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The Unheard
In this new heart-pounding standalone from the internationally bestselling author, a single mother suspects her young daughter has witnessed a horrible crime when she draws a disturbing picture--but the deadly path to unravel the truth could cost her everything.
Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It's not that Jason is a bad father--it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to her daughter Poppy to make this arrangement work.
But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing--an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it----Poppy can only explain with the words, "He did kill her."
Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something--or something happened to her--that she's too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents' separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy's disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth. Her search will set off an explosive tempest of dark secrets and buried crimes--and more than one life may be at stake.
Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It's not that Jason is a bad father--it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to her daughter Poppy to make this arrangement work.
But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing--an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it----Poppy can only explain with the words, "He did kill her."
Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something--or something happened to her--that she's too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents' separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy's disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth. Her search will set off an explosive tempest of dark secrets and buried crimes--and more than one life may be at stake.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2021
551 people are currently reading
11529 people want to read
About the author
Nicci French
75 books3,612 followersNote: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,365 reviews
September 19, 2021
Four Aural Stars.
How would you react if you thought your preschool child had witnessed something horrible? Maybe something violent?
Tess faces this scenario as she attempts to decipher her daughter’s drastic change in behavior. What follows is her frenetic attempts at discovery - legal or otherwise.
I really enjoyed reading this - to the point of putting another book I’d started aside. Something intangible hooked me right in and I had to finish before I could move on.
This was kind of a sleeper and a bit more complicated than I’d given it credit for. I was wrong in my assumptions and was happily surprised at the conclusion which made for a fun buddy read.
I would describe this as a domestic thriller with a heavy helping of family drama. It’s my first read by the author duo and I’ll definitely try more.
Thank you to publisher William Morrow, author Nicci French, and NetGalley for my advanced electronic copy to read and review.
How would you react if you thought your preschool child had witnessed something horrible? Maybe something violent?
Tess faces this scenario as she attempts to decipher her daughter’s drastic change in behavior. What follows is her frenetic attempts at discovery - legal or otherwise.
I really enjoyed reading this - to the point of putting another book I’d started aside. Something intangible hooked me right in and I had to finish before I could move on.
This was kind of a sleeper and a bit more complicated than I’d given it credit for. I was wrong in my assumptions and was happily surprised at the conclusion which made for a fun buddy read.
I would describe this as a domestic thriller with a heavy helping of family drama. It’s my first read by the author duo and I’ll definitely try more.
Thank you to publisher William Morrow, author Nicci French, and NetGalley for my advanced electronic copy to read and review.
June 29, 2021
(Review to come. Still processing things.)
Honestly, I don’t know what to say about this book. It felt so unlike anything else I’ve read by Nicci French and at the same time it felt all too familiar. I never thought I’d give a one-star review to the duo I considered some of my favourite writers. But here we are…
This book lacked the psychological tension that I liked in their other books, had none of the quick-witted, clever twists and turns that, to me, are synonymous with Nicci French. The story and characters felt flat, uninspired and just plain caricatural. The writing (or maybe it was just the translation, even though I didn’t feel this frustrated with their other translated books) felt really childish and ridiculous – same for dialogues and descriptions.
There was not even one likeable character in this book. Not one. Sean and Nicci tried to make every single man in the story a suspect, and they didn’t do it very well, to be honest. I still don’t see why that neighbour Bernie showed up every now and then – without knowing anything about him except that he had loud sex. He doesn’t contribute anything to the story, more so: it would absolutely the same if Bernie didn’t show up in it. Also, could someone please tell me what Jason’s infidelity had to do with anything? He’s a jerk, obviously, and I get that his infidelity should make him suspicious. But he’s just a jerk who’s never going to stop cheating on his wife, not a murderer.
The plot lacked so much dept. Even at 431 pages, most of this book felt rushed and underdeveloped. The starting point was interesting, but then it just fell flat with ridiculous accusations, illogical turns and annoying characters. Not even the killer was surprising, the entire time I felt like there was going to be just one final twist that would put everything I’d read so far on its head and become a brilliant book. But no twist, no nothing. So no, this book was not for me. I feel like they could have handled this story so much better. I can only hope their next story will be better again. But for this story: one star.
Honestly, I don’t know what to say about this book. It felt so unlike anything else I’ve read by Nicci French and at the same time it felt all too familiar. I never thought I’d give a one-star review to the duo I considered some of my favourite writers. But here we are…
This book lacked the psychological tension that I liked in their other books, had none of the quick-witted, clever twists and turns that, to me, are synonymous with Nicci French. The story and characters felt flat, uninspired and just plain caricatural. The writing (or maybe it was just the translation, even though I didn’t feel this frustrated with their other translated books) felt really childish and ridiculous – same for dialogues and descriptions.
There was not even one likeable character in this book. Not one. Sean and Nicci tried to make every single man in the story a suspect, and they didn’t do it very well, to be honest. I still don’t see why that neighbour Bernie showed up every now and then – without knowing anything about him except that he had loud sex. He doesn’t contribute anything to the story, more so: it would absolutely the same if Bernie didn’t show up in it. Also, could someone please tell me what Jason’s infidelity had to do with anything? He’s a jerk, obviously, and I get that his infidelity should make him suspicious. But he’s just a jerk who’s never going to stop cheating on his wife, not a murderer.
The plot lacked so much dept. Even at 431 pages, most of this book felt rushed and underdeveloped. The starting point was interesting, but then it just fell flat with ridiculous accusations, illogical turns and annoying characters. Not even the killer was surprising, the entire time I felt like there was going to be just one final twist that would put everything I’d read so far on its head and become a brilliant book. But no twist, no nothing. So no, this book was not for me. I feel like they could have handled this story so much better. I can only hope their next story will be better again. But for this story: one star.
September 20, 2021
After a weekend at her father’s house, three year old Poppy comes home with a stack of drawings-and the last one was is VERY disturbing-a woman falling out of a tower-all in black crayon.
When Tess asks Poppy to explain the drawing, all she can say is “He did kill her”
That night she has a nightmare and wets her bed. “Don’t hit me!” She cries. And, then she asks her mother, “Are you still dead?”
What in the World happened over the weekend?
As Poppy’s behavior becomes increasingly disturbing, Tess’s reactions become more and more unhinged! She feels UNHEARD by everyone-as nobody else seems concerned by the things that Poppy is saying and doing. She begins to suspect everyone and anyone who has had contact with Poppy.
I could feel her frustration.
What mother wouldn’t feel helpless in this situation? Her daughter did not yet have the words to express what was upsetting her and could only try to do so through drawings and behavior.
This was my first read from husband and wife author duo, Nicci Gerard and Sean French.
I was engaged from page one and enjoyed picking up the book whenever I got the chance-BUT this story has quite a few plot holes. I like my i’s dotted and my t’s crossed, with my endings but quite a few things were left unexplained. That is ok when a book’s ending is meant to be ambiguous but that wasn’t the case with this one.
The well developed characters of Tess, whose love of her daughter is evident, and her adorable, red headed toddler, Poppy stole my heart. And, the story did entertain. So, despite the 🧀 Swiss cheese ending-I am giving this a 3.75 and rounding up!
I enjoyed this buddy read with friends Susan and DeAnn, and we all agreed that we want to tackle some of the author duo’s vast backlist when we get a chance! Check out their amazing reviews as well!
Available October 26, 2021
I received a gifted copy from the Scene of the Crime/William Morrow provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer this candid review!
When Tess asks Poppy to explain the drawing, all she can say is “He did kill her”
That night she has a nightmare and wets her bed. “Don’t hit me!” She cries. And, then she asks her mother, “Are you still dead?”
What in the World happened over the weekend?
As Poppy’s behavior becomes increasingly disturbing, Tess’s reactions become more and more unhinged! She feels UNHEARD by everyone-as nobody else seems concerned by the things that Poppy is saying and doing. She begins to suspect everyone and anyone who has had contact with Poppy.
I could feel her frustration.
What mother wouldn’t feel helpless in this situation? Her daughter did not yet have the words to express what was upsetting her and could only try to do so through drawings and behavior.
This was my first read from husband and wife author duo, Nicci Gerard and Sean French.
I was engaged from page one and enjoyed picking up the book whenever I got the chance-BUT this story has quite a few plot holes. I like my i’s dotted and my t’s crossed, with my endings but quite a few things were left unexplained. That is ok when a book’s ending is meant to be ambiguous but that wasn’t the case with this one.
The well developed characters of Tess, whose love of her daughter is evident, and her adorable, red headed toddler, Poppy stole my heart. And, the story did entertain. So, despite the 🧀 Swiss cheese ending-I am giving this a 3.75 and rounding up!
I enjoyed this buddy read with friends Susan and DeAnn, and we all agreed that we want to tackle some of the author duo’s vast backlist when we get a chance! Check out their amazing reviews as well!
Available October 26, 2021
I received a gifted copy from the Scene of the Crime/William Morrow provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer this candid review!
July 7, 2021
Tess Moreau has a ‘civilised separation’ from ex-partner Jason with whom she shares custody of three year old Poppy. All seems well until Poppy draws a very unsettling picture, is it darkly imaginative or has she actually seen something? Her behaviour becomes a concern as does some of her language and Jess is full of disquiet and these feelings grow. Who or what has Poppy seen, if indeed she has. Tess narrates.
This book sneaks up on you and pulls you in as you become invested in trying to understand if the concerns are in Tess’s head or is there veracity in a three year olds words?? If you add in that it becomes clear that Jason is neither who nor what she thought, the lines becomes blurry. Who is the real Jason? The one she though she knew or the Jason of now? All kinds of odd things occur from strange encounters to things that have hints of horror and certainly menace. The suspense builds and the way this is written makes you feel what Tess feels from fear to uncertainty to overwhelming love and the desire to protect Poppy. Just like Tess you have no idea who to trust, can we trust Tess herself or is she delusional as people claim? There are red herrings and misdirection and you THINK you know who the wolf in sheep’s clothing is but do you? Is someone pulling Tess’s strings or manipulating Poppy? Who is Poppy afraid of? As the tension builds and Tess sees danger all around, is she obsessed, a unreliable narrator or truthful? As we reach the very good conclusion as Tess learns, sometimes you have to do wrong to do right.
Overall, this is an exceptional writing duo who can always be relied on to produce a well written plot with pace, suspense, twists and turns. My only reservation lies in Tess’s exchanges with the police which I find somewhat unrealistic but other than that it’s a cracking read and I can see this one being dramatised for television.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This book sneaks up on you and pulls you in as you become invested in trying to understand if the concerns are in Tess’s head or is there veracity in a three year olds words?? If you add in that it becomes clear that Jason is neither who nor what she thought, the lines becomes blurry. Who is the real Jason? The one she though she knew or the Jason of now? All kinds of odd things occur from strange encounters to things that have hints of horror and certainly menace. The suspense builds and the way this is written makes you feel what Tess feels from fear to uncertainty to overwhelming love and the desire to protect Poppy. Just like Tess you have no idea who to trust, can we trust Tess herself or is she delusional as people claim? There are red herrings and misdirection and you THINK you know who the wolf in sheep’s clothing is but do you? Is someone pulling Tess’s strings or manipulating Poppy? Who is Poppy afraid of? As the tension builds and Tess sees danger all around, is she obsessed, a unreliable narrator or truthful? As we reach the very good conclusion as Tess learns, sometimes you have to do wrong to do right.
Overall, this is an exceptional writing duo who can always be relied on to produce a well written plot with pace, suspense, twists and turns. My only reservation lies in Tess’s exchanges with the police which I find somewhat unrealistic but other than that it’s a cracking read and I can see this one being dramatised for television.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 15, 2024
Tess and Jayson have decided to call it quits and move on.
One, more quickly than the other.
Jason already found a new partner and is newly married.
But they cannot completely cut ties. Tess and Jayson do share a daughter, Poppy.
So far they’ve managed to keep things civil for Poppy, who divides her time with each parent.
But lately, Poppy begins to act oddly. Chilling comments and shockingly dark drawings. Jess knows something is seriously wrong and will do whatever it takes to protect her daughter.
Problem is, no one believes Jess.
She desperately tries to get anyone to listen to her.
Ex-husband Jason, as well as the police have turned their backs. Jess rolls up her sleeves and gets to work.
It’ll be up to her to find her own answers.
This writing duo have once again put together a fabulous edge-of-your-seat thriller.
But I must admit Tess did grate on my nerves a time or two.
I was just as anxious to find out what was behind Poppy’s disturbing behavior!
Fortunately, I have a few more books from these talented authors and can’t wait to start the next!
Audiobook narration provided by Olivia Vinall, who did a fabulous job.
One, more quickly than the other.
Jason already found a new partner and is newly married.
But they cannot completely cut ties. Tess and Jayson do share a daughter, Poppy.
So far they’ve managed to keep things civil for Poppy, who divides her time with each parent.
But lately, Poppy begins to act oddly. Chilling comments and shockingly dark drawings. Jess knows something is seriously wrong and will do whatever it takes to protect her daughter.
Problem is, no one believes Jess.
She desperately tries to get anyone to listen to her.
Ex-husband Jason, as well as the police have turned their backs. Jess rolls up her sleeves and gets to work.
It’ll be up to her to find her own answers.
This writing duo have once again put together a fabulous edge-of-your-seat thriller.
But I must admit Tess did grate on my nerves a time or two.
I was just as anxious to find out what was behind Poppy’s disturbing behavior!
Fortunately, I have a few more books from these talented authors and can’t wait to start the next!
Audiobook narration provided by Olivia Vinall, who did a fabulous job.
September 20, 2021
EXCERPT: People say you can't die in your dreams but last night I felt I was going to die. I was falling, like she fell, and it was just before I hit the concrete - dark, rushing up at me - that I woke, gasping, sweating. I hadn't got away. It was happening again.
ABOUT 'THE UNHEARD': Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It's not that Jason is a bad father--it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to her daughter Poppy to make this arrangement work.
But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing--an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it----Poppy can only explain with the words, "He did kill her."
Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something--or something happened to her--that she's too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents' separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy's disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth. Her search will set off an explosive tempest of dark secrets and buried crimes--and more than one life may be at stake.
MY THOUGHTS: Oh, who to trust? Does Tess have something to worry about in Poppy's behaviour, or is she becoming increasingly neurotic and seeing danger where it doesn't exist?
The Nicci French team has written a gripping psychological thriller that messed with my mind. It was like walking on quicksand - the ground shifting beneath my feet as I first suspected one person, then another, and even Tess herself. But suspected them of what? Because that's the question. What, if anything, has happened?
Poppy has said a few rude words. And, ‘He did kill. Kill and kill and kill.’ And wet the bed. And drawn a disturbing picture. So, yes, as a mother I too would have been concerned and taken my child to the doctor to be checked out. I would have watched carefully the people my child came into contact with. I would have been suspicious and protective. But Tess takes it to a whole new level . . .
The entire story is told by Tess. We share her worries, her fears, her suspicions, her anger as she finds out the truth about . . . let's just say, people she thought she knew and could trust. We feel her frustration as people, including me, begin to feel that she has lost the plot and gone completely overboard. But Tess is doggedly determined, to the point of being obsessive, to find out who is behind the changes in her daughter, who is terrifying her. Some of the things Tess does are completely over the top, but make for brilliant reading.
The Unheard is a brilliantly plotted, intriguing, twisty psychological thriller that keeps the reader off balance throughout.
Narrator Olivia Vinall was a delight to listen to, and I will be watching for her narrations in future.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#TheUnheardoliviavinallniccifrenchaudiobookswfhowes #NetGalley
I: #niccifrench @wfhowes
T: @FrenchNicci @WFHowes
#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #murdermystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Unheard by Nicci French for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'THE UNHEARD': Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It's not that Jason is a bad father--it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to her daughter Poppy to make this arrangement work.
But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing--an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it----Poppy can only explain with the words, "He did kill her."
Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something--or something happened to her--that she's too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents' separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy's disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth. Her search will set off an explosive tempest of dark secrets and buried crimes--and more than one life may be at stake.
MY THOUGHTS: Oh, who to trust? Does Tess have something to worry about in Poppy's behaviour, or is she becoming increasingly neurotic and seeing danger where it doesn't exist?
The Nicci French team has written a gripping psychological thriller that messed with my mind. It was like walking on quicksand - the ground shifting beneath my feet as I first suspected one person, then another, and even Tess herself. But suspected them of what? Because that's the question. What, if anything, has happened?
Poppy has said a few rude words. And, ‘He did kill. Kill and kill and kill.’ And wet the bed. And drawn a disturbing picture. So, yes, as a mother I too would have been concerned and taken my child to the doctor to be checked out. I would have watched carefully the people my child came into contact with. I would have been suspicious and protective. But Tess takes it to a whole new level . . .
The entire story is told by Tess. We share her worries, her fears, her suspicions, her anger as she finds out the truth about . . . let's just say, people she thought she knew and could trust. We feel her frustration as people, including me, begin to feel that she has lost the plot and gone completely overboard. But Tess is doggedly determined, to the point of being obsessive, to find out who is behind the changes in her daughter, who is terrifying her. Some of the things Tess does are completely over the top, but make for brilliant reading.
The Unheard is a brilliantly plotted, intriguing, twisty psychological thriller that keeps the reader off balance throughout.
Narrator Olivia Vinall was a delight to listen to, and I will be watching for her narrations in future.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#TheUnheardoliviavinallniccifrenchaudiobookswfhowes #NetGalley
I: #niccifrench @wfhowes
T: @FrenchNicci @WFHowes
#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #murdermystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Unheard by Nicci French for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
March 27, 2022
The Unheard by Nicci French was a stand alone psychological thriller. The characters were well developed but I liked some more than others. It was well plotted, suspenseful and tense at times. There were twists and turns throughout the plot and it kept me guessing. This was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by this husband and wife team. Nicci Gerrand and Sean French wrote The Unheard under their pseudonym Nicci French. I hope to read other books by these talented authors in the future.
No one knows a child better than it’s own mother. A mother just has a six sense when it comes to her child and will do anything to protect, take away anguish or pain and be acutely aware of signs of distress and behavior changes. That was what Tess, a single mother to three year old Poppy, faced when her daughter returned from spending a weekend with her dad, Jason. Tess adored Poppy and was a little over protective and worried about the time her daughter spent with her dad and new and pregnant wife, Emily. It had been just a year since Tess and Jason ended their relationship. Tess had let Jason have the home they once shared and she and Poppy moved into their own flat together. It was a lot of changes in a relatively short period of time for any three year old to cope with. Tess had recently begun to date a man named Aidan and he began to weave himself into Tess’s and Poppy’s life. He started to spend a lot of time with both of them. Tess was always careful to remind Aiden that Poppy’s needs would always come first but she found herself developing feelings for Aidan.
On the day Poppy returned home from spending the weekend at her father’s house she appeared to be rather tired and withdrawn. Poppy had made a pile of drawings with her crayons at her father’s home and she brought them home to show to Tess. There was one drawing in particular that Tess found quite disturbing. It was a picture drawn with a black crayon that showed a woman falling from a tower. Tess wondered about the drawing and calmly questioned her daughter about it. She thought that maybe it was about a story that had been read to her at her father’s. Poppy shook her little head and repeated the words, “He did kill her” over and over again. Tess didn’t know what to make of her daughter’s outburst but she was definitely disturbed by it. Over the next weeks, Poppy had begun to wet her bed, something she had not done in a very long time. Poppy also started to experience nightmares that woke her in the night. At school, her teachers noticed that Poppy was exercising inappropriate behavior and language. Tess was getting more and more concerned about Poppy and
wondered if that drawing could be at the root of the changes Tess was seeing in Poppy’s behavior. Poppy had even recently begun to use inappropriate language and have temper tantrums. She knew that these recent outbursts were not reminiscent of the daughter she knew. Tess began to wonder if Poppy had seen something or heard something that had been so disturbing to her that acting out was the only way Poppy could think of to deal with the reality of it. How could Tess help Poppy and protect her daughter from the thoughts that had invaded her mind? Could a three year old’s mind be trusted to understand the implications of recognizing when something evil and scary had occurred? Who could Tess trust to help her with these suspicions?
I enjoyed reading The Unheard by Nicci French. It was fast paced and the ending was well done. Some of the characters were a little annoying but overall they fit well into the plot of this book. I look forward to reading more books by these talented authors in the future. I recommend this book highly.
No one knows a child better than it’s own mother. A mother just has a six sense when it comes to her child and will do anything to protect, take away anguish or pain and be acutely aware of signs of distress and behavior changes. That was what Tess, a single mother to three year old Poppy, faced when her daughter returned from spending a weekend with her dad, Jason. Tess adored Poppy and was a little over protective and worried about the time her daughter spent with her dad and new and pregnant wife, Emily. It had been just a year since Tess and Jason ended their relationship. Tess had let Jason have the home they once shared and she and Poppy moved into their own flat together. It was a lot of changes in a relatively short period of time for any three year old to cope with. Tess had recently begun to date a man named Aidan and he began to weave himself into Tess’s and Poppy’s life. He started to spend a lot of time with both of them. Tess was always careful to remind Aiden that Poppy’s needs would always come first but she found herself developing feelings for Aidan.
On the day Poppy returned home from spending the weekend at her father’s house she appeared to be rather tired and withdrawn. Poppy had made a pile of drawings with her crayons at her father’s home and she brought them home to show to Tess. There was one drawing in particular that Tess found quite disturbing. It was a picture drawn with a black crayon that showed a woman falling from a tower. Tess wondered about the drawing and calmly questioned her daughter about it. She thought that maybe it was about a story that had been read to her at her father’s. Poppy shook her little head and repeated the words, “He did kill her” over and over again. Tess didn’t know what to make of her daughter’s outburst but she was definitely disturbed by it. Over the next weeks, Poppy had begun to wet her bed, something she had not done in a very long time. Poppy also started to experience nightmares that woke her in the night. At school, her teachers noticed that Poppy was exercising inappropriate behavior and language. Tess was getting more and more concerned about Poppy and
wondered if that drawing could be at the root of the changes Tess was seeing in Poppy’s behavior. Poppy had even recently begun to use inappropriate language and have temper tantrums. She knew that these recent outbursts were not reminiscent of the daughter she knew. Tess began to wonder if Poppy had seen something or heard something that had been so disturbing to her that acting out was the only way Poppy could think of to deal with the reality of it. How could Tess help Poppy and protect her daughter from the thoughts that had invaded her mind? Could a three year old’s mind be trusted to understand the implications of recognizing when something evil and scary had occurred? Who could Tess trust to help her with these suspicions?
I enjoyed reading The Unheard by Nicci French. It was fast paced and the ending was well done. Some of the characters were a little annoying but overall they fit well into the plot of this book. I look forward to reading more books by these talented authors in the future. I recommend this book highly.
September 15, 2021
Maybe I’ve read too many books lately where a (young) mother has to deal with something dark and disturbing. Maybe I’ve read too many books lately about a couple that’s only a couple because they have a child together. This book was ok but it just didn’t feel like a genuine Nicci French. I missed the real ‘Nicci French’ suspense, I missed the dialogs, the interesting characters. It’s not a bad book but it followed a pattern that is becoming too familiar lately. Maybe if the author(s) would have turned the story around, Jason being the husband taking care of his daughter, and Tess being the woman who remarried and acting strange. Or maybe not throwing so many characters at the reader because figuring out who the real killer is, is part of the fun. Now, we get to see characters that are meant to be suspect, but they have hardly any depth at all.
Am I disappointed? Yes and no. Yes, I’m disappointed because this duo has written so many interesting and equally interesting character, while in this story all characters seem to be thirteen in a dozen. No, because this book was ok but it felt more like a debut than a book from a well known author (or author couple).
Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.
Am I disappointed? Yes and no. Yes, I’m disappointed because this duo has written so many interesting and equally interesting character, while in this story all characters seem to be thirteen in a dozen. No, because this book was ok but it felt more like a debut than a book from a well known author (or author couple).
Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.
September 18, 2021
Quite apart from the fact that the main character is unlikeable -all of them are,come to think of it- the plot is absurd and full of holes.
September 19, 2021
4 unreliable narrator stars
Poppy is an adorable red-headed three-year-old. Her mom Tess is really worried though when Poppy starts acting out, wetting the bed, and drawing disturbing pictures. What has prompted this behavior?
Tess begins her own investigation and I started to wonder if she was an unreliable narrator! She is suspicious of everyone in her life, ex-partner and Poppy’s father Jason; her new boyfriend Aiden; her upstairs neighbor and even the husband of her best friend who occasionally cares for Poppy.
Soon she’s talking to the police, a therapist, and I wasn’t sure how far she would go. It was obvious that Tess would do anything to protect Poppy, but was there something sinister even happening? How much is just Tess’s anxiety and fear?
This one kept me guessing and the tension was high throughout. I fell for a few red herrings, but I definitely enjoyed this one. And it made for a good buddy read!
This was my first read by Nicci French, the prolific husband/wife writing team, and I was impressed! I will definitely work on reading some of their backlist titles.
Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for the early copy of this one to read. Scheduled to release 10.26.21.
Poppy is an adorable red-headed three-year-old. Her mom Tess is really worried though when Poppy starts acting out, wetting the bed, and drawing disturbing pictures. What has prompted this behavior?
Tess begins her own investigation and I started to wonder if she was an unreliable narrator! She is suspicious of everyone in her life, ex-partner and Poppy’s father Jason; her new boyfriend Aiden; her upstairs neighbor and even the husband of her best friend who occasionally cares for Poppy.
Soon she’s talking to the police, a therapist, and I wasn’t sure how far she would go. It was obvious that Tess would do anything to protect Poppy, but was there something sinister even happening? How much is just Tess’s anxiety and fear?
This one kept me guessing and the tension was high throughout. I fell for a few red herrings, but I definitely enjoyed this one. And it made for a good buddy read!
This was my first read by Nicci French, the prolific husband/wife writing team, and I was impressed! I will definitely work on reading some of their backlist titles.
Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for the early copy of this one to read. Scheduled to release 10.26.21.
November 1, 2021
I really wanted to like this and I stuck with it (every meandering page) until the end hoping for a payoff and there just...wasn't one. This one was so much longer than it needed to be and so all over the place and unfortunately it just didn't do it for me.
Thank you to William Morrow for an advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to William Morrow for an advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
February 1, 2022
If I had a physical book I would have thrown it out of a window, commenting it Disappointed would be underplayed, I still can't believe I actually finished the book with all rubbish in it.
Tess has to be the most annoying and stupid character ever written, all she did was meet people get scolded, get yelled at for her stupidity, and repeat the same. I don't want to get on the details about the plot which has a zillion plot holes in it.
An annoying character + endless monologue can give you a headache believe me. A lot of unwanted characters were thrown in to make Tess doubt them and drag the story to death.
I remember this book being promoted as a crazy plot twist, the greatest twist was me enduring through the plot.
Tess has to be the most annoying and stupid character ever written, all she did was meet people get scolded, get yelled at for her stupidity, and repeat the same. I don't want to get on the details about the plot which has a zillion plot holes in it.
An annoying character + endless monologue can give you a headache believe me. A lot of unwanted characters were thrown in to make Tess doubt them and drag the story to death.
I remember this book being promoted as a crazy plot twist, the greatest twist was me enduring through the plot.
November 18, 2021
What would any parent do if they thought their child witnessed something horrible?!
After coming back from a weekend at her father’s house, Tess notices her three-year-old daughter Poppy has changed, drastically. She’s started wetting the bed again and has even cried out disturbing things such as ‘Are you dead?’ and ‘He did kill her.’ In addition, she’s picked up drawing disturbing images that no child her age should be drawing. Naturally, Tess concludes that something horrible must have happened while Poppy was visiting her father’s. Any normal parent would come to this conclusion, right? The only thing is nobody else really believes she has reason to be concerned. Her ex, Jason, denies any wrongdoing, and practically calls her crazy, believing this is an attempt at pursuing full custody of Poppy. Pretty much everyone else in her life believes this is just a stage Poppy will soon grow out of, but Tess isn't so sure. She is adamant that Poppy may have witnessed a horrible crime, which makes her paranoid and overprotective of Poppy, to see the least! Even worse, when Tess realizes the strange woman who briefly approached her at a restaurant several days back has now fallen to her death she thinks it might perhaps all be connected, but how? Police find Tess ever more annoying as her various attempts at connecting the dots become more and more desperate and even unhinged. At one point, Tess suspects almost everyone in her life of being connected to the death, which she’s certain was no accident, and instead a murder. Who will believe you when you’re the ‘Unheard?’
I found Tess to be incredibly annoying, unfortunately. While I empathized with her at times, especially when Jason was essentially bullying her, I still couldn’t help but agree with the fact that she came across as a crazy person, and a lot of her actions were quite foolish, which made for a long read. I don’t know if this is clever character development on the authors’ part, or if I just simply didn’t like her, but I was happy when this was over! Talk about an exhausting character! For the most part, all the other characters were unlikeable. I felt the mystery element was quite intriguing, so I toughed this one out. While I did predict the culprit towards the end, I did think the execution of the resolution was satisfactory. When all’s said and done, this was a decent mystery/suspense that had its’ moments, but for the most part it didn’t do too much for me.
I have read one previous book by this couple and if memory serves correct, felt pretty much the same about it, so I’m not sure if I will continue reading them. I’m most certainly the oddball with my opinion here, so please don’t pass this one up if you’re on the fence – you might love it!
After coming back from a weekend at her father’s house, Tess notices her three-year-old daughter Poppy has changed, drastically. She’s started wetting the bed again and has even cried out disturbing things such as ‘Are you dead?’ and ‘He did kill her.’ In addition, she’s picked up drawing disturbing images that no child her age should be drawing. Naturally, Tess concludes that something horrible must have happened while Poppy was visiting her father’s. Any normal parent would come to this conclusion, right? The only thing is nobody else really believes she has reason to be concerned. Her ex, Jason, denies any wrongdoing, and practically calls her crazy, believing this is an attempt at pursuing full custody of Poppy. Pretty much everyone else in her life believes this is just a stage Poppy will soon grow out of, but Tess isn't so sure. She is adamant that Poppy may have witnessed a horrible crime, which makes her paranoid and overprotective of Poppy, to see the least! Even worse, when Tess realizes the strange woman who briefly approached her at a restaurant several days back has now fallen to her death she thinks it might perhaps all be connected, but how? Police find Tess ever more annoying as her various attempts at connecting the dots become more and more desperate and even unhinged. At one point, Tess suspects almost everyone in her life of being connected to the death, which she’s certain was no accident, and instead a murder. Who will believe you when you’re the ‘Unheard?’
I found Tess to be incredibly annoying, unfortunately. While I empathized with her at times, especially when Jason was essentially bullying her, I still couldn’t help but agree with the fact that she came across as a crazy person, and a lot of her actions were quite foolish, which made for a long read. I don’t know if this is clever character development on the authors’ part, or if I just simply didn’t like her, but I was happy when this was over! Talk about an exhausting character! For the most part, all the other characters were unlikeable. I felt the mystery element was quite intriguing, so I toughed this one out. While I did predict the culprit towards the end, I did think the execution of the resolution was satisfactory. When all’s said and done, this was a decent mystery/suspense that had its’ moments, but for the most part it didn’t do too much for me.
I have read one previous book by this couple and if memory serves correct, felt pretty much the same about it, so I’m not sure if I will continue reading them. I’m most certainly the oddball with my opinion here, so please don’t pass this one up if you’re on the fence – you might love it!
May 1, 2022
well, for a non-native english speaker and
an ESL teacher like myself, poppy's broken
grammar sounded fun and, although the
denouement of the mystery dragged
quite a bit, I did like this, I did. ;)
an ESL teacher like myself, poppy's broken
grammar sounded fun and, although the
denouement of the mystery dragged
quite a bit, I did like this, I did. ;)
December 2, 2021
This is a standalone by these authors. It required my patience to abide with the main character's bad decisions, of which there were many. Tess is separated from her daughter's father and suddenly when coming back from a weekend stay with daddy, the three year old is acting strangely, drawing disturbing pictures, swearing, and asking Tess when she had died. I found them all pretty annoying. The murder mystery unfolds and then I disliked everyone even more, except for the ex's new wife.
I listened on audio, and the narrator was quite good.
I listened on audio, and the narrator was quite good.
June 4, 2021
I really enjoy reading novels by this husband and wife duo and must get round to reading some of their earlier books. This is another fascinating read, well thought out plot, good characters and plenty of suspense.
Following Tess’s split from former boyfriend Jason, she is now completely focussed on her three year old daughter Poppy. Looking after Poppy is not easy and Tess finds it very difficult not to be constantly worrying about her safety and upbringing. This situation only worsens when Tess finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter’s brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible but not knowing what she is struggling to make others listen to her. Tess fears for Poppy, but who can she trust and what has happened.
As per usual there are plenty of suspects, lots of suspense and twists. A good entertaining read.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Following Tess’s split from former boyfriend Jason, she is now completely focussed on her three year old daughter Poppy. Looking after Poppy is not easy and Tess finds it very difficult not to be constantly worrying about her safety and upbringing. This situation only worsens when Tess finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter’s brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible but not knowing what she is struggling to make others listen to her. Tess fears for Poppy, but who can she trust and what has happened.
As per usual there are plenty of suspects, lots of suspense and twists. A good entertaining read.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2022
Ever read a mystery where the ending you thought was coming was actually a better one than the author wrote?
About half way through this Nicci French stand alone novel I thought I figured out what was going on, who the killer might be or at least the scenario that was to play out. Boy was I wrong and even a little disappointment thinking my solution would have been as good if only a little less believable than the author's. So perhaps the author did an excellent job of keeping me in the dark.
The story revolves around a recently separated couple who are sharing joint custody of their 3 year old daughter, Poppy. After a weekend with her father and his new wife, Poppy comes back to her Mother's new flat and draws a very disturbing picture, repeating the words, "kill her, did kill her". She begins wetting the bed at night and seems at times not herself. Her Mother become convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. When a few days the Mother becomes aware of a death in the area she is even more sure her daughter witnessed something she can not explain. From there we watch the Mother try to figure out what her daughter has seen, how this might pose a threat and who is the persons or persons who might be of concern.
Nicci French does a great job with these domestic type mysteries. Who is the bad guy and is he or she someone we thought was a friend? Can we really trust this Mother the narrator--she begins to think one and all are guilty. As she flits from person to person, making each the culprit this reader began to see her as more and more hysterical, paranoid and just unable to be a good judge of what is going on around her. At the end when she suddenly put everything together and came to a conclusion I found I could not quite go along with it. I knew another shoe would drop and when it did I was not prepared for that one either.
Certainly a fun mystery and I enjoyed it much. If you need some reading that will get you intrigued and turning the pages I would recommend this one most highly.
About half way through this Nicci French stand alone novel I thought I figured out what was going on, who the killer might be or at least the scenario that was to play out. Boy was I wrong and even a little disappointment thinking my solution would have been as good if only a little less believable than the author's. So perhaps the author did an excellent job of keeping me in the dark.
The story revolves around a recently separated couple who are sharing joint custody of their 3 year old daughter, Poppy. After a weekend with her father and his new wife, Poppy comes back to her Mother's new flat and draws a very disturbing picture, repeating the words, "kill her, did kill her". She begins wetting the bed at night and seems at times not herself. Her Mother become convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. When a few days the Mother becomes aware of a death in the area she is even more sure her daughter witnessed something she can not explain. From there we watch the Mother try to figure out what her daughter has seen, how this might pose a threat and who is the persons or persons who might be of concern.
Nicci French does a great job with these domestic type mysteries. Who is the bad guy and is he or she someone we thought was a friend? Can we really trust this Mother the narrator--she begins to think one and all are guilty. As she flits from person to person, making each the culprit this reader began to see her as more and more hysterical, paranoid and just unable to be a good judge of what is going on around her. At the end when she suddenly put everything together and came to a conclusion I found I could not quite go along with it. I knew another shoe would drop and when it did I was not prepared for that one either.
Certainly a fun mystery and I enjoyed it much. If you need some reading that will get you intrigued and turning the pages I would recommend this one most highly.
October 15, 2021
A child draws a picture of someone pushed from a tower and shows other signs of distress, so it’s mother goes on a man hunt where everyone she meets seems suspicious and of course no one, especially the police, take her seriously.
So we have a tired plot full of cliches, a first half that is exposition repeating the same thing ad nauseum, a child who sometimes is extremely articulate but conveniently not enough to say where the picture idea came from or who she overhead talking about murder, and a very very dull ending where the police literally just walk into a living room, stand about a bit and then walk the culprit away with a barely a word exchanged.
Give this disappointing effort from this writing team a swerve, the Frieda Klein novels can’t be bettered and all works after this peak are getting steadily worse sadly.
So we have a tired plot full of cliches, a first half that is exposition repeating the same thing ad nauseum, a child who sometimes is extremely articulate but conveniently not enough to say where the picture idea came from or who she overhead talking about murder, and a very very dull ending where the police literally just walk into a living room, stand about a bit and then walk the culprit away with a barely a word exchanged.
Give this disappointing effort from this writing team a swerve, the Frieda Klein novels can’t be bettered and all works after this peak are getting steadily worse sadly.
July 19, 2021
I’m SO disappointed. I wanted to love this book and was so excited to be approved to read an ARC. I mean, it’s Nicci French!! Who wouldn’t be??
But the reality was that I just wasn’t interested in the storyline or the characters. I struggled to get to 47% and I had to ask myself why I was still trying when I just had no need to continue which is really awful as I LOVE Nicci French novels!
Like the main character, I too have a 3 year old daughter and a full time job but thankfully I’m not in or planning separation from her father. So that’s where the likeness ends. Tess and Poppy should have (for me atleast) been totally relatable but I just thought Tess needed help. She was just absolutely bonkers! My daughter draws all the time but one drawing, a bedtime accident and a (sounding like) bad word does not warrant going to the police to report a crime. And it certainly does not entitle her to go to the funeral of a stranger, posing as a ‘friend’ and pushing the grieving relatives to open up to her! Absolutely ridiculous and too far fetched for me to believe that any of that had been thought through.
Secondly this book suffers from repetitive inner monologue syndrome which - after reading some many like this I’ve decided I can’t stand.
So I didn’t finish! I couldn’t finish! I’m disappointed with the book, annoyed with myself for not finishing it but ultimately there’s so many books out there that life’s to short to read something that you just aren’t enjoying.
Hopefully, I will remain in the minority for this book review and it won’t stop me picking up another Nicci French novel - just not this one.
Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
But the reality was that I just wasn’t interested in the storyline or the characters. I struggled to get to 47% and I had to ask myself why I was still trying when I just had no need to continue which is really awful as I LOVE Nicci French novels!
Like the main character, I too have a 3 year old daughter and a full time job but thankfully I’m not in or planning separation from her father. So that’s where the likeness ends. Tess and Poppy should have (for me atleast) been totally relatable but I just thought Tess needed help. She was just absolutely bonkers! My daughter draws all the time but one drawing, a bedtime accident and a (sounding like) bad word does not warrant going to the police to report a crime. And it certainly does not entitle her to go to the funeral of a stranger, posing as a ‘friend’ and pushing the grieving relatives to open up to her! Absolutely ridiculous and too far fetched for me to believe that any of that had been thought through.
Secondly this book suffers from repetitive inner monologue syndrome which - after reading some many like this I’ve decided I can’t stand.
So I didn’t finish! I couldn’t finish! I’m disappointed with the book, annoyed with myself for not finishing it but ultimately there’s so many books out there that life’s to short to read something that you just aren’t enjoying.
Hopefully, I will remain in the minority for this book review and it won’t stop me picking up another Nicci French novel - just not this one.
Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 25, 2021
The husband and wife duo Nicci French always give us a twisty, mind blowing thrillers and The Unheard was no different. I felt that it was a slower burn that usual but that only enhanced the anxiety and fear in our main character Tess. It will keep you guessing and unsure what and who to believe.
Tess is a single mother to 3 year old daughter Poppy. She has moved on with her life with new partner Aiden and her ex is now married to another woman. After a weekend with her father, Poppy starts to act out and displays some concerning behaviour. Tess is worried and believes that she might have seen or overheard something while not in her care. As the actions escalate, Tess sets out to find out what happened. Nobody believes her and think that she is losing her mind. The truth will shock you.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster Australia for my copy of this book to read. Out now in Australia
Tess is a single mother to 3 year old daughter Poppy. She has moved on with her life with new partner Aiden and her ex is now married to another woman. After a weekend with her father, Poppy starts to act out and displays some concerning behaviour. Tess is worried and believes that she might have seen or overheard something while not in her care. As the actions escalate, Tess sets out to find out what happened. Nobody believes her and think that she is losing her mind. The truth will shock you.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster Australia for my copy of this book to read. Out now in Australia
December 10, 2021
What happened here??
Did I miss a critical piece to this story? How did Poppy see what she supposedly saw? I can't make the leap or perform the mental gymnastics. I was trying to piece together what happened and how Poppy was somehow involved. I can't get there. Tess comes off like a crazy woman. Her intuition is just not there and has things so twisted, I was frustrated with her and like the detectives, I was willing her to stop the insanity. I thought this story was too far fetched. No. No. No. Just no.
Did I miss a critical piece to this story? How did Poppy see what she supposedly saw? I can't make the leap or perform the mental gymnastics. I was trying to piece together what happened and how Poppy was somehow involved. I can't get there. Tess comes off like a crazy woman. Her intuition is just not there and has things so twisted, I was frustrated with her and like the detectives, I was willing her to stop the insanity. I thought this story was too far fetched. No. No. No. Just no.
November 20, 2021
What goes on at her ex’s house?
When their daughter comes back from visiting, Poppy is always tired, violent, wets the bed, is clingy, and says words Tess has never uttered.
When Tess confronts Jason, he blames her over protectiveness on Poppy’s mood change and says he sees nothing at his place that could have caused any change.
Regardless, Tess is suspicious and spies on Jason and his new family, does research, finds out he was having an affair the past two years they were together, and just doesn’t trust him.
Tess realizes she needs some help, but doesn’t know where to turn.
She turns to the police and tells her the story of how her daughter acts, about a picture her daughter drew of a woman falling off a tower, and connects the story to a person in the news who did fall off a tower and to a woman she didn't know that confronted her.
The police had to investigate, and this gets everyone in Tess's life involved in the investigation even though it might be a wild goose chase.
The tension is subtle, but evident. I mistrusted Jason and a few other characters, and really didn't know what to make of Tess.
Quite a few folks to suspect, but I kept bouncing back and forth between two characters.
Tess became more obsessed as the book continued, the tension ramped up, and you won’t be able to put this book down.
ENJOY if you are a domestic thriller fan. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When their daughter comes back from visiting, Poppy is always tired, violent, wets the bed, is clingy, and says words Tess has never uttered.
When Tess confronts Jason, he blames her over protectiveness on Poppy’s mood change and says he sees nothing at his place that could have caused any change.
Regardless, Tess is suspicious and spies on Jason and his new family, does research, finds out he was having an affair the past two years they were together, and just doesn’t trust him.
Tess realizes she needs some help, but doesn’t know where to turn.
She turns to the police and tells her the story of how her daughter acts, about a picture her daughter drew of a woman falling off a tower, and connects the story to a person in the news who did fall off a tower and to a woman she didn't know that confronted her.
The police had to investigate, and this gets everyone in Tess's life involved in the investigation even though it might be a wild goose chase.
The tension is subtle, but evident. I mistrusted Jason and a few other characters, and really didn't know what to make of Tess.
Quite a few folks to suspect, but I kept bouncing back and forth between two characters.
Tess became more obsessed as the book continued, the tension ramped up, and you won’t be able to put this book down.
ENJOY if you are a domestic thriller fan. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2021
Having been an avid Nicci French reader for 20+ years, I couldn't wait to snap this one up. And as always, I wasn't disappointed.
There are a few truly awful characters,.. Jason being at the top of the list. What a dweeb, really. I loved young Poppy, full of fire and spunk, and sadness. I also rather admired Tess's tenacity. I did see the killer coming fairly early on, although I did get it wrong initially. I found the book a tad long-winded, but otherwise another excellent read from a team who are one of the greats in this genre.
Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.
There are a few truly awful characters,.. Jason being at the top of the list. What a dweeb, really. I loved young Poppy, full of fire and spunk, and sadness. I also rather admired Tess's tenacity. I did see the killer coming fairly early on, although I did get it wrong initially. I found the book a tad long-winded, but otherwise another excellent read from a team who are one of the greats in this genre.
Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.
February 26, 2022
I remember really enjoying the writing duo of husband and wife Nicci Gerrard and Sean French when I first discovered them during the mid-2000's.
Their return to standalone thrillers (after a decade of Frieda Klein) had coincided with me drawn into reading them again.
Whilst I found this to be enjoyable and was curious to know how events would play out, there seemed to be something missing.
I'm not sure if I'm expecting them to recapture past glories, especially as the novel felt like many past psychological thrillers - but it wasn't as memorable as I'd hoped.
The story focuses on worried Tess who's three year old daughter has started acting strangely since she stayed at her fathers house.
Tess has a right to be concerned as Poppy has drawn a strange picture that appears to have depicted a murder.
You really need to suspend your disbelief as no one seems to want to take the little girl seriously.
At her age she will struggle to explain the picture, but kids are brilliant at copying and the fact that her behaviour had changed should really have alerted some authorities.
Despite that flaw, it was interesting to see the lengths that Tess would go in seeking the truth.
Their return to standalone thrillers (after a decade of Frieda Klein) had coincided with me drawn into reading them again.
Whilst I found this to be enjoyable and was curious to know how events would play out, there seemed to be something missing.
I'm not sure if I'm expecting them to recapture past glories, especially as the novel felt like many past psychological thrillers - but it wasn't as memorable as I'd hoped.
The story focuses on worried Tess who's three year old daughter has started acting strangely since she stayed at her fathers house.
Tess has a right to be concerned as Poppy has drawn a strange picture that appears to have depicted a murder.
You really need to suspend your disbelief as no one seems to want to take the little girl seriously.
At her age she will struggle to explain the picture, but kids are brilliant at copying and the fact that her behaviour had changed should really have alerted some authorities.
Despite that flaw, it was interesting to see the lengths that Tess would go in seeking the truth.
November 11, 2021
4.0 Stars
This was an entertaining thriller centering around the challenges of a separated single mother. I overall enjoyed the story even though the trope of the fanatic, unreliable mother is overdone. Overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it for readers looking for a new domestic thriller. I definitely want to read more by these authors.
This was an entertaining thriller centering around the challenges of a separated single mother. I overall enjoyed the story even though the trope of the fanatic, unreliable mother is overdone. Overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it for readers looking for a new domestic thriller. I definitely want to read more by these authors.
November 1, 2021
“What makes a good psychological thriller?” a friend asked me recently. “Mmh, let me see ..... It has to mess with my mind. An unreliable narrator where you’re never sure if they’re just imagining the threat or whether it’s real. People connected to the main protagonist who may or may not be a threat, but each one of them is suspicious, and the ones that aren’t suspicious are even more likely to be dangerous. A situation that’s so mundane and everyday that it could happen to you and me, but which escalates quickly into a simmering sense of dread. And no one around you believes that the threat is real.” I could have cut a long story short and summed it up in two words: Nicci French.
There is a reason why this author duo is high up on my list of favourites, and THE UNHEARD was a perfect example. If you think that a child’s drawing is no trigger to become paranoid, then I urge you to reconsider. When little Poppy, usually a happy, outgoing three year old, suddenly starts exhibiting some disturbing behaviours and draws the picture of a woman plunging to her death from a tower, her mother is rightly concerned.
French write in such a way that it felt as if I was sitting opposite Tess in a cafe, sipping a latte and listening wide eyed to her account of things. “What No way!” At times, I even talked to her in my head: “Yes, just do it!” Or: “No, don’t Tess!” To say I was way too emotionally involved in this story is an understatement. Perhaps because I could not help but put myself in Tess’ shoes: what if this had happened with my own three year old? What if I suddenly couldn’t trust anyone around me any more? What if I had no control over who my child is exposed to whilst in the care of her father? And worst of all, what if everyone thought that I was just crazy to be concerned ....
Even though Tess did take things to a whole new level, I was always firmly in her court (cringing at times, but still). My heart ached for her as she had to drop Poppy off at her ex-partner’s house, knowing that she may not be safe there. Questioning all her relationships, even with her new partner and her best friend. I felt how Tess had her back against the wall with nowhere to go. It is this sense of claustrophobia and tension that makes all French novels a perfect read for me, and I loved this book just as much as their previous ones. My only quibble was that I had a few questions at the end that were never fully answered, and I needed a bit more closure – which is the only reason I am giving this 4.5 stars and not 5.
All in all, THE UNHEARD is the type of claustrophobic psychological thriller that places this writer duo firmly on my favourite authors list. I always do a little happy dance when I hear that they have a new book out, knowing that it will mess with my mind and utterly consume me. Even after having finished the book I am still thinking about it. If you love a psychological thriller where you question everything, even your own perception of events, then this book should definitely be on your list – as should the author duo’s previous books.
4.5 stars
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There is a reason why this author duo is high up on my list of favourites, and THE UNHEARD was a perfect example. If you think that a child’s drawing is no trigger to become paranoid, then I urge you to reconsider. When little Poppy, usually a happy, outgoing three year old, suddenly starts exhibiting some disturbing behaviours and draws the picture of a woman plunging to her death from a tower, her mother is rightly concerned.
French write in such a way that it felt as if I was sitting opposite Tess in a cafe, sipping a latte and listening wide eyed to her account of things. “What No way!” At times, I even talked to her in my head: “Yes, just do it!” Or: “No, don’t Tess!” To say I was way too emotionally involved in this story is an understatement. Perhaps because I could not help but put myself in Tess’ shoes: what if this had happened with my own three year old? What if I suddenly couldn’t trust anyone around me any more? What if I had no control over who my child is exposed to whilst in the care of her father? And worst of all, what if everyone thought that I was just crazy to be concerned ....
Even though Tess did take things to a whole new level, I was always firmly in her court (cringing at times, but still). My heart ached for her as she had to drop Poppy off at her ex-partner’s house, knowing that she may not be safe there. Questioning all her relationships, even with her new partner and her best friend. I felt how Tess had her back against the wall with nowhere to go. It is this sense of claustrophobia and tension that makes all French novels a perfect read for me, and I loved this book just as much as their previous ones. My only quibble was that I had a few questions at the end that were never fully answered, and I needed a bit more closure – which is the only reason I am giving this 4.5 stars and not 5.
All in all, THE UNHEARD is the type of claustrophobic psychological thriller that places this writer duo firmly on my favourite authors list. I always do a little happy dance when I hear that they have a new book out, knowing that it will mess with my mind and utterly consume me. Even after having finished the book I am still thinking about it. If you love a psychological thriller where you question everything, even your own perception of events, then this book should definitely be on your list – as should the author duo’s previous books.
4.5 stars
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December 6, 2021
Thank you so much to William Morrow and Nicci French for my copy of The Unheard. This book is about Tess, a woman who has to share her daughter with her ex and his new wife. She wants Poppy to be with her father, but it’s hard to see her moving on. When Poppy comes back and is acting differently, Tess finds a violent drawing that makes her ask some serious questions. Something is wrong and Poppy is too young to know it, but Tess needs to get to the bottom of what is really going on.
Thoughts: This is a terrifying premise. The idea that your child saw something horrible and doesn’t know how to talk about it is scary. This domestic thriller was engaging, but I did find there to be some plot holes. I did enjoy the underlying current of horror and the fast paced writing kept me engaged. I love a good unreliable narrator and red herrings always make a book fun. This is your classic domestic thriller with an overprotective, seemingly “crazy” mother and an untrustworthy father. 3.5 stars for this one.
Thoughts: This is a terrifying premise. The idea that your child saw something horrible and doesn’t know how to talk about it is scary. This domestic thriller was engaging, but I did find there to be some plot holes. I did enjoy the underlying current of horror and the fast paced writing kept me engaged. I love a good unreliable narrator and red herrings always make a book fun. This is your classic domestic thriller with an overprotective, seemingly “crazy” mother and an untrustworthy father. 3.5 stars for this one.
April 27, 2022
This is quite an intense read with two suspense issues, one that has bubbled away as an undercurrent by one of the characters and the other cleverly hidden but which becomes dangerously obvious and out in the open towards the end.
What does a parent do when a child of theirs starts to show out of the ordinary bad behaviour and presents a startling drawing. There has to be something wrong and with these concerns in mind Tess feels compelled to go to the Police to state that she believes her daughter Poppy has witnessed a murder, the murder of a young woman. The Police, through the lack of real evidence cannot react leaving Tess in a state of frustration and anxiety. Her concern only escalates further when it's reported to her by the teachers at Poppy's school of her aggressive behaviour and bad language for which is voiced by Poppy while with her mother. Left to try and solve the reasons for her daughter's behaviour Tess begins to have doubts about her ex husband Jason, now remarried with a young wife.
Tess's state of mind is irrational and at times she becomes an absent parent leaving Poppy with others and relying on friends to either take her or pick her up from school. She attends the inquest of a young woman named Skye who has been murdered and for whom Tess had a strange and vague encounter with but there is no evidence to prosecute as the killer is unknown. Tess however, is relieved that finally there will be an investigation. Poppy's drawing she believes is Skye, the young woman murdered. After the verdict from the coroner with so few people present for this young woman, Tess makes herself known to the mother, Peggy.
The Police interview everyone, Tess is suspicious of Jason and the brother in law who is now living with him. Jason, angry by Tess's accusations, is concerned so much about her irrational behaviour that he makes noises regarding legal action. She tries to remain calm remembering her own illegal activities but much later with all the evidence to hand of Jason's threatening behaviour to others that she is able to counter the threat.
While this is all happening Tess has a ready ear from her new love interest Aiden who appears to be the perfect companion, always available to lend a hand and who patiently listens to Tess. She has concerns regarding Poppy's lack of warm response to Aiden and has kept the relationship on a pretty tight leash.
At Peggy's request Tess assists her with Skye's personal effects and while looking at photos of Skye, Tess makes a connection and rushes home to check on a memory that has come to her. Returning to Peggy's later on she discovers that she has also been murdered. From here on Tess realises how much she and Poppy are in danger.
What does a parent do when a child of theirs starts to show out of the ordinary bad behaviour and presents a startling drawing. There has to be something wrong and with these concerns in mind Tess feels compelled to go to the Police to state that she believes her daughter Poppy has witnessed a murder, the murder of a young woman. The Police, through the lack of real evidence cannot react leaving Tess in a state of frustration and anxiety. Her concern only escalates further when it's reported to her by the teachers at Poppy's school of her aggressive behaviour and bad language for which is voiced by Poppy while with her mother. Left to try and solve the reasons for her daughter's behaviour Tess begins to have doubts about her ex husband Jason, now remarried with a young wife.
Tess's state of mind is irrational and at times she becomes an absent parent leaving Poppy with others and relying on friends to either take her or pick her up from school. She attends the inquest of a young woman named Skye who has been murdered and for whom Tess had a strange and vague encounter with but there is no evidence to prosecute as the killer is unknown. Tess however, is relieved that finally there will be an investigation. Poppy's drawing she believes is Skye, the young woman murdered. After the verdict from the coroner with so few people present for this young woman, Tess makes herself known to the mother, Peggy.
The Police interview everyone, Tess is suspicious of Jason and the brother in law who is now living with him. Jason, angry by Tess's accusations, is concerned so much about her irrational behaviour that he makes noises regarding legal action. She tries to remain calm remembering her own illegal activities but much later with all the evidence to hand of Jason's threatening behaviour to others that she is able to counter the threat.
While this is all happening Tess has a ready ear from her new love interest Aiden who appears to be the perfect companion, always available to lend a hand and who patiently listens to Tess. She has concerns regarding Poppy's lack of warm response to Aiden and has kept the relationship on a pretty tight leash.
At Peggy's request Tess assists her with Skye's personal effects and while looking at photos of Skye, Tess makes a connection and rushes home to check on a memory that has come to her. Returning to Peggy's later on she discovers that she has also been murdered. From here on Tess realises how much she and Poppy are in danger.
September 8, 2022
3.33!!
One of my favorite authors. This is a good story. The main character, her thoughts as narrator, felt slightly immature to me.... for lack of a better word. It's possible I'm setting unfair expectations after reading so many 4 and 5 star reads from this duo author magnifique? However, I will be eagerly awaiting their next book!
*Thank you to William Morrow & Custom House via NetGalley for the DRC
One of my favorite authors. This is a good story. The main character, her thoughts as narrator, felt slightly immature to me.... for lack of a better word. It's possible I'm setting unfair expectations after reading so many 4 and 5 star reads from this duo author magnifique? However, I will be eagerly awaiting their next book!
*Thank you to William Morrow & Custom House via NetGalley for the DRC
December 23, 2021
The Unheard is a story that highlights just how one event can spiral your reality into utter chaos. This is a story that I wanted to love but a couple of things niggled me. Tess, the protagonist was very annoying, very. She came across as the jilted ex-girlfriend that couldn’t let go. Yes, she was investigating some troubling behaviour in her daughter, but she cared way too much about her ex-partner’s life and his extra marital activities. He was the past just move on and let him destroy yet another relationship. His loss. However, Tess did come across as very unstable.
Tess’s daughter, Poppy has come home from the pre-arranged weekend visit with her father, Jason. As Tess is going through her things, she pulls out a stack of drawings, many are forgettable but the last one is drawn in thick black lines and is very violent. It depicts the scene of a woman falling from a tower. It disturbs Tess and she immediately tries to talk to Jason about it. He dismisses it as the fanciful drawings of a child’s imagination and wants to hear nothing more about it. Tess is incessant with worry – she knows her child has witnessed or heard something damaging her mental health. It is merely the start of Tess’s spiral.
Poppy’s behaviour becomes even more erratic. She’s came out with extremely adult swear words and mentioned “did kill” “did die” why has she suddenly began saying these things? As a mother it would be concerning but, in this day, and age, unfortunately, children can pick things up in all manners of situations not all of them bad. Tess, however, is unwilling to let it drop and takes Poppy to a child therapist, he can’t say either way whether she has witnessed something bad or not. She then meets a woman in a café that seem to know her, it leaves her feeling disconcerted.
This woman that she had this strange encounter with turns up dead after falling from a tower block, a coincidence surely with Poppy’s drawing as she drew it before this even happened. Tess is adamant now that Poppy overheard someone. She blames every male she knows that is connected in some way to Poppy even her best friend’s husband. She’s acting paranoid and overprotective.
This one failed to really make an impact for me. I found the way in which the story unravelled to be quite improbable. I’m not sure any mother with the best of intentions would of added up the dots like that and arrived to the correct conclusion. I just found myself thinking “really”? it was all a bit farfetched for my liking.
Tess’s daughter, Poppy has come home from the pre-arranged weekend visit with her father, Jason. As Tess is going through her things, she pulls out a stack of drawings, many are forgettable but the last one is drawn in thick black lines and is very violent. It depicts the scene of a woman falling from a tower. It disturbs Tess and she immediately tries to talk to Jason about it. He dismisses it as the fanciful drawings of a child’s imagination and wants to hear nothing more about it. Tess is incessant with worry – she knows her child has witnessed or heard something damaging her mental health. It is merely the start of Tess’s spiral.
Poppy’s behaviour becomes even more erratic. She’s came out with extremely adult swear words and mentioned “did kill” “did die” why has she suddenly began saying these things? As a mother it would be concerning but, in this day, and age, unfortunately, children can pick things up in all manners of situations not all of them bad. Tess, however, is unwilling to let it drop and takes Poppy to a child therapist, he can’t say either way whether she has witnessed something bad or not. She then meets a woman in a café that seem to know her, it leaves her feeling disconcerted.
This woman that she had this strange encounter with turns up dead after falling from a tower block, a coincidence surely with Poppy’s drawing as she drew it before this even happened. Tess is adamant now that Poppy overheard someone. She blames every male she knows that is connected in some way to Poppy even her best friend’s husband. She’s acting paranoid and overprotective.
This one failed to really make an impact for me. I found the way in which the story unravelled to be quite improbable. I’m not sure any mother with the best of intentions would of added up the dots like that and arrived to the correct conclusion. I just found myself thinking “really”? it was all a bit farfetched for my liking.
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