When I was younger I loved reading The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. Game Player reminded me of these stories, but an adult version.

I started this book one morning and ended up reading it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a captivating read about how one summer can change the lives of six children and their families.

This is an engrossing read that I pretty much inhaled. I highly recommend this read and can’t wait to read more from this author.

My first reading of this author so no expectations or pre-conceptions. The story starts off centring around a tight knit group of six children who find themselves in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. I liked the description of the strong friendships between the children but I did think that they thought and acted much older than they were at times. As the tale unfolds other characters emerge, all linked in some way to what has happened. There are many twists and turns until eventually the police investigation takes over and brings the story to a fitting conclusion. The author deals with drugs, murder and gangsters but in a fairly gentle style making this book suitable for those who don't like too much gore. This is a book that you want to keep reading to the end. Highly recommended!

A thumping good read. From the outset this book draws you in and the intrigue builds tension. The use of 6 kids as lead characters is unusual and makes it a more approachable thriller.

I started reading this just before bed and stayed up for two hours as I just couldn’t put it down. Am exhausted now but it was worth it!

Absolutely brilliant- enjoyed every minute of it!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it.
A gang of 6 young children spend their summer playing in a den in the woods.
Then one day everything changes. They see a young man bury a package in the earth, can they resist digging it up ? Of course not!
After a discussion they decide the next morning to put it back. However on arriving, to their horror the young man is lying with his throat cut in a pool of blood.
So starts a chain of events which lead to more murders.
The children and their families are under threat as the police push on with their investigations doing everything to protect them.
An interesting cast of characters who come alive as the story unfolds and the links between them all were revealed.
The children were charming.
Plenty of twists and turns to hold your interest right through to the final page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for the chance to read this an ARC.

Well the synopsis definitely did the job for me when I agreed to read this book for the Book Blitz, it did not however prepare me for the journey contained within its pages and the emotions I would go through reading this story. Be prepared to put everything on hold when you pick up this book, for me it was a "one sitting read" a book that I could not put down. 

The six children are a close-knit group and it was great to read a story about a group playing outside, making dens and basically building the bonds of a strong friendship. They definitely have each others backs and this really shows when they discover not only bag of drugs but then a body. They discuss the stages of what they will do and the possible outcomes of their actions. They did not however discuss every possible variable or outcome and I can say that I didn't envisage the route this story would take.

This fast paced story had me with my heart in my mouth as I read how their childhood innocence was taken from them, the author has injected real emotion, feeling and absolutely shocking story lines within its pages as I read.

The children are fundamental to this story in making this story a really great read. The plot is twisted and although I am not going to give any details, believe when I say you will be horrified, shocked and if like me you really get into a story you will also go through the wringer. It is easy to follow and also quite detailed.

This for me was a book I absolutely loved. It had crime, mystery, suspense and murder that was wrapped around the story of six children and their families as well as a community. It showed the bond of friendship and how decisions they made were for their own justifiable reasons. This is an absolute Highly Recommended read from me.

I have read all Anita's books and they have all been brilliant, I cannot fault the skill of this author, very talented.

I find with Anita's writing she gets you involved straight away and this was a gripping page turner which I can definitely recommend and I look forward to her next 'gripper'.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Anita Waller never disappoints! This was an absolutely gripping tale that I could hardly stand to put down. The villains were completely evil and very easy to hate. The actions of the children were believable, and Ms Waller knows how to create characters that worm their way into your heart and before you know it you find you care very much about what happens to them. This was a wonderful book that takes the reader through the gamut of emotions and provides a thoroughly satisfactory read. Really, really great.

Once again Anita Waller has excelled, this time with Game Players. This brilliant thriller had me hooked from the start. The fate of 6 innocent children after seeing something suspicious near to their den in the local wood.. Their curiosity' leads them to the discovery of a large quantity of drugs. The chain of events which follows makes this a nerve wracking, thrilling read. The safety of the children became a major concern as some very unsavoury characters were trying to discover their identities. This book is definitely for me, a "sleep stealer". I could not sleep until I knew the outcome of the plot. and more importantly, would the children be safe! An engrossing read from start to finish!

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. 3.5*

A group of 6 children build a den in the woods next to a police station. They witness a man burying a package. As inquisitive as children are they dig it up to find a bag of drugs. The man is subsequently murdered and the children have no idea what to do with the drugs they have hidden.

As the police investigate the bodies begin to pile up and the children and their families are under threat.

This is a simply written book whilst engaging is not enthralling or gritty even though it involves murder and gangsters. I have read previous books by this author and think it is just her style of writing. I also thought the children were a little bit mature for their age.

Brilliant book, it’s like a Famous Five book but definitely for adults only, storyline works really well and the characters are fantastic. Kids get themselves into danger with tragic consequences

A gang of six children (nice gang... a bit like 'Famous Five' but six) spy from their secret den in the woods, somebody up to no good, burying a stash of drugs (whoa... this goes way beyond 'Famous Five') and maybe not the best idea, as children do, dig up the drugs and relocate them to a wendy-house. Imagine the terror they experience, when the find the said man, lying in the hole with the missing drugs with his throat cut (forget I even mentioned 'Famous Five.'
The children and families are in great danger because someone wants their drugs back.
This was a fabulous read, and I will definitely be reading more of Anita Waller.

Six children playing outside in the woods see a man burying a package. They recover the package, only to discover it contains drugs. Many people begin to search for the missing package and before the end of the novel, several people have died. This is one that held my interest. I appreciate the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.

Once again the author delivers a story so twisted it is brilliant. Fantastic characters and a story that doesn't let up ,you couldn't ask for more .

Another great read from Anita Waller. Mistakenly thought this was a children’s book from first read, however as the plot thickened and the children’s characters came to life I couldn’t put this book down. A tale of friendship with a few twists .. thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you for the opportunity to review

Many thabks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in return for an unbiased review.

A thoroughly engaging and intriguing read that I devoured very quickly. The story was a little difficult to get through at times and dealt with a hard set of topics, despite the gentile start. However, the characters were well rounded and I felt a wide range of emotions for certain characters who were brought to the front at around the 70% mark. There are a few twists and turns that I did not see coming making it a memorable story. I just wish that all of the characters had been included in the epilogue as that would have provided more closure for me.

This was my first book written by this author and I was not disappointed, in fact I was hooked from the first to last page. I was captivated by the storyline, the easy style of writing and the fast pace of this thriller. A must read for all crime .lovers. Thanks to Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this outstanding book.

If you want to read a novel that you can pick up then put aside to go to sleep, work etc, then I suggest you don't start reading Game Players by Anita Waller. This book drags you in from the very beginning and will not let go until you finish. I devoured it in one night..... who needs sleep, right?

Anita Waller is an author whose books I never quite know what to expect. She has a knack of shocking and horrifying me. Obviously I mean that in the best possible way.

The story definitely has a sense of Stand By Me by Stephen King about it. I think because the story heavily features the children characters which isn't always that usual in this genre of book. It certainly made it even more appealing.

Daryl was my favourite out of the children. He hasn't the best of home lives and he takes it upon himself to be one of the more responsible elders in the group. The others look up to him and I had a real emotional connection with Daryl.

Some of the characters surprised me and had me changing my mind in how I felt about them. This is what I love about this authors books as she has you thinking one way only to send you hurtling in a different direction. Even though there maybe children in the book, it certainly isn't one you would want your child reading!

Game Players has to be one of my favourite books by this author. There is a certain amount of foreboding and I could feel my heart racing the further into the story I got. A tense and thrilling read that I couldn't devour quick enough to see how it was going to end. Loved it!

I thought that this book was a great read. I really felt for the children after everything they had been through, and it was believable that the children would do the thing they did. The whole story was a good thrilling tale, with no lose ends.
I hadn't heard of Anita Waller before but will certainly be looking out for her again

Anita Waller has rapidly become an author I look out for. Game Players is a well written book full of danger and extremely fast paced. 6 children have a den in the woods and uncover a large package of drugs and then the next day find a body. We follow the children and their families as Gangsters try to find the drugs. You get to know the characters well in the story and I felt for the children and their families. From the moment I read the first page, I was spellbound by this story and could not put the book down. This book deserves more than 5 stars. I would highly recommend this book.