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  • Beware the Past

  • Written by: Joy Ellis
  • Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
  • Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (235 ratings)

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Beware the Past cover art

Beware the Past

Written by: Joy Ellis
Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
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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?

©2017 Joy Ellis (P)2018 Tantor

What listeners say about Beware the Past

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrator made it hard to get into the book

it took me quite a while before I could get fully immersed into this story. The narrator sometimes made it hard to figure out who was saying what. I will be avoiding books with this narrator in future.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Struggling .

I am on chapter 18 and have to admit that I am only sticking with it because I want to know the ending...but the narration is not great....the women sound like 5 year old inquisitive children, so annoying. Not sure where he has pulled the voices from and what his thinking is behind it...reminds me of a Haribo gummies ad.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a spell binding book by Joy Ellis

This was a great book, full of twists and turns and hard to stop listening to.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It gathers speed but…..

Initially I could not get my head around the wooden deadpan narration. Little character development and very flat delivery. Halfway through it got better - both narration and story wise but in general it wasn’t my fave.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

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 😳

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very scary but with humour too

A study of a serial killer’s unmasking. Brutal scenes. But with a love story interspersed. If you like a fast paced mystery and twists and turns it’s for you.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Another gripping novel by Joy Ellis, but I really missed the narration of Henrietta Meire.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

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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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good book

I enjoyed this audio book. The conclusion was unexpected which I like. I much prefer the her other narrator though from previous books.

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