A good read with some fast paced moments, a few twists, and some hidden depths at the end. I think for me the grip factor was missing a little. Even so I liked the premise of the book, a game by which the players had to follow instructions or a loved one would die. In some ways it was a little unbelievable but then it made me think what extent you might go to if a loved ones life could be at risk. The backstory, which provided the depth and context to it all, improved the read for me, leaving me more satisfied at the end than I thought I might be.

Five strangers lose the one they love the most and are thrown into The Game they all have to play but only one can win. Each of them knows they will do anything to save the one they love.

Literally obsessed with this book ! This is a well written faced paced thriller told from multiple POVs. This book had me on the edge of my seat right from the start and I did not see any of the twists coming. Would highly recommend.


Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say kudos to the designer of the cover ... how good and striking is that?!? If that doesn't grab your attention, then the blurb certainly will ... well, it did me but then I am a bit of a sucker for these types of stories every now and again 😎

The story - 5 people in 3 countries suddenly find themselves in The Game but it's not your run-of-the-mill game of Monopoly; no, it's something far more sinister. If they refuse to play, the one they love dies; if they tell anyone, their loved one dies ... they have no choice but to participate but there can only be one winner.

The pacing of the book is fast and flowing with the story being told from the perspective of all the characters and occasionally some of their loved ones. The plot is intriguing - you don't know until near the end why the participants have been chosen or who the 'puppet-master' is which made trying to work out the 'why' difficult but all is revealed in an ending that is as surprising as it is violent.

Now, I'm not going to say that all is perfect with this book, there are a number of times where you have to suspend belief a little and it does deal with themes and uses language that some may find unpalatable, e.g. homophobia, racism, abuse, rape, suicide, and there are numerous scenes of violence, so if you find these are triggers for you, I would give it a miss.

Overall, I think this is a very creditable debut and I will be looking out for more of Mr Kershaw's work in the future and I must thank HQ and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Game and sharing my thoughts.

The Game gives readers a gripping and fast-paced read. In a nutshell: five people from across the world are sent a message - someone has taken one of their loved ones, and they have to enter 'The Game' to save them.

We follow each stranger from before the moment they get the message and beyond. We also flick back to the past to see what occurrences led to their current situation, finding out more about their backstory. Naturally, I cared more about some characters than others. Still, each character was intriguing to read about and although they all experience the same thing from the organiser of The Game, the plot ramps up and jumps into gear at just the right time - before it begins to get too repetitive. We see how each of them handles the 'challenge'. They each have different backgrounds and have travelled from different places, and some parts of the novel I found very difficult to read; for example, Noah's journey and the way one character who is just trying to help is treated...

It's a really gripping story because the reader has no idea if the five people are all linked, and if so how - as well as who is running The Game, why, and how it will end... it certainly kept me turning the pages, and it had some satisfying surprises along the way too!

Definitely surprised this is a debut and I'll be eagerly keeping an eye out for future books by Scott Kershaw after this one!

I can't believe this novel is Scott Kershaw's debut. Really? It is fast paced, gripping, and will have you holding your breath several times as you ride shotgun alongside each of the characters involved in 'The Game'. And what a game it is! Five characters from various parts of the world all receive the same chilling text message, THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER. To save their loved one, each of them must play The Game. Nobody knows what The Game is, the one and only rule is clear. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WINNER. IF YOU LOSE YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE. I thought this was a highly original novel, and loved the breakneck race the players take to save the ones they love. Who will live, and who will die? Highly recommended.

Written in chapters headed up Player One, Player Two etc.  Also written in parts; Level One,  Level two etc. Due to this format, it was slow to get going as each character was introduced in level one but once level two hit, things started to gain pace when a text message started with "The person you love most is in danger" and "If you lose, your loved one will die".

Maggie, Brett, Sarah, Noah and Linda are all from different areas, even different countries but how are they connected? By "The Game".

Each chapter was told from the five character's point of view and there was also some timeline jumping. Even so, it was fairly easy to follow.

The 'players' are all sent the same text messages and are given a location to get to in the middle of Yorkshire, England.

This is a debut novel but definitely worth a read as it kept me page turning quickly to find out why these strangers had been targeted and if they had a connection.

The ending was dramatic, but not what I expected at all. A great twisted plot, quite graphic and violent in places.

📣 Mentions rape, exploitation and drugs.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC. Really enjoyable read.

Enjoyed this book! Gripping and the perfect thriller for all of those thriller fans! Kershaw is an an amazing author.

I immediately knew I had to have this book! I would actually compare this to Adrian McKinty's The Chain.

The five people chosen are so different in terms of backgrounds and personalities, each new chapter switching focus to a different character so you get to really learn who they are as people. My favourites turned out to be wise pickings. You really do see the difference in brutality and humanity when lives are at stake—some people become very selfish, others refuse to lose their morals. They all had weaknesses and strengths in their personalities, all with aspects of their backgrounds that pulled at the heart.

I was completely gripped, trying to work out why these people were chosen and how they were connected. The fact there was more than one country involved made the mystery even harder to work out. I would have liked more small games within the game personally. There was a lot of focus on characters reaching destinations, but I thought there would be little trials and tests along the way. But what a twist of an ending!

So excited to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Scott Kershaw and HQ for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

‘THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER. TO SAVE THEM YOU MUST PLAY THE GAME’.

When Maggie finds her son missing, she is frantic, she has no idea who has taken him and why. She is only of 5 complete strangers from across the world who receive the same text message, if they don’t play the game, their loved one will die.

Known only by their player numbers 1-5, they have to play the game, and there can only be one winner. What is the game? And why have these seemingly random 5 people from all over the world been chosen? What could link them?

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was well thought out, well executed and brilliantly delivered. I had no clue what was going to happen next! A real gripping page turner!

I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you for letting me read it.

This is such a good book! It hooks you in from page one, where Maggie finds her young son has been taken. As we go on, more characters are introduced meaning the story is told from multiple perspectives - this is something I love in a book. The chapters are short and full, each ending in a way that leaves you needing to read on.
I was worried around half way through that it would start to drag a bit and I would lose interest, but my mind was quickly put to rest. This is such an addictive, gripping and tense debut that I didn't want to put down.
Solid 4⭐️ and definitely recommend.

Five strangers are selected to play a game but none of them want to play. Each stranger has a loved one who is taken, they have to play The Game to save them but there can only be one winner.

This book is quite slow paced, perhaps too slow for me. But it picks up towards the end where there is an unexpected ending which pulls all the stories together to conclusion.

Loved this psychological story fast paced and grip[ping. about 5 strangers who receive a text saying they are in the game and if they don't follow the instructions the people they love will die.
Kept the suspense all the way through to the end and will keep you guessing who the culprit is, finished this in one sitting.
Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley & HQ for a advanced copy.

I got the Game by Scott Kershaw from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

The Game tells the story of five people from the USA, France and United Kingdom who have all been summed to be at a certain point by a specific time, or some one they love who as already been kidnapped will be killed.
The Game by Scot Kershaw is a mystery thriller that is told through several perspectives both the five players in the game and a few other characters.
I really did like the start of the novel and the way that it did build the tension throughout the book as each character had to use fair means or fowl to get to the required destination some of which did seem to be a little over the top. However, it did allow the novel to work.
While I do not want to give too much of the ending in this review, I will say to me it seemed a little rushed, the book had built tenson all the way through and the end seemed to have been cut to be a certain number of pages.
While I understand this may have been because the writer Scott Kershaw was a debut writer, I do think extending the ending just a bit would have really enhanced the novel.
Having said that I would still recommend that this debut thriller, The Game by Scott Kershaw be added to your reading pile.

I was late to the game with this one. I saw it advertised pre-publication and was very tempted to read it. Then saw plenty of five star reviews and knew I had to read it.

It's a niche genre, the innocent characters forced into life and death situations by some evil unseen controller. I can think of two great examples Adrian McKinty's The Chain and Charlie Gallagher's The Lethal Game, so big boots to fill.

Five disparate characters, who have all had love ones snatched. To have a chance of seeing them again they must drop everything and reach a specific location, on time, to enter The Game.

It's fairly fast, and gets off to a fast start with chapters told from each character's perspective, one more chapter turns into five more chapters then five more.

I wish I had had the opportunity to read in one sitting as broken up over a few days I lost the momentum, and it flagged in the middle for me.

It ends brilliantly and gets very dark, with good twists, but I felt it was rather too loaded towards the finale.

I'm not raving about it, but I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ

Chilling, mysterious and fast paced.
The premise of this book is amazing and I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved how the book was structured, following all the ‘players’ one at the time and giving each one of them the same amount of time so that all of them could stand out with their story.

I did not see the ending coming and I found all the threads opened found a good explanation and nothing was left unsaid.

A brillian title you’ll want to pick up!
Thank you Netgallery for the advanced copy of thr book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book. 5 people have someone they love kidnapped and as a result, they become players in 'the game'. You find out more and more about each one and it takes time before you understand what 'the game' is which helps to build the tension. A great idea for a book and one that keeps you in suspense all the way through!

Across the globe, five strangers receive a horrifying message from an unknown number.

THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER.

To save them, each must play The Game – a sinister unknown entity that has a single rule: there can only be one winner.

IF YOU LOSE, YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE.

But what is The Game – and why have they been chosen?
There’s only one thing each of them knows for sure: they’ll do anything to win…

WELCOME TO THE GAME. YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING.

This is a thrilling read that you can't put down!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

Incredibly gripping and a fantastic concept! I loved having the multiple POVs and there were a number of twists throughout the book that made it that much more thrilling to read and definitely kept me hooked

A very big thank you to the team at HQ Stories, for sending me a copy of The Game by Scott Kershaw. Make sure you follow the other mentioned bloggers above for their reviews of this book. The Game is definitely one of those books that instantly grabs your attention.

As soon as I read the synopsis, I wanted to know what this game is all about. We are introduced to five people, and someone they love goes missing and they receive a message to start playing the game. There can only be one winner and they cannot share this message or seek help from anyone. If they lose this game, their loved one will die.

The first half of the book feels like a prolonged introduction. There is a slight issue with pacing, due to us reading five chapters for five different characters, all having to do the same few tasks. For example – they need to buy a prepaid phone and come to a certain location.

Whilst this is great in terms of character building, and us understanding each character’s back story, at times it felt like a recycled content. Once the game officially starts, my reading experience improved significantly. There is a lot of tension and uneasy atmosphere that I quite enjoyed. We discover a lot of secrets about the players and see how each of them deals with the situation they are into.

Writing this review now, it’s extremely hard to not reveal anything. The big reveal was very unexpected, that’s all I will say! It took me by surprise still, even though I had my suspicions and picked up on a few clues along the way. The ending was dark and twisty and it was interesting to see the aftermath of everything. A lot of questions were raised regarding morality and taking responsibility of small decisions that may have a huge impact in the long run. There are definitely a lot of topics for discussion, and I can see this book being a great pick for a book club. It kept me glued from start to finish. The game aspect of the book satisfied me and the gripping ending was a masterpiece. Don’t miss this one out, despite its difficult beginning.

The Game is Scott Kershaw’s debut novel, although his writing doesn’t feel like a debut author’s writing. I will definitely keep Scott on my radar and look out for his next books.

Wow!
This is a thrilling novel that grabs from the first page as a young mother finds her son taken and a broken window in below freezing temperatures 5 storeys up.
There are 5 players in The Game, all unwittingly brought into a bizarre, frightening situation and each chapter is a story of one of the players. Sometimes, when authors switch characters by chapter it can be confusing, but, not here.
Each character is so well written and the story so compelling I practically read in one sitting. I was completely enthralled and could not imagine how it could possibly be brought to a satisfying conclusion. However, it is and it’s a heartbreaking, emotional one.
There’s also some cracking lines; one that’s stayed with me is when a particular character is very nervous and his stomach butterflies are “diseased with razor wings”

Overall, an amazing debut novel. Congratulations to Scott Kershaw and thanks to NetGalley and HQ publishers for the opportunity to preview.