Phoebe Dean a young girl who is bright and has her whole life ahead of her. Until one fateful night that changes so many young lives and finds Phoebe dead. What really happened on the bridge that night that left a young girl dead and the start of a cover up as to why did it take Phoebe's brother Grant who was driving that night why did it take him twenty seven minutes to call for help? Could Phoebe be saved in that time?

Ten years have gone by the anniversary of Phoebe's death is coming up and a vote to demolish the bridge the accident happened on is coming up, because another accident happened on the bridge so the town's people want it gone. Will this help Phoebe's mother cope with her death. Will her Becca who was in the car with Grant and Phoebe remember what really happen. Or will Grant finally tell the truth.? One problem with all of this is Wyatt Delroy also disappears that night and no one but his sister June seems to care. What could have happened to Wyatt.

I was really glad I received this ARC because the story sounded really interesting. After getting through what was happening in the present time and then going back the ten years to the night leading up to the accident I got hooked. Then as I kept reading I started to lose interest. I never want to put a book away if I cannot get through it so i kept reading. It just dragged for me. I really wanted to get to the end to find out what really happened. Then is finally did. I was surprised at the ending but was upset that it was over. There was not really much in the middle. I really wanted more. The plot itself was interesting, but the meat and bones in the middle didnt' exist. I found the characters a little dull , wish there was more to them. If there was more to the characters I might have enjoyed it more.

Still I would like to thank Ms Tate, NateGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. I only wished I could say that I really enjoyed the whole book.

Why did it take so long to call for help? That question is at the center of TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES, the new novel by Ashley Tate.

SUMMARY
A decade ago, on a rain-soaked road, an accident took the life of Phoebe Dean, a rising star and popular girl, and left her brother Grant and their school friend Becca as survivors. Yet, in the tight-knit community of West Wilmer, there remains a persistent mystery shrouded in whispers and innuendos: why did it take Grant twenty-seven minutes to seek assistance that fateful night?

Grant's life has since spiraled into a struggle, marked by a menial job, heavy drinking, and residing with a barely tolerant mother, as he attempts to outrun the haunting memories of the accident. Meanwhile, Becca, the other survivor, is desperate to help him. However, as the town reopens old wounds on the ten-year anniversary of Phoebe's death, it becomes increasingly challenging for Becca to hold onto the secret she has harbored for so long. The memorial commemorating Phoebe's life stirs painful recollections and raises probing questions: what truly happened that night, and did Phoebe really have to die?

THOUGHTS
TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES is a slow-paced narrative unfurling through the voices of its alternating narrators, both as teenagers during the accident and as adults a decade later. The pivotal accident acts as a boundary separating the "before" and "after." Although the concept of the novel is intriguing, its execution leaves much to be desired. The characters come across as one-dimensional and uninspiring. Grant and Becca, in particular, tend to engage in internal monologues that quickly become tiresome. The repetitive nature of these inner dialogues fails to provide meaningful insight into their decision-making after the initial chapters and instead bogs down the storyline. The town's infatuation with Phoebe's memory lacks a clear explanation beyond her academic achievements and popularity, making her character appear almost obsessively focused on her brother, Grant. Early on, it's apparent why Becca earned the moniker "Crazy Becca," a character who could inspire sympathy but doesn't. Among the cast, Grant and June stand out as the most sympathetic characters, yet even they lack the depth to be truly inspiring.

FINAL THOUGHTS
TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES reads like a young adult (YA) novel, prompting a quick check to make sure it was classified as Adult Fiction. The early chapters are interesting but the story loses its focus, devolving into repetitive musings from thinly developed characters. There is a nice twist to the ending but it is a long slow slog to get there.

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing access to this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES
Pub Date: 30 January, 2024

Well, I wanted to love it! But, this was extremely repetitive and read less thriller and more soap opera or drama on TV. It was a bit all over the place with trying to do all the things all at once.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing company for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Got this as an ARC. It was a good read!! Hard to put down because I just NEEDED to know what happened. I love how the book gives you different points of view to really give you the full experience of The Event. I would definitely recommend this book!

I wanted to love this. The beginning of the book seemed to spend a lot of time introducing character, which is pretty standard, but then the rest of the book stayed at the same slow pace. The ending was kind of anticlimactic and I didn’t really see the motivation. This is a quick and fun read, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this one! It was suspenseful and twisty and fast paced. It wasn't anything groundbreaking or mindblowing for me, but it was definitely fun. Grab your popcorn and enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

After reading the synopsis for this and some other reviews on NetGalley, I was really excited! But this ended up falling a bit flat for me. It did have some tension and elements that I found interesting and gripping but it never followed through and I got frustrated quite a few times.

I tried to finish this book but there are so many things I don’t like. The writing rhythm is not my style. It reads like a millennial’s blog post. It may be for younger audience than me, I gave up at the 13% mark. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this advanced copy and I wish them well. I won’t be posting this review on other platforms because I think it just wasn’t for me.

Have you ever sat still for 27 minutes??? Not me, but once I started reading I definitely sat still longer then that because this book just sucked me in.
A small town with secrets. Is there or is there not a reliable character? Dont think too much on who’s telling the truth and who’s lying because at some point everyone lies.
Is Phoebe Dean a good person like the public thinks or was she really a controlling and problematic person?

I stuck in for June, who is one of many points of view in this book. I couldn’t help but root for her, for her freedom and peace of mind.

I did enjoy this book, but getting into the heads of horrible characters just grates on me. It’s a classic case of it’s me, not the book.

To be honest, the ending was almost worth it. It bumped my star rating up. Unfortunately the sometimes cliche writing and unlikely character traits pulled it down still.

I received this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

I like this one and overall it was a good story well told but it kinda lost me in the middle but overall good read
Thanks yo Netgalley for letting me review book and publisher for letting me review the book

This was quite a story – when I started it, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but as continued, it became more interesting with all the characters. A young girl was killed in an auto accident but why did it take 27 minutes for anyone to call the police and get help. The whole town mourned her for years. Takes place in a small town, a poor town, and people who wanted to leave and couldn’t leave. At a point in the story, someone appeared and it gave me a jolt as to where was he all this time – the ending is not what I expected. It was a slow start but it kept building and I had to finish to see what actually happened and why. I would certainly recommend this read. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this story.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Twenty-Seven Minutes in exchange for my review.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a dark novel told through various characters’ accounts at two points in time a decade apart. The story starts with a car accident in a small town that alters the lives of two teenagers and ends one more. Leading up to a commemoration ten years later, everyone who was directly or indirectly involved is trying to make sense of their role and figure out how to get on with their life.

The story is well written and the differing accounts pull the reader forward through the action. However, there’s not a well adjusted character in the book, so it’s not a particularly enjoyable read. The author wrote the book after her mother’s sudden death from a brief illness, and a mood of hopelessness and despair permeates the whole thing. Know what you’re in for when starting this book.

This book was a bit of a tough read, I definitely had a hard time getting into the storyline. I had a strong feeling that there was a link between the disappearance of Wyatt and the accident that claimed Phoebe and was interested to see how that panned out. The characters were all pretty complex and it was bittersweet how it all ended. Overall not a bad book, but it took me a while to finish the story.

I have a new favorite thriller author! I could not stop reading this and I didn't want it to end. The characters are amazing and made me feel so many emotions. I kept trying to figure out what really happened in the Twenty-Seven Minutes and I was wrong. I did not expect the ending at all! It was amazing! I can't believe this is Ashley Tate's first book and I can't wait for her to publish more. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone.
#twentysevenminutes #NetGalley.

TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES
BY: ASHLEY TATE

This well written character study that examines the corrosive damage lies and cover-ups do to peoples souls over time can be incredibly insidious. It also examines grief and loss as seen by the narratives of several characters. Those of you that are looking for a fast paced action oriented plot based on the synopsis this will not be for you. I loved the revelation of the twist which surprised me during the final 10 percent.

This isn't in my opinion a thriller as it is marketed but rather a very slow burn glimpse into isolation, grief and family dysfunction. Overall, the surprise at the end of the book is what elevated this to be a solid four star reading experience. Do not expect it to be a linear experience of plot as stated in the description of this novel's blurb.

Grant is the driver of a truck that during a rainy night in an accident on the drive home from a high school party ends up killing his sister Phoebe. Becca is in love with Grant and was in the truck and both her and Grant have lied to everybody and themselves for ten years about what really happened that fatal night of the accident. Why did it take twenty-seven minutes for Grant to call for help? Could his sister Phoebe's life have been saved if Grant called immediately?

It happens in a small rural town where an elderly woman ten years later has an accident on that same bridge where Grant, Becca and Phoebe had theirs ten years earlier. There is controversy in this small town to demolish the bridge and it's the catalyst for Grant's mother to have a memorial service for Phoebe ten years later.

June has just lost her mother to cancer when her brother Wyatt comes back home ten years later. I don't really know if I would label the characters as unreliable narrators but there is an aspect of Wyatt's return that is my favorite part of this novel. At first it's not clear how June and Wyatt are relevant to this story, but by the ending it becomes evident how they tie into what happened ten years ago which was a very clever plotting device used by this talented author. It also makes this a worthwhile reading experience of a slow going novel until you have finished it.

This novel Twenty-Seven minutes is author Ashley Tate's debut novel which is as I said a very slow paced mystery and terrific character study. It is haunting and ethereal and one that I won't soon forget which I highly recommend. I'll definitely be interested in reading Ashley Tate's future work.

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Ashley Tate and Poisoned Pen Press for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TwentySevenMinutes #AshleyTate #PoisonedPenPress #NetGalley

Story was well written, I look forward to more this author. Characters well written, story nicely paced, as said before, I look forward to more from them.

I was very hopeful for this book! The synopsis had me intrigued, but that’s where it ended. The book read SO slow and didn’t keep my interest. It also seemed way longer than it needed to be. What I was hoping to be a page turner, ended up being almost boring; think more drama than thriller. The plot twist didn’t happen until 94-95% of the way thru the book and that made me roll my eyes even more. I was not a fan of all the death/doom and gloom/joylessness that occurred throughout this book. I understand it’s a book about grief, but every chapter was repetitive, depressing, and slow. The only reason I’m giving this book 3 stars instead of 2, is because of the plot twist. The ending saved this book, but it should have come a heck of a lot sooner, rather than in the last two chapters. Thank you to Netgally and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

From the description of this book, I assumed that it would be fast-paced, but it actually took me longer than expected to finish.

The premise is intriguing - 3 teens are driving home after a late-night party, and there is a devastating car crash. Grant, a star athlete is the driver, and his beloved sister, Phoebe is fatally injured. Becca, an odd, hanger-on, is in the backseat.

Grant takes 27 minutes to call for help - which makes up most of the book's plot since Phoebe would have lived if Grant had called earlier. Much of the book centers around figuring out why didn't Grant call right away.

To answer this, we get four narrators in alternating voices, each telling bits about what happened that fatal night. The ending is a bit of a twist (although it felt rushed,) and there are some unexpected turns, but overall the pace was a bit slow, and the characters weren't always likable.

It is a good debut and definitely worth a read, but it wasn't a book I couldn't put down.

A moody dissertation on the current lives of the survivors of a horrific accident ten years prior, this novel is completely joyless.

The sad tone of despair permeates the entirety of this book; there is no happiness anywhere. The characters are well drawn, especially June and Becca. June is a woman completely alone, friendless and destitute, following the disappearance ten years ago of her brother, then her father, and most recently, the death of her mother. Becca is the increasingly unhinged girlfriend of the brother of the teenage girl who died that fateful night.

This is a tale of how they, and all the other characters inhabiting this miserable town, interact and move toward closure over three days. It is desperately depressing and not so much a thriller, as we know full well who died and who was responsible. It felt more like a commentary on the lies and secrets that exist in a small town, when you think you know everyone so well, then realize you don't know anyone at all.

It is a slow slog, at times repetitive and on the verge of boring, with very little dialogue. Mostly just the inner thoughts and feelings of each character, rehashing the past and present from their own perspectives.

My biggest complaint was the Epilogue, which usually wraps up loose threads and tells us what the characters are up to a month or more after the end of the story. This one takes place only moments later. It would have been better called a final chapter instead.