What She Left

By: T. R. Richmond

Narrated by: Charles Dance, Daniel Weyman, Emilia Clarke, Imogen Stubbs, Kerry Howard, Roy McMillan, Sean Barrett, Sophie Aldred

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook production of this year's most haunting and unforgetting debut. Brought to life by a stunning array of actors including Charles Dance, Emilia Clarke and Imogen Stubbs, this is a truly unmissable listen.

'If you liked The Girl on the Train then I think you'll like this just as much, if not more' Scott Pack

******
Who is Alice Salmon?
Student. Journalist. Daughter.
Lover of late nights, hater of deadlines.

That girl who drowned last year.

Gone doesn't mean forgotten.
Everyone's life leaves a trace behind.
But it's never the whole story.

"I will stand up and ask myself who I am. I do that a lot. I'll look in the mirror. Reassure myself, scare myself, like myself, hate myself. My name is Alice Salmon."

When Alice Salmon died last year, the ripples from her tragic drowning could be felt in the news, on the internet, and in the hearts of those closest to her.

However, the man who knows her best isn't family or a friend. His name is Professor Jeremy Cooke, an academic fixated on piecing together Alice's existence.

Cooke knows that faithfully recreating Alice, through her diaries, text messages, and online presence, has become all-consuming.

But he does not know how deep his search will take him into this shocking story of love, loss and obsession where everyone - including himself - has something to hide . . .

********

Praise for What She Left:

'What She Left is an extraordinary and bold creation' Laura Wilson, Guardian

'Every month brings another book billed the new Gone Girl, but we think we've found a winner' Marie Claire

'An absorbing, intricate and extremely original novel. It is also immensely clever and intriguing . . . What She Left is beautifully written and very emotionally involving. I hope that it garners all of the commercial and critical success it deserves' Claire Kendal, author of The Book of You

'Guaranteed to keep you guessing' Irish Independent

'A deliciously modern take on the psychological thriller ... a shifting, mesmerising, mysterious story ... very well-written and intelligently realised, occupying a territory half way between literary novel and thriller ... a memorable debut' Daily Telegraph

'An ingeniously original premise ... addictive' Sunday Express

'What a wonderful new voice. What a pleasure to read a thriller that's so ambitious and so full of emotion and suspense. Bravo!' Nicci French, author of The Memory Game and Blue Monday

'Strikingly modern' Sunday Times

'Intriguing and successful ... a crime thriller from a different angle, Richmond's accomplished debut encourages the reader to become the sleuth ... Genuinely chilling' Maxim Jakubowski

'This is how books should be written; full of trust and respect for the reader, allowing you to follow the darker paths and investigate yourself. This is a book of immense accomplishment, thrilling and clever - I absolutely devoured it, and I am left thinking simply that none of us are quite what we seem' Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner and Human Remains

Critic reviews

If you liked The Girl on the Train then I think you'll like this just as much, if not more (Scott Pack)

What She Left is an extraordinary and bold creation (Laura Wilson)

Every month brings another book billed the new Gone Girl, but we think we've found a winner

A deliciously modern take on the psychological thriller ... a shifting, mesmerising, mysterious story ... very well-written and intelligently realised, occupying a territory half way between literary novel and thriller ... a memorable debut

An absorbing, intricate and extremely original novel. It is also immensely clever and intriguing. It kept making me recall how I'd felt watching Twin Peaks. The kind of immediate shock and grief I felt for Laura Palmer was what I felt for Alice. The process of piecing together the heroine's life is so absorbing. I mourned her more and more powerfully as the story went on. What She Left is beautifully written and very emotionally involving. I hope that it garners all of the commercial and critical success it deserves (Claire Kendal, author of The Book of You)

There are a million psychological thrillers out there right now, but this one stands out . . . Richmond keeps you guessing until the final pages in this compelling debut

Strikingly modern

A tight, clever, compelling story ... the reader must act as detective, rebuilding Alice Salmon from the digital footprint she leaves behind (Paula Daly, author of Just What Kind of Mother Are You)

A clever, imaginative and entertaining attempt to immerse the whodunit in the world of social media (Marcel Berlins, The Times)

An ingeniously original premise ... addictive

two of my favorite actors in one book

loved the story very fast paced and exciting. Emilia Clarke and Charles Dance never disappoint. i feel swept up into the story hearing their voices. it’s a nice easy listen mystery. worth the listen and this isn’t even a genre i normally listen to.

Terrible book

What disappointed you about What She Left?

Only listened to first hour and 15 minutes approx. and just could NOT get into the book at all. Nothing about it interested me and made me want to continue.

What could T R Richmond have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I have no clue ...

What didn’t you like about the narrators’s performance?

Just couldn't get into it so may not have been the narrator … just the story line.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from What She Left?

didn't listen to enough to comment

Any additional comments?

Others in my book club started it and took it back to the library so we decided to drop it and choose another book.

Muddled and muddling

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I usually like multiple readers, but not in this case. The primary narrator was sludgy and really difficult to listen to. It didn't help that his character was slimy. The others were breaths of fresh air. I couldn't finish because I was confused about who was who, and found myself not caring enough about who done it or what was done, to continue hearing that grating narration.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

It's always frustrating when a book isn't satisfying in any way.

NO

I just don't want to listen to this book.no no no no Thank you. please delete it from my device. please reimburse me I would rather listen to a book that moves me in one way or another.