The flood, set in Scotland and first of all, the narrating was done great. The accents were great and added a lot to the story.
The story told is about Fiona who lost her parents in a not traditional way and has been told to take a break from the police department. She decides to go back to where she grew up and stay with her aunt in a rural farmers community. A flood breaks the peaceful atmosphere and soon the well needed peace Fiona needed is gone, when she founds a man in the water. The problem is that he didn't drown but was killed.
As the flooding gets worse and all the familiare trying to save their livelihood and themselves, Fiona is trying to find out who the killer is. Nobody knows she is with the police and for her own safety it might better stay like that

Listening to the book, told with the accents, made me feel in a rural place where it is dark, flooding and you don't know you can thrust, while you are in a situation that thrust is what you need to get out alive
It is my first book by this author and have very much enjoyed the story and its characters

Quite enjoyed this first Audio book of the Fiona Macleish series so will look out for others
Lots of twists in the story line which is what I like

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen to this book

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Flood
GN Smith

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the first time I've read a book by this author and I was really intrigued by both the dark cover and intriguing blurb.

This is book 1 of the Fiona MacLeish crime thriller series.

Fiona is staying with her Aunt Mary in the remote Scottish borders when an oncoming storm threatens to flood the nearby river and properties around it.
Fiona and Mary are just clearing out to travel a safe distance, but wonder about the elderly couple in the neighbouring property.
When Fiona goes to check if they're ok, she finds George dead and his wife missing - George, looking as though he'd been murdered!

This was a very slow burn murder mystery which although it had it's moments of real tension, I was not on the edge of my seat or on high alert throughout.

There was a fair cast of characters to explore and it was really good to get into their backstories and see their personalities change and develop over the course of the book.
I also enjoyed seeing the dynamics between the different families. Not all were locals, some older, some younger and all with different backgrounds which made for some interesting bickering once things started to get tough.
I also had no clue who the murderer was or why and went through various scenarios whilst reading.

The setting was obviously very limited, being blocked in by the flood, trees and landslides meant that all the action occurred in and around the local farm, whose buildings were on higher ground and as yet, clear of the flood waters.
This, at first, created a great atmosphere and provided some tension - but I found that the survival attempts got a little repetitive after a time.

I liked that I never worked out who was killing or why, until it was revealed? There were so many interlinking stories that it was impossible to work it out before being given all the information and seeing the different threads come together.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I just dipped in attention at the start of the last third, before it picked back up.



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

A very atmospheric thriller/mystery loved the characters in which Helen McAlpine bring to life with her accents in this audiobook. A few twists along the way, you get a very enjoyable listen. I was given this audiobook from Bookoutre audio for a review thank you I thoroughly enjoyed.

I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the narrator. The accents really added to the story and helped get to know the characters.

The book started off strongly with PC Fiona McLeish visiting her aunt in the Scottish Borders. Storm Odin hits and with water levels rising she checks on a neighbour to discover he has been brutally murdered and his frail wife is nowhere to be seen.

Fiona and Aunt Mary seek refuge at a nearby farm with a small group of locals knowing that one of them is a killer. As more bodies appear and the water levels rise, Fiona tries to identify the killer and keep the rest of the group safe.

There was a lot of repetition throughout the book and I had to listen to a few parts again as I lost concentration when not much was happening. It gave me The Mousetrap vibes but the twists just didn't surprise me enough. There were some really good chapters that made me want to keep listening and I enjoyed the ending and how it left some mystery for the 2nd book in the series.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review :)

I enjoyed listening to this and felt the narrator really added to the atmosphere.

It's a well thought out plot, a cracking setting and the family links and relationships throw in a bit of vulnerability for that extra tension.

That said, I thought it was a little repetitive, this took away from that tension and jarred me out of the story a few times.

All in all, a good one yo get your teeth into on a dark night.

The story line is brilliant slightly slower than I expected but no boring parts and kept me guessing to the end. Great author Can't wait for the next one!⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Flood by G.N. Smith. This book was a bit slow in the first half but once the 2nd half started - it didn’t stop! I was SHOCKED by the twists! Never saw them coming! I do wish the beginning had a bit more action. I would definitely read more in this series though! Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this crime thriller, especially because of the audiobook narrator, who was outstanding. I must say that this narrator is the best narrator I have ever heard, as she has an amazing voice, which could portray every single character and accent in a wonderful way. I was really amazed by this narrator! Her male voices really sounded male, and her older person's voices really sounded old. It was like having a whole cast of narrators, even though it was just one narrator.

The story was really great, although I found the repetitiveness of the book a bit distracting. That is the only part of the book I would change. I found the book very fast paced, and full of tension and suspense, with a lot of action and a lot going on at all times.

Fiona MacLeish, a Scottish police detective finds a body on the floor of her aunt's neighbour's house, but there is a big storm outside, which has caused a huge flood in the area, so she is not able to do much for him, as her and her aunt are trying to escape the storm. They meet up with other residents once they get to relative safety, and they all have to work together to get out of the flood, and to find out who the murderer is.

This is a great book, which I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Police constable Fiona MacLeish is on a break from police work. She’s never recovered from the murder of her parents, and now she’s returned to her childhood home in the Borders where she grew up with her aunt. A flood it’s the small village, and Fiona discovers the body of one of her aunts neighbors. But this man didn’t drown he was murdered. With the weather getting worse and the water still rising, the killer is on the loose, can Fiona find the courage and fortitude to help save the people of her small community?

This book is the first of three in the Fiona MacLeish Police series. Fiona is a Scottish Police officer taking some leave from her post after the death of one of her colleagues. The book is set in the Scottish borders where Fiona is staying with her Aunt Mary. During her stay a huge storm causes a flood that traps all the residents of the valley and a series of murders occur. One of the residents is a murderer, but which one?
Whilst the book was very well narrated with wonderful Scottish accents I did find the plot a little slow and somewhat repetitive at times. A definite slow burner but nonetheless an enjoyable read and I will look out for what comes next from the series.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this book and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

The Flood (A Fiona MacLeish Crime Thriller Book 1)
A totally unputdownable crime novel by G.N. Smith
Narrated by Helen McAlpine
Listening Time 9hrs 34minutes
Publisher Bookouture
Publication Date September 22, 2023

First I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for giving me the opportunity of listening an advance copy of this audio book. This is my first book by author G.N. Smith. This book is 1 of 3 in the Fiona MacLeish series. The protagonist Fiona is a Scottish Cop who was force to take some time off back home with her Aunt Mary after the dead of her co-worker. During her time off at her aunt house a storm cause a flood that traps all the residents of the valley and a series of murders occur.

This a slow burn crime fiction pack with suspense, I couldn't stop myself from listening.
The narration work on this audiobook was great, love the Scottish accent of the narrator.

I am looking forward to read the remaining books on this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook.
I enjoyed the narrator. It took me a while to get used to her accent, but it was authentic and I think she did a brilliant job. The premise of the story was great. Unfortunately, the execution left more to be desired. The cadence of this story was very slow. It felt like I was waiting forever for something to actually happen. It was very challenging to try to make it through this audiobook. Ultimately, I made about half way with difficulty and DNF.

The first on a series featuring Scottish copper Fiona who is on a forced sabbatical in the eildnrst of scotland when a flood tskes plac.
The nartator did a pwefect job and it was an easy listen with good distinction of chatacters voices and teal emotion making the story come alive.. what i loved about this listen was the pacing was so spot on and i understood and believed in fiona throughout the clever twists and turns and flaws of each character kept me hooked. Fiona backstory was touched on a fair bit and i gueese it has jooked me in to the swries as i would like to see it resilved.
I was listening intently to this and when the ending came it seems to be over too quivkly i wanted to know more.
A smashing opener look firward yo the test. Thanks to net gallwry publisher and narrator this is a solid 5 star listen or read highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a DNF for me. It was way too slow and not as much like the summary as I expected.
I liked the setting but that was about it.

UGH. This had a lot of potential but ultimately fell flat.

What I liked: the "who done it" storyline that takes place during a terrible storm in Scotland.

What I didn't like: the story telling itself - it was sooo repetitive, I wanted to rip my hair out. There was also a lot of "telling" and not "showing". Idk, it just really didn't work for me.

Narrator was great though!

I enjoyed this book and thought what a good idea to set the murders happening while a town is getting washed away in a storm. It certainly added to the tension.

What I didn’t like was things being repeated. We get it! she joined the police force to become a detective and solve her parents murder.

I loved the narrators accent and would listen to more read by her.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book.

The suspense, the chills, the action, the twists! I was glued to my ear buds as I listened. Wonderful narration (I am a sucker for that Scottish accent!). Fiona is a great protagonist, and I can't wait for more in her saga.

So this was my first book/audio by this narrator and I wasn't sure initially but yes it was worth it really good . It is such an amazing premise and really works I was there in the flood in the Scottish farming community. Slowly secrets come out and all is revealed. Really good listen.

The narration really worked it just got so involved in the story..

The aunt was amazing - and I so loved her voice.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and Bookouture but the review is entirely my own.

A thoroughly enjoyable mystery thriller in the first of a new series, we meet Fiona MacLeish a feisty young police woman, forced to take a sabbatical back at home with her Aunt Mary in the beautiful Scottish Borders, I could smell the air, even though there had been an awful flood, and multiple deaths, that Fiona has to solve while keeping the rest of her neighbours and her beloved Aunt Mary safe.

While it’s gripping, and terror filled. This sits well within my “cozy mystery” ranks. Helen McAlpine, as always provides fantastic narration and really gives voice to the characters. I’m looking forward to what comes next from Fiona.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookature Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.