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We Begin at the End

The multi-award-winning thriller from the bestselling author of ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK

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We Begin at the End

By: Chris Whitaker
Narrated by: George Newbern
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A GUARDIAN BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR
An EXPRESS BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR
A WATERSTONES THRILLER OF THE MONTH

'A beautifully written mystery, packed with unforgettable characters' JANE HARPER

'Contender for thriller of the year' SUNDAY EXPRESS

'An accomplished and moving story of crime, punishment, love and redemption' GUARDIAN

For fans of Jane Harper's The Dry comes a powerful novel about the lengths we will go to keep our family safe. This is a story about good and evil and how life is lived somewhere in between.

Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer.

Now, he's been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed.

Duchess Radley, Star's thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin - and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.

Murder, revenge, retribution.

How far can we run from the past, when the past seems doomed to repeat itself?


WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT WE BEGIN AT THE END:

'A magnificent crime novel. It deserves to win a hatful of awards. A BIG hat. Consider me a major fan' MARK BILLINGHAM

'Magnificent . . . an instant classic, a West Coast Where the Crawdads Sing . . . a special, vital novel. I'm grateful to have read it' A J FINN

'Surely destined to conquer the world' RUTH JONES

'So beautifully written' LYNDA LA PLANTE

'I LOVED this book . . . This is a book to be read and re-read and an author to be celebrated' LOUISE PENNY

'A stunning and heartbreaking book - will keep you gripped until the last moving page' CLAIRE MCGOWAN

'An exceptionally beautiful and accomplished crime novel' ALI LAND

'One of the best books I've ever read' FIONA CUMMINS

'An absolute masterclass in crime writing and story-telling' JO SPAIN

'One of the year's best crime reads' VASEEM KHAN

'One of my favourite books of all time' M. W. CRAVEN, winner of the CWA's Gold Dagger Award

'Breathtakingly beautiful. Another stunning story from the genius of Chris Whitaker' COMPULSIVE READERS

'A spellbinding masterclass in storytelling . . . one of the best books I have ever had the joy to read' ALEX J BOOKS BLOG

'A masterpiece . . . a contender for my top book of 2020' FOR WINTER NIGHTS BLOG

'I was totally seduced by this absolute masterpiece . . . took my breath away' SUIDI'S BOOK REVIEWS

'This book is bound to become a classic . . . Reader, Chris Whitaker's book made me cry . . . such is the power of this writing' LIVE AND DEADLY BLOG

'Utterly brilliant . . . This isn't just crime fiction, this is a masterclass' MELANIE READS BLOG

'A masterpiece of storytelling with clever twists and an ending to knock you sideways' CANDIS MAGAZINE

'This heart-rending story . . . is among the most powerful and moving I have read in years' DAILY MAIL

'Cements Whitaker's status as one of the most talented authors writing today' HEAT MAGAZINE

'Masterly novel' SUNDAY EXPRESS

'A dark yet painfully human tale that is impossible to forget' CRIME MONTHLY

'Beautifully written and deeply moving' SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB

'A gorgeous, crystalline novel' JEANINE CUMMINS, author of AMERICAN DIRT Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Revenge Fiction Exciting Heartfelt Tear-jerking Murder
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Critic reviews

An epic coming-of-age crime drama which deserves to become a classic . . . Whitaker carves out a tale reminiscent of a Coen brothers' film . . . Beautifully written and paced throughout, We Begin at the End is profound and heartbreaking . . . This masterpiece of a novel proves that Whitaker has a rare talent deserving of wider recognition. I will be amazed if I read a better novel this year
I LOVED it . . . so intricately, delicately written, with such care and affection for all the characters. I adored all the relationships and ALL the characters without exception . . . his descriptions are so vivid, so visual, so beautifully drawn.We Begin at the End is surely destined to conquer the world. This intensely captivating story and its uniquely intriguing characters holds you in its jaws till the very last word. Astonishingly good
The character of Duchess Day Radley is so beautifully written, she will remain with you for a long time
I love Duchess Day Radley so much I want to adopt her. She is every thirteen-year-old girl at risk, an outlaw both pure of heart and ill of intent, a fierce and melancholy girl, so memorable she will make camp in your brain and never leave. In We Begin at the End, Chris Whitaker has written a gorgeous, crystalline novel, a cautionary tale about the long shadows cast by our past selves, and one defiant girl with the bravery to hope for something better. I love this beautiful book
Beautifully written, We Begin at the End really reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird. And the spirit of Scout is very much alive in Duchess. A crime novel, or maybe a novel about a crime, and yet so much more
Brutal, yet beautiful, this painfully human tale cements Whitaker's status as one of the most talented authors writing today
Chris Whitaker's third novel, We Begin at the End, is the kind of breakout book that publishers dream about. Rich with character and story, conflict and tension, humor, tragedy and raw, unadulterated guts, this one has it all. Throw in the most compelling young protagonist I've read in at least a decade, and you have a deep and meaningful story that is an absolute delight from first page to last. Nicely done, Mr. Whitaker!
I hate this man. I mean, I really hate him because this is the sort of book that makes you feel like you're not trying hard enough as an author. Just amazing
Stunning, intoxicating, heart-breaking - without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year. A compelling story, beautifully-drawn characters and writing that leaps off the page: We Begin at the End is in a class of its own
All stars
Most relevant
I found this a beautifully written story with great character development, you really got to know each and every one. A must read/listen.

Review

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Came across this book by accident & im glad I gave it a try. I really enjoyed it, it kept my attention from start to finish. The characters were so well written & very easy to imagine from the way the story is told. A story of love, love lost, friendship, grief, hardship, heartache, family, despair & loneliness. Some good twists & turns.
The narration was good but some issues with the amount of time left between paragraphs or chapter breaks. Sometimes there was no pause even though the story may have switched to a different character & I found I’d have to go back to listen again to make sure that it was on the different character. Other than that though, narrator was easy to listen too.

Great story

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What a fantastic story with great characters you just want to keep with you long after you’ve read it!

Brilliant

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Good insight into effects of trauma on children so not too enjoyable but very thought provoking

Unusual plot

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A fantastic listen , would make a great movie.
Really well read. - lovely to listen to.

A tragic story

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