It took me forever to read this book because I just could not get into it. It was difficult for me to keep the characters straight, there was too much introspection for me, and I was just waiting to figure out what was going on and to get to the point. I did not connect with anyone, didn’t care about any of it and it was just not a good read for me. Would not recommend.

Ashley Tate's novel Twenty-Seven Minutes is haunting and filled with twists as characters from a small town all try and solve a mysterious death and disappearance of two of their own that occurred 10 years before. On the 10 year anniversary of Phoebe Dean's death the town is coming together for her memorial held by her mother who has never been able to let go. The town is in outrage and ready to tear down the bridge where the accident occurred after another one has happened almost 10 years to the day. Members of the town are torn over keeping it up or taking it down.

Phoebe's brother Grant has secrets about that night he doesn't want anyone to find out. Becca has longed to be the love of Gran't life for 10 years and is still confused by her role in the accident that night. Grant manipulates her into keeping his secrets hoping she will never remember what really happened. June Delroy has just lost her mother and is stunned when after 10 years her brother Wyatt who mysteriously vanished has shown up at her doorstep. Wyatt waits until the memorial to get his truth out about what really happened that night on the bridge. An explosive ending filled with a twist you won't see coming sets the story straight about the events leading up to Phoebe's death.

Ashley Tate wrote a truly incredible story about love, loss, and what happens when people truly cannot let the past go. The way she writes is so moving and descriptive enough you feel as you are standing there watching the story play out. The descriptiveness paints such a dark, gray overcast over the town as the secrets all come to light. She finishes out the story perfectly with the epilogue. The ending does not leave any unanswered questions but makes you think about the impact this crash has had on so many people for an entire decade. The story flowed well but was slow at times. I found myself putting it down and coming back to it because I wanted to know how it ended. By the last quarter of the book the plot picked up pace and ended wonderfully. Great job Ashley Tate. She is an incredible writer and I look forward to reading more of her books,

This book initially had me super hooked, but unfortunately I felt like it was easy to figure out. Gave YA small town mystery vibes which I enjoyed and always love an "it girl" who wasn't all she seemed. This was a super quick and easy read though. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced e reader copy.

3 stars. I wanted to love this book as I feel like the overall plot is really good but unfortunately for me the book just seemed to drag on. The pacing was very slow and it just seemed much longer than it needed to be to get the points across that it did. I believe this is marketed as a thriller but was really more about exploring the effects of trauma and loss on the main characters and how these affected their mental well being. By no means is that a negative just an observation. I generally love these types of books and have a hard time putting them down but for me this just wasn’t the case. I was surprised by the plot twist at the end. Overall this book was just kind of meh, average.

Complex characters, twists and turns, and a well developed story had me completely invested in 27 minutes. It didn’t matter if I loathed the character or was rooting for them, this was one of those books where you NEED to know how things play out for every single character. We’re thrown into the story right away being introduced to a few high school kids that had been in a car accident and one of the two girls seemingly is killed. At first glance, it appears he may have purposefully killed her but the story goes on with layers of each character unfolding with little tidbits of knowledge thrown at you where you never know what truly happened that night until the very end! I really enjoyed the included Book Club questions at the end, since I do think this is a perfect Book Club thriller read!

I think the book cover fits the book really well, the title “Twenty Seven Minutes” is the whole theme of the book, the character pondering and gossiping about what happened in that twenty seven minutes etc. The cover could be a scene from that night ten years ago with the headlights the only light in the darkness at the car accident incident.

Basically, the book tells the story of a group of people and how one particular night changed their lives and those around them. It's set in a small town that thrives on squabbles and gossip.

The book flashes back and forth 10 yrs, between the accident 10 yrs ago & the present day.

Each of the different characters has their own issues to deal with surrounding that night ten years ago. They all have their own secrets they are keeping too.

The book concentrates on two families, the Dean's and the Delroy's.

Grant & Phoebe Dean are the central characters of the book. There was a car accident 10 years ago and still that night is shrouded in darkness and mystery.
Why was Becca even in the car with Grant & Phoebe Dean that night. When the accident Grant waited a whole 27 minutes before calling for emergency services. The small town gossips say that Grant was drunk. Grant seems to be covering something up for Becca their weird on/off 'relationship' has to be kept secret even 10yrs later! I wondered at certain points in the book if the relationship was all in Becca's head the whole time.
I was also intrigued by the character of Phoebe, I wanted to know who was the real Phoebe? The straight A student so sweet & kind, helping Grant with his school work, the concerned sister wanting him to do his best, so they could escape together. Or a nasty conniving sister who saw Grant as her ticket out of their small town.

The other main character family is the Delroy's. Wyatt Delroy had argued with his father Hank the same night as the accident and disappeared. June has asked numerous times over the years where he was seen that night and where but it appears no knows anything. June nursed her sick mother until her recent death and now she is navigating her 'new life' but is still plagued by her missing brother and finding out what happened.

At times I felt frustrated with the book as sometime it does feel a bit of a jumble, with lots of twists, turns and back and forth. It did sometimes feel repetitive and irritating but I was captivated enough that I had to continue reading. I honestly admit I was feeling really irritated that at 44% of the way into the book I still didn't know what actually happened that night. It is difficult to review and say much more without revealing spoilers. On the whole I did enjoy the book though it was a 'different' read in that everything is about that one night and how the car accident changed the route of so many lives.

Summing up I thought the book had lots of twists, turns, angst, mystery and suspense with an emotional but fitting tribute in the end.

I love a good small town mystery/suspense, because everyone in that town in involved somehow and there are so many secrets, I LOVE THAT!!!! 10 years ago, Phoebe dies in a car accident, she was coming from a party with her older brother, and then POW the accident, there was a 3rd passenger, who was also hurt but doesn't remember everything, and why did it take her brother Grant 27 minutes to call 911 for his sister????!!!!

The town wants to take that bridge down after someone else dies there, some people in town don't want it to happen, and some do. There is a 10yrs anniversary memorial for her, and at the same time we meet June, whose family are not even thought of, because not only did her mother just pass and no one was there to attend, her brother Wyatt went missing that night as well, up and left and never came back home, leaving his family devastated, but also thinking he has run off to do his own thing. But I will say this, when he comes back??? June needs answers, but he wants to wait until the 10 year anniversary memorial.

I felt so bad for June, but one thing I loved about her was that she was unafraid of asking questions, more and more now that her brother is back in town. he's slowly changing and she's scared that he's really sick and like her mom he's going to leave her. Then there is Becca, wow, she was one very convincing character, her mental instability, I felt horrible for her, this is a shitty town, and slowly things started to unravel and VERY SLOWLY.

This review is as long as it is, mainly because there was so many parts that I really enjoyed, I was hooked because I wanted to know what REALLY happened 10 years ago, we go back and from, but I felt it was very repetitive. I wanted it to get to the point already, and then of course 90% before the book finishes we get what we wanted, the real reason why it took Grant 27 minutes to call 911, and the secrets behind why Wyatt left, I will say this, that ending made me cry, it was heartwarming for a particular character.

4.5 stars. This book immediately drew me in and I couldn't put it down, literally fell asleep while reading it because it was so late while I was reading! The end was definitely a plot twist I didn't guess. It felt.like each character was different and I appreciated the difference between how they all dealt with trauma.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before its publication date.

Now I love a good mystery thriller, and I did enjoy this one. The only problem for me was that all the characters annoyed me. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I kept finding myself wanting to like someone. That being said, the story needed unlikeable, unreliable characters in order to succeed. I was reminded of books such as "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "One of Us Is Lying", although this one takes place ten years after the accident that changed the lives of many in a small town. I did enjoy reading this, and would recommend it to others, but I did find places a bit predictable.

2.5 stars. Oof. This one was just not for me.

Ten years ago, beloved teen Phoebe Dean died at the scene of an accident. Her brother Grant was driving. And for some reason, Grant waited 27 minutes to call an ambulance. He claims to have been knocked out, and the other passenger corroborates his story, but was something more sinister going on? Did he wait to call on purpose, knowing his sister would likely die?

Okay, so. The premise is pretty solid, and the big "twist" reveal did surprise me in the best kind of way. The problem is, the pacing and plot points were abysmal. The entire book takes place over the span of a few days, and pretty much every scene is characters talking to themselves or others. It's a little bit torturous. I found myself skimming whole paragraphs because there was no important/relevant information contained within them, just the same flat characters going over the same basic character motivation points. No bueno.

I might have enjoyed this more on audio, where it moves along a bit faster and I can sort of zone out? I'm not sure. If you think you can handle that, like I said the reveal is great, so give it a shot. Otherwise, maybe look elsewhere for your next engaging thriller pick.

Thank you to Ashley Tate, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

I finally finished reading Twenty-Seven Minutes and it was…repetitive and slow. I had a difficult time getting into it and motivating to finish. The storyline was ok, I do think it could have benefited from more editing. There was an interesting twist at the end. Not sure I would recommend this one.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the electronic ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I really wanted to like this but from the beginning struggled to keep the characters straight enough to care. I was a little confused by the age range of the book too, since I think all of the main characters are in high school but constantly talk about drugs and alcohol. Ultimately the twists and reveals weren’t shocking and I had a negative reading experience overall.

WOW! Excuse me while I gather my wits! From the first paragraph it was INTENSE and gripping. I appreciated the multiple POVs as the story unwound into the full picture. This was my first read by this author and I will definitely be on the lookout for her next work. Fantastic debut!! MUST read!!

Filled with lots of emotions. Characters who just can't get out of their own way. I liked the characters, she wrote crazy very well. The small town and all the gossip was on point as well. An entertaining journey. I felt everything fall into place quite a bit before any reveals so the twists weren't here for me but reading it was still satisfying as the characters interactions kept it entertaining. 3.75

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a tale that follows several characters who's lives are changed after a tragic accident that occurs during their high school years. The first page absolutely gripped me, I absolutely needed to know what happened to Phoebe. Beloved Phoebe, forever immortalized by her town as she was a sweetheart, the perfect student but as the story unfolds, cracks begin to appear. As much as I was intrigued by the mystery of Phoebe's death, the unlikeable characters that remained to unravel the story frustrated me. Grant, the grieving brother, with his womanizing and booze and Becca with her obsessive nature and look at me attitude, it made it hard to sympathize with either of them. I preferred June with her own brand of grief and confusion over the state of her life. Too much back and forth, although the flashbacks continued to grip me, it all culminates in an explosive twist that if you are suspicious enough, you can see coming.

Twenty Seven Minutes is a literary suspense novel and a complex character study showing how grief affects the lives of several characters in a small town. It’s a moving story that will stay with you. And the ending packs a punch!

Don’t pick this up if you’re looking for a disposable thrill ride. Do read for sophisticated, thought-provoking storytelling.

I was excited to read this one when netgalley approved me. Unfortunately it is S L O W. I really had to slog through it and honestly the payoff was not worth it. None of the characters are particularly interesting and their stories weren't very compelling. I truly didn't care what happened to a couple of them. The story had potential, the execution was just poor.

Ashley Tate's debut, TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES , is a captivating psychological/literary suspense of a tragedy affecting several families and the aftermath. One night. One mistake that leads to fear, loss, regret, and grief in this small town of dark secrets.

The novel opens with a car accident, and the victim is Phoebe Dean. The one who died in a tragic accident as it rained on a bridge over the river, even if the truth is a little more nuanced. But the ambulance was called too late—twenty-seven minutes too late.

But the truth—it will come out. Nothing can keep the truth buried; it will always unfurl itself, lay itself bare. It is unstoppable—like the tide, a storm, or a ghost. IT WILL HUNT YOU DOWN.

Told in alternating timelines: Past and Present:
Ten Years Ago and Ten Years Later

From POVs:
June
Grant
Becca
Wyatt

Grant was the driver of the car the night Phoebe died. The community wonders why he waited twenty-seven minutes to dial 911. He had been a popular football player scouted by universities and could not wait to leave this small town. After the accident, he lost his sister and dreams of leaving due to an injury. He drowns his sorrows and guilt in booze and sex.

Becca is a troubled young woman who thinks Grant loves her and keeps his secrets. Phoebe and Grant were very close siblings, and they had dreams of leaving the small town together. Phoebe is unhappy with him for not keeping up grades and walking the right path.

June and Wyatt are siblings. June has never understood why Wyatt went missing ten years ago and never returned or contacted them. When her mother dies, June is all alone and always wonders about the rumors of Wyatt —if he was selling drugs.

The small claustrophobic town of West Wilmer has been struggling to understand one thing: Why did it take young Grant Dean 27 minutes to call for help on the fateful night of the car accident that took the life of his beloved sister, Phoebe? If he'd called sooner, she might still be alive.

As the 10th anniversary of her death approaches, Grant is consumed by the memories of that night on the bridge. He lost his sister and more. He is hiding a secret. Becca, his girlfriend, was in the back seat. She knows the truth. She is keeping his secret.

There was also another person who went missing that same night. June lost her brother, Wyatt, that night, who had been missing for ten years. Now June is alone with no family or friends. June and Wyatt both feel their family is invisible compared to the Deans.

Then someone appears at her door. Someone who knows the truth. Someone ready to TELL ALL.

TWENTY SEVEN MINUTES is a slow-burn mystery told over three days when that night's horrifying truth is finally revealed ten years earlier. The night that changed lives.

My first book by the author. While the novel was mysterious, and the author successfully depicted the small town, its dreams and fears —its families and dysfunction, and the urge to escape, it was rather slow. I felt the supernatural part did not add to the story.

TWENTY SEVEN MINUTES is a heartwrenching, cautionary tale and character study of how one event can change the trajectory of your life. No likable characters here with emotions of loss, grief, pain, sorrow, regrets, disappointment, tragedy, and dark secrets are a part of this gripping suspense.

I appreciated the author's note and conversation with the author. It would make for a great book club pick with discussion questions included.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read a digital review copy for my honest feedback.

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Pub Date: Jan 30, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
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The opening scene of this book is SO good, it pulled me right in and I was excited to dive into the world of finding out what happened the night Phoebe died. Unfortunately it went downhill for me after the opening scene. I couldnt Keep the characters straight because none of them were developed enough for me to care who was who. Overall it was a run of the mill thriller, not bad but not memorable. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The book title caught my attention right off and after reading the synopsis I knew I had to read it. The prologue was very descriptive of a young girl’s thoughts right before she dies. Ten years later her mother is planning a long overdue memorial. The small town is talking about the girl and two of the main characters, Grant and Becca, are worried and scared of the truth coming out. Why did it take Grant Twenty-seven minutes to call for an ambulance?
The story jumps back and forth from ten years ago to present day. Gradually I learned the happenings of that night before the twenty-seven minutes. The event itself caused gradual mental trauma and to me downright craziness in some of the main characters. My biggest objective was the crude language sprinkled among the storyline. I had to jump over it as best as I could. I did not see the ending happening as it did, what a shocker!
If you can overlook the bad language and love truly surprising endings, this may be one you’ll want to invest some time in.
I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher through netgalley but was not required to write a review.