Book Review:
Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah
Published by Hodder & Stoughton, 2017

The premise of this book is what made me request to review it, and I eagerly read it soon after downloading it onto my kindle. The reason it's taken me such a long time to publish my review is because my feelings about it are so mixed.

Cara Burrows checks into a spa in Arizona, and in her hotel room, she is convinced she sees what she can't possibly have seen: a murder victim whose parents are behind bars, serving life for killing their little girl.

I enjoyed the setting of the book, and Hannah's descriptive prose made the environment very real; I could almost feel the baking Arizona sun. But I couldn't warm to Cara at all. In fact, most of the characters rubbed me up the wrong way, sadly.

Lots of detail about Melody's case is included, which is fantastic for those readers who pore over every detail, but I felt the reports and interviews were superfluous and detracted from Cara's situation.

If you're going to read and enjoy Did You See Melody, perhaps do it with your tongue firmly in your cheek, one eyebrow raised, and prepare for a protagonist you'll love to hate.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

#BookReview #DidYouSeeMelody #HodderAndStoughton #CrimeFiction

Having been excited to read my first Sophie Hannah book I was quite disappointed with Did You See Melody, it fell a bit flat for but I'll definitely be trying more books by this author. I know that people will love this book, I'm sad it wasn't for me.

Sadly this one didn’t hit the spot for me. This is more my fault I suspect than the book as plenty people love it. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

I expected a better storyline than this from Sophie Hannah. Too much descriptive writing and not enough plot for me. I lost interest half way through and did not finish the book.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

This was a fairly good read but I wasn’t blown away by it. There were a few twists and turns but nothing spectacular.

I love Sophie Hannah and her books and Did You See Melody? was such a great book. There was enough mystery to keep me enthralled the whole way through. I was interested in the main character who had run away from home, and I think having the closed community in a spa was a really interesting setting. The closed community trope is popular in crime fiction, but having a place where you're meant to be enjoying yourself become the centre of a crime was really interesting.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

This book is an excellent example of a psychological crime thriller. This is the first novel I have read by the excellent Sophie Hannah and I'd have no hesitation in reading more.

An interesting book, with some clever twists and turns. Not quite the straightforward mystery it initially appears. It feels like it would make a good tv movie at least, though I personally found Cara rather irritating. I would certainly like to read more from this author.

What a fantastic read. This book made a great change from the normal thriller/mystery genre. One of the reasons I thought the book was so good was because I did not really like the main character but it did not take away from the story for me. The supporting characters were well rounded and really interesting and funny.
Another thing I disliked was the letter at the ending, it's not the sort of thing I really enjoy in a book, I think it would have been better as an interview or something.
I am certainly going to be buying this book for friends and Sophie Hannah is going on my must read authors list

I finished reading this book last night and I'm still unsure how I feel about it.  There were parts I loved and parts.....I didn't love so much.  I received a free eARC of Did You See Melody by Sophie Hannah back in 2017 and I'm ashamed that I've only just gotten round to reading it.  Receiving a NetGalley copy has in no way influenced my review. 

Cara Burrows is struggling with the reaction of her family to some life-changing news.  Her gut impulse to the situation is to hop on a plane and fly to a spa resort in Arizona to get away from it all and have some 'me time'.  The journey is long and tiring and when she finally reaches her destination late at night and after no sleep, all she wants to do is check-in to her room and sleep.  But the receptionist gives her the wrong room and just as she is about to make herself comfortable realises the room is already occupied.  Following a brief meeting with the occupants and everyone feeling terribly embarrased, she returns to the reception desk where the receptionist immediately upgrades her to one of the resorts luxurious casitas.  But soon Cara realises that one of the occupants of the room should actually be dead; the murdered 7-year old, Melody Chapa.  Melody's parents are both in prison for her murder despite no body ever being discovered.  Did Cara really see Melody? 

This is a really interesting story and I loved the setting of the sun-baked Arizona spa resort.  I wanted to like Cara but just couldn't.  That doesn't normally bother me but I found Cara's choices, her selfishness, her odd way of dealing with her problems really rather grating.  I also struggled to like any of the other characters in the book apart from Zellie, daughter of Tarin who believes what Cara says and helps drive the investigation into the sightings of Melody.  Zellie is an incredibly intelligent young woman who doesn't really lend much to the investigation but I loved her sass and determination to do what's right.  

As soon as one character, in particular, was introduced I knew they had something to do with the deceit.  It was just a gut-feeling and probably something that's not helped by reading so much crime fiction! I was proved right but I didn't have the usual feeling of satisfaction I get.  It was disappointment I felt more than anything else.

Would I recommend this book? I'm not sure.  Things happen and they just feel a little too far fetched, a little too easy.  I want to give examples of the things I struggled with but in doing so will be giving away spoilers (which is frustrating) so won't.  I've read books by Sophie Hannah before and enjoyed them but this is an odd one.  Still not sure....

Ok two stars cause I have rated other books strictly at three that are a lot better ,I love this author and yes her earlier stuff is good in my humble ,don’t get me wrong this is a good read an ha s some intrigue and u won’t be disspoainted ,I always root for Sophie but it’s just not as good in my humble as her earlier works ,not as layered twisty etc however it still is ok
It also though which I liked ,reminded me of some famous cases where the press and media spin things and the public vilify without real facts just an idea a concept ,I won’t mention cases but to me it was obvious ,and does look at how we can almost hunt those we think are suspects and are guilty and twist it so it is fact .
I didn’t mind the description of the hotel wow what a hotel I’d love to stay there ! I cd see all the swimming pools and wondered what each one was
The rooms sounded great and I didn’t find this a distraction
Characters were at times very intrusive but people can be and if characters are unlikable it doesn’t put me off ,it’s a story
With Sophie we have to sometimes go with the ride ,she tells at times far fetched tales but who cares as long as the intrigue carry’s through and u kinda can grasp it I will always join the ride
Sophie had such a run of great page turners and yes I accept she doesn’t quite grab me like she did but I always read her books as they are always ok ,and I hope she finds the clever layered flair she had when I first started reading her again (less)
Thanks netgalley and publishers ,I’m sorry it’s late ,I received email then went to down load it and it had already been archived ,I hav just realised u may have been wanting this review,I bought it when realised couldn’t download it as love Sophie Hannah and will prob always buy her novels awaiting that one that shows the old magic
This is in goodreads also at the time I read it

This took me WAY too long to read but once I got back into this book, I was hooked! The ending was slightly surprising though and totally not what I was expecting.

A fast paced, suspenseful, twisty thriller laced with dark humour.
Stressed out mum, Cara runs off to a plush spa. Arriving late at night, she's shown to a room already occupied by someone she is convinced is a teenage girl called Melody, who has been reported as murdered her parents. So this interesting mystery begins.

As I began to read this book I found I had no sympathy at all for Cara Burrows. Which was unfortunate as she is the main character in the book. All I could think of was her selfish attitude and how really stupid she seemed to be. So when she claims to have seen a girl whom she later finds to be a girl presumed murdered I really had little faith in her claims.

I have never read any of Sophie Hannah's books before and it struck me that her style had much in common with Agatha Christie. I now know that she did in fact write the first new Hercule Poirot mysteries since Agatha Christie's death. The book certainly has the feel of something that although set in the present day could well have been set in a Country House in the 1920s.

Large portions of the book are given over to Cara watching and reading material around the disappearance of Melody which I found a little heavy going. However, once the mystery was afoot so to speak, I did get caught up with the "whodunnit" aspect of the story.

Overall I think it was a clever and unusual plot - just took a while to get going and for that reason I am giving the book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review

Did you See Melody by Sophie Hannah is a perfect book for fans of psychological thrillers with lots of twists and turns throughout.

This is quite an odd book in all senses. The storyline is a bit odd - certainly not polished and well thought out. The ending is quite odd - why not just kill her - it doesn't make sense to hold someone hostage for an infinite period of time, as they will either die or escape. The husband turning up suddenly is odd, and i don't understand why. The beginning is odd, in being sent to the wrong room. But saying all that, it was an okay read.

Plot: Cara is exhausted and at her wit’s end, so she books herself an exotic holiday away from her home and family, and travels away by herself. Arriving worn out, she checks in then accidentally enters a room occupied by a man and teenage girl – a mistake on the reception’s part, who is horribly embarrassed. She tried to continue with her holiday forgetting about the incident, but when she hears about the nation’s most famed murder victim, Melody Chapa, she can’t shake the feeling that she saw more than she was supposed to see.

My thoughts: Despite the fact that I read this book almost a year ago, it’s one that’s stuck really well in my memory. I loved the hazy summer vacation feel entwined with a dark and potentially dangerous mystery. Should we trust what Cara saw? Should she even trust her own eyes? The book flits between mystery and psychological thriller – something I really enjoy.
I’ve read a couple of other novels by Sophie Hannah and always really like her writing – her stories seem accessible, fun and gripping, and this one was no different. I think it would make an excellent beach or poolside read in summer – although don’t go persuading yourself you’ve seen a murder victim! Definitely a recommendation.