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The Heat of the Moon Audiobook
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(3.05) - 246 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Young veterinarian Rachel Goddard’s world begins to crumble when a client rushes into the animal hospital with a dog struck by a car during a thunderstorm. The woman’s terrified child, drenched with rain, loses sight of her mother in the flurry of activity and screams, “Mommy! I want Mommy!” Instantly Rachel is hurled back in time to a day in her own childhood when her baby sister, Michelle, uttered the same cry while thunder crashed and rain poured down on them. The unearthed memory feels like a fragment of a nightmare, and Rachel doesn’t understand its meaning or the anguish it stirs up in her.
When she seeks answers, she learns nothing from Michelle or from Judith, their loving but manipulative mother. Judith is a psychologist who is only too happy to have her adult daughters still living in her elegant Tudor house outside Washington, DC. But their apparently serene home is a house of secrets where Judith’s unspoken rules forbid questions about the family history or the daughters’ long-dead father. As more baffling memories surface, Rachel begins to suspect that nothing about her family is what it seems.
Fighting her mother’s attempts to control her, Rachel embarks on a quest that takes her not only deep into her own memory but also halfway across the country. The truth she uncovers will shatter her world and force her to make an unthinkable choice.
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"I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the mystery and craziness. I found myself relating to the main character Rachel as she is finding out more secrets about her family and how lost she is feeling. I can completely understand how thinking you know your place in a family only to find out everything you know has been a lie would throw your whole world out of balance. I hated the mind control going on inside the family. So wrong. It was a very fast read for me since I had to know how it ended. A little disappointed with the ending but I understand why the author went that route. All in all a great read!"
— Jeny (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“In Parshall’s strong debut, a frightening psychological mystery…the characters are believable and natural. The fresh, mesmerizing plot will keep readers turning the pages to the very end.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Parshall’s debut is a captivating tale of suspense and romance with Gothic twists. Set in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the story focuses on Rachel Goddard…Readers will root for Rachel as she fights her cold mother and weak sister for the truth about what happened to her father—and discovers some disturbing things about herself. A standout debut that effectively crosses subgenres—more psychologically astute than many romantic-suspense tales, yet more romantic than high-end psychological thrillers.”
— Booklist -
“The Heat of the Moon is a stylish, original, compulsively readable debut. Sandra Parshall explores the darkest side of family love and longing with pitch-perfect, highly engaging characters and a stunning endgame surprise.”
— Judith Kelman, bestselling author of Summer of Storms
Awards
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Winner of the 2006 Agatha Award for Best First Mystery
The Heat of the Moon Listener Reviews
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" I'm giving this four stars because it was one of the better free Kindle books I read. "
— Amy, 2/13/2014 -
" Page turner. Keeps you guessing and not turning pages too quickly until past the middle. "
— Monica, 2/11/2014 -
" This is psychological fiction and it was ok, but not as gripping as these kinds of books should be. I was interested enough to keep reading and find out what was going on but not enough to care about the characters or be shocked by the outcome. Also I thought the ending went on too long and then didn't seem like a reasonable end when it was over. "
— Elizabeth, 2/10/2014 -
" Disappointing. I know it won an award, but to me it read like a romance novel, not a mystery. The characters never really came alive. About halfway through, I started speed reading--never a good sign. "
— Kay, 2/4/2014 -
" This is really an outstanding first in the series. Can't wait to read book 2. "
— Karen, 1/25/2014 -
" Interesting storyline, thought I knew the answer to the mystery but I was wrong. The ending was unexpected. "
— Jean, 1/24/2014 -
" Didn't like the ending...a personal response "
— Jane, 1/11/2014 -
" I wanted to like this book. The storyline was interesting but I do not feel the characters were fully developed. The ending was rushed and a bit trite. The reader did an excellent job. Not sure I would have finished it if I had been actually reading the book. I may give her second book a try. "
— Terri, 1/2/2014 -
" When Rachel experiences a flashback of her sister crying in the rain, she's confused, but can't leave the mystery alone. What she uncovers will shatter her family and her understanding of who she is. Tense and taut, The Heat of the Moon draws the reader on to a climax that surprises and satisfies. "
— Lisa, 12/14/2013 -
" At best an okay "mystery" - abducted children, repressed memory and a dissatisfying ending. "
— Book, 12/2/2013 -
" Loved this book, it hooked me from the very beginning and kept my interest all the way through~ I enjoyed the characters and the story line very much. The ending was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat~ Highly Recommend, I was lucky enough to pick this up FREE on pixelofink.com. "
— Karla, 11/28/2013 -
" Decent story. A little tedious in the middle....it takes too long to get to the punch line. "
— Kristan, 11/12/2013 -
" Quick and painless "
— Kristin, 8/14/2013 -
" Truthfully, I didn't finish this. I tried, but just couldn't get into it. I picked it up and put it down (very willlingly) over 10 times. I was actually very surprised as it was very well written and I was looking forward to reading it. Hopefully the next review will be better. "
— Heather, 7/14/2013 -
" Very suspense filled, intriguing mystery featuring a veterinarian with an evil mother. I actually read the third in this series last week and had to get this title asap to find out the backstory. "
— Michele, 6/23/2013 -
" Read for mystery book group. Interesting look at psychological domination and control within a family. "
— Liz, 5/1/2013 -
" I read the fourth book in this series first, and enjoyed it so much I wanted to go back to the beginning and read the first three books. Well I was not disappointed. This book was a suspenseful ride from beginning to end. I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on the next book! :) "
— Jackie, 4/30/2013 -
" I'm not usually a fan of psychological thrillers but this one was one of my "best books" of 2007. "
— Nikki, 4/21/2013 -
" Interesting mystery with a female narrator and lots of family drama. Might read another by this author. "
— Robyn, 4/16/2013 -
" Really, really liked this novel. Have downloaded two more titles in this series and have placed the second novel on reserve at the library. "
— Judith, 3/2/2013 -
" Follows the search for the main characters past and identity, Found it interesting enough to keep my attention going and was able to complete it in a day. "
— Barbre, 2/3/2013 -
" Amazing for a debut novel ! Sick or not ( damn my sinus and ears ! ) I could not put this one down . I loved Parshall's abilty to draw me in and hold me there , while I held my breath ;-) "
— Angie, 1/25/2013 -
" Excellent psychological thriller. "
— Marty, 1/22/2013 -
" I liked the book very much. It was quite good for a first novel. "
— Brenda, 1/19/2013 -
" I don't usually read mysteries, but this author came to our library in September so I figured I had to read it. I was very pleasantly surprised to enjoy it so much and to NOT figure out the mystery early on. I hope to read the others in the series too. "
— Janderson, 1/9/2013 -
" Veterinarian Rachel is hurled back in time, in memory, when a little girl cries "Mommy! I want Mommy!" But what's the rest of the memory? "
— Debbie, 12/23/2012 -
" This was a fairly decent mystery, but the writing is stilted and awkward. No desire to read the next in the series. "
— Deb, 12/19/2012 -
" Good psychological drama, and a good ending. "
— Dana, 11/16/2012
About Sandra Parshall
Sandra Parshall, a native southerner, is the author of the Rachel Goddard mysteries, the first of which, The Heat of the Moon, won the 2006 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. A former newspaper reporter in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Baltimore, she now lives in northern Virginia with her husband, a longtime Washington journalist.
About Tavia Gilbert
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.