Human Remains: A Novel

Written by Elizabeth Haynes

Narrated by Karen Cass

Human Remains is a chilling, masterful thriller by New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Haynes that explores our darkest fears, showing how vulnerable we are—and how easily ordinary lives can fall apart when no one is watching.

Annabel, a police analyst, is shocked when she discovers her neighbor’s decomposing body in the house next door. And she’s appalled to think that no one noticed her absence.

Back at work, she sets out on her own to investigate, and finds that such cases are frighteningly common in her hometown.

A hymn to all the lonely and compelling characters that haunt our lives, Human Remains is a deeply disturbing and powerful novel of suspense from Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062293169

Elizabeth Haynes

Elizabeth Haynes is a former police intelligence analyst, a civilian role that involves determining patterns in offending and criminal behavior. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Darkest Corner, Dark Tide, Human Remains, and, most recently, Under a Silent Moon, the first installment of the Briarstone crime series.

Reviews for Human Remains

[Kanishka Ariyathilaka · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars,just because I hated how the nicely build up ,sophisticated Collin was distroyed at the end chapters. Entire plot was very refreshing ,deviating from the usual thriller frame. But end seem to be rushed where both Annebelle and Collin both were so out of character! Nevertheless I enjoyed it! I will for sure check out other books of this author!

[tina1969_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How well do you know your neighbours? Would you notice if they lived or died? Police analyst Annabel wouldn't describe herself as lonely. Her work keeps her busy and the needs of her ageing mother and her cat are more than enough to fill her time when she's on her own. But Annabel is shocked when she discovers her neighbour's decomposing body in the house next door, and appalled to think that no one, including herself, noticed her absence. Back at work she sets out to investigate, despite her police officer colleagues' lack of interest, and finds data showing that such cases are frighteningly common in her own home town.My Thoughts:Another brilliant read by Elizabeth Haynes. I would have thought that it was hrad to follow her previous books, but no she keeps churning out good gripping reads.What I like about her books is how real they seem. The characters could quite easily be someone that you know, and sometimes it is the ones that you know and love that you need to be wary of.What this book did was make me think. How well do I know the people in my street. Would I notice if they lived or died. Well the answer is probably not, especially when it is the winter months and it’s dark nights and people do tend to shut themselves away, including me. This made the book real and scary and as I said made me stop and think how lonely some people must be. So in a way it’s quite sad and I am one of the lucky ones to have a loving family.The book was a rollercoaster of a ride but had a dark theme with plenty to keep my interest till the very end. I did find the ending slightly rushed but the book is still a very good read.

[carpe_librum · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After being absolutely captivated by Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes recently, I wanted to enjoy more of her writing and picked up Human Remains soon after.Human Remains is considerably darker than Into The Darkest Corner, and bears no resemblance to her debut novel; which is a pleasant and refreshing discovery in the world of books.This time the protagonist is Annabel, a female Police Analyst who begins to notice an exceeding number of decomposing bodies being discovered in their homes. In each case, the deceased had slowly withdrawn from society before they died and wasn't missed.The novel is told from the perspectives of Annabel and Colin (sociopath and bad guy) as well as short segments from the deceased themselves. This makes for a fascinating read that really kept me on the edge of my seat.It's clear the author has studied the science of human decomposition and Neuro Linguistic Programming (no more for fear of spoilers) in order to write the villain's first person perspective, and it's done extremely well. Colin is a despicable man and his methods of suggestion and persuasion are downright scary.Human Remains delicately raises the point that we no longer know our neighbours and aren't as friendly as we once were. The main reason for this is probably personal safety, but while reading Human Remains I couldn't help but reflect on these topics.Human Remains is a real page-turner and a great crime novel with a difference.Exciting news, I'll be interviewing the author Elizabeth Haynes on my blog Carpe Librum soon.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was an oddly disturbing book. Annabel, a police analyst, finds her neighbor's body badly decomposing. She notices that the number of people in the area dying from natural causes, but found alone and decomposing, are significantly higher than in previous years. Colin, a city worker, is troubled, and has a bizarre idea about helping people "transition" out of their misery. He also has a strange sexual fixation.I liked Annabel, I didn't like Colin--not just because of his idiosyncrasies, but he was a completely unlikeable person. I did like the parts about analyzing the data, but thought Colin's account was tedious. I think some of the book could have been deleted, and it would have been more enjoyable.

[carol420 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked part of the book... but it took a long time to get to it. After the body was found...we just met individual characters over and over. To make matters worse the individual characters didn't even tell a part of the story. The whole thing became very hum-drum and you had to wonder why they were even there. I really expected much more for this book from the description. Oh well...you can't win them all.

[literaryfeline · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes
Harper, 2013
Crime Fiction; 416 pgs

Elizabeth Haynes captivated me with her novel, Into the Darkest Corner, and I have enjoyed her series featuring Detective Inspector Louisa Smith. I was eager to give another of her books a try, and dove into Human Remains with high expectations. While it isn't my favorite of her novels that I have read so far, I did enjoy it. Like her other books, she tackles a subject that the reader just can't help but think about in terms of their own lives, wondering what if.

I found Human Remains to be disturbing in more ways than one. Less a mystery where you have to guess who the bad person is, and more a thriller where you know up front (or close to it) who is up to no good, the novel jumps from the viewpoint of the perpetrator to the police analyst, Annabel, who discovered the decaying body of her neighbor, interspersed with sections written from the perspectives of the victims, each one a troubled soul who makes an easy target for a man like our perptrator.

Getting into the mind of a psychopath can be quite interesting and is always disturbing. This one is no different. He believes he is providing a good service, helping people down their chosen path. Just being in his head sent shivers down my spine. It was hard to imagine he could be good at what he did and yet he was. Too much so.

Annabel herself is a bit lost. She lives alone with her cat, doesn't really have any friends, and takes care of her ailing mother who also lives alone. She is the one who initially notices the alarming increase in deaths in the community and begins to look into why. I felt for her.

I know so few of the neighbors living on my street. I admit much of what I do know is thanks to my next door neighbor who knows everyone else. He's extremely friendly and social, something I'm not. At least not the social part. The neighbors on the corner we are familiar with because they have a son my daughter's age. We wave to the other neighbors on our street in passing (although there is one family across the way that doesn't wave back), but we really don't know each other beyond that. If someone were to die, alone in their house, I am not sure I would notice. We all come and go, living our own lives. It's sad to think about. I remember growing up in neighborhoods in which everyone knew everyone. It was much different all those years ago. Do you know your neighbors?

Like her other novels, Human Remains is on the darker side, perhaps her darkest novel of all. It is graphic at times, which may be off putting to some. It is both a disturbing and intriguing book.


To learn more about Elizabeth Haynes and her books, please visit the author's website.

Source: Review e-copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for an honest review.

[jan0fleming · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Police analyst Annabel wouldn't describe herself as lonely. Her work keeps her busy and the needs of her ageing mother and her cat are more than enough to fill her time when she s on her own. But Annabel is shocked when she discovers her neighbour s decomposing body in the house next door, and appalled to think that no one, including herself, noticed her absence.

Back at work she sets out to investigate, despite her police officer colleagues lack of interest, and finds data showing that such cases are frighteningly common in her own home town.

A chilling thriller and a hymn to all the lonely people, whose individual voices haunt the pages, Elizabeth Haynes new novel is a deeply disturbing and powerful thriller that preys on our darkest fears, showing how vulnerable we are when we live alone, and how easily ordinary lives can fall apart when no one is watching.

All the lonely people…

I loved the authors debut novel Into the Darkest Corner because it was so believable and one of those “there for the grace of God” stories.

Human Remains differs because it is so unlikely but totally credible at the same time(if that makes sense).

The author superbly portrays the isolation of the elderly and other troubled people who have withdrawn from a society that hasn't got time or the inclination to care and feeds on that visceral horror of dying alone, forgotten and unloved.
The dual narrative between prey and predator peppered with the wonderfully poignant monologues of the “transformed” is excellent
Colin is a magnificent creation: super intelligent narcissistic sociopath - I had no difficulty in believing that vulnerable people would find him trustworthy...I can still hear his voice in my head

Colin
I was eating cornflakes and reading jokes aloud from the back of the 1982 Beano annual when my father clutched his chest and dropped dead on the kitchen floor.

Looking back it almost seems comical, but I believe that this was the moment when my life took a change in direction. My father was the sort of person you could read jokes to. He would spend Sundays fixing the car and I would help him, learning where all the pieces went and what they all did. He laughed a lot and together we both laughed at my mother, who was thin, and serious, and bitter.

After he died, I couldn’t bring myself to read the Beano any more. I didn’t really laugh any more, either.

I must remember to look deliriously happy when doing my weekly supermarket shop in future because you never know who is watching…….

[holly_85 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book, and especially enjoyed the quirky nature of Colin's character.

I was however a little disappointed with the ending, and found it quite flat.

It is one of those books that while I found enjoyable, it will be instantly forgotten.I will however read further books from this author as they offer a great source of light relief.

[julie10reads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Police analyst Annabel wouldn't describe herself as lonely. Her work and the needs of her aging mother keep her busy. But Annabel is shocked when she discovers her neighbor's decomposing body in the house next door, and she is appalled to think that no one, including herself, noticed the woman's absence. Annabel sets out to investigate, despite her colleagues; lack of interest, and discovers that such cases are frighteningly common in her hometown. - Summary BPLIncisive and creepy as only British fiction can be. Well-written, but disturbing.6.5 out of 10

[yogiboo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't enjoy this book. Maybe because the two main characters are so unlikeable. Annabel -fat, grumpy, miserable, no sense of humour, no personality. Colin -psycho, unsociable, pompous, weird, no personality. The story dragged on. The tone was bleak and grey. I finished it and thought Meh!

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I discovered Elizabeth Haynes last year when I devoured her debut thriller Into the Darkest Corner. Her latest book, Human Remains, is even better. "I should have turned away from the door. I should have gone back into my own house, and locked my door, and thought no more about it....I thought about going back to my kitchen and phoning the police. Looking back, that was exactly what I should have done." Two sentences from the opening chapter guaranteed to hook you right from the beginning. Human Remains is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoint of Annabel and Colin. Annabel works as a civilian police analyst for the Briarstone (England) Police Department, tracking patterns in criminal behaviour. When she discovers a badly decomposed body in her own neighbourhood with no sign of foul play she's curious and runs a report looking for other people who have died with no one noticing. And what she discovers makes her take notice - the current year has four times as many as the past years. And those are the reported ones. Colin, well, Colin is the one they're after. For those decomposing bodies hold a fascination for Colin. As his studies have progressed, Colin has begun helping things along. Oh boy, Colin is a seriously creepy and disturbed individual. His inner dialogue is downright frightening. Haynes has done a bang-up job creating her 'villain' this time around. I love the back and forth style. Although we know who the 'criminal' is, the tension ratchets up as his behaviour escalates. (But why did I italicize criminal you ask? The question arises - is Colin doing anything that he can be charged with? I know, but you have to read the book to see what a diabolical plot Haynes has come up with. Annabel's chapters are just as suspenseful. Will the higher ups in the department listen to her? And when Colin and Annabel's paths cross...... There is a third set of narratives - that of the deceased. I found these to be the pages I stopped at to think. Haynes gives a voice to her deceased and the questions that the living ask when such a discovery is made. How does a body go undiscovered for years? Why did no one notice? "You never realize what loneliness is until it creeps up on you - like a disease it is, something that happens to you gradually. I realized it had been years and years since anyone made eye contact with me. If people stop looking at you, do you cease to exist? Does it mean you're not a person anymore? Does it mean you're already dead?" Their stories just really made me think. The library I work at does serve some marginalized patrons. I've often thought that for some, we may be the only point of contact some days. In real life, there are many deaths that go unnoticed. One of the most reported 'undiscovered body stories' is that of Joyce Vincent in England.This is an excellent thriller - dark and disturbing. (Fair warning to gentle readers it's probably not for you). It was a five star page turner for me - devoured in one lazy vacation day. (And hey - say hi to your neighbour today...)

[pattylouise_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Human RemainsbyElizabeth HaynesMy "in a nutshell" summary...Annabel finds a badly decomposed body in the house next door...odd...unusual ...until she finds reports of many more.My thoughts after reading this book...Creepy...the psychotic murderer in this book is just plain creepy and a weird sexual deviant, too...ick...ick...ick...It's a weirdly thrilling mystery about people...young, old, whatever...who die and are not found until months and months and months later. They are usually out of the path of ordinary people. They are sad, depressed and lonely and this cruel psychopath seems able to convince them to die. I won't spoil it for you. This book is beautifully written. Each victim has a story. Annabel...an analyst for the police...unearths similarities in these deaths and does her best to get the police to pay attention. What ultimately happens to her is both frightening and scary.What I loved about his book...I loved the way the book was divided into sort of people chapters. Each victim told his or her own story.What I did not love about this book...I despised the creepy psychotic killer...he was deplorable!I also didn't like the way Annabel treated her cat...not badly but not nicely either. Final thoughts...I found Human Remains to be an intensely disturbing mystery...but...it was so good it was hard to stop reading. The stark fact about it was that these sad stories seemed plausible. All of this fed into my fascination with this book. It was extremely scary...but in an unputdownable way.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Human Remains is is a disturbing tale raising questions about social alienation in modern society.When civilian police analyst Annabel discovers the decomposing corpse of her neighbor she is distressed that no-one, including herself, had investigated the woman’s absence. Curious, Annabel delves into the police files and makes a startling discovery, in her home town there has been 24 bodies decomposing bodies discovered in their homes in the past nine months – considerably more than recorded in previous years.Annabel is concerned. but with no evidence of violence, her supervisor dismisses it as an anomaly until a phone call forces an investigation, revealing a man who is either an angel of mercy, or an agent of death.The narrative is told from the perspectives of Annabel and the antagonist, Colin, interspersed with the stories of the dead.Annabel is a near middle aged, single woman who lives alone, except for an unfriendly cat. Her only regular social contact is with her frail and demanding mother and her colleagues, who seem uninterested in befriending her. The discovery of her neighbour in part speaks to her own fear of dying unnoticed, a fear that is exacerbated when her mother dies. With the police uninterested in the string of deaths it is left to Annabel and local journalist Sam Everett to reveal their significance.**SPOILER**I’m not sure how I feel about Annabel becoming a victim of Colin. The situation felt forced despite her fitting the profile. Had it been a relative/friend/colleague or even acquaintance who had the near miss I think I would have found the plot more credible.**END SPOILER**Colin is a sociopath, whose mild mannered, nondescript persona hides his fascination with death and decomposition. Using the principles of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) learnt at evening classes, he discovers an ability to manipulate emotionally vulnerable people. It is a talent he claims facilitates his victims to choose their life’s end without fear and pain but really the process meets his sexual needs. Colin is a disturbing character, not only because of his fetish for decomposing flesh but also his ability to rationalise what he does. But with no redeeming features, he is ‘other’ and therefore it is easy to keep him at a distance.While there is a sense of psychological uneasiness that permeates the novel I did feel Human Remains lacked sustained tension. The pace is somewhat uneven and I thought the story sometimes felt contrived.The themes are fascinating though with its social commentary regarding mental illness, suicide vs euthanasia, social marginalisation and community responsibility.Human Remains is a dark and, at times, grim read and I think it would be remiss of me to not point out that its explicit elements may be too much for some readers. I think the overall concept of the novel is original and interesting, I just wasn’t quite satisfied with the execution. Still, I would recommend Human Remains for its psychological insights.

[julia.flyte · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book, mostly because of the way that Elizabeth Haynes writes, which draws you in and keeps your attention. The heroine is Annabel, a loner who works as an analyst at a police station. She discovers her neighbour's dead (and decomposing) body and this leads her to look into the statistics for how many other decomposed bodies have been found that year. To her surprise she discovers that the numbers are well up on any other year or any other district. While the police are not particularly interested in investigating - where's the crime when the deaths appear to be from natural causes? - Annabel keeps digging. Meanwhile we the reader realise that she is far more at risk herself than she realises, and the suspense mounts gradually but insistently.This is a cleverly constructed book and it's very readable. I did feel that the ending was somewhat at odds with the rest of the book, but it all brought things together in a very satisfying way.

[carolinejyoung · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a book that I kept wanting to pick up and read despite the fact that it wasn't as thrilling as Into The Darkest Corner. The fact that the perpetrator was known early on and that he didn't physically inflict harm on his 'victims' meant that I didn't find it gripping but I certainly enjoyed it.