When Cicadas Cry

By: Caroline Cleveland

Narrated by: Adam Barr

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

A high-profile murder case

A white woman has been bludgeoned to death with an altar cross in a rural church on Cicada Road in Walterboro, South Carolina. Sam Jenkins, a Black man, is found covered in blood, kneeling over the body. In a state already roiling with racial tension, this is not just a murder case: it's a powder keg.

A haunting cold case

Two young women are murdered on quiet Edisto Beach, an hour southeast of Walterboro, and the killer disappears without a trace. Thirty-four years later, the mystery remains unsolved. Could there be a connection to Stander's case?

A killer who's watching Stander takes on Jenkins's defense, but he's up against a formidable solicitor with powerful allies. Worse, his client is hiding a bombshell secret. When Addie Stone reopens the cold case, she discovers more long-buried secrets in this small town. Would someone kill again to keep them?

This novel is ideal for fans of mystery, suspense, and thrillers in the vein of Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls and Stacy Willingham's A Flicker in the Dark, as well as for listeners who followed the high-profile Murdaugh murder trial, held in the same small town as in When Cicadas Cry.

©2024 Caroline Cleveland (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Fun legal thriller

I liked the device of having the killer have chapters. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong! I think this would make a fun movie.

Excellent book.

The narrator did a good job on all the characters. I think it was a very well written story with good characters and good story line.

Dripping with Spanish moss and drama…

The book is racially charged and gender maddening. It is realistic for its setting in South Carolina where life is almost always gentile until it is not. Well done!

I love this

This book was very entertaining from start to finish. I loved the way the characters had different chapters.

Loved this!

As a fan of both Harper Lee and John Grisham, I had to give this book a try, and I was not disappointed! And love the twist at the end!

Fantastic Murder Mystery set in SC's Lowcountry

I loved this novel by Caroline Cleveland. The twists & turns made kept the reader wondering, and the accuracy of her legal commentary was great too. Caroline & I were in the same law school class at the University of S.C. I know she is an excellent attorney and wonderful person, but I did not know that she is also a gifted attorney. This book is thoroughly enjoyable, and because it was so gripping I listened to almost nonstop. Congratulations Caroline!! So thrilled to know you, & I look forward to reading more of your novels!

Plot and characters

Beautifully written and narrated. The author’s intimate knowledge of the Lowcountry and of criminal law added to the authenticity of the story.

Guessed wrong

I love that it was in the voice of the murderer. Kept me guessing until the reveal. #IGuessWrong. Well, done, Caroline.

Fun, interesting and good story!

I now live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This story resonates with what I have come to learn of this area and its complicated history. It’s a fun, modern, interesting and engaging story, which has a number of twists and turns. The occasional asides by the murderer, who keeps track of the investigation, is an interesting device by the author. The reader kept me engaged in the story.

Surprisingly good!

Maybe it’s because Walterboro was all over te news in 2023. Maybe it’s because I live in Walterboro. Or maybe it’s just because it’s a really good listen / story. Definitely a thumbs up for the story. Even more for the narrator. One of the best Audible narrators I have ever listened to