Thank you Netgally for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It drew me in from the very beginning. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.

I love this author’s Maggie Jamieson thriller series so was beyond excited when I heard news of a standalone thriller by the author. It surpassed all my expectations!

The story mainly flicks between Sloane and Jeanette. Sloane is a news reporter who is after a big story of which she has had her eye on the hostel at Ripley Avenue for a while due to residents being unhappy having high risk offenders living so close by. When a murder happens there it seems that Sloane and the residents were right in thinking it would only be a matter of time until something bad happens. Jeanette is in charge of the hostel and I have to say I didn’t envy her, her job with all the back lash she gets from the residents.

Sloane is a great character. I know that this is a standalone novel but there is so much more potential when it comes to her. She will risk anything to grab herself a decent story, even putting her own life in danger. I am sure I won’t be the only reader who would love to see more of her as I have a feeling things will never be dull when she is around!

It was great to get an insight into what life is like for offenders and what the system has in place for them. The author’s own background in probation comes through in the novel giving it a very much authentic and gritty feel. There are lots of red herrings that had me looking at everyone but the actually killer so when it come to light as to who it is, well it sure made my jaw drop!

6 Ripley Avenue is a truly gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. With so many potential killers, it was great fun trying to work out who the killer was even though I failed miserably as I didn’t get it right. The pacing and tension were spot on and I didn’t want to put the book down until the killer was revealed. Even then the author throws some surprise twists in of which one nearly knocked me sideways! A grippingly great read!

I have loved all of the Maggie Jamieson novels but unfortunately this stand alone felt quite different in style. The story is still engaging and it's clear a lot of research/experience is known if the Probation Service and it's processes. Good plot but not very likeable characters!

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

6 Ripley Avenue begins with a thrilling premise - a probationary services opens up a hostile for the rehabilitation of violent offenders in a pleasant and unassuming neighborhood, and the residents are concerned. Then one of the killers.... ends up dead?

The chapters are short and engaging. There are multiple narrators, each very well fleshed out and with their own agendas. The setting of a locked-room mystery is always a classic. However, the action is rather slow-paced, and there's no big "aha" or "omg" moments, no dramatic reveals.... because the cast of characters is so limited that the killer is fairly obvious throughout the novel. It ends up being more of a mystery than a thriller, without a lot of intensity or urgency. In addition, the actual occupants of the probation house are very much an afterthought. Even though there's only a few, we know next to nothing about them and they are often not mentioned by name.

Overall, it's a got a great concept and the writing is solid, but it does need more of a punch to be a true thriller.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley, and HarperCollins UK one more chapter, and Noelle Holten for a copy of her book to read.

Ripley House holds dangerous offenders, where a Murderer is upon them.someone killed Danny Wells.Jeanette is the manager of Ripley house,salone a journalist, Helen was a great character who lives next door and works at the hostel,and you also hear the killer side of the story.my rating is 3.5 stars rounded to four.a good read the ending wasnt a surprise to me who the killer was,I am looking forward to reading more of her books as this is my first read from this author.

This book will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon uk.

Enjoyed it. I didn't love any of the characters. Jeanette was the most likeable and pretty much the only one doing their job at Ripley House. Didn't Jeanette notice how the other probation service officers (PSOs) were slacking on their shift? It seemed to be a common occurrence and none of them followed all the rules or documented anything. What was the reason for Irene's behavior? At times I did get confused with all the men living at the hostel. What was with the camera's never working? I'm surprised Sloan is still alive or not in prison with all the risks she takes to get a story. She's a former addict but doesn't go to any meetings to stay sober. She should feel bad about using Helen. Helen was lonely. Sloan only went around Helen's house when she wanted information about Ripley House. She shouldn't have encouraged Helen to get more information. The police were the worst at solving crimes. They didn't really interrogate anyone. They knew the killer had to come from inside the house. Shouldn't they have been looking at everyone who was there that night? I admit, I wasn't sure who the killer was going to be. All the men living there, along with Anwar and Frank were on my suspect list. I'm pretty sure the killer would have gotten away with it if he wouldn't have killed Helen or put the bloody hat in the drawer. He should just laid low and waited until he was moved.

Definitely recommend giving the book a try. The story was interesting. It moves a little slow, but it's a good mystery/thriller. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was particularly interested in this book having worked in the environment the book is set. i think you can certainly tell the author's background as the setting, language etc was all pretty accurate but for some reason I just did not gel with the characters, which meant that I did not find myself as gripped by the plot as I hoped i would be. I have to confess I ended up skim reading to see the (not partiuclarly surprising ending).

I love a good murder mystery. This, unfortunately, was not one.

The writing was bogged down so heavily by pointless details. I became bored so quickly with the story because of it. I couldn't care less what people order at a coffee shop. That tells me nothing about anything. Monologue and dialogue were the same. Detailed thoughts about pointless things. Conversations that have nothing at all to do with the plot. Needless to say, I didn't much care what ended up happening.

I was very intrigued by this novel’s idea: a murder mystery in a hostel (what we’d call a halfway house in the US). We know all the residents have done bad things so who can be the culprit? Unfortunately, I didn’t like the execution. The story is full of details that didn’t do much to draw me into the story (what the characters order every time they go to a coffee shop, the involvement of a secondary character that amounts to nothing or the automated recording from a phone line, for instance). The dialogues are also full of pointless exchanges that don’t propel the story, as well as internal monologues about how the probationary system works and countless disquisitions about the Justice System. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and, in the end, I didn’t even care who the killer was. I appreciate how hard it must be to write a book, but this one was not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter!

I really enjoyed this well written book which got me into the storyline from the beginning with plenty of twists around with good characters to keep me interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins OMC for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Okay confession time, I didn’t finish this book. I tried really hard to get to the end but the reality is that it just didn’t hold my interest.

The concept of the story and the beginning chapters were great but it lacked pace. It just ground to a halt and I felt that it had no direction or sense of urgency about it.

Whilst a terrible crime has been committed. It did make me wonder how you base a whole book on it. Nobody was sad this person was killed, in-fact quite the opposite! There was no insight into the police investigation. They just turned up every couple of days and took interviews. And the entire neighbourhood wanted Ripley Avenue shut down - so all in all having a murder on the premises was a time for celebration for many not fear. And this is partially why I think the pace dropped off. The only ‘investigating’ we got was through the busy body next door neighbour, Helen. And a journalist (Sloane).

Added to the lack of investigation a lot of extra ‘crimes’ are peppered throughout the novel. But really all they are, are distractions from the real issue… how was someone killed without anyone seeing anything. Not why, not how we’re they killed. Which leads me unfortunately to the other part of the book that was sadly not well hidden… the killer is a bit obvious.

So all in all I’m a bit disappointed. This book had great promise but I just felt it lacked pace, finesse and the execution could’ve been better. It’s a real shame because I’ve read others from this author and enjoyed them. So I’m always annoyed with myself for not being able to finish. But as I always say ‘life is too short to read something you’re not totally invested in.’ What doesn’t work for me, others will love. And I hope that this is the case for this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great mystery suspense book that was a wonderfully done who-done-it. Check out this book on my daughters birthday - September 27th!

Told through several points of views, including the killer we follow the story of the murder of Danny Wells. 6 Ripley House is a hostel run for horrible criminals who are out on parole. While no one is particularly upset Danny is dead, he made no friends, it’s troubling that an active killer could be among them. Jeannette is the house lead and in charge of it all. She tries to unravel the mystery of the murder, but then another person ends up dead. When an investigative journalist is almost killed as well no one can deny that all the deaths must be connected. Will the police be able to solve this mystery before anyone else ends up killed?

I gave this book a solid 4/5 stars and enjoyed it. I rated it less because there were so many acronyms in this book that were unfamiliar to me. While they were originally spelled out it just felt like acronym soup! I got lost with them and just gave up trying to figure them out.

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high-risk offenders released on license (or probation) in the book 6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten. One morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered. Now, her staff, along with the eight convicted murderers living in the hostel, are suspects in a crime no one saw committed. The story starts off well and doesn't let up.

6 Ripley Avenue had good twists in that I kept thinking I knew who the killer might be but was surprised once the person was revealed. The idea behind the murder seemed plausible. The storyline was good and fairly fast-paced. You know you are invested in a story when something happens to one of the characters, and you let out an audible "Awww" and are sad to see that person be hurt.

Four characters tell the story, Sloane, the journalist; Jeanette, the hostel manager; Helen, the next-door neighbor to the hostel; and the killer. I would have liked to see more of DS Brady, the police person, portrayed more prominently in the storyline. The police take a back seat in this story.

I would recommend this book and this author. I will check out more books by Noelle Holten as I liked her writing style and character development.

Thank you, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the digital review copy. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars (rounded to 5 stars).

I’m a big fan of Noelle Holten but I’m missing her regular character Maggie in this stand alone story of a Probation Home, with the title name, a sort of stricter halfway house in a residential English neighborhood. The inhabitants are men charged with murder and sex crimes so I would probably be out there protesting against it with Helen, my favorite character, an older woman who starts volunteering at the facility once one of the residents is murdered. She’s trying to help her friend Sloane, an investigative reporter who also disapproved of the facility. However a good premise, the novel felt a little flat and I didn’t care the other characters and guessed who the murderer was at the start. Not much of a thriller as the pacing was slower then I expected.

Sorry but this one wasn't for me. Stopped around 30%

I found the writing style to be a bit too much like reading a business brief. It seemed to lack any substance. I couldn't get into the characters, none were likeable and their back stories seemed to be written as an afterthought.

I feel like I could see where the story is going, but suppose I'll never know. Thank you for the opportunity to read, however.

No wonder this book is trending in the reading charts. It is a pretty unsettling and creepy read that quickly grabbed my attention with its story and alluring characters. 6 Ripley Avenue is the talented Noelle Holten’s first standalone psychological thriller. With a unique plot line, this book will interest crime fiction lovers.

6 Ripley House, a probation hostel where UKs most violent offenders are housed, is not a popular place amongst the residents of the area. Most notably Helen Burgess, still raw from the death of her husband, who started her neighbourhood watch scheme. But when Danny Wells, a convicted criminal, is killed in the early hours, things intensify. This is a serious problem for Jeanette Macey, Senior Probation Officer and manager of the premises. The surveillance equipment failed to record anything of significance due to neglect, and with Jeanette’s drill—if it isn’t recorded, it didn’t happen—they are lost without proof.

Enter freelance investigative journalist Sloane Armstrong, who is already well-versed in the hostel’s goings-on. I liked her immensely. Plenty of backbone and humour, all the ingredients that make up a gutsy investigator. With so many high-risk offenders housed in the hostel, you’d think the culprit couldn’t be far away. But Helen and Sloane begin their investigation at their own risk, at one point avoiding Jeanette pressing charges. It becomes clear Jeanette is unaware of the illegal activities taking place, even with the intense level of scrutiny they’re experiencing.

This book provides a realistic glimpse into a life only Holten knows about. Her background qualifies her to write not only her Maggie Jamieson crime thrillers but 6 Ripley Avenue as well. Just when you think you have worked out the plot—BAM! Another bend in the road appears. Sinister, evocative, fascinating and very addictive, are just a few of the many characteristics of this book. Written in a clear, crisp style, the structure alternates between five different perspectives. Not an easy task, especially keeping voices distinct. But hats off to the author because it paid off.

The mysteries of the story were well devised and I hope Holten continues venturing into the psychological thriller genre. I’d definitely pick up whatever she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Noelle Holten for the privilege of reading this advance reader copy.

“There had been seven residents present and none of them were angels.”

Danny Wells, a violent offender and resident of a probation hostel that houses high-risk offenders released “on licence” to serve the remainder of their time in the community, is murdered in cold blood in the common area of the hostel.

Jeanette Macey, the Senior Probation Officer who manages the hostel is informed of the discovery of the body in the middle of the night by her Probation Service Officers. The malfunction of the surveillance equipment, a result of neglect on the part of the service officers in charge, has worked in the murderer’s favor. But in a house full of criminals, one can only expect that law enforcement wouldn’t have to look too far to find the culprit.

Ripley House Approved Premises or Ripley House has been a cause of concern for the local community ever since it opened two years ago. The presence of high-risk offenders in the neighborhood prompted the formation of a neighborhood watch led by sixty-eight-year-old Helen Burgess, who later volunteers in the kitchen of Ripley House to keep a closer eye on the goings-on.

Helen is friends with Sloane Armstrong, a freelance investigative journalist, who has been reporting on the probation hostel and how the locals have been reacting to the presence of the inhabitants ever since the Ripley House was established.

As the narrative progresses it becomes evident that there is much more going on at #6 Ripley Avenue other than rehabilitation and assessment of the criminal residents. Sloane makes it her business to get to the bottom of the shady activities occurring in Ripley House and, with help from Helen, starts investigating. Jeanette realizes that in addition to the murder, other illegal activities have been going on right under her nose. As manager of the hostel, she is accountable for anything that goes wrong. Who killed Danny Wells and why? Would a recently released criminal risk going back to prison by committing another heinous crime and if so, what could motivate such an act?

The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Jeanette, Sloane, Helen and the killer. Despite the intriguing premise of this novel, the pacing of the novel was uneven and lacked intensity. The novel starts well, the writing is good and the main characters are well-fleshed out (with an exception of the law enforcement officials, who, for the most part, were “chasing their own tails”) but it is not difficult to zero in on the probable suspects early on, which makes it hard to remain engaged through the length of the novel despite the twists that are introduced as the story progresses. In short, 6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten has potential but falls short in its execution. While I did not dislike the novel in its totality, I was a tad disappointed.

Thank you, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the digital review copy of 6 Ripley Avenue. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due for release on September 27, 2022.

A standalone thriller by Noelle Holten, author of the DC Maggie Jamieson series. I really enjoyed this one and made a nice change from the authors regular series. This is a fast paced thriller with excellent characters and a plot that twists throughout.

The novel is set in a probation hostel that holds high risk offenders released on license. Naturally there are some dodgy characters at the hostel so it should not be too surprising when manager Jeanette receives a phone call in the middle of the night telling her a resident has been murdered.

There are no witnesses but plenty of suspects, eight convicted murderers and the team that work at the hostel.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book was FANTASTIC! Like seriously, it kept me glued to the edge of my seat the entire time. Highly recommend!

I read this book in a couple of hours. It’s a mystery that absolutely left me astounded. Be prepared for likable characters and plot I will definitely keep you intrigued.