#NetGalley #OrElse

A diverting read with more twists, turns, and interesting characters than I expected. Have not read this author before and he has a distinctive writing style -- flippant and fun, for instance, "My heart moonlighted a funny shimmy, then went back to its day job." Great story in that nothing is what it seems and you will be driven to finish in one sitting. Enjoyed the narrator, and Joe Hart's style. Recommend if you like mysteries with strong male leads, heart-racing suspense, unexpected romance, and good fathers (loved the narrator's dad).

Andy Drake, a crime writer, moves back to his hometown to care for his declining father and quickly becomes reacquainted with Rachel, a woman from his childhood. Unfortunately for Andy, she is already married to someone else. It Isn’t until he receives a threatening letter that Andy starts to realize the predicament he’s in. After the unexpected death of Rachel's husband and her disappearance, Andy is left to try to piece together where it had all gone so wrong.
An affair, murder, a mystery. The overall premise of the book was intriguing, and a rather easy read. I quite enjoyed the main character and the style of writing from his point of view. Though I did find a few sections to be slightly dragging, in its entirety the book was fast paced with another clue or question at the turn of a page. I most definitely hadn’t expected some of the plot twists, which was a pleasant surprise. All in all, definitely worth the read!
I would recommend this read to those who enjoy a mystery/crime genre.

I received an ARC of this upcoming novel through NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley.

Andy Drake moves back to his hometown to take care of his ailing father and begins an affair with a former crush who is now married. He receives a note telling him to break it off with Rachel. Who sent the note? Then Rachel’s husband is killed and she and her kids disappear. So more mysteries are piled on – who shot the husband? Where are Rachel and the kids? Andy plays detective to try to figure it all out. An enjoyable mystery with a nice twist thrown in.

When mystery writer Andy returns to his small town to help look after his father he rekindles a relationship from his past. Rachel is a girl from long ago that he can't forget and someone knows that they are closer than they should be. Andy finds a note threatening him to end his relationship with Rachel "or else". The note throws Andy into a tailspin. Somebody knows about their secret relationship but who? As other things begin to happen to people around him he tries to put the pieces together, relying on his skills as a thriller writer. He begins to think his suspects are not the right people involved in this intricate tale but how does he find the answers he needs in order to save Rachel and her innocent children in time? His own family relationships are jeopardized and Andy finds himself in one heck of a mess as everything from his past comes back to haunt his dreams and his waking hours.
Joe Hart writes one heck of a thriller in this intense book that readers won't be able to put down. The plot is believable and the sometimes bumbling very human Andy is likable. There are lots of characters and the author makes them all real. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride this novel gave me and highly recommend it. Thanks to #NetGalley#OrElse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ll be honest, I did not like this book at first. I found it hard to relate to the main character, which resulted in me being annoyed by him for the first half of the book. I felt no sympathy for him or the situation. The last 40% is what made me like it. I had no idea what to expect for Rachel and the boys, no idea who did it or what really had been done. It was a shock to learn the “who-done-it”.

Suspense thriller Or Else is a lean, taut, twisting page-turner set in small-town America, and I want to read more by its author Joe Hart. In this story, coming home is complicated for crime writer Andy Drake. He’s moved back to the Loop, living next door to his dad and the family home, trying to finish his latest novel. Andy’s dad is losing his battle with dementia. For now, he remembers most things, including his children and the past mistakes hanging over their family, but ahead is inevitable heartache. Heartache is something Andy knows about. His reconnection with childhood friend Rachel has become a secret affair. She’s married, with children, trapped in an emotionally abusive marriage, and Andy loves her. Then a note comes. Someone has discovered their affair, is warning Andy off… or else. Then, the husband is murdered, and Rachel and her sons disappear, possibly abducted. Andy will be the obvious suspect just as soon as the affair comes to light. He has to stay out of jail, fight his way through a spiderweb of secrets. He’ll do anything if it means Rachel and her boys are safe. What I loved about Or Else: Andy, his sister and dad are all flawed and endearing characters you’d enjoy as neighbours and hold strong empathy for; the scenario of an ordinary person in an ordinary small town caught up in, for the most, a believable and dangerous mess; I relate to Andy as a fellow crime writer, love how he sees events through his writer’s eyes, sometimes certain of something to only realise he got that bit wrong; the ease of the read, contentment with the resolution tinged with a little sadness that time with these characters has come to an end. 4.5 stars from me.

The setting for this murder mystery is a small town in the Adirondacks. There are many residents who have grown up, married, had children, go to the same church, started businesses and never left. They know everyone, they gossip, spy, and hide secrets.
Andy has relocated to his hometown to assist in the care of his dad, recently diagnosed with early dementia. His sister, Keli, single mom of two young daughters, lives nearby. Andy is a crime novel writer, currently in a slump. He's spending all the extra moments making memories with his dad while he still can.
Rachel is married to David, with two kids and they live on the same street. Their parents are powerful and well known families. They all went to school together. David has a lending agency business that's in financial trouble, with his business partner, Ryan.
Andy follows his heart and emotions instead of logic and reconnects with Rachel. Their affair doesn't stay a secret. David is murdered, Rachel and the kids disappear, Andy spirals. There's a threatening note, other deaths and/or murders follow.
Andy doesn't trust the local police to find Rachel if she's even still alive. He makes more poorly thought out choices. He riles gangsters, neighbors, his own family, the cops, even drags the church into his schemes to find her. The predicaments he gets into threaten not only his own life, but puts those he loves at risk. He's also a suspect so there's lots of sneaking around, breaking and entering, trespassing, basic criminal behavior.
The family dynamic is messy, funny and interesting. Andy's capers are hair brained and a tad over the top but, sure didn't keep me from racing to the conclusion. Couldn't wait to see what happened next, who the killer was and what the motives were. Plenty of suspense, good plot, easy to read, would recommend and would read this author again.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Joe Hart and Thomas & Mercer for the digital advance copy of "Or Else". These are my personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

A delightful mystery and romance perfect for fans of Harlan coven novels.
Thank you for the digital copy.

A great mystery with surprises and twists. Andy, a novelist, has come back to his hometown to take care of his father, who is suffering from dementia. He reconnects with his childhood friend, Rachel, who is now married to an emotionally abusive husband, and this turns into a secret affair. Then Andy gets a note that tells him to end the affair - or else. Then Rachel's husband is murdered and Rachel and her children disappear. Things fall apart from there as Andy is consumed with finding what happened to Rachel.

I enjoyed the character, Andy, who is always thinking of how things are connected and what might have happened. He's perfect in the role of a crime novelist as he delves into the mystery of what is happening in the neighborhood. There are a few murders, some may be suicides, a mob character, and an affair that may be connected. I didn't guess the bad guy/guys ahead of time. The book was absorbing and a quick read.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on April 1, 2022.

What an absolutely phenomenal book! I'm so happy to have received an ARC of #OrElse from #NetGalley !
This well-written page-turner grabs you right away and doesn't let go. The fact that main character Andy Drake is a novelist drew me in, and he describes the world of a mystery writer with an accuracy that can come only from being one himself. I really enjoyed the segments where he looks at what would happen next if he were writing the events in a novel.
The characters are relatable and human, with plenty of heart wrenching drama that makes the reader care while providing clues. The tangents Andy goes on in his search for Rachel and her sons make for exciting sequences and the suspects in the family's disappearance, and the murders that follow, pile up. I have to say that I am seldom surprised by a resolution, but this one I didn't see coming until almost the last moment.
Or Else is riveting entertainment. You should read it #OrElse .

A Catalogue Of Fatal Events…
When novelist Andrew Drake returns to his home town to care for his father a secret love affair begins that is to spark a catalogue of fatal events. Who can be trusted in this seemingly quiet and peaceful small neighbourhood? Twisting, edgy and slow build suspense with an underlying current of menace.

I had such high hopes for “Or Else” based on the description which makes this This difficult for me to write because I’m extremely grateful for a chance to have read this book, but it just didn’t do it for me. The characters, really none of them were likable, in my humble opinion. Another reviewer said it also, so I’ll reiterate that the main character was really “pretty stupid” throughout. That’s too harsh, but for a character who’s a mystery writer, as this character is, you’d think he would have had a lot of “real life” experience on the topics of solving crimes, procedures, and common sense, etc by having researched for his books.

His dad who has early stages of Alzheimer’s, was the only likable character, but otherwise there simply isn’t anything over the moon about the characters or the story. I did read through to the conclusion, which was my goal and need to know where the story went, otherwise I wasn’t wowed and I was happy when I did make it to the end so I could start my next book.

I do not like giving negative feedback and/or low ratings, however I have to be honest here. One thing I found hilarious, was the MC, aka the author in the story, joked about how he used too many metaphors in his books. That made me laugh and wonder, does the author of this story know that he’s used far too many metaphors in this book?

I’ll leave my thoughts at that except to add that I’d recommend if someone wants a super quick mystery to read. I’d expect to find this in an airport gift shop or grocery store checkout lane and I feel awful for saying that…….however on the plus side, I think that’s preferable than saying it belongs somewhere worse. I hope that’s some consolation. Yikes! This hurts to be writing because I know authors put their hearts into their work.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer and to the author Joe Hart for the opportunity to read this story for my honest thoughts. I’m sure plenty of people will find this very enjoyable. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.

I will share this to Goodreads, Twitter, and Amazon upon its release date.

Kinda of a nail biter! Garbs and sucks you in! Very quick read and enjoyed. Known they are many ELSE's

My kind of story!
*Twisted secret love affair? Check.
* Threatening note sent with the ominous "or else" attached? Check.
*Murder and Missing people? Check.
*Creepy neighbors? Check.
Love the writing and so easy to read. You will love this!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I read "Obscura" by Joe Hart in 2018 & I loved it so when I saw that his new book "Or Else" was available to review I couldn't wait to request a copy.
I loved the storyline of the book, it was fresh, original & well written.
It was a dark, twisty & suspenseful thriller that kept me thoroughly engaged the entire time.
The final reveals were very unexpected.
I'm already looking forward to Mr. Hart's next book.

I thought this book was ok. It dragged at parts but I didn’t hate it. Lots of twists and turns take place when Andy returns home. His life is complicated by old relationships and lies. The ending was a twist I did not see coming and it tied everything up nicely.

I only slept 4 hours last night, I hold #JoeHart personally responsible! I made the mistake of starting this book at 8:00 pm at 1:00 am i turned out the light at 5:00 am i woke up wondering what happened to Rachel and her boys. Her husband was killed and they disappeared. I won’t rehash the story, but i will say, this book has everything I love. It’s told first person,short chapters, ending sentences that lead to reading one more chapter, great relatable characters and some plot twists i didn’t see coming. I’m pleased i was able to read an advanced copy. I will be recommending it to all my reader friends. #NetGalley #JoeHart #Thomas&Mercer

Andy Drake’s life starts to go off the rails when he returns home to take care of his father who is in the early stages of dementia. Suffering from writer’s block, bored and still grieving the death of his younger sister, Andy begins an affair with neighbor and childhood friend Rachel. The first problem is that she’s married. Unhappily married but no one in town knows that. The second problem is that someone in town does know about the affair and sends Andy a threatening note warning him of consequences if he doesn’t immediately end the relationship. The third problem comes when Rachel’s husband is found dead and Rachel and her children are missing. Trying to stay one step ahead of the police who he knows will consider him a suspect, out of desperation Andy starts his own investigation. What he discovers will reveal many long hidden secrets and other deaths.

Or Else is a slow paced, deliberate thriller. It is full of family drama, with interesting characters, especially Andy’s father and sister Keli, and an evocative small town setting with Andy as the main narrator. We see how Andy’s past affects his judgement and relationships and how townspeople seemingly ignore serious problems. This is a 5 star read.

Thank you yo NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Joe Hart for this ARC.

✨ NEIGHBORHOOD THRILLER MEETS FAMILY DRAMA ✨

Author: Joe Hart
Genre: mystery / thriller
Mood: mysterious, dark, tense
Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5
Pub Date: April 1, 2022

#readandsiprecommends to read if you like:
* Lots of mysteries to untangle at once
* A big dose of family drama
* Neighborhood thrillers like Not a Happy Family or Every Last Secret

Review: While it was a fast read with chapter endings that kept me wanting to turn the page, Or Else was in general quite underwhelming. As I do when something doesn’t quite work for me I’ll keep this short.

Starting with some elements I liked:
* Fast page turner with lots going on to keep me interested
* Small town neighborhood vibes where everyone knows everyone’s business
* Unexpected outcome

What didn’t work for me:
* Too much happening that was disconnected and pure coincidence it was at the same time
* Odd changing of POV throughout and sometimes stream of conscious which was hard to follow
* Characters could have been developed more strongly if there weren’t as many and as much going on

Thanks to Netgalley for sharing this e-ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

🚨 TW: mentions of child molestation

I loved this book! I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the story, I found it suspenseful and didn’t see the ending coming.