Twenty Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
★★★ 3/5 stars

✦ Synopsis
A small town is still reeling from a car accident that killed star student Phoebe Dean. Her brother, Grant, was driving.
27 minutes to call for help. A secret kept for 10 years. Only 3 days until everyone knows.
He could & have saved her life. So why did he wait?

✦ My Thoughts
This was our February book club pick! The blurb for this one really grabbed my attention, but it wasn’t as great as I hoped. There was lots of small town drama, high school baggage, & a bit of a supernatural element that I didn’t expect (or enjoy very much🙈) I just struggled to really get into it.
Lots of characters, POVs, & timeline jumps were hard for me to keep straight.

✦ Read if you like :
-Slow burn mysteries
-Cold cases
-Small town secrets
-Unlikeable & unreliable characters
-Only if You’re Lucky by Stacey Willingham
-Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
-The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

thank you to Netgalley + Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC ◡̈

It's the 10th anniversary of a tragic accident that left one girl dead and her brother distraught. In fact the whole town is in an uproar about tearing down the bridge where the accident happened. Many lives have been affected.

When a book has this many unlikeable characters, it can be a hard sell for me and, unfortunately, this one missed the mark. The story itself, although very slow moving, was enough to keep me engaged until the end, but only to wrap up the loose ends and not because I necessarily cared about anyone involved. In hindsight, I should have seen the ending coming, but I'm not one of those readers that spends a lot of time trying to figure things out before hand; I just tend to go along for the ride. I did predict the relationship between two of the characters, so was proud of myself for that, but other than that, the ending came as a surprise. I found I was more interested in the story leading up to Phoebe's death than I was in the story leading up to her memorial.

This book has grief and trauma etched on every page, so reader beware.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC! The beginning of this was very intriguing, starting right in the action before skipping ahead to “present day”.

Unfortunately, the book became slow and was difficult for me to pay attention to - waiting for things to start coming together and amp up. I wasn’t overly impressed with this one and it didn’t standout to me.

This book starts off with a shocking scene. Then it backs us up. It's a dual timeline between then and now and that builds the suspense for me. Multiple POV, which is a favorite for me because you see the story for many angles, and it makes it more twisty.

Most of these characters were pretty unlikeable, but I'm good with that too. It fit the storyline.

The big secret is finally revealed, and I maybe would have wanted a little more in the end, but overall a solid read and kept me engaged throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty-Seven Minutes
by Ashley Tate

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A car crash takes the life of a promising student in a small town. The community is ripped apart when they learn the two survivors waited before calling for help in Twenty-Seven Minutes, a hypnotic debut mystery by Ashley Tate.

Becca and siblings Phoebe and Grant were on their way home from a party. Grant swerved to avoid something in the road and crashed through a guardrail. Phoebe gets the worst of it: she's thrown from the vehicle upon impact. Twenty-seven minutes pass before the other two call for help. Neither Becca nor Grant can explain why they waited. The cops know Phoebe died because of the inaction of the other two, but they don't fully investigate.

Ten years pass. The town has tried to move on from the tragedy, despite the unspoken grudges and rumors that still linger among the locals. Then Grant's mother decides to hold a memorial for her beloved daughter. Attention-seeking Becca decides she's done covering for ungrateful Grant, who is haunted by Phoebe. Out of nowhere, another teenager--someone who disappeared the same night as the crash that took Phoebe's life--appears in town, threatening to tell everyone what really happened during those missing 27 minutes.

Tate so perfectly captures the dynamics of small-town life that it is hard to believe that she grew up in downtown Toronto. She presents all the heartache and disappointment of dashed hopes and unfulfilled dreams in this story of how multiple lives can be ruined in a manner of minutes. --Paul Dinh-McCrillis, freelance reviewer

I tried. Really, I did.

There may be decent fiction story in there, but it was all jumbled up in people, places, and times that took forever to gel.

We aren't introduced to the main characters in a way that makes us care about them, and we find that most of them are unlikeable at their core anyway. The big mystery wasn't all that, certainly nothing compelling. As the truth of what happened unfolded, I wasn't even a little excited to find out.

This story had a pretty big build up as the story moved toward the memorial, and since there were a few perspectives, I was kind of waiting to hear something from Phoebe’s perspective.

I felt that she would have added a lot to the sense of urgency surrounding her death, especially because the story dabbled in the past and what had happened, but I never really felt like I got a feel for who Phoebe was, other than through other people’s opinions of her—and I was never quite sure what to trust.

Overall, this was a pretty quick read, and I’m glad I picked it up!

3.5 stars - The story is about a small town where Phoebe died in a car crash ten years ago on a bridge. Her brother was driving the car and her friend Becca was also in the car. The title of the book comes from the fact that Grant waited twenty-seven minutes before calling for help. Ten years later, another person died on the same bridge and the town is now debating whether to take it down. Also, the town has planned a memorial for the tenth anniversary of Phoebe's passing.

The story is told from multiple points of view, which can be confusing and frustrating for some readers. Each character is given a lot of attention, which makes the story feel long. However, the book is still entertaining at times and kept me wanting to read on. The ending plot twist was surprising and unexpected. I did not guess it at all.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for honesty feedback. I also read a physical finished copy of this book. I think this was an alright mysterious suspense. The opening chapter was brilliant. I was actually surprised because I went right to Goodreads to see if the author had any other books and was shocked to see this was a debut. However, I did think it was a bit confusing with too many POV characters, especially at first, which didn’t have much to stand them apart from one another. I really wish sometimes that books would not rely so much on so many POVs to tell these stories because it can be a lot to keep up with if not done masterfully. Anyway, the writing style was fine — the opening chapter was really what grabbed my interest. The “twist” or mystery bit was predictable but nevertheless I thought it was an overall good start at a promising career for this new author.

Twenty Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate was not initially what I was expecting. The story centers around a small town that struggles to move on from a tragic accident that happened a decade ago with plot points being told in both time lines. Right off the bat this story does a good job of developing characters who are almost all immediately unlikable and you quickly conclude that the truth of the night of the accident is still buried. While this story drug on for me in parts the last 25% or so really gripped me. I admire how Tate is able to write two characters (Becca and June) who can be so out of touch with reality at times and how she managed to make the dark realms of grief a character of its own in the story.

Loved the super short chapters and multiple POV’s. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I struggled with engagement and I wasn’t invested in the story. I’ll definitely try another book from this author in the future. I just don’t think this one was for me.

This was a rollercoaster of emotions that flipped between the last and present as we look at happened to Phoebe and the accident at the bridge and the events leading up to it. There grieving, guilt, blackmailing and symbolism and a cast of unreliable characters that you didn’t know really why truly happened until the end. Each of the characters were wrapped into their own cloud of guilt and grief, but also tangled so intricately into one another’s.

There are so many things to like about this book. The multiple POV and short chapters kept me interested even when I hated the characters. Some you hate because you can tell they're just terrible people and others you hate because you feel so much pity for them. But you're also wondering how all of these people are connected to Phoebe's death? Let me tell you...when I figured it out (which was not until like 93%) I legit gasped out loud. It was so well done.

The way these characters' lives are weaved together makes the fact that this is a debut novel so impressive to me. When I read books like this, I always wonder how the heck authors plan the book out and keep everything organized.

𝙏𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮-𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨 is a fast-paced thriller that leaves you wondering what happened in those 27 minutes up until the very end. It's definitely a mystery/thriller I'll be recommending to everyone.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is dark and often heavy. There is a dreariness to the story that showcases the weight placed on the characters. The pace is slow, but the final chapters are tense, and the twist is satisfying.

The story is set ten years after the tragic death of Phoebe Dean. Phoebe was a teenager when she lost her life in a tragic car accident. Before her death, Phoebe was beautiful, popular, and had a bright future. Often, I wondered (along with the characters) whether the perception of Phoebe was colored by what happened to her.

Grant Dean is Phoebe’s older brother and he was driving the night of the crash. It took Grant twenty-seven minutes to call in the accident after it occurred. Phoebe was alive when the car crashed—those twenty-seven minutes could have made the difference to save her life. Why did it take Grant so long to call for help?

Grant is one of four narrators of the story (plus some flashback chapters that take place 10 years earlier just before the accident). The other narrators include Becca, June, and Wyatt. Becca was in the car with Grant and Phoebe the night of the accident. She was fighting with Phoebe over her relationship with Grant. Since the accident, Becca has carried guilt with her, knowing she distracted Grant and was partially responsible for the accident. Becca is in a bad place when the novel picks up.
Becca and Grant are no longer together, though she loves him and protects the secret of what happened that night and during those twenty-seven minutes for him. Grant is distant with Becca, often going periods where he refuses to speak to her at all. Grant is an alcoholic and his life is depressing. He lives with a mother who blames him for his sister’s death.

The other narrators are June and Wyatt—another set of siblings. Wyatt disappeared the night of the accident and wasn’t seen for ten years, until he returns right as the book begins, three days before Phoebe’s memorial. June’s life in the intervening years is not any better than Becca’s or Grant’s. Her mother recently died of cancer, and June lives in their dilapidated home without enough money to afford a car. June is glad Wyatt has finally returned, but he is cagey with her about where he has been. His health is in significant decline, and June worries that he is dying of the same cancer that took their mother.

The town where the book is set, West Wilmer is a small town with a somewhat dreary existence. As with most small towns, the major events like the death of Phoebe has never really gone away. She’s been idealized to such an extent that she appears as a bright flame extinguished too soon, in stark contrast to the dreary town of West Wilmer and the bleak lives of the four narrators.

The majority of the book is slow-moving, and not much develops in the plot until it reaches the day of the memorial towards the end. Leading up to it, the reader will spend most of the book understanding the sad state that the four narrators live in. They all were broken in one way or another the night of the accident. But as we learn by the end of the novel, some of them may have been broken even before that. The accident was a catalyst that set their downward spiral in motion. At one point Becca muses hauntingly that there aren’t stages of grief; it never goes away. Bleak but potentially true in the case of these characters.

I felt that Phoebe needed more development for the reader, though she is dead for the events of the book. Often stories like these benefit from the reader having some attachment to the victim. In this case, Phoebe doesn’t really come into focus for the reader for the person she was until the last 20% of the book.

The characters are largely unlikable, with the small exception of June who is more sympathetic than the others. The book is weighted by the heaviness of the story. This is surely intentional, as the accident itself was heavy and sucked the energy out of the characters who survived it.

It took me longer than usual to get into the book. The narrators switch quickly and added in are the flashbacks ten years earlier. There is little forward movement in the first half and so it was slower to get towards what was really going on. Phoebe’s memorial is a catalyst that sets in motion an uptick in the unraveling of the four central characters. As the story goes on, it becomes clear that the truth of what happened that night may finally become clear at the memorial.

The last several chapters are page-turners. I wanted to know what happened, even if my engagement waned towards the middle of the book. The ending unfolds without a series of reveals and one major twist that I didn’t see coming, though reflecting back there were hints of what may occur.

A heavy and suspenseful book that has a satisfying ending and a solid twist.

When tragedy strikes a small town no one ever really seems to heal, 10 years after the accident and secrets that are just waiting to be revealed. This book is one intense wild ride. Told in multiple points of view, in a dual timeline of the accident and ten years later. We get a glimpse of how time has moved on yet secrets and grief have been tearing lives apart. When will the truth be revealed if ever?
Tate has an amazing plot that was well executed, I was drawn right into the book from the start, was unable to put it down as I flipped pages to try to get to the bottom of what happened that night 10 years ago! A tense atmospheric thriller that will have you in the edge of your seat seeking answers.

I was looking forward to Twenty-Seven Minutes, but it was kind of a let down. I kept reading because I was really curious about the conclusion, which was pretty satisfying, but it would’ve been better had I liked any characters. Seriously, what was with those siblings? I thought I was getting into Game of Thrones Lannister territory at some points. Did I really read that their initials were etched together on a wall?! Phoebe was OBSESSED and Grant was an incredibly unsympathetic jerk. It takes guts to make a main character so very unredeemable, but I just kept wondering what on EARTH makes women so obsessed with his arrogant, rude, gaslighting self (I’m holding back on some choice descriptors here.) I did like the way the author unrolled the plot and handled the conclusion, and I think thriller fans who are in the mood for a nice easy read will enjoy it. I was just hoping for more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lovely debut, but I wouldn’t call this a thriller. It was more a suspenseful recanting of a fateful night 10 years ago. Not to say I didn’t enjoy this, though, because I did! The character development was good, and it was told form multiple povs, which added a lot of depth to the story. It was a quick read for me because I really wanted to know the ending, so it kept me drawn in and invested. Would definitely recommend if you you’re looking for a recanting what happened tale, certainly would read another book by this author as well!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A tragedy happens and multiple families are shattered and left to pick up the people.

Told from 4 of the character's perspectives, this novel spans over the course of 10 years as their stories unfold and we find out what really happened that fateful night.

Why did Grant not call for help after the accident that ended up taking his sister Phoebe's life? What part does Wyatt and June play in the story?

I enjoyed the story, even though it did take me a bit of time to get into. I'd recommend for anyone who loves drama and twists.

Thank you so much @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for an advance copy of this book!

🔹 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🔹
I loved the concept for this book. There was a bad car accident on a bridge that included Grant and his sister Phoebe, where she ended up dying and she could have potentially been saved if Grant had called sooner. It took him 27 minutes to call for help after the accident occurred and everyone wonders if there is more to Grants story.

Other characters include Becca, who was in the car during the accident, and Wyatt and June, brother and sister. The Multiple POVs include all four except Phoebe.

The present day is days leading up to the 10th anniversary of the accident, and people are petitioning for the bridge to come down. There is a surprise visitor returning to town that could also shake up what happened all those years ago.

The end of this book definitely surprised me, but the story in the middle was a bit slow for me to get into. I would have liked to get more storyline during the time of the accident or what happened afterward present day.

⏰ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🔹 Slow Burn Mysteries
🔹 Multiple POVs
🔹 Loss and Grief
🔹 Dual Timelines