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The Chameleon's Shadow: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,187 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When British lieutenant Charles Acland returns home from Iraq, his serious head injuries are the outward manifestation of a profound inner change: he may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or it may be, as his psychiatrist suggests, "the prolonged destruction of a personality." Though previously well adjusted and known as an extrovert, Acland now withdraws into himself. As he begins his recovery in a dismal provincial hospital, crippled by migraines and suspicious of his doctors, he grows uncharacteristically aggressive—particularly against women, and most particularly against his ex-fiancée. Finally, rejecting medical advice to undergo cosmetic surgery—opting, instead, to accept his disfigurement—and cutting all ties to his former life, he moves to London. There, alone and unmonitored, he sinks into a quagmire of guilt and paranoia—until an outburst of irrational, vicious anger brings him to the attention of the local police: they are investigating three recent murders, all of them apparently motivated by the kind of extreme rage that Acland has exhibited. Now under suspicion, Acland is forced to confront the issues behind his desperate existence before it's too late: Has he always been the duplicitous chameleon that his ex-fiancée accuses him of being? Can he control this newly apparent sinister side of his personality? And why, if he truly hates women, does he in the end seek help from a woman—someone as straightforward and self-disciplined as he is unsure and seemingly out of control—to repair the damage to his mind? In its timeliness, its psychological complexity, and its unstoppable suspense, The Chameleon's Shadow is a thriller of the first order.
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"I haven't read Minette Walters in awhile, but I always enjoy her books and this was no exception. Set in London, a Iraqi war veteran comes home disfigured--physically and mentally.Circumstantial evidence links him to a series of recent murders. Is he the murderer or is he hiding information about the real culprit?"
— Karen (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A gripping tale of suspense.”
— New York Times Sunday Book Review -
“An award-winning master of suspense…once again keeps things taut…. Strongly recommended.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Simon Vance creates an amazing oral portrait of a British veteran of the Iraq War.”
— AudioFile -
An award-winning master of suspense...once again keeps things taut.... Strongly recommended.
— Library Journal Starred Review
The Chameleon's Shadow Listener Reviews
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" A good airport novel; quick read & a page turner. "
— Alexis, 2/19/2014 -
" Terrific psychological suspense mystery that kept me entertained while I recovered from the flu. Just what the book doctor would have ordered, had the book doctor been consulted. Author was recommended by the presenter at mystery workshop. "
— Lorie, 2/4/2014 -
" Walters' plots are so psychologically interesting that the mystery is almost a minor player. I listened to the CD version by Simon Vance in the car. It was so engaging I kept forgetting where I was supposed to be going. "
— Linda, 2/3/2014 -
" Minette Walters' writing is very different from t Ruth Rendell's but they both have a disturbing ability to reach into damaged minds that I love. Unfortunately, the damaged mind in this book ( a wounded soldier suffering from PTSD) was not very interesting to me, with lots of descriptions of his inability to control his anger. Not as grippin g as most of her others. IMHO. But then I have to admit I didn't finish it. "
— Judith, 1/1/2014 -
" Another good Minette Walters. Good central characters, very readable, and an interesting outcome. "
— Claire, 12/22/2013 -
" I agree with the last person who placed a review..bloody awesome! "
— Norelle, 12/20/2013 -
" Good story. Some interesting characters, though undeveloped. Ending explanation too tedious. First of this author's novels I read and I'm in no hurry to try another. "
— Ace, 12/8/2013 -
" The mystery wasn't engaging and the writing was tedious. A character would do something, then we would spend 10 minutes reading about a policeman going thru mental gymnastics to figure out that the character.... (drumroll) um, did exactly what we read about 8 pages ago. Not a sympathetic character in the cast, either. I liked a Walters book I read a few years ago, but this one did nothing for me. "
— Cindy, 12/1/2013 -
" There are few writers better at stories about crime, suspense, and deep character, than Minette Walters. I was happy to see this one wasn't as overtly strange as Snakes. Thank you, Minette! "
— Lise, 11/13/2013 -
" Brilliant - as always "
— Windy, 11/12/2013 -
" I simply wasn't interested in the main character in the book. Sorry he had his face blown away, sorry his ex-girlfriend was to blame for everything, but he was such a lousy human being I really didn't care what happened to him. "
— April, 10/5/2013 -
" What a good book. Minette Walters should release books more often as I love them all! "
— Elizabeth, 7/27/2013 -
" Compelling but disturbing. It was hard to believe that this book was written by a woman. "
— Liesl, 7/11/2013 -
" Had to read almost instantly. "
— Tuija, 2/25/2013 -
" Mal wieder Minette Walters vom Feinsten! Spannend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite! "
— Diana, 10/13/2012 -
" Not the best MInette Walters I have read but just okay. "
— Sherie, 9/15/2012 -
" An easy and entertaining read, with some interesting insight into human behaviour. "
— Lucy, 6/30/2012 -
" Oh gosh - way too gruesome. "
— Suzy, 6/28/2012 -
" I really liked this, not the type of book I expected when I started it but was great. She always does a good story and takes it a step further than the average author in this genre. "
— Lisa, 3/24/2012 -
" Eh. Moved too slow for me. Didn't even finish it. Forgot what page I own. Sorry, I just. meh. "
— Betsy, 11/6/2011 -
" This is one of the most compelling books I've listened to in a long time. It's a murder mystery but an unusual one with the main emphasis on the psychological state of the main character, Lt. Acland, who has returned from Iraq horribly wounded. "
— Pam, 9/19/2011 -
" 19 Nov 2012 "
— Greg, 6/23/2011 -
" Another good Minette Walters. Good central characters, very readable, and an interesting outcome. "
— Claire, 5/20/2011 -
" Another great one from Minette. I never even come close to guessing the ending! "
— Nicole, 11/20/2010 -
" Liked it better than the others by her I have read. "
— Mary, 10/21/2010 -
" Excellent and dark psychological crime thriller. Intrigued at how unsympathetic the main character was but still felt able to root for him all the way through - very clever characterisation and story telling. "
— Georgina, 9/21/2010 -
" Rob... <br/>Confusing though plot was informative. To much dialogue "
— Rob, 9/19/2010 -
" this was such a good book...totally amazing!!! <br/>Lt Acland's story is so moving. I don't think i even have words to describe this book. Walter's sure knows how to write a great psychological thriller!! Anyone who know books which follow a similar genre tell me! "
— Danii, 9/12/2010 -
" One of the best suspense novels...I normally figure out who did it before the end and with both of her books I have read I didnt know until she told me and I was shocked!!!!!!!!!! Her books are definately mind stimulating! "
— Tammy-Anne, 7/14/2010 -
" I simply wasn't interested in the main character in the book. Sorry he had his face blown away, sorry his ex-girlfriend was to blame for everything, but he was such a lousy human being I really didn't care what happened to him. "
— April, 5/7/2010 -
" Mal wieder Minette Walters vom Feinsten! Spannend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite! "
— Diana, 5/7/2010 -
" Walters' plots are so psychologically interesting that the mystery is almost a minor player. I listened to the CD version by Simon Vance in the car. It was so engaging I kept forgetting where I was supposed to be going. "
— Linda, 4/26/2010 -
" Enjoyable crime thriller but not Minette Walters' best (I preferred Shape of Snakes). If I were being hypercritical, I would say that some of the characters didn't quite ring true to me. Overall, a good read. "
— Paul, 3/29/2010
About Minette Walters
Minette Walters is one of the world’s best-selling crime writers and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her books worldwide. She has won the CWA John Creasey Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and two CWA Gold Daggers. The Swift and the Harrier is her third historical novel. She lives in Dorset with her husband.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.