Is there anything better than a road trip? When all of this Covid-19 drama is put to bed, hopefully in the very near future, I’m looking forward more than anything to booking a trip to see friends and explore our beautiful UK countryside. In the meantime, I’m sticking to staying at home and ploughing through my very large TBR pile. I’m actually way ahead of my Goodreads 2020 goal as it stands and it’ll be nice to be able to whack a few books back on my shelves and clear up my book trolley.

He Started It by Samantha Downing follows a trio of siblings as they undertake the road trip of a lifetime – to take their grandfather to his final resting place, following the route of the road trip they took with him when they were kids. It becomes clear very quickly on that this road trip isn’t full of entirely happy memories – and this time around is absolutely no exception. The siblings, Beth, Eddie and Portia, accompanied by Beth and Eddie’s partners, haven’t been together all three of them for a number of years – for good reason. They’re not particularly happy about the road trip but their grandfather left them with strict instructions – go on the road trip, stay out of trouble, and you get the inheritance. Don’t? Lose your share. And their share? Pretty big, life-changing amounts of money. They go off on the road trip and follow it down to a tee- but of course, before long, things start to get incredibly weird and everything they used to fear comes right back up to the surface.

As psychological thrillers go, it wasn’t a bad one – it was just a bit too long. The story could have been shorter, with a few less twists and turns, and been just as good. I must admit I really didn’t like any of the characters – but I think that was the point; they’re all horrible characters with horrible motives and that was expressed quite clearly. The twists and turns are quite intriguing for the most part, but the ending left me feeling a little bit robbed of the ending I needed. I’d recommend.

I love Samantha Downing's books because they just escalate. They really do...they just keep going and shocking and going and by the end you're left with a finished book and your mouth hanging open in amazement. Those are the best kind of books! If you're ever worried about the psychological stability of your family...worry no more! You couldn't make this story up...or could you! This book has a healthy dose of humour and sadness - there are hilarious bits and poignant bits..and then there's the 'other' bits...

I had high hopes for this book having read My Lovely Wife by the same author. Sadly the book didn’t live up to its expectations.
The book drags and I didn’t find the road trip really interesting. There were mild twists and turns but nothing gripping. I also felt there was a lack of chemistry/emotional connection (friendly, hostility or anything) between the main characters, don’t know if the author did this intentionally.
The storyline was boring and I just wanted to get to the end, but I have to say that the ending surprised me. I wasn’t expecting that. So will give the book 3 stars, just for the ending.
Thank you to Penguin UK for an advanced copy of this ebook and giving me a chance to review this book!

I had high hopes for He Started It and what can I saw other than wow!! It has to be the best psychological thriller I have read in a long time. It was brilliant. It contains lots of twists and turns which kept me hooked and turning the pages at a great speed. Really enjoyed and can not wait for more from Downing.

Thank you NetGalley.

He Started It by Samantha Downing
Thanks @netgalley @smariedowning and @penguinbooks for my arc
Publication date 30th April 2020
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Absolutely bloody brilliant. I loved this book. Packed full family secrets. And some crazy ones at that. I loved Beth, the middle sister and main protagonist of the story. She was real and witty and a bit dark. Amazing. Highly recommended xxx

I absolutely loved reading My Lovely Wife last year. It was one of my favourite books of the year and was memorable too, which doesn't happen often. So I was really eager to pick up this next one from Samantha Downing.
Did it live up to the previous one? In a word "no" and it didn't come close unfortunately.
I really wanted to like this on the back of the previous one, if nothing else, but it was completely different.

None of the main characters of the book were likeable, which meant I did lose a bit of interest as I wasn't really rooting for anybody or any particular outcome to be the one which unfolded.
The other main problem for me was that the story unfolded around a repeating by a family of a lengthy road-trip around America which they'd done in childhood. The premise of this is fine but when they're visiting quite dull museums/sites one after another as a loose thread to get the story onwards I did stop and question why I was reading about people visiting these sites when they're not even places that I'd be interested seeing in the flesh as it were! If it was a form of dark/twisted humour, in detailing such dull places - it was lost on me this time unfortunately.

All in all a nice twist at the end made it a worthwhile read but I was left wanting a bit more if completely honest. I'd certainly pick up the next Samantha Downing book based on the strength of her previous one but this one wasn't for me. As ever, thank you for the preview copy.

I really enjoyed My Lovely Wife - one of the elements I particularly liked was how fast-paced and straight forward it was. There was no vagueness or fuzzy language and I felt we got straight into the action.

It's the same with He Started It - at first I really appreciated how quickly the storyline got started and how fast we moved through each of the chapters. Despite the speed I felt the characters were fairly well developed (I hated pretty much all of them) and I felt a real sense of unease throughout, which doesn't often happen.

Unfortunately the book moved TOO quickly for me. Not a huge amount seemed to happen and then ending was over so quickly and I thought it was just ridiculous. It also felt that the narrator was constantly trying to prove "I'm not crazy, honest!" which was annoying. This would have been 1 star for me sadly however I gave it 2 because it did give me the creeps about halfway through!

I adored My Lovely Wife, so was eager to get into this one.

It’s delightfully twisty turny and well written - but very slow to start. I definitely had to push myself through the first third but then I flew.

Worth a read.

Whilst I did enjoy this book, it definitely was not quite as good as the first book from Samantha Downing. The characters were all believable albeit not very likeable. There was a lot of back and forth to the past and present day which wasn't always clearly identified. There was too much scene setting along the way which did become overkill.

However the ending was a good twist, some bits you could guess at but not all of it.

A different read. Although as I progressed through the book I wondered if it would turn out to be another of those 'horror' stories where a set of psychotic hillbillies or equivalents in Australia follow an innocent family for miles and miles and miles or whether the book was in fact a subtle American tourist guide to 'off the beaten track' heritage sites. However the book is neither and proves an excellent read. You know something just has to happen at the end and it is very difficult to determine who, if any of the travellers, will prove to be the 'baddie'. Alternatively it might be 'and they all lived happily ever after' book.
There are definitely a number of twists and surprises throughout the book and the ending is excellent with several surprising twists and turns. Thoroughly recommended

A great read.
The plot of this book was jam packed with twists and turns, overflowing with the unexpected. A brilliantly crafted plot, which echoed the story itself in that it never headed quite where I predicted.
The characters were well thought out and also full of unanticipated moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, one to add to the shelves

When Beth, Portia and Eddies grandfather dies and leaves them a cryptic message in his wake, the siblings and their partners get together for a cross country road trip to fulfil his final wish and more importantly -to secure their inheritance.
But time with your family can be tough - especially when you are all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory -a missing person and a black truck which is following you. However money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

I enjoyed this book but didn’t like any of the characters in it. None of the people are trustworthy and that’s why this book works so well. It is written brilliantly, starts off slow but you soon find yourself absorbed in the story and needing to find out how it ends.

If you liked My Lovely Wife then you should give this a go too. You won’t regret it I’m sure.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Penguin UK for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

OH YES!! Downing has done it again!! What a cracking read!!

Remember the explosive debut “My Lovely Wife” which hit our shelves last year!? Well “He Started It” set to hit our shelves next month, is even more disturbingly profound. It is written in such a way that can only be described now as “Downing’s Style” – If you’ve read “My Lovely Wife” than you will know what I mean, and if you haven’t…well where on earth have you been!?

Ever taken a road trip with your entire family before? This latest novel is all about past, present and future family experiences following the death of their grandfather. A strange request in his will requires all family members to undertake the same road trip, across country, that they took with their grandfather during their childhoods. Not all is what it seems on this latest family adventure and Downing really knows how to tell a good story and pack a great punch.

Don’t be alarmed at first that this one is set at a much slower pace than the debut, it still has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough!

Oh, and that ending…!! My my my…what an ending! One to be added to your reading lists for sure.

A hugely anticipated read of mine that did not disappoint. I said last year that I could not wait to read more from this author and I for one cannot wait for the next instalment from Samantha Downing!

UK Release Date: 30th April 2020
US Release Date: 28th April 2020

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Thank you to Michael Joseph & Samantha Downing for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

Wow another fantastic book by an extremely talented author. I have read this in one sitting and could not predict the way it was going to go. I absolutely love this author. Can not wait to read more.

I want drawn to read this book because of the title. I wouldn’t say it was the best or most original title I’ve ever heard of. There’s just something about it that drew me in. I’ve become fond of titles that ask a question. I really wanted to know that answer to this one. I don’t have any siblings but the title made me immediately think of fighting brothers and sisters, blaming each other for every catastrophe and refusing to take any responsibility. This is a very dark book. I sort of expected it, given the blurb and the author’s other book, My Lovely Wife but it’s even darker than I expected. This is a book I struggled to put down once I’d started and it had me hooked, flicking through the pages and wondering what the hell would happen next. On to devour!

He Started It, by Samantha Downing

Having been gripped from the first page to the last by My Lovely Wife, I was delighted to have a second Samantha Downing novel to read. And I did enjoy He Started It, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed My Lovely Wife.

I think this is for three reasons. Firstly, I was never gripped by the story in the way that I was with My Lovely Wife. He Started It tells of two sisters, Beth and Portia, and their brother, Eddie, who, following the instructions of their recently deceased grandfather, who may or may not have been guilty of abuse, are repeating a trip they’d taken with him some years earlier. At the end of the trip, they’re to scatter his ashes.

During that first trip, a third sister, Nikki, vanished, and it’s the fervent wish of Beth, the narrator, to find her. The prize for completing the repeat trip, provided they adhered to the grandfather's rules, was going be a share of his $8m estate. On the second trip, they're accompanied by Beth’s husband,, Felix, and Eddie’s wife, Krista.

It soon becomes clear that the reader can’t trust the narrator, and that things are not what they seem to be. Everyone seems to have a dark secret and to be flawed in some way, as is the narrator. While this keeps readers on their toes, re-adjusting thoughts about what’s happening and what’s going to happen, it makes for a degree of confusion, and you keep losing the handle on who is whom and what’s going on. Because of this, I found it impossible to see the characters as ‘real’, and this took away a little of the atmosphere of menace.

Secondly, it isn’t just the confusion about the nature of the characters, but also on occasions, about which trip is being recounted. Because of the numerous flashbacks, there’s a thin line between conversation taking place on the first trip, and talk between the characters on the second trip, and I had to look back in the text several times to determine which trip they were on. Each time I did this, I was jarred out of the story.

Thirdly, at times there’s rather too much information about the places they were visiting for a second time. I found some of the explanations of the sites/museums/etc they visited to be tedious, and reminiscent of a travelogue. Much as I love the US, which I’ve visited many times. I wanted to get on with the story. The frequent description of the different locations they visited, the restaurants where they ate, the motels they stayed in, slowed the pace of the novel.

I don't want to say more as I don't want to give away spoilers. The pace of the novel picked up a little as the siblings neared the end of their goal, but the climax was a disappointment, which felt a real let-down as despite my criticisms of aspects of the book, there was an increasing sense of something about to happen, and I wanted to know what that was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for my copy in exchange for an honest review

He started it follows the story of three siblings on a road trip to scatter their Grandpa’s ashes before they receive their inheritance, we quickly begin to see that everything is not as it seems and each character is hiding some dark secrets. All three siblings are selfish, manipulative liars but it makes for such a twisty story.
I was completely immersed in this book and read it in 3 sittings, when I wasn’t reading it I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I thought the storyline was completely unpredictable and I did not see the twists coming. Samantha’s writing is excellent, every page is suspense filled and I loved the razor-sharp wit. So entertaining, thrilling and twisty. All I can say about the ending is wow, I know that I’m still going to be thinking about this book for days to come.
I thought the research the author put into the quirky American landmarks was really the icing on the cake, it’s fascinating to think some those places exist and I think it really added to the overall creepy vibe of the story.
I read this book straight after reading My lovely wife, which I really enjoyed but overall I preferred this book, it did not disappoint! Can’t wait to recommend it to friends and family.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin UK, Michael Joseph, and Samantha Downing for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A slow moving story about three siblings who go on a road trip with their grandfathers ashes so that they can collect their inheritance.
Full of unlikeable characters and twist and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

First thought after I finished the book: “What the hell Have I just read?!?”
Second thought after I finished the book: “How can I be so stupidly blind and didn’t see this coming”

Guys, this book will literary blow your head off. Every page comes with another suspense, another twist in the plot, another mystery to resolve. I am so bad at this (and felt so stupid as well that I didn’t figure it out earlier)

The first time I saw the title, I thought ‘Yup, one more family thriller based on wife and husband dark mind’. I couldn’t imagine how wrong I was.

Eddie, Beth, and Portia are siblings that live in different parts of the country and don’t have the need to be close to each other, to talk every few days or whatever normal siblings do (sorry, I’m the only child :D ). Even Eddie, who got married 6 months ago, didn’t invited Beth and Portia to his wedding. When their grandfather dies, he has left a rule in his will and they have to honor it in order to receive his money. They have to go again to the road trip they did 20 years ago with their grandfather. A trip that changed them all and set the course of their relationship from now on.

‘For the Morgan siblings, separation is the best form of togetherness.’

Are they willing to take this trip again, although they know how the previous one ended up? Of course, they will do everything for an heritage with raw amount 8 million dollars. They will do everything to complete this trip and put their hands on the money. They are manipulative, liars, and they are willing to kill their own siblings to have all of the money for themselves.

There are two storylines. The first one, narrated by Beth, is taking us to the nowadays road trip with three of them plus Eddie’s wife and Beth’s husband.
The second line is in the form of travel diary entries. Entries made by the sister that can’t take this journey. Not this time, though. Why? Because Nikki, the oldest sibling of them all, went missing during the first journey and nobody has ever found it. As long as everybody has their own reasons to commit to this trip, Beth’s initial one is to try to find out what happened with Nikki on that first trip.


But Beth can’t be our heroine. Why?

‘Men can get away with that and still be the hero, but a cheating wife is unforgivable.’

You may wonder why they may not want to take this trip again? Why the trip was such a bad experience for them all? If you are 12 years old and your grandpa decides to take you to the trip to see every bit of gruesome place in the country, related to somebody been killed or related to the darkest moments from your country history? Like Bonnie and Clyde’s museum, marking the exact place the police killed them? Or a Vax museum with that creepy wax people? Yup, I will never want to go to this journey over again.

I want to tell you so much more. This book is even greater than My Lovely Wife. It is twisty and dark, unexpected turns are waiting for you behind every corner. I wish I could read faster, take a day off, so I can stay home and finish it. But I am going to keep it simple and only outlined the whole hell of a ride. I want you to have the same experience I had while reading this book. Don’t want to spoil a bit for you. I am not sure how you will bear to wait till the end of April when this book will hit the shelves. Don’t want to be on your place.:D