The Orphan Choir

By: Sophie Hannah

Narrated by: Rebecca Shelbourne-Timm

Louise has no reason left to stay in the city. She can't see her son, Joseph, who is away at boarding school, where he performs in a prestigious boys' choir. Her troublesome neighbor has begun blasting choral music at all hours of the night - and to make matters worse, she's the only one who can hear it.

Hoping to find some peace, Louise convinces her husband to buy a country house in an idyllic community called Swallowfield. But it seems that the haunting melodies have followed her there. Growing desperate, she begins to worry about her mental health. Against the pleas and growing disquiet of her husband, Louise starts to suspect that this sinister choir is not only real but a warning.

©2013 Sophie Hannah (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"This stand-alone novel, a break from Hannah's series of psychological police procedurals featuring Charlie Zailer and Simon Waterhouse, is a riveting story in which suspense snowballs to a climax that is all the more dire for its everyday contemporary English setting. Absolutely haunting, in every sense of the word." ( Booklist)

"Chilling. A must listen." ( Daily Express)

"Horrifically good." ( The Independent)

"This bestselling thriller writer knows how to pile on the tension, and her ending is chillingly, memorably disturbing." ( The Sunday Times)

Very disappointing.

I have become a fan of Sophie Hannah's books mostly because of her Zeiler-Waterhouse mysteries. They are wonderfully entertaining and I hope there are more coming. This story, however, left me flat. It is confusing and fanciful. The characters are unlikable and their dialogue contains none of the wit or intelligence of her other characters. It is a sort of ghost story but not compelling or clever. I hope Sophie keeps doing what works and sticks to the mystery genre with real crazy people only!

An eerily realistic, yet haunting tale

What made the experience of listening to The Orphan Choir the most enjoyable?

The prose was pitch perfect. The reader was incredibly right for the story. I could not stop listening to this mystery.

What other book might you compare The Orphan Choir to and why?

Earlier Sophie Hannah mysteries, to be sure.`

Which scene was your favorite?

It would be unfair to reveal too much, but the orphan choir in the lake .... resonated.
Also, the scene where the Cambridge house was scaffolded, windows closed, etc.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed sardonically as the wit was so acute in the depiction of social mores and times - with regard to noise and no noise v. choral singing. The book haunted.

Any additional comments?

I normally do not read novels that one could describe as "suspense" for the most part. I am a fan of modern detective mysteries, classic British cozies, etc.
This book, because I have read the author's previous work, was a risk for me. Well worth it. I could not recommend it more highly.

this was awful.

I thought at first it must be me, because Sophie Hanna's standard is usually high. Not in this book though. Irritating, unbelievable, not-fleshed-out characters, a woolly plot and a completely incomprehensible end. I've returned the book.