Thanks to NetGalley, C.M. Ewan and Macmillan for the ARC of The Interview.

I loved the sound of the blurb for this book - as someone who works in HR by day, I have hosted and attended my fair share of interviews, so a thrilling twist on what can otherwise be fairly mundane sounded like a refreshing change, The book starts slowly, but then quite literally ramps up to the point where you can not stop reading, and if anything my only real criticism (and hence why not 5 stars) is that at times I felt this would have worked so much better as a Netflix film than reading it, as it almost cries out to be visual.

Kate gets invited to what appears to be her dream job at Edge Communications. After working within the travel industry for many years, she has the right experience, but she is super nervous. Her recruitment consultant Maggie has warned her that they want the best of the best and like to do things a little differently - break all the rules. When she arrives at her interview and gets introduced to Joel (not the interviewer she was expecting), she already feels on the back foot. Then, taken to the 13th floor of a high rise building in a small glass room; the interview takes a drastic turn for the worse.

Think escape room, panic and a slight die hard vibe to this book and you wouldn't be far off. Some parts are so vividly described that you can literally picture them in your mind (hence again why this needs to be a film!). At first you find yourself wondering what on earth Kate could have done to deserve this treatment, but then the backstory builds up and creates a full history of events leading to this day.

This is a very different read to my usual but I really enjoyed it. Definitely one to look out for as I would be amazed if someone doesn't claim the movie rights to this in the not too distant future,

Lucy

THE INTERVIEW by C M EWAN. - NO SPOILERS!
If you are looking for a thriller of a read, then this is the book for your! From page one, it's a rollercoaster of a ride, with twists and turns everywhere. With characters you can love and hate and shout at. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, short chaptered, well written book and would definitely recommend.

I give a 4 star rating

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REPLY

A very clever premise with lots of twist and turns. Would recommend. Will look out for other books from this author.

Good idea and story but is the type of story that I rather watch on a Netflix movie rather than reading about it. It is over descriptive for my taste and it could be shorter. I didn't expect some of the twists but the ending was disappointing for me too. If you enjoy descriptive stories, you will enjoy this one.

Just the word “Interview” sends shivers down my spine. How can a whole story based on a 30-45 minute job interview keep me engaged? Well it did and some great twists and turns also which kept me guessing. Are the rather off-key questions a test or is there something more sinister going on? Well read on and find out- you won’t be disappointed.

I was fascinated by the premise of this book - it struck me as a really original idea that could have gone in any number of directions. With such an intriguing setup I went into it with no idea of the type of story that would emerge.

The prose was engaging and the plotting was brilliant. Generally the characterisation was also pretty good, though Kate was a little frustrating and the character of Maggie could have been developed more. It felt like she was thrown in just for an extra twist that didn’t add a huge amount to the story.

My main criticism of the book is its length. I think a good chunk could have been cut from the middle to avoid reader fatigue with the story and to really sustain the tension. There seemed to be a huge amount dedicated to Kate’s various escape ideas and excessive detail regarding the office surroundings and her futile attempts to break free. The writing was strong enough to propel me through, but I did find my interest waning a little midway through.

The book was more of an action thriller than psychological in nature, which isn’t the type of genre I’d usually go for and wasn’t the impression i’d got from the blurb, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

For anyone looking for a page turning thriller of a read, this is it. Although, possibly not just before you head for a job interview!

It's a race of a book about a young woman, Kate Harding, who is headed for an interview with a prestigious PR company, Edge Communications. The interview is certainly intense and this is when the book becomes a thriller with many twists and turns.
I found it a riveting read and definitely one for those who enjoy mystery/thrillers. I'm struggling to put my finger on exactly why this wasn't a 5* read for me and I think it's partly because it becomes a little drawn out in the middle but overall, it's a strong, dark, drama of a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to preview and congratulations to C M Ewan on another cracking read.

This wasn't quite the thriller I was expecting there was an element of action as well as corporate cover ups, so there was a lot of ways I thought this book was going an it's only as I got further in that the plot really got going.

I think I was sceptical during the first few chapters that someone would actually book an interview for 5pm on a Friday (obviously this was paramount for the plot) but once I let go of that niggle I enjoyed the story.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. This is my honest opinion.

Mind blowing story.
I had no idea what I was reading or happening in the beginning but once I got a hold of some twisted scenes, I literally felt goosebumps on my skin.
Brilliant done which won’t be a surprise since the author’s last book was a huge page-turner for me as well.
Chilling , scary even and non stop adrenaline rush.

Once I started reading The Interview, I couldn’t stop. It had me hooked from the first chapter.

Kate arrived for her interview at 5pm but it soon becomes clear that all is not as expected. She’s alone in an office thirteen floors up with just the man interviewing her. Everyone else has gone home for the weekend but gradually the interview gets more and more disturbing. She only has to answer one seemingly impossible question … but can she?

Thrilling, dark and disturbing it was just what I was after. The action only takes places over a few hours, but there’s a lot packed into this plot line and you won’t be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author for the chance to review.

When reading the title of this book you ask yourself what can really go so wrong in an interview? By the end of the book Chris has made you rethink ever going for another interview again! The book picks up pace rapidly and moves through the story effortlessly, sweeping you along with the unfolding drama. Multiple twists unfold throughout the story. Couldn’t put this book down, brilliantly written, suspenseful and dramatic.

What a great, original premise for an excellent thriller with all the ingredients for a superb read.
I found myself wondering what on earth she could have done to deserve this treatment in addition to trying to figure out if Joel was a good or a bad guy.
All becomes clear as other characters are introduced and everyone seems to know more than they are at first letting on.
It would make a great film, especially as the location lends itself to great cinematic direction.

So this book is basically No Exit, meets Escape Room, meets the horror movie P2 (that classic, Christmassy, work based slash fest!)

I was super hyped when I read the blurb for this one (& checked my netgalley obsessively after I requested it) so I’m relieved to be able to say that it didn’t disappoint.

I’ve been on a bit of an action thriller vibe since reading Escape Room & this scratched the itch perfectly. It literally reads like a movie in your mind & is pure, closed room, plot focused adrenaline from start to finish.

Netgalley Synopsis: “It’s 5pm on a Friday. You’ve been called to an interview for your dream job. In a stunning office thirteen floors above the city below, you are alone with the man interviewing you. Everyone else goes home for the weekend. The interview gets more & more disturbing. You’re feeling scared & the only way out is to answer a seemingly impossible question. If you can’t - what happens next?”

Tell me that doesn’t sound like a fun time?! The chapters are short & snappy, the perspectives alternate between our protogonist & “the bad guy” & the stakes push the limits of realism in true blockbuster fashion.

One for the watchlist!

Huge thank you to @panmacmillan & @netgalley for the arc e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kate is offered a job interview for a job of a lifetime in central London, some 15 months after she lost her husband in an air disaster that involved her previous employer who her husband Mark also worked for. Feeling ready for a. New challenge, she attends her interview but not all is as it seems, at last minute she is told Joel will be conducting the interview and she thinks nothing of it, until things take a sinister turn when his line of questioning gets her thinking there is more to this than meets the eye. It’s late on a Friday evening p, and everyone else in the building has left for the weekend. She finds herself locked in the building buy Joel with no way of getting out, and he has also taken her handbag and containing her phone. With no escape, what is actually going on with this this interview, and was there even a job there at Edge in the first place?

I really enjoyed this book, you literally had no idea what was going on at first, why was Joel doing this and who actually was he? Who else was involved and what did he know?

It was a compelling read with plenty of twists and turns, it did leave me a bit confused at first about why she was there and what Joel was up to, but when all becomes clear in the end you realise the extent of what a person would do for someone they have lost.

This is a good story but I think I would prefer to see it on the screen rather than read it. Parts of the book were very complex and I found them hard to imagine. The characters were really busy and gripping though.

An adrenaline filled story which takes place in a short time period. I enjoyed the element of the unreliable narrator and found it hard to predict, we’ll worth a read.

Having read a good cross-section of contemporary thrillers over the last few months, I cannot fail to notice that there are more and more writers coming onstream who forgo elaborate plots and settings in order to concentrate on isolated female protagonists trapped in seemingly impossible situations. Chris Ewan is one author who manages a novel with such concentrated plot and a small cast of characters most convincingly. The starting point of this taut thriller is ordinary enough – a Friday evening interview for a coveted job in an anonymous, by now deserted office block turns into a desperate game of cat and mouse. In a city of millions of people, is there really nobody who will help the protagonist? It is hard to write more without revealing details of what happens next; suffice to say all is not as it seems, and the final twist will take you by surprise. Readers of fast-paced contemporary thrillers dripping with psychological menace should definitely pick up Ewan’s novel, too.
Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for this free ARC granted to me to produce an honest and unbiased book review.

The Interview by C. M. Ewan is a fast-paced thriller with lots of suspense, set over just a few hours. It has a very complex storyline which has been well thought out and keeps the reader guessing throughout the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I can’t imagine how long it took for the author to work out this complex story line and plot each and every scene and chapter. From the moment you start reading this excellent book you are drawn in. There are some aspects that do stretch your imagination and reality but none of that really matters, you are on a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. It deserves every one of my five stars.

A good read that kept me guessing although it did take me a while to get into the story line. It was well written with good characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it once I had got into it.

I can recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan Publishers for allowing me to read this book.