Review: Not a Sound

Not a Sound

By Heather Gudenkauf

Published: May 30, 2017

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters—her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again. 

As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?  

New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf has been described as "masterful" and "intelligent" and compared to Lisa Scottoline and Jodi Picoult. Introducing her most compelling heroine yet, she delivers a taut and emotional thriller that proves she's at the top of her class.

My review:

Amelia Winn is a talented and dedicated nurse who specializes in working with victims of assault and abuse. One evening when she is escorting a patient to her vehicle, she and the other woman are hit by a car. The patient dies and Amelia is left profoundly deaf. Amelia turns to alcohol for comfort, a decision that destroys her family. With the help of her friend Jake, she gets her life back together, attending AA meetings and learning sign language. Now she is reentering the work force by getting an office job at an oncology practice. Then while she is out kayaking with her service dog, she finds the body of a former coworker.

I felt bad for Amelia and what she went through even if some of that pain was caused by her own choices. It was good to see that she was able to rebuild a life for herself. It was interesting to read a book from the view point of someone who is deaf and to see how Amelia adjusts to that and how others respond to her. I loved Stitch. He wasn't always the most obedient dog but he was definitely endearing. I also learned about the technological advances for hearing impaired people like phones that will translate what people say into text. 

Not a Sound is definitely a suspenseful story and adding to that feeling of suspense is the fact that Amelia keeps putting herself in dangerous situations. I felt frustrated with her for doing that but it is a common trope in suspense for the amateur investigator to take all kinds of risks in order to increase the suspense. Aside from my frustration with Amelia's risk taking, I did like the book. It is a page turner and while I figured out who the killer was early on in spite of red herrings, there was one little twist I wasn't expecting. 

Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley