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What Never Happened

Written by: Rachel Howzell Hall
Narrated by: Kristen Ariza
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Publisher's Summary

It’s murder in paradise as a woman uncovers a host of secrets off the rocky California coast in a gripping novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall.

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

©2023 Rachel Howzell Hall (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

What the critics say

“The range exhibited in narrator Kristen Ariza's performance of this thriller is unparalleled. She shines at voicing Coco Weber's conflicting emotions as she escapes L.A. and returns home to remote Catalina Island.… Ariza allows something as simple as a cell phone ringing to amplify the suspenseful ambiance of this audiobook. When Coco receives threats to her own life, Ariza embodies her determination to get to the bottom of all the deaths—past and present.”AudioFile Magazine

“Howzell Hall specializes in complex, realistic characters…What Never Happened gives a unique look at the domestic thriller.”Florida Sun Sentinel

“Rachel Howzell Hall does it again. What Never Happened blends blade-sharp writing and indelible characters with a suspenseful story that pulls you in and won’t let go, as a seeming paradise grows dark with storms, suspicion, and murder. I couldn’t put it down.”—Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

What listeners say about What Never Happened

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  • Sarah
  • 2023-09-01

Too long

This was twice as long as it needed to be. After slogging through hours of repetitive details, the ending lasted all of 7 minutes. It left many loose ends and an extreme longing to get my 12+ hours back.

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  • amanda
  • 2023-08-19

4/5

4/5

I liked this story but it was slow at times. I didn’t understand why covid was tied into it.

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  • Michael G.
  • 2023-09-28

Difficult

I had to speed up the audio to even get through it. I’m not normally one to stop listening to a book once started, however I considered. Didn’t see how the title related, thought it may end with aliens for a minute.

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  • Barbara F. Evans
  • 2023-09-28

Mediocre

The story and character are confusing at times. It seemed to drag out prior to ending.

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  • Emily
  • 2023-09-15

Meh

I had trouble the whole way through getting into it. The thoughts of the main character were confusing at times. The weird thoughts of an old lady sprinked in. It just didn't come together well. And the narration didn't help. Would not recommend wasting your time on this book.

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  • Pisces
  • 2023-09-14

Unpleasant all around

The story is awful. The narration too. It is not worth it. I hate listened to it to finish it. Not worth the freebie with Audible Plus.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-09-11

Predictable

I say mid story or maybe even sooner I knew who the murderer was. The rest of the book was fluff and I couldn’t see how the main character didn’t figure this out.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2023-09-09

Just under six hours to go and I can’t finish

Zero interest in what happened to any of the characters- so far no one is likable and I have no interest in how this unfolds. So far it’s not scary. It’s not a mystery. It’s not a thriller. It’s just annoying and I’m so bored I can’t keep track of the characters.

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  • J. Davis
  • 2023-09-06

Not Howzell Halls best

This is one of my favorite thriller writers and I was looking forward to a book I hadn’t read of hers but this is not the greatest. One thing Hall is always good at is the sense of place the city being a character and I enjoyed reading something set in Avalon in San Catalina. The character of Gwen and their complicated relationship was interesting but it felt like that wasn’t being developed forward either just repetition going in circles. I don’t know this just seemed like it needed a few rounds of editing. Having a narcissistic ex husband offscreen the whole time we never see was weird so so so much unnecessary repetition, so many nonsensical decisions by Collette and the police, it didn’t feel like it was moving forward. The character felt passive, things just happening to her instead of a smart clever woman putting the clues together and solving the mystery. Which maybe she wasnt supposed to be clever but it’s frustrating to figure out the mystery with hours of the book yet and not have those fun moments of realization with the protagonist at the same time. I mostly like the narration just hated how she did the voice of the male love interest did not make him seem sexy or enticing at all.

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  • dbbooknerd
  • 2023-09-02

Paradise

Definitely reminds you that things are never really what they seem. This was an interesting perspective and I enjoyed trying to understand the motives behind the murders as well as who was responsible.

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