😤Violence begets violence; does the cycle ever end?😧

This murder thriller, told in alternating point of view and flashbacks, largely set in Oslo, Norway, and Plymouth, England, follows a deeply troubled female serial killer and the Norwegian police detective she repeatedly eludes. But the string of murders against middle-aged men are not the central focus of the story. Rey's hard-scrabble life in Plymouth with an abusive father and a mother who keeps coming back for more has shaped her into a woman ready to kill to retaliate for her mother's and other women's ruined lives. The story focuses as much on the genesis of her need to inflict violence as on the crimes themselves.

Rey's murderous missions are meticulously planned with an overall objective only revealed late in the story but chance brings complications and too-close encounters with Arne, the chain-smoking, pathetic detective heading the murder investigation.

I thought the author set a good pace, kept the chase tense and unpredictable and tossed in enough twists and surprises, especially as the climax looms, to add up to a really good read.

I like thrillers where the characters are fleshed out, their flaws exposed, and both Rey and Arne drew some sympathy from me: Rey for her lousy childhood and resulting emotional problems and Arne for his sorry existence post-divorce. I, did, however, want to know more about Rey's adult life and relationships, something that Worthington only briefly brushes over.

Thanks to Vesuvian Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

<b>*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*</b>

<i>Only a monster can do bad things for the right reasons.</i>

I really enjoyed <i>A Time For Monsters</i>. At the start you might think it's a typical Scandinavian Thriller, but it soon becomes apparent that it goes much deeper than that. Neither of the main characters are particularly likeable, but they are undeniably <i>human</i>.

There are a lot of heavy themes addressed: the far-reaching effects of abuse; the moral ambiguity of vigilantism; the dangers of black-and-white thinking; nature versus nurture and the power of love in its many forms.

There were a couple timeline issues, in particular the fact of Rey having wireless earbuds. The story takes place in April 2016, and the first wireless earbuds were not commercially available in Europe or the Americas until December 2016, and even then they were the massively expensive first gen version. Most were not mainstream until 2017.

I guessed part of the 'twist' in the end (I knew the <i>who</i> but not the <i>why</i>) and I did find it was a little too convenient a plot device but it was still good.

I definitely recommend this book if you love dark, character-driven mysteries.

Thank you to Vesuvian Books and NetGalley for the chance to R&R.

Great book! Very well written and with a gripping and fully entertaining story! A beautiful new discovery that I would recommend!

A Time for Monsters is described as a Nordic thriller in the vein of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Death Wish. Since I have read neither and you may have not either, let me give you a brief synopsis. A Time for Monsters follows two protagonists - a female serial killer and the cop hunting her. The narrative is also split into two timelines - the current 2016 timeline and one where the serial killer reflects on her abusive childhood. While this may sound like a solid premise, it fell flat for me.

I would describe A Time for Monsters as a wanna-be Nordic noir. It is definitely not a thriller, and considering that the book is told from the serial killer's viewpoint, it is not really a mystery. The novel lacks any real tension to propel you through the story. There was twist at the end that I did not see coming; however, I also found that the logic behind the twist was greatly flawed.

There is just something missing from A Time for Monsters that I cannot quite pinpoint. I would argue that the characters were not well-developed, although their backstories are a major component of the book. Neither character elicited an emotional response despite their experiences and opinions, which should have appalled and offended. One thing I did find annoying was that the author switched back and forth using a character's first or last name. It was an odd choice that made things needlessly confusing at the beginning. One other thing I want to mention that is a big pet peeve is the use of a mental illness as an adjective for someone who does not in fact suffer from that illness. In this case, Washington describes a character as schizophrenic. I do not understand why editors allow this.

Anyway, I found A Time for Monsters to be okay overall. If you like a slow burn novel with a hint of mystery, you may like this book. Otherwise, I would probably recommend skipping it in favor of a stronger book.

Rey Blackburn has a rough childhood, she was never sure when it was safe in her own home. The only constant thing that seem to calm her is music. Her music makes her remember about her memories every betrayal, every disappointment and other horrific event in her life.
Years later she made a plan to eliminate all kind of man who resembles her father with every song for each kill.
All was going well before she met Arne Huukas, the detective whose been looking the serial killer by accident which threaten her perfect plan.

I didn't expect to like this at the beginning of the story. Not a lot of things happen in the first part of the story, but everything changes and started to get a lot more interesting in the middle of the story.
Clue after clue being thrown which left the readers wondering and turning the pages to find out what really happen.

The story was being told from Rey and Arne's POV while also having little snippets from Rey's childhood in the past. I really like the past event, it give insights to the readers to understand what Rey has gone through which explains her actions in the present time.

The last part of the story was gripping and full of tensions until it gets to the big reveal of the twist. The twist is very unexpected and I didn't see it coming! After reading that epilogue I kinda wish this book has another sequel coming. I would like to see what happen after that!

I've seen other people compare it with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but I haven't read that one. Overall, this is a good mystery thriller book. Unexpected twist and a gripping chase between the detective and the murderer is really good! I enjoy reading this one and would recommend for someone who loves mystery thriller.
I am looking forward to read other books from this author!

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Gareth Wothington and Vesuvian Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: domestic violence, physical abuse

A miss for me I'm afraid. I was interested for the first few chapters but found it very depressing. I couldn't relate to and didn't like any of the characters. It soon fell flat and lost my interest. Others may enjoy it, but it wasn't for me.

“A Time for Monsters” by Gareth Worthington is a fast-paced, twisty Nordic Noir thriller with (gasp) a female serial killer. How refreshing to get into the mind of a female monster for once, a vigilante of sorts taking out less than upstanding men. While this seems opposite of what we typically read (male serial killer preying on women) it’s also interesting to note it was a man who brought us this unconventional storyline.

Reyna (Rey) Blackburn is damaged. Her escape during her abusive childhood was music. Her playlist doesn’t stir memories from dances or first kisses or graduation or moments of joy. Her music matches up to each slap, shout, attempt at escape, disappointment, and moments of rage she experienced. There’s even a song for her first kill. Now on a mission of revenge, Rey has everything to lose as she executes her final plan. Everything is in place until a random accident and washed-up detective threatens to compromise her plans.

We get dual points of view from Rey (flashbacks and present day) and Detective Huakaas. The characters aren’t necessarily likable but I expected that from a noir thriller—Huakaas, our damaged anti-hero and Rey operating as a femme fatale(ish) lead. This is dark and violent and if abuse triggers you be warned. I found the pacing good and thoroughly enjoyed the twists along the way—one big on I hadn’t seen coming until the very end. The music references, while insightful, did pull me out of the story at times. I’m not altogether sure how to rectify that but it was sometimes distracting. We are left with a cliffhanger and I fully expect to see the continuing story of Rey, Huakaas and a few more characters we met along the way in future books.

TW: physical abuse, emotional abuse, suicidal thoughts/attempts

This was my first book from this author and I was so pleasantly surprised. A Time for Monsters is a very character driven novel. This is a dual point of view novel that follows Rey present day and in flash backs, as well as a detective involved in her case. The flash backs give us clues and explanations as to how she got to the point she has in her life. Rey is certainly not the most like-able character, but it is truly upsetting all that Rey has been through and how it has shaped her into the person she is present day. The book moves very quickly and it gripped me almost immediately. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a great read and i would recommend you read this! This was a really fun read which I read so so quickly. I was kindly gifted an e-book in return a honest review.

𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒

A TIME FOR MONSTERS
Author: Gareth Worthington

#gifted by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review
pub date: 28 September 2021

⚠️ TW/CW: Domestic violence, toxic relationships, suicide attempt, mentions of cancer

"𝓞𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓪 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓼"

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎:
"A Nordic thriller in the vein of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. A female serial killer, who only feels emotion when listening to music, is hell-bent on revenge and must outwit a disgraced detective determined to redeem himself if she is to complete her carefully orchestrated plan and cover up the ultimate secret."

𝙈𝙔 𝙊𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙊𝙉:
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast-paced thriller with short chapters. I was able to read a lot in each sitting, which is usually hard for me.

I can definitely see why it is compared to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo but in my opinion Lisbeth and Rey (the main character of this book) are two different characters that can confidently stand on their own. (Lisbeth is my favorite out of the two, mostly because she knows the normal train has departed a long time ago, not that there was ever a chance of her getting on it).

There were things I didn't enjoy about this book, some bits that, for me, contradicted other things in the story or didn't make sense in the way they were presented. And at times new facts about Rey would be presented with no context whatsoever, which threw me off at the beginning but I got used to it as the story progressed.

I'm also not sure how I feel about the ending but overall it was an easily readable, intense book with lots of twists and surprises. Someone who reads more thrillers than me might have a different opinion but for me this was one I enjoyed.

#ATimeForMonsters #NetGalley #bookreview

The main character reminded me of Steig Larsson’s heroine Elisabeth Salander. Excellent storyline with lots of twists and turns. The ending draws you in for a sequel, hopefully as good, can’t wait!

What a book, I don't know what to tell you; I finished but still don't know! Can you run far enough or fast enough to not be a product of your childhood? Can you change?

A Nordic thriller with a twist. Not used to female serial killers, or being in the mind of one so much. A good story, and could easily see this as a movie. Didn't like the ending, but could just be me. Not everything has to have a HEA of course. Would recommend.

As someone who enjoys Stieg Larsson, I noticed this book being compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and thought I'd give it a try. For anyone who knows about abuse and the psychological trip it does to your mind, you'll get exactly what Worthington is talking about. Raw, shocking, and way too real for some who might dare pick it up, the author nails an unfortunate reality along with probably some secret desires for those who turned the other cheek one too many times. A fantastic cat-and-mouse thriller that left me guessing until the twisted end.

This book was way more gruesome and dark than I previously expected. Overall, I was hooked from the beginning. It had such a unique trope with a female serial killer. While I was able to finish it in a couple of sittings, it was a little too dark, grisly and grotesque for me.

A good book about Rey, her troubled past, and her troubled present. The book bounces between her childhood and current times, and this format helps to flush out the kind of person she is. The abusive father figure weighs heavy on her mind. Her escape is music. This book contains her soundtrack for dealing with the situations she is currently in. Great character development, great locations, and I got to learn about Kubb.

Intriguing characters in a story wound around many years. The story stars in the midst of the action, as Rey completes her latest kill, and Arne realises that there is a pattern to the kills he has been investigating, a pattern that leads to men very much like him in many ways.

This is the setup, but it's interspersed with stories of the life that Rey led prior to becoming what she is in these books, how the descent into her controlled madness became steeper, how life turned again and again, leading to the events in the book.

This book does a superb job of making the serial killer not one dimensional, neither in her friendships, her motivations, nor her nature. She's scathing, both to men and women alike, seeking to punish the weak for what she considers to be their transgressions, she doesn't mind setting up others, and she has no issues with killing those who stand in her way, even if they're not a part of her greater plan, which in turn is what broke the illusion of the character being a serial killer. This isn't a person driven by a hatred of a particular subset of people, this is a person who kills when she needs to, and has no compunctions about killing anyone, to the point of hunting someone who irritates them, but not killing them when she has the option.

Nonetheless, the character is fascinating, and there's space within the narrative to finish the story, there's nothing wrong with the ending presented, but I felt that there was more to tell, and I would have liked to hear it.

Top notch suspense and the most interesting of anti-heroes to come for a while. Will you root for her or against her or both? Strong characters, fast moving plot with enough red herrings and twists to keep you reading. Will be interesting to see a follow on?

This book takes place in Norway during an unseasonably cold April. Rey has just killed a man, she's dressed in a Tyvek type of suit to prevent any DNA material from being left at the scene. The detective assigned to investigate the killing is in his 50's, a heavy smoker and his view of his home town are changing with every foreigner that arrives. The story goes back and forth in time, Rey's backstory is developed during those flashbacks and we learn she grew up poor in a house with an abusive father, a man who regularly took his anger out on his wife or kids. Rey's best friend also seems to attract men that want to abuse her and over time Rey starts to develop a mean streak towards any man that is abusive towards women. She began selecting men that were abusive and in their 50's,killing them in a very specific manner, she has become a serial killer. Her and the detective cross paths one night when he accidently hits with a car. She's injured but not critically. The detective begins to think the killer may be a women and may even be Rey. The pacing towards the end of the book goes very quickly as the police close in on Rey, but there is a twist, of course, one I didn't see. Overall a good story, though I would not think it is the same caliber as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I would recommend it and I would look for future books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Vesuvian Books and NetGalley for this advanced ebook!


I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down as it drew me in immediately and before I knew it I was in the middle of the book!
The character depth was amazing! Just how far will you go to do the wrong things for the right reasons!
This was one of those books that sucked me in from the beginning and didn’t let go until I finished! I thought it was well written, with absolutely flawlessly done characters, and absolutely unputdownable.
The storyline was brilliant and fascinating you won't want to miss this novel!

I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!