Member Reviews
I’ve never met an Adam Hamdy book that I didn’t enjoy and I think that will continue for a long time. Hamdy is an excellent writer, no matter what genre he turns he hand to, he can do no wrong in my eyes.
This is a tale of the absolute unexpected. Do not read the blurb or anything that may sneak in some clues as this is a just go in blind read in order to confound and enhance your expectations. This is a unique read that is a terrific blend of several genres but which does also rightly sit in the mystery thriller bracket. It will blow your mind as it blows mine. It takes me several hours to try to process before putting pen to paper in what I can say with certainty as I think this is brilliant. I’ll try to give you a flavour which is spoiler free, here goes!
This is the story of how former police officer Harriet Kealty destroys David Asha’s son Elliot’s life and then absolutely redeems it. It is told through a variety of means such as court reports, book extracts, video transcripts as well as the perspective of characters including Harriet. If that sounds as if it’s going to be disjointed, it isn’t as Adam Hamdy blends the puzzling conundrum seamlessly in a fast paced, slick and complex plot.
The author hooks me in immediately as I almost greedily swallow and savour the pages in anticipation of the compelling and utterly gripping tale. It is brim full of emotion and pain as you feel the sense of failure of several characters and how they shoulder the blame and the regret of their choices. It’s very intense in places especially with some relationships which are fascinating in their complexity and the tension between them bounces off the pages.
Some characters feel other worldly at times and so it feels strange and perplexing as Harriet tries to piece together the clues she’s either witnesses or discovers, some of which are often in the form of poetry. I love this element which adds a little something extra!
There is a lot going on but at times it’s also reflective and still which is welcome as you try to process your building suspicions. In places my jaw drops, my brain fries trying to take it all in and trust me, some of the twists are outstanding.
Overall, this is an excellent blend of themes, it’s a go with the flow read for a better experience and oddly, I find I can buy into what I’ve just read because it is so well written.
Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan MacMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This is a really interesting book with a story that twists and turns in many directions as you read it. I definitely didn't know where it was heading in terms of plot. My one complaint about it is that there was quite a lot of detail to wade through in the first half of the book. All plotlines are set up well and properly tied up by the end but my head was reeling from the amount of detail it took to get there.
My head hurts a bit, and I may need paper and pencil to write down the plot details to get it perfectly straight in my head.
I stayed up way past bedtime to get this finished, because I had to know what was going on.
Fairly normal start, building up the characters, but it felt a bit odd throughout.
Really ramped that up by the end.
As suggested, I didn't even read the blurb going in, but had seen positive feedback on twitter.
I guess I'll be joining the positive feedback gang now.
Elliott Asha, his son, broken by a loss that will redeem him.
Ben Elmys, a surrogate father and David’s trusted friend, a man who might also be a murderer.
Harriet Kealty, a retired detective searching for answers to three mysterious deaths, while also investigating a man who might turn out to be the love of her life.
Every word David tells you is true, but you will think it fiction.
The other side of night was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! Awesome… What are you waiting for?!
I didn't know what to expect from this book. So I went in with a very open mind and I can honestly say that this book is delightful. It has lots of heart, great characters and a wonderful storyline.
My thoughts about Adam Hamdy’s The Other Side Of Night is a dark, complex intriguing suspenseful thriller with a layers of emotions which makes it more compelling, easily one of the best mystery thriller’s to have come out from writer Adam Hamdy. Writer Adam Hamdy’s story is fascinating to read. The Other Side Of Night starts on a high note and dives into the stories of the characters which is fascinating. The story of Adam Hamdy’s The Other Side Of Night begins with a man named David Asha writing about his biggest regret: his sudden separation from his son, Elliot. In his grief, David tells a story. Next, we step into the life of Harriet Kealty, a police officer trying to clear her name after a lapse of judgment. She discovers a curious inscription in a secondhand book a plea: Help me, he’s trying to kill me. Who wrote this note. Who is he. This note leads Harri to David Asha, who was last seen stepping off a cliff. Police suspect he couldn’t cope after his wife’s sudden death. Still, why would this man jump and leave behind his young son? Quickly, Harri’s attention zeroes in on a person she knows all too well.
Ben Elmys: once the love of her life. A surrogate father to Elliot Asha and trusted friend to the Ashas. Ben may also be a murderer. Writer Adam Hamdy tells the story in a puzzling-kind of way, letting you feel like you finally know what is going on, just to tear your expectation apart with a new shocking truth. Adam Hamdy’s The Other Side Of Night is cleverly written and executed with brilliant characters. It is both engaging and enjoyable. The unexpected ending is the cream on the top of this well-crafted suspense thriller. I would like to say a big thank you to Author Adam Hamdy for kindly sending me a gifted physical copy and Publishers Pac Millian for letting me a read an advance copy of this unique thriller on netgally. I’ve enjoyed reading. The Other Side Of Night is spectacular.
This book was a really enjoyable read and was so nuch nore than I expected. It was well written with a engaging storyline and well developed characters. Definitely a read I would recommend.
This was an interesting book. I have lived near where the book is set. So I especially liked knowing the setting well. I can’t say that I loved the book but I definitely had to finish it to know what happened in the end.
This is one of those books that I don't even know where to begin to review. Normally I would begin my reviews with a short outline of the story however I don't think I want to do that here.
To do so would lead you down a road that you will need to turn back along, then climb over a wall, to go back up the street and end up where you were going in the first place.
That is not to say the story is a mess, not at all. It, however, defies description and classification and I am not going to attempt to do so here.
So what can I say? Well, some of the writing in this book is as beautiful as I have ever read:
"I've written millions of words, but I still cannot find a way to describe the emptiness that spread from my core and engulfed me. Those words don't do it justice. None can. It is a visceral experience beyond the confines of language....If you've lost someone you love, you will know. If not, I envy your innocence"
That passage broke my heart. Whilst I think how this story develops may put some people off, this was definitely a winner for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.