I thought the concept and plot of this book was very interesting and it had me wanting to keep reading to see what actually happened that night 10 years ago.

As someone who comes from a very small town I think the author did a great job of creating the world of the book. These characters felt like small town people and the town felt very real.

The main problem I had with this book and why I’m giving it only 2 stars is I didn’t care about the characters at all. They were all whiny, stuck in their lives, and making absolutely no attempt to fix anything. It was character after character who was depressed and stuck in the past and all they did was complain about the past. I understand that the book was about this incident that happened 10 years before and it shaped all these people’s lives, but it felt like there was literally nothing else going on except worrying over the past.

I also thought some of the character choices were very strange and didn’t feel realistic. And not in a suspend my disbelief because this is a book kind of way. I can’t really explain more than that because of spoilers.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

A Lackluster Unveiling of Secrets

"Twenty-Seven Minutes" by Ashley Tate had the potential for a gripping narrative, centered around a tragic event that shaped the lives of the characters involved. However, the execution of the storyline fell short of expectations, resulting in a rather mediocre reading experience.

The prologue, narrated from Phoebe's perspective, offered a poignant glimpse into the tragic circumstances surrounding her death. This initial setup instilled a desire for justice for Phoebe, creating a powerful emotional hook. Unfortunately, the promise of a compelling plot diminished as the story unfolded.

One notable positive aspect was the multiple perspectives employed, allowing insights into the minds of characters like Grant, Becca, June, Wyatt, and Phoebe. Regrettably, the use of multiple viewpoints became a stumbling block, leading to unnecessary repetition. The recounting of events from different characters often felt redundant, adding little to the overall narrative and making the storytelling seem tiresome.

The lack of character depth was another drawback. With the exception of June, who elicited some sympathy due to her perceived sadness, the characters were portrayed as largely irredeemable. Grant's questionable actions and Becca's erratic behavior left little room for readers to connect or empathize with them. This lack of relatability hindered the potential for emotional engagement, leaving the reader detached from the characters' fates.

The story's pacing further hindered its impact. The majority of the book felt like a tedious build-up, with the real action and revelations confined to the prologue and the last 10% of the narrative. This led to a sense of disappointment, as the prolonged exposition failed to deliver a satisfying payoff for the reader's time investment.

Ultimately, the predictability of the ending further detracted from the overall appeal of the book. It not only rendered one of the perspectives seemingly pointless but also left a lingering sense of dissatisfaction, as the conclusion failed to provide a meaningful resolution to the questions raised throughout the narrative.

In conclusion, "Twenty-Seven Minutes" had a promising premise but faltered in its execution. Repetitive storytelling, lackluster character development, and a delayed payoff overshadowed the potential for a gripping tale. This book, unfortunately, falls short of delivering a satisfying reading experience.

I am saddened to say I did not really enjoy this book, the synopsis sounded like a good concept, but the characters fell flat for me, and honestly seemed very odd. And, the book itself really didn’t have much of a story, it was repetitive for 90%, not making any headway and repeating the same things over and over. The twist did shock me, but by that point I was so over the book and bored with it!

So engaging and exciting! Could not put it down! Absolutely fabulous! Recommend to all thriller lovers

TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES captured me from the start. I enjoyed the past and present timelines and alternating points of view. I did find it to be slow at times, but I really didn't mind it. Overall, I thought this was a good story that I can recommend to customers.

I READ THIS BOOK IN A DAY! I loved it, and would highly recommend it to anyone who is into mysteries or suspense. It was a very bingeable book and is easy to fly through! *Spoiler free review*

This book is told through multiple view points with alternating character chapters. All of the characters live in the same small town and are connected in some way. I sometimes find it hard to follow along when there are so many characters and alternating viewpoints, but that was not the case for this book. All of the characters were so distinct and played a big role throughout the whole book. Each also had their own mystery to them that had me turning page after page.

When all of the pieces fell into place, I was in shock. I did not see the twists in this book coming!! It was so enjoyable. As soon as I was done, I just sat there thinking about it and tried to piece everything together in my head. (I love a book that leaves me thinking like this)

The only note is just a bit more background/world building of the town would have been nice since it is stated that they live in such a small town. But, this is just a small piece of the story and didn’t negatively impact my feelings towards the book as a whole.

Despite some of the mixed reviews, I genuinely would recommend this book to mystery lovers! I would give it a shot and pick it up for yourself!

The central mystery surrounding the death of Phoebe Dean and the seemingly suspicious actions of her brother Grant, combined with the ten-year anniversary approaching, sets the stage for a story brimming with suspense and hidden motives.

Multiple Perspectives: The inclusion of various character perspectives, including the caretaker, the secret girlfriend, the missing bad boy, and the former football star, promises a nuanced exploration of the event's impact on different individuals.

Comparisons to Literary Suspense: fans of Jane Harper and Celeste Ng will see a focus on character development, psychological elements, and a slow-burn approach to uncovering the truth, rather than an action-packed thriller.

Potential Pitfalls: The synopsis hints at a small-town setting and gossip-driven atmosphere, which could resonate with fans of certain genres but might feel repetitive or overly dramatic to others. The emphasis on character complexity might come at the expense of a fast-paced plot for some readers.

This will be great for fans of literary suspense.

"In this stunning and propulsive debut, a town grieves the loss of a young girl - but some fight to keep the truth about her death a secret. For fans of Jane Harper, Ashley Flowers, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.

The question
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? If he'd called sooner, she might still be alive.

The secret
As the anniversary of Phoebe's death approaches, Grant is consumed by memories of that night on the bridge and everything he lost: his future, his reputation, his little sister. And the secret he's been keeping all these years is suffocating him. But he and Phoebe weren't the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there. She knows what happened - and she will do anything to help Grant keep his secret.

The truth
Everyone in West Wilmer remembers Phoebe, but only June remembers that another person was lost that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and now June is alone - no family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door. Someone who may know where Wyatt went all those years ago. Someone who knows what really happened on the bridge that night. Someone who is ready to tell the truth.

Taking place over three days and culminating in a shocking twist that will leave you breathless, Twenty-Seven Minutes is a gripping story about what happens when grief becomes unbearable, dark secrets are unearthed, and the horrifying truth is revealed."

I'm all about the gaps in the timelines of crime.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a highly-promising debut novel from new author, Ashley Tate. Fast-paced and twisty, this thriller is bound to carve a path for further novels from the author.

The novel hangs its plot on themes of grief, regret, reputation and reality vs belief. The grief in Twenty-Seven Minutes is particularly well explored, with it shown to be both dark and transforming in equal measures.

The characters are well-penned and padded out, however there are a lot of main characters which are all the same age and have a lot in common which, coupled with the multiple point of view narration, did make the novel more confusing than it perhaps needed to be. A series of family trees at the start of the novel would have been appreciated.

I loved the fact that the small-town rumour mill became a character in its own right - an intentional feature according to the author’s note, and one which marks Ashley Tate as an author to watch in the future.

There is a fabulous final twist right at the end of the novel, but the ending still left me wanting a really clear outline of exactly what had happened in the twenty-seven minutes ten years ago. After all of the detailed backstories, for each individual character, in the story’s development, the novel’s denouement seemed somewhat rushed.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this novel. It is far from perfect, but if this is the author’s first attempt at penning a novel, I will be looking out for her subsequent titles.

3.5 ⭐️
This thriller was told by different POVs and told from the past and present which l enjoyed. The beginning was very captivating and kept me engaged, but then the story slows down. I didn’t like any of the characters and felt zero connection to them. I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, I found it very anticlimactic, but if you prefer a slow-burn book then this is for you.

This book started out like it was going to be a great read but it soon fell short for me. It was told from multiple points of view from very unlikeable characters. I found the storyline very confusing at times especially with the flashbacks to 10 years ago and somewhat repetitive. I was glad to finally make it to the ending which left me even more confused.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.

This is more of a character study of trauma than a mystery, but it is very good at getting into the characters' emotions. Unfortunately, those characters are unlikable and by the time the mystery of the 27 minutes was revealed, it didn't have impact. I just didn't care.

Ultimately, this book is about trauma. A small town had a tragedy 10 years before, when a popular teen was killed in a car accident. Her brother was driving and didn't get help for 27 minutes. Why? And now that another accident has happened at the same bridge, the townspeople want to vote to take it down. And when the bridge is dismantled, will the town finally have an answer?

I know a lot of people have LOVED this book, but it just wasn't good for me. A lot less repetition of people's trauma would have gone a long way. It could have been a shorter tighter book,

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-Seven minutes can be the difference between life an death. For Phoebe, this was the case. Her brother Grant waited 27 minutes to call an ambulance and by the time they arrived, Phoebe was dead. Now, ten years later, the question remains: why did Grant wait those 27 minutes? Who else was on that bridge and what kind of secrets where they hiding?

Ashley Tate’s thriller leaves you guessing until the last minute. All of the characters are intertwined in their own twisted way and when you thought you had it all figured out, Tate throws you a monkey wrench and makes you look at everything from a new angle.
Twenty-Seven Minutes is a must-read!

“That’s the thing about lies. They’re like string – once they start unraveling, you’re f***ed.” This book is getting some mixed reviews, but I loved it. It is a story about grief and what happens when that grief consumes you. Additionally, it takes place in a small town riddled with secrets – one of my favorite book settings – and the town and its rumor mill almost becomes its own character.

It starts with a powerful opening scene and then becomes a slow burn mystery which is very character driven. There are a lot of characters, but this cast is manageable to keep straight. Don’t let reviews that say otherwise scare you. Told from multiple points of view, each character is complex and well-developed as the mystery of that deadly night is revealed. Figuring out what really happened and who was to blame kept me interested and engaged. And the last few pages – what a wild ride! I did not see the twist coming!

I also appreciated the author’s note about how she wanted to explore the fear that comes when everything in your life changes all at once. I think she did an excellent job portraying that through her characters. Overall, this is a well-executed debut with deep themes of small-town drama, grief, fear and parental expectations.

It’s been a while since I posted a review but I made it a goal to read at least one ARC per month to catch up on the ones that I have!! **10 years ago a small town was changed forever when Phoebe Dean was killed in a car accident. Her brother, Grant, was driving. Why did it take him 27 minutes to call for help? As the anniversary of the crash approaches, Grant’s mother will be hosting a memorial to commemorate. Secrets have plagued the town for a decade but the truth will finally be revealed. What happened on the fateful night?** I loved this one!! Twisty and mysterious! I definitely recommend! Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this ARC in return for my review!!

Wow! I was pretty much sucked into this small town mystery/thriller from the get-go. Gripping, intriguing, compelling and supremely satisfying. Twenty seven minutes is set in a small town that thrives on gossip. The rumor mill is swirling about how a young girl died 10 years before, after an elderly woman dies on the same bridge a decade later, causing old memories to resurface and the town to debate whether or not the bridge should be torn down. The author excelled at crafting a storyline filled with tension and suspense that will keep you guessing until the final page. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Twenty Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
Publication Date- January 30th
Publisher- Poison Pen Press
Overall Rating- 3 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty Seven Minutes is unlike any other thriller I’ve read before. In some ways the uniqueness worked in other ways I struggled to understand what was happening and why.

What Worked: Twenty Seven Minutes is a unique story about first love, grief, sibling relationships and the power of growing up. My favorite thing about this book was the ending. Though predictable in some ways, I thought it was a good twist. There were parts of it I guessed about halfway through but the full story of what happened on the bridge that night, I did not guess. There were times I was concerned we were going in a direction that I didn’t like but by the end I was very pleased with how the story wrapped up. In some ways this is fast paced story, I read it in one sitting. I will say, once you start you really want to know how it will end. For those reasons, I gave it 3 stars. It was mostly enjoyable. Lastly, this is multiple POV and dual timeline. Because of it’s uniqueness, I think most thriller authors should try this.

What Didn’t Work: As I said above the man focus of this story is the sibling relationships and we are focused in on more than one sibling relationship. At times it felt like there were too many characters to keep with and keep apart. I do enjoy having multiple things to think about in a book but this got a little too jumbled for me. I also struggled to understand the “why,” of the obsessive sibling relationships and even after the ending I could use a little more explanation. Though this is a fast paced story, the middle felt repetitive. Even though we were shifting perspectives and shifting time points, I was either getting confused or felt we were repeating the same message I didn’t understand which was why these siblings were controlling each other so much. I’m not mad I read it, and I would like to try more from the author in the future.

Ten years after a tragic accident in which a teenage girl died, the townspeople want to remove the bridge where the accident occurred--bringing up the past and uncovering the mystery of the true cause. The story alternates between the time of the accident and the present and the people haunted by the incident struggling with guilt and secrets.

This book was not for me. It was very drawn out and it was a DNF for me about halfway when it just didn't get any better.

With multiple POV's, we see how twenty-seven minutes changed so many lives. Ten years later, after the death of Phoebe Dean, the secrets of that night are finally being exposed. A thriller that relies on the reliability of your narrator's, this book will keep you questioning the truth until the very end.