#Bookreview Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf @hgudenkauf @midaspr

‘Silence is deadly’

Not A Sound is the new thriller from Heather Gudenkauf, published in paperback by HQ (Harper Collins Imprint) on 13th July 2017.

‘A story where chilling secrets unravel, Not a Sound follows deaf protagonist Amelia, drawn into a murder investigation that has put her own life in danger. But how do you catch a killer when you can’t hear him coming?’

This is my first novel by Heather Gudenkauf and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would like to thank Rebekah of Midas PR for my advance copy.

Please do continue reading for my unbiased and voluntary review.

Book Info:

Two years ago a tragic accident left Amelia Winn deaf.

Since then, her coping mechanism of excessive alcohol consumption has led to the breakdown of her marriage and the loss of her job.

Determined to get her life back on track, Amelia has learnt to cope with her deafness with the help of her hearing dog and is determined to prove herself to her estranged husband. However Amelia still has lots of regrets. She regrets destroying her family as she spiralled into depression. Mostly, she regrets not calling Gwen Locke back…

Because now Gwen is dead. And as Amelia begins to unearth the terrible secrets that led to Gwen’s naked body being dumped in the freezing water, she realises that she might be next…

Amelia Winn, the main protagonist of Not A Sound, is a woman whose life has been completely destroyed.

Happily married to her husband David and both loved and accepted by her step-daughter Nora, Amelia’s life was perfect. Her career as a nurse in a trauma ward, though very busy and at times upsetting, gave Amelia satisfaction as she assisted those in need. But all that was to change one night as Amelia walked a patient to her car.

‘I hear the scream of tires first….There is no screech of brakes, the car does not slow and the last sound I hear is the dull, sickening thud of metal on bone’

Left severely injured and with permanent loss of hearing, Amelia’s life spirals out of control. Alcohol becomes her only refuge away from the pain and the loss of the life she once had. Two years pass and Amelia finds herself alone. Her marriage has come to an end as David can no longer cope with her drinking. The safety of Nora comes first and David finally requests that Amelia move out. With nowhere to go, Amelia finds refuge in her father’s fishing lodge on the waters of the Five Mines River.

With the company of Stitch, her dog. Amelia spends her days paddle boarding and running, driving the demon of the bottle out of her body. Stitch is a dog that is police trained and is now her ears. Amelia has become accustomed to depending on Stitch and she adheres to his actions if he senses any danger.

It is on one of her paddle boarding excursions that Amelia is alerted by Stitch of something amiss. As Amelia soon discovers it is a body of a woman floating in the river, the body of Gwen Locke, an ex-colleague from Amelia’s nursing days.

Jake Schroeder, is the local police detective and also a friend of Amelia’s family. He has stood by Amelia during the previous few years and it is Jake that arrives on the scene after Amelia’s emergency call to 911.

As horrendous as this is for Amelia, it almost acts as a catalyst in re-energising her and focusing her mind on something else. She soon finds herself caught up in searching out the killer. With very little regard for her own safety, Amelia starts to delve into reasons as to why Gwen would end up dead in such horrible circumstances.

After Amelia’s accident, she cut communication with all her friends. Unable to cope with her deafness, she put up barriers and ignored emails, calls and messages on Facebook. She remembers that Gwen had made an attempt to contact her in the weeks leading up to her death but, like all the other messages received from various folk, Amelia had ignored it.

Amelia and Stitch make a fantastic team and it’s not long before Amelia finds her own life in danger as she begins to uncover a trail that will very possibly lead to Gwen’s killer. It’s almost as though Amelia has no major fear for her own life anymore and with the friendship of Jake, Amelia’s character flourishes with a confidence that has been missing since her accident.

Heather Gudenkauf has the makings of a new series here I think. Amelia and Stitch have a very special relationship and there is definite potential for a second book!! Amelia’s character is very likable. She has many failings but she has a strength of conviction with her actions.

If you are looking for a thriller a little on the lighter side that is very much driven by personalities and the relationships forged, Not A Sound is the perfect book!!

A very easy read with extremely likable characters. A modern murder mystery for all, with an exciting new duo….hearing impaired Amelia Winn and her lovable sidekick Stitch.

Purchase Link ~ Not A Sound

About the Author:

Heather Gudenkauf is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden.

The Weight of Silence was a TV Book Club pick.  

Heather Gudenkauf was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing impairment, Heather tended to use books as a retreat and escape the world around her.

Heather lives in Iowa with her husband, three children, and a German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo.

You can follow Heather on Twitter @hgudenkauf 

Website ~ http://www.heathergudenkauf.com/