Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell by Gillian French Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Series: Shaw Connelly Mysteries #1
Published by MacMillan Audio on June 17, 2025
Genres: Mystery
Length: 10 hours, 23 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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Shaw Connolly is no stranger to trauma. As a fingerprints analyst, she’s one of the first on-site for crimes, including murder scenes and a mysterious string of arsons popping up throughout the rural Maine community her department serves. But the tragedy of her little sister’s disappearance sixteen years ago has always weighed on her the most; Thea is never far from her thoughts or dreams, and Shaw knows that her obsession with finding the truth about Thea is driving her husband away and impacting her two boys. Still, she can't let it go and has even started taking disturbing calls from a man named Anders Jansen who all but claims to have committed the crime.
Anders taunts Shaw with hints and innuendo about what supposedly happened all those years ago. His calls go to the next level as he reveals just how much he knows about Shaw’s personal life, like her stalled career and ruined marriage. As his stalking escalates to threats on her and her family's lives, he begins to show just how dangerous he might be. Shaw is too desperate for answers to hang up now, just when she's getting close to finding proof. The only question left is what she must lose to learn the truth.
I have not read Gillian French previously. Perhaps because more of her work is in the Young Adult genre and this is an Adult offering. The main character here is Shaw Connelly who is a fingerprint and evidence technician for the police. She is very experienced and is training a new officer.
Shaw’s older sister Theo disappeared when they were in high school. Theo was a bit wild and creative. Shortly afterwards, their mother died leaving the grieving family with just the father, Shaw and her much younger sister Madison to fight to find Theo.
Shaw is separated from her high school sweetheart and husband Ryan, somewhat due to her continued focus on Theo. Her father has been slowing down and now lives with her and her two boys.
The combination of her husband leaving, new phone calls from a stalker Anders, and finding bones out where a party was held the night Theo disappeared, propel Shaw into more fiercely questioning Theo’s boyfriend and friend.
Shaw Connelly Lives to Tell is fast paced. She works consistently with the police as things escalate. But in the end that isn’t enough to save the innocent.
Narration:
Saskia Maarleveld is a very prolific one I have heard before. I enjoyed her performance including the accents and slang of the area. Her female voices seem more distinct than her male voices here. Of course, there are more female primary characters. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to the clip: HERE
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 26-Audio
- 26-COYER
This sounds interesting and a good narrator always makes a difference.
It was interesting, a small town and regular working class families.
I love that she’s a fingerprint expert. I’m glad this was a good first book in the series😁
Thanks Tammy. It’s a world with many of the usual issues. I’m going to read the second one now coming out this week.
This sounds different, one I hadn’t heard of before. Excellent review, Anne💜
Thank you Jonetta. I enjoyed it, very working class family.
Now, this sounds promising. Thanks for putting it on my radar.
Thanks Sophia. I’m reading the second one now which comes out next week.
Saskia Maarleveld is sooooooooooooo good.
I do like Saskias voice. But it has been some time