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The Accident: A Novel
Unavailable
The Accident: A Novel
Unavailable
The Accident: A Novel
Audiobook12 hours

The Accident: A Novel

Written by Linwood Barclay

Narrated by Peter Berkrot

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Glen Garber, a contractor, has seen his business shaken by the housing crisis, and now his wife, Sheila, is taking a business course at night to increase her chances of landing a good-paying job. But she should have been home by now. With their eight-year-old daughter sleeping soundly, Glen soon finds his worst fears confirmed: Sheila and two others have been killed in a car accident. Grieving and in denial, Glen resolves to investigate the accident himself-and begins to uncover layers of lawlessness beneath the placid surface of their Connecticut suburb, secret after dangerous secret behind the closed doors. Propelled into a vortex of corruption and illegal activity, pursued by mysterious killers, and confronted by threats from neighbors he thought he knew, Glen must take his own desperate measures and go to terrifying new places in himself to avenge his wife and protect his child.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 9, 2011
ISBN9781441804327
Unavailable
The Accident: A Novel
Author

Linwood Barclay

Linwood Barclay is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous previous novels and two thrillers for children. His books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He wrote the screenplay adaptation for his novel Never Saw it Coming and his book The Accident has been made into a TV series in France. His novel No Time for Goodbye was a global bestseller. A native of Connecticut, he now lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha.

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Reviews for The Accident

Rating: 3.93613712305296 out of 5 stars
4/5

321 ratings43 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another very good read by this author that keeps you wanting to turn the page, 4 stars. That said I still feel I prefer the other books I have read by him : Fear the Worst and No Time for Goodbye as there were one or two points I didn't feel were totally believable but I forgive him that. Rather like with Harlan Coben I know I am in for a good read when I pick up one of his books. I look forward to his next book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really like his writing sale but the truth is the end of his books leave a lot to be desired. The plot just sort of unravels and honestly it is just too hard to buy into the multiple solutions, it was a fun book to read all the way up to the last 15%
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a thrill ride from the beginning to the very end. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the book. Actually, when I read the Prologue I thought that the book was going to be made up of short stories.

    The Accident is the story of a small business owner, Glen Garber and his daughter, Kelly trying to come to terms with the death of his wife and her mother. Sheila appeared to have caused an accident while driving drunk. Glen knew that this was not who his wife was and is intent on getting to the bottom of what happened. What happens next is...lots of twists, turns and you think that you are going to be able to figure it all out.

    Thanks to Net Galley and Bantam Books for the ARC.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I said this in a previous review of a novel by Linwood Barclay but it is so true - "Finding the novels of Linwood Barclay in 2013 was such a great find!" WoW!

    The author is a master at creating a thriller with all the best components - excitement, tension, twists and turns - that make page-turning, "can't put it down" compelling reading. I also love that he doesn't create a type of hero character like Lee Child's Jack Reacher or Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne. Linwood Barclay doesn't need that type of character to create suspense. He creates drama, suspense, excitement with the every day people of our lives - family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and at the regular places where we live our lives - home, neighborhoods, work.

    Be careful if you start reading one of Linwood Barclay's novels on the beach - you may forget how long you've been sitting in the sun as you're so absorbed in your reading. :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow! This was the first book I have read from this author. I took the advice of a staff member at Chapters and was so impressed. I could not put it down! Just when I thought I had figured out what was happening there was a twist! And then another twist! Definitely not what I expected and was pleasantly surprised.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    What a bizarre novel. Practically every character was guilty of something. Unrealistic and rather silly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very enjoyable book this, it is the 4th Linwood Barclay book I have read and probably my favourite. The main character Glenn Garber is trying to find answers for the death of his wife. There are a few twists and turns along the way. Glenn eventually finds out the truth and its an unexpected twist.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Intentionally chose this book as I wanted something easy to read while on a challenging vacation. Was very easy to read and enjoyable, decent plot, decent characters. One somewhat annoying trait - it seemed eventually everyone was a villain!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book would have been a little more realistic if there were a few less people that died. I enjoyed it though.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book alot! Great twists and turns. I was intrigued to see how all the storylines would end up coming together at the end. Great read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A roller coaster of a thriller...Whoooooooosh...and what a great ride it is!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow!!! This was such an awesome book. Kept me up all night way past bedtime. Well worth the bloodshot eyes the next day from lack of sleep.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a most enjoyable novel, it basicly centers around three families from Milford, Conn., the Garber's, the Slocum's & the Morton's, that get involved with the selling of knock-off purses, prescription drugs & electrical components for a large mark up profit. Events are getting out of hand, Sheila Garber is killed in an auto accident in which the police determine that she was intoxicated, blocking an off ramp of a highway unconscious behind the wheel causing that fatal accident resulting in the deaths of a father & son with one son surviving the crash. Things don't add-up with Glen, Sheila's husband, she hardly ever drank and if she did, she wouldn't drive after one drink. Shortly there after her close friend Ann Slocum's daughter Emily invites Kelly, Sheila's daughter over for a sleep-over. The kids start playing like kids do,they decide to play hide & seek and while Kelly is hiding in Mrs Slocum's closet she overhears two different conversations that Mrs Slocum has that starts this mind boggling mystery of events of what an evil web one weaves. This takes off like a soap opera on steroids, with so many characters joining the fray, the action is continuious thoughout, with another who's responsible for this death. This was suppose to be my first book review for the librarything.com, but I never recieved it, so I located a copy of it from my local library and I'm so enlightened to have read this novel, most all will enjoy this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow - another excellent book by Linwood Barclay - couldn't put it down!!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Meh. It got exciting at the end, but overall this is a mediocre thriller.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    WOW! I loved this book! Great story telling here. I swear the author left a cliff hanger at the end of 85% of the chapters in this book. Really really good!The story revolves around Glen Garber and the accident that killed his wife Sheila. Of course it's a mystery but in more ways than one so Glen is scrambling the whole time trying to put together what he knows into something that makes sense.The ending will astound you. I doubt you'll see it coming. The author did a great job wrapping it all up at the end as well. Well done!Will I recommend this book? Shoot! I was recommending it before I even finished it. YES!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Simply put, if you like Harlen Coben, you'll like Linwood Barclay. Both write suspense books that breeze along. Books that won't save the world but are damn enjoyable. The Accident is no exception. It includes dubious accidents, a grieving husband turned investigator , suburban shenanigans, and knock off Chinese products all rolled up for a roller coaster ride of epic proportions. Only downsize to this book is when Barclay slips in a little sermonizing, otherwise....thumbs up
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Was all set to give this book a four but the ending was a bit of an overkill for me. Up to that point I was loving the book, suspense was great, it was a cautionary tale about the buying and selling of ripoff purses and drugs, liked the character of father and daughter but just couldn't buy that ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This thrilling story tells of Glen Garber becoming worried when his wife, Sheila, fails to return home from night school. He gets his own car and follows the route she would take home and comes upon an accident. When he's closer, he sees that it's Sheila's car. As he approaches the car, police stop him and inform him that Sheila didn't survive and was apparently drinking and passed out. The is also the cause of the accident which resulted in two people from another vehicle being killed.One of Sheila's friends, Ann Slocum, is ordered to meet an unnamed man who tells her he wants his money. We learn that she was selling unregistered pharmaceutical products. She meets someone and in a dispute, she falls into the sound and dies.Glen has lost so much. Besides Sheila's death, there was a fire in a home he was building and the accident report says that it was from shoddy equipment. In addition, children at his daughter Kelly's school are treating her cruelly. Glen seems surrounded by people intent on harming him and Kelly. He is a sympathetic character but we come to admire him because he doesn't ask for sympathy or give up when his world is crumbling around him.Barclay has written a riveting book about a man who demonstrates that one man, acting with conviction, can make a difference.This was an easy read that grabs the reader and holds them in a tight world of suspense until the novel is complete.I enjoyed the fully developed story and found myself holding my breath and saying "Oh no!" and in other parts of the story, cheering for Glen's success.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I very much enjoyed my Canadian written thriller, The Accident by Linwood Barclay. It was a happy, escapist 4 star read for me. I discovered Linwood Barclay a few years ago, and I think I've read most or maybe all of his previous thrillers. They always have plenty of twists and turns and just when you think you've got the answer to the murder(s) - yet another possible clue turns up. While they are definitely thrillers, they are not the sort that will keep you awake with fear. They might keep you up all night turning the pages to see what happens next.Like his previous books, Linwood Barclay has written a domestic thriller. By that I mean that he writes stories about ordinary people living in ordinary neighbourhoods with seemingly ordinary lives. Alas - but as usual there is a criminal underbelly. This time our protaganist and narrator,Glen Garber, loses his wife in what appears to be drunk driving accident .Glen's wife, Sheila seems to be the person who was drunk and is blamed for killing two other people from Glen Garber's small town in Connenicut. Glen and Shelia have a young eight year old daughter Kelly, who is saddened by her mother's death, and even worse, bullied at school by her fellow school mates who blame her mother for the death of one of their classmates who was killed in the accident.Glen Garber, Sheila's husband has real doubts about his wife drinking and driving as she is known to be a responsible and careful person. But Sheila died in the accident, so he struggles with his anger towards Sheila and her seemingly out of character drunk driving.As the story goes on, one of Shelia's friends is killed shortly after in what appears to be a rather inexplicable accident. From there, Glen Garber begins to investigate things in earnest and finds a surprising underbelly to his small town. Twist after twist and death after death, Glen begins to unravel the clues to his wife's death.In many ways, this book is very timely , as it deals with the economic fallout in the US during the 2008. People are out of work, have subprime mortages and are losing their homes , which in part expains the corruption and illegal activity in this seemingly quiet town in Connecticut.It was a fast paced and enjoyable read for me. I did have trouble with the fact that so quickly after Glen Garber's wife's death, he was so quickly able to start looking into who might be responsible for his wife's death. His daughter, an eight year old, seems to land pretty quickly on her feet ,despite the loss of her mother. However, this is an escapist thriller, so it did not bother me, but it might seem rather unbeliveable to others.As I have read several of author Linwood Barker's previous thrillers, I have to comment that he is maturing in his writing and there is less quirkness and humour to his current thrillers. I rather enjoyed his quirky, humorous thrillers just as much, if not more. Even so, I very much enjoyed this read and I note that many of his previous books have been optioned to be made into movies.Another great thriller by Linwood Barclay. As it says on the book cover, if you like Harlen Coben, you will love Linwood Barclay. As someone who has read Harlan Coben too, I have to agree.( Disclaimer- I do not like Harlan Coban's Mylon Bolitar series - I only enjoy his stand alone thrillers).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I thoroughly enjoyed this galley. Having never read any of the author's work before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found Mr. Barkley's writing style extremely readable. "The Accident" was a great pool-side read - I had it finished in less than 48 hours. It has a super plot that really keeps the pages turning! There were only a few little details that bothered me. I found the manner of "Kelly" to be somewhat inconsistent. At first, I found it hard to believe that she was a mere eight years old. I found her dialogue, etc. to be mature beyond her years. Later on in the story, I felt that she became more "true" to her age, and so I felt more comfortable with her character. Secondly, I found the plot twist wherein Glen discovers who was behind the death of Emily's mother Ann, to be a little simplistic. It's hard to believe that he would automatically conclude that the culprit was someone he knew, when only their first name was in fact revealed. Finally, I did find that movement between scenes (within the same chapter) tended to be slightly choppy, but not enough that it hampered my true enjoyment of the book. I look forward to reading more books by the talented Linwood Barkley, in the very near future. **** (four our of five stars)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Comfy chair? Drinks? Snacks? Good lighting? Excellent! 'Cause you're not going to be getting up or stopping once you dive into Linwood Barclay's latest release - The Accident.The opening prologue - a violent crime with a distinctly different setting caught my interest. But the foreshadowing in the first paragraph in chapter one clinched it:"If I'd known this was our last morning, I'd have rolled over in bed and held her. But of course, if it had been possible to know something like that - if I could have somehow seen into the future - I wouldn't have let go. And then things would have been different."Glen Carver inherited his building business from his father. He's a straight shooter and does right by his customers, staff and his wife Sheila and eight year old daughter Kelly.Times are tough all over - the economy still hasn't fully recovered - the Carvers have money troubles like everyone else. And then the unthinkable happens - Sheila is killed in an accident that also kills a father and son. The cops say Sheila was drunk and was at fault. But Glen knows that Sheila didn't drink to excess...or did she and he just never knew?As Glen struggles to deal with his wife's death and looking after Kelly, more seeming unrelated incidents transpire. A web is being woven around Glen, but he can't see it. We can though. I just wanted to shout at Glen - NO! Look out! Ask them why....! When he finally twigs that there is something really wrong going on with his friends and family, it's almost too late...Barclay's characters are almost anti-heroes; everyday men thrust into situations completely outside the scope of their everyday lives with the need to protect their families. It makes them all the more believable and likable. Adding more reality to the story is the economic thread of the story - foreclosures, lay-offs, downsizing and desperately trying to make ends meet. Barclay has the suspense/thriller genre in a choke hold with no signs of letting go (thank goodness!)I've read and reviewed three of Barclay's previous thrillers - all five star reads, as is The Accident.Like Harlan Coben? You're going to love Linwood Barclay!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great Narrator, i enjoyed the book, exciting until the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lots of characters, slow start, then wowza. Barclay is an excellent writer!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent book full of twists and turns. Great author!!! Definitely check out their other books!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good story, I could have done without the bad language. Lots of twists and turns right to the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely could not put this book down! So many twists and turns, I just had to know the next happening in the story! My new favorite author, excellent characters, complicated numerous plots! Well done!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I said this in a previous review of a novel by Linwood Barclay but it is so true - "Finding the novels of Linwood Barclay in 2013 was such a great find!" WoW!

    The author is a master at creating a thriller with all the best components - excitement, tension, twists and turns - that make page-turning, "can't put it down" compelling reading. I also love that he doesn't create a type of hero character like Lee Child's Jack Reacher or Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne. Linwood Barclay doesn't need that type of character to create suspense. He creates drama, suspense, excitement with the every day people of our lives - family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and at the regular places where we live our lives - home, neighborhoods, work.

    Be careful if you start reading one of Linwood Barclay's novels on the beach - you may forget how long you've been sitting in the sun as you're so absorbed in your reading. :)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My second Barclay novel and I'm impressed, but I did enjoy "Never Look Away" more! This one has a super engaging first chapter that leads us to a suburban world with counterfeit drugs AND purses! And when a man's daughter is in danger, well, just read it and find out! It's a thriller to the end, with several twists and turns along the way! And I'm officially a Linwood Barclay fan!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As thrillers go, this one was pretty good. There is a lot going on and while it can get a bit convoluted at times, there is definite resolution to each individual mystery. It'll keep you guessing for sure. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was excellent. His characterizations were spot on. I'll be looking out for more of his work.