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Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
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Rubbernecker

by Belinda Bauer

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
5344145,001 (4.08)118
"The dead can't speak to us," Professor Madoc had said. That was a lie--because the body Patrick Fort is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things. His Asperger's syndrome already makes life strange enough for him without having to solve a possible murder on top of it--especially when no one believes a crime has even taken place.… (more)
Member:libgirl69
Title:Rubbernecker
Authors:Belinda Bauer
Info:Transworld Publishers Ltd, Paperback
Collections:Read but unowned
Rating:*****
Tags:None

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Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer

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English (34)  Swedish (2)  Dutch (2)  Catalan (1)  Piratical (1)  Spanish (1)  All languages (41)
Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
An unexpected, engaging tale by any measure!

I happened upon this book by chance and was unfamiliar with the author. The summary fails to illuminate the unique elements of immersive parallel stories. A rather unusual anatomy student suffering with Asperger syndrome uncovers what he feels was the murder of a cadaver being dissected, though due to his behavior he's ignored. Well paced and filled with plot twists, we're taken on his journey toward discovery and in the process, tragedy surfaces. Ms Bauer crafts a tale that is not only unusual, but one that's evocative in many ways. I found myself comparing Patrick, the central character to Rain Man due to their unusual talents, different that they are. For those who enjoy mystery, plot twists and stories that bend genre, I highly recommend this book! ( )
  Jonathan5 | Feb 20, 2023 |
I really enjoyed this book. There are a lot of twists and turns and timeline play that I won't go into so as not to spoil anything. The MC has high functioning autism (called Asperger's in the book) and so his outlook is very unique, interesting and oftentimes unintentional amusing. He does not understand what happens when someone dies and in that lies how our mysteries unfold. I was engaged from the very beginning and the pacing kept me that way through the end. I have never read this author before but I added as many of her books as I could find at my library. ( )
  JediBookLover | Oct 29, 2022 |
Once again I really enjoy this author's exploration of characters but this particular title was a little gristley for my taste, set as it is in both a long-term care facility and a dissection class. ( )
  klandring | May 23, 2021 |
It starts slow, but the second half flies. Bauer's plots are quite different from most mystery/thrillers that I've read. ( )
  breic | Mar 22, 2021 |
It’s been quite a while since I read a novel in one sitting, and except for bathroom breaks and snacks, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning devouring this unusual tale. Winner of the 2014 Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award, Rubbernecker is an intriguing tale of a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome who unwittingly discovers something amiss with the cadaver he’s dissecting for an anatomy class.

Patrick has been obsessed with death since his father was killed in a hit and run accident, not understanding where the person goes, or what happens after death. Hoping to satisfy his morbid curiosity, he takes an anatomy class at a local medical school. The novel is narrated by four characters: Patrick, his alcoholic mother, a female student in the anatomy class, and most unusually, the consciousness of a man in a coma, who witnesses a murder when he briefly awakens.

How all these narratives proceed and converge creates the page-turning experience of Rubbernecker, which has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Patrick isn’t the most likeable character, but his struggles to live his life on his own terms with his disorder reflect some truly tender and at times, humorous, moments. The surprise ending seems, at first, rather implausible, but upon further reflection (and this book does stay with you long after you finish) this story ends just right.

( )
  KellyWellRead | Dec 17, 2020 |
Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
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To Simon, for all the early days.
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Dying is not as easy as it looks in the movies.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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"The dead can't speak to us," Professor Madoc had said. That was a lie--because the body Patrick Fort is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things. His Asperger's syndrome already makes life strange enough for him without having to solve a possible murder on top of it--especially when no one believes a crime has even taken place.

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Rubbernecker
— n. 1. a person who cranes or turns their head inquisitively at an accident (usually morbid in nature).
— n. 2. a sightseer or tourist


"The dead can't speak to us," Professor Madoc had said.
That was a lie.


Because the body Patrick Fort is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things.

Life is already strange enough for the obsessive Patrick without having to solve a possible murder. Especially when no one else believes that a crime has even taken place. Now he must stay out of danger long enough to unravel the mystery — while he dissects his own evidence.

But as Patrick learns one truth from a dead man, he discovers there have been many other lies rather closer to home...

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