A Good psychological thriller with several strands

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A very compelling story that is very well narrated. A gripping psychological twisting tale of one man's journey to cover up his tough start in life. But he can not keep it all a secret and all the woven threads of his life start to come apart.

What did you like best about this story?

Gripping, well crafted characters and a plot line that moves in many direction. A lot going on and along the way there are clues and misdirection that keep you guessing and turning the pages.

What does Rob Groves bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Nice inflection depending on the characters and a good steady flow with good emphasis.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The challenge of unravelling the multiple mysteries that thread there way through the book.

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1 person found this helpful

A really novel idea.

What did you like most about Patchwork Man?

I found this book, which was recommended by a friend, to be refreshing in its approach. A great idea (which I won't give away) and well written with superb narration from a narrator I have not heard before, but hope to hear again.

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"..slowly adding to the pattern, piece by piece."

Any additional comments?

On the brink of achieving his life's ambition - the appointment as High Court Judge - and only two weeks after his very supportive wife, Margaret, is killed in a hit and run accident, successful barrister Lawrence Juste finds his carefully constructed life unraveling around him as the distant past thrusts itself unwanted into his present.
This very well written and crafted novel moves between current happenings and memories of Lawrence's childhood when, as one of a large family of ten plus a new baby, growing up in an atmosphere of neglect, he with most of his siblings are removed from parental care and sent away to a children's home. The experiences are traumatic and form his future life.
This is an intriguing, exciting psychological thriller. The characters, and in particular the main protagonists, are well developed and we are sucked into Lawrence's emotional turmoil as ever more revelations come to light despite the fact that he is not, himself, a particularly likable man. The narrator reads beautifully and, though there are some slightly suspect accents in the dialogue, these are few and far between and really do not distract from the excellence of the text.
On a brief note of historic accuracy from the opening stages of the book, I would like to say that, as someone who grew up in the suburbs close to Croydon and visited often in my mid teens, in the same 1959 of the start, the numerous bomb sites which had been so evident in earlier years had, by then, almost entirely disappeared. Also, that a pensioner couple able to collect £30 per week in 1962 must have been exceptionally rich as the weekly working wage for a teacher, both then until several years later, was only nine pounds. I also have considerable doubts that anyone with a police record, even a juvenile one, would have ever been considered for the position of judge: it would certainly prevent their becoming the much more lowly magistrate. But these are minor niggles which in no way prevent the complete overall enjoyment of this labyrinthine mystery.
A great story which keeps the reader constantly guessing, well written, with good, believable, living characters, and all read by a skillful narrator, this book is highly recommended to anyone who likes real substance in their books. My thanks to the rights holder for the gift to me of Patchwork Man, via Audiobook Boom. I enjoyed it very much and will look out for the coming sequel.

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so confused

an enjoyable start, but the story soon became very confusing and hard to keep up with

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