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Alive cover art

Alive

By: Sharon Bolton
Narrated by: Nathalie Buscombe
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Summary

For fans of Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths and Peter May, prepare to delve into the dark world of the Craftsman with Alive, the ghostly short story thriller by Sunday Times best seller Sharon Bolton.

A dark moon is rising. A perfect black circle, barely visible in the night sky, the dark moon casts its void over the wind-scorched moor, over the soaring mass of a great limestone hill, and over the town that cowers in its shadow. The dark moon is the absence of moon before the slender silver crescent of the new moon appears again and people can breathe a little easier. The month is March, and the night is clear and cold, black as pitch. The full moon in March is known as the Worm Moon, welcome despite its ominous name, marking as it does the end of winter and the emergence of earthworms from the thawing ground. Dark moons have never been named, although they are sometimes called the dead moons. The dark moons reign over nights when people stoke up their fires, draw their curtains tighter and try to think happy thoughts.

In the town of Sabden at the foot of Pendle Hill in Lancashire, they usually fail. In Sabden's soot-blackened terraced houses, the sleepers' dreams darken when the moon leaves the sky. Infants wake up cold, mothers tremble with elusive fears for their children and old folks slip a little closer to death. Only the Craftsman welcomes the dark moon. Alone in the town, he is awake and ready to start work.

Alive is a nail-biting, heart-racing, exhilarating thriller that will have you up all night and includes an extract of Sharon's upcoming novel The Craftsman. Alive is the perfect appetiser to whet your appetite for Sharon's crime-fiction listens - a gripping tale that will leave you terrified to turn the lights off!

Read by Nathalie Buscombe.

©2018 Sharon Bolton (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group

What listeners say about Alive

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Excellent!

Got the first 3 chapters and I must say that these were excellent! Very creepy and atmospheric!! Also the narrator is extremely good, most probably the best narrator I have heard in an audiobook so far!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

cheated, only 3 chapters

Thought I'd purchased a full book and not just 3 chapters. What little was there was enjoyable though

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An great short story

I have read the book a i loved it but hearing it just make a good story more alive no puns indented you just stop what you are doing and just listen to the book and also
Nathalie Buscombe does wonder full job with a narration and i hope does more for Audio books for Sharon Bolton.

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Excellent!

Now of to listen to the Craftsman, intrigued to find out what happens excited c

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intriguing

loved the narrative...going to buy main book now as i want to know what's next!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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brilliant extension to the story

really added extra detail and dimension to main story The Craftsman. not super keen on narrator but the storytelling is so good overall that it's a ten out of ten from me!

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Disappointed

I was hoping for more than a few starters. More of a story behind it.

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Peter May as enjoyable as ever

The narration was very good and I will read the next in the series. It was a semi love story with a detective and forensic expert.

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Sinister taster to 'The Craftsman'

If you could sum up Alive in three words, what would they be?

Chilling, gripping & original.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the fact that this story was split into three parts so that it gave the perspective of three missing teenaged children. To find out why the Craftsman took them, you will need to download the novel of the same name (available in April 2018). I have been lucky enough to preview a copy through Lovereading & the book is fantastic. It will delight existing fans of Sharon Bolton & will no doubt earn her new ones. This short story is the perfect introduction to Ms Bolton's work.

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

I felt chilled by the story & sad for the three children. To really understand why the children are important to the Craftsman, you must read the novel of the same name.

Any additional comments?

Please do download this short story & begin your journey with Ms Bolton. She has written many clever novels, including a series featuring DC Lacey Flint, as well as several standalone thrillers. This short story is excellent & works well as a companion piece to 'The Craftsman'.

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Scary Short Story

Dark & interesting, want to read the full length novel - but not at bedtime

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