
Little Mercies
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $20.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
About this listen
In her latest ripped-from-the-headlines tour de force, New York Times best-selling author Heather Gudenkauf shows how one small mistake can have life-altering consequences….
Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity - the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.
Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.
A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice,Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.
©2004 Heather Gudenkauf (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Little Lies
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a woman is discovered in a local park - with her bewildered four-year-old son sitting beside her - veteran social worker Ellen Moore is called in to assist in the police investigation. Positioned beneath a statue of Leto, the goddess of motherhood, the crime is weighted with meaning and, Ellen discovers, remarkably similar to one from a decade past. Ellen's professional duty is to protect the child, but she's not equipped to contend with a killer. As she races to connect the dots, she knows her time is running out.
-
-
Introducing a compelling new heroine!
- By Daryl on 07-09-14
-
Missing Pieces
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Christina Traister
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.
-
-
narrator
- By Dustin M. Saner on 07-20-16
-
One Breath Away
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Joyce Bean, Susan Ericksen, Laural Merlington, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits. Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town’s children in her hands. As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.
-
-
Flat As An Iowa Prairie
- By Pamela Harvey on 07-07-12
-
Not a Sound
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters - her job; her husband, David; and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later, and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.
-
-
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Great Book
- By sondra laco on 06-29-17
-
This Is How I Lied
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-five years ago, the body of 16-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa - discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.
-
-
Non stop animal torture...
- By Kelly on 05-31-20
-
The Weight of Silence
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Jim Colby, Eliza Foss, Cassandra Morris, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.
-
-
A jewel
- By Sara W on 07-17-10
-
Little Lies
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a woman is discovered in a local park - with her bewildered four-year-old son sitting beside her - veteran social worker Ellen Moore is called in to assist in the police investigation. Positioned beneath a statue of Leto, the goddess of motherhood, the crime is weighted with meaning and, Ellen discovers, remarkably similar to one from a decade past. Ellen's professional duty is to protect the child, but she's not equipped to contend with a killer. As she races to connect the dots, she knows her time is running out.
-
-
Introducing a compelling new heroine!
- By Daryl on 07-09-14
-
Missing Pieces
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Christina Traister
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.
-
-
narrator
- By Dustin M. Saner on 07-20-16
-
One Breath Away
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Joyce Bean, Susan Ericksen, Laural Merlington, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits. Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town’s children in her hands. As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.
-
-
Flat As An Iowa Prairie
- By Pamela Harvey on 07-07-12
-
Not a Sound
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters - her job; her husband, David; and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later, and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.
-
-
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Great Book
- By sondra laco on 06-29-17
-
This Is How I Lied
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-five years ago, the body of 16-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa - discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.
-
-
Non stop animal torture...
- By Kelly on 05-31-20
-
The Weight of Silence
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Jim Colby, Eliza Foss, Cassandra Morris, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.
-
-
A jewel
- By Sara W on 07-17-10
-
Before She Was Found
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 12-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover - movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences. Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon, their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora - and why?
-
-
Bad Bad Ending
- By Sue on 05-12-19
-
The Overnight Guest
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.
-
-
Not for me.
- By Mark D on 01-31-22
-
The Maid's Diary
- A Novel
- By: Loreth Anne White
- Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. She’s the “invisible girl,” compelled to poke into her wealthy clients’ closely guarded lives. It’s a harmless hobby until Kit sees something she can’t unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. In turn, it makes the couple—who might kill to keep their secret—dangerous to Kit.
-
-
Dark, powerful, twisty thriller
- By MA Reviewer on 03-04-23
-
Furious
- Faith McMann, Book 1
- By: T.R. Ragan
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Faith McMann comes home to a nightmare: her husband is killed and her son and daughter are taken. Although the intruders leave her for dead, she survives. Crippling grief and fear for her children make life unbearable. Until her anguish turns to anger...and she trades victimhood for vengeance.
-
-
Warning: This is the first in a serialized series!
- By Wayne on 03-23-16
By: T.R. Ragan
-
The Vanishing Hour
- By: Seraphina Nova Glass
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grace Holloway keeps to herself. Since narrowly escaping death at the hands of the man who kidnapped her, she’s thrown herself into the small inn she runs in Rock Harbor, Maine. It’s quiet, quaint and, in the off-season, completely isolated—the perfect place for Grace to keep her own secrets. But Grace isn’t the only one with something to hide, and Rock Harbor isn’t just a sleepy vacation town. Someone is taking young women—girls who look an awful lot like Grace did when she was kidnapped so many years ago.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Mari Sol on 08-01-23
-
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
- A Novel
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Jess Nahikian
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits.
-
-
Great book if you can get past...
- By Kelly on 05-24-20
-
She's Not There
- A Novel
- By: Joy Fielding
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A lifetime ago, every year Carole Shipley looked forward to her wedding anniversary. But then a celebratory trip to Mexico for the occasion with her husband and friends ended in the unsolved kidnapping of her infant daughter, Samantha. Now, 15 years after that horrific time, divorced and isolated, Carole is forced to relive the kidnapping by reporters who call every year on the anniversary of Samantha's disappearance.
-
-
A Page-Turner, Yet Characters Lack Verisimilitude
- By Lisa Davidson on 03-24-16
By: Joy Fielding
-
An Imperfect Plan
- A Novel
- By: Addison McKnight
- Narrated by: Julie McKay, Samara Naeymi
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After decades of pushing away traumatic memories from childhood, Colette De Luca is ready to start a family of her own. It’ll be healthy, a wish come true, with a man she believes is the love of her life. Thankfully, she thought ahead when she was younger and froze her eggs for this very moment. Greta O’Brien, a wealthy hedge-fund manager, is forced to confront the making of her own family when tragedy strikes her twin teenage sons.
-
-
Amazing
- By john calkins on 08-20-22
By: Addison McKnight
-
The Lodge
- By: Sue Watson
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard, Alison Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two days ago, the Wilson family checked into the imposing, glass-fronted Lodge, surrounded by snow and perched perilously on the edge of a cliff looking out to a gray sea. Not everyone was looking forward to the family get-together. But mother-in-law Angela insisted the winter trip would help heal their rifts....
-
-
More like 3.5
- By ROBIN on 12-01-23
By: Sue Watson
-
Little Ghosts
- By: Gregg Dunnett
- Narrated by: Katie Villa
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As I sit in her dimly lit bedroom, surrounded by flickering candles, I feel the crushing weight of my daughter’s absence. It's been two years since Layla was murdered. The police have searched tirelessly for her killer, but they've found nothing – it's like whoever did it vanished into thin air. My once-perfect marriage is falling apart, we can hardly look at each other anymore. Our ten-year-old son Gale is struggling. He’s changed since she died. He’s more secretive and also…
-
-
Oh my! Another British audiction I craved!
- By Karenique on 08-13-23
By: Gregg Dunnett
-
Take Your Breath Away
- A Novel
- By: Linwood Barclay
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich, George Newbern, Hillary Huber, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most everyone assumed Andy had got away with murder—it’s always the husband, isn’t it?—but the police could never build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom—he drank too much to numb the pain, was abandoned by all his friends save one, nearly lost his business, and became a pariah in the place he once called home.
-
-
Good solid novel from Linwood Barclay…
- By shelley on 05-26-22
By: Linwood Barclay
-
Christmas Presents
- By: Lisa Unger
- Narrated by: Jennifer Pickens
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harley Granger has a gift for seeing things that others miss. He wasn't much of a novelist, but his work as a true crime author and podcaster has earned him fame and wealth—and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Still, visiting Little Valley to be closer to his dying father has caused him to look into a case that many people think is closed—and some want reopened.
-
-
The Christmas story i didn’t know i needed
- By Kindle Customer on 12-12-23
By: Lisa Unger
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Little Lies
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a woman is discovered in a local park - with her bewildered four-year-old son sitting beside her - veteran social worker Ellen Moore is called in to assist in the police investigation. Positioned beneath a statue of Leto, the goddess of motherhood, the crime is weighted with meaning and, Ellen discovers, remarkably similar to one from a decade past. Ellen's professional duty is to protect the child, but she's not equipped to contend with a killer. As she races to connect the dots, she knows her time is running out.
-
-
Introducing a compelling new heroine!
- By Daryl on 07-09-14
-
Before She Was Found
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 12-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover - movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences. Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon, their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora - and why?
-
-
Bad Bad Ending
- By Sue on 05-12-19
-
Not a Sound
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters - her job; her husband, David; and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later, and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.
-
-
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Great Book
- By sondra laco on 06-29-17
-
Everyone Is Watching
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five contestants have been chosen to compete for ten million dollars on the game show One Lucky Winner. The catch? None of them knows what (or who) to expect, and it will be live streamed all over the world. Completely secluded in an estate in Northern California, with strict instructions not to leave the property and zero contact with the outside world, the competitors start to feel a little too isolated.
-
-
I don’t understand the positive reviews.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-14-24
-
These Things Hidden
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Ali Ahn, Angela Lin, Angela Goethals
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once the golden child of tiny Linden Falls, Iowa, Allison Glenn watches her reputation crumble as she is sent to prison for five years—convicted of a terrible crime. But what really happened that fateful night? Allison’s younger sister is the only other person who knows the truth. Now out of prison, Allison is more desperate than ever to set the record straight, but the revelation of the truth could have far-reaching consequences.
-
-
Please save yourself the time
- By C. Morris on 10-03-14
-
Missing Pieces
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Christina Traister
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.
-
-
narrator
- By Dustin M. Saner on 07-20-16
-
Little Lies
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a woman is discovered in a local park - with her bewildered four-year-old son sitting beside her - veteran social worker Ellen Moore is called in to assist in the police investigation. Positioned beneath a statue of Leto, the goddess of motherhood, the crime is weighted with meaning and, Ellen discovers, remarkably similar to one from a decade past. Ellen's professional duty is to protect the child, but she's not equipped to contend with a killer. As she races to connect the dots, she knows her time is running out.
-
-
Introducing a compelling new heroine!
- By Daryl on 07-09-14
-
Before She Was Found
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 12-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover - movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences. Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon, their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora - and why?
-
-
Bad Bad Ending
- By Sue on 05-12-19
-
Not a Sound
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters - her job; her husband, David; and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later, and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.
-
-
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Great Book
- By sondra laco on 06-29-17
-
Everyone Is Watching
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five contestants have been chosen to compete for ten million dollars on the game show One Lucky Winner. The catch? None of them knows what (or who) to expect, and it will be live streamed all over the world. Completely secluded in an estate in Northern California, with strict instructions not to leave the property and zero contact with the outside world, the competitors start to feel a little too isolated.
-
-
I don’t understand the positive reviews.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-14-24
-
These Things Hidden
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Ali Ahn, Angela Lin, Angela Goethals
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once the golden child of tiny Linden Falls, Iowa, Allison Glenn watches her reputation crumble as she is sent to prison for five years—convicted of a terrible crime. But what really happened that fateful night? Allison’s younger sister is the only other person who knows the truth. Now out of prison, Allison is more desperate than ever to set the record straight, but the revelation of the truth could have far-reaching consequences.
-
-
Please save yourself the time
- By C. Morris on 10-03-14
-
Missing Pieces
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Christina Traister
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.
-
-
narrator
- By Dustin M. Saner on 07-20-16
-
This Is How I Lied
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-five years ago, the body of 16-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa - discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.
-
-
Non stop animal torture...
- By Kelly on 05-31-20
-
One Breath Away
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Joyce Bean, Susan Ericksen, Laural Merlington, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits. Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town’s children in her hands. As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.
-
-
Flat As An Iowa Prairie
- By Pamela Harvey on 07-07-12
-
The Weight of Silence
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Jim Colby, Eliza Foss, Cassandra Morris, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.
-
-
A jewel
- By Sara W on 07-17-10
-
One Breath Away
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits. Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town’s children in her hands. As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.
-
-
Very gripping
- By Jennifer Thissell on 02-19-17
-
The Overnight Guest
- By: Heather Gudenkauf
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.
-
-
Not for me.
- By Mark D on 01-31-22
-
Love, Mom
- By: Iliana Xander
- Narrated by: Kira Fixx, Laura Horowitz, Walker Williams, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mackenzie Casper is a brilliant student. But she is best known for her mother, a best-selling author whose dark, twisted thrillers have a dedicated worldwide fanbase. When her mother dies in an accident, fans across the world are left grieving, and the investigators are asking: Was that really an accident?
-
-
Loved it!
- By Laura on 04-01-25
By: Iliana Xander
What listeners say about Little Mercies
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pink Amy
- 06-06-21
Compelling
Wife, mother, and child protective service Ellen Moore has saved countless children over the years. On one rushed morning, on her way to save two girls in danger, she accidentally locks her infant daughter, Avery, in a car. Avery's life hangs in the balance, as does Ellen's future. Ten-year-old Jenny Briard finds herself in a strange town after her father is arrested. Hoping to find the grandmother she's never met, Jenny's life will intersect with Ellen's in ways neither could have predicted.
Heather Gudenkauf has created another masterpiece. Her main characters are deeply complex, flawed, human beings who readers can't help but to champion. Gudenkauf has done a masterful job capturing the conflicts of a social worker charged with protecting vulnerable children, I know because I interned in such a position during grad school. The competence of Ellen's professional life is in such contrast to the moment of distraction that just might end in tragedy--a mistake easy to judge as "it could never happen to me" but LITTLE MERCIES shows us that yes, it very well could happen to any of us. Equally impressive, Gudenkauf captures the nuances of the defense mechanisms of a little girl trying not to end up back in foster care.
Gudenkauf if my favorite writer. I've read THESE THINGS HIDDEN close to ten times and I'm quite sure I'll reread and re-reread LITTLE MERCIES similarly. Told in Ellen's first person POV alternating with third person chapters centering on Jenny, the voices are at times lyrical, heartbreaking while also suspenseful with the need to keep reading to find out what happens next. I recommend this book to everyone and know you'll have as much pleasure as I did reading this gem. I rarely give 5 star reviews, but I'd give this 10 stars of I could.
ETA: Also listened to the audiobook.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrea Antonio
- 05-31-19
great story. horrible performance.
the reader's performance drove me crazy. I developed an annoyance with the characters early on because they sounded weepy the entire time or when they weren't voice shakey and weepy, they sounded drunk. slurring ver voice and speach when they talked. I only stuck with it because of the story. this book would have been more enjoyable if I read it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- carmel
- 04-28-16
Beautifully written
This was such a thought provoking story and certainly evoked a lot of emotion, loved this book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jacqui
- 12-31-15
Performance was very whiny.
The narrator of the book goes through something difficult and her voice gets very whiny. Some of it is understandable, but it continues on for some time. Becomes grating to listen too, and was hard for me to finish listening to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M.A. Wilson
- 11-09-14
OMG This Was Good!
What did you love best about Little Mercies?
A CPS worker whose job it is to rescue children from abusive, neglectful homes, makes a mistake that will change her life forever and will force her to walk a mile in the shoes of the abusers she's rescued children from. The story is good from the beginning. I loved it!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Delila
- 02-02-16
amazing I loved it. It's like a roller coaster <3.
amazing love it it is like a roller coaster its really beutiful totally love it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carol
- 09-26-15
Timely topic - erxcellently narrated.
Any additional comments?
This is a well-researched, believable story of the effects of abuse on a child, as well as the effects on an "accidental" child abuser and her family.Well worth reading!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B. J. Neary
- 01-24-16
Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf
Would you listen to Little Mercies again? Why?
Yes because it is a great narration and story
What did you like best about this story?
Teh ripped from the headlines subplots
Have you listened to any of Kate Rudd and Tanya Eby ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When Ellen's social worker network of families and children write letters of recommendation for her, major heartfelt moment!
Any additional comments?
Little Mercies was an amazing audiobbok; narrated by: Kate Ruddand Tanya Eby! I read Gudenkauf's thriller, The Weight of Silence and could not put it down! The same was true with this thriller that combined a committed but harried social worker, Ellen with a parallel plot of a 10 year old child, Jenny. I could not stop listening as Ellen and Jenny's lives converge and both are being torn apart by life, family, and the system. The ripped from the headlines topics of foster care, abusive parents, death of a child are chilling, demanding empathy from the reader and society. I especially loved the author's interview following the audiobook which asks us to acknowledge and value the little mercies in life. A taut, emotional, worthwhile read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Annette Griffiths
- 03-04-20
Good story line
really enjoyed this book couldn't wait to get in the car to listen while driving
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- "cstyles118"
- 08-31-21
great story
one of her best so far! I always say as a parent, how can a parent forget their baby in a car.... but things happen. This was an excellent story that really depicted the guilt we all feel every day for the small and big things
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful