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The Cuckoo's Cry
- An Audible Original Novella
- Narrated by: Aimee Horne
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
Non-member price: $19.95
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Publisher's Summary
On the eve of the global lockdown, Don Barlow opens the door of his old beachside cottage to find a pretty girl with pink-tipped hair, claiming to have nowhere to go.
He allows her entry, and so begins a mystery set in unprecedented times: with the virus raging outside their home, the girl cannot be asked to leave, but what does he risk by having her stay?
More from the same
What listeners say about The Cuckoo's Cry
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- ChloeMichael
- 12-07-2020
I loved this book so much
Just a perfect little mystery.
It's the eve of the COVID-19 lockdown. Don Barlow hears a knock at the door, and when he opens it, he finds a pretty girl standing there.
She's desperate to come in. She says she has nowhere to go.
He lets her in, and so the drama begins: who is she? Can she be trusted? What about Don's family? How do they feel about this girl being locked down with him? Can they be trusted? Is anyone who they say they are?
it's got a lot of great twists. You might guess some but you won't guess them all. And the ending is so emotional and wonderful.
It's set in Bondi - cool Australian suburb. The narrator has an amazing Australian accent. Dig in. You'll love it.
9 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 03-08-2020
Quick and interesting read
Loved that this was free (of course!) but was surprisingly impressed with the storyline and twists!
Really enjoyed it 😍
6 people found this helpful
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- Sharon B Clark
- 25-08-2020
The Cuckoos Cry
A modern story set during the COVID-19 lockdown. An engaging story that you will end up listening to in one sitting as the story is so gripping and brilliantly narrated. The only thing I did not like was the blasphemy.
5 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 15-08-2020
Just ok story
I nearly gave up several times because it's a pretty ordinary story but persevered and in the end it was ok to listen to. Nothing outstanding or memorable tho.
5 people found this helpful
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- Ree
- 01-08-2020
Excellent
This is a enjoyable short story with an interesting twist, I highly recommend this book
4 people found this helpful
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- D. Durham
- 15-07-2020
Outstanding!
Loved this story. Couldn't put it down.
Great realisation by Aimee the narrator. Thanks Caroline.
4 people found this helpful
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- Amanda Dettrick
- 08-10-2020
Okay
The premise is good - the interloper wheedling her way into the heart of an old man for the purpose of theft - the cuckoo in the nest. Nice. However, whilst the reader did an adequate job, the story started to fall over about midway. A covid influenced story, this one is a short story, suitable for a lazy day listen.
3 people found this helpful
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- Yve James
- 27-08-2020
For a short story It Held me every second!
I really enjoyed the story, the performance, everything about this audible! So very entertaining!
3 people found this helpful
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- Malaiea
- 21-08-2020
A warm, wonderful story.
With a twist at the end. A great book to curt up with in iso.
3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 20-08-2020
COVID-19 went nowhere
Why write a character showing symptoms and then drop them - feels like the virus was sewn into the plot but to no avail. At the end I was frustrated by the didacticism
3 people found this helpful
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- Phx17
- 04-07-2020
Slow burning Aussie suspense in the time of COVID
One of the things I like about the mystery/suspense genre is the age equality in main characters. Action, romance, and horror tend to star young, fit adults in their 20s and 30s, or 40s tops. Here, Don Barlow is a 70s retiree hunkering down in his beachside Australian pad during COVID-19. Nice to see that old folks can star in good fiction too. (I say that with love from the mid-century mark).
Riding out COVID in the U.S., I found the Australian treatment of it interesting. The writing really brought the culture and the characters alive and I learned some new terms, like budgies (Speedos style swimsuits) and milos (chocolate malted drinks). I very much enjoyed the narrator’s Australian voice. Several of the month’s free Audible selections feature outstanding female narrators capable of great range in voicing genders, ages, and accents. Bravo.
As the title suggests, the central mystery is whether the 19 year old appearing at his door is really who she claims to be. The suspense builds gradually, with enough twists along the way to make me doubt my predictions. I did bump the speed to 1.3x, but this was a nice simmering suspense.
Mild touching on topics of crime, violence, and teen pregnancy, but not in any graphic or profane way.
150 people found this helpful
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- Lisa Davidson
- 05-07-2020
A Multi-faceted Exploration of "Social Isolation"
I didn't expect to see a deep family drama exploring the many types of social isolation in the Covid19 era published quite so soon! The Cuckoo's Cry is a moving revelation of family secrets and personal tragedies within the confines of class, sex, and social mores. The characters are appealing and finely drawn. The plot grabs your attention and doesn't let go. I laughed and cried--sometimes at the same time. All this in an absorbing drama running under five hours. Bravo!
(P.S. Thanks, too, for the new, softer female voice instead of Audible's former explosive tagline at the end!)
60 people found this helpful
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- Jessica Cutright
- 04-07-2020
A good story.
I did not expect the ending. Liked the narration by all the different characters. A good story.
42 people found this helpful
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- Myself
- 04-07-2020
The best Audible Original I’ve listened to so far!
I loved the story and the performance. Not trite or predictable. It kept me listening. I like this author.
34 people found this helpful
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- Ann
- 05-07-2020
Nice mystery
I had to give a review for this audible original. It was quite a pleasant surprise to listen to this one. A well written story with great personalities and a few twists and turns. An enjoyable 4 hour escape.
32 people found this helpful
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- Deborah S.
- 04-07-2020
Captivating
A sweet but melancholy story of family, old loves, anger and endearment. A story line we all know from some other time.
31 people found this helpful
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- K Possible
- 04-07-2020
Great little story to pass the time!
Enjoyed the story for a lazy afternoon. I would welcome another book by this author. Predictable but good!
25 people found this helpful
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- princess kate
- 05-07-2020
Didn’t expect that ending!
Was properly impressed, and not just in for a free audible book. It was really good and for a moment when I thought it was gonna be predictable, I was totally wrong
24 people found this helpful
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- Mo
- 04-07-2020
Character driven mystery...
...in which some of the characters are drawn better than others.
I like the narrator's voice and, overall, this book is enjoyable if you're in the mood for a short suspense/mystery novel (one that won't give you nightmares).
Even though I didn't find the end very compelling, I do think there's some food for thought throughout the book especially in the family dynamic.
23 people found this helpful
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- Blue
- 03-07-2020
Interesting listen but
but there are gaps that aren't explained if they were meant to enhance the story - like why mother and father state the same child was born in two d
different years.
12 people found this helpful
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