Don't Breathe A Word

A Novel

By: Jennifer McMahon

Narrated by: Lily Rains

“Don’t Breathe a Word is a haunting page-turner that kept me up, spine shivering and enthralled, way past my bedtime.”
—Joshilyn Jackson, author of Gods in Alabama and Backseat Saints

“Jennifer McMahon never flinches and never fails to surprise…as [she] weaves a young couple into a perverse fairyland where Rosemary’s Baby could be at home.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters

Two young lovers find themselves ensnared in a seemingly supernatural web that ties them to a young girl’s disappearance fifteen years earlier in this dark and twisty tale from the New York Times bestselling author of Island of Lost Girls and Promise Not to Tell. Jennifer NcMahon returns with a vengeance with Don’t Breathe a Word—an absolutely chilling and ingenious combination of psychological thriller, literary suspense, and paranormal page-turner that will enthrall a wildly diverse audience including, among others, avid fans of Keith Donohue (The Stolen Child), Laura Lippman (I’d Know You Anywhere), and Tana French.(In the Woods).

Still scared to turn out the lights...

What made the experience of listening to Don't Breathe a Word the most enjoyable?

Just when you think you completely understand what's going on, a kink gets thrown into the plot and you start to doubt everything you know so far. It's an addicting mystery and it kept me lying on the cough listening to what was supposed to be entertainment for my commute.

Have you listened to any of Lily Rains’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't heard her other performances, but she does a great job. Nothing ruins a book more than a bad narrator- Lily Rains gave all the characters their own voice, and the overall narrative a great delivery.

Who was the most memorable character of Don't Breathe a Word and why?

Lisa, hands down. I still can't decide if there was a supernatural element to the book or not , but I do want to reach into that book and take that girl somewhere safe. Both Lisa and Evie- it's one of those stories where you start out witnessing the train wreck and spend the rest of it wanting to let everyone know what's waiting for them if they keep on.

Any additional comments?

I wish the ending were different, the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars, but the rest of the book was great, and my thoughts on the ending aren't negative enough to stop me from recommending it.

Second time through and still amazing!!!

I read this book quite a few years ago and have been itching to read it again. So I’ve been listening to it at work and I seriously forgot how good and creepy and f*ed up this book is!! If you’re into psycho-thriller/fantasy/weirdness then I think you’ll enjoy it.

Good story, narrator should not do voices.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The ending was a let down. Not necessarily because it wasn't a neat tidy happy ending but in the end, but circumstances didn't unfold to solve the book - it was explained in way too much narrative. I would have liked to see a better, well put together ending.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jennifer McMahon? Why or why not?

Yes, I liked many elements of the story.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

By far, not the worst I have heard, but i find it extremely distracting and irritating when narrators try to do voices.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No - too scary! Ha.

Twists and turns the whole way through!

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself listening to it with every spare minute that I had! It had me hooked early on and didn't let go until the end. So many twists in the story made it hard to stop listening! I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

This book was great.....until the end.

I really enjoy this author. This book seemed fantastic, but then the end was thrown together, messy.