2/5 stars! This book reads like a 27 season telenovela despite it's title and premise that is supposed to promise a fast-paced thriller. It was all over the place and I could barely finish it because the twists didn't add up. Just not enjoyable.

A tense debut full of twists and turns! You did not really know what direction the plot would take you. Thank you for this advances readers copy.

Ashley Tate’s Twenty-Seven Minutes is an electrifying debut that delves into the dark corners of guilt, memory, and the long shadows of unanswered questions. With its intricate narrative and unrelenting tension, this novel keeps readers hooked until the very last page.

For ten years, the small town of West Wilmer has been haunted by one burning question: why did Grant Dean take twenty-seven minutes to call for help the night his sister, Phoebe, died in a tragic car accident? That single, fateful delay has defined Grant’s life, leaving him shackled by guilt and a terrible secret. But Grant isn’t the only one with knowledge of that night’s events. Becca, the other passenger in the car, holds pieces of the truth—pieces she’s kept hidden for reasons of her own.

As the anniversary of Phoebe’s death looms, the novel widens its lens to include June, a young woman who lost her brother Wyatt the same night Phoebe died. For June, the decade since the accident has been marked by grief and isolation, but an unexpected visitor arrives at her door with revelations that could change everything.

Tate masterfully weaves together these interconnected stories, building suspense with every chapter. Each character is deeply flawed yet achingly human, their struggles with grief, regret, and longing rendered with sensitivity and nuance. The small-town setting intensifies the drama, creating a claustrophobic sense of everyone knowing—or thinking they know—each other’s secrets.

The novel’s strength lies in its exploration of moral ambiguity. Tate challenges readers to confront uncomfortable questions: What would you do in Grant’s shoes? How far would you go to protect someone you love? And is the truth always worth uncovering?

Twenty-Seven Minutes is more than a thriller; it’s a poignant exploration of the ripple effects of tragedy and the lengths people go to hide—or seek—the truth. With its sharp writing and heart-pounding twists, Ashley Tate establishes herself as a powerful new voice in psychological suspense.

A slow burn book built on the intriguing premise of waiting 27 minutes to call for emergency services and allowing someone to die. This takes a while to get into it's stride and it wasn't really for me but I've read a tonne of great reviews so read it and decide for yourself!

Unfortunately I struggled with this book, which is rare for me. The story took a long time to unfold, I didn’t find the characters to be relatable.
It tracks the lives of various “main characters” and took me some time to work out how everyone reared to everyone else.
I finished the book because I wanted to see the conclusion and truth of what happened but found the ending quite predicable.

I requested a copy of this novel because the premise sounded interesting - it takes place 10 years following the death of a teenage girl, unravelling the mystery as to why it took her brother 27 minutes to call for help.

The book is told through a multiple points of view style, with the chapters alternating between the characters. The characters didn't have as much depth to them as I would have liked, and I found myself struggling to relate to them. However, I do have to say that the author wrapped everything up well and there was a good plot twist that I certainly didn't see coming!

Overall, I don't seem to have been the key audience for this one, but that doesn't mean that it's not the perfect book for someone else!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for priving me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ten years ago, Grant's sister Phoebe died in a car accident where he was driving. There was always suspicion around the fact he waited 27 minutes to call the police, and the fact if she'd received medical help earlier she could well still be alive today. Unfortunately, this book was not it. The plot was incredibly slow, with such a long build up before the ten year memorial. The events that took place in the book before this memorial - the climax of the book (or at least it was built up to be) - couldn't happened in a much shorter time frame and saved us all a lot of time. It wasn't a slow burn, it wasn't necessarily long. It was just long and slow. The climax itself was unsatisfactory and the whole book fell short and boring. Thank God I chose to listen to this on audiobook so I could listen at 2x speed and hurry it up for myself. On top of that the ending was incredibly rushed, especially compared to how slow the rest of the book has been. Also, not a single one of the characters had a likable trait about them.

An engaging enough psychological thriller, but found it a little uneven in pace and plotting. No real surprises along the way, but overall the characterisation was good.

I DNF'd this book after 42% - I just couldn't get into this story and didn't feel any intrigue as to what was happening. I skimmed through the rest of the book and didn't find the conclusion that interesting either.

To call Twenty-Seven Minutes just a thriller would not do it justice. It's a book that has so many depths and layers to it, it's an utterly stunning debut that will redefine the genre and make you want to read more by the author. As they weave a stunning and complex plot which is made even more rich by the characters who you wholly invest in.

Twenty seven minutes by Ashley Tate starts slowly as we learn about the characters. The carefully plotted novel speeds up as we head towards the devastating reveal. Following a car accident the driver Grant takes twenty seven minutes before calling the emergency services. By the time they arrive his sister Phoebe has died.
For me the novel felt a bit laboured at times but the tension builds up and kept me reading to find out what happened.

This debut is a slow burn of a thriller. When popular girl, Phoebe Dean, is killed in what appears to be a tragic accident, it sends ripples of distress through the small town. Her brother was the driver of the car that hit her and his story does not seem to add up, particularly that he took 27 minutes to call the police. With the 10 year anniversary of her death approaching and the mystery still no closer to being solved, a memorial is planned with devastating effects for everyone.

Featuring multiple POVs, this book had potential to be a great story, but I did find a few of the character particularly grating. Great plot twist towards the end though and worth a read if you like a mystery that takes a while to reveal itself. 3.5/5
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review.

What a debut! What a storyline! This book had me hooked from the first chapter. There were so many believable characters that made up the story and all had an important role in the absorbing storyline. This was such a good read with a wicked twist. I will certainly be looking for more titles from this author

Dark and disturbing but also very slow and featuring a cast of characters very juvenile.
It starts with a bang and then it stops being exciting. There's a lot of potential but it's like it was sitting and trying to decide if it wants to be a thriller or a literary novel
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I absolutely loved this book.
It is told from multiple view points and flits between the present day and ten years ago when Phoebe dean died.
As her memorial looms closer secrets begin to unravel. What really happened in those 27 minutes?
Yes it is a slow burn, but, trust me, the twist is worth the wait.

I loved this. Twisty and atmospheric and just enough drip feeding to keep you wanting more. I spent the whole book wanting to know what really happened. The characters were great.

I loved the premise of this book which is about a small American town with secrets surrounding the death of a young girl.

Why did it take Grant twenty-seven minutes to call for help after the car accident involving his sister? What does Becca (who survived the car crash) know about the accident? What really happened on the bridge that night?

This was a highly anticipated read which I was expecting to love. Unfortunately I found it hard to emphasise with the main characters and found the story too slow going. I was listening to this on audible (purchased after the book was published) and I gave up after 30% as I just wasnt involved enough in the story.
If you like slow build, character driven thrillers you might enjoy this but it wasn't for me.

I did quite enjoy this but mostly for the last quarter of it! The ending was really good and I am glad I carried on reading as it was worth it!


Highlights
- Multiple POV
- Intriguing characters

Reasons for 3.5 stars
- Very slow burn
- More drama vibes than I expected but thats more my own doing!
- Very YA/tame

So why did it take 27 minutes to call the ambulance?…. basically what this story is all about.
It takes place in a small American town where everyone knows everyone else and we are told the story from multiple points of view which I found a bit confusing and repetitive at times. It is a sad powerful story with few positive vibes and a bit long drawn out but I did actually enjoy it.

Thank you to the author, Headline Publishers and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel is told from multiple POVs and with time jumps to ten years before (when the accident referred to with "twenty-seven minutes" happened) and the present day, with a 10-year memorial scheduled. It's all a bit confusing, and very soap-opera adjacent and very, very slow. None of the characters are fleshed out, none are likeable and by the time I finished this the ending was anticlimatic because it was so foreseeable. Overall, I would tend to see this as more of a YA novel, since none of the characters seem to have matured after high school, but I felt I aged several lifetimes before I managed to finish it.