This book was just not for me. I did not like the writing style and It was hard to follow. So I did not finish this book.

This was a really promising book when I read the blurb, which reads

"ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.

At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…"


This is a stand alone book by author Noelle Holten. I have not read any of her previous books and I enjoyed her writing style.

However, unfortunately I just did not connect with the characters and found it to be quite slow in the beginning. The chapters swap between the characters and I found myself getting a little confused. I did enjoy some aspects of this book and I see that it has got really good reviews, but for me I just did not get into it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Noelle Holten and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Tensions Running High..
When a murder occurs in a probation hostel it is really nothing that the residents of that particular street didn’t expect. They had been against the hostel from the start. It’s hardly surprising to them that such a thing has occurred. After all, the hostel was filled with high risk offenders. Now the hostel inhabitants, including the manager and her team are suspects. The question is - who did it? With eight convicted murderers under one roof and the probation team all as suspects, tensions are running extremely high. Journalist, Sloane is on the case. A solid mystery ensues with a well crafted and credible cast of characters, short and snappy chapters told from differing perspectives and an immersive plotline. A chilling standalone.

I really enjoyed the DC Maggie Jamieson series, so I was intrigued to read 6 Ripley Avenue, a standalone thriller by the author. When convicted killer Danny Wells is brutally murdered at the approved premises he was staying at nobody was really going to mourn his death. For journalist Sloane Armstrong and local neighbourhood watch member Helen Burgess it just proved what they had been saying all along. Ripley House should not be in operation and offenders just couldn’t be rehabilitated.
Sloane Armstrong has her own reasons for wanting to see Ripley House close and they are very personal. Her sister was murdered by someone who had been released in error and it led to a very dark time for her. Fuelled by this she is determined to prove her opinions are right. Helen Burgess lives next door to the facilities and is very much of the opinion that the place should not be next to normal law-abiding people and had been one of the leaders of the Neighbourhood watch that had tried to prevent it opening at all. When Danny Wells is killed they both make it their mission to find out who did it and get the place closed once and for all.
The book is told from the viewpoints of Helen, Sloane, Jeanette who is the person in charge at the facilities and the killer. The change in viewpoints gives the reader chance to get to know the characters a little better and I have to admit that the one that frustrated me the most was Jeanette. For someone who was in charge of both staff and multiple murderers she seemed to have somehow taken her eye off the ball and didn’t notice all the protocols that were not being followed and that her staff may have been as much a problem as the residents.
I do get where Sloane is coming from in her quest to get to the truth but when her actions put both her and Helen in danger from the killer you do have to wonder if the cost is really worth it to be the first to the story and if her personal experiences are not clouding her judgement.
With so many of the staff and residents appearing to not be what they seem, the only thing you are sure of is that this was personal and had something to do with why Danny was in prison in the first place. The who may take a little longer to work out but when revealed all makes sense. With the way Sloane's story ends you do wonder if this will remain a standalone for long.

A group of paroled criminals living in a house. What could possibly go wrong? We’ll, we quickly find out with the murder of one of the residents. Who did it? We’ll, seems like everyone hates him.

A Gripping story line that had me so hooked I found it hard to put down.I have loved Noelle's books and was looking forward to this new one. Definately one to be read again 5*

Noelle Holten is back with thriller 6 Ripley Avenue. I have loved her previous novels, so I was excited to read this standalone book.
Jeanette is the manager of 6 Ripley Avenue, a Probation Hostel for high-risk offenders that are on License. Which is housed on a normal residential street. The residents are not happy that is there, and they don’t feel safe from its occupants.
Sloane is a freelance investigative journalist for the local newspaper and keeps an eye of the comings and goings of 6 Ripley House and can’t wait for something to happen so she can get her big scoop for the newspaper.
At 3am Jeanette gets a call from the night staff to say one of the offenders have been murdered at the hostel. There is a list a whole list of suspects and Jeanette worries who she can trust. When Sloane finds out. She is determined to find out what happened that night and find out who the killer is. She gets help from volunteer at the hostel Helen, who also lives next door to the hostel and blames the death of her husband Malcolm in what is going on at the hostel. Sloane wonders why she is even working there.
Thank you, Harper One more chapter for a copy of 6 Ripley Avenue. This is a great, gripping thriller from Noelle Holten and although it is different from her other books, I think that it is the authors best book to date. With the author’s own experience working as a probation officer, the story was more believable account of what goes on with the release of prisoners and the problems that the system faces. The story has great characters especially Sloane and her determination to find out who the killer is. 4 stars from me.

An amazing story line which had me hooked from the first page. I'm looking forward to reading more hy Noelle

5 stars for DNF as I am unable to comment on the overall quality of the book. This premise sounded super interesting, but unfortunately it was too slow for me. I found the main characters deeply unlikeable, which also impacted my ability to enjoy the book as I had no one to root for. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book before publication.

Having read and enjoyed the DC Maggie Jamieson series by this author I was intrigued to read her first standalone. As much as I enjoyed the series, I do think this standalone is brilliant reading.

As the short but snappy synopsis tells, Jeanette is the manager of a Probation Hostel when one of their residents is murdered. Given the reason for the residents being in the hostel, it becomes a mystery as to who could have murdered Danny Wells. Some would say he deserved what was coming, others that he deserved a second chance.

I really enjoyed the way this story was laid out. Done in quick chapters alternating between Jeanette, the killer and also a reporter called Sloane. The chopping and changing worked really well and the author, in my opinion, moves effortlessly between the characters and the pacing of the story is maintained.

There are a few characters in this story, not too many as to get confusing and they soon become memorable. I wasn't a huge fan of some of the characters and this is down to the way the author has portrayed them. Not fully knowing their backgrounds until later in the story meant I was wrong-footed a few times as my opinion of them changed. It also meant I never really had a clue as to who the culprit was and why he committed the murder.

This is a procedural story in some ways as the police are obviously involved, but for me, it was also a fabulous mystery as I was taken into the different aspects of the hostel, the staff, the residents and also the views of a neighbour. The hostel had been received by the local community with anger. It had appeared in the news and this is why Sloane is taking such an interest in it.

Sloane does her own digging and makes her own inquiries. This doesn't sit altogether well with the Detective in charge of the case, it also means she isn't entirely welcome at the hostel. But, having a reporter as one of the investigators of the story means you get a different side to the case.

This is a fabulous story and one that had me hooked within the first couple of chapters. As there are different agencies involved there are various anacronyms, they are something that at times annoy me as I have to try and remember what the initials refer to. The author does explain the meanings and where necessary she mentions refers to basic procedures.

I have to admit something here, I really, really adored this one and I preferred it more than the DC Jamieson series. I do think this change of direction to a standalone was a great move, and while I do still look forward to reading more about Maggie, I do hope the author continues to go off track and mix things up. A cracking read and one that I would definitely recommend, ideal for fans of crime, mystery and thriller readers.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review*

I was so excited about this book. I feel like the idea was unique and it would be a fun whodunit. It even had short chapters and multiple POVs, which I love. But man, it was long and boring. I lost interest so quickly. This story could have been wrapped up so so so much faster than it was.

6 Ripley Avenue
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/27/22
Author: Noelle Holten
Publisher: One More Chapter
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 3.75

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and One More Chapter and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: ONE HOUSE. EIGHT KILLERS. NO WITNESSES. Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license. At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered. Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

My Thoughts: The story is narrated by Jeanette (the manager), Helen (investigative report’s friend), and the killer, in their respective POVs. I love when the killer gets an active POV, you get the narrative from all sides, makes for a more interesting read. The chapters are short, which are kind of nice, but I believe it did not help the slow burn aspect. The premise of a murder occurring in a criminal rehabilitation location was very intriguing for me. Most of the time, I do not mind a slow burn, however, the plot moved too slow for me in this one. The story starts with a bang with a whodunit mystery, gripping your attention from the start, but as the chapters unfold, it became difficult to weave my way through. The whodunit was a bit predictable, and seemed to drag a bit. The characters were fleshed out enough with most of the characters flawed and unlikeable. This was not a bad book and had an amazing premise, it just fell a little short for me.

6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Start date: August 31, 2022
Finish date: Sept 3, 2022
Pub date: Sept 27, 2022

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had my attention from the very first chapter. I mean, a murder in a house full of murderers?? Hooked.

I liked how the story unfolded and the different POVs. I just didn’t love the ending. I kept waiting for a big twist and it just never came. I had figured out who the murderer was (& why) way before it was revealed. This lost stars for just being a bit too predictable for a crime thriller. I did enjoy reading this though, and I thought the characters were all really likeable.

🏷

This is hands down one of the best books I have read this year so far. I love how everything was explained to you in legal terms not just letting you try to figure it out. Great if you want to read it in one go as you certainly won’t want to put it down.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from HarperCollins UK and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own..


What a ride. Spellbinding thrills, turns and twists you don’t see coming.

A stand alone novel from the author of the Maggie Jamieson thrillers was always going to be an interesting read….but how would it fare as a book coming inbetween series’ books?,very very well I have to say
As always Noelle Holton has used her vast past career knowledge in this book and created brilliant characters to write a perfect cat and mouse whodunit written from the narrative of the killer themselves and others who feature in the book,I mention characters first as I found them all to be very strong,I didn’t like them all ( the author did her job well 😊) but did have a very soft spot for Helen,the interfering yet more than capable neighbour,I found them all,good and bad,to be believable and invested in their back and present stories
As for the story,it did hook me and keep me there,I wanted to carry on reading as needed to know what why who and how….all this was very cleverly revealed and I am being honest in saying I didn’t guess the killer
An intense,fast paced,enjoyable,detailed and exciting and the most important a really really good read

10/10
5 Stars

This book had so much potential, but it didn't quite get there.

It was a slog to get through this story. It kept dragging on and on. There were too many viewpoints that kept switching around and the ending was predictable. None of the characters were particularly sympathetic. Also, if you aren't familiar with the British legal/prison systems and their slang, this may be an annoying read.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC.

This was just ok for me. I liked the alternating POVs and the short chapters but it did not excite me or hold my attention.

The story centers around a controversial hostel for high risk offenders who go their to serve out the rest of their sentence. When the unpopular Danny Wells is found murdered in the early morning hours, Jeanette the officer in charge is on serious damage control. The people in the neighborhood already aren’t happy about the hostel and this is going to make everything ten times worse.

Helen is eighty six and the leader of the neighborhood watch. She decides to volunteer in the kitchen at the hostel to keep an eye on whats going on. Helen is friends with Sloan, a journalist who has written extensively about the hostel since it opened.

After Dannys murder, the three women begin digging into the hostel and realize that there is a lot more happening than they realized. Of course this information puts them in the danger zone.

You also get the POV of the killer who believes that they are justified in doing what they are doing.

Will you take a stroll down 6 Ripley Avenue?

6 Ripley Avenue is available September 27,2022.

Thank you to netgalley and harpercollinsuk for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

We meet Sloane Armstrong in this story, who is an investigative journalist, and she is good friends with Neighbourhood Watch widow, Helen. They bonded over the opening of a hostel to rehabilitate criminals, called Ripley House, which they were both against. And it seems all their worries about the hostel come true when a dead body turns up.

This is a standalone story from this author. The writing was excellent as always, with short, easy chapters. The characters were well written, especially Helen. She was easy to picture, and Sloane was relatable in ways. Overall a good whodunnit, with twists and turns along the way.

I don’t really know whether I prefer series or standalone books. On the one hand, when you are dealing with a series, you know the recurrent characters and you more or less consider them friends after a while. With each book you start to find out more about them and it creates a connection. On the negative side, when the series ends, it feels like falling into a void. 😊

On the other hand you have the standalone ones. You have to get to know the characters in every new book, but that does not need to be a bad thing and if you don’t like them, well you only have to deal with them once. 😉

Why should I ask myself this question though? I just can pick whatever I want. 😊 I wonder which of both categories you prefer?

This author has started with the great series starring Maggie Jamieson. Now, she has decided to treat us to a standalone book.

It’s crystal clear the author has a background in probation. She knows what she is talking about and she does her utter best to explain it to her audience. I understood everything, but perhaps not being English I often forgot what the abbreviations meant when they were used somewhere else in the story. So I took a piece of paper and wrote them down. Much easier to follow now. 😊

The author created chaos to mislead us. Well, to be more precise her characters did that, because I had the feeling that none of the employees of the hostel were very interested in doing a good job. They should have kept the neighbourhood and the ‘guests’ safe and in control but they failed often.

If I have to pick a favourite character, it has to be Helen. She is the eldest of the group, but she sure is the most determined and feisty of them all by far. She made me smile and she was very brave.

An interesting story, sometimes maybe a bit slow paced. 4 stars

Thank you