Not A Sound. Heather Gudenkauf

Published: MIRA (Australia)
Date: 1st June 2017
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 304
Genre:Mystery/Thriller
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
        

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters — her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.

As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?

From the moment I began reading Not A Sound I was fully into it. Heather Gudenkauf pulled me in with her opening scene, and her writing had me imagining clearly the scenes she was setting. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of Amelia, who is deaf after an accident that was appalling. It was really interesting to be drawn into a deaf person's world, to find out in a new way what they miss out on. I never thought about them not being able to differentiate emotions because they can't hear the tone and inflections of a voice. I found the phone that translates a voice into written text an insight, and the fact a deaf person is unsure of how loud or soft there voice is when speaking.  Amelia is a strong, resilient person, she has known the depths of despair and part of this story is the finding of herself again and taking her place in her world about her.

Her dog Stitch, a service dog, is very much a character too. I liked that he wasn't perfect! He's a flawed character - with good reason! He didn't always do as he was told, but he was very loyal to Amelia, loving and protective and showed how a service dog is so helpful. 

I loved the mystery and the untangling of a crime. At times it was a little scary - but not too much. The story moved along at a very good pace, the clues were slowly revealed as Amelia followed the trail. I felt that Amelia perhaps took on too much and that Jake the detective was a little more out of the picture than he should have been at crucial times.

A very satisfying read, one that had me reaching for the book any moment I had. It may be that I don't read mystery/crime very often, but... it brought back the juicy feeling of reading a good book.

Missing Pieces. Heather Gudenkauf

Missing Pieces
Heather Gudenkauf
Published: Harlequin Australia MIRA
Date: 1st February 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                           

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. For years Jack has avoided returning home, but when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Upon arriving, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago. But as facts about Julia’s accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack’s past, but the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.

Right from the beginning Missing Pieces sucked me in. From an idyllic country setting to a sinister murder in the first few pages. And when we cut to Jack and his wife Sarah, it doesn't add up. Jack is not telling anywhere near the truth of that day, and Sarah has long been kept in the dark. A long time, because they have two college age daughters. 

When they return to Iowa because Jack's Aunt Julia is lying in hospital after a fall down the stairs, Sarah begins to find little cracks appearing. She realises Jack has kept her very much in the dark. He's told Sarah his parents died in a car crash. And as the reader you know that's untrue and have to ask - why? Just as Sarah does. Then there is his sister Amy, who is having problems, seems highly anxious and unhinged.  As well there is Jack's cousin Dean and his wife Celia, and aren't those two just another little item that Jack has been keeping quiet about. It's all very creepy and suspicious.

So who has done it? Who has murdered Jack's mother? And what of Aunt Julia. Accident or Murder? We definitely know "that something is rotten in the state of Denmark Penny Gate, Iowa".

Sarah seeks the truth, all the time becoming more unsure of Jack and their marriage. As a journalist she takes risks and sifts through material that might give her clues. Can she do all that before the murderer strikes again? 

A few small clues are dropped but I have to say when the final revelation came I had not put that person at the top of my suspect list. 

This one had me reading on for sure, a creepy 'who dun it' that I raced through.