I can't make up my mind if the children in this book were really clever or remarkably stupid. There was definitely some odd decision-making going on, but it did make for a good story, and only one slightly OTT twist.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

I've had this book for years, I still haven't, unfortunately, got to it, so this is a placeholder review to reduce my shelf for my own sanity, but will replace this if I ever get to the book

I have read two of the authors previous books and I devoured them so as soon as I heard that she was releasing this one I knew I wanted to get a copy - and then as soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb I was desperate to get started!!

I loved this book, the pace was great, the characters were spot on and I love her fantastic writing style it is so suited for this genre and I was riveted to the story as soon as I picked up this book! It has twists and turns, shocks and honestly at times I had no idea what the end would be!

Five stars from me - I love her books and cannot recommend this one highly enough!!!

This is the first book by Anita Waller that I have read and, at first, I thought I had strayed into Enid Blyton territory with the gang of children in their den in the woods. However, this echo of a more innocent time does not last; very soon the children will come to the attention of ruthless criminals, and they will have to grow up fast. Well written with convincing characters and a tense plot, Game Players will keep you reading late into the night. Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of Game Players by Anita Waller.

Oh my god!!! What a fantastic book!! Could not get my nose out of this one

The main story features around a bunch of kids who stumble upon something they shouldn’t have. From then on things go wrong for this gang of kids and their families and the plot twists and turns it’s way to an amazing finish!!

Read this and make sure you have a few hours set aside because you won’t want to put it down!!

Game Players is a well written crime drama about a group of children who witness something terrible in the woods whilst playing innocently. Though ostensibly a crime thriller it is also about the loss of childhood innocence.

When a gang of six children playing in their den in the woods spot a man burying drugs nearby, it marks the beginning of the end of their childhoods.

Unsure what to do, the children dig up the drugs and take them away. But when the dealer, who they watched bury the stash, shows up dead, the youngsters are thrown into turmoil.

Scared of what might happen, the children tell the police about the body they have discovered.

Meanwhile, a group of gangsters start searching for their missing drugs.

Soon the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals who will stop at nothing to retrieve their narcotics…

Anita Waller once again delivers a first-class thriller filled with suspense and some genuinely nasty bad guys. The children are well-rounded characters and Waller has done an exceptional job of putting childhood innocence and burgeoning adulthood side by side. A delicious thriller for fans of police procedural; you won't be able to put it down.

The book starts quite innocently. Children playing in the woods, like children should. Then one of the boys see someone burying something, and then finds it to be drugs.
This opening chapter, sets the tone for a thrilling read, seeing who wins the race against time, the children in their fight for safety, or the drug dealers that wants their drugs back.
This was a gripping story, not leaving the reader satisfied until the very end.
Highly recommended.

This book sails along nicely. It starts well, but I felt it didn't maintain the initial momentum. I thought the story deteriorated in it's description of the children's attitude towards the crime, to me they sounded quite unbelievable and I couldn't relate to them. The book wasn't particularly suspensful or gripping, it wasn't a book that made me feel I couldn't put it down or wait to pick up again, but I finished it and I like the way the author tied it all together.

Crime/police procedural fiction at its very best. A brilliantly written book with engaging characters. A shocking read in places. This author knows how to do this very well. One to recommend. 4* from me. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

While I did find this book interesting, it didn't grab my attention. Up to a point it was going ok, then there is one 'twist' that totally threw me and I felt it struggled to get back on track.

The storyline was unique. It held my interest throughout. Reminds me of something every child might think of doing. The kids acted without thinking of the consequences. A lot of action. Some violence. Overall a good story.

This was a great little gem to discover! The author did an amazing job of showing the innocence of youth and the horrendous things in society. I am going to seek out more of this author’s work.

This is a new author for me, and one that, for now on, I'll be keeping an eye on. I truly enjoy the story, clever and very well written

This is the first book I’ve read written by the author. I found the book interesting but it did not grab my attention. It reminded me of a children’s mystery novel with a little bit of adult content thrown in. I did fine sh it but I did start skipping a few paragraphs towards the end.

This is an intense and enthralling read with sharp contrasts between the innocence of youth and the dark underbelly of society. It is unique in that it centres around a group of 6 young children enjoying the freedom of childhood until they naively become embroiled in something that will change their lives forever.

Well written, great pace, fantastic characters and a complex plot makes this book a must read.

Thanks to the publisher, Bloodhound Books, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read with murder, drugs and thugs. The ending wasn’t a big surprise, but I did stay up half the night to finish it! The children were all very likable and I even started to feel sorry for some of the “bad guys”. This is the first book I’ve read from Anita Waller. I’ll admit I had trouble decifering some of the quirky sayings and unknown words (to me, anyway), but it added a little humor to the seriousness of the story.

Six young school kids form a “Gang” and spend their time building a Den in the woods and hanging out there...just typical kid stuff. While hanging out in their Den, they spot someone hiding something in the woods. Of course they become curious and dig it up, choosing to keep it a secret. This one choice starts a chain of terrible consequences, that not all six kids make it through. After a few surprise twists, it starts getting exciting.

Thank you again NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

#GamePlayers #NetGalley #Amazon

GAME PLAYERS by Anita Waller is an engaging crime fiction novel about how the lives of six children and their families can change through the consequences of their action…on one fine summer day.

When a gang of six children playing in their den in the woods spot a man burying drugs nearby, it marks the beginning of the end of their childhoods. The Gang of Six as they liked to be called include:

1)Mark Brownlow-Twin-Sole-Leader (11 ½ years old)
2)Dominic Brownlow-Twin-Second-in-command (11 ½ years old)
3)Freya Brownlow-Sister (9 years old)
4)Ella Johnston-Freya’s best friend (9 years old)
5)Sammy Walker-likes Freya (11 years old)
6)Daryl Clarkson-Sensible one, smart and most important one in the gang as he kept them alive.

Their lives will be forever changed!

But what should they do? Dig up the drugs and turn them over to the police, since the police station is close to their hidden den.

Unsure what to do, the children dig up the drugs and take them away. But when the dealer, who they watched bury the stash, shows up dead, the youngsters are thrown into chaos.

The children are so scared now and tell the police about the body they have discovered.

In the interim, the gangsters start searching for their missing drugs.

Soon the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals who will stop at nothing to retrieve their narcotics…

In this novel, the children’s characters are at the forefront, and the reader gets to get to know each character’s personality in detail. They are all different and each have an important role to play in this novel. This is a dark creepy fast-paced domestic thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. I highly recommend this read and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books via Netgalley for my copy.

They are called the Gang of Six. Six youngsters around the age of 10 or so. Friends one and all. They have fashioned a hide-away in the woods. They think they're safe since the police station is within a few minutes away.

But it's not as safe as they thought. As they sat whiling the time away, they happen to see a man burying what looks like drugs very close to their hideaway. Not sure what they should do, they decide to dig the bags up. They'll decide what to do with them later.

The next day, they stumble across the man, a drug dealer, who was hiding the drugs .. only he's dead with his throat cut. Scared out of their minds, the kids report the body to the police ... after making sure they all have the same story. There's no mention of the drugs.

But someone is searching for those drugs and will stop at nothing to get them back.

That summer will see these kids lose their innocence ... maybe even their lives ... when the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals

In the beginning, this has a feel of STAND BY ME to it. But as the story progresses, it's gets much darker, much more dangerous. As characters go, the kids are fantastic... almost too much so. They are best friends, and they all take care of each other. Some of the parents merit an honorable mention, some don't.

The story premise is a good one, although the ending didn't quite meet my expectations. There are several twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and kept me glued to the pages.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.