet another twist fueled, character driven, intensely intriguing psychological thriller and I will continue reading them as long as she continues writing them. Bring on the next challenge, I anticipate it eagerly.
#ISawMelody
Recommended for: Fans of psychological thrillers with twists you are actually unlikely to see coming.
October 20, 2017
What a deceptively well-crafted psychological thriller this standalone read from Sophie Hannah proves itself to be and after this resounding success from an author that I have only read in the short story format previously I think I have some catching up to do! Undoubtedly the most creative take on a psychological thriller that I have read for some time, Did You See Melody? couches itself in the light and frothy territory of chick lit for the first quarter, only to then throw its readers headfirst into a supposedly solved crime, make some remarkably pertinent points on the trial by media and rather toxic freedom of speech culture in the US, and injects a large dose of “lost in translation” humour. The result is a delectably engaging read, laden with colourful characters and sparkling with wit. Did You See Melody? is Agatha Christie for the twenty-first century!
October 9, 2017 sees wife and mother-of-two, Cara Burrows, from Hertford, England touching down at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport in Arizona for a fortnight of ‘thinking time’ and what she sees as a necessary absence from the family home. Two weeks enforced separation and a chance for her husband, Patrick, to come to terms with the news that an unexpected third baby is due. Withdrawing a third of their combined savings, Cara blows it on the five-star opulence of a break at the Swallowtail Resort and Spa in Arizona and immersion into the “Land of Hyperbolic Overstatement”, which to an uptight Brit is one big headache! Exhausted on arrival and mistakenly booked into an occupied room by a harassed receptionist, Riyonna Briggs, Cara intrudes on a hairy chested man in his forties and what she assumes is his daughter, but it takes the protestations of regular elderly guest, Mrs Lilith Mcnair insisting on detectives being called that raises Cara’s suspicions. Needless to say all of this offers a distraction from Cara having to think about her own domestic dramas. The first quarter of the novel is filled with lush descriptions of the resort which lull the reader into a false sense of security before Cara comes to the conclusion that yes, a seven-year-old girl whose parents are behind bars for her murder without the possibility of parole, is within the confines of the Swallowtail and accompanied by her infamous cuddly toy - a dog-pig hybrid named Poggy!
Along with an overzealous American (‘Badass Mom’ and florist, Tarin Fry and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Zellie), a simple Google search, and the staff being all too keen to allay anxiety, Cara discovers the disappearance in 2010 of Melody Chapa, from Philadelphia. In a case which captivated America but passed the British Isles by and was characterised by the ultra aggressive, slanderous pursuit and eventual imprisonment of parents, Naldo and Annette Chapa, by former prosecutor turned sensationalist TV host, Bonnie Juno. All of this without a body ever having been recovered and with the death of Melody’s sister, Emory, lost in utero cited as pivotal to the supposed motive. At this point Sophie Hannah treats her readers to the full glare of the media coverage, from blog updates, YouTube videos and interview transcripts, all interspersed seamlessly with cutting back to Swallowtail for the latest updates on Cara’s discoveries. This mish-mash of media outpourings really captured my imagination but I did feel that much of the humour was aimed at a British audience, with plenty of eye-rolling and chuckles at the expense of the sensationalist culture and general fervour of the US. I found myself sniggering but this could become a tad wearisome for culturally excluded readers!
Despite the unlikelihood that a married mother of two who gave up work to dedicate her life to raising a family would instigate such drastic measures as taking off on a luxury vacation without even discussing her issues with her partner, implausibility does not mar the ensuing storyline. It is clearly obvious why Cara is so willing to get distracted from her own concerns which could potentially turn her families life upside down and willing to bury her head in the sand with some classic avoidance behaviour! As a character, Cara is a typically standoffish and crabby Brit who expects a straight answer without the unwarranted pleasantries and surrounding proviso’s of the friendly Americans. Resident in a hotel with eccentrics, down to earth Cara is keen to stay on the fringes without making herself either a target for attention or being hijacked by any of the deranged, potty or combative guests. As much as she is reluctant to be drawn into a potentially risky situation, Cara concedes that she has reached the point where it is impossible not to see how the Melody Chapa story concluded.
Sophie Hannah keeps a firm hand on the ensuing revelations, with various witnesses paraded out on Bonnie’s talk show and as the first half of the novel draws to a close the Paradise Valley cops, Detective Bryce Sanders (smarmy and unprincipled) and Orwin (passive) Priddey arrive. But just as Cara suspects that she is being inveigled into a conspiracy theory, real-life intervenes and her own domestic drama collides head-on with events in Arizona taking matters dramatically out of her hands.. This first half of the novel is made up of Cara’s first-person narrative and various media sources and the second half combines Cara working out her own part in the drama and her dawning conclusion that something seriously twisted is in motion. It is also this situation which brings the enormity of the separation from her family starkly home. This second half also adds a perspective from several other individuals, all contributing to an engrossing finish with various points of view seen.
Albeit somewhat far-fetched, it is the construction, execution and array of characters that Hannah has masterminded that proves so distinctive and impressive. An elaborately orchestrated plot served up with real aplomb and a corking denouement! As unlikely as the plot is, Sophie Hannah pulls all the threads together and effortlessly bats aside the potential for loose ends with an unfailing logic. In short, this is Agatha Christie for the tech-savvy generation and with the heated debates of the involved parties in the executive meeting rooms of the Swallowtail Resort replacing Miss Marple’s drawing room revelations. A perfect blend of intrigue, sardonic humour and wonderful characters that impresses with that increasingly rare thing - a original plot! Aside from all the humour, Did You See Melody? also has some interesting points to make about the discrepancy between what the public sees as delivery of justice and the actual treatment of the courts and shows how this can be swayed by media coverage. Magnificent fun, with a cunning twist kept well and truly up Sophie Hannah’s sleeve until the very last.
Many thanks to Miriam Smith for giving me the opportunity to read this excellent novel.
October 9, 2017 sees wife and mother-of-two, Cara Burrows, from Hertford, England touching down at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport in Arizona for a fortnight of ‘thinking time’ and what she sees as a necessary absence from the family home. Two weeks enforced separation and a chance for her husband, Patrick, to come to terms with the news that an unexpected third baby is due. Withdrawing a third of their combined savings, Cara blows it on the five-star opulence of a break at the Swallowtail Resort and Spa in Arizona and immersion into the “Land of Hyperbolic Overstatement”, which to an uptight Brit is one big headache! Exhausted on arrival and mistakenly booked into an occupied room by a harassed receptionist, Riyonna Briggs, Cara intrudes on a hairy chested man in his forties and what she assumes is his daughter, but it takes the protestations of regular elderly guest, Mrs Lilith Mcnair insisting on detectives being called that raises Cara’s suspicions. Needless to say all of this offers a distraction from Cara having to think about her own domestic dramas. The first quarter of the novel is filled with lush descriptions of the resort which lull the reader into a false sense of security before Cara comes to the conclusion that yes, a seven-year-old girl whose parents are behind bars for her murder without the possibility of parole, is within the confines of the Swallowtail and accompanied by her infamous cuddly toy - a dog-pig hybrid named Poggy!
Along with an overzealous American (‘Badass Mom’ and florist, Tarin Fry and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Zellie), a simple Google search, and the staff being all too keen to allay anxiety, Cara discovers the disappearance in 2010 of Melody Chapa, from Philadelphia. In a case which captivated America but passed the British Isles by and was characterised by the ultra aggressive, slanderous pursuit and eventual imprisonment of parents, Naldo and Annette Chapa, by former prosecutor turned sensationalist TV host, Bonnie Juno. All of this without a body ever having been recovered and with the death of Melody’s sister, Emory, lost in utero cited as pivotal to the supposed motive. At this point Sophie Hannah treats her readers to the full glare of the media coverage, from blog updates, YouTube videos and interview transcripts, all interspersed seamlessly with cutting back to Swallowtail for the latest updates on Cara’s discoveries. This mish-mash of media outpourings really captured my imagination but I did feel that much of the humour was aimed at a British audience, with plenty of eye-rolling and chuckles at the expense of the sensationalist culture and general fervour of the US. I found myself sniggering but this could become a tad wearisome for culturally excluded readers!
Despite the unlikelihood that a married mother of two who gave up work to dedicate her life to raising a family would instigate such drastic measures as taking off on a luxury vacation without even discussing her issues with her partner, implausibility does not mar the ensuing storyline. It is clearly obvious why Cara is so willing to get distracted from her own concerns which could potentially turn her families life upside down and willing to bury her head in the sand with some classic avoidance behaviour! As a character, Cara is a typically standoffish and crabby Brit who expects a straight answer without the unwarranted pleasantries and surrounding proviso’s of the friendly Americans. Resident in a hotel with eccentrics, down to earth Cara is keen to stay on the fringes without making herself either a target for attention or being hijacked by any of the deranged, potty or combative guests. As much as she is reluctant to be drawn into a potentially risky situation, Cara concedes that she has reached the point where it is impossible not to see how the Melody Chapa story concluded.
Sophie Hannah keeps a firm hand on the ensuing revelations, with various witnesses paraded out on Bonnie’s talk show and as the first half of the novel draws to a close the Paradise Valley cops, Detective Bryce Sanders (smarmy and unprincipled) and Orwin (passive) Priddey arrive. But just as Cara suspects that she is being inveigled into a conspiracy theory, real-life intervenes and her own domestic drama collides head-on with events in Arizona taking matters dramatically out of her hands.. This first half of the novel is made up of Cara’s first-person narrative and various media sources and the second half combines Cara working out her own part in the drama and her dawning conclusion that something seriously twisted is in motion. It is also this situation which brings the enormity of the separation from her family starkly home. This second half also adds a perspective from several other individuals, all contributing to an engrossing finish with various points of view seen.
Albeit somewhat far-fetched, it is the construction, execution and array of characters that Hannah has masterminded that proves so distinctive and impressive. An elaborately orchestrated plot served up with real aplomb and a corking denouement! As unlikely as the plot is, Sophie Hannah pulls all the threads together and effortlessly bats aside the potential for loose ends with an unfailing logic. In short, this is Agatha Christie for the tech-savvy generation and with the heated debates of the involved parties in the executive meeting rooms of the Swallowtail Resort replacing Miss Marple’s drawing room revelations. A perfect blend of intrigue, sardonic humour and wonderful characters that impresses with that increasingly rare thing - a original plot! Aside from all the humour, Did You See Melody? also has some interesting points to make about the discrepancy between what the public sees as delivery of justice and the actual treatment of the courts and shows how this can be swayed by media coverage. Magnificent fun, with a cunning twist kept well and truly up Sophie Hannah’s sleeve until the very last.
Many thanks to Miriam Smith for giving me the opportunity to read this excellent novel.
September 24, 2017
I received an ARC of this from Goodreads for my honest review.
I think the story line was very slow and hard to get involved in. It almost felt like a teenage story line with a he said, she said high school mentality. I struggled with the fact that Cara ran away from home and left her two children behind because her husband was upset she was pregnant. From Cara who came off as a timid, lonely and withdrawn person to her husband who can't handle with the happenings of real life, to their two children who are selfish and only care about themselves. Even the people she meets at the resort are a bit crazy themselves, are a bunch of gossip's, or are just whiny.
Cara Burrows is overwhelmed in finding out she is pregnant with her unplanned third child She flees her home for a five star spa resort in Arizona. Upon arrival to the resort she accidentally gets a key to the wrong room. The room is occupied by other people. Cara becomes convinced that the girl she saw in that room is Melody Chapa, who was supposedly murdered by her parents several years ago. Although, Melody's body was never found.
I think the story line was very slow and hard to get involved in. It almost felt like a teenage story line with a he said, she said high school mentality. I struggled with the fact that Cara ran away from home and left her two children behind because her husband was upset she was pregnant. From Cara who came off as a timid, lonely and withdrawn person to her husband who can't handle with the happenings of real life, to their two children who are selfish and only care about themselves. Even the people she meets at the resort are a bit crazy themselves, are a bunch of gossip's, or are just whiny.
Cara Burrows is overwhelmed in finding out she is pregnant with her unplanned third child She flees her home for a five star spa resort in Arizona. Upon arrival to the resort she accidentally gets a key to the wrong room. The room is occupied by other people. Cara becomes convinced that the girl she saw in that room is Melody Chapa, who was supposedly murdered by her parents several years ago. Although, Melody's body was never found.
November 8, 2017
So good!!! I was so excited to get this from the library and it did not disappoint me at all. Great story!
April 15, 2017
2 stars.
I struggled with this book really. It started very slow, the first 30% was a description of a spa basically. The main character Cara had run away from her family for what seemed like such a trivial reason, using life savings just to punish her family??!
Then a weird mid section of transcripts from a tv show and another annoying character Juno. Swiftly followed by a totally implausible Tarin the florist come police officer??!
Plus numerous other characters to confuse the reader in what was probably an attempt to write in some twists. The overall writing style changed about 3 times throughout the book and I just felt it didn't quite click.
The end has a twist in the sense of who the main guilty party is but again it was so implausible I almost laughed.
Not for me sorry.
I struggled with this book really. It started very slow, the first 30% was a description of a spa basically. The main character Cara had run away from her family for what seemed like such a trivial reason, using life savings just to punish her family??!
Then a weird mid section of transcripts from a tv show and another annoying character Juno. Swiftly followed by a totally implausible Tarin the florist come police officer??!
Plus numerous other characters to confuse the reader in what was probably an attempt to write in some twists. The overall writing style changed about 3 times throughout the book and I just felt it didn't quite click.
The end has a twist in the sense of who the main guilty party is but again it was so implausible I almost laughed.
Not for me sorry.
May 22, 2022
this was amazing. I went in blind, only knowing that the author's name was a palindrome...needed one for an insta bingo square lol.
Love when a book ends up being everything, when you went in expecting nothing.
Can't wait to seek out more by Sophie Hannah.
Love when a book ends up being everything, when you went in expecting nothing.
Can't wait to seek out more by Sophie Hannah.
June 11, 2017
This is the 2nd book I have read by author Sophie Hannah the previous one been the Agatha Christie
style novel and I have to say I enjoyed this one more.
The main character Cara Burrows goes to Arizona on a spur of the moment holiday without telling her family to try and deal with her family problems. On her arrival she is taken to her room where she finds it occupied by a man and a teenager. The next day, after overhearing another conversation she realises the teenager might have been Melody Chapa whose parents are in jail for her murder. Her parents were convicted of her murder, despite her body never being found. There have been several sightings of Melody over the years but these were mostly ignored, but did Cara really see Melody?
I found this book very enjoyable and well worth a read.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
style novel and I have to say I enjoyed this one more.
The main character Cara Burrows goes to Arizona on a spur of the moment holiday without telling her family to try and deal with her family problems. On her arrival she is taken to her room where she finds it occupied by a man and a teenager. The next day, after overhearing another conversation she realises the teenager might have been Melody Chapa whose parents are in jail for her murder. Her parents were convicted of her murder, despite her body never being found. There have been several sightings of Melody over the years but these were mostly ignored, but did Cara really see Melody?
I found this book very enjoyable and well worth a read.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2017
Read the first 100 pages - boring ! So incredibly boring, all about the resort and the spa blah blah blah. This is supposed to be a thriller ?
Read the last 30 pages - what a let down. So glad I didn't waste any time on the middle !
Give this one a miss !
Read the last 30 pages - what a let down. So glad I didn't waste any time on the middle !
Give this one a miss !
October 3, 2017
Cara Burrows runs away from her family--who live in England no less--to an Arizona spa. She leaves her phone with the rental car company and, exhausted by her travels, checks into her room, only to find it occupied by a man and a teenage girl. It's obviously a mistake by the front desk, but after hearing another guest's ramblings, Cara starts to wonder if the girl she saw is murder victim Melody Chapa. Melody Chapa is incredibly famous in the U.S.--her trial garnered intense attention--and her parents are serving life sentences for her murder. Suddenly, Cara finds herself caught up in a whirlwind series of events, unsure of whom to trust. Did she really see Melody? And if so, what is going on at this spa?
The plot of this novel is pretty preposterous, so be prepared to suspend a bit of disbelief. Once you do that, it's really quite enjoyable and a total whirlwind ride, as you cling to Cara and try to figure things out with her. You first have to get past the fact that the woman has decided to come all the way to Arizona from the UK for her spa trip, spending, she claims, one third of her family's savings to do so. And, you'll learn, all over a insane misunderstanding/lack of communication with her family that will make you want to shake the entire clan. Good grief! However, I digress. Because, really, their lack of communication certainly works in our favor, because this book may be crazy, but it's fun crazy and a wonderful sort of escape.
I found this to be a fascinating type of thriller. I flew through the pages, constantly wondering how all the various pieces fit together. Hannah kept the entire thing going, unfurling great little twists and turns every so often to keep you hooked. It's intricately plotted and really quite well-done, even if it's all a little insane. I suspected a couple of portions, but was still really impressed at how everything went together. Cara is an interesting character--she's just bumbling and sympathetic enough that you can somehow believe that she'd stumble into a major murder mystery while on a spa holiday. Her supporting cast of characters is wide and varied: spa guests; various detectives and the FBI; those involved with Melody's case; and even a crime TV show host with a flair for the dramatic. Somehow Hannah weaves them all together successfully, for which you have to give her bonus points.
All in all, this was a slightly unbelievable novel, but compulsively readable with a thrilling mystery plot that completely hooks you. The characters all work together somehow and the novel is just a fun escape. Throw in a creepy ending that leaves you going "What?!" and this is definitely worth a read. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!) in return for unbiased review; it is available in the U.S. everywhere as of 09/19/2017.
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The plot of this novel is pretty preposterous, so be prepared to suspend a bit of disbelief. Once you do that, it's really quite enjoyable and a total whirlwind ride, as you cling to Cara and try to figure things out with her. You first have to get past the fact that the woman has decided to come all the way to Arizona from the UK for her spa trip, spending, she claims, one third of her family's savings to do so. And, you'll learn, all over a insane misunderstanding/lack of communication with her family that will make you want to shake the entire clan. Good grief! However, I digress. Because, really, their lack of communication certainly works in our favor, because this book may be crazy, but it's fun crazy and a wonderful sort of escape.
I found this to be a fascinating type of thriller. I flew through the pages, constantly wondering how all the various pieces fit together. Hannah kept the entire thing going, unfurling great little twists and turns every so often to keep you hooked. It's intricately plotted and really quite well-done, even if it's all a little insane. I suspected a couple of portions, but was still really impressed at how everything went together. Cara is an interesting character--she's just bumbling and sympathetic enough that you can somehow believe that she'd stumble into a major murder mystery while on a spa holiday. Her supporting cast of characters is wide and varied: spa guests; various detectives and the FBI; those involved with Melody's case; and even a crime TV show host with a flair for the dramatic. Somehow Hannah weaves them all together successfully, for which you have to give her bonus points.
All in all, this was a slightly unbelievable novel, but compulsively readable with a thrilling mystery plot that completely hooks you. The characters all work together somehow and the novel is just a fun escape. Throw in a creepy ending that leaves you going "What?!" and this is definitely worth a read. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!) in return for unbiased review; it is available in the U.S. everywhere as of 09/19/2017.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram
September 26, 2017
Cara Burrows needs an escape from her family for awhile so she decides to fly to America and stay in a fancy resort for a few weeks. After opening up her hotel room door, she soon discovers there has been a horrible mix up because the room is already occupied by a man and a teenage girl. The front desk receptionist apologizes for the terrible error and upgrades Cara to a more luxurious suite. When Cara becomes aware of a famous murder case that dominated the headlines in the United States, she realizes that the girl in the hotel room bears a striking resemblance to the murder victim, Melody Chapa. Did Cara really see Melody or has the stress of everything going on back in England caught up with her?
This story had me captivated from start to finish. I've only read one other book by Sophie Hannah so I wasn't really sure what direction she would go with the story line. I didn't know if this was going to be like a traditional mystery, have a plot similar to Sixth Sense, or veer into mental illness territory. So I had a lot of fun coming up with one crazy theory to the next as I was reading. I also loved how the book touched on the topic of how the media covers criminal cases in the United States vs. other countries that have more restrictions with what they can report in the news.
Some of the characters featured were unlikable at times and there were some plot holes but I was so entertained by the story that none of that made a difference in my enjoyment of the story. Judging by other reviews this book probably isn't for everyone as it looks like I'm in the minority when it comes to liking the story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinions.
This story had me captivated from start to finish. I've only read one other book by Sophie Hannah so I wasn't really sure what direction she would go with the story line. I didn't know if this was going to be like a traditional mystery, have a plot similar to Sixth Sense, or veer into mental illness territory. So I had a lot of fun coming up with one crazy theory to the next as I was reading. I also loved how the book touched on the topic of how the media covers criminal cases in the United States vs. other countries that have more restrictions with what they can report in the news.
Some of the characters featured were unlikable at times and there were some plot holes but I was so entertained by the story that none of that made a difference in my enjoyment of the story. Judging by other reviews this book probably isn't for everyone as it looks like I'm in the minority when it comes to liking the story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinions.
dnf
March 1, 2021DNF @ 20%
2017; William Morrow/HarperCollins
I have been trying to read and listen (on audiobook) to this book, since Summer 2017 when it was to be released. Try as I might I was not able to get further than 20%. I even tried again last night to give it one more go...no go. I just found it slow and found it hard to pick it up again. I will give Hannah one more try. The first book I read by Hannah was just okay. While the story was interesting the story begins to get tangled.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2017; William Morrow/HarperCollins
I have been trying to read and listen (on audiobook) to this book, since Summer 2017 when it was to be released. Try as I might I was not able to get further than 20%. I even tried again last night to give it one more go...no go. I just found it slow and found it hard to pick it up again. I will give Hannah one more try. The first book I read by Hannah was just okay. While the story was interesting the story begins to get tangled.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
September 30, 2021
Not quite the usually high standard that I've come to expect from Sophie Hannah - though still enough intrigue to have kept me reading.
The novel opened strongly with the two main storyline presented early one.
Firstly Cara Burrows has left her family to stay at a five star resort - this poses the question of what led her to take these actions.
Secondly arriving late at the hotel, a tired receptionist gives her a wrong room number, Cara is suprised to find a man and a teenage girl already occupying the room. This leads to a greater shock as the girl appears to be the missing and presumed dead Melody Chapa.
Much of the first part of the novel felt very much like a beach read, the spa itself is well presented but Cara's curiosity feels a little drawn out as the reader is given various infodumps on the case through Cara's Internet searches.
The second half didn't seem as strong, but that might be partly due to the reveal of Cara's secret - it felt a little too sensational to leave the U.K. for American just for that.
At this point I found her character flaws starting to grate.
Overall enjoyable enough but instantly forgettable.
The novel opened strongly with the two main storyline presented early one.
Firstly Cara Burrows has left her family to stay at a five star resort - this poses the question of what led her to take these actions.
Secondly arriving late at the hotel, a tired receptionist gives her a wrong room number, Cara is suprised to find a man and a teenage girl already occupying the room. This leads to a greater shock as the girl appears to be the missing and presumed dead Melody Chapa.
Much of the first part of the novel felt very much like a beach read, the spa itself is well presented but Cara's curiosity feels a little drawn out as the reader is given various infodumps on the case through Cara's Internet searches.
The second half didn't seem as strong, but that might be partly due to the reveal of Cara's secret - it felt a little too sensational to leave the U.K. for American just for that.
At this point I found her character flaws starting to grate.
Overall enjoyable enough but instantly forgettable.
August 19, 2017
I have to start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Sophie Hannah and I’ve followed her Culver Valley series since the brilliant Little Face! I love that series but wasn’t as keen on her last standalone novel whereas I know reviewers who have loved the standalone books but not the series! So this is a difficult one for me as it’s now been 3 days since I read this book. That’s three days and three sleepless nights where this book has gone round and round in my head while I try to work out if it’s a work of genius and I loved it or if I had missed the punchline somehow and I hated it!! It’s a Marmite one that’s currently dividing reviewers opinions but I THINK I really liked it……
The plot itself is an intriguing but rather infuriating one at the same time! Cara Burrows has left her husband and children back in the UK to spend time in a luxury hotel and spa in the USA. She tells them she will return on 24th October and leaves her phone with the hire car people so she isn’t tempted to message them or answer calls. We gradually come to find out why she is there BUT I did have to suspend belief that she would travel so far especially when the reason for her departure becomes apparent. Why that hotel and spa? Surely one closer to home of the same standard would have sufficed? But I digress and it does become obvious later on WHY this book had to be set in the USA.
A late night arrival combined with an overstretched receptionist sees Cara enter the wrong hotel room and come face to face with a young girl. It’s only later that she comes to realise what she may have intruded upon. Whilst I didn’t particularly take to Cara, there was a whole host of quirky and interesting characters here to keep my attention throughout and I was gripped by their behaviour at the resort. The old lady Mrs McNair, who swears she has seen Melody too, Tarin Fry, the feisty badass mom holidaying with her daughter were all competing for my attention with their antics and added an American charm to the proceedings that you probably wouldn’t have got in a UK luxury setting (us Brits tend to keep themselves to themselves and look the other way when drama comes acalling!)
What did make this for me was the whole “trial by tv” perspective and the tv host Bonnie Juno, who wound me up so tightly that I found I was grinding my teeth when she was around! I actually enjoyed all the media reports scattered throughout the narrative, lingering over them with a slightly more voyeuristic approach than I had expected. I found them to be more informative and intricately detailed than the more dramatic reporting by Juno. They made me think of other high profile cases that had also been played out in the media (again in the States) so I became heavily invested fairly early on in the proceedings, caught up as if it were a real life murder case.
So all in all I have come to the conclusion I did enjoy this once I suspended belief at some of the more unbelievable plot threads and coincidences. Sophie Hannah writes wonderfully complex and thought provoking plots and her books are like a giant game of Jenga sometimes as you have to work out which parts are the most important ones, the ones that the entire plot is based around, as you can’t discount them or the entire storyline will collapse around you!
The only thing I’m still unsure about is that ending though. It’s possibly a brilliant game changer but I’m not entirely convinced. Still, I would recommend you give this book a go and see how YOU react! It’s a gripping page turner for definite so you may absolutely love it but then you have to ask yourself…….Did YOU see Melody?
The plot itself is an intriguing but rather infuriating one at the same time! Cara Burrows has left her husband and children back in the UK to spend time in a luxury hotel and spa in the USA. She tells them she will return on 24th October and leaves her phone with the hire car people so she isn’t tempted to message them or answer calls. We gradually come to find out why she is there BUT I did have to suspend belief that she would travel so far especially when the reason for her departure becomes apparent. Why that hotel and spa? Surely one closer to home of the same standard would have sufficed? But I digress and it does become obvious later on WHY this book had to be set in the USA.
A late night arrival combined with an overstretched receptionist sees Cara enter the wrong hotel room and come face to face with a young girl. It’s only later that she comes to realise what she may have intruded upon. Whilst I didn’t particularly take to Cara, there was a whole host of quirky and interesting characters here to keep my attention throughout and I was gripped by their behaviour at the resort. The old lady Mrs McNair, who swears she has seen Melody too, Tarin Fry, the feisty badass mom holidaying with her daughter were all competing for my attention with their antics and added an American charm to the proceedings that you probably wouldn’t have got in a UK luxury setting (us Brits tend to keep themselves to themselves and look the other way when drama comes acalling!)
What did make this for me was the whole “trial by tv” perspective and the tv host Bonnie Juno, who wound me up so tightly that I found I was grinding my teeth when she was around! I actually enjoyed all the media reports scattered throughout the narrative, lingering over them with a slightly more voyeuristic approach than I had expected. I found them to be more informative and intricately detailed than the more dramatic reporting by Juno. They made me think of other high profile cases that had also been played out in the media (again in the States) so I became heavily invested fairly early on in the proceedings, caught up as if it were a real life murder case.
So all in all I have come to the conclusion I did enjoy this once I suspended belief at some of the more unbelievable plot threads and coincidences. Sophie Hannah writes wonderfully complex and thought provoking plots and her books are like a giant game of Jenga sometimes as you have to work out which parts are the most important ones, the ones that the entire plot is based around, as you can’t discount them or the entire storyline will collapse around you!
The only thing I’m still unsure about is that ending though. It’s possibly a brilliant game changer but I’m not entirely convinced. Still, I would recommend you give this book a go and see how YOU react! It’s a gripping page turner for definite so you may absolutely love it but then you have to ask yourself…….Did YOU see Melody?
October 30, 2017
I had very low expectations going into this book and Sophie Hannah hardly met those. I've read high school short stories that were better written than "Keep Her Safe." I'm so disappointed in the author, publisher, editor, etc, for having such a low standard of what they print. They must think so little of their dollar signs, I mean, their readers.
The dialogue between the cops was insanely forced (like her research came from rejected scripts of Law and Order) and the protagonist was infuriatingly unlikable. It's like a bad horror movie when you think: "Sure, go explore that mystery noise by yourself. I'm sure nothing bad will happen to you!"
I'm crowning this book to be the worst book I've read in 2017.
The dialogue between the cops was insanely forced (like her research came from rejected scripts of Law and Order) and the protagonist was infuriatingly unlikable. It's like a bad horror movie when you think: "Sure, go explore that mystery noise by yourself. I'm sure nothing bad will happen to you!"
I'm crowning this book to be the worst book I've read in 2017.
dnf
August 31, 2017O.M.G.
I love thrillers. I especially love thrillers about ordinary women living seemingly ordinary lives that get smashed by secrets or lies, or both. And that's what I was hoping this book would be.
Instead, it's sooooooo boooooooring that I kept waiting for the interesting bit to come. It didn't.
I got 46 pages in and so far all the main character--Cara--has done is feel sorry for herself, think about the family she chose to leave behind (for a reason I won't reveal), and keeps getting caught up in weird stuff that doesn't seem plausible. Oh, but the worst thing is how she spent most of those pages describing Arizona, or the rental car, and the resort. There's just PAGES & PAGES of description with not much else. UGH!
Nope.
This is NOT the type of thriller I was hoping for. I don't care about the annoying Cara--or even the other mysterious POV--enough to get sucked into whatever this mystery turns out to be. I've watched low-budget midday mystery/thriller movies that are way deeper than this.
Definitely a DNF.
Sorry, not sorry.
I love thrillers. I especially love thrillers about ordinary women living seemingly ordinary lives that get smashed by secrets or lies, or both. And that's what I was hoping this book would be.
Instead, it's sooooooo boooooooring that I kept waiting for the interesting bit to come. It didn't.
I got 46 pages in and so far all the main character--Cara--has done is feel sorry for herself, think about the family she chose to leave behind (for a reason I won't reveal), and keeps getting caught up in weird stuff that doesn't seem plausible. Oh, but the worst thing is how she spent most of those pages describing Arizona, or the rental car, and the resort. There's just PAGES & PAGES of description with not much else. UGH!
Nope.
This is NOT the type of thriller I was hoping for. I don't care about the annoying Cara--or even the other mysterious POV--enough to get sucked into whatever this mystery turns out to be. I've watched low-budget midday mystery/thriller movies that are way deeper than this.
Definitely a DNF.
Sorry, not sorry.
April 14, 2017
This was a fist Sophie Hannah book for me so i didn't know what to expect. The setting is Arizona, and I went there with Cara Burrows. I traveled around the 5 star luxury resort, that is Swallowtail, felt the heat and craved a cocktail. I'm not going to give the plot away on this one but I will say that I expected an entirely different book than the book I read. You start with some family difficulties and your set up for a family saga, but then it transforms entirely. A mystery unfolds with good elements of who dun-nit and a dose of threat. Some of the characters are highly annoying but in a believable way. I'm not sure this book would have worked if the characters were all likeable. What struck me the most was the combination of humour and thriller/mystery. It's a hard combination to pull off and it works here, it keeps the book light whilst compelling you forward.
Perfect read for long and lazy summer days by the pool.
Perfect read for long and lazy summer days by the pool.
March 22, 2018
I really liked this book. It was definitely a page turner, and interesting mystery to solve. I also liked the fact that I couldn't guess the whole ending.
The characters were interesting as well. All in all, it's a good, light Mystery read. I would recommend it.
The characters were interesting as well. All in all, it's a good, light Mystery read. I would recommend it.
November 18, 2017
Loved this book. As with all of Sophie Hannha's books, it was clever, twisted, complicated and thrilling. Loved Tarin Fry most of all and the interaction between mother and daughter.
December 23, 2017
I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care about anyone in this book or what happens/ed to any of them. I quit.
June 3, 2017
Did You See Melody? offers a completely fresh take on the tried and tested psychological thriller genre, that we have all grown to know and love. I do love these type of books, but sometimes they can all feel a little like each other. This is were Did You See Melody? stands alone, it takes this genre and does its own thing. I loved it. It is clever, twisted and hugely relevant to the social media led world that we all live in today.
I am new to the work of Sophie Hannah, so had no idea of what writing style to expect. I fell easily into this book, and enjoyed its rich descriptions, fast paced dialogue and character depictions. It was a very easy book to read and follow in terms of plot, even though the plot was incredibly twisted. The story begins when we meet Cara Burrows, a late thirty something, married woman, who has two teenage children. She has booked a holiday, without her husband knowing, or indeed her children, at the 5-star hotel spa resort called, Swallowtail, in Arizona. She left behind her a note, telling her family when she would return, but did not tell them the holiday location. To begin with we do not know why she has decided to go on holiday without her family, and this instantly piqued my interest. I felt that she must have felt very desperate indeed to fly so far away from her home in England in order to grab some atone time. Would I have done the same in her situation? At the beginning I thought not, but as the novel progressed and we learned the reason for her abrupt holiday, I thought to myself, yes, I would.
It is the night that Cara arrives that the story of Melody begins. She is given the wrong room key and as a result she finds herself standing in a room where a man and young teenage girl are staying. Realising her mistake, she talks to the man, the issue is resolved, and she goes back down to reception. But the situation has left her feeling unsettled and a little shaken. Cara thinks nothing more about the man and girl that she saw, until other events take place in the resort and an elderly woman, who is a frequent guest, tells staff that she has seen Melody Chapa. Nobody believes her, but Cara has a nagging feeling that the old woman may be telling the truth, as she too believes that the young teenager she saw was Melody.
This book is incredibly clever, it is part mystery thriller, part dark psychological read, that deals with the issues of child abuse and child abduction. As the story takes place in America, the author focuses upon the popularity of daytime chat shows and the fictitious Bonnie Juno show, which has followed the Melody Chapa case from the very beginning. I particularly loved the way in which we learned about the Melody Chapa case via the show's transcripts and the various interviews that were available for Cara to watch online. The way in which the novel tapped into the talk show market, and the fact that everyone now wants to be a celebrity, was terribly clever. I did wonder if Bonnie could be trusted, or if she too was just looking after her own interests and guaranteeing her own time on the air.
This book is also full of wonderful, colourful characters. Cara, obviously as the protagonist is hugely readable, but so are the other characters that we meet along the way. Two characters that stood out to me were those of Tarin and Zellie Fry, a mother and daughter, like no other, who are staying at the resort. I loved these two characters, they made me smile, a lot, and brought a lot of light relief, to what was otherwise a serious read.
I read this book fairly quickly, as I have said, it was an easy read, but I also needed to know if the girl was Melody, and then later on what had happened to her. This book really did keep me guessing to the very end, and I gasped out loud during the final scene. It's a fantastic book and one that I highly recommend for your summer reading.
Did You See Melody? is published on 24 Aug2017 by Hodder & Stoughton,
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.
I am new to the work of Sophie Hannah, so had no idea of what writing style to expect. I fell easily into this book, and enjoyed its rich descriptions, fast paced dialogue and character depictions. It was a very easy book to read and follow in terms of plot, even though the plot was incredibly twisted. The story begins when we meet Cara Burrows, a late thirty something, married woman, who has two teenage children. She has booked a holiday, without her husband knowing, or indeed her children, at the 5-star hotel spa resort called, Swallowtail, in Arizona. She left behind her a note, telling her family when she would return, but did not tell them the holiday location. To begin with we do not know why she has decided to go on holiday without her family, and this instantly piqued my interest. I felt that she must have felt very desperate indeed to fly so far away from her home in England in order to grab some atone time. Would I have done the same in her situation? At the beginning I thought not, but as the novel progressed and we learned the reason for her abrupt holiday, I thought to myself, yes, I would.
It is the night that Cara arrives that the story of Melody begins. She is given the wrong room key and as a result she finds herself standing in a room where a man and young teenage girl are staying. Realising her mistake, she talks to the man, the issue is resolved, and she goes back down to reception. But the situation has left her feeling unsettled and a little shaken. Cara thinks nothing more about the man and girl that she saw, until other events take place in the resort and an elderly woman, who is a frequent guest, tells staff that she has seen Melody Chapa. Nobody believes her, but Cara has a nagging feeling that the old woman may be telling the truth, as she too believes that the young teenager she saw was Melody.
This book is incredibly clever, it is part mystery thriller, part dark psychological read, that deals with the issues of child abuse and child abduction. As the story takes place in America, the author focuses upon the popularity of daytime chat shows and the fictitious Bonnie Juno show, which has followed the Melody Chapa case from the very beginning. I particularly loved the way in which we learned about the Melody Chapa case via the show's transcripts and the various interviews that were available for Cara to watch online. The way in which the novel tapped into the talk show market, and the fact that everyone now wants to be a celebrity, was terribly clever. I did wonder if Bonnie could be trusted, or if she too was just looking after her own interests and guaranteeing her own time on the air.
This book is also full of wonderful, colourful characters. Cara, obviously as the protagonist is hugely readable, but so are the other characters that we meet along the way. Two characters that stood out to me were those of Tarin and Zellie Fry, a mother and daughter, like no other, who are staying at the resort. I loved these two characters, they made me smile, a lot, and brought a lot of light relief, to what was otherwise a serious read.
I read this book fairly quickly, as I have said, it was an easy read, but I also needed to know if the girl was Melody, and then later on what had happened to her. This book really did keep me guessing to the very end, and I gasped out loud during the final scene. It's a fantastic book and one that I highly recommend for your summer reading.
Did You See Melody? is published on 24 Aug2017 by Hodder & Stoughton,
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.
August 15, 2017
When you pick up one of Sophie Hannah’s books, I’ve learnt it is best to expect the unexpected and she’s done it again, I was gripped by the mystery of the seven year old’s disappearance seven years ago, a disappearance that had gripped America from the start.
As to be expected from this hugely talented author we have characters that are so memorable you’ll want to send them a Christmas card, or at perhaps cross them off the list, because, some of them aren’t very nice at all!
Cara Burrows has booked herself into a five star hotel in Arizona, miles from her husband and two teenage children, simply leaving a note to tell them she will be back on 24 October. It takes a while for the reader to understand how this seemingly nice woman could take such an action, or perhaps more importantly why. Patience is key, Sophie Hannah starts with a mystery which demands an answer but she makes her readers wait for them, but fear not, the answers are all given in good time. Cara arrives at Swallowtail resort late at night and is booked in by the receptionist. She makes her way to the room, only to find that it is already occupied by a father and daughter who she disturbs from their sleep. The receptionist is deeply apologetic and finds her a new room.
Staying at the hotel at the same time as Cara is an elderly lady who has ‘seen’ Melody at the resort each time she has stayed there. Melody was a girl who was all over the news and excerpts from talk shows before the culprits were arrested are included in the novel. This platform is useful for discussing the very different ways that crimes are handled by the media in the UK and the US. In the US the talk show host Bonnie Juror is able to shout her beliefs from her chat show without threat of perverting the course of justice, something that simply would never happen in the UK, although of course it doesn’t stop individuals speculating when we see the sadly all too familiar media statements from grieving families.
With Cara needing a bit of displacement activity she makes a very reserved British bond with two fellow sun lounger inhabitants, a mother and daughter both of whom had me in stitches with their brilliant one-liners with the differences in approach between the two nations accurately portrayed. Anyway between them they educate Cara on the full Melody story and encourage her growing suspicion that Melody is still alive and on the resort.
Taken in parts this story is completely unbelievable but I really didn’t mind, the journey was so entertaining, the commentary that underlines the storyline on a number of different subjects is true which allowed me to believe in the right circumstances with a good handful of coincidences thrown in that this could be true…
This is the perfect summer read although if you are staying in a less than palatial resort you may experience some envy, with brilliant characters, each one is so superbly drawn (and coloured in) with a fair bit of drama to ensure that a soothing massage I required by the time you turn that brilliant last page.
As to be expected from this hugely talented author we have characters that are so memorable you’ll want to send them a Christmas card, or at perhaps cross them off the list, because, some of them aren’t very nice at all!
Cara Burrows has booked herself into a five star hotel in Arizona, miles from her husband and two teenage children, simply leaving a note to tell them she will be back on 24 October. It takes a while for the reader to understand how this seemingly nice woman could take such an action, or perhaps more importantly why. Patience is key, Sophie Hannah starts with a mystery which demands an answer but she makes her readers wait for them, but fear not, the answers are all given in good time. Cara arrives at Swallowtail resort late at night and is booked in by the receptionist. She makes her way to the room, only to find that it is already occupied by a father and daughter who she disturbs from their sleep. The receptionist is deeply apologetic and finds her a new room.
Staying at the hotel at the same time as Cara is an elderly lady who has ‘seen’ Melody at the resort each time she has stayed there. Melody was a girl who was all over the news and excerpts from talk shows before the culprits were arrested are included in the novel. This platform is useful for discussing the very different ways that crimes are handled by the media in the UK and the US. In the US the talk show host Bonnie Juror is able to shout her beliefs from her chat show without threat of perverting the course of justice, something that simply would never happen in the UK, although of course it doesn’t stop individuals speculating when we see the sadly all too familiar media statements from grieving families.
With Cara needing a bit of displacement activity she makes a very reserved British bond with two fellow sun lounger inhabitants, a mother and daughter both of whom had me in stitches with their brilliant one-liners with the differences in approach between the two nations accurately portrayed. Anyway between them they educate Cara on the full Melody story and encourage her growing suspicion that Melody is still alive and on the resort.
Taken in parts this story is completely unbelievable but I really didn’t mind, the journey was so entertaining, the commentary that underlines the storyline on a number of different subjects is true which allowed me to believe in the right circumstances with a good handful of coincidences thrown in that this could be true…
This is the perfect summer read although if you are staying in a less than palatial resort you may experience some envy, with brilliant characters, each one is so superbly drawn (and coloured in) with a fair bit of drama to ensure that a soothing massage I required by the time you turn that brilliant last page.
September 25, 2017
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Ahh, another release from one of my favourite authors - Sophie Hannah! I kept this until I knew I had some time to really get into it, and I wasn't disappointed...
This is definitely an odd book in some ways. It starts out as something that seems very different - I felt almost as if I were reading a book you'd class as (and sorry for the annoying classification here) 'chick-lit', but then it suddenly becomes more of a mystery/ thriller.
Now, the main character Cara... I had mixed feelings about her. At first, I felt that she was just a bit of a demanding, selfish mother who'd ran off for a holiday away from her kids and husband (a holiday which, incidentally, cost a third of their life savings), and I can't say I warmed to her, but as you learn more about the events that led her to run off to America to this five-star resort, you're bound to feel more sympathy and understanding. She's determined, inquisitive and, at times, quite amusing in her observations of other people around the resort. I enjoyed reading about her, and she lived up to the convincing, interesting characters which Sophie Hannah is so great at creating, as did Bonnie Juno - definitely a hard character to like, but an interesting one nevertheless!
The mystery around missing girl, Melody Chapa, is also rather strange and mysterious. I enjoyed the newspaper clippings and interviews which are interspersed with the plot, and 'missing person' cases always intrigue me. The plot didn't feel too dark or gritty like some of her other novels (particularly the Simon Serrailer series which I love but which is definitely far more police procedural-based); instead it felt like a bit of a roller-coaster of adventure featuring an entertaining main character (Cara) as she tries to find out who she glimpsed that very first night, with the help of some entertaining 'friends' (I loved brash American Tarin and her daughter - they are so much fun, if a little off the wall!).
Did You See Melody is a fun, slightly wacky read which is very entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from first page to last (great ending, too!).
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
Ahh, another release from one of my favourite authors - Sophie Hannah! I kept this until I knew I had some time to really get into it, and I wasn't disappointed...
This is definitely an odd book in some ways. It starts out as something that seems very different - I felt almost as if I were reading a book you'd class as (and sorry for the annoying classification here) 'chick-lit', but then it suddenly becomes more of a mystery/ thriller.
Now, the main character Cara... I had mixed feelings about her. At first, I felt that she was just a bit of a demanding, selfish mother who'd ran off for a holiday away from her kids and husband (a holiday which, incidentally, cost a third of their life savings), and I can't say I warmed to her, but as you learn more about the events that led her to run off to America to this five-star resort, you're bound to feel more sympathy and understanding. She's determined, inquisitive and, at times, quite amusing in her observations of other people around the resort. I enjoyed reading about her, and she lived up to the convincing, interesting characters which Sophie Hannah is so great at creating, as did Bonnie Juno - definitely a hard character to like, but an interesting one nevertheless!
The mystery around missing girl, Melody Chapa, is also rather strange and mysterious. I enjoyed the newspaper clippings and interviews which are interspersed with the plot, and 'missing person' cases always intrigue me. The plot didn't feel too dark or gritty like some of her other novels (particularly the Simon Serrailer series which I love but which is definitely far more police procedural-based); instead it felt like a bit of a roller-coaster of adventure featuring an entertaining main character (Cara) as she tries to find out who she glimpsed that very first night, with the help of some entertaining 'friends' (I loved brash American Tarin and her daughter - they are so much fun, if a little off the wall!).
Did You See Melody is a fun, slightly wacky read which is very entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from first page to last (great ending, too!).
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
June 24, 2018
I thought I would love this book. I was wrong. I don’t have the energy to write an eloquent review, so here’s a list of why this is a two star book for me.
- Cara was a terrible, annoying, whiny, selfish, and frankly stupid character. I hated reading her POV
- Pages upon pages wasted by a lengthy description of the spa and resort. I don’t care.
- Descriptions of America and Americans were strange to me as an American. Could Cara quit acting shocked by cheerful employees doing their job at a 5 star resort? It had nothing to do with them being American, they’re service workers. Also, Hannah way over used the blunt, chatty, and outspoken American woman stereotype. How about some normal characters?
- English phrases spoken by American characters! Sloppy editing.
- Pointless switching of POV. Why did I need to read about a secondary character’s assistant’s backstory?
- Hannah clearly doesn’t have much faith in her audience’s ability to infer or remember plot points. Every little action was explained and so much of the story was continuously retold.
- And my biggest reading pet peeve: show, don’t tell.
I kept waiting for Keep Her Safe to get better, and it never happened. I could have only read the first chapter and the final two chapters and gotten just as much out of the story. I’d advise this one as a skip, as there are much, much better mysteries out there.
- Cara was a terrible, annoying, whiny, selfish, and frankly stupid character. I hated reading her POV
- Pages upon pages wasted by a lengthy description of the spa and resort. I don’t care.
- Descriptions of America and Americans were strange to me as an American. Could Cara quit acting shocked by cheerful employees doing their job at a 5 star resort? It had nothing to do with them being American, they’re service workers. Also, Hannah way over used the blunt, chatty, and outspoken American woman stereotype. How about some normal characters?
- English phrases spoken by American characters! Sloppy editing.
- Pointless switching of POV. Why did I need to read about a secondary character’s assistant’s backstory?
- Hannah clearly doesn’t have much faith in her audience’s ability to infer or remember plot points. Every little action was explained and so much of the story was continuously retold.
- And my biggest reading pet peeve: show, don’t tell.
I kept waiting for Keep Her Safe to get better, and it never happened. I could have only read the first chapter and the final two chapters and gotten just as much out of the story. I’d advise this one as a skip, as there are much, much better mysteries out there.
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