I’m sure many readers will love this book, but I didn’t. It was the writing style more than anything that I just couldn’t deal with – short sentences that aren’t actually sentences drive me nuts. Is this creative writing? I ended up feeling confused and disappointed. You can’t please everyone can you? Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this and I’m sorry that I can’t recommend it.

Sorry but this one is a DNF for me at the 40% mark - it’s just way too slow paced and the dialogue a bit of a slog so no desire to finish it. What sounded like an interesting plot just hasn’t held my attention and too many names getting thrown about.

I was looking forward to reading this novel as I had enjoyed the authors previous novel. However, the slow narrative and the multiplicity of characters were confusing and I did not finish.

This was a bit of a slow burner but I’m glad I stuck with it as the payoff with the reveal at the end is worth it.
Nicky Hunter goes to stay with famed author Sebastian Trapp to ghostwrite his memoir as he is dying. Sebastian is as famous for his detective stories as he is for his own mystery, the disappearance of his wife and young son twenty years earlier.
Nicky is excited to work with him and hope he reveals the truth about what happened to his family two decades earlier before his death.
I liked the main character of Nicky and had mixed feelings towards Sebastian especially at the end, which I’m sure was intended by the author. There were several other characters who each brought something interesting to the plot.
Overall a good read, well plotted and good characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hemlock press for the advance copy.

The past isn’t gone, it’s just waiting.

When famous writer Sebastian Trapp is given months to live he invites Nicky Hunter to finish his life story. This story is as intriguing as some of the novels he has written and as Nicky moves in with the family she soon discovers this is some story she is going to have to tell.

Sadly this book wasn’t for me, I found it hard work to read and it seemed to take me forever. The writing just didn’t seem to flow for me. I did like the end (not just because I got to the end) but how everything tied up. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and good luck to the author on its release.

Publication Date - 29/02/2024

⭐️⭐️

#EndOfStory
#AJFinn

After loving their previous book I was excited to have a new book by A.j Finn to read.
But sadly this just didn't fully work for me.
While at the beginning I was intrigued. Wanting to solve the mysteries. I soon found myself a little bored. Until the end where it picked up again. But by then it was a little too late.
I found the characters a little flat throughout as well.

This story had so much potential. But just didn't work out for me.

I loved this one just as much as The Woman In The Window. It was a touch slow and a little confusing but, once I got into it wow, I was hooked. A really great read a long time coming but, well worth it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The premise of this book was such that I was really looking forward to reading it. Sadly though the reality was that I didn't enjoy it. I found the writing style hard going, particularly some of the dialogue, and what should have been the Gothic horror trope of the house didn't feel exploited well enough. The whole narrative felt quite confusing and I'm sorry to say I gave up before the end. I'm obviously in the minority and I'm sure many readers will really enjoy it.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book.

"Death has come for better men. Death has come for
worse. Now Death has come for me."

Novelist Sebastian Trapp, author of the successful Simon St. John detective series has three months to live when he invites writer Nicky Hunter to write a private memoir of his life. A successful career marred by personal tragedy, the disappearance of his son Cole and his first wife Hope twenty years ago was never solved and has been the subject of much media interest over the years. A long time fan of his work and someone who has corresponded with him over the years, Nicky readily accepts and moves into the San Francisco mansion where he lives with second wife Diana, his daughter Madeline and nephew Freddy.

I loved everything about this novel, I savoured the descriptive scene setting, the atmosphere, the hints to classic noir and the witty dialogue. I relished the slow burn build up, the mansion that seemed to stand still in time and the damaged characters within its walls. Its a book of two halves, the first laying out the groundwork and the second ramping up the tension significantly bringing it to a gripping conclusion.

One of those books that once finished I want to read from start to finish all over again.

Sebastian Trapp, esteemed author with a mysterious past, is not long for this world. For his final couple of months he wants to lay down his life in book form for his nearest and dearest. Rather than write it himself, he asks Nicky Hunter, a would be author with whom he has been in correspondence to do the honours. When Nicky arrives at the Trapp mansion, she can’t believe her luck and eagerly sets to with the project.

This is a hard one for me to review, and I appreciate I am in the minority. I really liked The Woman in the Window, and from the blurb I thought this one would be a good read. Sadly I struggled with it right from the start and it only became interesting at the last few chapters, The clues are all there for the reader to get to the denouement well before its execution.

At times the writing format was odd, just seemed to be a notebook of jottings and ideas for a book rather than any plot. The switching between character dialogues was very confusing. All in all a bit self righteous and wordy, rather smug. Much depended on the charisma and glamour of the crime writing greats rather than anything original.

Not a book I enjoyed, sorry.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins.

I am afraid this one was just not for me. Far too confusing story.I skim read through a good part of it as it just did hold my attention. Only about 90% of the way through did it start to become interesting. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I have to say I found this book quite odd. From the premise it sounded great but in reality, I found the writing style strange, and the plot was quite confusing. I didn’t enjoy it and had to force myself to finish it. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction and the author for the chance to review.

Simply astounded. Pure brilliance. 5* plus
A well crafted tale of murder, mystery and a whole lot of suspense as the writer pays homage to the greatest crime fiction writers in the modern era.
The plot centres around a young girl Nicky who having written to Sebastian, a murder mystery novelist over the past five years is requested to write his final story. Sebastian who is dying is taken care of by his daughter Madeline, a would be screen writer if only she knew how to write and her cousin Fredrick who appears when he is least expected.
In writing Sebastian's final "memory book' Nicky hopes to uncover a twenty year old mystery of the disappearance of his first wife and son. Both have been suspected of being murdered by him and so the games begin as the two characters play a game of cat and mouse dancing around each other.
Nicky's quest introduces her to friends, family, sub plots and more twists than a rollercoaster. as she gets closer to discovering the truth. A thoroughly brilliant read with a twist I never saw coming.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this title. I can not recommend enough.

I’ve waited a long time for another A J Finn novel and let me tell you, it was worth the wait!! Dark and broody, it felt deliciously gothic at times, I loved the writing style and characterisation. Really excellent novel!

#EndOfStory #NetGalley
Enjoyable.
I’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.” So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story . . . while living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life “detective-fever.”
“You and I might even solve an old mystery or two.” Twenty years earlier—on New Year’s Eve 1999—Sebastian’s first wife and teenage son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past?
“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”
As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian’s life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth . . . while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family’s koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn’t gone—it’s just waiting.
Loved it. Although I didn't like the ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

Absolutely brilliant! Well worth waiting for! I found it so riveting and gripping, reminiscent of a gothic novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

EXCERPT: Bleak House Tuesday, June 23

In a moment they'll find her.
Find her where she floats, fingers splayed wide in the marbling water, hair spread like a Japanese fan. Fish glide beneath it, push through it; skate along the line of her body. The filter hums. The pond simmers, shimmers. She trembles on the surface. Fog prowled the ground earlier this morning - San Francisco swirl, velvet- thick and chill - but now the last of it burns off, and the courtyard basks in light: paving stones, sundial, a chorus line of daffodils. And near the pond, that perfect circle sunk near the wall of the house, with its glowing fish, its lily pads like stars.
In a moment a scream will crack the air.
Until then, all is silent and all is still, except for the shiver of the water . . .

ABOUT 'END OF STORY': “I’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.”

So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story . . . living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life “detective fever.”

“You and I might even solve an old mystery or two.”

Twenty years earlier—on New Year’s Eve 1999—Sebastian’s first wife and teenaged son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past?

“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”

As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian’s life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth . . . while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family’s koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn’t gone—it’s just waiting.

MY THOUGHTS: I can do no better than provide a (slightly) abridged quote from End of Story - This is a story without heroes. Perhaps without villains as well. A story where identities are slippery. Where the mystery and the violence are mostly within you, and where the clues almost ineluctably lead you someplace you don't want to go. We're all in that story. Life is a thriller. The ending is fatal and the conclusion is final.

AJ Finn sucked me right into the narrative of this story then, at the end, spat me out, probably with a self-satisfied smile on his face. And he should be self-satisfied. End of Story is a blinder. I felt like I was living it along with Nicky. I agonised over what had happened to Cole and Hope, where they had gone and, if they were indeed still alive, who they could possibly be.

The characters - what can I say about the characters? Elegant. Charming. Enigmatic - definitely. Damaged also. They give the impression of a bevvy of swans gliding serenely about, but underneath . . . they are completely different people, struggling to keep afloat, to stay on an even keel.

I can't praise End of Story enough. It is atmospheric, enchanting, absorbing, twisty, exciting, entertaining and shocking. The ending is unexpected. It is brilliant. At various times during reading I cried, I exploded with laughter (the bon mots are unparalleled), forgot to breathe, cried out 'No,no,no,no - don't do this!', and bit the soft flesh between index finger and thumb go relieve the tension.

End of Story is not simply a book - it is an experience, one I am going to partake of again, slowly this time, savoring every nuance, every word, rather than gorging on it like a box of favorite chocolates, as I have just done.

It has been a long stretch between books, Mr Finn, but End of Story was worth the wait.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#EndOfStory #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: A.J. Finn, pseudonym for Daniel Mallory, has written for numerous publications. A native of New York, Finn lived in England for ten years as a book editor before returning to New York City.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of End of Story by AJ Finn for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.

End of Story is due for publication 29 February 2024.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is 29th Feb not long 2 go! This book was a slower burner in a good way with lots of twists and turns I devoured this book within a matter of hours and read well into the night it was totally worth it!

I’d highly recommend everyone to read this book the ending was a shocker as I didn’t see it coming nor did I guess it correctly which I thought I did!

A mystery writer at the end of his life invites a young writer to interview him, but not everything in his house and amongst his family is as it seems... I wanted to like this considering it's a guaranteed bestseller due to the author's profile, but the writing is pretentious and smug. Trope after trope has been harvested from other stories, such as Knives Out, Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler, much like Finn's first book The Woman in the Window was an amalgamation of various other thrillers. Not one for me.

Utterly unexpected and immensely satisfying. It felt like doing a jigsaw puzzle without the reference picture, at times it was really confusing but I put my trust in the process and this author did not disappoint.
There was so much darkness beneath the surface, which made a great hiding place for the red herrings. There were also lots of references to classic noir fiction, book and film.
If you loved Woman In The Window, you will love this.