Book Review: Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf

Title: Not a Sound
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Publish Date: May 30, 2017
# of Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Description

(From Amazon.com) When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters—her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.

As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?

New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf has been described as “masterful” and “intelligent” and compared to Lisa Scottoline and Jodi Picoult. Introducing her most compelling heroine yet, she delivers a taut and emotional thriller that proves she’s at the top of her class.

Review

This is the first book I’ve read by Gudenkauf, and I already want more. She does a great job weaving a thrilling story that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I enjoyed reading the book from the perspective of someone who is hearing impaired–that was unique and not a perspective you often get. When I looked up the author, I learned that she is also hearing impaired, so I would imagine the dilemmas the protagonist, Amelia, faces as someone who is hearing impaired are very realistic.

I live in Iowa, so I greatly appreciated Gudenkauf’s use of Iowa as the setting in her book. Iowa is often neglected as a book setting, so this was fun for me. I knew most of the places in her book, which made the book all the more enjoyable to read.

Gudenkauf writes in great detail, so it’s easy to place yourself in the shoes of Amelia. I found my heart racing as I struggled to figure out who the killer was. Once I knew, Gudenkauf kept me hanging, waiting, hoping everything turned out okay for Amelia. If you enjoy reading suspense novels, then this one is for you!

So what did I like and dislike?

Likes

  • Unique perspective. As mentioned, I enjoyed reading the story through the perspective of someone who is hearing impaired. It was refreshing to have a change of perspective.
  • Thrilling. As a thriller, you would expect the book to be thrilling, right? It lived up to expectations. It kept me on the edge, quickly flipping pages to see what happened next.
  • Iowa. I’m an Iowa girl, so a book set in Iowa has the power to win me over every time.
  • Good details. Gudenkauf knows how to put just the right amount of details into her book without getting too wordy.
  • Dislikes

  • The ending. While the ending certainly brought everything to closure, I was still wanting something more. It felt inadequate somehow. I would have appreciated more depth in the epilogue.
  • Depth of the killer. The killer could have used more depth and detail. While finding out the killer in the book was certainly satisfying, I wish more time would have been spent fleshing out his character.
  • Quotes

    None recorded.

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