Wrong Place, Wrong Time A - Gillian McAllister

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is a first read/listen of Gillian McAllister for me - but it certainly won't be the last!

The premise? "You’re waiting up for your seventeen-year-old son. He’s late. As you watch from the window, he emerges, and you realize he isn’t alone: he’s walking toward a man, and he’s armed. You can’t believe it when you see him do it: your funny, happy teenage son, he kills a stranger, right there on the street outside your house. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You only know your son is now in custody. His future shattered."

Uh huh, I was hooked immediately. But that's just the catalyst. McAllister's plotting and execution are very, very clever. I went in blind on the full description of the plot, and I think the book was all the better for me that I did so. Some may say that one of the plot devices has has been done before. Well, yes it has, in varying forms, but I think McAllister's take on this idea was unique. And she also gives the listener/reader lots of unexpected twists and turns. (Love this!)  

The murder is a given, but finding out that 'why' is a deliciously winding, surprising path. Alongside this runs an exploration of maternal love, the inside of a marriage and the secrets we keep and the things we hide.

I chose to listen to Wrong Place, Wrong Time. The reader was Lesley Sharp and her voice absolutely suited the lead character of Jen. Her voice is low and throaty, the  kind of tone that you lean in to hear. Her British accent is lovely and pleasant to listen to. The speed of the reading is just right. Her voice rises and falls with whatever situation or emotion is taking place. She enunciates clearly. Sharp interprets and presents McAllister's work very, very well. An excellent reading of a fantastic novel. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of Wrong Place, Wrong Time.