Dear Daughter

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Little

Narrated by: Bonnie Dennison

A sensational debut thriller featuring an unforgettable heroine who just might have murdered her mother.

Former "It Girl" Janie Jenkins is acerbic, whip smart, and fresh out of prison. Ten years ago, at the height of her glamour and fame, she was incarcerated for the murder of her mother, a philanthropist best known for her string of rich husbands. Now, released on a technicality, Janie chops off her trademark hair, determined to chase down the one lead she has about her mother's killer. The only problem? Janie doesn't know if she's the one she's looking for.

In an isolated South Dakota town whose secrets rival Janie's own, with the unwitting help of the locals, she pieces together a shocking picture of her mother's supposedly pristine past. On the run from the press, the police, and possibly even a murderer, Janie is forced to choose between the anonymity she craves and the truth she so desperately needs.

A gripping debut novel, Dear Daughter follows every twist and turn as Janie unravels the mystery of what happened the night her mother died - whatever the cost.

©2014 Elizabeth Little (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"When former It Girl Janie Jenkins is released from prison, she embarks on a mission to discover if it was really she who murdered her mother. The debut novel’s twists will easily hook you, but it’s the narrator’s dark wit and sharp observations that make this a truly fun read." (Entertainment Weekly)

"Little keeps you guessing until the end - and then closes her book with a final, twisted flourish." (Daneet Steffens, The Boston Globe)

"Compelling.... This novel's engrossing suspense comes from its unreliable (and not especially likable) narrator who pursues answers with relentless fervor, regardless of the painful truths she turns up about herself.... Excellent." (Stephanie Klose, Oprah.com)

unfair ending

good listen yet the ending was unjust, unfair and a bit if a letdown . not much else to say but the review requires 20 words

Excellent Read

I enjoyed the mystery. It kept me in suspense. I liked Jenny Jenkins character. I liked how she was able to joke about some situations even though she was accused of murdering her mother.

Oh boy never narrate men or Southerners again

It was a fine book to listen to as I cleaned house. The narrator's voice matched the main character well and the story was mildly amusing even if plot elements were evident way before their big reveals. But oh man was the narrator AWFUL at a southern accent. Whenever Noah showed up I didn't know whether to laugh or roll my eyes or feel ill about how awful her voice for him was. Leo wasn't much better.

Surprisingly enjoyable!

What did you love best about Dear Daughter?

great story

Who was your favorite character and why?

main character was great at telling her story

What does Bonnie Dennison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

voice fit the character

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

several

Any additional comments?

I'd like to listen to more of her

Creatively presented, but smacks of Scooby Doo

Let’s get this out of the way - there is no one to like in this book. If you’re the type who needs to be able to invite characters over for dinner, this is not the book for you. Jane is so full of hate and contempt that she becomes funny in a way. At least she spreads her vitriol far and wide by equally despising her own celebrity class as well as those poor just-gettin’-by souls in fly-over states. Seriously; any spark of personality or just plain usefulness is crushed under the weight of that attitude; all of it bad. She’s a tough narrator to stick with, but I did and mostly I was gratified.

Some of the aspects of the book were inventive enough, but the solution to who murdered Jane’s mom was a bit Scooby Doo - you can picture tearing off a mask so totally. If you believe in karma, the wages of sin, Murphy’s Law or any similar claptrap, Jane’s ultimate fate will satisfy you, but even for me it was pretty good.

Jane’s basic story is told in the first person, but there are interruptions from CNN, TMZ and a blogger named Trace. All of these are done with musical intros and outros and a male narrator takes over. At first it was jarring and somewhat annoying, but overall I think it was a great way to take advantage of the medium. Giving us each and every sound of text messages coming through was a bit much though.

Bad ending

Hopefully there is a follow up book! The ending didn't explain anything! The over all story was good though.

Disappointing

Disliked the narrator, Tana French gave it a good review which surprises me now having "read" it. I was expecting a more complex plot and less adolescent characters.

Excellent

Fresh and captivating. Loved it. This was an unexpected surprise. I especially loved the little news bytes throughout the story.

Slow Going

Enjoyed the book just missed the readers "need to want more" till the very end.
Somewhat hard to follow, but that could have been due to my tuning in and out at times from the slow movement of the book.
Good concept though

Ending stinks

Enjoyed this right up till the last 30 seconds. Implausible premise, but I liked the protagonist enough to buy in. The ending, though, was wrong enough to spoil everything else about it. The narrator did an excellent job.