I’d like to thank Quercus and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Six Wicked Reasons’ by Jo Spain in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Kathleen and Frazer Lattimer are on a boat with their children Kate, Ellen, Adam, James and Clio and when Adam disappears it’s assumed he’s fallen overboard and is dead. Frazer is tyrannical and rules his family with a fist of iron, threatening to cut his children off penniless unless he’s obeyed, and as soon as they can the remaining children move away to various parts of the world to live their own lives. Ten years later Adam reappears unannounced and his siblings reluctantly return to their family home wanting answers.

The description of ‘Six Wicked Reasons’ sounded so interesting I was keen to read it but although I enjoyed Jo Spain’s previous novel ‘Dirty Little Secrets’ I found it hard to get into the latest one. I couldn’t empathise with the characters of this dysfunctional family and became confused by the narrative moving between past and present. I kept reading although I admit to having skipped bits here and there but I didn’t really care enough about the family to continue to the very end. I realise I must be in the minority as most reviewers appear to have loved it, but I did promise to give my honest review so I’m sorry I can’t make more positive comments.

A story line that grips from the beginning - a whodunnit with twists and turns along the way. The Lattimer family is dysfunctional and the reasons behind this unfold as the story is told. After the murder of the patriarch of the family - Frazer Lattimer - the relationships of the family members are revealed and why they would all have a motive to murder their father. I like the way Jo Spain lets the characters develop and the suspense of finding out who did it. I thoroughly recommend this book.

One family. One night. Ten years of lies. And six wicked reasons to kill someone. Talk about an enticing blurb! I admit that I was sold as soon as I read the blurb of Six Wicked Reasons and I have been looking forward to dive into Jo Spain's newest ever since I first heard about it. I had that feeling of premonition that it was going to be a scorcher and one heck of a ride, and guess what?! My intuition turned out to be absolutely right!

The blurb talks about a clever and gripping thriller, and I can definitely agree with that. The power of Six Wicked Reasons is in its slow building up of tension and suspense, only to blow you completely away once you reach the mayor plot twists near the ending. Trust me, you might guess part of it, but you will never guess the full truth of this brilliantly executed and clever plot twist bomb! What a way to mess with the minds of us readers... It doesn't happen all that often anymore, but I always love it when thrillers manage to surprise me the way Six Wicked Reasons managed to do.

Six Wicked Reasons is told with the help of multiple POVs, giving us insight in both the perspective of the different members of the Lattimer family and those investigating the death of Frazer. I do confess it was a bit of a struggle having to juggle so many different characters and perspectives in the beginning, slowing down the pace considerably and making it harder to keep track of everyone. Especially since each character seemed to be hiding something and is most definitely treated as a suspect, making you want to remember all the details while you search for clues, and this can become a little daunting. BUT. Once you get used to the big cast of characters and start differentiating both their personality traits, little quirks and hints at secrets, things are getting a whole lot more entertaining.

The main focus in Six Wicked Reasons is on two important events: the disappearance (and reappearance after ten years) of one of Frazer Lattimer's sons, Adam, and the death of Frazer himself. Switching back and forth between past and present, we slowly learn more about the different members of the Lattimer family and what secrets they are hiding. Especially relating to Frazer's death: everyone seems to be having a plausible motive and reason to want the old man dead, but which of them is guilty? Or was it all an accident? And what happened to Adam all those years ago? There are a lot of questions involved and while some get answered along the way, you will mostly find yourself with more questions than answers during most of the ride. This slow building of suspense definitely makes the bang of the plot twist bomb ending feel all the bigger!

As for the characters... I have to be honest here and say I wasn't really a fan of most of them. That feeling aside, it definitely shows it wasn't easy for the Lattimer siblings to grow up with Frazer as a father, and it was truly intriguing to see their flawed characters being developed in a realistic way. They weren't exactly likeable, but they made for a very interesting cast of characters and I had fun trying to figure them out. The whole question of who was behind Frazer's death was a great start for some serious sleuthing and you will come to suspect every single one of the persons on that boat. The perfect locked-room mystery and with an outcome I definitely didn't see coming!

I think I mentioned more than one wicked reason why you should read this thriller in my rambles above... But in short: if you are looking for a well constructed, slow building and cleverly executed thriller with an ending that will blow your mind, make sure to get your copy of Six Wicked Reasons ASAP!

Another great read from Jo Spain. Six Wicked Reasons is a twisty and gripping mystery which I would highly recommend. Looking forward to her next book.

This was an enjoyable read which kept me guessing. I wasn’t too keen on the ending but it didn’t spoil the book.

Firstly, I really enjoyed this, and it comes highly recommended for people who enjoy a puzzle and a mystery. It's a character led mystery read that gives you a great line up of characters and a murder victim with a whole group of people with reasons to murder.
Apart from being a great mystery read this is also a study of a dysfunctional family controlled by a narcissistic patriarch; it's brilliantly plotted and structured too.
You may not particularly like many of the characters, but you do understand why they are who they are and act as they do. The story comes together via past and present narratives; it allows you to pick up clues and question actions, which I really enjoyed.
Completely twisted, a challenging puzzle and a dark list of suspects. Highly recommended.

Can money ever make you Happy?
A tale of a wealthy but very dysfunctional family with the head of the household a viscous bully. The story is based around the children in this family. Jumping from past to present, so the reader gets a well rounded view of life in this family. We also get an insight of how their upbringing has shaped their adult lives and not for the better. Once I started reading I could not put this book down and turned the last page in the wee hours. Beautifully written, a good whodunnit with lots of suspects. A very good read and almost five stars.

A classic mystery with a twist - Jo Spain's strength lies with her believable characters and authentic Irish settings. One of the top names in Irish crime fiction

Having read and enjoyed The Confession by the same author, I was very much looking forward to reading her latest offering.

The story alternates between past and present as well as the six different siblings. Admittedly, I think due to the amount of key characters and going back and forth, it did take me longer than usual for this novel to grab hold of me. It is also set at quite a slow pace, which does suit the story line and would make for a great television serial.

The Lattimer family from the outside are a well to do one and probably the envy of many. Like with any family though, they have had their issues. As the reader gets to know the siblings better, it isn’t long before we see they are all fighting demons and are holding back secrets.

I have to say that I found the characters not overly likeable in this story. They are one messed up family and each sibling is damaged in their own way which seems to have pushed them all apart and wanting to be anywhere other than home. This adds to the air of mystery and suspense though surrounding each character.

Six Wicked Reasons is very clever with how it plays out. It is steeped with lies and secrets and how it all comes together in the end makes it worth the read alone.

My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

Having read Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain last year, I was very keen to read her latest novel, Six Wicked Reasons, and there were certainly no disappointments!

This stellar thriller focuses on the dysfunctional Lattimer family; mother, Kathleen, from a wealthy family; father, Frazer, a Scot and a bank clerk who settled in Ireland. After marrying Kathleen, he left his job to manage her portfolio of business investments. The couple have six children, James, Ellen, Kate, Adam, Ryan and Clio. In 2008, Adam vanished and was never found, presumed dead. Devastated Kathleen died, and the children scattered across the world, with only Ellen remaining at the family home in Spanish Cove, Wexford in Ireland. Ten years later, Adam unexpectedly reappears, claiming to have suffered a breakdown. Despite having some misgivings, the Lattimers reunite for a celebratory party on Frazer's lifelong friend's yacht...

The story is narrated over different time periods and each of the six children has a voice, providing background and their response to the invitation to return home along with the conjecture of Detective Rob Downes as he poses his questions to determine what happened. There was no lack of suspects or motive in this fast-paced, well-written story with its intriguing characters. The blend of the mystery, the characters, the thoughts of DS Downes, and the shifting timelines, was seamless and extremely well-executed. Well-balanced to the very end, the outcome befitted the story with a fulfilling conclusion that I didn’t predict. A supreme novel in every respect, Six Wicked Reasons is simply unmissable.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Quercus Books via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Six Wicked Reasons is the third Jo Spain book I've read and personally, it's my favourite one so far. I love a good whodunnit and this one kept me hooked right through. And that ending was brilliant, very well done. Can't wait to read more from Jo Spain.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first time reading a book by the author Jo Spain and it definitely won’t be my last. I did not want this book to end. I read it in one day. I couldn’t put it down!! Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this.

Incredibly unpredictable but utterly addictive, Jo Spain has done it again with another fantabulous book.

Nine people get on a boat, only eight get off it alive. And murder is suspected, but is it the best friend, the fiancee, or one of the six children that have murdered the father.

Well as the story progresses and we see more of what happened in the week leading up to the boat trip, as well as key events from the past 10 years, well I changed my mind a bazillion times.

Frankly Frazer, the now deceased was not a particularly pleasant man or father, and as facts emerged I would have happily killed him myself.

The siblings all so different, have a very fractured relationship with each other. Not surprising really given 10 years ago, Adam disappeared, only to re-appear in their lives at the start of this book.

And Clio lives in America, Ryan in Italy, while Ellen is determined to play the spinster of the family (with good reason), while James the eldest is allegedly the most successful, and Kate seems ashamed of her family which causes rifts with her other half.

As the story progresses, what is clear is there are many layers to unravel, secrets to discover and I was hooked on finding out more at every given turn.

A wonderfully twisted story, that will have you scratching your head as to just who killed Frazer.

Thank you to Quecus on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Does money make a family happy? This is a story of a wealthy, but dysfunctional, family with a bully of a patriarch at the head. The novel is based around the children of the family and as the story progresses, covering each of their past and present stories, you find out how their father has shaped their lives (and not for the better).

This is a good whodunnit with a death within the family. Was it an accident or was it murder? And if it was murder, who did it? The behaviour of the deceased certainly leaves plenty of suspects.

The novel started at a good pace, but at the half way mark I found myself so engrossed in the story that I didn’t want to put it down, finishing it the following day.

This has a strong story line, is well-written and I thoroughly recommend it.

This is the first Jo Spain book I've read, but it won't be the last.It's a gripping tale, with a murder, toxic family and the return of the long lost son.

Plenty of twists and turns, loads of atmosphere, and a pervasive sense of menace.

The dynamics of a dysfunctional family are sharply observed, the pace never really lets up and the ending was really quite satisfying. Strong echoes of Agatha Christie in the limited suspect pool and toxic family!

Very enjoyable and gripping.

*Many thanks to Jo Spain, Quercus Books and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I was looking forward to reading the latest offering by Ms Spain as I had enjoyed her previous novel. Six Wicked Reasons have a good idea behind it: an isolated premise and many suspects, however, this novel did not work for me and I stuggled a little while reading it. For one thing, much as I admit that a big dysfunctional family provides a solid background for a mystery, there is too much of a good thing in the Lattimer family. The father, cold, selfish and with the lowest emotional intelligence quotient possible, six children who want to escape the nest and are not particularly close to one another, and a mother who tries to keep the family together but seems unable to connect to all of her offspring at the same level.
Narration, set in the present and moving backwards, is the best bit about the novel which was quite good but definitely not as thrilling as I hoped it to be.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fascinating story with members of a dysfunctional family - siblings who have their own issues & their manipulative father. I liked the way the story was told, with the past and the present being part of each chapter.

Six Wicked Reasons is a compelling story of a dysfunctional family with a sadly departed mother, a narcissistic cruel father and six children with a reason to murder their father.

Ten years ago, Adam, one of the six Lattimer children, disappears without a trace leaving a devastating impact on his family, particularly his mother, Kathleen. She never gets over the grief and it is suggested as the reason for her early death. Out-of-the-blue, Adam returns home to the family home in Spanish Cove, Wexford, Ireland. Their father, Frazer, calls each of the other five children, Ellen, James, Kate, Ryan and Clio, to return home and welcome back the missing brother. Why do they all feel compelled to do as he asks and return home?

As a celebration, Frazer rents a boat from his lifelong friend Danny who also accompanies the family for the evening at sea. Not to miss an opportunity Frazer announces at the party that he has a new woman in his life, Ana, and they plan to marry. This was probably Frazer’s real purpose in hosting the evening to let them know they are being cut out of any inheritance. Survive that one Frazer!! During the evening, Danny notices Frazer isn’t present and they discover blood by a railing and the dead body of Frazer floating overboard. Told you!!

“Their brother had returned and now their father was gone. Frazer Lattimer, sixty-one years of age, native of Scotland, resident in Ireland most of his adult life, was dead. His children looked at one another, and wondered. Which of them had murdered him?”

The story is narrated over different time periods with a voice given to each of the six children, providing some background to them and their response to the call to return home. The other ever-present voice of Detective Rob Downes probes with questions to determine what happened as he keeps them all in the harbour master’s office.

There are elements of the story that feel like an Agatha Christie novel where everyone is gathered in a restricted location and as they look around all present, they know someone is a murderer, and the detective knows one of them is a murderer. Jo Spain provides a wicked reason why each of them had the motive to kill Frazer and this is well balanced to the very end. I felt the guilty party was a great outcome so it finished on a sound conclusion. The flow of the story between the six characters, Detective Downes and the various time periods was extremely well planned and executed with a seamless transition between each thread.

The big difference between Jo Spain’s approach and Agatha Christie’s is that the detective is pretty ineffectual in this novel and the murder mystery is revealed through the narration from each suspect. It is also difficult to come to terms with the animosity Frazer had towards each of his children.

This is a well-written mystery story I would recommend reading this book and I would like to thank Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

This story was like a locked room mystery. Someone on the boat must have done it.
In the telling of the aftermath we discover the various family members' back stories. I don't normally like this sort of plot layout, but it worked with this story.

**Review**
Six Wicked Reasons by Jo Spain
‘One family. One night. Ten years of lies ‘
Adam, missing for ten years presumed dead, turns up at the family home prompting all his siblings to reunite. Questions are asked and long time secrets are revealed. Revenge is also on someone’s mind...
I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book, but felt it was quite drawn out in the middle. It was a quick read and I enjoyed the conclusion, in particular the last chapter. I felt the character development was good, and felt each sibling had their own distinct identity.
Thank you @netgally for the chance to read and review this title. I will certainly look out for more of Jo Spain in the future.
Publication date: 16/01/2020