What She Knew (Jim Clemo, #1) in Audiobook Junkies

Mar 31, 2016 Clare rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reading-challenge-read, 2016-audio-500-challenge

Listened to in audio format.

Burnt paper sky is about the abduction of 8yr Ben Jenner.

Every Sunday afternoon Rachel Jenner and her son Ben take their dog for a walk in the local woods. One afternoon Ben asks to run ahead to the swing. Rachel reluctantly agrees and Ben runs off, when she walks to the swing there is no sight of Ben.

She calls the police and the case is led by DI Clemo. Clemo is having a secret relationship with DC Emma Chang who work at the same station. Clemo asks for Chang to be R ...more

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Dec 01, 2015 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

This story about the disappearance of a child focuses on not just the search for the missing boy but also the emotional effects of the crime on all involved. It alternates between the perspectives of the boy's mother, Rachel and the lead detective Jim Clemo. Both the female and male narrator were very good and I think listening to the audio version complemented and enhanced the story. With each new development Rachel loses trust in those around her and everyone becomes a suspect. The police and ...more

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Mar 03, 2017 Stacy Boyles rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017

Good book. I liked the story and the characters but I didn't care for some of the writing style. The counselor speaking with the cop throughout the book threw me off. I think it would have been better without this and it would have shortened the book which would not have been a bad thing.
I liked the story but it felt disconnected at times. ...more

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Oct 31, 2018 Darlene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018, audiobook, library, debut, overdrive, audio-1000

This book is every mom's worst nightmare!

Rachel takes her son, eight-year-old Ben, to the park and he begs to run off ahead of her as children often do. She allows him to do so, and then he is gone. The police are called, and a search turns up Ben's clothes. It is evident that someone has taken him.

I really felt for Rachel. The public scrutiny is unfair, and she's labelled a bad mother for allowing Ben to run ahead without her. The story is told through dual points of view from Rachel and Detec ...more

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Aug 20, 2015 Samantha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This story is set in Bristol and is themed around the abduction of an 8 year old boy - Ben Finch, we read the story from a year ago. Throughout the story it is told from two perspectives, which change each chapter Ben's mother and D.I James Clemo. Through these perspectives we learn a lot about both characters their feelings on the abduction, how it is effecting them but also we see other characters thoughts through it.

Rachel, Ben's mother is struggling emotionally from the divorce of her husba This story is set in Bristol and is themed around the abduction of an 8 year old boy - Ben Finch, we read the story from a year ago. Throughout the story it is told from two perspectives, which change each chapter Ben's mother and D.I James Clemo. Through these perspectives we learn a lot about both characters their feelings on the abduction, how it is effecting them but also we see other characters thoughts through it.

Rachel, Ben's mother is struggling emotionally from the divorce of her husband surgeon, Paul Finch. Every Sunday Ben and his mother walk their dog Skittle through the woods, Ben is desperate for some more freedom, even if it is just to walk ahead of her with Skittle. Rachel is wary, always has been and thinks she should let go a bit and this Sunday in particular she grants him the freedom he wants so much. Ben skips ahead with Skittle and says he will meet her in the park. When Rachel gets to the park she can see the swing swinging, she thinks Ben maybe playing with her but she later discovers he isn't anywhere to be seen.

Throughout the book you go through lots of emotions, you don't know what has happened to Ben and everyone becomes a suspect to you, there are small seeds that are planted in your head and you decide to follow the route, only to discover you were wrong and your attention changes to someone else. With the impact of the internet and social media, you see what an impact this can have on a case and how easily you can get drawn into it and allow others to influence you. It is easy to see what damage it can cause and how it can change the public perspection on something.

Sometimes I felt things were being exposed about the family that may not have been necessary and have any relevance on the case, however it became clear why these were important and how it helped develop the whole picture of the case and the characters.

I enjoyed the mixing up in the way the story is told, we read emails, transcripts from DI Clemo's psychologist, internet blog posts and online newspaper extracts. This made the story more real for me I think and emphasised the importance of the media in a case like this. I also enjoyed the introduction to each chapter (A different day) this began with a quote, an extract from an article or a website post on missing children.

I thought this was a brilliant 'who dun it', which had me guessing right up until the end. It really pulled me in as a reader and although it is 465 pages long, it is a quick read. Most of the time stories that are this long I can loose interest in or feel intimidated by the size of them. This I managed to read in a couple of days, it is quite possible to read in one or two sittings though. This is very face paced, the characters are developed brilliantly and they are believable.

This is an outstanding debut novel for Macmillan and I look forward to reading more from her. If you haven't read this book and are wanting a psychological thriller, this is a must to pick up. It is thought provoking and you will want to talk about it with everyone.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 24, 2021 Eadie Burke rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2021, audio-2021

Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It's an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry until Ben vanishes. The story is told in two POV, Rachel and the investigator, DI Jim Clemo. The book starts out slow but soon takes off and deals with the pain and panic of having a missing child. In the end the kidnapper was a surprise to me. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in The ...more

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