For fans of Gillian Flynn, Laura Lippman, and Paula Hawkins comes Holly Seddon’s arresting fiction debut–an engrossing thriller full of page-turning twists and turns, richly imagined characters, and gripping psychological suspense.
Some secrets never die. They’re just locked away.
Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her … journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson. Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found unconscious after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Amy Stevenson, who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past.
Soon Alex’s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter’s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from her attempt to uncover the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she’s not just chasing a story–she’s seeking salvation.
Shifting from present to past and back again, Try Not to Breathe unfolds layer by layer until its heart-stopping conclusion. The result is an utterly immersive, unforgettable debut.
Advance praise for Try Not to Breathe
“A razor-sharp plot and wonderfully complex characters . . . Not since The Girl on the Train have I been so captivated by a work of suspense.”—New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen
“A fast-paced debut about long-buried secrets and tangled truths.”—New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight
“Engrossing . . . Seddon’s storytelling skills are strong. . . . The world she’s constructed is fascinating and slightly dark.”—Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.
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I listened to this one on audio and have since listened to several others by Seddon. She weaves a twisted tale, and I love Alex, our narrator. There’s no question from the start that Alex is unreliable to us as the narrator–she’s drinking, she’s clearly hung up on her own past, and she’s way too involved in an unsolved case. I love that this puts the onus on the reader (listener) to hold the story in our own hands. It still unfolds to give us everything in the end, but Seddon doles out the pieces to solve the case and give Alex a second chance.
I loved this book – well written and totally engaging. You might not like the characters but you’ll be intrigued by their lives, their secrets and lies.
This is the first Holly Seddon book I’ve read and she’s now on my must-read list of authors.
A cold-case mystery involving a survivor with Locked In Syndrome and a very damaged reporter. I stayed up late finishing this one. Totally worth it.
Well-written story of the human nature and thought processes. Highly recommend!
The story starts in 1995 with Amy Stevenson. Amy is a typical teenager. What is not typical is that she ends up in a vegetative state due to a brutal assault. Enter Alex Dale who in 2010, tries to piece together Amy’s story to track down the perpetrator and seek justice for Amy.
Alex lost a husband and a promising career as a Journalist due to her alcoholism. By 2010, alcohol is on track to claiming Alex’s life when she stumbles across Amy while doing research as freelance Journalist. Alex is Amy’s age and remembers the story from 15 years earlier.
While Amy is technically voiceless, her memories are drip fed to us. I read this in one sitting and for the first time ever, set up an Author alert (for Holly Seddon). If you liked “The Girl on the Train”, you will love “Try Not to Breathe”.
It put GONE GIRL in the dust. It was one of the best thriller/mysteries I have ever read. I was completely hooked and could not put it down, to the detriment of my regular life, and I was so happy because that hasn’t happened in quite a while! Do read it and see for yourself . I guarantee you it will leave a mark on you. I am now looking into all of the authors former and future books as she can’t have written just a one book wonder.
A freelance journalist is writing a story about a doctor who treats brain-injured patients. One of them is Amy who has been in a vegetative state for 15 years after being attacked when she was still a schoolgirl. The journalist decides the real story she should write is about this unsolved crime. But this journalist is only able to work mornings; her afternoons and evenings are given over to alcohol and oblivion. A powerful description of a flawed character and a thrilling mystery. .
This was a great who done it with lots of interesting characters. The story kept me engaged from beginning to end.
This is the story of a two 30s women who’re both prisoners of circumstance, one by her choices, the other not. The author did a great job with this story. The characters are likeable and she did a good job giving them life . She also addressed and put a face on rare but real locked – in syndrome. I thoroughly enjoyed this book .
An interesting premise. I appreciated the originality as a break from all the cookie cutter books currently out there. Held my attention.
Well written ,compelling, relatable, realistic, thoroughly enjoyable.
Great story! A real page-turner!
I’m not sure what I expected when I bought this book, but it was so much more than I hoped for (which is always a nice surprise)! It’s a bit like a murder mystery except the victim isn’t dead and the flawed but likeable cast of characters are so well drawn that it feels like you know them – a feature that is sometimes missing in mysteries. Add to that a really compelling, suspenseful story line and you’ve got a book you literally can’t put down. I found myself reading on the escalator when I arrived at my Metro stop before I was ready to stop reading. It’s that good!
Well written
True to period
Good read
I liked this book, the character was hopeless at times and you knew her options were almost up but you can still connect w/her.
Good easy flowing read