Twenty Seven Minutes centers around that period of time before a teenage girl dies.

Told in dual timelines of nearly ten years ago and the present.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of at the beginning. Once they were all set up and the story began it was much more interesting. I do wish some of the characters were a little more detailed in their descriptions. I felt like I didn't really get to know some of them. Although for one character I think it was left kind of vague intentionally.

The story itself was good and kept me wanting to know more. The short chapters and ease in reading kept me going. I couldn't wait to find out what actually happened in those twenty seven minutes. Not what I was expecting but made sense in the end.

3.5 stars rounded up for me.

Thanks to netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc.

Overall, I liked the book but there was a bizarreness to the story line and it felt like the reader has to deal with lots of details before the mystery is revealed.

10 years ago, Phoebe is killed in a car accident and for some reason, it takes Phoebe's brother, Grant 27 minutes to call for an ambulance. Phoebe's mother is planning a 10-year memorial and readers meet various characters from the town and learn about what they were doing the night of the accident. It also reveals some savory and manipulative behavior. In the end, all of the pieces of the puzzle come together and those 27 minutes are revealed. All the while, I did not see the ending coming, so the author did a good job keeping me guessing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

#TwentySevenMinutes #AshleyTate

This is a suspenseful story that follows families in a small town whose lives are changed forever after one fateful night. Grant Dean was driving home from a party with his sister and a friend from school when he crashes. His sister does not survive the accident, but he does, and so does their friend. On that same night, another acquaintance disappears or runs away; no one knows for sure.

The catalyst for the suspense and mysterious part of this story is that Grant's sister, Phoebe, would have lived if he had called 911 immediately. But he didn't. He waited 27 minutes to call, and it was too late by then. The book goes between the few night leading up the accident and present day, ten years after the accident. I found the story to be engaging and the characters flawed but genuine. The ending could have been more surprising, but I wasn't disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Tate, and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

What a ride. This thriller is told in multiple perspectives and dual timelines.

The night that Phoebe Dean, small town West Wilmer’s sweetheart, was killed in a horrific car accident, has haunted the town for years.

Now that the ten year anniversary of her death is approaching, her mother is hosting a memorial. There is only one person alive who knows what happened that night, Phoebe’s brother, Dean, the driver of the car.

Now that another car accident has claimed a life on the same bridge Phoebe died on, the citizens are getting worked up into a frenzy, trying to remember what happened ten years ago, and pushing for the answer to the question that has never been answered: Why did Grant Dean wait twenty seven minutes before calling an ambulance, an act that would have saved his sister’s life?

This was soooo twisty and gained momentum and frenzy as the story went on. I loved having bits of information slowly revealed in the past and present, building to the climax that hit me right in the heart.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Congratulations to Toronto author Ashley Tate on her first novel.

Head down to West Wilmer to uncover the mystery on January 30th, 2024.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The story is about a group of teenagers who leave a party, get in a car accident and a girl dies. Of course, there are secrets about what really happened. The story is told in a dual time line, the day and night of the crash and 10 years later. I really didn't connect with any of the characters and found some annoying. I also found myself wondering why they were acting the way they were and thought maybe it would be explained in the end but it wasn't. The twist at the end saved the books for me.

I have seen mixed reviews for this one, but I have to say, I was intrigued! This book is full of unreliable narrators, my favorite! The characters are all unlikeable, so don’t go in expecting to connect with them too closely. I wondered if there was supernatural elements to this one….it was a really great book to buddy read with someone!

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
The short chapters and alternating POV's made for a very compelling read. I was gripped by it easily and it made it a very quick, although heavy, read. It uniquely shows the depth of grief and guilt. The continued mystery keeps you connected, but I did figure most of it out early on. There were a lot of toxic relationships with the main characters that it was hard to connect or feel for them, resulting in a slightly disappointed read for me in the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Multiple POVs
Mystery
High School - Small Town Drama

🛑 ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ:
Grief
Toxic relationships

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦?

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦'𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧, 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵—𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥.

If you can get past how many major characters there are, you will enjoy this book. I tend to not enjoy books like that. It takes up too much of the book to introduce them all and they seem superficial which is the case in this book. Getting past that, it’s an interesting thriller surrounding a 10 year anniversary of a car accident with a death involved. Not a bad book for a debut author..
#ashleytate #netgalley #thepoisonedpen #twentysevenminutes

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was slow at the beginning but I had to know what was going to happen at the end of the book!

The book was about young kids and somebody is dead. But nobody will teach who did it and how.

Great job Ashley!

I found the story itself to be pretty compelling, but none of the characters (and I mean none) were likable in any way, which I found a bit difficult. It was hard for me to really care about any of them all that much, although June was the one I empathized with the most.

What saved this one for me was the ending. I really didn't see it coming, and that's pretty rare for me with thrillers, so I appreciate that Ashley Tate was able to create such a good twist.

I do think this one was worth the read, and I would tentatively recommend it for anyone who doesn't mind unlikable characters. If you can get past that, then this is a really well written novel, especially for a debut!

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ten years ago, Phoebe Dean died. She was in a car accident with her brother behind the wheel, and Becca in the back, they survived, she didn't. Now it's coming up to the ten-year anniversary and all anyone can talk about is how sad it is, how wonderful she was, that she was going to be something someday. For those closer to it, they want nothing more than to keep moving on with their lives, yet every day, they're reminded of that tragic event, and the secrets that they're all keeping about it. The biggest secret of all is, why did it take Grant - Phoebe's brother - Twenty-Seven Minutes to call for help?

I'm a sucker for a good thriller, especially one that has a burning mystery at its centre. As soon as I read the blurb for this book, I had to request it. Knowing only the basics about the story, I still needed to know, what could possibly make a brother wait almost half an hour to call emergency services while his sister lay dying on the road? If he had only called sooner, there's a chance she'd have survived. So, sign me up because I was hooked before I'd even been approved for it.

This story takes place over the three days leading up to Phoebe's ten-year memorial. It's told in dual timelines between the present day and ten years ago. Most of the time switches are done between chapters and are labelled as such at the beginning of that chapter, however, there are a few flashback scenes told within a chapter that is written from the present-day timeline. For the most part the time jumps were fine, initially it took me a second to wrap my head around it, but once I'd gotten used to a flashback sporadically popping up mid chapter, it did flow for me. There are four points of view that this story is told from: Grant, Becca, June and Wyatt. Initially, it did feel like there were just too many characters and too much going on with the flashbacks and the dual timelines, but by about 35% into the story, I'd managed to fall into a rhythm with it all and was able to keep all the characters straight as well as the events leading up to THE night ten years ago, and the events happening in the lead up to the memorial in the present day. This book needs your full attention, there is a lot going on, and if you want to fully get a feel for it all, you do really need to give it your full focus. This isn't just a regular, run of the mill thriller/mystery. Pretty much from the get-go, you can see that it's an incredibly bleak story that deals heavily with grief, loss and guilt. So, it definitely turned out to be a heavier book than what I was anticipating it to be, and that's not a bad thing either. I feel like it gave the story more substance, and it really did make me think about different things. Like June's loneliness and isolation, that's one of my biggest fears. Having everyone that I love leave or pass away and me being left alone and slowly forgotten about. I really felt for June because I felt like I could sympathise with her situation in a way. I also thought about Grant's situation, having the whole town constantly judging him for his choices. Choices that ultimately lead to his little sister's death. I couldn't even imagine the guilt that he would have been carrying.

The characters. As said above, there's a few. Initially I felt like there was too many, but I did change my mind about this as the story progressed. It was good to be able to get so many different angles on the accident and the things surrounding it, and having so many different characters did allow this. The only character that I really liked was June. I felt for her, so much. Becca was an interesting character because of her fixations and obsessions, but she did really bug me. She's one of those characters that I think you're meant to dislike. She's incredibly self-centred and this came through in spades for the entire story. I did feel for her on a few different occasions though. Especially with her interactions with Grant. Wyatt was a perplexing character. I wanted to dislike him because of his mood swings and some of the things he was saying to June, as well as some of the ways he treated her. What was weird, was that I couldn't hate him. I wanted to throttle him on numerous occasions, but I couldn't hate him. I really enjoyed his part of the storyline too. Grant. Now, Grant, I really disliked, I could probably say that I hated Grant. I know that kids make dumb decisions, and I know that there was so much trauma there from his mother, but dude, come on. Again, I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be so stuck in grief and carry so much guilt, feeling responsible for what happened. But he never tried to help himself at all. Maybe it's because he felt that he deserved everything he was given, everything that happened to him, was said to him. That circles back around to that pesky guilt thing, but still, he bugged me to no end, and he was so manipulative.

I did consider DNFing this one early on, but that burning need to know why Grant waited so long to call emergency services kept me hanging on. As well as the fact that Wyatt had something he needed to bring into the light, and I really needed to know what that was. As the story progressed, once I hit about the 40% mark, I knew that I was finishing it. I'd become committed to the story and I'd become engaged in the story line. It wasn't just a need to know anymore, I actually wanted to see how everything panned out for all of the people involved. I had a couple of theories in my head for that big burning question that initially made me request the book, but I was way off base. This story managed to surprise me on a number of fronts and for that I applaud it.

All in all, this was a twisting and turning story of how one event can impact so many people in different ways. It gave an insight into the soul sucking black hole that grief, guilt and loss can be, and how hopeless and bleak life can seem while you're stuck in its orbit. It showed how one decision could be life changing, or life ending, and how trauma can make the human mind do odd things. For a debut novel, Tate honestly did hit this one out of the park. As said above, this story managed to surprise me with a few different things, and I really appreciated how much deeper this story was than just a thrilling mystery. If you find that you're struggling in the beginning, stick with it because it will pull you in.

Phoebe was possessive over her brother Grant. But Phoebe is dead now. There was a car accident in which it took her brother a long time to call for help
Becka was in the car with Grant and Phoebe when the accident occurred. Becka and Grant were actually in a relationship together, but they did not want Phoebe to find out, considering how possessive she was
Wyatt and June were at the party Grant got drunk at before he was involved in the accident
Wyatt has something to hide as well. He has been gone for 10 years since the accident happened. But now he is suddenly home
Seems like they all have something to hide about that night after the party
Something happened, and maybe the accident that killed Phoebe was more than just an accident

Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

Twenty-Seven Minutes is about a tragic death that happened years ago and the people connected to that night. This was a great quick mystery. The writing was good and the plot twists were ones I didn’t see coming. I do wish the characters were more fleshed out and the reasons behind their actions were better explained. But again this was a quick story so it didn’t get the chance to go into depth. I am interesed in reading other books by this author.

What a book!!! A story about a small town where an accident ten years ago on a rickety bridge shapes five people’s lives forever.
The main characters June, Grant, Becca and Phoebe and Wyatt, are all great, complex, interesting people. As the ten year anniversary approaches and they feel the pressure of keeping their secrets, slowly but surely, the reader starts to understand how they tick. I was totally obsessed with this book! It was written so well that the twists and turns and some shockers really made it extra special!! You won’t be able to stop reading!!!
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read this debut arc copy via Netgalley.
#Netgalley,#poisonedpenpress, #ashleytateauthor.

Twenty Seven Minutes
by Ashley Tate

This is an arc review in e-book form that I received from AshleyTate, Netgalley, and Poisonedpenpress in exchange for an honest review.

This book will be available on 1/29/24. Make sure to get a copy!

Phoebe Dean was the most popular girl alive and dead.

For the last ten years, the small, claustrophobic town of West Wilmer has been struggling to understand one thing: Why did it take young Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help on the fateful night of the car accident that took the life of his beloved sister, Phoebe?

Someone knows what really happened the night Phoebe died. Someone who is ready to tell the truth.

With Phoebe's memorial in just three days, grief, delusion, ambition, and regret tornado together with biting gossip in a town full of people obsessed with a long-gone tragedy with four people at its heart―the caretaker, the secret girlfriend, the missing bad boy, and a former football star. Just kids back then are forever tied together the fateful rainy night Phoebe died. 

What really happened that night? And why did June's brother Wyatt disappear on that same night never to return?

The beginning is slightly confusing with multiple and I mean Multiple POVs jumping around. It also shifts back and forth between the present and ten years ago. Once you get used to that, it's a pretty interesting read.

The first half of the book is kinda slow but really picks up towards the middle and becomes a book you want binge, which I did.

Each character dealing with the grief and trauma in their own separate ways suffering through the same tragedy. It was difficult to find a character I resonated with, but I dont need to like a character to like the book. The author did a fantastic job of really exploring each person's character and reaction to the trauma.

It was definitely a slow burn to get to the truth. The anticipation building and building, the twist at the end was a nice surprise.

I will definitely keep an eye out for more works by this author!!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary copy of this debut novel!!!

It took Grant exactly twenty-seven minutes to call for help after the car accident that claimed his sister Phoebe’s life. Why? What was he doing in those twenty-seven minutes? Now, it is ten years later and their mom wants to hold a memorial. But the local sheriff wasn’t convinced then and even now seems doubtful to what actually happened that fateful night. Becca, the supposed girlfriend to Grant was also in the car that fateful night and they are each covering for one another. But someone knows the truth. Phoebe was popular when she was alive, but she is still holding the limelight even now ten years later after her death.

June and Wyatt are brother and sister living in the same town. Wyatt had also disappeared that same night as the car accident. June always wondered where he was and why he left. Now with her father and mother gone, Wyatt is finally back. This novel is a literary suspense that delves into what happens when deep, dark secrets are kept for a long time and grief becomes unbearable. But what happens when all these dark, long-held secrets finally come to light?

I really enjoyed this novel!!! This is a debut novel for Ashley Tate and I will definitely be looking forward to more of her books!!! I didn’t want to put it down! 5 stars for me! AVAILABLE January 30, 2024

For the past 10 years the town of West Wilmer has been grieving the loss of Phoebe Dean. She passed after a car crash and while tragic there are still questions that have never been answered…why did her brother Grant wait 27 minutes to call for help? What happened during those 27 minutes? Grant’s life has been riddled with guilt and regrets and with the 10 anniversary of the crash approaching he is really struggling….but someone else was there that night too. Will these secrets stay hidden?

I really liked the premise of this book and the prologue definitely grabbed my attention! We live through the last minutes of Phoebe’s life and it really sets the tone for the book. I loved how the story was told from different timelines and this story really kept me guessing! I enjoyed the multiple POV because we really get to know each character.

This is a very slow burn type of book and you are going to wade through grief and questions and horrifying secrets but I think the payoff at the end was worth the wait!!

✨Tropes
🖤Thriller/Mystery
🖤Small Town
🖤Dark Secrets
🖤Grief
🖤Multiple POV

Twenty-Seven Minutes isn't bad for a debut novel. The storyline worked well for me, but it was a bit lengthy. I realize the tension build-up needed to be there for the big reveal, but I felt bogged down by the constant reminder of things we already knew.
This is a story of a high school party gone terribly wrong. A combination of poor choices made by teenagers and pouring down rain make for a fatal situation and a terrible accident. Lies and a cover-up story eat away at the two survivors, Grant and Becca, for a decade. There's truth to what we've heard all our lives "the truth will come out...eventually," so buckle up and enjoy the ride. The twist is one that I didn't see coming. Overall, I enjoyed the story. It just took a bit to get there.
Thank you, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks) for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🙈🙉🙊Such sadly, tragic characters😞

I found this story compelling, drawing me on to its cathartic end, but it was not an easy path to get there. The narrative, told in alternating POV chapters by the main characters and anchored by a slow reveal of the seminal day's actual events, may seem repetitious. But I would say the author is slowly painting a detailed picture of how one horribly tragic night affected and is still, after ten years, dominating lives with the secrets and regrets they carry.

The four main characters and their parents are all tragic, each in his or her own way, and not easy to like. Grant, the former high school football star forever tainted due to his reckless behavior; striving-to-be-perfect sister Phoebe, whose tragic death their mother just can't let go; obsessive stalker Becca, who clings to a lie, an allusion of a relationship and the need to be seen; and June, whose family fell apart when her older brother Wyatt disappeared without warning and almost without notice because Phoebe's death consumed everyone's attention.

The ending surprised me. Maybe it shouldn't have, but it did. And though I did not find most of the characters sympathetic, I have to say that I liked the story.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Ten years about Phoebe dies in a car crasher a memorial is planned which brings up the question again, why did her brother wait 27 minutes to call for help.

I love books where I don't see the ending coming and this book kept me guessing. Told from multiple people's point of view left me wondering which person was telling the truth and I was shocked at the ending on multiple levels. If you like a good thriller, I don't think you'll be disappointed.