You read the synopsis of a book and you think great this book is for me!!!
However, I was disappointed, the characters are well written but the overall story was slow paced and it really did drag!
I did struggle with this book.

I was drawn to this book by the intriguing synopsis, and really looked forward to finding out what had happened in those 27 minutes.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t read as the tense thriller I had hoped for.

The story is told from multiple POV, in a dual timeline. All the narrators seem to be unreliable, and unlikeable too.

The characters who were contemporaries of Phoebe’s, must now be in their late twenties/early thirties. They don’t seem to have matured in the intervening ten years. They seem emotionally under developed. Consequently, it has the feel of a YA TV drama to it. I have nothing against YA books, I wish it had been sold to me this way.

I’m afraid I wasn’t the right reader for this book, though I’m sure others will love it.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, overall it is a good story, however I found it a little slow paced and it dragged on a little, the characters are well written, but there are a few too many and I struggled to keep track of them off, I did enjoy the plot twist within the storyline.

My main issues with this book are the plot and the characters. I did enjoy the writing style where each character got to tell us their story, it's just a shame that so many were obviously unreliable and mostly unlikeable too.
With the plot, I did guess the ending quite early on and even with the deception around that eventuality it didn't shake my belief that that was were this book was heading, it was the only outcome that could possibly make sense of everything that had happened.

This book had a great start that hooked me in immediately but unfortunately felt quite drawn out for the majority of the time and I had guessed the twist quite early on. Has the hallmarks of a good story but needed to move faster to keep interest

This is the story of Phoebe Dean and the ten year anniversary of her death. The town where she lives is using this memorial to decide whether they should tear down the bridge where she died.

The plot is difficult to follow, told by multiple pov and none of them are particularly likeable. The writing is very graphic, outline the injuries and illnesses that befall the characters in great horrific detail.

A slow burn that I guessed the main plot twist towards the second half and was then waiting for the characters to catch up.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

As time goes on what happens in the past haunts you more....why did it take Geant 27 minutes to call for an ambulance?
I struggled with this one I have to say and found it laborious to finish. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity for an advanced copy.

The title and description enticed me to request this book. But I found it lacking, first half was a little long winded and the I worked out the ending relatively quickly.
I feel this was written for YA rather then an adult thriller.
Book is well written, the whole vibe of a small claustrophobic town and small minded people is portrayed well and we get a decent amount of backstory for the characters. But no character is particularly ‘nice’ you don’t root for any as not likeable.

interesting synopsis but after the first few chapters it was really a slog to get through and the climax of the story wasn’t worth it. ended up being just a generic, forgettable thriller unfortunately.

This is my first novel by author Ashley Tate and I really enjoyed this book.

The novel centres around Phoebe Dean, who was extremely popular whilst living and she was tragically killed in a car accident.

We learn that Phoebe's brother Dean took 27 minutes, hence the title of the book, to call for help and this is really the premise of the book.

We meet a fair few characters and the novel is told from the past and also the presence and how the death of Phoebe has impacted many lives as it was such a tragic loss to, not only her family, but the others in the car that were with her that fatal evening as well as the community.

Really said in places, I was utterly moved and did have to put the novel down to get myself out of that headplace, but I am glad that I read this novel.

Really good writing by author Ashley Tate and a very interesting plot with lots of twists.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ten years ago a car accident killed Phoebe Dean. Her brother Grant was driving the car and Becca was also with them. But it took twenty seven minutes after the accident before Grant called the emergency services. On the same day as the accident troubled teen Wyatt left the small town leaving his sister June behind with their mother. Told in dual timeline and from the perspectives of Grant, Becca, June and Wyatt this starts with an emotional prologue as Phoebe dies. In the present there has been another fatal accident on the same bridge and in three days time Phoebes mother is holding a memorial service for her. We have a group of unreliable narrators, which I like, but it does make for a hard time trying to guess what the truth of the matter is.

Briefly, the forthcoming memorial has brought all the hidden memories back to the surface and Grant is not happy. Becca is virtually stalking him and is convinced that they are girlfriend and boyfriend as she has supported him for ten years and now it’s time they declared themselves. June’s mother has recently died from cancer and she is grief stricken until Wyatt returns, but his return is bittersweet.

It’s a slow to medium paced read, very atmospheric and some wonderful descriptions such that I could envisage this insular town in my mind. Phoebe seems to have almost become a saint in the mind of the town since her death. The book explores the sibling relationships in some detail and the grieving process of those left behind, I thought this was particularly poignant in June’s story as she is grieving her mother and her missing brother. There is a massive twist near the end as the truth is revealed; and what a shocker it was. A very enjoyable read.

I chose to read a free eARC of Twenty-Seven Minutes but that has in no way influenced my review.

Everyone loved seventeen-year-old Phoebe Dean. She was excelling at school and had big plans for the future. Until one night when a terrible accident destroyed all her hopes and viciously snatched her carefully planned future away. The accident left Phoebe broken and bleeding, dying in the rain. But Phoebe was not alone that night. Her older brother, Grant, was driving her home when tragedy struck. Grant could have saved his sister's life, he could have called for help immediately. But he didn't. He waited twenty-seven long minutes. To this day no one knows why Grant waited so long. But with the ten year anniversary of Phoebe's death approaching, with their mother planning a memorial for the daughter she adored, and with Grant unable to escape the all-consuming memories of that night, he won't be able to hide the truth for much longer...

I adored Twenty-Seven Minutes. Literary in tone and full of believable, multi-layered characters, this debut mystery was so compelling and had my full attention from start to finish. The characters have real depth to them and the further into the book the reader progresses, the more you learn about them and how that fateful night changed their lives. They're flawed people with intricate, complicated relationships and I devoured their stories. When a second tragedy happens in the same location, memories of Phoebe's death from ten years ago are at the forefront of the town's mind. They still have unanswered questions and they are not afraid to point the finger at Grant. What really happened on the bridge and why did it take him so long to call for help? As the memorial approaches, it's all anyone in West Wilmer can talk about. Grant is consumed with guilt, the memories of that night are slowly destroying him and he's unsure how much longer he can keep the truth from being revealed. Particularly as Becca - who was also in the car at the time of the accident - knows exactly what happened.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Twenty-Seven Minutes is a rich, character-driven mystery full of well-written suspense and devastating secrets. The story is told from three perspectives - Grant, Becca and June. June's brother - Wyatt - disappeared the night of the accident but Wyatt wasn't as loved or as special as Phoebe so very little effort was put into finding him. The reader gets to see how the events of that night ten years ago unfolded which also gives a more honest insight into the personalities of the key characters. Was Phoebe as perfect as everyone believed? Their stories are so intricately interwoven and plotted so beautifully by the author with everything coming together as you approach the end of the book. I was able to guess the twist at the end but that certainly did not spoil my enjoyment one jot! I savoured every moment of this dark, character-driven tale. With themes of enduring grief and loss, and the complexities of family, this slow-burn literary suspense novel is a story for readers to really invest in. It was a true pleasure to read this book and I eagerly look forward to more from the author in the future. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Twenty-Seven Minutes. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Wonderful consuming with suspense. It's a whodunnit that is entailed with so much mystery to unwrap. The characters are written in depth and are intended to seem guilty.

Some excellent points to praise such as the tense interesting prologue and the most unexpected twist ever! However overall it was more a let down with too many POV’s and too much sound searching by all the characters. It took away the tension and pace.

Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with this book for review. This is a very enjoyable read, the ending was a unexpected surprise, I didn't see the twist.

I think I'm still gathering my thoughts about this one - missing time, twist after twist, confusing characters. A dark and compelling thriller full of excitement.

This is a new author to me but I was intrigued by the title and the description. I didn’t like the constant reflective/rhetorical questioning that went on. Every character felt the need to analyse their actions or thoughts. As for the ‘ you won’t see it coming’ ending, I twigged about half way through! The small town setting was suitably claustrophobic and the relationships suitably dependent on each other. I thought the first half dragged a bit and the story only perked up two thirds of the way through. If this is a debut novel then perhaps the next one will be more gripping. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a prepublication ebook in return for an honest review.

This sounded very intriguing, and I thought it would be a great read based on the description.

It started well and was gripped by the prologue, which felt intense and exactly what I looked for in a good thriller. However, as the book starts and progresses, it doesn't quite fit the exciting prologue

The story unfolds through multiple POVs, which took a little while to get used to, and the details of what happened 10 years ago are slowly revealed, but for me, it took a bit too long. Also, there is a lot of repetition.

The pacing is rather slow. It's only the last 10% where things really started to pick up.

I thought the way the author explores the effect of loss and grief was well done and shows how all the characters were dealing with the grief in different ways even after 10 years.

The characters were well-written, with a good amount of backstory. However, I didn't particularly find any of them likeable.

Overall, this is a good debut novel, but it did read more like a YA thriller rather than an adult one. Nevertheless, I would happily pick up another book from this author.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher's Headline for my advanced review copy (eARC). These are my honest and unbiased thoughts, and I am sharing them voluntarily.

Ten years ago Phoebe Dean died in a car crash. A car being driven by her brother Grant. An accident that, according to evidence, occurred 27 minutes before Grant called for help. Why? And what was he doing during those 27 minutes? Could Phoebe have been saved if he had acted earlier?
For ten years these, and more, questions have been asked and no answers ever given. Also present that night was Becca who has been supporting Grant ever since the accident. And, on the same night of that accident, another young man, Wyatt, also disappeared, leaving his sister June in limbo... coincidence or...?
A lot of tragedy happened that night...
Back in the present and we are a few days away from the ten year anniversary and a memorial is arranged. Also, after another nasty accident at the same place, on the bridge, has left people asking for it to be demolished and a vote is set to be taken.
And that's pretty much all I can say as I think you really need to get to know these characters as the author intends. You need to learn what happened at their speeds. In fact, also as they themselves learn it. As more of the truth becomes known, as told in flashback, more of the present day stuff becomes clear. And then there's that sweet spot, that a-ha moment. That point where my jaw dropped and... well, I'll leave that to you to find out.
I tried to guess ahead. I did OK and also spectacularly badly. And I eat sleep repeat this genre book. But yeah, kept me guessing all the way through. And I loved it.
And so, as I finished. I went to check out the author's back catalogue and, blow me down. It's a debut book. WOW. I guess I'll just have to wait to see what the author serves up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book

I read this last summer and completely forgot to review! All I know is that I will be re-reading because it was blo*dy brilliant. I was gripped by the writing and storyline. It really had me in awe on my sunbed - I felt like I was watching a really good Netflix programme.
I will be recommending.