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A Crime in the Neighborhood Audiobook
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(2.99) - 590 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, A Crime in the Neighborhood is the story of a young girl's coming of age during a turbulent time in American history. Living in a quiet suburb of Washington, D.C., Marsha is nine years old in the summer of 1973. While the nation's attention is focused on the breaking Watergate scandal, her quiet neighborhood is going through its own upheaval. Looking back as an adult, she remembers it as a time when her father's abandonment of his family becomes entwined with the arrival of a new neighbor and the death of a boy who lives down the street. Deeply disillusioned by the changes in her life, Marsha takes it upon herself to find the boy's murderer, which sets off a chain of tragic events. A poignant and startling novel, A Crime in the Neighborhood expertly shows what can happen when fear and suspicion gain control of a community's better judgement.
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"Winner of the 1999 Orange Prize for fiction this surprising and captivating book takes a look at what heppens when fear drives a community and how guilt can be implied and perceived. The reader is left wondering "What was the "real" crime in the neighborhood?" Thought-provoking book."
— Jayme (4 out of 5 stars)
A Crime in the Neighborhood Listener Reviews
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" An interesting take on a "crime novel" (which it really is not)....it's told from the perspective of a little girl. But yeah, it's really not a crime novel. Read it! "
— Jessie, 2/17/2014 -
" I found this to be a very quick read. Maybe part of the fascination was that the story takes place in the DC area. The story was a bit drawn out, and I was disappointed that the boy's killer wasn't caught in the end. This was an innocence lost type of story in a simpler time. Quick read, but not a terrific amount of substance. "
— Dustina, 1/31/2014 -
" rightly compared to to Kill a Mockingbird. "
— Liz, 1/26/2014 -
" a young girl's sense of safety is disturbed by a vicious murder and her father's desertion. "
— Dee, 1/25/2014 -
" Set in an American suburb, it charts the thoughts of a then 12 year old girl, trying to make sense of the happenings around her neighbourhood. Not my cup of tea! "
— Penny, 1/17/2014 -
" I think I'm in this book! The story is set in the town where I grew up at around the time I was born. The author describes neighbors who are familiar to me (the English lady with Corgis, etc.) She describes a young mother with a crying baby- that's me! "
— Elizabeth, 1/8/2014 -
" This novel, set in the early 1970s and involving a ten-year-old girl with a broken ankle, divorcing parents and a neighbour she suspects of murder, reminded me of a cross between Judy Blume and "Rear Window." I also found myself comparing it to The Lovely Bones and finding it wanting. But what really got up my nose was the text on the flyleaf telling me that the "worse crime" came after the rape and murder of a twelve-year-old boy. Now that I've read the book, I'm just offended by that statement. "
— Ainsley, 12/25/2013 -
" Nothing special at all. As others have pionted out, it felt padded out and the chaarcter of Marsha wasn't engaging. I felt that the author was determined to impress on us teh great significance of every look, comment or tiny occurrence. How did this win the Orange Prize??! "
— Suzanne, 11/19/2013 -
" ARC, signed by author "
— Beth, 11/19/2013 -
" This was a fascinating read (by one of the newest RWW faculty members), not least because I lived in suburban Washington DC during the period she records. Lotsa familiar sounds, humidity, clothes--all there, like looking through an album I had never kept. Beautifully crafted story. "
— Judith, 10/10/2013 -
" I was drawn into this story by the wonderful description. I need an ending when I am drawn into a who did it mystery. While I didn't get this ending I was still left with a feeling of having read a great book. "
— Marie, 8/21/2013 -
" Took place near DC. Otherwise, I don't really recommend it. Not memorable. "
— Kristin, 5/23/2013 -
" Enjoyed the details of the neighborhood/family seen through the young girl's mind. Not sure I liked how it ended though. "
— Jennifer, 5/7/2013 -
" What a bratty, annoying little girl. It was very hard to like the narrator of this book. The parallels with the Watergate Scandal were forced. The only likable characte was the mother. She was strong, non-judgemental and amazing and look what brats she has for kids. The little ingrates. "
— Shauna, 5/4/2013 -
" Makes you really think about victimization. "
— David, 3/12/2013 -
" The Crime in the neighborhood are centered in on the murder of a twelve year old boy in Washington, D.C. Marsha was nine year old "
— Michelle, 2/26/2013 -
" For me this was'nt a crime novel,it was the story of a young girl getting back at her parents for seperating. "
— Ragazza, 11/6/2012 -
" Where's the story? I don't know I didn't feel like I got much out of this book. It was basically view into Marsha's life and really didn't go anywhere. There wasn't much of a resolution. It was just o.k. and I don't really recommend it. There are better books out there! "
— Erikajean, 10/18/2012 -
" I was disappointed in this book. It seemed more like a slice of life in a time period that seemed to be interesting, but the choices the characters make are unfortunate. I didn't find the characters particularly well developed and at times didn't act in character. "
— Anne, 1/29/2012 -
" Read this book April 3 to April 16th 2012. Excellent book. Can see why it's been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird. Great read. "
— Linda, 11/15/2011 -
" I liked that the book was a fast pace. I liked that although there was this huge crime/mystery in the neighborhood, the book wasn't about that but more about the narrator. "
— Renee, 9/1/2011 -
" Not a bad book just not very memorable. "
— Keely, 7/15/2011 -
" The 70's references were the only redeeming qualities - not sure I understood where the author was coming from completely. Maybe I should not watch TV while reading... "
— Nicole, 3/23/2011 -
" Really good story about the power of words and accusations. In a time when sex offenders are coming to light in the early 70's. In the end are there any winners or satisfactory answers for why we do what we do? "
— Caren, 3/3/2011 -
" I liked that the book was a fast pace. I liked that although there was this huge crime/mystery in the neighborhood, the book wasn't about that but more about the narrator. "
— Renee, 1/2/2011 -
" Quick read on a long flight. "
— Shari, 11/26/2010 -
" Nothing special at all. As others have pionted out, it felt padded out and the chaarcter of Marsha wasn't engaging. I felt that the author was determined to impress on us teh great significance of every look, comment or tiny occurrence. How did this win the Orange Prize??! "
— Suzanne, 11/24/2010 -
" Where's the story? I don't know I didn't feel like I got much out of this book. It was basically view into Marsha's life and really didn't go anywhere. There wasn't much of a resolution. It was just o.k. and I don't really recommend it. There are better books out there! "
— Erikajean, 11/8/2010 -
" Enjoyed the details of the neighborhood/family seen through the young girl's mind. Not sure I liked how it ended though. "
— Jennifer, 9/3/2010 -
" I was disappointed in this book. It seemed more like a slice of life in a time period that seemed to be interesting, but the choices the characters make are unfortunate. I didn't find the characters particularly well developed and at times didn't act in character. "
— Anne, 8/10/2010 -
" Really good story about the power of words and accusations. In a time when sex offenders are coming to light in the early 70's. In the end are there any winners or satisfactory answers for why we do what we do? "
— Caren, 5/29/2010 -
" This was a fascinating read (by one of the newest RWW faculty members), not least because I lived in suburban Washington DC during the period she records. Lotsa familiar sounds, humidity, clothes--all there, like looking through an album I had never kept. Beautifully crafted story. "
— Judith, 3/24/2010 -
" Not a bad book just not very memorable. "
— Keely, 3/15/2010 -
" The 70's references were the only redeeming qualities - not sure I understood where the author was coming from completely. Maybe I should not watch TV while reading... "
— Nicole, 2/28/2010 -
" a young girl's sense of safety is disturbed by a vicious murder and her father's desertion. "
— Dee, 11/30/2009 -
" An interesting take on a "crime novel" (which it really is not)....it's told from the perspective of a little girl. But yeah, it's really not a crime novel. Read it! "
— Jessie, 10/21/2009 -
" This was a troublesome tale I read in creative writing class in England. By some twist of hilarity she and I ended up judging a fiction contest at Yale in 2005. "
— Brendan, 8/12/2009
About Suzanne Berne
Suzanne Berne is the author of the novels The Dogs of Littlefield, A Crime in the Neighborhood, A Perfect Arrangement, and The Ghost at the Table, as well as Missing Lucile: Memories of the Grandmother I Never Knew, part biography and part memoir. She has taught at Harvard University as a Briggs-Copeland Fellow and at Wellesley College. Currently she teaches creative writing at Boston College and lives outside of Boston with her husband, Kenneth Kimmell, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and their two daughters.
About Alyssa Bresnahan
Alyssa Bresnahan is a dynamic dancer, actor, and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, has earned twenty Earphones Awards, and was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices. In 2009 she was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best fiction narration.