Not a Sound

4.5 stars.

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf  is a spellbinding mystery that is fast-paced and suspense-laden.

Two years after the hit and run accident that left her deaf, Amelia Winn is finally beginning to get her life back on track. Now a recovering alcoholic, she is separated from her husband Dr. David Winn and living in her family's isolated cabin near the river where she spends time kayaking or paddleboarding with her service dog, Stitch. On the day she is planning to go to her first job interview since losing her hearing, Amelia is stunned to discover the lifeless body of her former friend and fellow nurse, Gwen Locke, floating in the river. Amelia's suspicion that Gwen's death was no accident is quickly confirmed by her lifelong show more friend Detective Jake Schroeder. After she begins her new job working in a cancer treatment clinic for David's colleague, Dr. Joseph Huntley, she quickly settles into her new routine.  However, Amelia is quite troubled about Gwen's murder and despite Jake's pleas to stay out the investigation, she soon uncovers very disturbing information that might explain the murderer's motive for silencing her friend. Unsettled by her mounting suspicions, Amelia takes a huge risk that puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer.

Before the accident, Amelia had everything: a satisfying and fulfilling job, a happy marriage and a fantastic relationship with her stepdaughter Nora.  After the accident, she pushes away all of her friends as she turns to alcohol to help cope with all of the changes in her life. After David forces her to leave their home, Jake is instrumental in getting her help for her drinking and convincing her to utilize the resources available for her deafness. Amelia is dedicated to her sobriety and she is working very hard to prove herself to David so she can maintain her relationship with Nora.

After discovering Gwen's body, Amelia is wracked with guilt for pushing her friend away and not responding to her efforts to resume their friendship. Although she knows she is taking a huge risk, she cannot stop searching for answers that will explain why someone would want to kill Gwen. When strange things begin occurring, Amelia thinks she knows who is responsible, but she cannot think of a reason why this person would do this to her. Pushing her suspicions to the back of her mind, Amelia continues digging into Gwen's life and she soon uncovers shocking information that provides her with the motive for the murder. Discovering why Gwen was murdered also leads Amelia to a stunning conclusion about who killed her but will she find irrefutable proof before it is too late?  

Not a Sound is an exceedingly well written whodunit that is full of unexpected twists and turns.  Amelia is a wonderful protagonist and it is very easy to root for her as she works hard to maintain her sobriety while trying to pick up the pieces of her life. She is truly regretful for letting her friendship with Gwen lapse and the resulting guilt and remorse provide the impetus for her investigation. The killer's identity and motive for the murder are brilliantly concealed through a series of clever misdirects and red herrings. Heather Gudenkauf brings the novel to an adrenaline fueled and action packed conclusion. show less

I am always so excited when a new book by Heather Gudenkauf comes out, I had to start this one as soon as I bought it. As I expect from this author, it did not disappoint.
Amelia's life is torn apart after being the victim of a hit and run that resulted in her losing her hearing. Unable to cope, she pushes everyone away including her husband and step daughter and loses herself in bottles of booze.

Now it is two years later and Amelia finds herself ready to live again yet she is pretty much alone except for one childhood friend Jake and her loyal service dog Stitch. She has found peace and healing living in a small cabin by a river and fights her demons by running and kayaking. She thinks she's ready to face the world again and is eager show more to start working again, although not likely to be in the nursing capacity she did before. She has missed her stepdaughter Nora that has been kept away by her husband David because of her alcoholism and now that demon is quiet, she wants her life back.

On the day when she was to interview for her first job since the accident that she finds a dead body floating on the river and is shocked to discover, it was one of those friends she has pushed away. Gwen had contacted her numerous times, the last time Gwen had concerns about something suspicious going on involving patients.

Soon enough, Amelia finds herself doing a little investigation of her own and now her life is in a bit of a turmoil as she is determined to uncover what she starts to discover. But sometimes curiosity kills the cat.

This is a fast paced well written thriller. Although I had an aunt that was deaf and mute, this gave incredible insight as to the life of a deaf person in society. In my aunt's case, it was before the time that signing and reading lips were used much and although she lived with her sister, her life must have been so lonely. While Amelia's deafness came later in life and she had the use of a service dog, signing and lip reading, it still must be very scary and lonely. The insight into the challenges Amelia faced were so real and things that we take for granted in a hearing society were so well shown here.

I love how Heather's books have the mystery but also the emotional aspect as well. Different from a lot of stories with the whodunit, her books thrust you into the life of the characters making you part of their life and feeling invested in the characters. I loved the strong female character who overcame so much and I found myself angry at the injustices she experienced and efforts made to discredit her.

This one is a solid 4.5 for me, bumped up to a 5. show less

A medical thriller about Amelia Winn who lost her hearing in a car accident. A few years later, her marriage in tatters, she stumbles upon the dead body of a fellow nurse / friend. With this discovery, Amelia's life is turned upside down.
Although I suspected the killer early on, due to one obvious clue, I didn't know why they murdered Gwen (the dead nurse). So, the story did hold my interest. I will read more by this author.

Not A Sound was the first book that I've read from Heather Gudenkauf, and it was a great introduction to her works. I will definitely be reading her back list.

Not A Sound centers around a hearing challenged protagonist, Amelia, two years after her life fell apart when she was injured by a hit and run driver. Amelia fell into the bottle, no longer works as a nurse, and has been kicked out of the house by her estranged husband. Worse for Amelia in losing her husband, David, is that Amelia is restricted from seeing her step daughter, Nora. There is a glimmer of hope for Amelia as she has been asked to interview for an administrative job with an oncology clinic, and Amelia begins her morning of the job interview with a paddle board outing show more on a local river.

Amelia's life begins to fall apart when she runs across a dead body which has become lodged in debris sticking out into the river. It's even more horrifying for Amelia because she recognizes this is a woman who was her nursing colleague.

Even though Amelia has a close friend on the police force who is actively investigating the homicide, Amelia begins to investigate the murder as well. She is aided by her service dog, Stitch, and I worried about Stitch as much as I worried about Amelia's safety throughout the book. I cared about Amelia and Stitch, but I found myself frustrated with Amelia many times throughout the book because her lack of common sense lead her to be reckless, not only endangering herself but also endangering Stitch.

I was tense with worry throughout Not A Sound, and passages like the following didn't help!
"I try to steady my breathing, close my eyes and lay my cheek against the hardwood and spread my fingers flat against the floor. He knows I can’t hear him. But I feel each step he takes. I feel the tremor in my jaw first. It’s barely perceptible, but it’s there. It slowly spreads to my fingers. I try to be patient. The vibration grows stronger with each of his footfalls. He’s coming.” show less

When I read in the book cover description that the protagonist is deaf, I was especially anxious to read it as I worked for 20 years with a man that was deaf and read lips. I thought that the author did a wonderful job that showed a lot of sensitivity when addressing the subjects of deafness and cancer treatment. The idea to have the protagonist be deaf was also something different and well carried out throughout the story. No matter what your final opinion of the book is...you’ll find that it’s hard not to root for Amelia and Stitch. They’re tough and engaging fighters.

Forty-year old Amelia Winn was a respected nurse in an Iowa hospital, where she worked in the emergency room for fifteen years. Subsequently, she specialized in treating victims of domestic abuse. Tragically, Amelia is severely injured when an unidentified driver intentionally barrels into her and a patient. Most of her wounds have healed, but the assault robbed Amelia of her hearing. In despair, she turns to alcohol to anesthetize her pain, and for the past two years, has been unemployed and estranged from her husband, David. Fortunately, the scenic beauty that surrounds Amelia's modest house is a source of comfort; she regularly goes paddle boating and kayaking with her loyal companion and service dog, Stitch.

"Not a Sound," by Heather show more Gudenkauf, who herself is hearing impaired, eloquently conveys Amelia's anguish and dejection. The good news is that she is starting to emerge from her depression. She is studying American Sign Language and reads lips, but when the speaker talks quickly and indistinctly, she cannot always decipher what he is saying. Amelia is sober and hopes to get a job in a local medical practice. One morning, while out on the river, Amelia finds the body of a former friend and colleague, Gwen Locke.

Gudenkauf's depiction of Amelia's plight is heartrending. Living without sound devastated Amelia to such an extent that she cut off contact with friends and family. However, with a killer at large, Amelia feels vulnerable, and she turns to Jake Schroeder--a detective and childhood friend--for advice and protection. Jake warns Amelia, a busybody who cannot resist playing amateur sleuth, to leave the investigating to him. The whodunit is conventional and predictable, and Amelia's ability to stay on the wagon without attending AA meetings regularly seems a bit far-fetched. However, readers will embrace this plucky heroine who learns that being deaf need not rob her of independence, fulfilling work, and meaningful relationships. Stitch is particularly appealing; he is arguably the most likeable and liveliest character in the book. show less

Losing her hearing in a tragic accident, nurse Amelia Winn suffers through two years of depression before rebuilding her life with the help of an assistance dog, only to find herself enmeshed in a fellow nurse's suspicious death.

Amelia is feisty, stubborn, sometimes rash but also a caring, thoughtful nurse. I enjoyed how she worked at making changes in her life while acknowledging the mistakes she’d made. I also liked her dog Stitch. But I didn’t like the times she did some very risky things that could put her in danger and she knew it. It just seemed like bad decisions. So I have mixed feelings but still generally liked it.