Audiobook Review: Everyone Knows But You by Thomas E. Ricks, Narrated by Graham Rowat

A short, audio mystery that, unfortunately, didn't quite hit the mark for me. While the production quality was excellent, I found the narration peculiar; Rowat's consistently cheerful tone felt out of place given the mystery genre, diminishing the tension and intrigue that one typically expects from such a story.

The narrative itself often deviated into lengthy descriptions of people, places, and fishing techniques. While some listeners might appreciate this detailed world-building, I felt it detracted from the central mystery. The pacing suffered as a result, with the mystery seemingly reaching an abrupt resolution around the 90% mark, making it feel rushed and somewhat anti-climactic.

Overall, the story came across to be filled with more focus on the setting than on the plot's progression. This might work better for listeners looking for a light, undemanding mystery where they can enjoy the atmosphere without needing to engage deeply with the plot.

Perhaps this audiobook is the first in a series and might improve in subsequent installments. For now, though, it seems best suited to those who prefer a short, straightforward mystery without too many thrills. Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, the author, and the narrator for providing the audiobook.

Rating: 3.5/5

Seeing that a book is set in Maine will always stir my curiosity. I always want to see if a book is able to capture the vibe of my state. I never thought I'd encounter the situation where a strong sense of place would be the problem for a book. There are things that this book does very well. I just don't believe any of them service the narrative in the way the author intended.

Let me start with the positive. It is clear that Rick has a passion and love for the area. He delves deeply into the industry details, local and indigenous history, as well as geography. There are many great details about the ecology and even things like yes, basketball is that big of a thing here. I had also never considered the local view of ranking people to a caste system, but that's not far off. I will forgive the creative liberties when it comes to liberal drug and alcohol use as I can't claim that people in rural areas aren't a little lax about certain types of things, but I'd rather say not to the extent implied by a character or two. It was a pleasant surprise. It tries very hard to flush out the environment so that this isn't just a 'small town rejecting foreigners' story line.

The details in which he poured so much care into kept leading me to believe he would have written a very successful historical fiction if he so desired. It also makes this a great book for anyone you know who loves, has an interest, or is bound to visit Maine.

Unfortunately, there is so much energy put into showing people about the state that it feels like the actual mystery and character development are only secondary to this passion. There are also small details that may be obvious tip offs to a resident but be lost on someone not familiar for the history.
That, or it's just an oversight. (Please see end of review if interested in a slight divergence concerning two elements that are rather state-resident specific 'wait...hold on' notes)

To be frank, while there is great attention of detail in the area, and it is a serviceable local crime story, it lacks the finesse and charisma of those with a strong background in the genre. It spends so much time paying homage to the state that it fails to put the same energy into building the layers of the crime and backstory. They felt more thrown in there. I kept getting the impression that this was more a story about someone finding solace and trying to heal, to get to know the area, than someone caught up in a murder case. There were so many informational detours and sections that even if they weren't felt like abrupt POV changes that it was hard to keep focused on the crux of the matter. By the time the reveals started to fall into place it was more an 'oh. okay, I guess' reaction rather than an 'Oooh how did I miss that'.

I wish I could say that was the only weak point. Creative license is important. Sometimes you need a plot device. But as a resident of a town smaller than even the one in this book but with strong ocean and community ties, I can assure you that no one who is one of the 'real' residents is ever goin to open up so much so quickly to an outsider. They might if it meant bringing someone to justice for 'hurting one of their own'. You are not going to have someone who's dealing squeal on their entire operation. This is equally true if you are even mostly clear of personal implication. Any local dealers who ever did tell were as part of a bargaining chip, usually targeting competitors, and they instantly ruin their reputation at home which essentially destroys many of their venues.

the absolute tipping point for me, however, was the epilogue. i am normally cautious of mysteries written by men as more often than not there is a very specific type of use of certain categories of characters that I'm not fond of. I appreciated the author's lead having respect and depicting a strong and hard working woman. The conversation they have about relationship structures was incredibly appreciated. But holy hannah, out of the blue thrown in your face at the last minute...quite frankly if felt rushed and just thrown in to have it be there. Honestly? I found myself a little disappointed by the conclusion and angry at this type of scene just being duct taped on.

I don't want to discourage people from picking this up. Despite all these issues I would still consider another book by this author. If I understand correctly he is highly acclaimed in non-fiction and I can see those footprints here. I think a lot of these flaws come from it being a debut in such a different genre. There is a lot of potential here, and room to grow. This particular story just wasn't very successful for me.

I will give this three stars due to appreciation for trying to bring the vibe of Maine to readers, but for a mystery/crime/thriller reader, I'm sorry to say the experience was lower.

local nitpicks:
I am not a tribal member, but I try to educate myself on indigenous histories. So I do appreciate the care Rick took to provide some history of the area where they were concerned. Unless it is a great gap in my knowledge or I am mishearing the narrator, he even goes so far to build an original tribe as to not inadvertently infringe or project traits upon an existing people. But for all his research there were two things of a superficial nature that were used as plot devices that really through me off. Superficial for most readers, but I can't help but note them in an attempt to clarify this.

There's one section where a representative of the Passamaquoddy people are asking why the FBI are harassing his people. This is a tribe primarily in the east of the state. The lead is working out of Bangor and going between there and the Bar Harbor region and notes that he's taken off from Bass Harbor. This is in Penobscot and Hancock counties in the center of the state. So there is little reason that a representative of a tribe not in the region would be on more alert than one closer by. But the part that anyone from anywhere in part of the state would be thrown off by.

There is no way anyone, particularly someone so concerned with tribal affairs and local lingo and geography, wouldn't know what "Orono" is given that it is a neighbor to one of the most predominant indigenous communities in the state. It is also home to the largest state university (So yes, Go Blackbears ;) )

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the free e-audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Thomas E. Ricks. I think this one should be read and not listened to. The narrator sounded a bit like an auctioneer reading the book with his rapid fire diction and very little difference between the characters.

After his wife and two children are violently killed in a horrific car crash, Ryan Tapia, an FBI agent, transfers to the other side of the US to starts a new life in Maine. But his first case is the corpse of a fisherman washing up onto an Indian reservation which is federal land. Liberty Island is full of generational families that have lived there since their ancestors received their plots after fighting in the revolutionary war. The island people only trust those that they have known for years and take care of their own. Many of the locals are happy to see this fisherman dead. Everyone on the Island knows who the murder is except for Ryan.

The book gets off to a slow start but quickly builds once the reader gets to know the colorful people that live in this part of Maine. I am not sure if it was the story or the narrator, but it took a bit of time to get into this one and once I did, I wanted to continue it to the end. Its a fairly basic police procedural story but what makes it interesting and entertaining are the unusual people, their sarcasm and wit. They have known each other forever and are all in on the secret and watch and wait for Ryan to figure it out.

Definitely a solid story, and I recommend the book!

I thought this book was pretty good! I enjoyed the length, the ominous undertones, and the setting. I feel like I connected well to the isolated Maine fishing community and the main character.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook/ARC. This one was nice and short. I typically don’t enjoy crime/mystery because I always figure them out immediately but I didn’t know who did it in this one and it was nice, but that may be because I had a hard time following with the multiple characters. The end was a little left field and felt out of place compared to the rest of the book. Also, the narrator felt like he was reading with a smile on his face which was a bit odd considering this had to do with a death.
Solid read.

I was underwhelmed to say the least.
The story felt drawn out and I didn’t care too much about any of the characters to want to find out who did it.
It did really show the small town life well i felt. That small towns defend themselves.

Audiobooks are fantastic, as they allow me to read far more than I'd be able to otherwise. Sometimes the format can enhance the book, while other times it doesn't work at all for various reasons. Then we have the narrator. The best narrators can improve the story with their narration. Sometimes a narrator doesn't fit a book. And sometimes the narration negatively impacts the book.

That is where I find myself- I did not enjoy the narration. Graham Rowat narrates the audiobook and it was his cadence that I just couldn't get into.

I know the narration negatively impacted my view of the story. I didn't get into it and didn't find it very interesting. How much of that was the writing and how much of it was the narration, I have no idea.

If the synopsis sounds interesting, I recommend sticking to print.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Super quick listen, but it felt a bit one note. The most interesting part was learning about the community and how they self policed. The rest was just okay.

“Consider the ground on which you stand. There’s a vast difference between the F.B.I.’s view of the world and the islander’s view. That tension made manifest by your presence on the island already is disturbing its ecology.”

F.B.I. agent Ryan Tapia has requested a transfer to a place as geographically far from a personal tragedy as he can get. He winds up in Bangor, Maine and leads a quiet existence until the body of a fisherman washes up on the coastal shore near Acadia National Park. The suspects are endless, as there are more than a few people who might want this fisherman dead, but they seem to create a cone of silence, stifling progress in the investigation. Native Americans who have their own tribal laws are tight-lipped as well, leaving Ryan the sole party to not have some knowledge of what actually happened and why.

This slim crime debut from this NYT bestselling author has a richness one can only write from experience. I know he’s on target with the characters and the setting itself because I live in it. While listening, my husband and I called out the re-named islands along with names of folks we know who would be cast in a screen adaptation. The beauty of the prose in this case is the avoidance of tempting stereotyping, leaving the reader to come to their own conclusions without interference or prejudice.

For those looking for a unvarnished version of the northern Maine coastline and a compelling crime mystery woven through, I highly recommended this! I’ll now be on the lookout for Mr. Ricks himself on my daily trip to the post office! Trigger warning for a single paragraph detailing an abusive situation.

The narration by Graham Rowat was well done, and I truly appreciate the care with the Maine accent - not an easy feat!
Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I would give this book 2.5 stars. Overall this book did an excellent job of describing of island life in Maine and painted a good picture of grief. The storyline just fell flat for me and the story didn't really get interesting in until the last hour of the book.

I listened to the audiobook and I think the performance by Graham Rowat.

This is a short high quality audio mystery. The narrator was too happy throughtout which I found very strange. Although this was a mystery a lot of the time was spent describing the people,places and fishing techniques etc. The mystery itself seemed to suddenly be solved at 90% . It felt very matter of fact and like a lot of the story was padding.i was disappointed. Perhaps this is the start of a series and might improve . This would suit someone who wants a shirt no thrills mystery where you don't have to think.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

island-life, Maine, ex-military, grief, grieving, depression, FBI, friendship, interagency, investigation, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, indigenous-people, domestic-violence, drug-trafficking, murder, nightmares, park-service, rural, small-town, Tribal-Police, widower, unpleasant-victims, unpleasant-neighbors, misdirection*****

Ever been in the depths of despair/grief and tried to continue working?
FBI Special Agent Ryan Tapia moved job and life from Southern California to Maine after his good life ended with a horrendous traffic accident that killed his wife, children, and family dog. Escape is where you find it and grief management/depression is a difficult path. His first case there is a murdered disenfranchised fisherman. In the course of the investigation, he learned about rural life in a specialized fishing community and began to feel like living again even as he encountered multiple roadblocks and diversions. A good read and I'm looking forward to next in series.
Graham Rowat narrates like he's reporting tabloid news.
I requested and received a free temporary audio from Tantor Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MurderOnTheMaineCoast

I feel like any story set in Maine is always good, maybe it's because of how normal of a place it is, that it feels like anything can happen, that causes so much appeal but it's one of my favorite places to read about (and not just because I'm a stephen king fan).

the way this book was written was actually a little reminiscent of Stephen king in the sense that the whole town knows what's going on but nobody is doing anything to put a stop to it. I had a great time getting to know the characters but I didn't really follow along with everything that was going on and that's the only reason i didn't give it a 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity for the ARC. The book started out slow but held my interest. Rick’s depiction of small town life was spot on.

Oh this story! It pulled all the heartstrings for me. Just the honesty of the main character and all he has been through. It was just so good! I couldn't put it down. So good!

A crime/noir mystery set in Maine well worth a read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook, although the narrator sounded a bit too chipper!

I just enjoyed this listen so much. It was such a good story and had such a great narrator. I highly recommend this book to thriller readers.

DNF at 46%

Nothing has happened in this book. I’ve been given a lot of descriptions about Maine, lobstering, ripping off tourists, some side stories about this person or that, but zero has happened with the actual case… o didn’t want to read a slow burn about Maine…

Thanks netgalley