Between The Lines
The Dirty Secrets Club ~ the audiobook
Jo Beckett Series (Book 1)
Author: Meg Gardiner
Performed by Susan Ericksen
Released: Brilliance Audio on CD; Reissue edition (June 2, 2009)
Category: Crime/Thriller
The action begins with the first of a string of very high profile people seemingly committing suicide. As Jo delves into their lives she discovers they all belong to an organisation called 'The Dirty secrets Club', a group of people with dark secrets. The darker the secret the higher their status in the club.
As Jo uncovers more twists and turns in the investigation it becomes apparent the members of the group are being blackmailed and Jo herself becomes a target.
The flashback of Jo's life and the trauma she suffered help to round her out and add to the story.
Performance
Susan Ericksen is the best female narrator I’ve listened to. Her characterisations are extremely good and her readings convey just the right amount of emotion and drama.
Thoughts
Great writing, very good characters and an extremely fast paced storyline. Not your typical murder/suicide thriller as this is told from the perspective of Jo Beckett, a forensic psychiatrist who performs psychiatric autopsies on victims, determining why they died as opposed to how.
Parts of the story seem a little contrived but that didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of a good story. It’s the first time I’ve read/listened to Meg Gardiner but I enjoyed her style of writing and will listen to the next Jo Beckett story.
Jo is a very likeable and interesting character and I like the way little teasers of her past are dropped into the story here and there.
