Talking to the Dead Audiobook By Harry Bingham cover art

Talking to the Dead

A Novel

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Talking to the Dead

By: Harry Bingham
Narrated by: Siriol Jenkins
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A mesmerizing and thrilling novel—perfect for fans of Tana French and Stieg Larsson—that introduces a modern, unforgettable rookie cop whose past is as fascinating and as deadly as the crimes she investigates.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times

SHE KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE. . . .

At first, the murder scene appears sad, but not unusual: a young woman undone by drugs and prostitution, her six-year-old daughter dead alongside her. But then detectives find a strange piece of evidence in the squalid house: the platinum credit card of a very wealthy—and long dead—steel tycoon. What is a heroin-addicted hooker doing with the credit card of a well-known and powerful man who died months ago? This is the question that the most junior member of the investigative team, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths, is assigned to answer.

But D.C. Griffiths is no ordinary cop. She’s earned a reputation at police headquarters in Cardiff, Wales, for being odd, for not picking up on social cues, for being a little overintense. And there’s that gap in her past, the two-year hiatus that everyone assumes was a breakdown. But Fiona is a crack investigator, quick and intuitive. She is immediately drawn to the crime scene, and to the tragic face of the six-year-old girl, who she is certain has something to tell her . . . something that will break the case wide open.

Ignoring orders and protocol, Fiona begins to explore far beyond the rich man’s credit card and into the secrets of her seaside city. And when she uncovers another dead prostitute, Fiona knows that she’s only begun to scratch the surface of a dark world of crime and murder. But the deeper she digs, the more danger she risks—not just from criminals and killers but from her own past . . . and the abyss that threatens to pull her back at any time.

Praise for Talking to the Dead

“Gritty, compelling . . . a procedural unlike any other you are likely to read this year.”—USA Today

“With Detective Constable Fiona ‘Fi’ Griffiths, Harry Bingham . . . finds a sweet spot in crime fiction . . . think Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander . . . Denise Mina’s ‘Paddy’ Meehan [or] Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. . . . The writing is terrific.”—The Boston Globe

“The mystery-thriller genre is already so staffed with masterminds that it’s hard to make room for another. But along comes a book like Talking to the Dead, and suddenly an unadvertised opening is filled. . . . [This] has the feel of something fresh and compelling.”—New York Daily News

“A stunner with precision plotting, an unusual setting, and a deeply complex protagonist . . . We have the welcome promise of more books to come about Griffiths.”—The Seattle Times

“Recommended highly . . . [a] riveting procedural thriller.”—Library Journal (starred review) Police Procedurals Thriller & Suspense Mystery Suspense Exciting

Critic reviews

“Gritty, compelling . . . a procedural unlike any other you are likely to read this year.”—USA Today

“With Detective Constable Fiona ‘Fi’ Griffiths, Harry Bingham . . . finds a sweet spot in crime fiction . . . think Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander . . . Denise Mina’s ‘Paddy’ Meehan [or] Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. . . . The writing is terrific.”—The Boston Globe

“The mystery-thriller genre is already so staffed with masterminds that it’s hard to make room for another. But along comes a book like Talking to the Dead, and suddenly an unadvertised opening is filled. . . . [This] has the feel of something fresh and compelling.”—New York Daily News

“A stunner with precision plotting, an unusual setting, and a deeply complex protagonist . . . We have the welcome promise of more books to come about Griffiths.”—The Seattle Times

“Recommended highly . . . [a] riveting procedural thriller.”—Library Journal (starred review)

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Complex Protagonist • Intriguing Mystery • Outstanding Narration • Unique Detective • Fascinating Backstory

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Loved the imperfections, vulnerability and quirkiness of the protagonist. Loved the plot. It teetered into the unlikely with the mysterious martial arts guy and the impossible climax, so that was slightly disappointing. Overall a fantastic listen. Loved the narrator.

Great detective story

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My only comment is why is the whole series recorded! It's not audible, they just haven't been recorded, or aren't available in the us.

Loved this book!

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I'm not very forgiving when it comes to police procedural, my favorite sub-genre, so bear that in mind.
The trafficking plot is quite good, especially with the questionable death of the millionaire thrown in . It is completely overshadowed by the ongoing "introduction" of the protagonist, Fiona Griffiths. She is meant to be brilliant, a first-class detective, quirky, suffering from a vague psychological disorder, an outsider with a mysterious hole in her CV.
To me, Fiona comes across as immature, whiny, not particularly intuitive about live human beings, but morbidly obsessed with dead ones. She spends oceans of time and money on funerals that she seems to believe are for the dead, rather than for her, as a way of dealing with her neuroses.
The book is far too long because it loses the mystery/thriller story to Fiona's story, and I did not find her character strong enough to carry the book. I will not be buying any more of Mr. Bingham's books with this character.

The protagonist isn't strong enough

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A little slow to start however a good story after all! Love the reading! Just be patient

Slow start

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"Talking to the Dead" is a very interesting detective novel about a young policewoman (Fiona Griffiths) who is dealing with a debilitating, mental illness while still having to perform her investigative duties.

I enjoyed this book. I found the lead character to be someone who I wanted to learn more about... a person that I wanted to know. The story revolves around the killing of a prostitute and her daughter, and the sex trafficking in Europe. Throughout the story, I was fascinated by Fiona's 'unique' reaction to events unfolding around her. Fiona has her own methods of detection, and they do not always conform to standard police procedure and protocol (which does nothing to endear her to her colleagues). That said, Fiona's quirks actually help her to be an excellent detective, adding a level of intrigue to the plot.

This novel has been compared to the books by Stieg Larsson, and not without justification. Although I found Bingham's writing not quite up to the very high bar set by Larsson, this book is still quite well-written. The ending of "Talking to the Dead" was very suspenseful and powerful. Siriol Jenkins does a superb job with the narration, covering a wide range of voices extremely well. Harry Bingham has created a character that I hope to see again, very soon. Don't miss this one!

Good Detective Novel With a Unique Lead Character

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