‘He did kill. Kill and kill and kill.’
Tess’s number one priority has always been her three-year-old daughter Poppy. But splitting up with Poppy’s father Jason means that she cannot always be there to keep her daughter safe.
When she finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter’s brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. Something that her young mind is struggling to put into words.
But no one will listen. It’s only a child’s drawing, isn’t it?
Tess will protect Poppy, whatever the price. But when she doesn’t know what, or who, she is protecting her from, how can she possibly know who to trust . . . ?
Book Information: Pages: 461. Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK: Publication Date: 16 Sept 2021. Listening Length: 9 hours and 50 minutes. Narrator: Olivia Vinall
About the Author:
Nicci French is the pseudonym of English husband-and-wife team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, who write psychological thrillers together.
My Review:
My thanks to Netgalley for the audio version of THE UNHEARD.
This is another standalone thriller from the husband and wife team Nicci French and one I literally couldn’t stop listening to once I had started it.
Tess is a newly separated single mum to her precious 3 year old daughter Poppy. Her ex Jason is remarried and they appear to be handling the split well and ensuring Poppy’s well being and happiness is their number 1 priority.
After Poppy has spent the night at her father’s house, Tess discovers a drawing by Poppy depicting dark and disturbing images. When Poppy’s behaviour quickly deteriorates, she begins to wet the bed, swearing and becoming aggressive Tess starts to worry what Poppy may have witnessed.
Without giving anything away here, this story kept me absolutely HOOKED, I wasn’t sure what direction we were going in, was Poppy imagining things, hearing voices from the other side, behaving as a toddler would whose parents have just split or had she seen or heard something so violent her young mind couldn’t cope?
Tess becomes completely and utterly obsessed with finding out what happened and convinces herself that Poppy is somehow involved in a crime. When she starts to dig deeper, her suspicions and fears direct her to her ex-Jason which leads her to discovering the truths about their past relationship.
I was quite shocked at her behaviour especially when she tried to get the police involved and then entangled herself in an ongoing murder investigation. There is no doubt Tess’ behaviour bordered on unstable and irrational, but I found it was easy to feel sympathy for a mother who only wanted to protect her baby girl.
I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone and thought the narrator did an excellent job.
