Take Your Breath Away - Linwood Barclay

I know I'm in for a fantastic read when I see that Linwood Barclay has a new book out! His latest book is Take Your Breath Away. And yes, it was every bit as good as I knew it would be. 

One weekend, six years ago, Andrew Mason was away on a fishing trip with a friend. And when he got home - he discovered his wife Brie was missing. And despite having an alibi, Andy has always been the prime suspect for her murder, despite there being no body. But, he's moved on both physically and personally. Until a woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to Brie shows up at his old address. And then disappears again.... 

Oh, what a great premise! There's so many ways this could unfold. Barclay keeps the listener guessing from start to finish, with a wealth of characters (all with their own secrets) to choose from for the 'whodunit'. And there's nothing I like better than a good twist and turn that I didn't see coming. There's more than one in Take Your Breath Away. 

I like the level of detail Barclay puts into his settings, his players, the dialogue and of course, his clever  plotting. There are many sub plots and I wondered how the heck they would be woven together in the end. His writing is addictive, making it hard to stop reading or listening. I was entertained from the first page 'til the last. 

I chose to listen to the audio version of Take Your Breath Away. Harper Audio chose to employ a cast of readers to tell the story, which I personally prefer. It's easy to know who is speaking and it feel more realistic. The narrators were Joe Knezevich, George Newbern, Hillary Huber, Pete Simonelli, Michael Crouch, Lauren Fortgang, Jim Meskimen and Karissa Vacker. I've listened to many of these readers before, but have to add that George Newbern is one of favorites. He reads the lead character, Andy, and he was a great choice. He has the most interesting, expressive voice with a somewhat sardonic bent to it. He brings an author's work to life with his inflections, timber and tone. His voice is clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. The other readers were excellent as well. I always love getting lost in a story and listening immerses me in a tale. An excellent performance of an an excellent book.  Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Take Your Breath Away.