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    What You Left Behind
    What You Left Behind
    What You Left Behind
    Audiobook10 hours

    What You Left Behind

    Written by Samantha Hayes

    Narrated by Anna Bentinck

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Five years ago, nineteen-year-old Simon Hawkeswell hanged himself in his family home in Warwickshire, England. The reasons behind his choice remain in devastating mystery, and what's worse, not long after his death a wave of "sympathetic" suicides among local teens rocked the community. But that was then. A short-lived, sinister trend that's faded into oblivion. Or so everyone thought. When a young man is killed in a freak motorbike accident and the authorities find a suicide note on him, the nightmare of repeat suicides once again threatens their village.

    Desperate for a vacation, Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher has just come to Warwickshire for a stay with her sister, Jo, but the atmosphere of the country house is unusually tense. Freedie Jo's son, seems troubled and uncommunicative. After yet another young man takes his life, Freddie disappears and Lorraine knows there must be something dark around town that links the suicides. Finding answers should help her find Freddie, but they'll also lead to a shocking truth: whatever it is-or whoever it is-that's killing these young people is far more disturbing than she ever could have imagined, and unraveling the secret is just as dangerous as the secret itself. 
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateApr 14, 2015
    ISBN9781622316595
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    Reviews for What You Left Behind

    3.5/5

    73 ratings24 reviews

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    • 4/5
      DI Lorraine Fisher has taken her daughter to stay with her sister Jo. The sleepy village however has had a recent spate of suicides, too many in fact. Lorraine's nephew has been depressed recently then disappears. Lorraine is soon on the case and all is not what it seems.My Thoughts:This is the second book to feature Lorraine Fisher and very unlike me I haven't read the first one, although I have it to read. This book however can quite easily be read as a stand alone book as nothing is given away about the first.Lorraine has come across as quite a good character and I will quite enjoy getting to know her and her family more. Sam Hayes has done a good job here, a worthy thriller that on this occasion focuses on family life.There were plenty of twists and turns and I didn't guess who the perp was which for me is always a positive. I don't always like knowing too early. The perp wasn't revealed until quite late in the book which for stops the boredom setting in.The book was an easy read and not too taxing but had enough thrills for the pages to keep being turned. A worthy four star read.
    • 4/5
      Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

      Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher is off on holiday to visit her sister, whose husband has just left her. Lorraine is used to helping her sister through things like this, but she is hardly prepared for everything waiting for her when she arrives in Radcote. The village saw a spate of youth suicides just two years ago, and there are fears it may be starting again as another young man has died in an apparent suicide. On top of that, Lorraine's nephew, Freddie, has been acting strangely and his mother is concerned about him. And when a second suicide is reported not long after Lorraine's arrival, she can't help but try to get to the bottom of what's going on in the village.

      I'd never read a book by Samantha Hayes before this, but something tells me this won't be the last one. I found myself lost in the world of Radcote, quickly invested in the characters' lives, and trying to figure out the truth. And some of the twists here, I did not see coming at all. Once revealed, they made perfect sense, but I wasn't on the right track for a few of them. And to me, that's the mark of a well-written mystery. I give this a solid recommendation for fans of mystery, but also for fans of literary fiction in general.

      There are some heart-wrenching moments and there's obviously some scenes of violence and discussions of bullying and suicide--just as a bit of a warning. But there's nothing particularly gratuitous or too graphic, at least by my personal standards.
    • 4/5

      What You Left Behind by Samantha Hayes is an intriguing whodunit that fans of British police procedurals are going to LOVE. Unexpected twists and turns, a large suspect pool and lack of a clear motive make it virtually impossible to guess the perpetrator's identity. Although it is the second installment of the DCI Lorraine Fisher series, the novel can be read as a standalone.

      Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Fisher's vacation is anything but relaxing when she finds herself embroiled in a perplexing mystery while visiting her sister Jo. Immediately upon arrival, she learns distressing news about Jo's marriage but most shocking are the changes in her nephew Freddie. He is withdrawn, moody and refuses to accompany the rest of the family on excursions. It is soon clear that something is deeply troubling him, but he refuses to reveal what that something is. Jo is deeply concerned about her son because eighteen months earlier, a cluster of teen suicides rocked their small village and the recent death of a homeless youth, Dean Watts, was also ruled a suicide. Her fears are compounded when another young man takes his own life and Jo grows increasingly alarmed about Freddie's state of mind.

      Although Lorraine is also worried about Freddie, she is enjoying her visit with Jo until she receives a disturbing picture that leads her to look a little deeper in Dean's death. While she is at the local police station, the death of another young man is reported and she goes with the lead detective, DCI Burnley, to the crime scene. She quickly sees evidence that foul play might be involved and knowing that Burnley is known to cut corners, she cannot resist investigating on her own. Lorraine's husband Adam joins her and just as they are beginning to sort through the clues, Freddie vanishes and they are pulled in two different directions as they continue trying to make sense of the prior deaths while at the same time searching for Freddie.

      Freddie's story arc is as fascinating as it is frustrating. For reasons that are never quite clear, he absolutely refuses to discuss what is causing his extreme distress and he continues to spiral deeper into hopelessness and despair. Things become even more complicated for Freddie when he tries to help a friend and he unwittingly puts himself in danger.

      While the pacing of What You Left Behind is a little slow, it is an overall compelling novel. The storyline is quite suspenseful and Samantha Hayes' clever plot twists and red herrings keep readers guessing how this terrific mystery will end. A jaw dropping revelation ties up all of the loose ends and brings the mystery to a stunning conclusion. It is an excellent addition to the DCI Lorraine Fisher series that old and new fans do not want to miss.
    • 4/5
      I found this very hard to read at first. It felt a bit fractured and kept mentioning things that had happened in the past which made me think I should have read a previous book first (not the case) but eventually the story found its rhythm and the pace picked up. I figured out 'who done it' about half way through but totally missed the final twist. Excellent ending.
    • 2/5
      I had a lot of trouble. keeping the characters apart. Maybe it's because none of them I found to be like able. Other than his talent for drawing, I didn't see Gil as Autistic. He just seemed mentally slow.

      Synopsis: Two years after a terrifying rash of teenage suicides, the remote village of Radcote has just begun to heal. Then a young man is killed in a tragic motorcycle accident and a suicide note is found among his belongings. When a second boy is found dead shortly thereafter, the nightmare of repeat suicides once again threatens the community.

      Desperately needing a vacation, Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher has just come to Radcote for a stay with her sister, Jo, but the atmosphere of the country house is unusually tense. Freddie, Jo’s son, seems troubled and uncommunicative, and Jo is struggling to reach out to him. Meanwhile, Lorraine becomes involved in the investigation into the boys deaths as she feels there is mire to it than suicide.
    • 3/5
      What You Left Behind by Samantha Hayes is a recommended psychological thriller featuring British Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher, who was first introduced in Hayes 2014 Until You’re Mine. What You Left Behind opens with an unnamed young woman walking away from a horrific motorcycle accident that left her boyfriend dead. "I don't look back. I don't want the memories that will haunt me, torment me in my dreams, soak my bed with night sweats. As far as I'm concerned, I was never a part of this." This is only the first of many secrets held by the various characters in this novel.

      When Lorraine and her daughter Stella spend a week visiting her sister, Jo Curzon, and Jo’s 18-year-old son, Freddie, in the village of Radcote, the vacation isn't quite as relaxing as Lorraine had planned. Jo has recently separated from her husband, Malcolm, and Freddie is moody and sullen. To add to the gloomy mood, there has recently been another teen suicide. Radcote previously experienced six teen suicides in two weeks two years ago. Jo is worried about Freddie, who seems depressed, is heard crying in his room, and may be self-harming himself. Unknown to Jo, Freddie is being cyber bullied and is constantly receiving texts telling him to kill himself.

      After meeting Sonia Hawkeswell, a volunteer at the local homeless shelter whose own son committed suicide, and her daughter Lana, who is a friend of Freddie's, Lorraine decides it is time to begin an investigation into the suicides. Much to her chagrin the chief investigator is an old nemesis and she knows he is incompetent enough to overlook important clues and evidence in his investigations. Adding to the assortment of odd characters is Gil, Lana's autistic uncle who is an accomplished artist, and Frank, a creepy man who works at the homeless shelter.

      The quality of the writing is excellent and Hayes had me hooked at the beginning with the timely plot featuring cyber bullying and the teen suicide cluster, but then the narrative began to wander a bit for me as it turned into more of a police procedural. I wasn't completely thrilled with the character Gil being made autistic and then thrown out there as an odd person who could be suspicious with bad intentions. There are twists and turns in this novel which seem to be all thrown in at the last minute. I also felt like there were a few story lines that could have brought to a conclusion more completely.

      Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Crown for review purposes.
    • 3/5
      A little creepy, a little intriguing, a little twisted and a little dull. Story and plot wise is actually pretty good. Characters though for me fell short. It is a little slow at first but does pick up midway thru and is enjoyable from that point to the end. I'd read more by Samantha Hayes and hope that I find the characters a bit more engaging. Three stars for story.
    • 5/5
      A special thank you to Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (Also purchased the audiobook version). Samantha Hayes delivers a cleverly twisted, and evil psychological suspense thriller WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND, a multi-layered riveting mystery, keeping you glued to the pages of this whodunit—and an array of colorful suspects, as we race to see how they are connected.Set in Radcote, as the book opens (one month earlier), there is a person riding on the back of a motorcycle, referred to as “I”. Readers are kept in the dark as to the identity. As they round the corner of Devil’s Mile, there is an accident, the bike crashes, now a man is dead. To cover up the accident, it was set up like a suicide with a note. The ”I” knows he/she will be arrested, they stole the bike, the I was drinking, driving, and now this man is dead. I picked up the helmet. There was a car approaching, and I vanished.In this town, they previously experienced six teen suicides in two weeks, two years ago. There are a number of characters introduced, so make sure and pay attention, as I found myself turning back to keep them all straight. However, are these straightforward suicides? British Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher from Birmingham is taking her daughter Stella, for a visit to her hometown of Radcote to stay with her sister, Jo, for a much needed vacation. Jo has always called her sister, restless and she never seemed satisfied. Jo has recently separated from her husband, Malcom and she has taken on a lover. Her teenage son Freddie, appears somewhat troubled, lately. Little do they know he is being threatened and bullied with continuous texts, and someone is urging him to kill himself; the shame is keeping him silent; he cannot tell anyone. His mom is concerned he may be hurting himself. How could Freddie tell what he had seen?Jo’s friend Sonia, is a volunteer at a local homeless shelter who son, committed suicide. Her daughter Lana is a friend of Freddie’s. When Lorraine becomes more involved in the case, she knows the authorities will not be able to solve the case in the same way she will, so no vacation – as she immerses herself in work. However, how could two lads commit suicide from the same homeless shelter and what about the second person on the motorbike? There is Dean, Lenny, and Simon and could Freddie be next?Gil is another mysterious character. Lana’s autistic uncle who expresses himself in weird drawings. Gil could have witnessed something and there is Frank a creepy man who works at the homeless shelter. Gil’s drawing appears to be about a gruesome motorcycle accident. Dean was Gil’s best friend and he could have seen who was with him on the motorbike, but who will believe someone with ASD? While Jo is trying to figure out what is going on with Freddie’s behavior, Lorraine is desperate to solve the mystery of the deaths, which may not be suicides and cop hubby joins the investigation. Now another boy from New Hope. There have been thirty-seven suicides in the county in the last year. In addition to being a gripping crime thriller, the author incorporated some good cop procedures, mixed with the mystery and psychological aspects, with twists and turns, leaving you guessing which character can be trusted. Just when you think you have it figured out, boom another bomb is dropped. While I received an ARC, I had already pre-ordered the audiobook. I love British narrators, as find them quite intriguing, and fascinating. With the electronic reading copy, plus the audiobook, narrated by Anna Bentinck; double the pleasure; for an engaging and riveting suspense mystery- Highly Recommend. Having heard rave reviews of Until You’re Mine (DCI Lorraine Fisher #1) have just purchased audiobook; look forward to listening/reading!
    • 1/5
      I thought I would have no problems jumping right into this book. Yet, there was nothing intriguing about the story or the characters. In fact, the first scene with the bike accident barely made my heart jump. It was like it happened and then it was over. I even had to go back and re-read it again as I felt like I was sleeping. For me the story did not get any better. As I said the characters were boring and it did not help with a story line that I found lacking in intrigue. After re-reading sections for about the sixth time I finally gave up on this book.
    • 4/5
      What You Left Behind is a suspense novel set in an English village. Detective Lorraine Fisher and her daughter have gone to visit Lorraine's sister Jo for a holiday. Jo and her teenage son Freddie live in the family home in Warwickshire in a town that had a highly publicized spate of teen suicides in the recent past. Lorraine's pleasant holiday takes a turn when teens start dieing again. This is a well-written book but some parts did not ring true for me. There are some failry good plot twists and the ending took me by surprise. It is a good, quick read.
    • 4/5
      This is an incredibly creepy book with nice twists that I didn't necessarily see coming until near the very end. The author does a great job with the psychology behind these motives with multiple characters dealing with the kinds of issues to induce numerous kinds of violence. The switching perspectives was done well and added to the creepiness factor. My main issue with this book is that the characters (almost all of them) made infuriatingly terrible decisions. I was so frustrated that I at one time almost abandoned the book altogether. Fortunately, I stuck with it because there were some reveals that surprised me at the end. This is not the first book in this series about Detective Lorraine Fisher which didn't necessarily bother me but series purists might want to start with the first book. Overall, it was an interesting if sometimes frustrating mystery/thriller. I received this book from a LibraryThing giveaway.
    • 3/5
      This book should have been just my sort of read -- suspenseful police procedural set in England -- and the recent pre-publication hype certainly paints it that way but, for me, it just fell flat. The story never felt truly plausible -- there was something off-kilter and, at least partly for me, it was a lack of authenticity in Freddie's parts of the narrative. The red herring was a tad too "red" and the twist at the end was truly a surprise -- but, again, a highly unlikely one. All in all not one I'd recommend.
    • 3/5
      There is nothing I love like a British procedural...so I should have loved this book. Why didn't I then?Well, the beginning drags and I never really got a sense I knew the main character Detective Fisher. Without a strong central character, the books seems to just drop along. The situation with her nephew, how he reacts, or rather doesn't, is never believable. And the ending, especially the last twist at the very end...again I just did not but it.Well written,a great setting, but ultimately fell short for me.
    • 3/5
      I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. I would actually give this book 3.5 stars. This was a good thriller - it kept me guessing the entire time and I definitely didn't see the twist in the epilogue coming. The writing style was good - not great but it won't keep me from reading Samantha Hayes' other book. I did feel like I was missing something about the character of Lorraine since I did not read the previous book, Until You're Mine. If you are looking for a fast paced, suspenseful book, this is a great choice.
    • 3/5
      This book was decent enough. The writing was good, the characters were the perfect mix of screw up and “perfect”. But there was something about it that didn’t quite hit home for me. While I enjoyed where the author was trying to go with this most of the novel was very predictable- who died and how they died (and who, if anyone, was responsible) became obvious about two-thirds of the way through the novel. It’s only the twist at the very end (and I do mean the very, very end) that wasn’t completely predictable and yet, somehow, when you thought about it that was the only explanation that made any sense. So, while the book was decent enough and while I could definitely see people enjoying it? For me it was just a little bit too predictable for me to enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
    • 3/5
      2.5 never really got into this one. A rash of suicides and a visit to her sisters, with her daughter Sophie, find Lorraine, a police officer embroiled in the mystery. Her nephew Freddie is acting strange and a grown man with mental issues is telling stories that do not agree with known facts.Not sure why this one didn't click for me but I never really felt the suspense and felt the storyline did not flow that well. ARC from librarything.
    • 3/5
      Samantha Hayes is a master of misdirection as her second novel featuring Detective Lorraine Fisher proves. Lorraine is drawn into the puzzle of a rash of teenage deaths when she visits her sister in an idyllic Warwickshire village. The local police are satisfied that the deaths were suicides, but as Lorraine finds out more about the latest casualty, a young homeless lad killed as his stolen motorcycle is driven into a tree, she is not so sure of the verdict. The erratic and dangerous behavior of her 18 year old nephew suggests that something more might be going on with the area's young people.Everyone has secrets. Adults are having affairs; teens are trying to hide cyber-bullying; at least two witnesses are withholding important evidence. The toxic atmosphere has potential victims and possible murderers near the breaking point. Hayes maintains the suspense until the reveal. I, however, could only give this effort three stars because if one of the characters had not been so inexplicably irresponsible, the entire plot would have unraveled. In such a well-written novel, I wish the author hadn't had to depend on this device to assure her outcome.
    • 5/5
      What You Left Behind, by Samantha Hayes is a suspense thriller set in a small English village. A spate of suicides have recently occurred. A police woman is visiting her sister after another local boy has killed himself. Her sister's soon disappears. The rest is a twisty, turny ride, with a very surprising, shocking ending.
    • 3/5
      I just read the other reviews and because of that I will put " What You Left Behind" aside and read it at a later date. I personally found the beginning extremely disjointed and difficult to read...From what everyone says it begins to make sense closer to the end. I truly hope so.
    • 4/5
      This novel was both engaging, twisty turny and full of characters that were interesting. I never read this author before and I was first drawn to the cover, but what was inside went beyond my expectations. There is something for everyone in this novel...suspense, family, lies and so much more. What a read...4 stars
    • 4/5
      What You Left Behind: A Novel by Samantha Hayes is by a good story by a British author, about a spate of suicides in a small town. The people in Radcote were just begging to heal, and to get over the sock of the young people killing themselves. Suddenly, there was another death. A young man named Dean died on a motorcycle. That too, was determined to be a suicide. The story focuses on Detective Lorraine Fisher, her sister Jo and their families. Jo's young son Freddie is seemingly very troubled and after Dean died, it seemed that he only got worse. When her sister Lorraine comes to visit, things in town heat up and in fact begin to boil over. How many deaths will there be this time, and he question of why might never be answered, but Lorraine can't resist becoming involved. This is a good solid read.
    • 4/5
      This is a great psychological mystery with lots of twists and turns. You don't know who or what to believe and a lot of information that seems to be of little importance gets all tied up at the end of the book into one major surprise. I haven't read Samantha Hayes before and I think that I should have read the previous book about the town and some of the characters (Before you Die) first and some of my questions about this book would have been answered. Now I plan to go back and read the first book and then re-read this book. I think that Samantha Hayes is an extremely gifted mystery writer and knows how to write a story that keeps you guessing and keeps you from putting the book down until the end.
    • 4/5
      Interesting ideas and some suspense but the killer is signposted reasonably clearly so probably not a huge surprise to regular thriller readers. This is my first book by Samantha Hayes and I would definitely read more. The lead detective, DI Lorraine Fisher, is visiting her sister and soon becomes caught up in some local mysteries ... a spate of suicides doesn't seem to add up and we know that at least one of the supposed suicides was a tragic accident because of the short introductory chapter. There are some questions about character development as some of those created seem quite quickly sketched but this is a story about plot and I do think there are some intriguing twists and turns so will try out other thrillers by Hayes.
    • 4/5
      From my blogI love Samantha Hayes, she is a go to author for me. Covers have an impact on readers so I was confused with the similar cover to Until You're Mine (see below), they are similar but not part of a series, possibly same DI but I'm not completely sure. Now that I have read the book it also doesn't do anything for the story. I enjoyed the family story line incorporated in the suspense investigation, well done, it kept you wondering what and who was really involved. I thought the characters could have been flushed out better but I think it was intentional at the end. Gil, is a family member who is autistic and adds to the suspense of the story but is he a reliable character, great distraction. I enjoyed his mumbling's and artistic way of communicating. It was amazing how the family accepted him for who he was but they didn't respect him. Lorraine goes to her sisters house for vacation and when questioning an incident meets up with a Detective that she has no respect for professionally from the past and begins questioning and looking into investigations that may have not been fully complete. Teenage suicides and homeless kids committed suicide and not fully investigated. Does a suicide note immediately mean suicide? You are able to figure out something is going on but everyone you point your finger to, doesn't really make sense, it is a good challenge trying to piece it all together. A very scary undercurrent was the bullying Lorraine's nephew was going through. The family dynamics the teenagers were dealing with was intense, mind blowing at times. I really judge when reading books and think parents are pretty damn bad, it is written on the wall and you're to scared to do anything, the most ridiculous parenting style in my opinion, just let your child die then, WTF is that, ok, enough venting. The story was intense, had family drama, many clues that you will enjoy but misleading so it was entertaining to try and figure out. There were a few, I can't believe it moments, but it was my own bias. The reason for the suicide and or murder, eye rolling. This can be read as a stand alone. All of her books are solid reads, I have gave Tell Tale 5 stars.