The next to die : a novel

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Title:

The next to die : a novel

Author:

Hannah, Sophie, 1971- author.

Barrie, Julia, narrator.

Series:

Spilling CID ;

Series Number:

10.

Summary:

What if having a best friend could put you in the crosshairs of a killer? A psychopath the police have dubbed "Billy Dead Mates" is targeting pairs of best friends, and killing them one by one. Before they die, each victim is given a small white book. For months, detectives have failed to catch Billy, or figure out what the white books symbolize and why the killer leaves them behind. The police are on edge; the public in a panic. Then a woman, scared by what she's seen on the news, comes forward. What she reveals shocks the investigators and adds another troubling layer to an already complex case. Stand-up comedian Kim Tribbeck has one of Billy's peculiar little books. A stranger gave it to her at a gig she did last year. Was the stranger Billy, and is he targeting her—or is it something more nefarious? Kim has no friends and trusts no one, so how—and why—could Billy Dead Mates want to target her? If it's not her, then who will be the next to die? Sophie Hannah raises the stakes with each successive page in this haunting and twisting thriller that reaffirms her place as one of today's most talented suspense writers.

General Note:

Compact discs.

Edition:

Unabridged.

Physical Description:

12 audio discs (15 hr.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in.

Genre:

Audiobooks.

Psychological fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Thrillers (Fiction)

Subject Term:

Serial murders -- Fiction.

Serial murder investigation -- Fiction.

Author(s):

Barrie, Julia,

Publisher:

HarperCollins,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9781982609092

9781982609108

9780062895073

Publication Information:

[New York] : HarperCollins, [2019]

Call Number:

CDB HANNAH

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003390435	Adult Fiction Books on CDs	HANNAH	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

The New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret returns with a disturbing tale of psychological suspense and obsession that hits at the heart of some of our most precious relationships.

What if having a best friend could put you in the crosshairs of a killer?

A psychopath the police have dubbed "Billy Dead Mates" is targeting pairs of best friends, and killing them one by one. Before they die, each victim is given a small white book.

For months, detectives have failed to catch Billy, or figure out what the white books symbolize and why the killer leaves them behind. The police are on edge; the public in a panic. Then a woman, scared by what she's seen on the news, comes forward. What she reveals shocks the investigators and adds another troubling layer to an already complex case.

Stand-up comedian Kim Tribbeck has one of Billy's peculiar little books. A stranger gave it to her at a gig she did last year. Was the stranger Billy, and is he targeting her--or is it something more nefarious? Kim has no friends and trusts no one, so how--and why--could Billy Dead Mates want to target her? If it's not her, then who will be the next to die?

Sophie Hannah raises the stakes with each successive page in this haunting and twisting thriller that reaffirms her place as one of today's most talented suspense writers.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this underwhelming standalone from bestseller Hannah (The Mystery of Three Quarters and two other Hercule Poirot pastiches), a team of British Major Crimes officers, who spend more time sniping at each other than investigating, search for serial killer Billy Dead Mates, so-named because his four victims consist of two pairs of best friends. In the weeks before their deaths, the three women and one man murdered by Billy Dead Mates each found a small white book, with a blank cover and a few handwritten words inside, in her or his possession. Meanwhile, British comedian and author Kim Tribbeck, an obnoxious narcissist, inserts herself into the case. Kim even insists that her strict rules for interviews, which include specifications for exact punctuality and having a "packet of pickled-onion-flavored Monster Munch crisps" on hand, apply when she comes in to help the police with their inquiries. The unsatisfying ultimate reveal will only add to the disappointment of fans of Hannah's much better efforts. Those looking for an offbeat, comic police procedural will do better with Lynne Truss's A Shot in the Dark. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Hannah's tenth "Spilling CID" title, originally published as The Narrow Bed in the UK (after Woman with a Secret), leavens a grim story of a serial killer with the darkly funny narration of protagonist Kim Trebbick. But as in all Hannah novels, the narrative shifts among many characters and plot lines. Det. Simon Waterhouse and his colleagues at the Spilling CID are stumped by the seemingly unconnected murders of two pairs of best friends linked only by the existence of small homemade books they received before their deaths. When this information is made public, the police catch a break, as Kim, a misanthrope comedian who doesn't have a best friend, was also given one of the books before the killings occurred. This provides Simon with a fresh jumping-off point; Kim is intrigued, but she worries that the murderer will be after her next. VERDICT When it comes to complex plotting, internationally acclaimed Hannah ("Hercule Poirot" mysteries) has few equals. Her trademark slow build, as she introduces characters and the threads of their lives, may cause some readers to struggle, but those who stick with it will find the adventure well worthwhile. [See Prepub Alert, 8/20/18.]-Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.