A unique take on a murder mystery, with a wonderfully flawed & relatable main character. Quirky, fast-paced and compelling.

My Thoughts

‘Not a Sound’ was a superb read with loads of action and a suspenseful ending that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The positives of this book are the many facets it contains. To name a few: suspense, personal growth, relationships, hearing impaired, an investigation into the health industry. The characters are unique and captivating and here, one must include the relationship between Amelia & her service dog, Stitch, who just about stole the show! I later learned that the attention to detail regarding the hearing impaired is because Heather Gudenkauf is deaf herself. She obviously uses this as a platform to relate her own personal experiences and does it so well.

‘It wasn’t just losing my hearing, it was the loneliness that came with it, the sense of always being separate, apart from everyone I loved.’

Throughout most of this book, it felt like a movie playing out in my mind - Heather’s writing was so vivid - it’s a classic mystery. A fast paced suspenseful read that that will most definitely keep you engaged throughout. The wintry setting is atmospheric and you will develop a great sympathy for the leads, Amelia and Stitch. The hurdles she has to overcome are indeed high, however, her determination to not only rise to the challenge but also learn and grow from it is inspiring.

‘Once in awhile, I’ll sit in my car, turn up the radio as loud as it will go and lay my hands on the dash and feel the throbbing pulse of music against my skin.’

My withdrawal of half at star is only because, at times, Amelia’s thoughts become a bit repetitive. You also feel that she takes on a little too much of the detective work but that was due to her loss of reputation I guess. I also loved the fact that romantic relationships was not a front and centre fact, but just played out in the background so as not to detract from Amelia’s personal journey.

‘I need to focus on the here, the now. I can’t rejoin the living when I’m spending so much time thinking about the dead.’

The climax towards the end, I found riveting You can just see it playing out before your eyes, and as events unfold, you will have to read through to the end! It would be enough on its own, but remember Amelia has no hearing and Heather brings in so many other senses that you can only shake your head in disbelief! Add that to the mix and you can see why it’s captivating.

‘Never have I missed my hearing more than now.’

An easy book to read with so many added dimensions that make it a noteworthy suspenseful tale. I highly recommend this entertaining read for all mystery lovers.

Amelia Winn’s life after her traumatic accident is completely different to the life she enjoyed before. Once Amelia had an attentive husband, a much-loved step daughter, a fulfilling nursing career – and her hearing. Now living alone with her service dog Stitch, Amelia is slowly coming back around to creating a new kind of normal for herself. Taking her kayak out has become Amelia’s daily therapeutic pleasure and the river has done much to assist Amelia with accepting that the world will now forever be silent to her. Amelia is considering working again, and she continues to work on maintaining civil relations with her ex in the hope that she may still have a place in the life of her step daughter Nora.

It was a long struggle for Amelia to adjust to her situation, and the river alongside her cabin home played no small part in her recovery. Her discovery of a woman’s body during her daily kayak is disturbing enough to Amelia, and to realize that she knows the deceased takes her distress beyond shock. This is too much of a coincidence for Amelia who has huge regrets about having pushed so many people away when she was recovering from her injuries two years ago. Gwen had tried her best to keep in touch back then, but Amelia had been in no mood to accept help. Amelia’s new mission is to find justice for her friend.

Hats off to the author for working so well within the constraints that would have been present when writing NOT A SOUND. The challenge would have been not only with what cues Amelia could receive herself but also in relating the expression of others ie ‘he said’ rather than ‘he drawled’ etc. The dialogue flows without any conscience effort needed by the reader to detect any further emotional nuances.

NOT A SOUND has two main highlights; the first is the unique perspective of Amelia being hearing impaired and the second is the inclusion of the dog! Stitch the service dog and his relationship with Amelia is wonderful to read of; Stitch not being the perfect dog in his service role any more than Amelia is the perfect pet owner . Every reader loves to read of pets playing serious roles in novels as that is real life – not many people live without a dog and/or cat.

Mystery wise NOT A SOUND has a small cast and setting so it does not present a huge puzzle to solve. Each step of characterization is carefully placed however and if this is to be the first book in a continuing series, NOT A SOUND is a solid start.

Book blurb...
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?
My thoughts…
I thoroughly enjoyed this story (and not just because it features a faithful canine companion named Stitch). The assistance dog, as a character, added a uniqueness to this novel, which I really loved.
My feelings about the character, Amelia, switched from being annoyed AT her, to feeling scared FOR her, then to cheering her on in her quest (while coping with personal circumstances I could not imagine having to endure).
Creating such a range of emotions in the reader demonstrates how capable this author is at their craft. I enjoy a story written in first person, usually because the pace is such that I cannot put the book down. This was definitely the case when reading Not A Sound.
Not the first time I have read this author and certainly not the last.

Unusually for me I read this book in two sittings as I found it very difficult to put down & desperately wanted to find out who the murderer was & why! That’s not much of a spoiler as the murder occurs near the beginning of the book. The story is told from the perspective of Amelia Winn, a recovering alcoholic who spiralled into depression after a hit & run when the woman she was with was killed, & Amelia’s injuries rendered her deaf. Amelia is on the up after reaching rock bottom after her marriage broke down & she was no longer able to care for her stepdaughter Nora. She is rebuilding her life when she discovers a body whilst out paddle boarding with her service dog Stitch. She is thrown into the investigation & things get pretty close to home putting both her & Stitch in danger.
An unusual book with Amelia being deaf, but she is strong & resilient not letting her handicap get in the way. Her deafness & alcoholism though are used against her to make her an unreliable witness & I found myself frustrated on her behalf & urging her on in her quest to find the killer. A great page turner with a strong storyline & a few unexpected twists, well worth a read!

Amelia Winn was a skilled and dedicated ER and sexual assault nurse when a rogue driver slammed into her, almost killing her and leaving her fighting for her life in ICU. Amelia survived, but was left profoundly deaf. Depressed and drowning her sorrows in alcohol in the two years following the hit and run, Amelia now lives on her own in a remote cabin in the woods with only her service dog Stitch for company, trying her best to overcome the addiction that has cost her her family and most of her friends. When the craving for alcohol strikes these days, she takes her kayak to the vast system of rivers and channels near her home and paddles until her muscles ache and the calm of the water has seeped into her body. But her refuge is compromised when on one of her morning paddles she finds the body of a woman in the shallows of the muddy river banks. A nurse, who was once Amelia’s colleague and friend. Deeply troubled and touched by the incident, Amelia seeks out the dead woman’s husband and discovers that she had tried to contact Amelia shortly before her death to discuss some concerns she had about an incident at work. Is it possible that her work as a sexual assault nurse had put her in the path of a killer?

I really enjoyed Amelia Winn’s character in Not a Sound and, seeing the impressive list of books written by the author, I am amazed that I have not come across more novels by Heather Gudenkauf! This must definitely be remedied (I can see my Himalayan TBR pile growing even higher). In the epilogue to Not a Sound, Gudenkauf says that, like Amelia, she has first-hand experience of being hearing impaired. Perhaps it is this deep personal understanding of Amelia’s daily struggles that make her character so sympathetic and believable. Throughout the story I was constantly reflecting on the implications of not being able to hear even the slightest sound – no birdsong in the early morning hours, not the voice of your loved ones, not the warning crunch of an intruder’s footsteps in the snow outside your house. Even your own panicked voice, calling 911 after finding a dead body in the water, not sure if there is a person on the other end of the line receiving your call. I loved the inclusion of scarred service dog Stitch into the story, who added an interesting and engaging element – and not in the corny, overacting way that animal characters can sometimes appear in other books. Plucky, determined and not easily scared, Amelia made for a perfect amateur sleuth, with Stitch by her side.

Fast paced and full of action, Not a Sound is both a taut and engaging thriller as well as a story of personal growth and overcoming challenges. Being a nurse myself, I could easily put myself into Amelia’s position, wondering how I would fare losing a job I love and that fulfils me due to a freak accident (or was it?). I also take my hat off to the author for mastering the art of including medical terminology and detail into the story in a way that is easily understandable by a layperson but also rings true for medical professionals – it may sound trite, but as with any specialty field, this balance is not easily achieved. Gudenkauf not only brings her characters to life, but also paints an atmospheric setting that made for some wonderful armchair travel to rural Iowa. I just love thrillers set in wild and remote locations, where the terrain, the weather and the somewhat reclusive inhabitants create their own unique challenges. So whilst the actual mystery underlying Gwen’s death may have been fairly straight forward to me (and somewhat predictable), the action-packed cat-and-mouse game as Amelia tries to outwit a killer more than made up for it!

Not a Sound is a character driven, taut and action packed thriller that kept my interest throughout. With its atmospheric setting and sympathetic main protagonist, I enjoyed it immensely and would not be averse to seeing Amelia and Stitch back for another amateur sleuth adventure.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not a Sound is a brilliantly written book by Heather Gudenkauf, featuring Amelia, whose life was turned upside down when she was involved in a hideous accident, leaving her deaf and at rock bottom.

After coming to terms with her deafness and learning to live again in her quiet world, Amelia is enjoying some water sport when she comes across a body on the shore of the woods, a body of a an old friend. Here's where things get interesting!

Not a Sound was a delightfully twisty 'whodunnit' novel and honestly I didn't suspect the killer at all! That's when you know it's a good book and not entirely predictable. 4 stars :)

Emergency nurse Amelia Winn was escorting a victim she had treated to her car when a speeding vehicle ploughed into them both – Amelia’s life changed in that instant. Her horrific injuries gradually healed, all except the profound deafness which affected her. The depression which Amelia suffered spiralled out of control and she buried herself in a bottle, day and night. Eventually she found herself alone …

Two years on and Amelia had turned a corner – her hearing dog Stitch was a constant by her side, she no longer drank; though temptation often hit her. The day she discovered a body when she and Stitch were on her kayak in the nearby river would once again change her life. Amelia knew the victim – she had worked with her and called her a friend. Who would have done this thing? Why was she targeted – or was it a random attack?

Amelia discovered some strange anomalies which started her on a search for answers – and placed her own life in danger. But her determination to find the killer; against the wishes of Jake, her policeman friend; led her where she’d least expected. What would Amelia’s quest for truth become?

Not a Sound is another brilliant psychological thriller by author Heather Gudenkauf. Amelia is a strong character, who has dealt with her affliction and moved forward. Her love for her hearing dog Stitch and his absolute devotion to her warmed my heart. The author has written Amelia’s character with compassion and empathy – the intrigue and gripping intensity of Not a Sound is brilliant; I am loving this author's work. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this novel to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

From the moment I began reading Not A Sound I was fully into it. Heather Gudenkauf pulled me in with her opening scene, and her writing had me imagining clearly the scenes she was setting.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Amelia, who is deaf after an accident that was appalling. It was really interesting to be drawn into a deaf person's world, to find out in a new way what they miss out on. I never thought about them not being able to differentiate emotions because they can't hear the tone and inflections of a voice. I found the phone that translates a voice into written text an insight, and the fact a deaf person is unsure of how loud or soft there voice is when speaking. Amelia is a strong, resilient person, she has known the depths of despair and part of this story is the finding of herself again and taking her place in her world about her.

Her dog Stitch, a service dog, is very much a character too. I liked that he wasn't perfect! He's a flawed character - with good reason! He didn't always do as he was told, but he was very loyal to Amelia, loving and protective and showed how a service dog is so helpful.

I loved the mystery and the untangling of a crime. At times it was a little scary - but not too much. The story moved along at a very good pace, the clues were slowly revealed as Amelia followed the trail. I felt that Amelia perhaps took on too much and that Jake the detective was a little more out of the picture than he should have been at crucial times.

A very satisfying read, one that had me reaching for the book any moment I had. It may be that I don't read mystery/crime very often, but... it brought back the juicy feeling of reading a good book.