All the Hidden Truths cover art

All the Hidden Truths

DI Birch, Book 1

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All the Hidden Truths

By: Claire Askew
Narrated by: Sarah Barron, Mr Angus King
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About this listen

WINNER OF THE MCILVANNEY DEBUT PRIZE

LONGLISTED FOR THE MCILVANNEY PRIZE SCOTTISH CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AND CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) AWARDS

A wrenching, gripping, unforgettable debut crime novel for fans of Susie Steiner and Kate Atkinson.

This is a fact: Ryan Summers walked into Three Rivers College and killed thirteen women, then himself.

But no one can say why.

The question is one that cries out to be answered - by Ryan's mother, Moira; by Ishbel, the mother of Abigail, the first victim; and by DI Helen Birch, put in charge of the case on her first day at her new job. But as the tabloids and the media swarm, as the families' secrets come out, as the world searches for someone to blame...the truth seems to vanish.

A stunningly moving novel from an exciting new voice in crime, All the Hidden Truths will cause you to question your assumptions about the people you love, and reconsider how the world reacts to tragedy.

©2018 Claire Askew (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Crime Crime Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Highlander

Critic Reviews

"(a) meticulous and compelling novel about the aftermath of a major crime and its effect on the affected families and investigating officers both." (Ian Rankin)

"Gripping, heartbreaking and horrifyingly plausible. I couldn't tear myself away from this book. Claire Askew is a stunning new voice in crime fiction." (Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said)

"Raw, powerful, compassionate and deeply moving, with page-turning tension to the end. A stunning debut." (Karen Robinson, Sunday Times Crime Club)
All stars
Most relevant  
Enjoyed this 1st book of the series looking forward FTP reading more the narration great

Great read great narration

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Quite literally. Although there is no real mystery here - we know who committed the crimes - the story hums along, and the three women at its heart are people we can understand and empathise with. Edinburgh makes a fourth beautifully drawn character. Sarah Barron and Angus King add to the enjoyment of the book.

I’m so pleased to have found a series worth following. Book 2 is now in my library.

A Winner

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Beautifully written and narrated but the subject matter is hard to deal with and I found myself totally depressed after every chapter. I saw it through to the end in the hope of some uplifting moral message from the conclusion but was treated to a final wrench on the emotions which left me relieved it was all over!

Depressing!

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Excellent performances by the narrators and it is very well written, however…. The story really goes nowhere, it’s more about capturing the misery that follows a mass tragedy. The DI in charge seems to do nothing but feel exhausted, even failing to follow up on the one shooting survivor. Why is everyone so surprised to find he has a lot to tell a journalist? The journalist is too over the top to be believed and there is just nothing that happens in this tale. It is a narrative about grief and various reactions to a mass shooting.

Very Little Uplifting about this Tale

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First time with this author and narrator (bar Angus King) and wow!
To the reviews wanting for a happy ending. Those who have been through the pain of losing a child to a crime will understand, that there often isn't a happy ending. There is just grief and injustice. This story is so relatable, raw and feels so real.
Thank you to all who have produced this and allowing this grieving parent to feel validated. The ending to me is actually 'happy' (for lack of a better word) given the circumstances. Brilliant. Book 2 is already ready to go!

Brilliant

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As if a mass shooting in the opening paragraphs wasn’t enough, the harrowing journey undertaken by the three main characters for the vast majority of the book was simply depressing. The journalist was perhaps the most unpleasant character I have ever encountered. I read/listen to books for enjoyment. Having got to the end of this book I just think my life is that bit less enjoyable than when I started. I won’t be reading this author again.
By the way, including poor quality sound sections by way of imitation telephone conversations also makes an audible book less enjoyable.

Depressing with no sense of redemption

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Very drawn out the narrator is what saves this book. Over descriptive and repetitive descriptions

Tedious

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Extremely slow moving, verbose with a poor plot. . Good, clear performance from the narrator.

Very verbose

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