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Hurting Distance

a completely unputdownable and addictive crime thriller packed with twists

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Hurting Distance

By: Sophie Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Barrie
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About this listen

 Three years ago, something terrible happened to Naomi Jenkins - so terrible that she never told anybody.

Now Naomi has another secret - the man she has fallen passionately in love with, unhappily married Robert Haworth. When Robert vanishes without trace, Naomi knows he must have come to harm. But the police are less convinced, particularly when Robert's wife insists he is not missing.

In desperation, Naomi has a crazy idea. If she can't persuade the police that Robert is in danger, perhaps she can convince them that he is a danger to others. Then they will have to look for him - urgently. Naomi knows how describe in detail the actions of a psychopath. All she needs to do is dig up her own troubled past . . .

(P)2007 ISIS Publishing Ltd©2007 Sophie Hannah Suspense Thriller & Suspense Mystery Fiction

Critic reviews

A superbly creepy, twisty thriller about obsessive love, psychological torture, and the darkest chambers of the human heart
Hair-raising psychological thriller
An utterly gripping plot, this is the standout thriller of the year
Here's a psychological thriller that gets its hooks into you and refuses to let go
Sophie Hannah's LITTLE FACE startled the British thriller market a year ago, and her new book is another superbly creepy foray in the genre. The plots are brilliant - I couldn't see through this one at all
Hurting Distance confirms Sophie Hannah as a rivetingly original arrival in crime fiction
What makes this novel work so well is that more than one character has a bit of a screw loose - even the detectives on the case are grappling with some crippling personal issues - and it takes the full ride of the novel to find out who is playing whom.
Hannah's second novel is a beautifully written chiller-thriller about the after-effect of rape. It grips from start to finish. . . I couldn't put it down
This is a far better-written book than any genre label might suggest. Hannah is a respected poet and uses the fascinating motif of the sundial not only to provide the reader with clues but to underline perceptions of life, time and death. It's also significant that she won a Daphne du Maurier award. Her powerful subjects of obsession with the past, and fear in the present, testify that she has made a transition to the narrative world of that iconic writer
In the world of psychological thrillers, it is rare to come across a novel that conforms absolutely to the rules of the genre at the same time as being genuinely original, satisfyingly unpredictable and totally enthralling. This is what Sophie Hannah has achieved with Hurting Distance, and she's done it with considerable style.
This story is thrilling from the first page . . . This book is not simply a whodunnit. The snappy, witty dialogue and clarity make it a thoroughly entertaining read. I thought I had the whole book pegged after the first chapter, but how wrong I was. Pick it up, but be warned, you won't put it down
Another success for this inventive writer
Tale of obsession and manipulation
All stars
Most relevant
I found this quite hard going at the start, this was more to do with the style taking a bit of getting used to! Once it picks up and gains pace it's a really gripping, thought provoking read that tackles rape from a different perspective. The big reveal is not what you expect, this is a pretty intense book that takes some concentration to listen to but it still somehow keeps you hooked.

slow starter but has a serious twist!

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I just love Sophie Hannah, her mind is amazing. another belter that keeps you guessing until the end!

she does it again

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A woman has been having an affair with a married man for a year. When he doesn't turn up for their usual Thursday meeting, she is sure something bad has happened to him. She goes to the police, but they aren't reacting as quickly as she'd like, so she tells the police he raped her.

I found this quite a disturbing listen, the reveal towards the end was pretty chilling and as such, this is an audiobook I'd only listen to the once.

Disturbing

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I love Sophie Hannah so I was keen to purchase her books on audio so that I could listen to them any time I liked. The narration is very good.The plot is tight and well paced. Quickly we learn that in the past something very bad happened to the main character Naomi Jenkins. We also learn that Naomi is in some weird relationship with a married man called Robert. When Robert goes missing the police aren't interested so Naomi decides she will tell a serious lie about him to make the Police investigate his disappearance. What begins as a small lie soon becomes something far worse and more twisted. The lie is far more real than anyone ever imagined. As with all Sophie Hannah's novels, they are written back and forth between - first person narrative by the person linked to the crime and third person narrative from the detectives point of view. This style is great but it does mean that you have to pay attention to the story, especially as you are listening and not reading. On a more serious note this book does deal with rape and some scenes are quite disturbing and graphic - however it works with the story, it's never cliched and provides a different perspective on a theme that has been covered so many times.In my opinion one of the best books I have ever come across - You will be thinking about it long after you've finished listening/reading.

Chilling Psychological Crime Novel

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So many twists and turns I was captivated. My fav Sophie Hannah so far! Buy it!

WOW!

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