She wrote the book on escaping a predator… Now one is coming for her.Faith Finley has it all: she’s a talented psychologist with a flourishing career, a bestselling author and the host of a popular local radio program, Someone’s Listening, with Dr. Faith Finley. She’s married to the perfect man, Liam Finley, a respected food critic.Until the night everything goes horribly wrong, and Faith’s life … goes horribly wrong, and Faith’s life is shattered forever.
Liam is missing—gone without a trace—and the police are suspicious of everything Faith says. They either think she has something to hide, or that she’s lost her mind.
And then the notes begin to arrive. Notes that are ripped from Faith’s own book, the one that helps victims leave their abusers. Notes like “Lock your windows. Consider investing in a steel door.”
As the threats escalate, the mystery behind Liam’s disappearance intensifies. And Faith’s very life will depend on finding answers
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This is a rather intense on the edge of your seat book. The title makes me think of the TV sitcom Frazier. I couldn’t help but feel like I had already read a similar book. I did enjoy the book for the most part. It bothered me that Faith drank so much and popped pills. I understand where she was coming from. It did keep me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley and Graydon House for the early copy
Someone’s Listening is the genre I usually love to read, but this one did not work for me. The premise was intriguing but I had a tough time getting into it since I did not find Faith particularly likable. It went on unreasonably long, towards the end it did pick up, which I felt the entire book should have been thrilling.
I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about this book.
At the outset of the story, Faith is involved in a scandal. Her neighbors avoid her. Her colleagues shun her. Liam, her husband–a seemingly perfect man–has disappeared, though the police dismiss her concerns about foul play. She worries that Liam believes the lies told about her.
But the story takes a long time to reveal what the scandal is. It’s not until chapter 6 that we find out. I don’t want to tell spoilers, but it is scandalous. It’s easy to see why this might destroy a career, friendships, and a marriage.
But it’s tedious wading through Faith’s rather self-indulgent moping around, self-medicating with alcohol and prescription medication and reminiscing about her marriage with the missing Liam. Without knowing the nature of the scandal, it was hard to feel much sympathy for her. I really wanted to get to what the blurb promised: the threats ripped from her own self-help book.
Psychological suspense is hit-or-miss for me. When done well, it captivates me. But a lot of authors use overly vague language to keep us reading, words like “something” or “the event” or “what changed everything.” It’s deliberate, of course. I guess the idea is that by keeping “it” vague, we’ll be curious to find out what “it” is. This works, to an extent.
But used extensively–as in the beginning of this book and others–it’s too easy for me to become impatient. I feel like I’m being strung along by someone recounting a story in an agonizingly slow manner, someone who won’t get to the point. I fear that when I do get to the point, that there won’t be one because it’s insubstantial or predictable.
The other big thing in quite a few suspense novels is a dual timeline: before “the event” and after “the event.” Sometimes dual timelines work. Here, I really don’t think it does, and the book is structurally weaker because of it.
I don’t think it’s a true dual timeline, actually, as the “before” chapters are from the point of view of Faith in the present time, rather than when they actually occur. They’re actually flashbacks. But the alternating chapters are labelled “then” and “now”, which makes it appear to be a dual timeline concept.
Much of this beginning section felt overly drawn out. It wasn’t interesting to read about Faith coping by indulging in alcohol and medication. There’s only so many hangovers that I can tolerate reading about. This fed into my impatience for the story to get to the point, dadgumit.
In Glass’s defense, there is substance to the point and the story does speed up eventually.
First, we learn what the scandal is.
Second, when the “dual timelines” merge into one after Liam’s disappearance, the story comes together and makes up for the bumpy beginning.
From that point forward, I enjoyed the novel.
Once Liam disappears, the suspense increases. Glass gives us multiple twists leading to the climax. Some are predictable for the avid readers of the genre; others are truly surprising. If I hadn’t read the ending first and known the culprit, I don’t think I would’ve guessed that person’s identity. Nor would I have predicted the individual’s motive. Though it’s predictable that Faith’s own advice will help free her from the menace, I didn’t know how that final showdown between she/he and Faith would play out.
There are lots of interesting characters. Glass delves deep into the psyches of her characters to create some fascinating, troubled individuals. A troubled teenager, a hacking guru, a terrible baker/Etsy craftsperson, a lawyer ex-boyfriend: Glass creates memorable supporting characters. Each of them contributes to the rising tension building to the climax.
The resolution of the novel feels rushed, but it’s still enjoyable. It’s appropriate for this story. After the bumpy structure of the beginning, Glass nails the ending.
My favorite thing in this book . . .
I liked watching Faith’s relationship with her sister Ellie, and how they navigate multiple crises together after their abusive childhood. Ellie is overcompensating for their lack of family by being the perfect wife and mother herself. Though Faith doesn’t want children, she listens to her sister’s endless stories of domestic trivia because both sisters know that Faith does not want to discuss her own situation. Ellie’s stories are her way of helping her sister cope. But it also means that Faith doesn’t discuss the threats with the one person she totally trusts. It’s a really interesting dynamic. I can easily see this happening in many families between grown siblings.
While I don’t think this book is a must-read, it will appeal to avid readers of psychological suspense. A solid 4 stars.
Thanks to Harlequin/Graydon Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
First off I have to say the main character is one of those women that is just too freaking stupid to be what her character is supposed to be. This character doesn’t scream I am a professional therapist and I have good sense. Why does she not scream it?? Because every-freaking-thing she did was the opposite of what a person with good sense would do. It’s amazing that she doesn’t get herself killed.
Why do you ask would I then give this book 4 stars? Darn good question and here’s the reason. First off I was totally stomped throughout the book, had no freaking idea who was doing what so there’s that. The fact that even though she did some of the stupidest stuff that would have gotten anyone in real life killed she didn’t die and she actually helped, well in actuality she hurt as much as she helped but then it wouldn’t have worked out but dang it people in my family thought I was possessed the way she made me react.
But I have to admit I was like an addict waiting for a fix and I couldn’t put the book down. Over and over as I cursed the main character for her absolute ignorance I continued to turn the page. And then the ending?!?! FREAKING OUT OF NO WHERE! That’s what makes it 4 stars. And the mic has been dropped.