Not for me

Good writing, solid police procedural plot and good narrator. It's a bit of a dawdle. The pace slows down for a hell of a lot of characters mulling over their various points of view.

My real problem is that I don't want to read a mystery about human trafficking, and that is a good third of the story. The focus is a 15-year-old tricked from her African homeland and held in sexual slavery. I understand these things happen, but I don't want details in what is otherwise an entertaining story. There was nothing about this part of the story in the editor's summary or in the reviews. For me, this is torture, way too upsetting for a light diversion of a so-so thriller.

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2 people found this helpful

Not as good as others from author

I really like this author , this story wasn't my cup of tea. Just my opinion

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Solidly good police procedural!

This book turned out to be a very good listen, but alas, Audible only has a couple more of the books in a much longer series. There are at least half a dozen missing. I, for one, hope they will be added. Chose to listen to this despite it was well into the series (something that often feels risky). I believe there was enough of the back stories of the on-going characters to make it feel like one hasn't just stepped into the middle of confusing people and plot lines. It works well as a stand-alone, even though it's the most recent in the series.

There are several plots that interweave the story, and the point of view changes from time to time to give alternate perspectives and clarify the story. It begins with a threat to the safety of the Comonwealth Games, due to occur some months in the future, but broadens to include a sadder thread dealing with human trafficking, and a personal interest where DCI Lorimer's old girlfriend enters the picture and puts pressure on his marriage as she turns to Lorimer when her husband mysteriously dies. Although they seem disparate threads, they do come together in the end.

I like what I could gather about DCI Lorimer. He seems a decent sort, with a supportive wife, and a man who has a good working relationship with his colleagues. Joe Dunlop's narration was quite good actually. I felt when I got this I might be taking a chance, since only a couple of the earlier episodes are available, so is not possible to start at the beginning. But this turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and I look forward to going back and learning the history of how Lorimer got to this point. Recommend!

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5 people found this helpful

excellent writing

However, the story wasn't as strong as the others. I have read each book available on audible in the series and and wait patiently for more. The publishers summary is right on the button without giving the story away.

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2 people found this helpful

Slow and tedious

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The narrator was slow and somber, maybe if he had been a little more animated, and had given each character some personality. The story is told in first person for every character, so it gets a little difficult to follow, as the many points of view grew. There was also so many things in the book that did not add up, I know she was trying to create suspense, but each close miss, started to get tedious and a lot boring. It was too long.

Has The Bird That Did Not Sing turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I love murder mysteries, and I especially love British detective stories. I will just have to try another author.

What didn’t you like about Joe Dunlop’s performance?

He was too monotonous, with no real differentiation between characters.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

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1 person found this helpful