The One I Left Behind audiobook

Fate has a funny way of intervening in my life, and if it wasn’t for fate, I probably wouldn’t have ended up with an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND. I attended Bouchercon at the beginning of this month (October 2012), and on Friday, several authors were signing advanced copies of their latest novels, or copies of their just released novels. Out of curiosity more than anything else, since I’d never heard of Jennifer McMahon, I made my way to the hospitality suite, stood in line, had a brief conversation with the author, and walked out of the suite with the ARC in tow. Because I discovered a new author more than worthy of my attention, I have the signed copy in my possession, sitting on my bookshelf.As for the author, I’d have to agree with the Los Angeles Times, who called her “One of the brightest new stars of literary suspense.” And I’d say she does a wonderful job at proving the only rule of writing that matters: With great writing, there are no rules. I’ve never read an author before that bounces between the past and present in alternating chapters, and from what I understand, this isn’t the only novel that takes advantage of this technique. Also, in a few cases, she picks up the action immediately in the next chapter of this alternating sequence. Many writers probably couldn’t get away with this, yet Ms. McMahon makes it work, and upon finishing this novel, I don’t think she could have structured the story any other way.THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND is a suspense novel, but much more than that, it is a novel about character, friendships, embracing the past, place, and relationships. In other words, it’s a richly drawn novel that will leave you well satiated by the time you reach the end. It’s a novel I feel rather lucky to have discovered, yet it’s not a novel I probably would have consciously sought out. So I feel rather fortunate fate intervened and shoved this book in my lap, and practically screamed at me to pay attention. If not for fate, I would have missed out on a bright star in literary suspense, along with one beautifully written novel. As for future reading material, I already downloaded a special Kindle edition of Don't Breathe A Word, and I’ll keep my eye on her backlist.I received this book for free at Bouchercon.Cross-posted at Robert's Reads

I read another book by McMahon a couple of years ago and was unimpressed with the story. This time around I found a strong plot and story along with strong writing. The point of view toggles between present day-ish Reggie and childhood Reggie. I believe the book begins with 39 year old Reggie getting the call that her mother had finally been found. This was news long overdue as her mother was abducted 25 years ago by a quirky serial killer. Except her mother is alive but dying of a cancer. She drops her successful life as an architect and leaves her somewhat promising long time boyfriend to attend to her mother who is disconnected and very ill.The mystery of the identity of the killer/kidnapper is a driving point to the story but so is unraveling Regina. Reggie begins the timeline as a child, untouched by violence and disappointment beyond the fact that she doesn't know her father. She lives with her grandfather and spinster aunt until her grandfather dies and later her mother disappears. With the disappearance Reggie makes discoveries about her mother and the idealization she had of her own childhood. Her home is never safe which is an interesting parallel in the 39 year old Reggie who lives in an impossible house and works in an office accessible only by an impossible bridge. The reader gets the sense that Reggie is grappling with stability and the idea of home. She makes it her life's work as an architect. Without revealing the plot or the discoveries made by Reggie, the book continues in two timelines. Reggie grows into adolescence and discovers ways to forget her sorrows. More than one way. There is also a tragedy in the past that is eventually discussed. One that occurred by accident and involved Charlie's cousin, Sid. The mystery is well laid out. The clues are revealed in good time. Reggie's life on both timelines are gripping and realistic. The conclusion leaves the reader closing the book with a happy sigh as Reggie not only has the answer to her questions resolved but she also discovers a new aspect of her mother that she did not know nor appreciate. Lastly, she has a new definition of home. I am impressed with Jennifer McMahon and her story telling abilities.

The year is 1985. It is the year that Reggie will never forget. This is the time when Reggie should be enjoying being a teenager, hanging with her friends, and crushing on a boy. Instead, it is masked with a serial killer named Neptune. Neptune kidnaps women. He cuts off their hand and leaves it in a milk carton on the police steps. Five days later, he disposes of their body. Reggie sees her mom get into a car and knows it will be the last time she will she her. Yep, Vera is Neptune’s last victim. Only this time is different. Her body is never found. That is until Reggie receives a telephone call. It has been two years but all of a sudden Reggie’s mother, Vera has reappeared in a homeless shelter. Reggie has a chance to finally close the books on what happened to her mother all these years ago. Jennifer McMahon is a new to me author. After reading this book, I plan to check out some of her prior novels. Also, you can bet that she will now be added to my list of authors to keep an eye on. I picked this book up as it sounded intriguing and maybe something that would get me out of my reading slump. Wow, did this book ever get me inspired again. Ms. McMahon drew me in with her writing and the characters. This book was not so much about trying to find out the identity of Neptune as much as it was about the story and my connection with Reggie, Tara, Charlie, and Reggie’s mother, Vera. While, I was intrigued to figure out who the killer was and I thought I had it all figured out. I was even proud of myself as I thought I had it solved before Reggie. However I was wrong and let me say that I was not disappointed when the true identity of Neptune was revealed. This book is a must read! It deserves a permanent spot on your bookshelves.

I want to give McMahon an "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Characterization" prize for her architect character who thinks like an architect for the entire book. Lots of professional gambler main characters use poker metaphor for the first half then mysteriously stop. Reggie is an architect throughout, and one never doubts she's a good one. Architecture's impact the way she thinks keeps being important throughout the book. That's one of many factors in the well-designed feel of this thoughtful thriller. McMahon's books often have a supernatural element, this one didn't and I didn't miss it. There are several story questions woven in throughout, some a little predictable, but overall this book delivered everything it promised. I've read a LOT of "suburban person's past catches up to them" books and a LOT of "normal woman has strange connection to a serial killer" books and this one had me looking forward to the next page. It doesn't break any new ground, but for what it is, it is well-done. If it at all sounds like your sort of thing, I suggest you pick it up.

WOW , this was one of those books that you sit and read and when you have finished you are like OMG , it's over and I want more . The One I Left Behind was a WOWZA novel. The novel starts in 1985 with an excerpt of a murder case - a serial killer nicknamed Neptune. A serial killer who kidnapped women and cut off their right hands , sent them to the police and in four days they were strangled , set naked in a public place for the world to see them. Three women killed , the police etc are still stumped and then a fourth victim goes missing - a woman named Vera Dufrane. Her right hand cut and then the police wait expecting her body to turn up four days later - no body. Fast forward Twenty-Five years later , Vera's daughter Reggie is a world-renowed architect and moved away from home as soon as she could as she didn't want to be known forever as the daughter of the woman they never found. Living her life as planned until one day she gets a phone call , her aunt Lorraine tells her , her mother has just turned up to the Hospital alive and well. The novel then flips to Reggie taking her mother home to Brighton Falls and the house their father and Reggie's grandfather built Monique's Wish named after her Grandmother. Soon girls start disappearing and hands start turning up , has the Neptune Killer rose from the dead and has his return got to do with the re-appearance of Reggie's mother Vera ? . The One I Left Behind is told in parts , one that includes flashbacks to the incident that happened in 1985 and Reggie's memories as she tries to search for her mother , excerpts from a book that was written about the Neptune Killer by crime novelist Martha Paquette and last but not least the present time 2010 in which Reggie and old friends Tara and Charlie try to discover who the Neptune Killer is .Can the threesome work together to solve the tale of the Killer before more victims are taken and can they get to the bottom of why Reggie's mother Vera was spared ?All this and more in the amazing novel by Jennifer McMahon "The One I Left Behind: A Novel".

At first I was really considering this a 3 star book, but the ending just got me so much that it turned into 4 for me. I was so sure I knew who it was and I was wrong. The only thing I didn't love about this book was how much of Reggie's childhood is in it. I feel like McMahon could have cut back on that and made the book shorter/more concise without losing anything. I found myself skimming those sections quite a bit and they weren't very necessary for the ending of the book. Sure it's nice to have backstory, but let's make it more applicable to the ending. Overall though I was shocked by the ending and still love this author as much as ever.

I think if you read enough books by the same author, particularly within a reasonably short amount of time, you start to see a formula. McMahon certainly has one. She alternates timelines, secrets of the past come back to haunt the present, that sort of thing. She happens to be very good at it and the quality of her work is fairly consistent too. Mystery is not my favorite genre, but that's mostly because most mysteries tend to be cliched detective stories with tough macho guys or tough streetwise ladies solving crimes, endlessly, as in serially. The great thing about McMahon's books is that the crime solving is left up to real normal regular (whatever word one prefers) individuals. This makes it much more interesting. There are also all stand alones, which is terrific. Not just mysteries, the author writes literary mysteries, great stories with strong, flawed, well developed characters the reader really cares about and they just happen to be thrown into situations with murder and mayhem. Along with these awesome characters, there is a matter of an equally awesome pacing. Seriously, this woman knows how to write a page turner, she draws you in immediately and doesn't let up, her books are tough to put down and I tend to read them in a day or less. Not sure if I liked this one better than Dismantled (which may have been a bit more bold and audacious), but this is a really good story about a serial killer and is quite possibly the least predictable McMahon's book to date. Very fun read. Recommended.

Whoa...This has to be McMahon's best book YET!It totally held me captive from the first page.One of the best books I have ever read that went back and forth from present day to the past smoothly. I very much enjoyed this book. I hope to read more from McMahon like this. :)

The One I Left BehindBy Jennifer McMahonMy " in a nutshell" summary...Serial killer...bodies without hands...a young girl's mother vanishes...her hand appears but not her body...then the killings suddenly stop for years...the mother returns and the killer seems to reappear.My thoughts after reading this book...This book starts out rather creepy...and alternates between the real story of this serial killer named Neptune and what happened 25 years ago...victims were taken and their hands were found...usually precisely wrapped and the bodies were found later except for one body that was never found. That body was Reggie's mom...Vera...who reappears...ill...homeless...with one hand missing...25 years later. I am not a huge fan of alternating time stories...I sometimes find them rather confusing...and that was the case with this book. I had to keep checking years and stories and I swear some of my ARC's pages were duplicates...but after awhile I was engrossed in the story and used to the dueling eras. It was still creepy. It seems that Reggie and her friends Tara and Charlie were involved in trying to find out what appended to Vera all those years ago. It didn't help that Vera drank...was a bit loose...kept a motel room that no one knew about...and stayed out late with men. Her disappearance was still a shock. So...we are still alternating past and present stories...my ARC still has duplicate chapters...and within the present time...another woman disappears. Neptune is back most likely because he never left.Whew!There is a breathless fast paced quality to the last half of this book. Just know that it twists and turns and most likely you will suspect everyone the way I did and have no clue who Neptune is until the end. Which...by the way...is written in such a way that you can't stop reading until the very last words...oh...and that will be relatively breathlessly. This book is very creepy.What I will remember about this book...I was not fond of any of the characters. Some books are like this for me. Vera was not nice. Reggie...I guess she might be the most normal character...Aunt Lorraine...not very nice either. What I will remember most about this book is Neptune...and that in this book nothing is normal. Really.Final thoughts...This book was fast paced exciting scary absorbing well written...with a unique killer in the form of Neptune. It was just a bit too freaky scary for me. I sort of enjoyed reading it but I really want to forget about it. It's the stuff nightmares are made of...lol.

My first Jennifer McMahon but on the basis of this, it won't be my last. She combines a gripping thriller/mystery with a powerful coming-of-age story and even throws in some universal truths about family. This was superbly crafted and an absorbing read. Highly recommended!

I love Jennifer McMahon's novels - they are always creepy and original! I loved her newest and couldn't put it down!

Another mostly sensational novel from McMahon. This one was more exciting and dramatic than her usual, featuring a serial killer who cuts off the hands of his victims and leaves them for the police, and bouncing back and forth between 1985, when the killings originally took place, to 2010 where his last victim has returned and possibly, so has he. As is typical of McMahon's books, it features central female characters who have major flaws and are in their own ways broken but persevere. The main character, Reggie, is very much all these things, and mostly an interesting and well written character. The story is balanced well with the switches from past to present, and though it takes a long time for there to be any real ideas as to the identity of the serial killer, there are some interesting possibilities between the obvious and not obvious at all. Where the book loses steam a bit is in the latter 20-30%. There are times it just feels like the story is being dragged out, and Reggie suddenly makes some absurd choices that feel like they couldn't possibly work out. Plus, there's a subplot from back in 1985 that adds to the already too many secrets Reggie and some of the other main characters have that felt like it could have been omitted all together. Those minor gripes and the ending being a bit typical, although still written well enough to be entertaining, this was still another in a long line of great books by this author.

This one was engaging and kept me guessing until the end!