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Beware the Past
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Series: Detective Matt Ballard, Book 1
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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Another hit by Joy Ellis!
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A crime wave has hit town. The target is a highly sought-after brand of streetwear called Hybird X, clothing that costs a fortune and resells for unbelievable prices. Houses are burgled, kids mugged on the streets...and finally a young man dies, all for the sake of his shoes. Then another boy’s body is found in a pile of rubbish. Meanwhile illegal steroids are flooding the streets. And there are dark movements on the marshes.
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Violence against children - caution for sensitive readers
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Guide Star
- A Gripping and Emotional Roller-Coaster of a Novel About Love, Life, and Not Giving Up
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Stella North, a rising star in the police, has her life torn apart by a gunman's bullets. She has often faced danger, but these injuries mean she must give up the job she loves. Her grandmother Beth is her rock. And Beth is no ordinary woman. At 70, she runs marathons and has a past that Stella knows very little about. Beth calls in her friend, Michael, to help with Stella's recovery. But this man means a lot more to Beth than she reveals. And Stella's ex-husband, Edward, and old police partner, Robbie, want to help, but Stella puts up emotional barriers.
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Tried too hard
- By Marijke Vroomen-Durning on 2021-02-12
Publisher's Summary
One terrible case always haunted detective Matt Ballard. Now many years later, the killer seems to be back. And this time he's after Matt.
When Matt Ballard was starting out his career, three boys were murdered in the same area, the remote and bleak Gibbet Fen. When the main suspect was killed in a hit-and-run, the killings stopped. But Matt was not satisfied that the real murderer had been caught.
Over 25 years later, Matt gets a photo in an unmarked envelope. It's of the Gibbet Fen crime scene. And the picture was taken before the murder took place. More photos arrive, relating to the historic murders, as well as intimate pictures of Matt's very secret private life.
Then another murder happens, with some of the hallmarks of the old case. Has the killer returned, or is this just a sick copycat determined to ruin Matt's life and reputation?
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What listeners say about Beware the Past
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jonathan Lawley
- 2019-02-04
Reads like it was written by Michael Scott.
This seems like a great follow up to 'Threat Level Midnight'. We know the main character is a great detective because of how often other characters refer to him as a 'damn good detective' despite ever doing any actual detective work.
2 people found this helpful
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- Kerri
- 2020-02-04
Seriously sucked
I don’t know if it was the horrible narration but this story did mot meet my expectation of a Joy Ellis novel in any shape or form. Very disappointing. I will read reviews next time on authors I have come to trust.
1 person found this helpful
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- Brooke
- 2019-10-30
Terrible narration
I’m a fan of Joy Ellis’ writing but this was a let down. It’s possible that a different narrator would have helped the listener buy into the story. The narration was awful! Tone and character intonations were all over the place and distracting rather than enhancing. I will not get another book with this narrator, ever 😳
1 person found this helpful
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- j. campion
- 2019-08-24
the narration let the story down
After 10 minutes or so, I couldn't bear to listen to the narrator's performance, especially in relation to one of the principal women's voices
1 person found this helpful
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- Kimberley Buchanan
- 2020-10-03
Not The Best
At first between the dialogue and the performance I thought it was a joke it was so amateurish. It only got marginally better. The whole plot felt clumsy and forced but I will say it did have a couple of unexpected twists. So overall not bad but not great.
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- Alison
- 2020-10-02
Poor narration and writing
Maybe a better narrator would have helped carry this story as I found the writing quite poor overall. I have not read Joy Ellis before and will not be looking for her novels any time soon. I will also avoid Antony Ferguson's narration.
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- Charlann Farquharson
- 2020-07-24
The Woman of Journeys
I have given another batch of complete stars. I truly believe that Joy Ellis’s talents should be sought out and savoured. I am new to her wonderful ability to carry her reader into a landscape both of a countryside I have never been too and characters so rich with the frailties of mankind, delivers us from the times we are all enduring the world over right now to pure escapism with the talent of the ancient storytellers. Do yourself a favour let Joy Ellis into your library and deliciously disappear! You will be amazed how soon you feel salt spray and hear bird song!!
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- Eveline Howells
- 2020-01-26
Beware The Past by Joy Ellis
Really good story full of exciting people and situations.
looking forward to other books by Joy Ellis .
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- Audrey R
- 2020-01-04
Still undecided
This is a decent story, told mostly from the perspective of Matt Ballard. Interesting to listen to this with Matt’s thoughts, confused as they are at times. He didn’t do a lot of detecting - it was mostly the squad. However as a study in personal vs professional lives and the curves life throws at a person, it was entertaining. I’ve bought the next book, hoping that the main characters develop more. The reader is ok. Not great and not awful.
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- Patricia Vaz
- 2019-07-09
Very Good
I have always liked books by Joy Ellis. This certainly did not disappoint. Unusual twist, and also a little sad.
Looking forward to reading, listening, to more by this author and narrator.
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- Diana Hart 33
- 2020-01-08
excellent
most excellent story, can't wait to go to book 2, I'm from America, so I'm used to our police carrying guns, plus all the other stuff. it's kind of crazy to me that the UK cops only have tasers and clubs. But I still really enjoyed this book, and have already ordered book 2.
10 people found this helpful
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- sally earl
- 2019-12-05
Beware the past no beware the narration
I have just started listening to this book and I don’t think I’m going to listen anymore. The story is great but the narration is horrible. Sorry buts that’s the only world for it. It’s totally spoiling it for me and grating on my nerves. Might be the first book I send back.
7 people found this helpful
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- Wayne
- 2018-06-04
Author Joy Ellis knows how to build suspense!
BEWARE THE PAST is a marvelous standalone modern detective mystery by British author Joy Ellis. Few novels build and maintain suspense as well as this one. There is a major plot twist that I never saw coming. Like the novel, the narration earns 5 stars.
I've listened to and enjoyed all 8 novels in the Nikki Galena series by Joy Ellis. On June 14 a novel from her highly rated Jackman and Evans suspense mystery modern detective series will be released in audio format. The title is THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS.
31 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2019-09-06
Excellent in every way!
Love this author and narrator. Have listened to all of her books and her word craft is such a pleasure. I never want her stories to end, but damn I just finished another one.
5 people found this helpful
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- Saikungbob
- 2020-01-30
Don’t buy!!!
I don’t understand the many positive reviews for this book. The writing is embarrassingly puerile. The narrator is well matched to this juvenile book. He sounds like the DJ on an old top 40 AM radio station.
4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-01-01
A great disappointment
Never thought that I would be so disappointed in a Joy Ellis book. The writing is as good as always but the story is stale up until the ending, which is so unnecessary and unbelievable as to make it ridiculous. Matt and Liz are neither likable nor very smart. The other police officers are pretty inept and the leadership is nonexistent. I have all of Ellis's books but DCI Matt Ballard will not be joining my bookshelf.
4 people found this helpful
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- B. G.
- 2018-08-22
Kept me gueaaing til the end. I have not been dissapointed with any Joy Ellis' books
7 people found this helpful
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- KarenUpNorth
- 2018-06-20
Bravo!
Possibly the best of Joy Ellis’ books. I almost didn’t purchase this audiobook due to a couple negative early reviews of the narrator. I’m so glad I gave it a chance. The story and the narration are brilliant.
7 people found this helpful
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- Douglas
- 2018-06-06
An okay mystery
Let's deal with the narration first... it's horrible. It's inconsistent and at some points the female characters sound like bass-toned males.
My main complaint with this book is that Matt Ballard the DCI is happily having a romantic affair with one of his subordinates. It's very clear that it's consensual; however, at one point the killer does something and all our hero can worry about is that his illicit sexual romps with his married colleague will be found out. Really? I think if I was in Matt's place I'd be worrying about a few others things first. I know I'm being vague about what the killer did but I thought it was interesting and don't want to spoil it.
At the end of the book there's a scene with Matt, his lover and the lover's husband in the same room. The author could have handled the situation in a classy way, instead the author decided to cheapen the moment by using a dues ex and let Matt completely off the hook.
I guess my biggest issue with this book is that I didn't like our hero. I found Matt's 2nd in command Jason and the killer to be more interesting characters. I'll try another of the author's books but I'll have to really enjoy it to read a third.
26 people found this helpful
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- hazel Phillips
- 2020-01-02
the surprise
I was very surprised at the from now we of the book The Twist was unsuspected but entertaining
1 person found this helpful