The Absence of Mercy audiobook

I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads. This was an uncorrected proof copy.This is a suspenseful psychological thriller. Ben Stevenson became the county medical examiner because he didn't want to go to bed every night listening to sirens. Also the slower pace would give him more chances to spend time with his wife and 2 sons. But his life undergoes dramatic changes when a teenager is brutally savaged and murdered. As attacks continue and become even more animalistic, Ben can feel his life spinning out of his control.Since this was a proof copy, I will not comment on any glitches that appeared in the story as they should be corrected in the final copy. There was one extremely small detail that may not be caught though. The author said he got one of his kids a balloon filled with hydrogen. Hopefully he meant helium as it is much safer than using the flammable hydrogen.(The science teacher in me just had to comment on that.)While I have been called reasonably intelligent and have a decent vocabulary, the medical descriptions lost me at times. A copy of a medical text and a good dictionary would have been beneficial at times.I did like that while the crimes are truly horrific, the story never really got overly graphic or gory. There are plenty of twists. While the ending wasn't a complete surprise it was still satisfying. The best way I can describe it is the feeling you sometimes get when you guess your present before you unwrap it. There are plenty of clues to catch and on a subconscious level I knew who the killer was. It reminded me of the movie The Sixth Sense. It is totally obvious after you hear it.I would say this is definitely worth a read. A nice first book.

In a keep-you-up-all-night book, we are introduced to a maniacal killer. This murderer bites his victims, stabs them repeatedly, cuts off body parts and then leaves them to die (if they aren’t already dead). Thus is the new world of the police, families and Coroner’s Office in Wintersville, OH. Dr. Ben Stevenson, coroner is handed the first victim – a boy – and is appalled by the damage a human being has done to him. They have no identity, only what he has on and no missing person reports at first. Since the boy is about the age of Ben’s oldest son, Thomas, Ben is shaken to the core. As is his wife, a doctor as well. She worries about Thomas and Joel, the youngest – more than Ben.The killings continue, then go silent until a pair of high-schoolers snowmobiling find the body that matches the frozen arm left on Ben’s door at his office.A book of nightmares, love and a very crude Morgue attendant. Who is behind the killings? Do they really want to know? Turns out, maybe not. The ending will shake all you believe in. A great tale very well written for a first novel. I’m sure there will be many, many more. Out in December.

The Absence of Mercy: A Novel by John Burley is a very intense suspenseful psychological thriller. It was so hard for me to put the book done and I was relieved when I had time to go back to the story. John Burley is incredibly talented in his development of characters. The story told by the town medical examiner Dr. Ben Stevenson. The setting is in Wintersville, Ohio, a small town where the usual quiet of no bad news was ripped to shreds by a serial killer. A teenager’s body was found in the woods, he was stabbed to death on the way home from school. The wounds were so savage and the victim had no chance of escaping death. Susan, Ben’s wife hears about the murder before him and asks him if he had spoken to Thomas this afternoon. He is late from coming home from school. Ben explains that Ben has a wresting meet that afternoon. Ben has trouble believing his wife’s news. Nothing gruesome like that ever happens in Wintersville. He finds out later that it is true is and he has to do the autopsy. His assistant, Nat is a young kid and is not bothered by dead bodies at all in fact he is fascinated by them.John Burley does an excellent job in setting up red herrings and also gets deep into Dr. Ben Stevenson’s thoughts and feelings. In fact after I realized who the serial killer was, I did not want it to be that person! But then I realized that it could only be that one. I loved how the author shaped the relationships between Ben and his wife, between Thomas and Joel and between Thomas and his girlfriend.I don’t usually feel that I would love to read a book again but this book is an exception! Now that I know who the killer is, I would like the different experience of re-reading that book with that knowledge.This is a gem of a thriller. I highly recommend it. I received this book from Library Thing but that in no way influenced my review. My thoughts and my feelings in it are my own.

Dr Ben Stevenson thought he knew the people in the sleepy Ohio town where he and his wife chose to raise their two children. He was wrong. He thought he knew his wife and children. He was wrong. He thought he knew how far he would go to protect them. He was wrong. If you have a family that you have devoted your life to raising and protecting, this thriller will sneak up on you and hit you right where it hurts. If you think this sort of violence would never happen in your neighborhood, you're wrong. If you think you've seen or read it all, you haven't. If you haven't had a chill run down your spine lately, now's the time. If you are a bit put off by pedantic descriptions of extensive autopsy procedures in the early chapters, hang in there, the story gets better.

Talk about "not seeing that coming!" I really would have liked to be inside the perpetrator's mind. I can't say this was the best thriller I've ever read, but I do know the story will stick with me for quite some time. The what-if's are definitely food for thought.

A thrilling creepy ride! I couldn't put this down til I finished it! Awesome book!

This book was quite a ride! I didn’t get an inkling of what was going on until late in the book. It wasn’t the smoothest, best ending, but it works.

John Burley in his new book, “The Absence Of Mercy” published by Harper Collins introduces us to Dr. Ben Stevenson.From the back cover: A doctor and father in small town Ohio weighs the need to catch a killer against his fears for his family’s safety in this debut psychological suspense novelJust west of the Ohio River, lies the peaceful town of Wintersville. Safe from the crime and congestion of city life, it is the perfect place to raise a family . . . or so they thought.Life as the town medical examiner is relatively unhurried for Dr. Ben Stevenson. With only a smattering of cases here and there-car accident victims, death by natural causes-he has plenty of time to spend with his loving wife and two sons. That is until a teenager’s body is discovered in the woods and Ben, as the only coroner in the area, is assigned to the case. But as the increasingly animalistic attacks continue, the case challenges Ben in ways he never suspects.With its eerie portrait of suburban life and nerve-fraying plot twists, this is psychological suspense at its best-an extraordinary debut that challenges as much as it thrills.A serial killer, a murder mystery, and a medical thriller all wrapped up in one. That can only mean that this is going to be a winner. And it is. Part of the story is told from the eerie point of view of the killer and part is told from the point of view of the doctor. Dr. Stevenson is not in Wintersville for the excitement but, since he is the only coroner in the area, he is called in on a murder. The case eventually turns into a chilling cat and mouse hunt between the killer and the good doctor. ”The Absence Of Mercy” is a very exciting thriller that is well written. It has twists and turns that will keep you guessing. I don’t believe you will guess the identity of the killer and will be very surprised when the identity is revealed. If you do not want to lose sleep then do not start this book late at night.If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.orgDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

**4.5 stars**Publication Date: 3rd July 2014 Harper Collins UK/AvonU.S. Title: The Absence of Mercy – available now.Review copy received via Netgalley.The peaceful town of Wintersville is a place safe from the crime and congestion of city life, where neighbours feel like family. It’s the perfect place to live.But when a teenager is discovered brutally murdered in the woods, it becomes clear that a psychopath is roaming the streets. Dr Ben Stevenson, the town’s medical examiner, and father of two young boys, becomes entangled in the hunt for the murderer, determined to keep his family safe.But as Ben uncovers the dark secrets of his seemingly quiet community, he confronts a truth that will haunt him forever and puts those he loves in serious danger.A clever little mystery thriller this one, with a great flowing storyline and a way of making you read just ONE more chapter before you put it down. When a badly mutilated body turns up in the small, neighbourly town of Wintersville, local coroner Ben Stevenson is drawn into a case that will haunt him and those around him. With an eye cast firmly over the emotional resonance and underlying psychological trauma an event like this can cause, the author weaves a twisted tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.There were some really great things about the way this particular story is constructed – I loved the forensic detail which was enough for a good understanding but not so much that you got bogged down in it. The psychological and physical effects of recovery from a traumatic event was brilliantly done through one particular character’s eyes and this was perhaps the part of the book that got me at the heart. Add to that some great characters and well drawn relationships and you are onto a winner.The mystery elements are kind of secondary in a way to the people that are caught up inside it – as a look at a town on the edge this was fascinating stuff. You choose a safe place to live, you do the best you can to protect those you love – then BAM something happens that makes you realise that those things you once relied on are tenuous at best. The author does an excellent job of making that very real and making you ask the question – how well do you REALLY know anyone, even those closest to you.All in all this is a great addition to the genre and for me, an author to keep an eye on. If the standard keeps up then John Burley will certainly end up on my “must read” list.Happy Reading Folks!

John Burley makes his fiction debut with The Absence of Mercy.In the small Ohio town of Wintersville, Dr. Ben Stevenson wears two hats - that of the town doctor and when needed, that of the medical examiner.But rarely is he called to examine violent deaths - Wintersville is a place where the neighbours all know your name - and a lot of times, your business.Who then could be responsible for the frenzied attack on a local teenager that left him dead in a field? Suddenly, folks are locking their doors and keeping their kids close. That goes double for Ben. His older son was friends with the slain boy. Ben becomes more involved with the investigation, especially when another attack occurs - and the victim is found barely alive.Burley explores the reaction to such a crime through the townsfolk, most notably the teenagers in town and through Ben's eyes - both as a father and a coroner. This is a lot of the focus of the book, as there are not a lot of clues to follow. Instead, things ratchet up a notch when the killer's identity becomes known. While I was not overly surprised at this turn, it did raise some interesting questions. I was surprised at where Burley chose to take his story after that - it was a nice twist. I'm not sure if I liked the ending, but again it wasn't nice and tied up with a bow. I like that. And I liked this debut by John Burley - I would pick up his next book without hesitation.Burley's background is in medicine. This background certainly gives the medical scenes a ring of authenticity. But, after a few lengthy descriptions it also had me skipping further explanations - they were filled with too much 'technical' jargon.The title? "The same was true for the absence of mercy – not because mercy was something such individuals chose to withhold, but because it was a faculty they simply did not possess." Chilling.

*This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.*A serial killer, murder mystery, and medical thriller all wrapped up in one? How could I resist? As a long time fan of John Sanford, I saw this opportunity for review and picked it up right away. The twist of seeing things from the medical examiner and his family's point of view made things hit home a little harder than the usual "single" detective story.The author's masterful use of metaphor had me underlining passages just for the poetic nature of his prose. And although a lot of the medical jargon went over my head, it added a bit of realism to the general plot line. None of the book felt too intellectual to be picked up by the common reader.Now. Not to spoil the plot, but as far as whodunits go, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of real clues throughout the story. It wasn't until after the murderer was suspected that we got real clues to his/her identity. For that, I was sorely tempted to knock off a star. But overall, the reading experience was better than pleasant, and I'd definitely pick up a book by this author again.***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***

I liked this book. The character building was nicely done. The story line was very good. I think the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because of the way it ended. The ending seemed a bit rushed, and there wasn’t really an end. Is there a book two?

John Burley - "Langzaam, sterf langzaam"Ziek, vettige, vieze, spannende thriller!I LOVE IT!5 ⭐️ (omdat meer niet kan) 🙈

Nice easy read, first time reading John Burley. Liked how easy it was to get to know the characters of the book and would definitely read another one of his works.

** spoiler alert ** i initially thought the book was boring when it opened with a very long description from the murderer's perspective of his victim.We then get a view of Ben and his life.HIs sons whom he believes are perfect.But what do you do when your wife hides a truth so dark from you about one of your sons?What do you do when your mind chooses to believe an explanation that seems best suited for your peace of mind?this is their storyben's wife hid the truth of their son from him which lead to these murders coming about.the wife knew and suspected but it was something ben could not fathom.so much so that when his wife and kids went on a holiday to visit his in laws,he chose to stay behind to help investigate the murders that has been happening seeing as he is the only medical examiner avalaible.clues starts to fall in place when the police takes a look at one picture of ben;s family and that leads to his family going missing while on holiday when they go on the run.in the end you see the story close with ben's eldest son having gone missing when his mother foiled his plan to murder his younger brother and ran away,turning in both herself and his younger brother to the us border police