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They Won't Be Hurt
Kevin O'Brien returns with another riveting novel of domestic suspense, sure to appeal to fans of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay.
ONCE YOU LET THEM IN
The lights are on at the Singleton vacation home on Lopez Island, Washington, illuminating the horror within. Scott Singleton, former NFL star turned television evangelist, lies dead. The bodies of his wife and four of their five children are found on the second floor, bound, gagged, and stabbed repeatedly. The oldest daughter was shot in her boyfriend's car. And the police's main suspect--the property caretaker--has disappeared.
THEY WILL NEVER
In her secluded vineyard home two hours away, Laura Gretchell is on edge. Her husband is out of town on business, and the children are understandably shaken. Laura tries to tell herself there's no reason to fear. Then the door handle rattles, and the real terror begins.
LET YOU GO
They're in her house, holding her children hostage, and Laura has only one option: do exactly what the intruders say. But as Laura races to find the information they seek, she realizes that the enemies within her own home are only part of the nightmare. Because someone wants to keep the truth hidden at any cost, no matter how many more must die . . .
ONCE YOU LET THEM IN
The lights are on at the Singleton vacation home on Lopez Island, Washington, illuminating the horror within. Scott Singleton, former NFL star turned television evangelist, lies dead. The bodies of his wife and four of their five children are found on the second floor, bound, gagged, and stabbed repeatedly. The oldest daughter was shot in her boyfriend's car. And the police's main suspect--the property caretaker--has disappeared.
THEY WILL NEVER
In her secluded vineyard home two hours away, Laura Gretchell is on edge. Her husband is out of town on business, and the children are understandably shaken. Laura tries to tell herself there's no reason to fear. Then the door handle rattles, and the real terror begins.
LET YOU GO
They're in her house, holding her children hostage, and Laura has only one option: do exactly what the intruders say. But as Laura races to find the information they seek, she realizes that the enemies within her own home are only part of the nightmare. Because someone wants to keep the truth hidden at any cost, no matter how many more must die . . .
440 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 31, 2018
189 people are currently reading
1977 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
July 19, 2018
A very suspenseful book. I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it. Scott Singleton, a former NFL star turned television evangelist is murdered along with his wife and five children. Scott Singleton has a very dark side to him. The main suspect is the property caretaker, Joe, who has been released from a mental institution for beating up a co-worker at a previous job and putting his hand through a glass window. He comes in contact with a fellow cellmate by the name of Vic, who is really a evil murderer. He convinces Joe to run from the police. Joe had a teacher when he was a young boy, named Laura that stood up to a boy who bullied him. He goes to her home thinking if anybody can help him and prove he is innocent of murder she can. Vic takes the family hostage and abuses them while Joe tries to stand in and protect the. Vic intends on robbing and killing Laura and her kids, but in the end Joe comes through and helps protect hem. Laura also helps prove that Joe is innocent of murdering the Singleton family. There are a lot of twists and turns as the story goes along. A very good read full of murder and dark secrets. A must read.
October 29, 2018
I’ve been a fan of Kevin O’Brien for several years, but I haven’t read anything by him recently, that is until now. What a book to welcome me back to Mr O’Brien. This book is truly an edge of your seat thriller from beginning to end. All the characters are very well written and in my opinion, very believable.
Kudos to you, Mr O’Brien for another fantastic book. I’m patiently waiting to see what you have in store for us next.
Kudos to you, Mr O’Brien for another fantastic book. I’m patiently waiting to see what you have in store for us next.
October 5, 2018
I finished this book in one day because I just couldn't put it down! It's very suspenseful and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I've read other books by Kevin O'Brien and I enjoy the fact that they take place in the Pacific Northwest where I happen to live. I recommend this one about a family held hostage by a murder suspect and his friend. It's great!
June 10, 2018
This book was quite an intense roller coaster ride. The more I read, the more I needed to uncover the mystery behind the Singleton murders, and while part of it was expected, the reasoning behind it all was not.
I felt that the characters were all believable enough even though some were absolutely loathsome, and some aspects of the story were a little unbelievable, but fiction is as fiction does. I enjoyed this story, and sometimes struggled to find a decent place to pause and pick it up later, such was the suspense and the thrill of the layers being peeled back.
Thank you to Kevin O’Brien, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I felt that the characters were all believable enough even though some were absolutely loathsome, and some aspects of the story were a little unbelievable, but fiction is as fiction does. I enjoyed this story, and sometimes struggled to find a decent place to pause and pick it up later, such was the suspense and the thrill of the layers being peeled back.
Thank you to Kevin O’Brien, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2018
Unfortunately, this was not a great book for me. While in some spots the author did an amazing job of getting suspense going and having you entwined in the story, in other spots it seemed to drag on too much; and focus on things that were not as important to me, in a thriller book. I did not think it was the best type of thriller for me, but had heard the author was amazing and had to give it a try. I think it would've been a much better book, if there was not as much fill in and more thrills. Will be telling Chapter Chatter Pub that it's being released, so members have a chance to check it out!
August 3, 2018
This book started off really strong, so much so that I was convinced I had a 5 star read on my hands, but then things just ..... fell apart. Laura acts and reacts in a way that I could never imagine a mother as doing, not even under the duress she was in. As a mother myself, I could not imagine behaving nor speaking in the manner that she does.
I will say that this story is full of the unexpected, there were times when I was surprised at the direction the author took when I was so sure the book was heading in a different direction entirely. There was also a lot to this book that I felt could have been condensed or left out altogether - something that I feel would have helped with the flow of the story making it less repetitive, and also that would have helped keep and hold the readers interest. Unlike other books I have read in this genre, I found this one easy to set down and come back to at a later time.
I do believe this story may appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, and I would read more from this author, however this particular story was just not for me.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
I will say that this story is full of the unexpected, there were times when I was surprised at the direction the author took when I was so sure the book was heading in a different direction entirely. There was also a lot to this book that I felt could have been condensed or left out altogether - something that I feel would have helped with the flow of the story making it less repetitive, and also that would have helped keep and hold the readers interest. Unlike other books I have read in this genre, I found this one easy to set down and come back to at a later time.
I do believe this story may appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, and I would read more from this author, however this particular story was just not for me.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
March 9, 2022
This is such a muddled mess of a story. Former teacher Laura Gretchell's family has recently bought a vineyard about three hours from Seattle. No experience or knowledge of vitticulture; as far as I can determine, the vineyard angle was solely to justify Laura's husband's trip to France for research, so that he's removed from the story almost completely (with a tiny sub-plot of Laura's fear that he's really having an affair overseas). So an entire wealthy family has been brutally murdered. Laura and her kids wind up captives of two bad guys, one of whom (Joe) may not really be the murderer, but a REALLY bad guy (Vic) holds sway over Joe. And the reason Joe and Vic showed up at Laura's door was that Laura helped Joe when he was 8 or 9 and being badly bullied when he was a student in her class. Now that he's an adult he has managed to find her even though she lives nowhere near where she lived when Joe was a kid (because, remember, the move to the vineyard...) and somehow he thinks that she can clear his name. And the reason for the brutal murders is so completely far-fetched that even as I write this, I'm completely annoyed at myself for reading the entire book and I don't want to write another word about it.
November 28, 2018
A fast paced thriller, but too many things didn't ring true. A woman's children are held hostage by a deranged sociopath and his partner in crime, a suspected serial killer, yet Laura refuses to contact the police. Is she crazy? The first thing any one would do is drive to the police station to save her kids--unless she had a good reason for not trusting the authorities, which Laura doesn't. Instead she drives for miles and takes multiple ferries, meets with unsavory people, and nearly loses her life just to prove Joe's innocence. It was too coincidental when the car trying to run Laura off the road ends up in a fatal accident eliminating one or two of the antagonists. And when Laura manages to purchase a handgun from a legitimate gun store that waves the background check and waiting period for $50 because she has a bruise on her face and implies she had a problem she needs to take care of at home... Well, no legitimate gun shop would do that--too many legal ramifications. A fast read but too many logistics problems and an ending that wrapped up in too neat a birthday present bow. Clearly, the author liked Joe too much to have a truthful, realistic ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2018
This is the first book that I didn't like by this author. Usually in the past I have not had problems jumping right into the book and reading it. Yet, this time, it felt like the story just kept going on a continuous loop.
There was action but it was slow burning. This did not help the story. The intensity needed to be stronger as a lot of the story was just happening in a house with a small core group of characters. I kept with this book because of the author. Although, there were times when I did skim it to make it go faster.
When I got to the ending, I would say it was a bit of a disappointment. Overall, I was kind of bored with this book. I hope that the next book scores with me.
There was action but it was slow burning. This did not help the story. The intensity needed to be stronger as a lot of the story was just happening in a house with a small core group of characters. I kept with this book because of the author. Although, there were times when I did skim it to make it go faster.
When I got to the ending, I would say it was a bit of a disappointment. Overall, I was kind of bored with this book. I hope that the next book scores with me.
July 19, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is my personal 5 star rating system because I’m too lazy to write a review for every book.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
January 2, 2019
I must admit that I picked up this book because I thought the dark house on the cover looked intriguing. The tittle wasn't particularly interesting...but what the heck? I was captured from the first chapter. I read more than half the book in one setting and the only reason I stopped was because the words were starting to run together. The characters...at first I felt rather sorry for Joe...I soon became frustrated with his follow the leader attitude and wished he's grow a backbone. Vic...was just plain evil from the start and never got any better. I found myself hoping that he would die soon. some wishes are never granted and I soon realized that Vic was part of the reason the book held the appeal for me that it did. Sophie and her children...the real victims here and not so much the murdered family that started this whole mess. The Singleton family that we meet in the beginning...secrets, secrets and more secrets. Overall, a realy good worthwhile read.
August 17, 2018
Good, workmanlike thriller--the literary equivalent of a burger and fries. It's a good story with somewhat two-dimensional characters (very black and white) and a story that propels you along at a decent clip. But there's nothing inspired here, like you might find in Dennis Lehane thriller or something by Laura Lippman or Michael Robotham. But an okay, quick read that will satisfy, if not nourish, you.
March 27, 2020
They Won’t Be Hurt was another intense read from Kevin O’Brien.
The writing was excellent with solid third-person limited and past-tense. The narrative was mostly brisk, with exposition not too long on the tooth. The story moved pretty well.
The only issues I had were the intense scenes with the bad guys holding the family hostage. At times, I wanted to skip through that stuff, as awful as it was, and get to the meat and bones of the issue where the protagonist delves into the investigating to find out what really happened. That didn’t start happening until the latter half of the story.
I still had a pretty good time and was quite happy with the conclusion. Recommended.
The writing was excellent with solid third-person limited and past-tense. The narrative was mostly brisk, with exposition not too long on the tooth. The story moved pretty well.
The only issues I had were the intense scenes with the bad guys holding the family hostage. At times, I wanted to skip through that stuff, as awful as it was, and get to the meat and bones of the issue where the protagonist delves into the investigating to find out what really happened. That didn’t start happening until the latter half of the story.
I still had a pretty good time and was quite happy with the conclusion. Recommended.
January 16, 2024
Whew- this was a stressful, claustrophobic thriller. Was the storyline realistic? I mean, not exactly, but the feelings the novel evoked were very much realistic.
I don’t think the synopsis does a great job of letting you know what to expect, because you barely get a glimpse at the football player/evangelist aspect of the story. It’s mostly about a woman and her kids being confined to their house be intruders. There’s one nice guy and one not so nice guy (that you’ll want to punch in the face).
There aren’t any gore or explicit scenes, but there are some that will tug at your heart and your gut. There are some uncomfortable parts, but nothing crazy.
I don’t think the synopsis does a great job of letting you know what to expect, because you barely get a glimpse at the football player/evangelist aspect of the story. It’s mostly about a woman and her kids being confined to their house be intruders. There’s one nice guy and one not so nice guy (that you’ll want to punch in the face).
There aren’t any gore or explicit scenes, but there are some that will tug at your heart and your gut. There are some uncomfortable parts, but nothing crazy.
August 5, 2018
I want to start by saying I am a pretty big fan of this author. I have read all but a few of his books and I own the majority of ones I’ve read. I frequently recommend his books.
They Won’t Be Hurt was such a twisty, edge of the seat, fast read. I would think I had it figured out then something would be revealed. The reason I give this 4 stars and not 5 is because I’m just not happy with the mom. She is a great, likeable character. My issue with her are her decisions. I understand wanting to help the guy, but leaving her children to go on this wild goose chase......just doesn’t sit right with me. I know that leaving them was what made a bulk of the story. Overall, it was really good. I loved all the ‘gaspy’ type moments. It all wrapped up quite nicely
They Won’t Be Hurt was such a twisty, edge of the seat, fast read. I would think I had it figured out then something would be revealed. The reason I give this 4 stars and not 5 is because I’m just not happy with the mom. She is a great, likeable character. My issue with her are her decisions. I understand wanting to help the guy, but leaving her children to go on this wild goose chase......just doesn’t sit right with me. I know that leaving them was what made a bulk of the story. Overall, it was really good. I loved all the ‘gaspy’ type moments. It all wrapped up quite nicely
March 16, 2019
I would like to thank Tantor Audio and LibraryThing for a free audio for an honest review.
This was my first Kevin O'Brien book but won't be my last. The story grabs you from the start and does not let go. Five members of the Singleton family are murdered and the caretaker is missing. Laura Gretchell's family is being held hostage by the caretaker and a former student of Laura. Sean Grechell is away in France checking out wineries. I found the plot twisty, suspenseful and fast-paced with very believable characters. My favorite characters were Laura and her daughter, Sophie. I found them both to be very courageous. I loved listening to the audio as the narrator was very energetic and commanding. I would recommend this book to those who love mystery thrillers.
This was my first Kevin O'Brien book but won't be my last. The story grabs you from the start and does not let go. Five members of the Singleton family are murdered and the caretaker is missing. Laura Gretchell's family is being held hostage by the caretaker and a former student of Laura. Sean Grechell is away in France checking out wineries. I found the plot twisty, suspenseful and fast-paced with very believable characters. My favorite characters were Laura and her daughter, Sophie. I found them both to be very courageous. I loved listening to the audio as the narrator was very energetic and commanding. I would recommend this book to those who love mystery thrillers.
March 10, 2019
I didn't set out to enjoy this book as it started a little high school cliche, but once it started rolling it was great. Intriguing and drawing you into the feelings of the characters. Definitely makes me want to read more by this author.
June 12, 2019
Mr. O'Brien's books are all scary thrillers that you won't be able to put down. I did have to stop reading late the other night because I was getting a bit freaked out... This was was particularly scary, I thought. A home invasion, involving the woman's (heroine) 3 children.
August 5, 2018
kevin o'brien did it again...with another awesome thriller...this one kept you on the edge of your seat.....never saw alot of the stuff coming.
January 16, 2025
I loved listening to this book. I think it’d make a truly gripping film. It had me on the edge of my seat, I didn’t want to stop listening to it. A brilliant book
April 11, 2025
Fast paced great read!
February 27, 2019
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher through a LibraryThing giveaway.
While this isn't destined to become a classic in the thriller genre, it still is a pretty good thriller. Most of the story takes place in a home where the residents are held hostage by two men: one accused of murder and his brutal friend. The story occasionally stretched credulity, but not so much that my little fiction-loving mind couldn't buy into the story. There is a conspiracy among supposedly good people, and a reason why this particular house was chosen for invasion. It's not too gruesome, but still, people are murdered. Whatdaya expect? I cared about the characters and wanted to know how the whole thing was going to turn out. This is a good piece of entertainment. This is the first book I've read by this author, so I cannot compare to his others. I listened to the audio version and most of the voices were very well done but a couple didn't sound authentic.
While this isn't destined to become a classic in the thriller genre, it still is a pretty good thriller. Most of the story takes place in a home where the residents are held hostage by two men: one accused of murder and his brutal friend. The story occasionally stretched credulity, but not so much that my little fiction-loving mind couldn't buy into the story. There is a conspiracy among supposedly good people, and a reason why this particular house was chosen for invasion. It's not too gruesome, but still, people are murdered. Whatdaya expect? I cared about the characters and wanted to know how the whole thing was going to turn out. This is a good piece of entertainment. This is the first book I've read by this author, so I cannot compare to his others. I listened to the audio version and most of the voices were very well done but a couple didn't sound authentic.
January 15, 2019
Such an effective suspense writer - rarely lets me down - another great book that I couldn’t put down.
June 9, 2020
A mother and her 3 children are held hostage in their own home by 2 ruthless killers. A little too violent for my liking.
August 24, 2018
This is billed as the latest from "New York Times bestselling author" Kevin O'Brien. It is the tale of Laura, a former teacher, turned vineyard owner with her family, who is held prisoner by a former student who adored her when she was his teacher and his accomplice, a murderer who escaped from a psychiatric center to "save" is friend as they both had spent time there together. While her family struggles to survive with these two in their home, Laura embarks on a mission to find proof her former student did not commit the murders he was originally accused of committing. She uncovers the truth, but the bottom line was, I simply did not care. It dragged on and on, the action predictable and therefore, too simple for me. I have put this author on my don't bother to read again list.
December 14, 2018
I guess I’m in the minority here but I didn’t think this was much a thriller. First of all it wasn’t very believable. It was far-fetched drama and I don’t think it could be anything of a true to life drama. The characters were shallow and hokey and the “bad guys” were so bad they were almost comical. I didn’t get the suspense or the thrill or even connect with the characters. Just didn’t work for me
April 16, 2019
I just finished a suspense novel written by Kevin O'Brien, "They Won't Be Hurt". A mother of three children is the protagonist. Two men imprison and terrorize her and her family. Laura's drive to protect her kids is iron-willed strong. She demonstrates coolness under pressure, intelligence and cunning to try to bring her family to safety. I could not stop turning the pages of this electrifying thriller!
June 9, 2018
For me this book was too long and boring...Maybe if it was shorter I would have enjoyed it more..It was tedious to read and very repetitive...I would not even consider it that suspenseful.. I would not recommend this book.
December 4, 2018
Oh, how I love Kevin O'Brien's books. Right from the start, he pulls you in for a great ride. This one didn't disappoint. Please keep them coming, Mr. O'Brien!
December 26, 2023
A bit too long. Good story, but slightly ridiculous. No parent would do a silly manhunt versus calling the cops. -KM
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews