The Favor - Nicci French

The Favor is the latest release from writing duo Nicci French. 

Dr. Jude Winter has not seen her old high school boyfriend Liam for eleven years. She is quite surprised when he turns up at her workplace. He asks Jude for an odd favor, but she feels she can't say no, as he did her a favor many years ago. He asks her to drive his car to a cottage he's rented about an hour away, then later pick him up at a nearby train station and take him to cottage. He'll explain why when he gets there.

Okay, so that premise - there are so many paths the plot could take. I did wonder to myself why she would agree to this odd request - and lie to her fiancé about it. 

But it's the police who arrive at the train station - not Liam. And after eleven years, Jude is immersed in Liam's life - his family, his friends and their tangled relationships. And again, I had to question her decisions and motives. It's just too odd a dynamic to be taken at face value. I can see visit to the house,  but she keeps returning over and over again. And the same toxic interactions repeat themselves. This is where the book really bogged down for me - it was repetitive. I also think I expected more of a crime novel or police procedural. Instead, the book seemed to be an exploration of the relationships of the myriad residents of the house, which are dysfunctional with a capital D. This group also feels like a lot of stereotypes were brought into play. 

The ending brings an unexpected answer for the whodunit and the reason behind it that I appreciated. But it wasn't enough to bump this higher than a three for this listener.

I did choose to listen to The Favor, as the narrator was a favorite of mine. Imogen Church has such an expressive voice. Her voice is clear, easy to understand and well paced. Her intonation moves, rising and falling as she captures the tone of the French's plot and the demeanor and emotions of the characters. She provides many different voices for the characters, making it easy to know who is speaking. Her delivery of dialogue is exemplary, giving me the creeps many times. A wonderful performance. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of The Favor.