I dare you - Sam Carrington

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this ARC


Oh dear... Where do I even begin??
This book got me so wrapped up in it that I lost sense of time... I realised I read around 40 chapters last night and stayed up until 2 am...
I must admit, at first, the short chapters and jumping from a character to character and through time, I thought I'd get lost in it all... But after a couple of chapters I got a hang of it and really started to enjoy this book.
Anna and Lizzie return to their hometown of Mapledon, each for a different reason but both trying to find the truth - what happend to Jonie 30 years ago?? And will their and the secrets of the village stay hidden, or resurface to destroy the lives they'd known???
Really good written book, it kept me guesing who was really guilty if the crime... I loved how the author described the characters and the mentality of people in small villages towards strangers (not to generalise, of course!) and how much harm gossip can make!!

I gave this book 4 stars only because the last couple of sentences left me thinking like somehow the story's not really finished?! If there is going to be a sequel I'll definitely read it... Also I'm now on the hunt for the rest of Sams books

This was a great book by a new author. The story was very well written, and the characters were easy to follow along with. I enjoyed the story and would enjoy reading more by this author. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book. I recommend it.

This was a great read, took me a bit my surprise! It was a bit difficult to keep up with the various story lines as they switched from past to present, but once you got the hang of it, it was a bit easier. This book was suspenseful, twisty, and unexpected! Would definitely recommend.

This book was a real page-turner and kept me hooked throughout. The author really captured the small-minded characters of the rural village beautifully and had me feeling very angry with them.
A great story and I will definitely read more from this author.

A book that is so cleverly written that you lose the entire day to just get to the end!

We all remember the creepy man from our childhoods, the one everyone knew stories about but are any of them true, probably not, but the stories live on.

A little girl goes missing and she is seen getting into the truck of Bill ‘creepy’ Cawley. Whilst no body was ever found, Bill had been in prison for 30 years and recently released... he wants revenge, he is innocent and wants the truth to be known.

The book tells the story of two little girls who go out to play a game of dares, only one returns. The village these girls lived in is not all it seems, quite from the idyllic setting and as we go on a run of plot twists, turns and surprises, well essentially it leaves you gripped wanting more!

Another superb book and one that lovers of this genre will devour speedily because it has a tense, tightly written plot with plenty of did she/did he/how/why questions that tumble about in your mind upon reading from the very beginning.
Based on a childhood game in the 80s where Joni and friend Bella, amongst other children, knocked and run away repeatedly from Creepy Cawley's bungalow in the close knit village community of Mapledon, this story follows the lives of the village inhabitants 30 years on from a crime that saw Joni abducted and killed.
Bill Cawley is released after 30 years in prison and everyone is expecting him to return to the village.
The right man was arrested and served his time, so why is everyone so on edge?
Maybe things weren't quite as clear cut as everyone would like them to believe?
With devastating consequences the event is replayed and the role different villagers played in what happened slowly revealed with twists and shocks that are heartbreaking.
Prejudice, deception, memories and lies weave in and out to turn what should have been an angel of protection into a monster of destruction.
Will anybody's lives ever be the same again?
Enjoyed this so much I will definitely be reading Sam Carrington's other books.

Two little girls playing dares but only one comes back. As an adult she returns to her childhood home hoping to find out what really happened only to find almost everyone in the village is telling lies and has something to hide.
I feel the characters are well portrayed and with the many twists and turns this is a compelling read.

This is a completely gripping and addictive book.

The story is told from Anna’s and Lizzie’s viewpoints. I had no idea at the start what connection these characters had to the events of thirty years ago. As the story develops, we find out more, but I still wasn’t prepared for the many twists and turns of the plot.

The plot flicks back and forth between the present day and the past, giving tantalising hints of what happened, then snapping back to the current events. It makes for absolutely page turning, compelling reading.

I found myself liking both characters, and even though Billy was convicted of the murder, liking what we saw of him too. I felt sure that there was more than meets the eye to this murder and several times I thought I had it solved, but I was completely wrong!

The setting is rather creepy, this seemingly perfect village, but with a dark undertone.

A really suspenseful and chilling story, absolutely gripping and engrossing. Highly recommended. A must-read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

There was something about this book that gave me a mixed reaction but I can't quite put my finger on it.
It absolutely nails it in terms of the scene setting, picture that wee village, the kind where you walk into a pub and everyone turns and stares at you. They type of village where the closeness of neighbours feels somewhat incestuous at times, where secrets are kept buried and woe betide anyone who comes prodding and poking amongst them. That's exactly what the author does with this book and it works so well, it totally creeped me out and kept me hooked to find out just what secret was hidden.
But none of the characters really engaged me, I found myself caring very little about them, even when I found out their connections to the village, I still didn't really care about them or even dislike them enough to make me want to see their downfall.
However the scene setting and the plot did keep me engaged and although I worked it out it was enough to keep me reading right to the end.
It is a well written and tightly plotted novel, it just didn't hit all the spots for me I'm afraid.

A gripping story told over a dual timeline.

1989. Two young girls, Bella and Jodie, are playing ‘knock knock ginger’ (postman’s knock). Jodie pushes a very reluctant Bella to knock on ‘Creepy Cawley’s’ door. Her mother has told her never to go near his bungalow as he is dangerous.

2019. Anna, as Bella is now known, receives a distraught phone call from her elderly mother, dragging her reluctantly back to the small village where she grew up but has not returned to since leaving many years ago.

2019. Lizzie grew up in care. Now an adult, she receives a letter advising Cawley has been released from his 30 year prison sentence for the murder of a young girl. This drags Lizzie back to the same village where she lived before going into the care system.
Who was Lizzie?

The story goes back and forth between the two timelines as bit by bit the secrets held by the small closely knit village begin to reveal themselves.
Was Billy Cawley guilty of the crime? Who is nailing parts of a doll, with hidden messages tucked inside, to Anna’s mum’s door and what does this mean?

This brilliant book will have you glued until all the secrets are finally revealed.

Loved it!

It was a very insightful novel, with a strong cast of characters. I enjoyed the story line very much and would definitely recommend this book.

Two ten year old girls play knock a door run at the local weirdo’s front door. She was seen getting into his truck and never seen again. Bill Crawley was given 30 years for it but claimed he didn’t do it.
The present day Anna one of the girls returns to her home town after twenty years away. Lizzie is a freelance journalist she returns home after thirty years she is doing a story on Bill Crawley and what really happened. Both Anna & Lizzie dig to find out what happened thirty years ago
Thanks NetGalley

Can a secret hidden for 30 years cause havoc even today?

Yes! Yes! Yes! Especially if author Sam Carrington had written it. A brilliant book, the best way to start the new year.

2 girls played a Knock, knock game on a man ostracized by the entire village until one came back and the other was lost forever. The man was charged with murder and sent to prison. But he was released now, and secrets had to be revealed.

Wow! The blurb and the premise of the story pulled me in. The author played on my curiosity, page after page, until I knew nothing but the story. The outside world disappeared for me. The chapters were short and snappy giving me clues to the mystery. The dual timeliness too added to the delicious mystery that this story was.

The suspense built up progressively as the author’s writing tightened the screws on the prose with her powerful imagery. That kept me completely hypnotized until the final reveal which knocked me out completely. I got a hint of the finale, but nothing could deter me from being enthralled by this story.

A perfect book for the new year. I loved it!!

Bella and Jonie are best friends. Though Bella does. Not always like Jonie as she makes her do things she really does not want to do.like knocking on the door of the man they call creepy Cawley and running away.
A lot of the children in the village of Mapledon are doing the same thing.
The man they call creepy Cawley is getting very angry at the children and runs after the.children to scare them off.
Until something happens in the village and will change the lives of many people.
This was an excellent book and thanks so. Much netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review.
Well done Sam Carriington bring them on.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one! Jumping back and forth between the past and present, this book kept me constantly on edge and always guessing. There was a couple of things that I instantly guessed, but overall the whole read was a intense, gripping page-turner.
Can't wait to read more from this author!

Sometimes alternating timelines throw me off. Not the case with this book. The timelines add to the suspense of the storyline! I couldn’t put this down.

Brilliant thriller with everything you want in a book. It had good characters, suspense, twists and turns and the plot thickened with every page I turned . Although it told the story back and forth from the past to the present the story flowed easily . I would recommend this book

It was such a great read with so many twists and turns. When you think you have figured it out, think again because it throws everything back on you that you thought you knew.

I read enjoyed the fast pace of this book and the short snappy chapters gave you that just one more feeling.

Sam Carrington has done it again. Never seems to put a foot wrong with some fantastic characters who you really buy into and a great story line. Not to mention the vivid descriptions that are in this book.

Thankfully this book didn't include much about dolls but enough to freak me out. Be warned if you are scared like me.

Wow that’s his is a must read book that had me addicted from the first page could not put it down. Well written & full of twists. I’d recommend to anyone.

A thoroughly entertaining read, well drawn characters and very well written.
Sam Carrington certainly has the gift of hiking up the suspense when it matters and I found this book hard to put down whizzing through it in a couple of days. Will definitely be reading more of this authors books.