Item: He Started It
Rating: 3.5
Author: April (Books&Wine)

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

He Started It by Samantha Downing | Audiobook Review

He Started It by Samantha Downing
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Length: 9 Hours 49 Minutes
Published by Penguin on July 21, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological, Crime
Pages: 400
Format: eARC, Audiobook
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
ISBN: 9780451491770
Goodreads

AN INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
“Wholly original. Scarily clever. Completely mesmerizing. You will never look at family road trips the same way again.”—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A most anticipated book by Hello Sunshine ∙ Cosmo ∙ Entertainment Weekly ∙ Betches ∙ Hollywood Reporter ∙ Parade ∙ PopSugar ∙ OK! Magazine ∙ Hello Giggles ∙ Bustle ∙ Yahoo! ∙ She Reads ∙ Book Page ∙ CrimeReads ∙ New York Post Best Book of the Week ∙ Goodreads
From the twisted mind behind mega hit My Lovely Wife comes the story of a family—not unlike your own—just with a few more violent tendencies thrown in....
Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.
But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.
It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory, a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.
But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

Why Did I Listen To He Started It by Samantha Downing?

There was a lot of hype around Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife – which to be quite fair I haven’t read. However, I figured that because there was hype around the debut, then the follow up must be good. Thus, I decided I really needed to give He Started It a shot – particularly as I’ve been trying the thriller genre quite a bit lately. Also, the fact that there’s a road trip which is basically what this book pivots around was appealing to me.

What’s The Story Here?

There’s definitely a road trip. He Started It is about three siblings – Beth, Portia and Eddie Morgan who haven’t really spent time together in years, at least not until now. You see, their wealthy grandfather left them a ton of money. However, in order to get their hands on the money, they are required to take a road trip with each other. The siblings don’t really get along all that great. And there’s definitely some secrets from the past that come up too. Plus, there’s a dead body in the trunk. Oh and there happens to be a black vehicle that has been following them.

How Did I Like He Started It?

Honestly, I did not find Samantha Downing’s He Started It to be all that memorable or remarkable. Granted, I listened to this audiobook while super sick and fatigued – during my first trimester. So, my personal absolutely did impact my perspective on this book. I did like that there were different twists and unexpected events. However, I won’t lie, the main characters were all terrible people I felt. So, it was hard to really root for anyone. And sometimes for myself, I just need a character to root for. On the other hand, the plot and story does move quite quickly. And there are parts were I genuinely felt nervous or a thrill, as you will.

How’s The Narration?

The audiobook of He Started It is narrated by Karissa Vacker. It is 9 hours and 49 minutes long. Of course, I listened to it slightly sped up, which is normal. At the time and the state I was in while reading this book, audio was the perfect option to go with. It is a good listen for when you are driving. Vacker’s narration style is not at all annoying and well, smooth and easy to listen to.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.