The Next to Die audiobook

First of all I really need to just point out how in awe I am of the devilishly devious, twistedly brilliant force of Sophie Hannah’s plotting. Like no other. Agatha Christie would have writers envy…On the same point I have to say the “Whydunnit” in this is genuis and is quite simply my favourite whydunnit in the history of all whydunnits. I’m not sure Whydunnit is actually a word but if it is not it should be.With “The Narrow Bed” we also get Simon Waterhouse – one of my favourite literary detectives and a character I adore, although if I had to actually live with him for more than 5 minutes it would probably be me under arrest for murder. He is and has been throughout the Culver Valley crime series a most fascinating character. Again like no other, his quirks and foibles are beyond enthralling, he is in fine form in this instalment and once more I found myself endlessly sympathising with poor Charlie. Although she chose to marry him…..This time he is tracking a killer – one who targets best friends, killing them separately and leaving no clues. The police are stumped, the motive is as elusive as the killer and there seems no way forward. Then a witness appears who believes she may have been targeted..And there you have the thing that changes “The Narrow Bed” from the usually sparkly storytelling you get in Ms Hannah’s writing to a full on firework display. Kim Tribbeck is an amazingly well drawn character and quite simply hilarious. A stroke of genius to make her an actual stand up comedian – I spent so much of this novel absolutely crying with laughter, pretty much from the very first page when she is talking fictional detectives..an ironically clever little part of the book which just sets you up perfectly for the rest.The story has its addictive twists and turns, some more ongoing family and other drama from our usual criminally good main characters -and with the added joy of Kim’s inner monologue and outer often insightful interaction with Simon and Co, The Narrow Bed has now taken over from Hurting Distance as my favourite Sophie Hannah novel.I just adore these. Really great writing, really great storytelling, totally addictive plots and a cast to die for. What’s not to love?HIGHLY recommendedHappy Reading Folks!

Billy Dead Mates is a new serial killer in town. He targets pairs of best friends. Each is given a small white book sometimes weeks before they die. He kills one, then he kills their best friend.So far, the tally is up to four. The cops have no clues, no leads, no motive.Comedienne Kim Tribbeck is watching the television when news come on, with a special report on Billy Dead Mates. Kim sits up and remembers that she, too, received a white book one day a few weeks ago. She was performing in a comedy club and she later found the book. There was one line of printing. However, she threw the book away.Was it the serial killer? Is she being stalked for a future victim? She really doesn't have any close friends and she has trust issues, so why would she be targeted? If it’s not her, then who will be the next to die?It starts with a bang and then seems to fizzle. The beginning is promising, but when it takes multiple pages of conversation among 6 cops debating why his name was chosen and what can it mean. A little page turning on my part and the suspense picked up. There were other moments where the story seemed to lag a bit, but its well worth hanging in there for the other parts.The character of Kim is a bit unique. She does have a sense of humor ... she makes this book infinitely more enjoyable. She is finely drawn and credible. It's an interesting look at friendships and relationships amid the seemingly senseless murders. The cops themselves were a little bland,,,, not what I was expecting.Many thanks to the author / William Morrow / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of this psychological suspense. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I’m a huge fan of Sophie Hannah. I just adore the Culver Valley series or as I call it ‘Simon and Charlie’. It is everything I want from a read; clever, articulate, hilarious and utterly addictive. The latest instalment The Narrow Bed is no exception.It’s not easy describing the story. We have a killer lurking and murdering pairs of best friends. He has been termed ‘Billy Dead Mates’ by the police. There is the absolutely hilarious comedian Kim Tribbeck, who we see has caught the attention of Billy. Kim is dealing with the up coming death of her grandmother on a cancer ward, in a witty humorous and inappropriate way. Simon Waterhouse, our exceedingly clever detective constable is on the case. There is a lovely character Sondra Halliday, a devout feminist who pops up and makes her feelings clear on the ‘Billy Dead Mates’ case. She was chillingly real. And Charlie manages to get herself involved in the case, as well as doing a bit of sister stalking on the side. Who is Billy? That is the question. And will the police ever catch him?Sophie Hannah is a genius in quirky British crime. She is top of the class. Her characters are all a bit weird, perhaps reflecting the eccentricity of us all. Let’s face it, there is no such thing as normal. I think you either get it and love it. Or it goes a bit over your head. The plot for me was a dream. I could completely relate to the motives of our killer. I adored Kim Tribbeck and her lovely comic take on everything. The opening chapters had me laughing and cheering. I would buy Kim’s book ‘Origami’, if this all was real. And I am a little bit in awe of the super intelligence of Simon Waterhouse. He just susses things out, with total clarity, while everyone around him scratches their heads.Wonderful. If only I didn’t have a long wait now, til the next Simon and Charlie adventure! If you like intelligent crime, Sophie Hannah is a must read.Recommended

Reviewed on www.snazzybooks.com I couldn't wait to read The Narrow Bed, the 10th in the Spilling CID series - and (unlike a lot of other things that have taken place over the last week) I sure as hell wasn't disappointed!The characters of this series are halfway to what makes it so amazing; even the Detectives you know are absolute arses (Sellers, for one) are somehow likeable. The main man, of course, is Detective Simon Waterhouse. His character just gets better and better as the series goes on, and in The Narrow Bed we see the full force of his character and how he's so stuck in his ways - how does Charlie put up with him, a question which no doubt confuses many, with an answer that I'd guess is ultimately: he is brilliant. He's a brilliant detective and character, and I love following him as he solves another case.The narrative in this novel is really interesting as for a large portion of it we see into the mind of comedian Kim Trebbeck, quite a tricky woman and not someone I'd choose to be friends with in many ways - though she is very funny (no surprise there though, given her occupation!) and would no doubt be quite a good laugh to go out with. She's evidently written a book of sorts about the 'Billy Kill Mates' case that she becomes embroiled in, and we see snippets of this which offers an alternative perspective to the case. This isn't necessarily unusual for Sophie Hannah's books, particularly in this series - we often find out more about some of the victims and associated characters than we would in other crime series, and I love that. This was definitely a slight shift in its storytelling, though... and I loved it!The story is as complex and twisty as ever, and I managed to get a bit lost towards the end but couldn't care less that my tired brain couldn't work it out - when can I ever? - because getting to the conclusion is so much fun. I could read these novels all day; long live this series... I hope there's many more to come!* Many thanks to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and Sophie Hannah for sending me a copy of this novel in return for an honest and unbiased review *

I love books that feature unusual protagonists, so this one fitted right into that category. Kim Tribbeck is a stand-up comedian who, like most comedians, has a dark side, and some unusual quirks. I loved seeing the world through her POV, and she really drove the story for me.The premise itself is intriguing – a serial killer is on the loose, targeting pairs of best friends. Who knew that friendship could be so deadly! Shortly before their deaths, each victim is given a small white book with a cryptic message that has police totally baffled. Watching the news, Kim remembers an incident a few months ago when an audience member of one of her shows had handed her a similar little book. Mystified, Kim had thrown it in the bin without understanding its implications. But how does Kim fit into this, when she doesn’t even have a best friend? In fact, Kim is a loner, having recently split from her husband, and she is estranged from her family. So what would Billy-Dead-Mates (which is what police have dubbed the killer – don’t you love it?) want with her? Could her life be in danger?I really enjoyed Sophie Hannah’s latest book, especially the chapters narrated by Kim, who was such a quirky, fun character to get to know. Being a comedian, she comes out with the most hilarious cynical quips, and her observations are spot-on. Hannah tries to liven the book up by using different formats to tell her tale: there are excerpts from a manuscript Kim Tribbeck is writing about her life, emails, letters, “inspirational stories”, a newspaper column all interspersed with the more traditional first and third person narratives. There are also quite a number of different characters to keep track of! I initially found some of these threads a bit confusing, but was happy with the way it all came together in the end. I liken my reading experience to putting together a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle – initially all you see is a jumble of shapes, but when it all comes together there is a big collective sigh of “Ahhhh! Yes, I see it now!” – which was quite good fun! If anything, some parts of the investigation dragged slightly and could have done with some careful editing, but I was so intrigued that it never lost my interest. I didn’t realise that this book was part of the Spilling CID series, which I had not read before. Seeing how I really liked DC Simon Waterhouse and his wife Charlie, I may have to pick up earlier books in the series as well!All in all, The Next To Die was a slightly unusual but fun reading experience for me. I loved Kim’s character and would love to see her back in another book, realising that this is unlikely. If you are a reader who enjoys different narration styles and don’t mind getting taken along several plot-lines during the course of the story, then you will enjoy this one. The clever mystery at the core of it all was definitely worth the journey!Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review. *blog* *facebook* *instagram*

The book reaffirms why the wonderful Ms Hannah is one of my favourite authors. Devilishly clever plot, keeping you guessing all the way. The return of the wonderful Simon and Charlie was enough to make it a must read. Involving a comedienne in the story gave the opportunity for a lot of very funny lines, and a couple of witty parts within the first couple of pages gave me no doubt (not that I really had any) that this was going to be a fun ride. As the owner of a small bookshop, the lines "Books don't commit murders. Even the very worst of them. That's why books are so much better than people" resonated totally! Saw that another review called this a "Whydunnit", and the "Why" the murders were committed was refreshingly different and gave the book an extra enjoyable edge to this reader. As you read more of the Simon Waterhouse character, you can see why the author was chosen to continue the life of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot - both have the intellectual genius to see the "obvious" that the rest of the world don't see before eventually revealing the truth for us all.

Beware of strangers bearing books!!Sophie Hannah rarely disappoints and this novel is no exception. The beginning gives no hint of where it is going, being an email from an agent to a publisher regarding a book written by Kim Tribbeck, a famous stand-up comedian.We are then taken inside Kim’s book, Origami, which tells the true story of a series of murders in which Kim becomes embroiled.Kim is a loner, she readily admits that she doesn’t have and indeed doesn’t need friends, although she has been married to the dope addict, Gabe and has also had an affair with the intensely irritating Liam, a man with no personality at all. She herself is not any easy person, not getting on with her half-brother Drew or with her dying Grandmother, Marion.The catalyst to Kim’s involvement with the police comes when she sees a news report which tells of how the victims have each been given a small white book with a single line of poetry inside shortly before they were killed. She realises that in fact she has also received one of these books and so she goes to the police to see if it is relevant.The story then moves between Kim’s book, the conversations and actions of the police, and the ravings of Sondra Halliday, a writer who is convinced that the murders are the work of a misogynist, because three of the four victims are women and that’s what men do!The book is chock full of eccentric characters, from the explosive DI Proust (the Snowman), the brainy DC Simon Waterhouse who appears to have Aspergers, Sergeant Charlie Zailer, Simon’s harassed partner, to DC Colin Sellers, who believes he is God’s gift to women! All are fleshed out and real although one could feel that if the police really had to rely on this lot they would be in trouble; but this is fiction and we like our police to be as colourful as possible.The murderer has been given the soubriquet of Billy-dead-mates, as he appears to be killing pairs of best friends, but as to motive the police have no clue.I really enjoyed this romp through murder and eccentricity mixed with flashes of humour. Whilst you will probably guess the identity of the murderer before the end, I very much doubt that you will guess the motive!Definitely worth five enthusiastic stars!! Pashtpaws Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

My Rating: 3.5 StarsCulver Valley detectives have a difficult job on their hands. Four people have been killed. The only apparent connection is that they were two pairs of friends. Is there a serial killer murdering close friends? The killer is dubbed "Billy Dead Mates" and the case has dragged on for months.Stand-up comedienne Kim Tribbeck has just lost her grandmother. While on the cancer ward visiting her grandmother Marion, Kim spots a little white book. As odd as it seems, it doesn't raise her awareness until she sees a news report about the murders and that the four victims were each given the same books within weeks of their murders.Is Kim the next victim? Kim thinks not because, truth be told, she has no friends, never mind someone close enough to be called a best friend. But, she cannot let it rest and informs the police of her find. Kim is more than frightened for her life. If Kim is not to be the next victim, surely someone else will certainly die.As detectives look for clues and suspects, they seek out any other similarities among the people murdered, but do not want to take Kim seriously. In any event, they pursue every possible angle, but suffer a terrible lack of clues. What they do find are differences such as sex, race and socioeconomic status.This story was definitely exciting from the outset. However, it felt a bit too long with other factors included that didn't seem to connect to the case at hand. As things wrapped up, the conclusion was definitely a surprise. As the primary character was a comic, there was plenty of humor in this book, thus making an otherwise bland story a bit more interesting. The Next to Die is the tenth book in the Spilling CID series. Although I had not read the previous titles, this book did just fine as a standalone.Many thanks to William Morrow and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Probably only 7 out of 10. Too much feminism and very far fetched. Not as good as her others.

I've got to the stage with Sophie Hannah novels where I become desperate to read them, but once I am reading them I don't want them to end. And yet I do, because I need to know what on earth is happening! It's very hard to write about this novel without giving the plot away, which would be a horrible thing to do. So I'll just say that it's up to her usual standard - an insane, impossible mystery, the familiar cast of characters - Simon, Charlie, Gibbs, Sellers, Proust the Snowman, etc - as well as some new ones, and lots of wit, humour and sarcasm. The humour is particularly strong in this one as one of the characters is a stand-up comedian. For the first time ever, I guessed who did it and why (though not until towards the end), so I felt rather pleased with myself, as I usually have no idea until Simon explains everything. But that's not a detraction from this story in any way. If you're a fan of this series, you will love it - and we get to find out more about the Liv and Gibbs mystery too!

When elusive serial killer Billy No Mates has reached a body count of four, speculation is rife as to why these particular victims were murdered, add in a feminist newspaper columnist determined to call the deaths femicide, despite the fact one of the victims is a man, spinning her agenda on the back of these atrocities, the plot only thickens as a fifth victim emerges. What can possibly link the victims and who is Billy No Mates? This is my first book from this author and maybe this one is the wrong book to start with when commencing a long running detective thriller series, but I can't say I disliked or hated it. it was ok, I understood the humour and the irony throughout, but none of the characters grew on me. I found the story unnecessarily long and by the time I got to the end I'd guessed the culprit if not the motive. I suppose my main bug bear is that I wanted to like this book more than I did; it had most of the major components I favour in a good book, however, it lacked an x-factor I cannot put my finger on. Still, despite these feelings it's still an entertaining read.

The Next to Die by Sophie Hannah is a highly recommended, layered mystery and police procedural.A Police task force from across England is fervently trying to find a psychopathic killer. They have given the killer the moniker of "Billy Dead Mates" because he appears to be targeting pairs of best friends. Before Billy kills them, he gives each of them a hand-made white book with one line from a poem in it. So far two sets of friends have been killed and the police are at a loss to explain why these two specific pairs of friends were targeted and any connection between them.Stand-up comedian Kim Tribbeck hears about the search for Billy Dead Mates on the news and comes forward with even more puzzling information: she received one of the little white books at a gig a year earlier. She threw it away, thinking it was just something from a deranged fan. Then, after seeing the report, she remembers seeing another white book on the bulletin board of the cancer ward where her grandmother was dying. The police are even more baffled at Kim's information. Kim was not a friend to her grandmother and really trusts no one. Why would she be given a book? Why would she be targeted for murder?The chapters alternate between several characters, excerpts from Kim's book called Origami, based on her experiences with the Billy Dead Mates killer, emails, short stories, letters, and magazine columns. Along with the major question, who is Billy Dead Mates, there are several other investigations ongoing and a rabid journalist who claims the murders are all femicide by a deranged, misogynistic man (never mind the one male killed). There is a lot going on in this book and not all of it has to do with Billy.I liked the chapters that were excerpts from Kim's book and from her point-of view. Kim is a great character, interesting, funny, observant, quirky, and unique. She is really the glue that will keep most readers sticking with the novel. At first the various narrative threads from all the characters have the potential to seem a bit confusing, but eventually they all get sorted out and a larger picture will begin to emerge. Some of the various threads could have been left out, resulting in a much tighter plot (although readers of the Spilling CID series of novels won't have any issues keeping the characters separate.)Hannah provides a complex, clever plot with some memorable characters in The Next to Die, which should please most readers. She excels at developing all the characters, while keeping you guessing about who the killer might be and why Billy chose the victims as his target. The final solution about who and why is worth the journey.Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/0...

What the hell...so crazy and enjoyable. Hannah throws out a ton of quirky details, and readers try to keep track. But there is no way to solve her loony crimes! I read this with the Libby app on my phone.

I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 because I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there's less of the CID in this one, but I think this author gets better with each offering - so a 5 it is!

This was a 5-star crime novel for me--until the end. The killer's motive was downright silly and unbelievable (view spoiler)[(and this from a book person) (hide spoiler)]. I also didn't realize this was part of a series, so the subplot about Charlie's sister was completely unnecessary and irrelevant to the mystery for me, taking away from an otherwise interesting story. And I wish it would have focused on one or two main police detective protagonists instead of four or five--more like Tana French--to keep them distinctive and make me invest in them. I might have cared more if I had read previous books in the series, but I'm not sure. Maybe I'll go back, or maybe I'll just seek out the standalones.