The beginning of this book was like a throwback to my youth, all the songs mentioned I found myself humming along in my head as I was reading…. When 6 long time friends decide to try and recapture their youth one last time at a 90s music festival, the excitement is unreal, a break from the pressures of adulthood and impending families/nuptials etc but of course that doesn’t last as something totally beyond their control happens on the last night of their weekend and their lives are torn apart from the butterfly effect of that one decision they made that night and the pact to keep the secret of what happened between them.

A year later, nearing the anniversary of the “incident” and things start to unfold, one of their friends has died, suicide….. the impact of that night obviously leaving such an imprint that he couldn’t live with it anymore…. But this is just the beginning as the remaining 5 are soon to find out…. When a red candle in a storm lantern turns up at their respective houses, it can mean only one thing, the “Candle Man” was real…. This was an unsubstantiated rumour that there was a serial killer on the loose and his mark was… yep you’ve guessed it… a red candle in a storm break lantern….. who will live to tell the tale, if any!!!!

I’m afraid to elaborate anymore for fear of ruining the story for others but clear your diaries, you will not want to put this book down, chillingly dark with twists and turns you won’t see coming, highly recommend.

The Six, or "I Know What You Did Last 90's Music Fest", is just the kind of addictive serial killer thriller I love. I literally couldn't put it down once I started it and read it from cover to cover in an afternoon.

The story follows 6 thirty something friends who go to a 90s music fest to try and relive their youth. They're having a great time until the final night when tempers start to fray a little and someone ends up dead. The friends decide to cover it up by burying the body and making a pact to never speak about it again but as guilt starts to eat away at them and one of them dies suddenly a year later it seems the secret won't stay buried.

It's a cracking story and just the sort of twisty tale that keeps you guessing, and boy did I come up with some pretty out there theories. It doesn't really help that the author throws in more than a few red herrings to send you down the wrong path or to point out how ridiculous that foolproof theory you've come up with is.

Pretty much the whole thing is told from the point of view of Matt, one of the friends and this single pov works perfectly. Matt is not the most reliable of narrators and it's safe to say he is not coping well with things, he barely sleeps or leaves the house and is living in a constant state of fear. It definitely makes him an intriguing and compelling character.

I also loved the portrayal of the other characters too. They are so well defined and distinctive and the way they develop and grow is perfect. It's a real character study in how different personalities deal with guilt but it's also a story about friendship. I think a lot of people will be able to recognise themselves and those friends they've had since childhood in this.

Given the characters are of a similar age to me I could certainly relate to them. I also have to say a big thank you for all of the 90's music and pop culture references, they really took me back to my school and uni days..

My only real niggles were the time line which for me felt a little off (although it's very possible I just missed something) and I found it a little repetitive at the start.

Other than that I enjoyed it. This was my first book from Luca Veste but it will not be the last. It's very clear he knows how to tell a great story.

The Six is a change from the usual style of Luca Veste. However it’s still an enjoyable book with a compelling storyline.

The book features six friends, all bound by a secret. A year later though it appears the pact has been broken. Who knows what they did and what price will they pay to keep the secret.

Well written and highly enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book.

Highly recommend this, I read the last book by this author and this one is just as good! I literally couldn’t put it down until I’d got to the end. A change from the usual “police crime” that I go for this is more mystery and murder. Very well written with interesting characters and a great storyline. The Candle Man is creepy as hell! Can’t wait for the next book!

When 3 couples go to a 90’s retro weekend they expect it to be getting drunk, singing to bad songs and reliving their youth. What they don't expect is that someone will be killed and they will have to live with the consequences.
One year later, two of the couples have split up unable to live with the guilt of that night. Then Stuart, one of the six, is found dead on a railway line apparently having taken his own life
The other five meet up at his funeral and after speaking to Stuart’s sister some of them start to doubt that he really did kill himself. When Michelle, Stuart’s ex is then threatened they begin to believe that someone else could have seen what happened the night of the festival and that someone could be trying to pick them off one by one.
Dark, with twists you won't see coming. this is Luca Veste's best yet.

An excellent book! Had fun reading it, and kept me on my toes the whole time. Great character development and fascinating storyline.

A brilliant book which I finished in two sittings, it's dark and compelling and has a totally different take on the usual serial killer scenario. There is no police involvement as in the past they have refused to believe that a serial killer is responsible when people go missing. A group of friends to their horror know different but they have made a pact not to go to the police as they know it would have far-reaching consequences for all of them. I can't praise this book enough and I don't know how the author keeps coming up with such different plots.

** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed the start of this book,it was fun and full of nostalgia... then we had the murder.
From then on in,it slowed down just a bit too much for me... 
It was no surprise to find out who actually did what... 
I'm probably being a bit harsh with my rating,written well enough,just didn't grab me beyond opening bit.

Six friends who decide that they all want one weekend of no adult responsibilities and go to a 90s musical weekend to recapture their youth, but something terrible happens and they decide to keep a secret and forget , but as secrets have a habit of spilling out this quickly goes awry

A disturbing read that keeps you guessing even when you think you have worked it out

From my Instagram page and twitter:

Quick book review of “The Six” by Luca Veste = 9/10

I was very fortunate to get a pre-release copy of this book, which is due out in December. What an incredible read! Fast paced, building sense of unease, scary enough but not so scary you had to stop. This is a superb piece of writing that will win a lot of fans.
With HUGE thanks for the pre-release read to @netgalley @simonschusteruk and @lucavestewriter
#TheSix
#LucaVeste
#netgalley
#murder
#crime
#thriller

#bookworm #bookreview #bookish #bookaholic #reading #ilovebooks #bookobsessed #booknerds #bookblogger #bookreview #lastbookiread #bookstoread #currentlyreading #kindle #igreads

"You never know the moment your life changes forever." -Matt

Luca Veste's The Six had me hooked from the opening scenes and delivered a wild ride all the way to the terrifying conclusion.

Six longtime friends head off on what promises to be a memorable, funfilled weekend at a music festival. As they are all embarking on the adult journeys of separate lives, pursuing careers, marriage, and various grown-up things, this weekend is a chance to have one more carefree weekend together. The forever friendships and deeply treasured memories are captured by Veste and delivered by our main character, Matt: "The weekend was going to be filled with reminiscing and sore throats from singing songs we somehow still knew off by heart." Throughout the book, Matt's observations and descriptions really strike a chord with the reader.

The reader knows this joy can't last forever. As Matt wisely says, "If I'd believed in perfect moments...that would have been one. I wanted to capture it in a bubble and live in it forever."
Of course, an unspeakable tragedy occurs at the end of this magical weekend. And, although the friends want desperately "to go back to a normal that would never exist again," they find that their relationships are fractured and their lives cannot be the same. Then, one by one, the friends begin to find their own lives in danger. Who or what is the real threat?

In the midst of such a fast-paced thriller, Veste creates a cast of characters with well-developed personalities and deep bonds. You will root for these friends and possibly cry with them.

An added bonus is that the book is sprinkled with 90s song lyrics and pop-culture references. It's a fun addition that makes the shattering of these friends' lives that much more heartbreaking.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of The Six in exchange for my honest review. I hope you love this book as much as I did.

Brilliant. 6 friends are involved in a murder and decide to keep it a secret. Full of suspense and surprises. Had me guessing right up until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Six thirtysomething friends decide to travel to a 90's revival music festival as a last hurrah to their youth.
A brilliant weekend is had by all until the last night, when it all goes horribly wrong.

Over the space of an hour or so someone is killed, the body buried and another body found, moved and then moved again. Some seriously bad decisions are made under pressure and the six make a pact. "Never speak of tonight again."

Fast forward a year and the the pressure and stress is beginning to show on the group and the cracks are starting to appear.

Someone seems to know what happened that night, threats are made, people disappear and friendships are stretched to breaking point.

This all leads to a nerve shredding climax, with a couple of twists along the way.

This is such a fast paced and intense read, I was on the edge of my seat most of the way through, I couldn't relax, I was living the experience.

The characters are superbly realised and I was rooting for them all the way through.

Easily Luca Vestes best book yet.

Highly recommended.

I'm a big fan of Luca Veste and I've read all of his books and also seen him talk a few times so I was looking forward to this.
I've seen variations on the "I know what you did last summer" sort of style before so I was admittedly a little put off at first but as I read on I became more and more involved in the plot. Like most people I try to figure out who the bad guy or girl is and I will put my hand up and confess I was totally blindsided this time which I loved!
I have to be honest and say it wasn't my favourite of Luca's books but it was a very enjoyable read.

I’ve read other books by Luca Veste so was excited to receive this stand alone review copy from NetGalley.
The Six is about 6 30 something friends who go to a 90s music festival to recapture their youth and something so awful happens they make a pact to never tell anyone about it.
Told in the first person by Matt, the reader witnesses the disintegration of his life and that of his 5 friends when the secret becomes too much to bear.
Matt splits from his girlfriend, Alexandra, who was also present, cannot sleep and barely leaves the house.
Then a year later something dreadful happens to one of the six and he realises that what took place in the field at the festival is not really over at all.
This was a twisty novel with lots of surprises and just when you think you’ve worked out what is happening there is another plot shift.
I’ve read many psychological thrillers over the years but even I didn’t work out the end.
I felt sorry for Matt as he seemed like a nice guy who had made a couple of incredibly stupid decisions which had ended up costing him dearly.
I kept shouting out “Go to the Police and it will all be sorted” but obviously he didn’t listen to me!
This is a dark and twisted story which kept me on the edge of my seat!
Highly recommended but don’t read when you are home alone!

I do love a good serial killer thriller but they need to have more going for them than just a string of dead bodies – The Six hits that brief and then some, being at heart a character drama about close friends, although thankfully my own group don’t tend to bury bodies. I don’t think…

Ok it’s possible they do…

Anyway, The Six is that very best of bookish things…a right proper page turner. Beautifully plotted to keep things unexpected, character driven throughout with an unsettling feel to it, you’ll pick this up and life allowing won’t put it down again until you reach the genuinely edgy and thrilling solution.

Six Friends. One secret. I guess six can keep a secret if five of them are dead…

Twisted as you like with a very Christie sense to it, this book will steal your afternoon. Clever, involving and utterly absorbing. A perfect Halloween read.

Best served by candlelight.

Recommended.

Friends, music and gruesome murder - what more could you want? A fantastic and chilling character-led serial killer mystery that kept me guessing to the end.