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Fear the Worst cover art

Fear the Worst

Written by: Linwood Barclay
Narrated by: Buck Schirner
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Publisher's Summary

“An uncomfortably plausible tale . . . Barclay's pacing is impeccable. . . . A page-turner that keeps the reader guessing until the end.” --Denver Post

Tim Blake is an average guy. He sells cars. He has an ex-wife who’s moved in with another man. It’s not a life without hassles, but nothing will prepare him for when his daughter, Sydney, vanishes into thin air.

At the hotel where she supposedly worked, no one has ever heard of her. Even her closest friends seem to be at a loss. As he retraces Sydney’s steps, Tim discovers that the suburban Connecticut town he always thought of as idyllic is anything but. What he doesn’t know is that his every move is being watched. There are others who want to find Sydney as much as Tim does. And the closer Tim comes to the truth, the closer he comes to every parent’s worst nightmare - and the kind of evil only a parent’s love has a chance in hell of stopping.

©2009 Linwood Barclay (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What the critics say

“Readers will find themselves desperate to finish just one more page before putting the book down . . . a page-turning thriller that’s intense, compelling, and for the most part, expertly paced.” --Kirkus

“Barclay earns a solid A for his page-turning plot.“ --Publishers Weekly

“Gripping…Unfold[s] with mounting tension and suspense…believable and scary for being rooted in human-sized characters and laced with saving humor.”
--Wall Street Journal

What listeners say about Fear the Worst

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Realistic slow paced character spiral

It was good, but very slow paced, the ending was abrupt and would benefit from an epilogue.


Many of the characters actions didn’t make sense, and some characters were introduced for no reason.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting Book !

Although this book was interesting with the usual Barclay twists, I felt the ending lacked more detail. It was abrupt and I was waiting for the prolog with a bit of closure for some characters. This is strictly my own opinion. I am sure many will enjoy the Book !

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

My first Linwood Barkley, but not my last

A slow start but it kept me curious and coming back. the story quickened and intensified as it went and and overall it was a fun listen.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I was expecting more

It was very long and drawn out. Took a while to get into it and then towards the end it got better but definitely not the suspense I was hoping for.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Don't fear the worst, it's pretty good

This was my first time trying Linwood Barclay. I was not disappointed but also not extremely impressed. At times I thought it was a bit long, but in the end, it's a good suspense and thriller that managed to get me hooked. I'm intrigued to see how this novel stacks against other works by the author, I will definitely read more in the future.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

overall B+

I enjoyed the story but found some of the plot line & character decisions too much of a stretch. the narrator was great as the main character but some of his other voices missed the mark. I DID find I was eager to listen and find out what would happen next

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

waiting a long time for a book like this

wish there was just a bit more in the ending, what happened to everyone. other than that great read/listen

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • TA
  • 2024-01-07

3 hour story dragged out to 13 hrs

Mediocre at best. Told in an amateurish way, deviod of emotional expressions befitting the scenrios

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