Noelle Holten takes a departure from her fabulous DC Maggie Jamieson series for this exciting, stand-alone thriller. 6 Ripley Avenue has all of the ingredients for a gripping novel where a murder takes place at Ripley House Approved Premises. One thing is for certain, either one of the ex-cons residing at the probation hostel or one of the staff committed the murder.

Senior Probation Officer Jeanette Macey is trying to keep things running as smoothly as possible as the police begin their investigation. They are not the only interested parties. In fact, Sloane Armstrong, freelance investigative journalist, with a focus on crime, takes a strong interest in the investigation, and stays as involved as possible. She is not the only one, as there is yet another person who has a vested interest in what is going on at Ripley House.

As this compelling story moves forward with various third person perspective from key characters, there is also the chilling first-person point of view of the killer, and their part in what is going on while the police are working on the case. With a house full of high-risk criminals, suspicion reigns king from the start. While, the hostel has upset the community already, if this case is not solved, and quickly, the doors might close indefinitely.

I have heard it said more than once to write what you know. As a former probation officer, Noelle Holten knows her stuff. Coming from experience, her writing led credence to a well-written story that was impossible to put down. The book never once let me go as I could not wait to figure out who the killer was. With an excellent storyline, incredible pacing, a few surprise twists and a satisfying conclusion, 6 Ripley Avenue kept me on my toes as I was pulled into the story from the very start.

Many thanks to One More Chapter and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/ZgoJarQWLRk

We have a new book, a non-Maggie book, and whilst I love Maggie and her series, I had no fear when it came to reading this one. I wasn’t worried whether Noelle would deliver or not, I wasn’t worried if I would miss Maggie or not, I just knew, KNEW, that it would be a wild ride regardless. Guess what I was totally right!

Stepping in the light are Sloane, Helen, and Jeanette! So, it may seem that it takes 3 women to replace Maggie, but that’s so not it. God these women are strong in their own right. My heart was with Helen, my strength with Sloane, and my tenacious behaviour with Jeanette. I actually would love a series with Sloane as I feel by the end there are some unresolved issues…just saying.

This book was riveting as I was on the prowl to find out who the murderer was! I won’t lie, I had an idea of who I thought it was, and so I wasn’t disappointed when I was right…HOWEVER, there is such a delicious twist, the sting in the tail which had me salivating at the end as I wasn’t expecting it! I do love a book that can shock me, and Noelle always has a way of making me say OMFG when I read her books!

Using the locked room idea, which I always love, it leaves us with a small pool of suspects, and what I love is the misdirect, who knew so many naughty things were going on under our noses in the reform hostel! Tsk Tsk.

I think this is a fabulous stand-alone and I think it all worked well. A new pool of characters who I want to see again, but if not, I had a great time in their story. I just find Noelle’s writing addictive. Her stories stick with you and she makes you wanting more. So when is the next book coming?

When Danny Wells, a resident living at a Probation Hostel is killed, there’s plenty of people to point the finger at. Wells wasn’t a popular resident, but who hated him enough to kill him, and why? This was a gripping thriller which caught and held my attention right from the first page. It is told mainly from the perspectives of Sloane, a journalist investigating the probation hostel; Helen, an elderly woman who lives next to the hostel; Jeanette, the manager of the hostel and finally the killer – no explanation needed! The chapters are short and snappy, and I quickly moved through them, suspecting every character as I went.

The author has obviously used her vast knowledge, skills and experiences as a former probation officer to make this book as realistic as possible, and I loved the glimpses into her former life! Many of the residents at Ripley Avenue are dangerous offenders, the staff seem to be somewhat lacking in their responsibilities to them and the manager seems to be blinkered as to what is going on right under her nose – hopefully most of that is artistic licence though and not true to form! There are plenty of characters throughout that you couldn’t trust or didn’t like, and these gave me opportunity to suspect almost everyone of being the killer! Despite her failings, I did like Jeanette’s character and felt quite sorry for her. I also liked Helen, the elderly neighbour and could understand her misgivings of having a probation hostel next door.

The storyline moved along a good pace and kept me wondering what was going on well into the book! I had my suspicions as to who the killer could be, and although my opinions on this changed as I read, I did guess who it was before the reveal…although not the motive, which was cleverly done! Full of dead ends and red herrings, this book will keep you guessing throughout. Would recommend!

6 Ripley Ave is a hostel for prisoners who are still on probation. When it was set up no-one was more against it than Helen who lived beside it. She is convinced that when this place was in the planning the stress killed her husband. When one of the inmates is found murdered there is no shortage of suspects- all the residents are perfectly capable of having done it but who did & why? Jeanette the probation officer in charge of the house feels like the ideals she believes in are crumbling. Helen, along with Sloane- an investigative reporter attempt to find out the truth.

This story switches form narrator to narrator. Many of the characters are very dislikeable. The chapters are short which move the story along. All in all it was an OK read but not one that will linger in my memory! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Ok call me biased if you want. You could be right; in fact you totally are, I am! This is Noelle's first and I hope not last standalone novel. All I can say she has excelled herself again and created a story that will have the reader turning the pages furiously and find themselves not wanting to put it down

When a murder occurs in a hostel housing 8 inmates, it seems anyone could be the killer.

With that one line, I bet you're intrigued right? I definitely was! The premise was outstanding but sadly, the slow pace of the book let it down. The multiple POV's (including that of the killer) and short chapters were great however since I picked the killer pretty early on, I already had an inkling about what was going to happen. I have seen many glowing reviews for this book so don't take my review as stone. If you enjoy locked room thrillers and trying to guess whodunnit, this one might be for you.

Set in a hostel for offenders released on licence, there is no shortage of suspects when one of the offenders is found dead. Of course, the police are investigating but so is a nosy neighbour, Helen, who volunteers at the hostel. She does this because she would like the hostel shut down and is looking for reasons to achieve that end. Add to that her friend, a journalist, Sloane, who would also like to shut down the hostel but is looking for a story to print too.
We follow the story from several points of view, including that of the killer, although we don't know who that is.
It is a race to see who will solve the riddle and who is most as risk.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Noelle Holten/HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own,

A good stand-alone thriller about a probation hostel housing high risk prisoners who have been released on license. Well written and it is clear that the authors background (see acknowledgments) has been put to good use. Short chapters help keep this well paced with chapters written from the perspective of three women involved in the plot and the killer.

Briefly, one of the residents has been murdered. Three women all have their own suspicions about the murder - Jeanette, the manager of the house; Helen, who lives next door to the house and was strongly opposed to it but now volunteers there and Sloane, a reporter determined to find the killer. Everyone is a suspect.

This was quite an addictive read and although I did guess the why I was constantly changing my mind about the who. An original storyline and a good cast of characters. I did find it rather disconcerting that quite a number of the probation staff were less than trustworthy and hope that was a bit of poetic license. A very good read, lots of tension and good twists and turns, I enjoyed it. 4.5⭐️

A fascinating story from the ever improving Noelle Holten. Her series of novels is impressive and this standalone confirms her status as a crime writer to watch. This tale is set in a probation hostel and starts with the death of one of the residents. Other residents and the staff all come under suspicion., and an eager investigative journalist does all she can to solve the mystery, eventually teaming up with the police to share information. The writing is confident, the background well documented and the outcome most satisfactory.

(2.5 stars)
This crime novel is set in what Australians might call a halfway house, where former prisoners are integrated back into society to help their adjustment and prevent recidivism. As the action takes place in Britain, the terminology is different, so 6 Ripley Avenue is called an approved premises.

While the novel is written from multiple points of view, including the killer's, the lead protagonist is an unlikable and unethical investigative journalist, Sloane Armstrong, who manipulates the public with her stories: "Just like her, the public were seekers of truth, only sometimes they needed a nudge in the right direction." Her language is stigmatising and she cares little about the safety of those she manipulates for information to write her biased story: "She may have wanted information, but she wasn't going to let this group of lowlifes do what the wanted." Sloane justifies her bias and ignores the impact of her stories on socially important ideas like rehabilitation by hiding behind the a thin veneer of being truthful: "She was only reporting the facts though."

The first few chapters are tedious explanations that make a mockery of the 'show don't tell' rule. Lots of the book contains ridiculous and unnecessary descriptions: "Using the touch pad on her MacBook, she scrolled until one heading caught her attention." This gives the book a truly tedious pace, with so many boring and unnecessary words: "Sloane took a deep breath and enjoyed the smell of the greasy burger van she passed, reminding her of happier times in her childhood. Her stomach grumbled. The smell of burger vans always got her stomach going." Or: "She carefully pulled out her mobile phone from her front pocket and checked it was on silent, before opening the camera icon."

The chapters might be short, but I rarely wanted to read more than one before going to sleep. And in terms of social impact, I question whether ramming home how bad probation is over and over again helps the world any? Why endorse fearful discriminatory people protesting "'vile human beings' moving into their nice neighbourhood" or ideas like "some people just couldn't be rehabilitated". Noelle Holton, a former probation worker herself, throws in some good victim blaming about women experiencing domestic and family violence too: "Sloane surmised that this was probably the reason her previous children had been removed from her care as Emily wasn't capable of protecting herself, let alone her children from abusive men in her life." News flash: we've moved on and blame the perpetrator for his violence these days, and partner with the mother to recognise the protective actions she takes to save her children and stay alive. Ignoring the important pivot the domestic and family violence sector has taken toward the perpetrator just perpetuates victim-blaming.

Yeah, I really didn't enjoy reading this one...

6 Ripley Avenue is a hostel for high risk offenders on probation. Jeanette, the manager, gets a middle of the night phone call that one of the residents has been murdered. There are plenty of suspects, including the other residents, staff, etc. Jeanette and others probe into the murder and uncover things going on in the house. In addition to chapters from Jeanette's point of view, we hear from Sloane, an investigative reporter who has been interested in reporting on the hostel since it opened, and Helen, a concerned neighbor who improbably has volunteered in the kitchen to keep an eye on things in the hostel. We also get chapters from the point of view of the unnamed killer. Although the premise is interesting and the chapters are short and that should keep the novel zipping along, the story kind of dragged for me.

6 Ripley Avenue is a probation hostel run by manager, Jeanette, one of the four POVs from which the story is told. The hostel is controversial, with neighbours having opposed the development, and when a brutal murder takes place behind its doors, the police are under pressure to identify the culprit. The case attracts the interest of a local journalist, and as police try to work out which of the residents is guilty, the author does a brilliant job at misdirecting and throwing in red herrings. This is a slow burning 'whodunnit' which has a strong focus on procedure and protocol - the author's professional history is used to great effect, and her expertise makes the story plausible as well as gripping. The killer was not who I thought it was, and the denouement really came as a surprise. The killer chapters were particularly creepy - a 5* from me, and I look forward to reading more of Holten's books.

When a probation hostel was opened two years ago at 6 Ripley Avenue, housing high risk offenders released on license, the community said there would be trouble and tried everything to shut it down, now one of the offenders is dead and it appears to be an inside job, but who was it that killed Danny Wells and why, and what else is going on at the hostel that Jeanette, the manager, is unaware of?

6 Ripley Avenue is a multi perspective crime thriller, told from the POV of Jeanette, Sloane, Helen and the Killer. Jeanette is the manager of the hostel and is struggling to understand how someone can have been murdered right under the noses of the night staff, Sloane is an investigative journalist who will do anything to get herself a story, Helen lives next door to the hostel and headed up the neighbourhood watch campaign to try and get it closed down and now works there as a volunteer and the killer, well you'll find that out for yourselves when you read it. It's a well written story with short chapters, a slow burn that keeps you guessing throughout, I had everyone banged to rights at some point through the book. The fact that the author previously worked in probation is very clear to see with her knowledge of the system and this shines through in this, her first standalone. Another four star read for me!

I'd like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

This is a fast paced gripping thriller which keeps you reading long into the night

Thank you netgalley, Noelle Holten and Harper Collins UK, one more chapter

5 Stars from me

A superb standalone thriller from Noelle Holten - author of the Maggie Jamieson crime thriller series.

Number 6 Ripley Avenue is a probation hostel (which made me think about the residents of 5 and 7 Ripley Avenue... that must have been an interesting meeting in the town planning office!).

The book sheds light on life inside the hostel, making it sound an equally fascinating and awful place. Respect to Jeanette and the team for working there! 

Well, I say respect. So I wouldn't want to work there, especially not at 6 Ripley Avenue as things seemed a little unregulated at times. However, hats off to Jeanette and her motley crew as it's an important job and someone has to do it - but can her team be trusted?

Equally impressive in this story was Helen, the nosy neighbour and staunch protestor against the licensing of the hostel who opted for the 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' approach by working there as a volunteer. Helen and her reporter friend Sloane made for a great team and I read this wondering if they might end up with spin-off series! Although they both grated a little to start with I soon found myself warming to them both, and enjoyed their back stories. 

Despite the obvious seriousness of the crime and the location, the police didn't appear to always be on their A game, although there were some more great characters introduced here. 

The book was chock full of red herrings and dead ends. The chapters were of a great length and flipped between key characters as the story unfolded - including the killer. I had several theories on who the killer was, including some far out ones and enjoyed the way that Noelle teased these potential plot lines throughout the story.

Needless to say, if crime thrillers float your boat then you'll enjoy reading through the rest of Noelle's books

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a stand alone book by this author and totally different from what you normally expect

one house
8 killers
no witnesses

and even the title makes you think evil thoughts

its a slow burner of a book but with the red herrings galore and the sense of someone killing it makes you wonder if its one of the probationers or one of the staffs

must admit i didnt think the killer was who it was

The premise of this is unusual and had me hooked-a murder takes place in a halfway house. Obviously if the victim and the murderer were living in a halfway house, it’s because they’d been released from prison so any of them could be the culprit. So which one of them is it and why?
There’s a lot of dialogue that doesn’t really push the story along any and in some cases it actually bogs it down some and Jeanette, the head Case Worker at the half way house is really hard to like. And what seemed even more unusual to me was that the police didn’t seem half way interested in the case at all, in fact, an investigative reporter and the nosy neighbor next door who wanted the half way house shut down cared more about what happened than the police did.
I wish I had liked it more than I did.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review

This is a cracking good read. It’s both a brilliant whodunnit and a very interesting look at the workings of the probation service and the approved residential houses where ex prisoners on licence reside.
Not only is this an excellent psychological thriller but educational too. A standalone read from the pen of the author of the Maggie Jamieson series.
The book is narrated from various character’s points of view which provides a fast paced read
I really had no clue whom the villain was and was kept guessing until the reveal.

6 Ripley Avenue is a standalone story. Set around an approved premises where some of Britains most violent offenders are housed after being released on licence.

And it's reasonable to say these offenders aren't exactly welcome, and busybody, neighbour, and head of neighbourhood watch Helen, her friend and investigative journalist Sloane are just two of a number of locals who want the place shut down.

So when one of the offenders Danny is killed on the premises. Helen, Sloane and the manager Jeanette are desperate to find out who is responsible. But for various different reasons.

And so this story is told from their points of view as well as the killers.

But how do you find a killer in a house full of killers? And can they be stopped before they kill again?

And whilst I did find the story a little slow paced. I did enjoy the mystery, and there's no denying it's a well researched book. That causes you to think certainly about where and how killers are rehabilitated.

And what would you do if a place like this was to open in your neighbourhood or even next door?

But if I'm honest, it did take me a while to really get into it and when the killer was revealed I wasn't blown away.

3.5 stars

6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins, One More Chapter, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A hostel located at 6 Ripley Avenue has neighbours concerned.  The hostel contains high risk offenders who are currently on probation.  People have been petitioning to have the hostel removed since the day it opened.

When Jeanette Macey, the manager of the hostel, receives a call at 3:30 in the morning telling her that one of the residents has been murdered, suspicion falls on both residents and staff. The victim had not been liked by anyone, but murder is a bit extreme. The other residents are no angels, but murder?  Jeanette is also concerned with the actions of her staff as well, and is wondering what each is hiding, for she is sure something is going on.

Sloane Armstrong, a local freelance journalist has been writing pieces about 6 Ripley Avenue since the hostel opened.  She's even made friends with Helen who started the neighbourhood watch on the house, and who lives across the street from the hostel.  Helen has been able to supply Sloane with some juicy tidbits.  Sloane is determined to find out what really happened.


My Opinions:
I will have to look into the author's Maggie Jamieson series.  I like the way she writes.  The chapters alternate between different characters (including that of the killer), and the story is told in a very straight-forward manner.

I liked Sloane and Jeanette, both of whom really wanted to find the killer. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, and although my early suspicions were confirmed, the story still compelled me forward.

My only complaint was that it was a little slow, making it a rather long book.  However the rather short chapters helped, and again, it still kept me interested\.

Overall, it was  a good read.