In the Shadows – Tara Lyons
*Audiobook*
Narrator Craig Beck makes Tara Lyons’ In The Shadows extraordinary with his chilling murderer and a great impression of DI Hamilton – I could picture him!
Narrator: Craig Beck
Introduction
DI Hamilton #1
The opening lines of the audiobook sound frightening and thrilling. They give a shocking insight into the mind of a murderer – a serial killer on the loose. When you kill the first time and you are that euphoric, there is no way back, no stopping you from the next murder unless you are caught. Will the police ever catch you when you have worked so meticulously in perfecting your killing strategy?
Storyline
DI Denis Hamilton and DS Clarke Lewis have no idea that the young woman, whose lifeless body is floating in the water, is murdered by a serial killer. The detectives don’t have a clue where to start, no DNA or anything leading to the murderer. When another young woman is found, the detective team gets an inkling of what to expect, fearing the next murder victim won’t take long to find. Meanwhile, Grace Murphy is mourning for her grandfather who died recently. She’s drinking heavily to drown away the grief and her nightmares. Valerie, Grace’s mother, is not happy at all. But Grace feels she needs to go back to her job as assistant director at The London Theatre. Did you know she wanted to become an actress? It didn’t work out, but Grace never lost her love for the theatre life.
Is it irony or coincidence that the third victim of the serial killer is called ‘The Lady in Red’ just like the play about to commence in The London Theatre? The third victim is found with her clothes – a red dress- on, contrary to the first two women who were stripped naked. When DI Hamilton learns of this fact, his focus is on the theatre. Could that be the connection between the victims? Upon inspection of The London Theatre, Hamilton meets with Grace, her boss Michael and leading actor Eric, who had a relationship with the latest victim. The detective feels that there is more going on here, but cannot pinpoint any definite clue. And could Grace, who is still grieving for her grandfather and shocked by the deaths becoming close, perhaps be a designated victim? She’s about the same age and built as the other women plus she’s also connected to the theatre life.
While listening we learn to know Grace’s nightmares, her ongoing grief and how she keeps drowning her feelings in alcoholics. Grace has a nagging feeling she’s being followed, the footsteps behind her, the fluttering shadows in the dark. Everything is getting to Grace, she snaps for no reason at her mother or her boss, sometimes she cannot remember what she did. The more confused Grace gets, the more the bottle is needed – the path to self-destruction seems wide open. Is any woman safe – will Grace be safe? Can she overcome the grief and get her life back on trail, doing the job she loves, leaving the bottle, socialising with her friends? Will DI Hamilton and his team ever catch the serial killer? Time is against the police team as the pressure is mounting and results are nowhere to be found. Tara Lyons’ crime debut is a fast pacing thriller, the perfect combination of a detective (whodunit) and psychological thriller.
Narration
I love Craig Beck’s voice and how he differs his intonation, his speed and language while speaking for the different protagonists. His voicing of the murderer is chilling and gives me the creeps like when yet another victim is killed and he says “that shut her up” (time:00:01:16; chapter 26, 00:02:54 -55). His performance of Detective Hamilton is so good, that when you hear the voice, you see an image of the detective. In all, Craig Beck’s performance, giving each of the different characters a fitting and recognisable voice, adds to the pleasure of listening to this audiobook. Like I read the book in one session, I almost did the same with the audiobook. It’s my first ever audiobook to listen to as well as to review and the experience is great. The narration follows the book excellently and is perfectly interchangeable with the book.
While the narration exactly follows the chapters of the book, the structure of the recording is different. The recording has the Prologue in Chapter 2 and the Epilogue in Chapter 53.
Interested in the (e)book and/or information on the author? Read my review.
Audiobook Info
Length | 6 hrs, 3 mins |
Publisher | Tara Lyons (17 Aug. 2016) |
Language | English |
Version | Unabridged |
ASIN | B01KGN89PS |