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The Flood: A totally unputdownable crime novel (A Fiona MacLeish Crime Thriller) Kindle Edition

by G.N. Smith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.9 211 ratings

Part of: A Fiona MacLeish Crime Thriller (3 books)

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‘I read this book in one day. It had me on the edge of my seat and didn't want to put it down. I had to know what happened!! I would definitely recommend.’ @70booklover,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As Fiona read the last line of the dead woman’s diary, her chest tightened. No one in this valley is safe.

After her last case brought back nightmares of her parents’ murders, police officer Fiona MacLeish is on leave at her childhood home when a terrifying storm rips through the isolated Scales Valley in the Scottish Borders. The body of local woman Isla Edwards is pulled from the raging waters. But she’s not a victim of the flood…

Fiona is shocked to see a knife wound beneath a tear in her bright floral dress. Isla has been a fixture of the village for as long as anyone can remember – why would someone rob her of the life that once filled her eyes?

Isla’s diary, Fiona’s only clue, confirms her hunch that a member of this tight-knit village had a score to settle. But it doesn’t mention a name. And when everybody must gather at the highest-standing farm to escape the rising floodwater, the simmering tension is clear. Fiona may have grown up here, but locals still view her as an outsider. And they don’t talk to outsiders…

With a killer among them and no escape, Fiona must try to figure out who used the cover of the storm to get rid of Isla once and for all. Can Fiona catch the killer before more of this isolated community become victims?

Packed with twists and in an unforgettable setting, the addictive crime novel is the perfect read for fans of LJ Ross, J.M. Dalgleish, and Rachel McLean.

Read what everyone is saying about The Flood:

‘Wow! That just about sums it up right there! Twist, turns, suspense, THRILLER! I loved how much this book made me hold on with both hands! One chapter after another!… Fantastic!’ Goodreads reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic… Had me hooked from page one… So vivid that I felt as if I was standing there with Fiona MacLeish watching everything unfold… I would definitely give more than 5 stars if it was possible.’ Goodreads reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Atmospheric and tense… Had me hooked from the off and didn't let go until the final paragraph… A fabulous read.’ Goodreads reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A delicious page-turner right from the start. Every time I had to put it down, it was all I could think about. I did end up finishing way past my bedtime, just so I would be able to sleep.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘An absolute corker of a book…Ah, the tension… The wind screaming past the house, the water rising… I can picture it all… Very well-crafted novel and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!’ NetGalley reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was gripped by this story within the first few pages… Full of twists and turns… The excitement level is through the roof. I couldn't put this book down and wanted to zoom to the end.’ Goodreads reviewer,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9DHV5TR
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (September 22, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 22, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2176 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #577,897 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,062 in Serial Killers
- #2,761 in Assassination Thrillers (Books)
- #2,910 in Vigilante Justice Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
3.9 211 ratings

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3.9 out of 5

211 global ratings

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Barbara Taylor, an American Fan

I love a good storm story!

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2023

Verified Purchase

Any author that can write about pouring rain, a windstorm, rising flood waters, and driving in mud slides for 50 pages and keep it exciting is one darn good writer in my opinion. There's a murder, of course, an evacuation, concern for neighbors and various questionable characters-- all very interesting but a bit exhausting, if I'm honest. But a good read.

Helpful

Tara Alemany, Emerald Lake Books

A riveting locked-room whodunit

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2023

The Flood was an engaging and riveting locked-room whodunit, except, in this instance, the locked room was a small village in a valley that's currently cut off from civilization by a flood.

Fiona MacLeish is a constable who is on leave after the tragic loss of a colleague. She's visiting her aunt, who is her only remaining living family member after Fiona's parents were murdered when she was a teenager.

Determined to keep her aunt safe and get to the bottom of who killed two elderly neighbors at the start of the storm, we're invited into her thought process as she tries to think like the detective she hopes to one day be.

As the flood waters rise, the villagers all congregate at the only farmstead high enough to avoid the raging flood waters. But as the body count increases, so does the realization that the murderer is still among them.

This was a well-written story with an engaging plot and well-defined characters. And I enjoyed it very much.

There was one significant editorial mistake toward the end of the book, I believe, but not important enough to change the outcome of the story. (We see a body being found and rescued, but one of the rescuers later tells someone else that the body wasn't found. If that was an intentional misdirect, I missed a reason for it.)

But other than that, I thought the story was well done. While it's set in Scotland, there were times when the MC had to give brief explanations for different terms, but it was done in an unobtrusive manner. Some may say that slows the story down, but I appreciated understanding what was going on.

Thank you to G.N. Smith, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy. And I look forward to the next book in the series!

This is a review of the audiobook.

Helpful

Christina

Eerie, suspense, mystery

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2023

I was very interested in the blurb for this book; A police officer concealing her identity while stranded amongst a group of neighbors and one of them is a murderer.

It was an intriguing read and the beginning of the story held my attention right away. G. N. Smith does a great job of introducing Fiona who is a very capable and like-able character. She is quick thinking and fact oriented. She needs to be in order to outwit the killer and prevent any further murders.

The story was easy to follow until I came to the very detailed descriptions of Fiona’s physical movements. Maybe it was because I was listening to the audio but I just couldn’t understand what was happening. I kept rewinding and trying to picture the sequences in my mind but I just couldn’t grasp them. I was lost after that because the book is quite full of detailed paragraphs of how the water and people moved in the storm. I feel like The Flood would make a great action film though!

The other thing I had a hard time with was that Fiona voices every thought she has and why. There are detailed explanations to why or why not so-and-so was the killer. This happened repeatedly with the same suspects as she wavered back and forth in her suspicions.

The ending was very abrupt. As I was waiting for the next sentence the narrator let me know if I wanted to know more I could find out in the sequel. That was kind of funny.

Something I learned that I didn’t know was what an Aga is. Because of the narrators accent I had to guess the spelling but I found out it’s a traditional Scottish stove. There are plenty Aga images on Google and I found them pretty interesting.

All in all, it was a fun read but I wish I could have understood more of what was happening.

Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and G. N. Smith for the arc via NetGalley.

This is a review of the audiobook.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Paula M. Williams

Wonderful character development

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023

Intriguing and fast paced with lots of suspects. I enjoyed the layout and suspense I was given with the character development. Narration is done well. It kept me interest in wanting to know who’s behind the murder of Fiona’s parents. I hope the next book will spell it out!

Helpful

Susan Audia

Great Mystery and Police Procedural

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2023

This is the first book in the Fiona MacLeish series by G.N. Smith.

Fiona is a police officer with the Scotland police. While visiting her Aunt Mary, a storm hits causing flooding all around them and the other people who live in the valley. While checking on a neighbor, Fiona discovers a body. When she and Aunt Mary can’t leave the area because of the flood waters, they and the other inhabitants of the valley end up taking refuge in the house that is the least likely to flood. However, among them is a killer, and Fiona and her aunt are the only ones that know it. Or is the killer an outsider lurking about the valley? Between Fiona keeping her eye out for the suspect and the water rising around them, there was never a dull moment. Every page held excitement and mystery.

I love strong female characters, and Fiona fits the bill. There is also Fiona’s backstory hinted on throughout the book, and it would be interesting to see the conclusion of that specific story line.

I didn’t guess who the killer was until Fiona confronted that person, and I was actually a little surprised, which is great! I love a book that keeps me on my toes.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a great mystery or police procedural. I'm now going to read the second in the series and will post a review on that one as well.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

sharon

The Flood

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2023

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The Flood is the first novel in a new series by GN Smith and it features Police Officer, Fiona MacLeish. As usual, this author creates all the drama and the tension with great use of scene setting and weather and boy does this one raise the bar with a small remote community in the Scottish Borders about to be hit by a storm that may destroy more than a few buildings!

When Fiona MacLeish discovers the body of a neighbour, it’s clear this was not the result of the rising floods and the tension rises as the finger of suspicion begins to fall on locals who have been forced to take shelter together from the storm. A brilliant twist on the locked room mystery with the weather and dynamics of tight knit communities giving rise to a rea sense of anxiety and dread for the reader.

A great introduction to a new character from this author and I’m so interested to find out more about her background and her motivation. We do get little hints peppered throughout and they tantalise and tempt us to find out more!

I love a small town vibe in a book, the kind where you see the bubbles of underlying animosity and suspicion among those who on the surface appear to be supportive of each other and this book gave us this in spades. There were secrets and twists galore. I had no idea who the culprit was right until the end.

If you like your thrillers pacy and dramatic, immersive and claustrophobic and filled to the brim with secrets and duplicity then The Flood is one for you.

2 people found this helpful

Frances Tea

Good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

Too many disasters

igms

What a slog!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2023

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This was so convoluted and frankly boring. Too many chapters spent theorising and minute details that could have been edited out.

C Knight

Locked Room Murder Mystery With A Difference

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2023

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They say it’s grim up north but nothing is quite as grim as torrential rain, melting snow and flooding but Fiona MacLeish has all three, cut off from the outside world both physically and technologically. That’s before she finds a murder victim!!

Mother Nature definitely didn’t play ball in helping Fiona solve the slow demise of this small community. In fact she made Fiona’s job immensely difficult with the flooding, fallen trees and chilling temperatures. I could feel the dark atmospheric character of the elements leap out at me as I huddled under my blanket. The whole ambiance of the book was darkened by the elements battering my cast before me.

Without deterring from the present predicament, I was also invested in Fiona’s backstory. She joined the police to solve her parents’ murder. I for one desperately want to know whether she gets that closure, justice or not. For someone to lose their parents at such a young age is just horrible so I would love over the course of this series for Fiona to get some level of closure and maybe justice.

Smith has written a locked room murder mystery in a remote hamlet. Think Clue (as in the mid 80scult classic film) but serious and in the Scottish Borders. I felt claustrophobic as I followed Fiona around the dark and murky landscape and got in her head, trying to solve the murders. I was handed a finite set of suspects, but none really with a motive for murder, yes a grudge for maybe sending someone to Coventry but not the extreme of murder.

Smith has pulled off another excellent crime thriller. There are differences to his other offerings – every character got a proper name for starters but this slight change in style is no detriment to this fan’s enjoyment of what looks to be another cracking series from the Scotsman. I need to hop over to The Island and find out what’s in store for Fiona next!

4 people found this helpful

Mrs

Too much detail

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2023

Verified Purchase

I know the title is The Flood but the repeated descriptions of the weather became irritating- I get it, the weather is REALLY bad. There was also a lot of repetition of the back story and I’m afraid I got bored and skipped a good few chapters and read the last two just to find out whodunnit.

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The Flood: A totally unputdownable crime novel (A Fiona MacLeish Crime Thriller) Kindle Edition

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G.N. Smith

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