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Death Under a Little Sky

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Death Under a Little Sky

By: Stig Abell
Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
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About this listen

The stunningly written, evocative debut crime thriller you won’t want to miss!

A detective ready for a new life
Jake Jackson, high-flying ex-city detective, inherits a rural retreat from his reclusive uncle. It’s the perfect chance to start anew.

A death that disrupts everything
But then the local annual treasure hunt spirals into terror when a young woman’s bones are discovered. Suddenly, Jake is back to being a detective, as he tries to unearth a dangerous killer in this most unlikely of settings.

©2023 Stig Abell (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Private Investigators Psychological Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Suspense

Critic Reviews

‘Tense but patient, fast but thoughtful, and twisty but substantial – this is a truly excellent debut, and I want the next installment now’ Lee Child

‘I LOVED this. I found it totally immersive, and couldn’t wait to squeeze some time from my day to return to it. The writing is very classy and the conclusion came as a surprise, which is always a treat’ Ann Cleeves

‘Gloriously atmospheric and masterfully plotted with such a strong sense of place, this is a huge treat for crime fiction lovers. I can’t wait for the next instalment!’ Lucy Foley
All stars
Most relevant  
Wasn’t sure if I’d make it to the end of this book. I found the main character to be exceptionally annoying and the whole thing to be too unrealistic.

Pretty Tedious

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Good cosy story although the language was too florid in parts. The writer seems to be trying too hard with fancy language and not letting a good plot carry the day. The somewhat syrupy relationship between Jake and Lydia was accentuated with some terrible ‘female’ accents from the narrator which I felt was the weakest link. Worth it though but I’d read the book rather than listen to this one!

Great plot but too try-hard on the prose.

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Very bland, boring characters struggled to make it to the end, but carried on, hoping something would happen. it didn't.

Boring and mundane

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Not the best detective fiction I’ve ever read and at some point it seems the author did random searches in a thesaurus to find as many descriptors as possible when fewer words would have been better. Whoever edited the first manuscript should have picked this up. If you stick with it the story is worthwhile. One point though, too much emphasis on living remotely which is almost impossible these days. I live ‘off-grid’ and yes I do have a bathroom with shower, bath and (never mentioned in the book) a toilet. And he eats only with his hands? Come on!

Worth the Persistence

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.