The Cheerleader

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of The Cheeleader by Richard Gough!!

I really enjoyed this book! If you love a book that has twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end, this is the book for you! There are a number of murders being commited around London and they were all thought to be unconnected, but are they? Raagavi can't figure out why everyone around her is being murdered.

The writing in this book flows nicely and the story starts out fast and never stops! I look forward to reading more by Richard Gough.

The Cheerleader brings London to its knees, striking without mercy, killing a succession of people who appear to be unconnected to each other… or are they?
Surrounded by death, newly transitioned London Underground worker Raagavi Saranthan cannot understand why all those around her are being violently murdered. Especially as it is those who have caused Raagavi misery who seem to be the victims of the mysterious Cheerleader.
Enter Rachel Cortes, a DCI who seems to follow no laws, nor answer to anyone. Fuelled by her sheer disdain for everyone and everything, Cortes must investigate the psychological world of a killer intent on vengeance for all the right reasons.
Nothing is off limits as depravity, sexuality and corruption merge with a sound moral compass complete with upstanding values. There is no line that the Cheerleader will not cross. Raagavi’s world is in the hands of all but herself. Through all of this, Rachel Cortes must navigate an investigation where a simple slight or misspoken truth results in the ultimate penalty.
Can Cortes get to the bottom of the case or is the strangely supportive Cheerleader creating a better world?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

This is a difficult review to write as I'm not 100% sure if I enjoyed it or not. Now I know that sounds strange but I'm genuinely not sure, there are bits I really enjoyed, but I think it took a too long and convoluted route to the reveal.

When you're 20% in to the book and the apparent murderer has already been apprehended, anyone who's read a crime novel before can tell you that's a red herring and there's more to come, but after this cycle repeats more than twice (arguably more than once) the suspense and the value of the twist wares thin.

It's a good idea and has a reasonably well written plot, but the sudden switching between characters and plot threads from paragraph to paragraph made it unpleasant and exhausting to follow at times.

This book has such excellent potential, it's a refreshing change to have such a detailed and multithreaded plot in crime fiction, I just don't think it's ready for mass market yet.

With a deftly drawn cast of characters, an intriguing plot and an immersive and compelling narrative, this is a one sit compulsive read.

Free ARC from NETGALLEY

Normally the "English" mysteries leaves me dozing but Raagavi is a likeable character and the pacing of the entire story is good with some sharp literary turn s thrown in too. Enjoy

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, The Book Guild and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dark, full of twists and turns. A brilliantly written fast-paced thriller.

I took quite a while to get into this one for some reason, possibly because the plot was very out there from the start. However, if you take it with a grain of salt n don't ask too many questions n just go with it then it does end up being quite an enjoyable book. It's certainly an original story line and the characters were also really unique. The pace of the story was just absolutely set at 100 from the start whoch made for such an intense read and the time just flew by. Definitely don't try to read this whilst you're multitasking, it's one of those that needs a but of focus to keep up with all the moving parts and twists and turns

This was an absolutey fantastic read and very appropriate for today. I really enjoyed. I loved Rachel, I loved the writing and I would definitely read more form the author. A brilliant Dark twisty psychological thriller xx

I don't know what I was expecting going into this story.
But it honestly surprised me.
The Cheerleader was a good quick read.
There were so many twists and turns, I was holding my breath because this was so intense!
A tense, taut thriller that pulls you along with it right to the last page.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Book Guild Publishing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Wasn’t to sure what to expect with this book but it kept me engaged the whole way through and kept me guessing which I like with books and I thoroughly enjoyed it

The novel had a good storyline and was well written although it took a bit of time to get into the 'swing' of the story. There are plenty of twists and turns - and the final twist brings the nove. to its climax. Recommended to all Mystery and thriller readers with a raring of four (4) stars.

A different read,lots of twists and turns,kinda exhausting to read, full of intentionally awful characters,interesting ideas

The Cheerleader is the misnomer the press have given to a serial killer who seems determined to bring London to her knees. For London subway employee, Raagavi, who has recently transitioned, the killings are especially frightening, because each of the victims are people who have wronged her. Enter DCI Rachel Coles, a law enforcement officer that makes her own rules and doesn’t take any prisoners, Coles knows she should be looking for a way to take the Cheerleader down, but in her own twisted way, is the killer doing the world a favor? A timely and moving story about the rise in hate crimes and the spread of ignorance

This book was amazing! I enjoyed every single chapter, and it kept me hooked the entire time, which I loved!

I found the Cheerleaders really interesting there was lots of twists and turns that kept me hooked and gripped. I thought I worked out who the cheerleader was but many times I got it wrong and when I thought I was Right further on . I actually I was wrong and did not see that coming. It was really nice to read a book that does not tell you who the murder is at the beginning it keeps you questioning yourself and the story. It was really nice to read book that is particularly written in Derby where I live so definitely know where places where. I really enjoyed reading this book . Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

The cheerleader by Richard Gough.
Surrounded by death, newly transitioned London Underground worker Raagavi Saranthan cannot understand why all those around her are being violently murdered. Especially as it is those who have caused Raagavi misery who seem to be the victims of the mysterious Cheerleader.
A really really good read. Lots of twists and turns. Kept me gripped. Characters were different I wasn't sure if I liked them or not. 4*.

Though I enjoyed this book, it took a while to read. I recommend reading it when there are no distractions. It can get confusing otherwise. It also leads smoothly into setting up a sequel. I don't want to say more incase I give away any of the many twists, but it's worth reading

Oooh this book was dark and twisty, I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the character of DCI Rachel Cortes, I found the character so engaging and just really bought to life in my head.

Really enjoyable, fast paced and full of twists and unpredictability that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. Suspenseful and creepy

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Great, clever book! Lots of twists and turns - will keep you reading.

This is a really well written thriller. It has some edge of your seat moments, plenty of twist and turns and has you gripped pretty much all the way through.

This was a fun thriller with some good twists in it. The plot was good, it just felt like perhaps that “something” was missing for me that would make it really great. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and would recommend to a friend.

Many twists and turns will keep you gripped but something feels like it is missing in the execution.

I would like to read the next novel by this author.

Richard Gough retains the tropes of crime fiction whilst introducing in grand guignol style a gritty, grotesque, gourmet whose delicacy isn't just the best food London has to offer, but also all the opportunities it has to offer to find victims to kill. The author walks the high wire of crime writing with aplomb creating an innovative, intense, complex plot that delivers a page-turning thriller with shocks, twists, turns, to equal any other crime novel I have read.
This is an extraordinary debut. The author's knowledge of London's art galleries, train stations (and public houses) creates a stark, realistic backdrop to murder.

A quick paced read, which was quite stereotypically thriller like. There where parts that where predictable, but I still enjoyed reading it.