This was incredibly creepy. Linn Wilson was brutally raped 19 years ago in her home in Yorkshire. Since then she has built up a life of sorts in London with husband Oliver, who was her boyfriend at the time of the rape. She is a shadow of her younger self, and put her life's ambitions on hold to live in the protection of Oliver. A package received from former family friends and neighbours takes her back to her younger days and that fateful night. Linn realises this attack was not carried out by a stranger and she returns to her childhood home to find the truth. Although I worked out almost straight away who the attacker was, the writing style kept me questioning my assumptions, and rethinking. By the end although I knew she couldn't possibly have resumed her former life I was not prepared for the final outcome. Strangely written, much of it in interview form, I felt this was effective in building the tension. #netgalley #flowersforthedead

At seventeen, Linn is viciously raped within her own isolated home. Nineteen years later, Linn is finally seeking her rapist by moving back to that, now vacant, house. Initially, her attacker was thought to be a stranger. However, Linn’s memory of that night is slowly returning. Thanks to a special doorbell ring, she knows her rapist must have been a close friend or neighbor. So begins the new thriller, Flowers for the Dead.

The sense of dread is palpable throughout the shivery tale. Linn is an emotionally fragile character taking on a task well beyond her skill set. This is her first time really out in the world since the incident. Her husband, Oliver, has always taken care of everything. But she has to do this task alone.

The swiftly changing point-of-views makes for a twisty and slightly off-balance tale. However, it is worth whatever confusion you may have when you get to the slam-bam and exciting conclusion. Wow, I loved the perfect ending where all the threads come together into a beautifully woven plot. 4 stars for Flowers for the Dead!

Thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Impulse, Killer Reads and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I always feel that the psychological thrillers that most get under a readers skin are those that have a premise that could happen to anyone, and that is certainly what CK Williams’s debut Flowers for the Dead does with considerable aplomb. It's been almost two decades since Caroline Wilson, known as Linn, was brutally attacked in her own home. She had been awaiting some friends calling around so when the doorbell rung she was primed to welcome them in with open arms. Unfortunately, what greeted her was something far more horrific. Now, she returns to the small Yorkshire town where she spent her formative years to try to get to the bottom of who so cruelly affected her life in what seems a lifetime ago.

This is very much a slow burn novel where the plot creeps rather than surges forward yet manages to keep your attention throughout. Living in a rural town myself I felt the author conveyed superbly the nosiness and gossip-mongering often rife in places where everyone knows everyone. This creates an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere as you can sense that Linn is closing in on the truth of her rape. It's dark, chilling and deals sensitively with some important issues but is Linn really strong enough to handle the shocking truth? A compelling read full of secrets, lies, deceit and duplicity and an interesting and totally unpredictable conclusion. Many thanks to One More Chapter for an ARC.

This is a bit of a slow burner as it takes a while to find out what really happened.
Nineteen years ago Lin was attacked at home. She was brutally raped one night when her parents were out and her attacker was never found.
All these years later she wants answers so she goes back home to find her attacker.
She is sure that someone must know something so starts to ask questions of those in the village.
The chapters are told from alternating points of view which made it a bit slow for me, however I did enjoy the book.
Thank you to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Nineteen years ago Lin Wilson was attacked in her home. Her attacker had never been found. Years later she decides to get closure and tries to find out whom her attacker was. She is ow married to Oliver. She is still traumatised by the event that took place that night and relies on Oliver for everything.

Lin had to return to her hometown to try and discover who had attacked her. I did guess correctly early on who he was but that doesn't spoil a read for me. It's quite a dark and chilling read in places. Not all the characters are likeable. I didn't like how the book ended but apart from that, it's an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and the author C.K. Williams for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has got to be one of the worst books I've ever read. The writing was nonsensical, each chapter was focused on a different character that we were told very little about, and had more descriptive points about locations instead of pertaining to the plot. Everyone has there own opinion and I'm sure there will be some who will like this book so do not just take my word as gospel. 📖

Linn, Anna, Jay, and Teo played a doorbell ringing game they thought was fun until it wasn't. Linn answered the door in the middle of the night and was brutally raped; her rapist was never identified. You, however, might figure out who it is and then wait to see if you are correct. Told from alternating view points, this moves the story ahead 19 years, when Linn returns home. Williams has a nice way with building suspense and I liked the reptition of the doorbells throughout the story, It's dark and twisty. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC.

When Linn was 17 she was brutally attacked when her parents were out. Linn was drunk and couldn't remember exactly what happened. No one was ever caught and the official line from the police was that it was a random attack by a stranger.
19 years later Linn is living in London with Oliver her husband. She receives a parcel from her old neighbors which brings back old memories. Waiting until Oliver is away at a conference Linn returns to her Yorkshire home, abandoned since her parents died a year ago, to try to piece together what really happened the night she was attacked. Linn needs answers but is going back to the small village she grew up in a good idea or will she find out more than she wanted to.
I struggled with how this was written and I couldn't get a true sense of where it was set.

I have shivers down my spine. A really good thriller which had me on the edge of my seat. I sat up through the night reading this. I had guessed the ending but that did not take anything away from the build up of suspense and the compelling need to keep reading. There are so many lies and betrayals. I will remember this book for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this creepy book

19 years ago linn opened the door and let a monster in

or was it...

what a road to discovery and i have to admit to guessing who it was right at the beginning but the hows and whys i didnt guess...interesting read though and i can see how it worked

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

A cautionary tale for all young girls. Do not trust strangers!!!! A new author for me and one I will definitely read again. Nineteen years ago Kin opened the front door in the middle of the night and her life has never been the same. Chilling in places this read had me gripped. Distressing in places with most of the characters VERY unlikable. All in all a very good read.
Thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and Netgalley for the ARC

This was a strange one for me. I did enjoy the book and there were a few suspects to guess 'whodunnit', the writing was very good and there were some tense moments in the story but overall I wasn't keen on the long chapters and I found the ending strange. I would still read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy to review.

This was an exciting read and it was everything I hope for in a psychological thriller. It is the story of Linn, who was brutally raped at 17.. Nineteen years later and forever traumatized by what she can and cannot remember about that night, she decides to revisit the past and hopefully find some answers. I loved the character development in this story. The author did a wonderful job of digging deep into the trauma and reminding readers that unless you have experienced it, it's difficult to understand the reasoning behind some of the actions victims take .

I knew the "whodunnit" about a quarter of the way through the book. Flowers for the Dead is a worthy thriller. I look forward to more by this author.

I had a really hard time getting into this book and am not exactly sure why. The premise of the story was interesting, centering on Linn, who was raped at the age of 19 by an unknown assailant and fled her hometown, only to return many years later with the goal of figuring out what really happened that night. The rapist seemed to have known she was alone and rang the doorbell in the way that she and her friends used, leading her to believe it must have been someone she knew.

The primary thing that bothered me was the writing itself, which felt stilted. There were many full words in lieu of contractions that felt like more natural speech. It made me wonder if English wasn't the author's first language, or if it had been translated from another language (though I couldn't find evidence of either of these assumptions). While the story itself was good, it was hard for me to fully immerse myself in the book because I kept getting caught up thinking that people don't really talk like this.

The mystery itself was pretty decent, and there were some definite creepy parts that I enjoyed. There are attempts from the author to make the reader question who the villain was. I actually figured it out pretty early but did question myself a couple times as I uncovered new info; and even then, there was an interesting twist at the end. I did find it odd that Linn and her husband were part of this tight-knit friend group but literally didn't speak to any of them at all from the time they moved (not far) away until she returned after the better part of 20 years. Even though she clearly fled the town after the rape occurred, I just thought it was strange that these folks were all cut off from each other all that time, which necessitated her returning to try to figure out what happened.

Overall, good premise but it just didn't hit home for me. I have seen some other really positive reviews so perhaps I am in the minority. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book, inspired by Rebecca Solnits "Men Explain Things to Me" follows Linn after a devasting event in her past.

I really struggled with the book, but I think mainly due to the subject matter as it made me feel uncomfortable as did the voices of certain characters within the story. If that was the authors intention then they did an excellent job!

The book is written in both past and present tense, with a kind of narrator in different parts but multiple characters point of view.

I found the majority of characters unlikeable but I do think the author made their point regarding the difference between men and women and they way they view things

I think if I had fully understood the subject matter of this book I would not have read it, however I did like the quite shocking ending!

I am the reason girls are told not to trust strangers. I am their cautionary tale.

Nineteen years ago, Lin Wilson was attacked in her home. She answered the door in the middle of the night and from that night on, her life has never been the same. Her attacker was never found. She never got justice. He got away with it.

Now, Lin is nervous every time the doorbell rings. A constant reminder of that night. But she wants answers. No, she needs answers. Determined to learn the truth, she goes back to the village where she grew up. Someone must know something. She is going to get answers! She has a memory, one that makes her believe that she knew her attacker. Once home, she knows she will learn more.

I ran a little hot and cold on this one. There are alternating POV's which usually don't bother me but, in this book, I didn't care for them as much. I can't quite put my finger on why. Like other reviewers, I figured out who the rapist was halfway though. I did like how the doorbell ringing played throughout the book and served initially as a way of communicating, then changed to one of foreboding and tormenting. This was a nice touch! We also got to see how Lin’s life and personality changed as a result of being assaulted. Although the alternating chapters didn't quite work for me, I did enjoy the book.

This book does have some triggers.

Thank you to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Caroline (Linn) was home alone waiting for her friends when the doorbell rings. When she opens the door, her life changes forever. After being assaulted, the criminal was never caught. 19 years later Linn is determined to learnt what happened and find the person responsible for the crime she was a victim of, so she returns to her village to find what secrets can she dig up.

This is my first book by CK Williams and I am positively impressed. Dark and intense. There were chilling moments throughout the book that really got to me but the curiosity of learning what happened made me just want to keep reading it.

The plot centres around Linn and the small group of friends she hanged out with and changed between narratives from 19 years ago and the present.

The book has everything: secrets, deceit, creepiness and I was completely hooked. The characters are beyond creepy sometimes and I did sympathise with Linn - and developed some hatred for other characters. The set for the book is also really interesting.

Although I kind of predicted who the criminal was, the book has lots of twists that wrap up perfectly in the end.

I thoroughly enjoy this book and am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and One More Chapter for a copy of Flowers for the dead prior to its publishing date in exchange for an honest review.

Wow tenderhooks at all times and intriguing as you didnt know what was going to be remembered from the night of the attack

Caroline Wilson was an outgoing, independent, slightly wild teenager who was going to become a space botanist until, aged 17 and home alone, she opened her front door to a stranger. Linn Wilson is a scared, anxious women, she doesn't work, rarely leaves home and at 36 relies on her husband for everything.

When a package arrives from her old neighbours she is almost too scared to answer the door but as she unwraps everything a repressed memory shakes her to the core and she realises she has to return to her childhood home after almost twenty years away.

I really liked the premise of this story and looked-forward to reading it story but I really struggled with it which is a shame as no book is written overnight and is a huge personal investment for the author. The chapters were incredibly long and had various points of view in them, could easily have been broken down so there was a natural place to stop. The main character, Linn, was very difficult to like or even feel sorry for and unfortunately I worked it all out way before the end.

There were some good parts, especially showing the way people change or are perceived to have changed over time. There were school friends and older acquaintances last seen through a teenager Linn's eyes morphing into their current day version all of which was well done and entertaining. I didn't feel the tension mounting in the way I know I was supposed to however, and some of the main threads were weak but frustratingly had the potential, with a little work, to be much stronger.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review.

Mixed feelings on Flowers for the Dead.

I enjoyed the way it was written but my main complaint is the plot was obvious. Within a few chapters I knew how this was going to end. Then we have that final chapter.....erm it doesn’t make any sense?

Linn was a great character, a bit kooky and scared of the world I liked how she faced her fears. A quick fun read that I CAN recommend just not to regular thriller readers.