I was lucky to read this book as an #arc via #netgalley. Thank you to the publisher for the early access! I am a fan of Nicci French and the novels she writes. They are always reliably clever and suspenseful. This novel was no different. I really like this story, split into two halves between character. The first half is told from the perspective of Astrid, one of 7 adults sharing a house together in London. Astrid is a very likable character. She is a bike courier in London living a content life. Then, bodies seem to be popping up dead around her. Why? As the story progresses, Astrid is connected to three murders in a way only the killer could know why. The second half of the novel is told from the murderer’s perspective which made it more unique than other suspense stories. I am not going to say much more for the risk of spoilers. I felt the epilogue to be a bit abrupt and incomplete. I wish it had addressed a few more questions I had. Overall, this is an enticing and fast paced read. I recommend this book!

Another surprising read from the couple Nicci French. Artfully drawn characters, interesting plot, and overall enticing read.

Until it’s over was good until the second half maybe it was the change of narrators or something I’m not quite sure

This book was definitely.... interesting. 2/3 of the book is from the perspective of Astrid, but the narrator changes in the last part of the book. I was impressed by the tension and build up, but the ending seemed slightly rushed. That won't sway me from recommending this book, however, or looking for future titles from this husband/wife writing team. A strong 3 and a half stars, but rounded up to 4 for this review.

Astrid Bell isn't sure what she wants to do with her life. At the moment, she's a bicycle messenger. She lives in a house with six other people, some of whom she's known since university, some who come and go. The house belongs to Miles. He, Pippa and she were the original occupants and they have been friends for years. Astrid and Miles had a relationship for a while but are now back to being just friends. Pippa is an attorney as is Miles. Astrid studied law but never followed through after graduation.
The other occupants are all men. Owen is a photographer. Davy is the most recent person in the house and works construction. Dario supposedly is renovating the house in lieu of rent but mostly hangs out and stays stoned. Mick is the quiet one; he has traveled everywhere and is just marking time until his next trip. The house is an easy place; everyone gets along most of the time. Owen and Astrid are starting a relationship. Pippa believes sex is something everyone should do to relieve the uncomfortable sexual tension in most male/female relationships and she's slept with most of the men in the house.

One day as Astrid is riding her bike home, she has an accident. Her neighbor, a middle-aged woman named Peggy, opens her car door just as Astrid is riding past and Astrid flies through the air. She is hurt but not seriously. Peggy is appalled and apologizes and insists on paying for any damage to the bike. That would be that but a few days later Peggy's body is found near her garbage cans. Who would kill such an inoffensive person?

Then a second murder occurs. Astrid finds the body of one of her customers, a rich woman whom none of the bike messengers like. The police now find Astrid a mystery and feels that her connection to the two cases cannot be a coincidence. At home, tensions are rising also. Miles has decided to live with his girlfriend Leah as a couple and that means he wants all the other tenants to leave his house. They are outraged and many have been there long enough that they may have legal claims. Everyone is upset and there is a lot of rage against Leah who makes no secret of her dislike for everyone except Miles. The roommates start to look at each other with suspicion, wondering if any of them could be the killer. When Leah becomes the third victim with Astrid discovering her also, it becomes even more evident that this whole situation is moving around Astrid as its center.

This is a stand alone novel from Nicci French. The story is told from Astrid's viewpoint and then from the killer's. It is interesting to read the same events told through two filters and see the difference in how events are processed. The reader will cheer for Astrid while wondering if she could be the killer and if not, why everything seems to happen around her. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

3 stars. I enjoyed it at the beginning and felt that it moved along nicely. I do think that there were too many characters to keep track of. I didn’t love the switch over to the killer’s point of view, I felt that the book got a bit repetitive and dragged from that point.

I feel like Nicci French is having a comeback in the United States and it's a lot of fun for me because there was a brief period of time in the early 2000s where Nicci French titles were everywhere, and I enjoyed Until It's Over as much as I did those earlier books. French's novels aren't groundbreaking, but they are a quick read and are very good at building tension, which you'd think would be a staple of mystery/thrillers, but you'd be surprised how often that's missing! I do worry that without more in store/ library displays Nicci French titles will go back to obscurity, so fingers crossed that doesn't happen again!

Astrid was a normal person, whose job was a bike messenger. One day a neighbor, who she doesn't know, opens her car door and Astrid rides into it, then her story begins. Throughout the first part of the book we follow Astrid as she becomes connected to 3 different murders that she knows nothing about. The police are baffled and so are her flat mates. They all have a room in a house owned by Miles and are friendly until things start to fall a part.

The second part of this book was told from the killers perspective and gave a lot more detail. The first half of the book gave no description of Astrid and I was wondering what she looked like. Well, I found out during part two. This person was extremely flawed and put the missing pieces together that were left hanging from the first part of the book. Another Good one from Nikki French!

Young and athletic, London cycle courier Astrid Bell is bad luck - for other people. First Astrid's neighbour Peggy Farrell accidentally knocks her off her bike - and not long after is found bludgeoned to death in an alley. Then a few days later, Astrid is asked to pick up a package from a wealthy woman called Ingrid de Soto, only to find the client murdered in the hall of her luxurious home. For the police, it's more than coincidence. For Astrid and her six housemates, it's the beginning of a nightmare!

How absolutely thrilling is the blurb of this book!

The book started off really well for me and I was completely engaged with Astrid and her life. And the murders that follow Astrid. The story is pacy and interesting. However, the author then changes tack and the story then follows the killer and their journey andwhich would have been thrilling if we we were clueless about the killer but since the author reveals the killer there isn't a sense of 'woaaah! what!", if you know what I mean.
I wasn't a fan of this aspect of storytelling because I already knew the killer and going through everything we have already seen with Astrid, this wasn't intriguing. Then we have the epilogue which seemed far fetched and disappointing to me.

It was a good book but not great and didn't really work for me. Maybe this will work for others.
I will definitely be reading more from the author duo.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Until It’s Over
Nicci French
July 28, 2020

This suspense novel is by Nicci French, author of the Frieda Klein series where each book deals with a day of the week. Her writing is full of unique characters and usually one protagonist. Until It’s Over is a single book thriller that has a similar writing style to her series novels.
Astrid Bell has been a resident of London. She is a bike messenger for months, what seems like years. She rides in the rain, snow, heat or whatever the weather brings to the area. While having an ale at a local pub the Horse and Jockey, she is relaxing from a long day at work she starts to think about how many of the messengers she knows have had accidents, not uncommon for the job. Riding in and out of heavy traffic is dangerous. She finishes her brew and hops back on her bike to head back to the house. She is living in a large house owned by a friend who rents out rooms to 4 others. There is room for one more tenant. Miles the owner always allows the roomers to meet and greet the potential new comer. When she arrives at the house she is slowing down, getting ready to hop off the bike when the driver of a parked car suddenly opens the door. Astrid is thrown from her bike and lands flat in front of the car. She is battered and bruised but survives although her bike does not. A few from the house are on the porch and rush to help. The driver, a Margaret Farrell, exits the car so worried and upset over the accident. She insists on covering the bike cost. Astrid had hoped that would be the case as her bike is work, she would need a new one. It is unfortunate that the next day the police arrive at a house nearby. They are investigating a murder, Margaret ‘Peggy’ Farrell has been brutally murdered. Her body was found behind the nearby garbage dumpster.
This novel is interesting but somewhat difficult to follow due to the number of characters within the house and the partners and friends from outside the neighborhood. Part One continues with more suspense and murder. Part Two continues with the role the newest house member plays in the outcome.
If you have read Nicci French you will know of her heavy suspense and the need to follow the details. Until It’s Over is published by William Morrow of Harper Collins on July 28, 2020. It is well worth the read. I have enjoyed all of her writing.

I read my first Nicci French book, Killing me Softly, back in the summer of 1999 and from there I was hooked on the author(s) and have followed them through the last 21 years. I can honestly say, this wasn't my favorite book by Nicci French. I had trouble connecting/relating with any of the characters. There were times I felt the story was a bit choppy and went back to make sure I didn't, somehow, miss a chapter. It also didn't have on the edge of my seat as other books by Nicci French have in the past. Thank you @netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say, I'm still looking forward to the next book by this author.

Bike messenger Astrid keeps finding recently murdered bodies? A coincidence? Not likely! But how do they all connect and why? Living with housemates she only superficially knows, it seems everyone has their secrets.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC copy of "Until It's Over" by the husband and wife team; Nicci French in exchange for my honest review. I first discovered Nicci French suspense thrillers after running out of books on a Caribbean vacation. I found a small library and picked up "Killing Me Softly." What a find! Since, I have read many of their stand-alones and the Frieda Klein series.
"Until It's over is written in two parts. The first is Astrid's narrative. She is a bike messenger in London and lives with several other young adults in a large shared house. Things appear to be going well until she seems to be the only connection to three different murders, The suspense and mystery build throughout Part One and I did not figure out who done it and why Astrid was the centerpiece to this baffling and macabre mystery. Part Two is from the killer, in first person. Although the person is identified, it did not lessen this thrilling read. It was interesting to be in the mind of someone capable to murder. The rationalizations and thinking process ring true.
Character development was good, although there are several and it took a bit for me to keep them sorted. I like that Astrid was portrayed as intelligent, strong and independent woman. That's not always the case. I will continue following Nicci French and feel comfortable giving this book 4 stars.

I'm a big fan of the author duo Nicci French, but I have to say this was not one of my favorite books. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and although the second half of the book switching to the killer's viewpoint, was a pleasant change, it wasn't enough.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great thriller! Nicely paced, with twists that I truly didn't see coming (but enough that I did see coming to keep me engaged). I wasn't expecting to like this as well as I did, as I wasn't a fan of The Lying Room.

Seven roommates, three murders, and one key that seems to link them all. This was quite an interesting mystery chocked full of suspicious characters. While I enjoyed the concept of the book, as well as, the long list of suspects, I didn’t care for the sectioned off flow of the book. Part Two is where things really got interesting, but the drastic change in point-of-view severed the book in two. Part One establishes a narrative, Part Two establishes a different narrative, and the ending quickly tries to tie them together.

While this wasn’t the style of writing for me, I think readers who are looking for a mystery with a unique delivery will enjoy this one.

I have always been a massive fan of Nick French, and the psychological twists of their plots, which always remind me of Ruth Rendell.

The latest is a fun, pulpy thrill ride and perfect for our pandemic times. I happily consumed it in a sitting, and will happily chat it up. My only slight problem is the rushed ending, but as always , with the Nicci French team, the strength of their books is always with the voice of the murderer.

Looking forward to the next one!

Another suspenseful thriller by Nicci French! I enjoyed how the story was told from the perspective of Astrid, the main character and also from the perspective of the killer. The ending was a surprise and had me guessing all the way. Riveting!

I recently received Until It's Over from NetGalley. I like Nicci French and have read several of the husband and wife team's books. When I started reading it, I was surprised that it felt so familiar. The first part was pretty good, but Part II was much less so...and repetitive as a character recounts the same events from a different perspective. After I finished, I noted that the book was first published in 2007, and sure enough, I read it in 2010. New cover and republished , but I read it about 1500 books ago, I didn't remember enough to know what happened, but just enough that it seemed familiar.

Anyway, it isn't the best of this team's offerings. I've liked a number of their stand-alones, but my favorites are their Frida Kline books.

NetGalley/Harper Collins
Mystery/Thriller. 2007, 2020. Print length: 376 pages.

Nicci French is basically in the royalty of psychological thrillers, so it was obligatory for me to pick up her new release. Full of suspense and intrigue, "Until It's Over" puts friends in conflict over three closely connected murders.

The book is divided into two major parts. The first one is told from the perspective of a kind, likable bike courier Astrid Bell who lives in London with five housemates, the relations with each of whom narrated in the course of the book. As the novel begins, she rides her bike into an opening car door and winds up injured. It wouldn't be that big of a problem... if the car driver wasn't found dead a few hours later. Astrid and her housemates are now part of a murder investigation. Worse yet, in a strange turn of events, the group ends up directly connected to two more murders. Finally, the last third of the book is narrated by the murderer - and I would have never guessed who it was.

"Until It's Over" is very suspenseful and complex, and although I did wish it was shorter, I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the story.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.