The town of West Wilmer was forever changed 10 years ago. Grant Dean was involved in a horrific car accident where his sister, Phoebe, was killed. The town is obsessed with this car accident and the mystery surrounding it. Grant says a deer ran out in front of him, but the question on everyone's mind is why did he wait 27 minutes before he called 911? There is a darkness in this town. You can almost feel the foreboding darkness while you are reading it. So many lives were destroyed on that fateful night. The 10 year anniversary is coming up, and as you read, you realize that the stories from that night are not truthful. Someone is hiding something, and someone knows the secret.

The opening scene is chilling. After the opening scene, it was a little slow at times. However, I could not put it down because I had to know what happened. My search for the truth would not allow me to stop reading. I can honestly say that I did not like any of the characters in this book. I do not think I have ever despised a group of characters so much. Dysfunctional families and relationships were the norm in this story. Self-centeredness was the name of the game. I pondered on the fact that I did not like the characters, and I believe this was by design by the author. I was not supposed to like the characters. The mind blowing ending will leave you reeling and also made me wonder why I did not see it before.

If you are looking for a thriller, this is not what you will get with this book. However, if you enjoy intrigue with a deep mystery embedded in the plotline, you will devour this one.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It wasn't quite a 4-star read, more like a 3.75.

There are several main characters with quite a few supporting characters. The main characters:
Phoebe: West Wilmer's "it" girl who was killed in a car accident at 17. It is now coming up on its 10th anniversary.
Grant: Phoebe's brother who was driving the vehicle the night of the accident and why did he wait 27 minutes to call for help?
Becca-Also in the car that night & spent 18 days in the hospital recovering, as she will often remind the reader anytime she has a conversation with absolutely anyone. She was a very unlikable character and more than a bit delusional.
The Delroy siblings, Wyatt & June: Each have their trauma to deal with and have much to say about the night of the accident.

While several characters were telling their side of the story, Then & Now, they weren't hard to differentiate. Each one was very distinct so there was no confusion. I'm not a big fan of the Then & Now storylines but this one worked. I liked getting each person's recollections from the night of the accident.

I wouldn't call this book a thriller as it was more of a Family Drama/Suspense than anything. The buildup to the ending took up 90% of the book so it was a bit slow. I did enjoy the red herrings that kept me guessing wrong to the end. Be aware that there is a lot of grief and trauma in this book so keep that in mind if you've recently lost someone in your life.

This is a debut novel for Ashley Tate and I will be on the lookout for her next novel. I feel she will get better with each story as she continues her writing journey.

I'd like to thank Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Twenty-seven minutes is a long time to wait to call 9-11 after a car accident.

The whole book by Asley Tate revolves around this accident that occurred 10 years ago and what happened to young Phoebe to end up dead using flashbacks of the event. The points of view from June, Wyatt, Grant and Becca gives us insight to these people and what each was doing at the time of the accident and the days leading up to the event. Why would Grant wait twenty-seven minutes to call? Did he love his sister? Why was June still in a state of mourning after 10 years? Where did Wyatt go for 10 years? Did Becca really not remember what happened that night? The author answers these questions slowly throughout the book. Painfully slow at times.

This book is not a fast mover, but I stuck with it to know the answers. It is not a bad book. It was written well, and I didn't like the characters, but I don't think I was meant to. I did feel the ending was rushed since the author spent so much time doing flashbacks to set the stage for the event. It was just a tragic accident and the aftermath that happens to people sometimes from a small-town. The twist at the end I wasn't expecting. If you like a book with different POV's, and more of drama mystery, than give it a shot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC of this book.

What happened on that bridge ten years ago? So many people in the town of West Wilmer are frozen in a holding pattern. Now there is a push to take down the bridge. The vote is coming up. And before that is the decennial to commemorate a young life lost on that bridge.

Why did Phoebe Dean die? Was it the twenty-seven minutes it took for her brother Grant to call for help? Rebecca Jane Hoyt (Becca) was in the back seat of the truck. Why can't she remember what happened? June Delroy's family has not been the same since that night. What happened to her brother Wyatt?

Exploring themes of regret, loss, and grief; this new release uses the small town rumor mill and multiple perspectives to work through the trauma of that night and lead to new beginnings.

Thank you to Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Phoebe died 10 years ago, and the big question is, why did it take her brother Twenty-Seven Minutes to call 911?

I did like the dual timelines and multiple POVs, but the characters were really unlikable. That is not my favorite tactic in thrillers/suspense books. Alot of time is spent just learning about each person and their anxieties about what happened ten years ago. It was nice to have a story with character depth but some of it felt a little long for me.

The premise of this book is what intrigued me, but overall the book was just ok for me. I'm excited to see what Tate comes out with next.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an admirable debut and premise… and I KNOW I could not do anything better. … but this was super hard to get through. Yes I wanted to know what ultimately happened. And the ending was good. But the middle parts seemed a little basic in the writing. A touch repetitive and circuitous. This writer shows promise!

“𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐥.”

I was excited to dive into this book, as part of a Tandem Readalong, and because I’m always excited to check out new Canadian authors.

Ashley Tate’s debut is atmospheric, emotional, and filled with intrigue. I loved the format, concentrating on mostly four characters, Grant, Becca, June, and Wyatt, alongside flashbacks to the fateful night when Phoebe Dean was killed from the point of view from others in town. Tate gives just enough snippets of the past to keep you engaged and have you wondering how all these characters connect to that tragic night. She also captured the effect of rumours with the claustrophobic nature of a small town where everyone thinks they know your business, and where everyone has an opinion (Tate highlights this with the upcoming vote on the fate of the bridge). The characters are well developed, even if they aren’t very likeable and are incredibly unreliable, however they are also truly complex. I found myself hating Grant and Becca’s selfishness and crying for June and Wyatt, as they seemed surrounded by suffocating sadness. The story does move at a slower pace, not really a thriller, and more like a drama on complex grief, and how we all deal with tragedy differently, alongside a mystery. I could’ve used a bit more resolution to the ending - it wrapped up a bit abruptly, however I found I couldn’t wait to get to each day’s pages and to share my thoughts and theories in our chat group.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a story of reverberating loss, resentment, secrecy, manipulation and deep regret. It is a strong debut with a complex web of tragic characters. Thank you to SourceBooks for the digital ARC, and DoubleDay Canada & Tandem Global for the gifted copy!

Oh... my. Where do I even start with this one? The premise, AMAZING, the execution, a complete flop.
First and foremost, the representation of mental illness, psychosis, and addiction in this novel is really upsetting. All of these characters lived through an extremely traumatic event, and while everyone deals with trauma in their own way, every person in this novel needs professional, intense, and very specific trauma-related therapy.
Also, let's please talk about the characters. When read a book, I like to have at least one likable. This book had no such personalities. And yes, I get it, traumatic event, but Becca's mindset was terrible, June was a mess, and Grant is straight up hallucinating. But my main problem was Becca. Her selfishness and ego-centric behavior (again, traumatic event, I get it, but still), made me angry. Every time the story line shifted to her perspective I found myself feeling annoyed and irritated. I wanted to shake her and remind her that she's not the one who died! Yes, she lived through something hard, but expecting that people pay more attention to her (over and over again, I might add), got repetitive and boring.
Now, for the ending. Pages and pages of this book were spent alluding to the tragedy of that night, the horrific events that everyone had kept secret for 10 years, but after a while, that plot device gets really old. About 80 pages in, the whole started to feel very repetitive and nondescript. Then, we get to the end of the book, and the big "reveal" is about a page and a half, and the ending falls completely flat. No spoilers, but no one gets what they deserve, the whole ending just kind of fades to black with zero follow up or conclusion. Don't get me wrong, I do sometimes like an open-ended conclusion, but this one was TOO open. I want an epilogue, or a conclusion, or something...
I try really hard not to completely dump on books like this because I usually can find some redeeming qualities in a story, but this one really wasn't good. If you're looking for a "to read or not to read" I'd advise you to not waste your time.

**Please note: this review is posted on GoodReads as of 1/29

Phoebe died 10 years ago, and the big question is why it took her brother, Dean Twenty-Seven Minutes to call 911.

This is a very good book that hums with a minefield of secrets that may burst to come out with the upcoming 10-year reunion of Phebe's death.

I recommend this book to those that like a fast paced read, with a vibrant ending this was very entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this dual timeline, multiple point of view book. Liked trying to figure out what really happened the night Phoebe Dean died. Can't wait to see more from this author.

My thoughts are pretty neutral on this one. I didn't love it and didn't hate it. It was a slow burn suspense with not a super shocking ending. In fact, the ending felt a little bit rushed.

Some characters were unlikeable. We spent a lot of time learning about each one and their anxieties about the accident. This felt a little drawn out but also had me intrigued.

Overall, it was a pretty okay debut novel and I'm excited to see what Tate comes out with next.



Read If You Like:
Multiple POV's
Alternate Timelines
Slow Burn Thrillers
Character Driven
Small Town Drama

This was a quick read for me. The chapter rotated around the 4 main characters and you would also get a little glimpse of what happened that fateful night through some flashbacks within the chapters. There were a lot of twists and turns with some very damaged and flawed characters. As the story goes on and you learn more my opinion changed of some of the characters. It was intriguing and probably a bit of a peek behind how hiding a secret and lying can really take a toll on your life and others around you. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The question that has been haunting the town for ten years is clear from the beginning. Why did Grant take so long to ask for help when his sister Phoebe was dying because of a car accident they had?

I was never bored while reading this but wasn't hooked or invested in the plot. I saw the big reveal coming early on and kept reading to prove my theory.

This book is written from multiple POVs and alternating timelines, which are the things I enjoyed the most. These characters were unlikable, I never really connected with any of them. At times the story started feeling repetitive. The ending felt rushed, even if I didn't care about the characters I would've liked to know more.

There was so much drama between the characters. I was hoping to be more on the edge of my seat with the story but it was more about the characters' introspection and flaws. Overall I felt neutral about this, didn't hate it, didn't love it.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow burn thriller told from multiple POV after a tragic accident took a young girl's life. I liked the mystery and intrigue surrounding the story and the way it was told made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I feel the pacing was a little bit slow and the book maybe didn't have to be so long. Overall it was a good thriller.

Ten years ago, Grant took twenty-seven minutes to call for help the night of the car accident, minutes that cost his sister Phoebe her life. Now, on the ten year anniversary, someone is ready to reveal all that really happened that night.

This wasn’t always the easiest book to read. I think it’s because a few of the characters were so unlikeable, which I think was the point. One of the twists at the end felt like it came out of left field, but looking back, it worked. The other twist was also surprising, and I do think Tate set up these twists well.

This is a read it or don’t for me. It’s certainly not bad, but there are a lot of other, better books out there in this genre.

What happened in twenty-seven minutes ten years ago? It's hard to know, when the minutes were frozen in time with mystery, questions, and secrets. Tate's debut novel has four points of view about a car accident on bridge a small town. As we hear from Becca, June, Grant, and Wyatt, Phoebe's death gets more and more complicated.

This novel is intriguing, but it is a slow burn of events, perspectives, and relationships. It kept me guessing, however, until the shocking ending. The book is not joyful or light to me in anyway. Instead, it a finely crafted complex narrative about grief, longing, and memory leading up to the truth.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press
for an advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is Ashley Tate’s debut novel, it reads like a seasoned thriller writer wrote it.

One night after a drunken party, Grant Dean, his sister Phoebe, and their friend Becca all got into a vehicle to get home. With Grant driving, they got into a horrendous crash on the bridge. Grant and Becca survived the crash. Both were badly injured, and Becca doesn’t remember the crash. Grant explained how he hit a deer and swerved into the guardrail. If that was the story, then why did it take Grant twenty-seven minutes to call for help?

June remembers that night very well. That was the night her brother vanished. She blames Grant's family because all of the police manpower went into Phoebe’s case, instead of the search for her brother.

As the ten year anniversary and memorial services are to be held, another car crash in the same location occurs stirring up memories and gossip. Dark secrets are revealed and horrifying truths come to light.

I did enjoy this book. I think that it started as a slow burner, then really picked up the second half. I would recommend this book, as it was a 3 ½ star read for me. I can’t wait to see what Ashley comes up with next.

Ashley Tate delivers a gripping debut thriller that delves into the intricacies of guilt, grief, and regret. The narrative unfolds in the three days leading up to the memorial marking the 10th anniversary of Phoebe’s tragic death. Tate skillfully weaves the perspectives of Grant, Becca, June, and Wyatt creating suspense as the reader learns more about a tragic night.
Twenty- Seven Minutes, the time it took Grant to call for help after the accident that took his sister Phoebe’s life, becomes the haunting backdrop to the story. Ten years later, speculation and town gossip linger in the air of this small Texas community where secrets are hard to keep, and even in death, Phoebe remains a central figure due to her immense popularity. But there’s a dysfunctional family element that adds to the mystery.
The narrative focuses on the four main characters, most with shades of unlikeability which makes me question their motivations and actions. Grant was a high school football hero and is tortured by memories of the night of the accident and consumed with the secret he’s keeping. He is haunted by Phoebe’s ghost and has turned to alcohol as a means of coping. Becca was a passenger in the accident who knows the truth- or a version she is led to believe. Her character intrigues me because she doesn’t have a grip on reality- she resents all the attention towards Phoebe when she has suffered too.
While the events leading up to the memorial raise questions about the town’s suspended time, the author captures the nuances of grief and guilt in the characters’ experiences and emotions. Becca’s struggle to keep Grant’s secret for a decade adds a psychological depth even though I found it challenging to believe. June’s mourning of the death of her mother and Wyatt’s return after ten years raises questions about the past. Was it a coincidence that Wyatt left town the night of the accident? He’s back and is ready to share what really happened that night. The inclusion of interspersed chapters from ten years ago provides an important element to the narrative which helps gradually unravel the mystery of Phoebe’s death on the bridge.
The author’s writing shines in depicting the weight of loss in a claustrophobic small- town and creating deep and complex characters. The story builds towards a riveting conclusion with a major twist, skillfully revealed, leaving me astonished. I will be anticipating future works by this new author.

Ten years have passed since Phoebe died in a car crash with her brother Grant behind the wheel. What baffled the investigation, why did Grant call 911 27 minutes after it happened? Becca was in the car with them and injured. She has promised to keep Grant's secret.
As the ten year anniversary and memorial services are to be held, another car crash in the same location occurs stirring up memories and gossip in the small town of West Wilmer. Everyone knows and points, stares and talks in whispers about what happened that night. One person in town, June remembers the night well when her brother vanished. She blames Grant's family because all of the grief went into Phoebe instead of the search in her brother's disappearance. Dark secrets are revealed and the horrifying truth. This story shares regrets, loss and how the past can never be changed. As it haunts the small town, the twist will haunt you even more.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-arc.*

A small town thriller with a big story and even better plot. Highly recommend this twisty unputdownable book. I can’t wait to read more from this author.