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    Not A Sound
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    Not A Sound
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    Not A Sound
    Audiobook8 hours

    Not A Sound

    Written by Heather Gudenkauf

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    ‘Brilliant.’ Heat

    The Washington Post selected Not A Sound as one of ‘The Ten Best Thrillers and Mysteries of 2017’

    ‘I’m going to die tonight. But I won’t go quietly.’

    Amelia Winn has a lot of regrets. She regrets the first drink after she lost her hearing. 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.

    But how do you catch a killer when you can’t hear him coming?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateMay 30, 2017
    ISBN9780263933895
    Author

    Heather Gudenkauf

    Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound. Heather lives in Iowa with her family.

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    Reviews for Not A Sound

    3.5/5

    121 ratings22 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Forty-year old Amelia Winn was a respected nurse in an Iowa hospital, where she worked in the emergency room for fifteen years. Subsequently, she specialized in treating victims of domestic abuse. Tragically, Amelia is severely injured when an unidentified driver intentionally barrels into her and a patient. Most of her wounds have healed, but the assault robbed Amelia of her hearing. In despair, she turns to alcohol to anesthetize her pain, and for the past two years, has been unemployed and estranged from her husband, David. Fortunately, the scenic beauty that surrounds Amelia's modest house is a source of comfort; she regularly goes paddle boating and kayaking with her loyal companion and service dog, Stitch.

      "Not a Sound," by Heather Gudenkauf, who herself is hearing impaired, eloquently conveys Amelia's anguish and dejection. The good news is that she is starting to emerge from her depression. She is studying American Sign Language and reads lips, but when the speaker talks quickly and indistinctly, she cannot always decipher what he is saying. Amelia is sober and hopes to get a job in a local medical practice. One morning, while out on the river, Amelia finds the body of a former friend and colleague, Gwen Locke.

      Gudenkauf's depiction of Amelia's plight is heartrending. Living without sound devastated Amelia to such an extent that she cut off contact with friends and family. However, with a killer at large, Amelia feels vulnerable, and she turns to Jake Schroeder--a detective and childhood friend--for advice and protection. Jake warns Amelia, a busybody who cannot resist playing amateur sleuth, to leave the investigating to him. The whodunit is conventional and predictable, and Amelia's ability to stay on the wagon without attending AA meetings regularly seems a bit far-fetched. However, readers will embrace this plucky heroine who learns that being deaf need not rob her of independence, fulfilling work, and meaningful relationships. Stitch is particularly appealing; he is arguably the most likeable and liveliest character in the book.
    • 5/5
      Amelia Winn is now deaf due to a hit and run accident as she worked as a nurse. Now, she and her dog, Stitch, are trying to figure out what to do next since her alcoholism destroyed her marriage. Who knew paddle boarding could lead to finding a body floating in the water and Amelia's curiosity could possibly get her killed? This is my second time reading Ms. Gudenkauf's work and I was not disappointed. I found myself reading during commercials of a football game and baseball game. I sincerely enjoyed every single page.
    • 4/5
      I've become a fan of Heather Gudenkauf and have ordered her other books. The main character is an emergency room nurse who was severely injured and lost her hearing. After two years with a serious drinking problem, her husband tells her to leave. She's working hard with her service dog, Stitch, and her childhood friend, Jake, a detective to get her life back in order. Then, an old friend of hers turns up dead in the river she paddle boards in. Then, it's off to the races to figure out who killed her before the killer strikes again. I want to learn Czech so I can tell my little pups to kemne (come) or zabit (kill)!
    • 3/5
      The story was engaging and kept me reading, despite the poor quality of the writing. I understand that novels do not require the same level of grammatical correctness as nonfiction books; however, I was appalled by the sentence structure and other writing problems. Fortunately, the narrator' plight, although highly unrealistic, was portrayed in a manner that held my interest.
    • 4/5
      3.5 Stars. Really engaging writing but a bit too predictable.

      I don't know how this book got on my radar but it was and it was definitely an enjoyable mystery story. The main character, Amelia was deafened after an accident (and that mystery isn't solved in this book) and is now recovering from that and alcoholism. I actually took American Sign Language as my language requirement in college so I am kind of particular about things involving sign language and deaf culture in books. There were a few things that annoyed me, like Amelia's supernatural lip-reading ability but nothing egregious. I know the author mentioned she has some hearing loss and I think she did a good job with her research.

      The main reason I'm only giving this 3.5 stars is because I found it too predictable. I figured out the mystery almost exactly very early on. I don't always mind this because figuring out the mystery can be part of the fun but I solved it so early on that I just got frustrated at Amelia while reading for not figuring it out. I am not super good at predicting mysteries but this one just felt so obvious. The last chapter was also just a bit odd to me. No spoilers but it just reads like a summary of events. Like we get a big action scene and then just a short summing up of everything that happened in just a few pages. It just felt like a bit of an abrupt ending.

      The writing was very engaging. It only took me about two hours to read this and even though I found the mystery predictable, I still enjoyed the actual experience of reading this for the most part. I would definitely read another book by this author and I think a lot of people could enjoy this one, especially if they don't see things coming quite as early as I did.
    • 4/5
      When I read in the book cover description that the protagonist is deaf, I was especially anxious to read it as I worked for 20 years with a man that was deaf and read lips. I thought that the author did a wonderful job that showed a lot of sensitivity when addressing the subjects of deafness and cancer treatment. The idea to have the protagonist be deaf was also something different and well carried out throughout the story. No matter what your final opinion of the book is...you’ll find that it’s hard not to root for Amelia and Stitch. They’re tough and engaging fighters.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf is a spellbinding mystery that is fast-paced and suspense-laden.

      Two years after the hit and run accident that left her deaf, Amelia Winn is finally beginning to get her life back on track. Now a recovering alcoholic, she is separated from her husband Dr. David Winn and living in her family's isolated cabin near the river where she spends time kayaking or paddleboarding with her service dog, Stitch. On the day she is planning to go to her first job interview since losing her hearing, Amelia is stunned to discover the lifeless body of her former friend and fellow nurse, Gwen Locke, floating in the river. Amelia's suspicion that Gwen's death was no accident is quickly confirmed by her lifelong friend Detective Jake Schroeder. After she begins her new job working in a cancer treatment clinic for David's colleague, Dr. Joseph Huntley, she quickly settles into her new routine. However, Amelia is quite troubled about Gwen's murder and despite Jake's pleas to stay out the investigation, she soon uncovers very disturbing information that might explain the murderer's motive for silencing her friend. Unsettled by her mounting suspicions, Amelia takes a huge risk that puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer.

      Before the accident, Amelia had everything: a satisfying and fulfilling job, a happy marriage and a fantastic relationship with her stepdaughter Nora. After the accident, she pushes away all of her friends as she turns to alcohol to help cope with all of the changes in her life. After David forces her to leave their home, Jake is instrumental in getting her help for her drinking and convincing her to utilize the resources available for her deafness. Amelia is dedicated to her sobriety and she is working very hard to prove herself to David so she can maintain her relationship with Nora.

      After discovering Gwen's body, Amelia is wracked with guilt for pushing her friend away and not responding to her efforts to resume their friendship. Although she knows she is taking a huge risk, she cannot stop searching for answers that will explain why someone would want to kill Gwen. When strange things begin occurring, Amelia thinks she knows who is responsible, but she cannot think of a reason why this person would do this to her. Pushing her suspicions to the back of her mind, Amelia continues digging into Gwen's life and she soon uncovers shocking information that provides her with the motive for the murder. Discovering why Gwen was murdered also leads Amelia to a stunning conclusion about who killed her but will she find irrefutable proof before it is too late?

      Not a Sound is an exceedingly well written whodunit that is full of unexpected twists and turns. Amelia is a wonderful protagonist and it is very easy to root for her as she works hard to maintain her sobriety while trying to pick up the pieces of her life. She is truly regretful for letting her friendship with Gwen lapse and the resulting guilt and remorse provide the impetus for her investigation. The killer's identity and motive for the murder are brilliantly concealed through a series of clever misdirects and red herrings. Heather Gudenkauf brings the novel to an adrenaline fueled and action packed conclusion.
    • 4/5
      Fast-paced, well-plotted thriller set in my home state. Amelia is a heroine with a laundry list of challenges, some by change and some of her own making, and experiencing the journey she takes to overcome them is a great ride. Will definitely read more by this author!
    • 4/5
      A medical thriller about Amelia Winn who lost her hearing in a car accident. A few years later, her marriage in tatters, she stumbles upon the dead body of a fellow nurse / friend. With this discovery, Amelia's life is turned upside down.
      Although I suspected the killer early on, due to one obvious clue, I didn't know why they murdered Gwen (the dead nurse). So, the story did hold my interest. I will read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      I was lucky enough to win this book from Linda's Book Obsession. This is a new author to me.I was reading another book at the time I won this, and I have a policy of not quitting a book I'm reading in favor of another. Until very recently, I would not quit a book at all, even if I hated it. So, I had to sit this book aside for awhile. I sat it close. Every now and then, I would pick it up, study the cover, read the blurbs, open it a tiny ways, and then put it back down. I finally jumped on it, out of order in my book plan. Wow, am I glad I did.This book hit all the high spots for me. It has wonderful characters, including a furry one, and you understand them and want to be their friends immediately. There are some not so nice characters that you want to throttle, and some unknowns that you keep a close eye on. I learned some new factual things from reading this novel and that is such a plus for me. I love to learn new things. As the mystery unfolded, I attempted to solve it, because why else would you read a mystery if not to solve it, and I won't get into the number of times and ways in which I was incorrect. That alone was reason enough for me to want to run out and buy anything ever written by this author, but her writing ability would have been enough also.Thank you, Heather Gudenkauf, for writing this lovely book, and thank you, Linda, for your contest.
    • 3/5
      What a perfect book to read when looking for a new interesting mystery. Although at times, I thought Amelia was quite adept at handling her deafness for not having been deaf for very long, loved the story. I felt the ending was a little rushed, but am hoping that there will be more novels involving Amelia and Jake the police detective.
    • 3/5
      Not as good as her other books but still a page-turner.
    • 3/5
      I have read several books from this author and have become a fan because of the books. I have come to expect very character driven stories. Ones that I first am drawn to the characters and second to their stories. Which I did like Amelia. I found her to be strong as she did not let her deafness become a shortfall. Also, she rose from being an alcoholic to going down the right path. Amelia's compassion for her murdered friend is great. She does her own investigative work and does pick up on some good clues; despite her friend and possible love interest Jake. Jake is a good man. He and Amelia have bonded from tragedies. I liked the story but because I was not fully invested in the characters as I usually them as partly due to the plot. The pace of the story seemed to drag at times. While, this book was not one of my favorites, I am still a fan of this author's.
    • 3/5
      I love Heather Gudenkauf so while I didn't love this book, I believe it's one to chalk up to 'too high' expectations.I thought it was predictable and it just fell flat for me.With Amelia being deaf, I kept trying to put myself in her shoes. I don't think I would've survived 1/2 of what she did. Love Stitch.
    • 5/5
      MY REVIEW OF “NOT A SOUND” by Heather GudenkaufI really have to blame Heather Gudenkauf, author of “NOT A SOUND” for the dark circles under my puffy eyes. I could not put this book down!! Heather Gudenkauf has written an amazing, intriguing, intense mystery and thriller. “BE WARNED: “Not a Sound “is a very difficult edgy book to stop reading. The genres of this novel are Mystery and Thriller, Suspense, and Adult Fiction.The author describes her characters as complicated and complex., and flawed. Some characters seem very quirky, and could be suspect to many things. Our heroine,Nurse Amelia Winn is now deaf after a terrible accident. To deal with the after-effects of losing her hearing, Amelia became an alcoholic and now is in recovery. Her hearing loss is not the only loss that Amelia has suffered. She is on the verge of divorce with her husband, and has to have supervision to see her step-daughter Nora. She is not longer a practicing nurse. My favorite character is “Stitch”, Amelia’s service dog.Amelia and Stitch are paddling on a small river by her cabin, and discover a dead body. Amelia recognizes the now deceased person. This is the beginning of a dark and dangerous mystery that Amelia has gotten herself involved in. Both Amelia and Stitch are very curious. On the cover of the book is written ” Silence is Deadly” A major problem is that Amelia can’t hear anything and is dependent on her other senses as well as Stitch.I appreciate that Heather Gudenkauf brings to our attention disabilities, such as hearing loss, and how it is hard work to learn how to function in the best way possible.. I also am impressed the amount of personal experience and research that went into this. The author also brings up the relevant and unfortunate topic of Cancer and other illnesses, and the cost to patient and families.I would highly recommend this novel with twists and turns, suspense, intrigue. Again, MY WARNING: Very hard to put down!! I look forward to reading more of Heather Gudenkauf’s books.
    • 4/5
      This book (an ARC available for free from a local bookstore) caught my eye because of the title. Being Deaf myself, I was not surprised to find that the protagonist is a late-deafened woman. It was a good book for what it is: a plot-driven mystery that kept me engaged. I'd have liked to see more development of the characters, especially the main character, but it was a page-turner and a good "summer read".The author is deaf herself, so the main character did feel authentic to me.
    • 3/5
      I've read all of the Gudenkauf books. I find this one a bit disappointing compared to the others. Usually her books grab me at the first page but this one did not.
    • 5/5
      I just finished my advance copy of "Not A Sound" by Heather Gudenkauf. She is one of my favorite authors and I have read all her books. This book about a deaf nurse trying to get her life back on track after an accident that took her hearing. Also in the book her service dog Stitch which she uses as a second person to talk with throughout the book. I liked the book very much. As with her other books it was very suspenseful. Unlike so of her other books I did figure out the ending. A quick read for me. I did think too much time was given to her service dog and his day to day routine . A great book and I am ready for her next book. Thanks Net Galley for the advance copy.
    • 3/5
      Amelia Winn's life was turned inside out when she was struck by a car and lost her hearing.  No longer able to work or communicate easily with her family and friends, she turned to alcohol.  Just as she's trying to turn things around - to get a job, to repair her estranged husband's faith in her, to spend more time with her stepdaughter - she and her support dog, Stitch, discover a body in the river.  Amelia trusts her lifelong friend, Jake, and his ability to investigate a murder but she can't let it go.  Amelia knew the dead woman and there's a slight chance her murder is related to the suspicious accident that forever altered Amelia's life.  Author Gudenkauf, who is herself hearing impaired, puts the reader in Amelia's world.  The character's inability to hear is sometimes an asset but adds a unique level of danger when she starts investigating elements of the case that she feels Jake isn't taking seriously.  Stitch is a welcome addition to the story - he's not always the best trained hearing dog but he is absolutely essential to Amelia's well-being.  A suspenseful story with an interesting main character.  My rating would have been higher if not for a couple hard-to-believe plots points but, on the plus side, this is a thriller that doesn't rely on violence or profanity to tell a compelling story.
    • 5/5
      I am always so excited when a new book by Heather Gudenkauf comes out, I had to start this one as soon as I bought it. As I expect from this author, it did not disappoint. Amelia's life is torn apart after being the victim of a hit and run that resulted in her losing her hearing. Unable to cope, she pushes everyone away including her husband and step daughter and loses herself in bottles of booze. Now it is two years later and Amelia finds herself ready to live again yet she is pretty much alone except for one childhood friend Jake and her loyal service dog Stitch. She has found peace and healing living in a small cabin by a river and fights her demons by running and kayaking. She thinks she's ready to face the world again and is eager to start working again, although not likely to be in the nursing capacity she did before. She has missed her stepdaughter Nora that has been kept away by her husband David because of her alcoholism and now that demon is quiet, she wants her life back. On the day when she was to interview for her first job since the accident that she finds a dead body floating on the river and is shocked to discover, it was one of those friends she has pushed away. Gwen had contacted her numerous times, the last time Gwen had concerns about something suspicious going on involving patients. Soon enough, Amelia finds herself doing a little investigation of her own and now her life is in a bit of a turmoil as she is determined to uncover what she starts to discover. But sometimes curiosity kills the cat. This is a fast paced well written thriller. Although I had an aunt that was deaf and mute, this gave incredible insight as to the life of a deaf person in society. In my aunt's case, it was before the time that signing and reading lips were used much and although she lived with her sister, her life must have been so lonely. While Amelia's deafness came later in life and she had the use of a service dog, signing and lip reading, it still must be very scary and lonely. The insight into the challenges Amelia faced were so real and things that we take for granted in a hearing society were so well shown here. I love how Heather's books have the mystery but also the emotional aspect as well. Different from a lot of stories with the whodunit, her books thrust you into the life of the characters making you part of their life and feeling invested in the characters. I loved the strong female character who overcame so much and I found myself angry at the injustices she experienced and efforts made to discredit her. This one is a solid 4.5 for me, bumped up to a 5.
    • 4/5
      This was certainly a VERY scary book. The author does a great job with the description and reactions of the main character, Amelia Winn, who just happens to be deaf. I was doubly scared everytime this woman was threatened. She has a service dog, but still, a dog can be taken out and then your left all alone with just your sight.A very scary book that I could not put down as I whipped through the pages with goosebumps all over me. I certainly can recommend this book!Thanks to Harlequin for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
    • 3/5
      ReviewI really don't know what to think about this book. If you are a fan of Nora Roberts and have read Angels Fall then you will be as astounded as I was that "Not a Sound" was so similar to the other. The only main differences between the two books is that the protagonist in this book was deafened in an accident and that she knew the murdered woman.I liked the idea of a deaf protagonist and the author was very adept at making us see the world through Amelia's eyes, and the author does a great job of making us understand the nursing world, However, I was annoyed at some of the plotting - the great leaps of logic that Amelia made seemed nonsensical to me; the rehashing that she did of certain things just seemed like filler to me and did nothing to add to my enjoyment of this book.Angels Fall:Starts with frightening prologue.The protagonist Reece, was a chef and was traumatically changed by being in a mass murder.Reece was considered 'nutty' because her behavior changed after the murders.She moved to a small town and there she witnessed a murder.Nobody believed her.She was stalked by the murderer and had things done to here that made her seem crazy.Hot romance.She over-thought things and put herself into the investigation of the murder.Chase scene at the end of the book.Not a Sound:Starts with frightening prologue.Amelia was a nurse who became deaf due to an accident.She became a drunk due to the ramifications of her deafness and even when she became sober nobody really believed what she had concluded about the murder.Mild romance.She was stalked by the murder.Chase scene at the end of the book.Do you see what I mean? I liked the book well enough, I just couldn't seem to read it without thinking and comparing it to Angels Fall.*ARC supplied by publisher