Member Reviews
Woven with skill, the tale is twisty, and whilst I don't think there is a single likeable character in there, that's a good part of what grips you, as you'll want to see karma working her magic on them all.
Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.
This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.
I found this to be a dark but gripping thriller with deep characters good and bad which always makes for a good book and that is what this one turns out to be. really good writing and character development, and very much worth the read.
I would recommend this story to all thriller lovers .This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well written characters.
I've had this book for years, I still haven't, unfortunately, got to it, so this is a placeholder review to reduce my shelf for my own sanity, but will replace this if I ever get to the book
The tale focuses on Mackenzie Crawford, she’s on a bit of a downward spiral and when she starts telling tales about someone stalking her people just don’t believe her. She’s a bit of a wild one at times and it hard for family to look beyond their opinions and see the truth that’s right in front of them.
Mackenzie’s family will soon regret not paying more attention when one night she doesn’t return home. With recent events including a family bust up it takes a while for anyone to really suspect fowl play..they are just blinded by preconceptions they just won’t take on board the chance she’s in danger.
There’s a ton of twists in the tale to keep you gripped. You see things from multiple points of view and you question your own views on the events as things start to fall in place..when they do though..wow.. I’ll not lie I had an inkling that proved to be right but the way the author plays events out really had me hooked and to be quite honest until the picture became clear the author could have thrown another twist in there..you just never knew what to expect.
It’s a dark tale that really makes you think..it really shows the damage rifts with family can cause.. as much as you dislike some of the family you can see their thought processes..and how easy it is to have a clouded point of view.
A dark, gritty and suspenseful thriller that tickles the taste buds to the max and another cracking read from Owen Mullen! Keep up the good work
This book had so many twists and turns, you didn't know what to expect next! Combine that with an old house, with all the past ghosts that is residing there.... Highly recommended.
TB
This is a gripping and riveting domestic thriller, which grabbed me from the very beginning. I started reading it while I was in a cafe and absolutely raced through it while I was there. An hour or so later, I was around 40% in and hooked. There was a slight lull at one point and I wasn't sure where it was going to go at that point but it soon threw a curveball and the action started again. Well written and great characterisation, with good tension. Owen Mullen is a new author to me but one for my must read list in the future!
This book was excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and it is definitely a book I would recommend!!
I loved the plot in this book, it was very well planned out and I was hooked right from the first few pages. I have read quite a few of this author’s books and he has a great writing style and that was evident in this book, he is certainly well suited to this genre.
The characters were well developed and worked really well together. It is five stars from me for this one, very highly recommended and another excellent read from Owen Mullen!!
Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author, Owen Mullen for the the opportunity to read a digital copy of In Harm's Way in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion .
I thought this book provided a good, quick read. The storyline was well written and thoroughly intriguing.
Well worth a read.
Athmosphärisch dicht, gelungene story und gut gezeichnete Charaktere machen dieses Buch zu einem großen Lesevergnügen.
#InHarmsWay #NetGalleyDE
A slow starter, it took me a little while to get into the story. Then the characters and the plot pulled me into the complicated family relationships. The plot has a few twists and the ending is a twisted bit will left me gasping. A good solid read.
This was a good story, not quite what I expected but still a good novel. Would recommend to others.
It draws you in from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. Mackenzie is an alcoholic and lives with her husband Derek but it's not the ideal marriage. Other characters are Mckenzie's brother and sisters who I really enjoyed reading about. One day Mackenzie goes missing and everyone thinks she's run off with another man ...... that couldn't be further from the truth.
A brilliant story that kept me on my toes, that's for sure. Must read in my opinion.
Oh wow! Owen Mullen has written a dark and disturbing thriller set in Glasgow. This book has an excellent plot and is well written, although the lead character, Mackenzie, was extremely irritating. This will appeal to lovers of psychological thrillers and I would recommend it. The best so far by the author. My thanks to Net Galley for my copy. reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.
This novel takes a new direction from previous books from Owen Mullen as it centres round a family rather than a P.I. with the police taking a bit of a back seat on this one. A daring risk but one that definitely pays off.
The opening scene is one that really stirs up those wicked thoughts that you keep buried away. Here was a man seeking out a very specific dwelling and all I could think was I never want to be an estate agent! House 1, no good. House 2, no good. But house 3, well that stirred up some interest. derelict, out on its own and with a dark, dark cellar. Perfect!
As the reader you are privy to what is really happening because the story is told through various characters, the most harrowing is that of missing MacKenzie Crawford. MacKenzie is the alcoholic younger wife of self-made wealthy businessman Derek Crawford. She is a real drama queen that even her own siblings knew only too well, so when she announced she was being followed, no-one believed her. When she announced she was having an affair no-one was surprised. When she disappeared everyone thought she had run off with her lover. But far from it!
This is one of Owen Mullen’s darker book as some of the descriptions are quite harrowing to say the least. Who ever it was that had MacKenzie was very brutal. I really liked the flow of the story from the beginning, with a bunch of characters that were at first hard to like. As the story progresses my views on them all changed continually through the chapters, as there were a couple of red herrings with surprising outcomes in their own right. The police involvement is pretty minimal which gave one of the characters time to shine in the story. The pace really picks up on a bit of a big dipper ending. Nice touch!
This is an excellent Tartan Noir with a difference. Rather than being from the point of view of the police, the crime is investigated mainly by the victim’s family, with a bit of help from DI Andrew Geddes.
Mackenzie has marital and drinking problems which leads most of her family to be unsympathetic to her problems as she is not very likeable, and has a reputation for being a bit of ‘a drama queen’. Which is why when she goes missing for a couple of days her husband and family do not file a missing person report with the police.
Once DI Geddes begins to takes the matter seriously, so does her family and so starts their worries and struggle to find out what has happened to their wife and sister.
A brilliant book full of twists and turns. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was one nail-biting read! I have read several of this author's books before and they never disappoint :)
Mackenzie Crawford is married to the much older Derek Crawford, a self-made man who gives Mackenzie everything she wants....except the freedom to choose. Her sister thinks she is really lucky that Derek puts up with her, because Mackenzie drinks too much, but her brother isn't convinced. When Mackenzie goes missing, who in her life is actually concerned about this fact?
Such an interesting, twisty, turny story this was! Some parts of this book were harrowing, to say the least, and I was on the edge of my seat many times. Even though Mackenzie wasn't the most likeable of people in the beginning of the book, my sympathy for her increased as I went along and by the end of it I was cheering her on and hoping that everything would work out for her.
4.5 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books.
Mackenzie is a drunk
She makes things up for effect
Like the fact she has a lover
But she is also being followed
No one believes her
Including her husband
Why would he?
When she sees her stalker in the street and he waves, she is again drunk, and her husband presumes its her lover
Mackenzie says shes leaving
For good
She goes.......
But not of her own accord
And so begins this intriguing tale of stalkers, deceit, families at war, marriages that arent as they seem, neurosis and a living hell for Mackenzie
She is chained to a bed, held captive
Her husband and family think she has left with a lover
Until her brother reports her missing
The truth, when it is discovered, is horrific....and unbelievable
A well paced thriller and ‘shocker’ that had me hooked, lined and sinkered!
The characters are believable and at times repugnant, but as say believable, the story flows well and I loved the non boring descriptions of Glasgow and surrounding areas ( it takes a lot to add area descriptions that are appealing to someone who has never been to the area )
A solid, well thought out, scary, dark and menacing book...loved it
10/10 5 stars
Wow, this was so fast paced that I could actually feel the G forces as I sped through the story. My heart broke for Mackenzie, she was so completely misunderstood. Her role in the family seemed to be the whipping post for all that was wrong in their own lives. Until they had the facts. My goodness, wouldn't we all love to have a brother like Gavin? Swooping in and saving the day. It was very clever writing to have Gavin thinking more logically as his home life circumstances improved. Or did his home life circumstances improve because he was thinking more logically? Either way, it is credit to the brilliant writing from Owen Mullen that Gavin got to be a hero. I thought In Harm's Way was an fabulous read, fast, full of action, believable characters and dialogue and a satisfactory ending. I loved it, as I love everything Mr Mullen writes. Once again he's created a great story that I am happy award a fulsome 5 stars. Buy In Harm's Way as soon as possible. You can thank me later!