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.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

LOVED THIS! Made me panc for sure because this was spot on describing what would happen if the world went down. I am excited for more books by this author

At one point whilst reading this I thought it was going to be one of my favourite books of all time, and while it fell away from that slightly, it's still an intriguing story told well! Managed to stoke the fires of polar emotions towards the twins, but the biggest compliment by far is how obsessed it made me about model cities! Would have given it 4.5 stars if I could but happy to round up

Very confusing, jumps back and forth with lots of padding.*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“The Ruins” asks questions of self-identity, self-value, and life’s purpose delivered through a labyrinth of mystery and discovery, all underpinned by the power and influence of music and its world of excesses and eccentricity.

This book is filled with some really well written, unique and surprisingly enjoyable sub-stories or details (such as Umbrage, Vegas & Voice boxes) all knitted together in a clever (and a little dark) narcissistic scheme. It really is an intelligent, fun story (perhaps a little trippy at times, but that is par for the course.

Thanks you NetGalley and Repeater Books for a review copy

I requested this due to the synopsis but did I miss something?
This really wasn't for me. I didn't find it well written and to be honest was bored and didn't finish it.

This was not my cup of tea. I was not a fan. It sounded interesting from the synopsis. However, the execution was not that great, at least in my opinion.

Enjoyed this one. I felt like there was something missing though, something I needexd to love it. Well thought out plot and easy to read.

This is an interesting tale about twins. One takes the wrong turn in life while the other profits of his brothers wrong turn. I

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit dark in places and not something I'd usually go for, however I found myself gripped by the story, eager to know how it was going to end. Would recommend.

I liked the premise and the unusual perspective of the protagonist but after a promising start, it didn't hold my interest. His actions didn't feel quite believable and the ending was predictable (I DNF but I did jump to the end to see if I was right!).

An unusual book which is difficult to categorise, which made it a pleasure to read. A melange of mystery, fantasy with a touch of sci fi set partly within the music industry. Beautifully written, and very imaginative. I could never predict where it was going next. Highly recommended.

A great book following Adam as he tries to figure out his twin brothers death. This book takes a deep dive into the underworld of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

I'm, not a huge music buff so it was perfectly suited to me but I enjoyed it all the same.

I enjoyed this story. It was a slightly unusual unique take on murder mystery, with well described settings and a refreshing combination of media was used to tell the story. It kept me interested to the end and the characters, although larger than life, were believable. I would recommend this.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
This is a complex and wonderful story. I wouldn't do the author or the book itself a disservice by trying to briefly summarise it in this short review. It's a full-on 'experience' and so full of imaginative detail. I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea; there's a lot of descriptions of technical music industry workings, but if you're willing to either let that wash over you and absorb it, or research the meanings, then, I'm sure that you'll enjoy it a lot more.
I find this book very difficult to categorise as it manages to be many things. It's a fabulous journey with well wrought characters. I'm immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it.
I'd rate it 4.5 stars.

WOW! Double wow!
I had no idea where this book was going. As in absolutely no idea, no idea whatsoever, nil(I can't even remember when was the last time such thing happened) . But it was a lush experience to take a step back and let everything unravel. And unravel it did. It was like a marvelous oiled machine surprising you with its magic and make you wonder at the mechanism behind it all.
Adam and Bran: two sides of a coin. One is so malevolent that he has no remorse on doing the unthinkable for his own advancement in life; the other a recluse, afraid of the world but who reborns out of ashes and ruins.
A very dense novel covering quite a bit of themes: family, relationships, siblings, narcissism, the music industry in its magnificence but its dark side too and much more. I must admit the music bits were a bit of a blur for me, as I never studied music. But the story can be enjoyed regardless of one's music knowledge and obviously many of the artists are googleable :D
Lovely to see Manchester and its surrounding towns(Rochdale, Todmorden) featured and a nod to Romania too in the form of "Romanian hookers"(London is full of them: some willingly, others trafficked :/).

It was slow going due to its depth and density. At times it was frustrating as I have a long list of books I need to read and tight deadlines. But it was not unsatisfactory, quite the contrary as in this day and age it's rather hard to find authors who really work to deliver a solid book to their readers.
Plus the ending was a bit too tidy for my liking, especially after that 'car wreck' of a story; therefore I've deducted 1 star from my overall rating.

I thought this was a fine book. Loved all the music references, I'd love to make a playlist out of all the songs and artists mentioned. The relationship between Rae, Robin and Adam was sweet to read. I loved the inclusion of Umbrage, a model city. However it was very, very, British. I grew up in a family from the UK and thought I would be able to get the slang... I was wrong. I think a lot of the book's references would be lost on my library's primarily American audience. Additionally, I found the layout of the book to be a bit confusing. There was not enough differences between Adam and Brandon's voices for me to easily tell who was speaking had I put down the book in the middle of a chapter.

I was interested in this debut by Suede's Mat Osman and I was not sure what to expect. It turns out that this was a very impressive debut, as the writing was excellent. It tells the story of Adam who learns that his twin brother, Brandon, has been murdered. Despite having not seen his brother in years, he becomes enmeshed in his brother's life and even moves into the hotel he was staying at. Overall, an enjoyable read, although it began to drag on by the end and there are many implausible aspects ([e.g., why would Adam suddenly leave his entire life behind? also, the love story seems very unlikely (hide spoiler)]).

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Repeater Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one put me very much in mind of the early work of Iain Banks, which is high praise indeed round my way. It’s intelligent and enjoys playing games with identity and duality, but never at the expense of a fast moving and engrossing plot. The life of wannabe rockstar Brandon is clearly informed by the author’s day job, but his twin Adam(A & B, geddit?)’s obsession is fresh and original, and gives hope that Osman has much more in him to come. One of the best debuts I’ve read in years.