3.5 stars

The Call by Kerry Wilkinson is a psychological thriller about a woman who returns to Vancouver Island to re-create a wonderful childhood experience for her own child.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture 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):
Melody has brought her family back to Vancouver Island, where she enjoyed a vacation with her parents and sister 30 years ago.  Her fiancé, Evan is to join them the next day.  But he calls her when he is 10 minutes out, just to let her know he'll be there shortly.  In the middle of the conversation, he stops and says "A little girl needs help".  She hears the car door shut, and hears him talking to the girl, and then...nothing.

The police find no trace of Evan, or the little girl.  Melody's sister and husband, do the tourist thing, as does her father.  Melody sends her son to camp, hoping he can enjoy at least a day or two before she has to tell him that his father is missing.  Meanwhile, Melody tries to find Evan herself.  She actually makes a friend, who helps her put up posters.  Apparently a lot of people go missing in the Canadian wilderness of Vancouver Island.

Melody soon discovers that her memories of her last visit was not as perfect as she had thought either.


My Opinions:
This was a good book.  As a Canadian, I loved the comparisons between Britain and Canada.  The author definitely did his research.

The plot and twists were really good, and somewhat of a surprise, which is always pleasant.  I had anticipated Evan's secret from the start, but there were other things that definitely shocked.

However, I was really annoyed with Nina, who was the worst sister ever, and her husband even worse.  Even Melody's father was an idiot.  I think the family relationships was the weak point in the story.  If it was such a bad experience last time, why did they not tell Melody, and why did they want to come?   Actually, Melody was a bit of an idiot too.  How long did she think she could keep Evan's disappearance from her son, and how did she think that following cars into the woods was a good idea?

Overall, though, I did enjoy this book, and Kerry Wilkinson continues to be one of my favorites.

Anyway, until next time...

The Call by Kerry Wilkinson
Vacations are supposed to be relaxing—a time to unwind, splurge, and forget your daily responsibilities. That is what Melody thought was going to happen as she and her family traveled from the UK to Canada for a holiday. Her fiance, Evan, was going to arrive a day later, but it was supposed to be a trip filled with sunshine and calm.

When Evan goes missing on the way to their rented cabin, Melody wants to figure out where her Fiancé has gone. With the police seemingly uninterested and secrets from the past slowly finding the light, this will be a trip of a lifetime.

Wowza. This was twisted! I love how Kerry tells a story and how complicated things seem before falling together. With several characters that leave you suspicious, I have to say the big twist in this novel floored me. I didn’t see it coming by a mile.

This is a fast-paced thrill ride from page one, and in true Wilkinson fashion, every page holds a new piece to the puzzle. This was a delicious mix of past meetings, present, and actions having consequences. Brilliantly done!

The Call by Kerry Wilkinson is a captivating psychological thriller that grabs your attention from the very first page. The story follows a woman who receives an unsettling phone call, setting off a chain of events that unravels her life in unexpected and chilling ways. Wilkinson’s writing is fast-paced and suspenseful, with a perfect balance of mystery and tension that keeps you guessing throughout.

The characters are well-drawn and relatable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that make for an unpredictable, gripping read. Wilkinson excels at creating an atmosphere of unease, slowly revealing secrets that make the stakes even higher as the story unfolds.

The Call is an addictive page-turner that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who loves a story full of twists and emotional depth. It’s a must-read for those who enjoy suspense that builds to a heart-pounding climax. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Another great book from Kerry Wilkinson. I thought i had figured out who dunnit, but I was wrong. The ending was sad and I definitely did not see that coming. Looking forward to reading more of Kerry's work in the future.

The Call by Kerry Wilkinson was a suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. Melody and her family are on vacation abroad, her fiance is joining her a day or two later. He calls, he is in the car, on his way to your vacation rental, then the phone goes dead. They find his rental car and nothing else. Where is he and what does her childhood connection with this location have to do with her fiance's disappearance now?

The Call will keep you turning the pages late into the night. I really enjoyed this book, there are some very sad elements (death of a child) and some details that are hard to read and process. All in all, you will want to devour this book.

A great read
It will have you hooked from the first to the last page
Read it in one sitting
Read this you won’t be disappointed
Thanks NetGalley

Kerry Wilkinson scored again with another stellar thriller! I was entertained throughout to know where Evan disappeared to. I had theories about crazy things going on in the town!

This is a psychological thriller that will grab you from the start & water to keep turning the pages until the end!

Thank you, Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture, & netgalley for my early copy! All opinions are my own.

“The Call” by Kerry Wilkinson that is a standalone thriller that didn’t quite reach my expectations. I enjoy the writing of this author but this left me scratching my head in disbelief at times. The novel is not fast paced like many of his books and I have reservations regarding the plotting.

Melody is looking forward to a peaceful family holiday in a cabin on a small Canadian island town, but she receives a call from her fiancé Evan that sends chills down her spine. Evan describes a little girl covered in mud or possibly blood, the phone call is ended by a sudden thud. The police are called and they find his car but no sign of Evan or the child.

Evan has mysteriously disappeared and Melody’s nightmare is about to begin.

Disappointing but I guess you can’t please everyone all of the time.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What starts out as a lively family trip but it doesn't end so well.
A great story line and great characters but wow, what a twist!

This was a fast paced storey set in a remote area of Canada. I loved the mystery of this book, always wondering what happened during that last phone call, and if Evan was simply missing or dead.
This was another thrilling ride by the master Kerry Wilkinson. There isn't a single book of his that I haven't enjoyed, and he is one of my favourite authors. I discovered him years ago on NetGalley!
I love the way he writes the characters, and that he manages to get you really involved in the story. Always a page turner!!
A1 +++

The Call by Kerri Wilkinson is my 3rd read by this author and Unputdownable as the first 2.

Melody and her family are on holiday when her husband Evan’s never makes it home. On her day of arrival, she receives a call from Evan that he is mere minutes away but saw a girl on the road that needed help. The call is disconnected and that’s the last time Melody hears from him. She files a missing report but decides to investigate herself. Days later Evan hasn’t shown up. She finds that no one in town can truly be trusted.

I absolutely loved this book! From the very first chapter, I was hooked. It's full of surprises that keep you hooked and make it hard to stop reading. And that ending? Wow, I never saw it coming! This was such a great read!

The Call by Kerry Wilkinson was another excellent book from start to finish. I loved this book, it had me at the first chapter. It was full of twists and turns throughout that will have you gripped and hard to put down. Plus, that ending! WoW, just excellent! Didn;t see that coming!!!

I highly recommend all books by this author is one great author and all his books have been a 5 star read.

Big Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy.

This is another page turner by Kerry Wilkinson. I enjoyed the Canadian setting and with a good mix of surprising twists the ending tied it all in. A good read that I’d recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and BookOuture for a copy of “ The Call “ for an honest review.

In the narrative of "The Call," Melody anticipates a family vacation at a cabin in a quaint Canadian island town with her fiancé Evan and son. However, the tranquility is disrupted when Evan's call about a mysterious girl leads to his disappearance, plunging Melody into a frantic search for answers amidst a backdrop of endless forests. As Melody unearths dark secrets lurking in the community, danger looms closer, culminating in a suspenseful revelation at the story's climax.

I liked the intriguing premise of the book and the engaging scenes that focused on the disappearance investigation. I did not enjoy the unrealistic portrayal of the characters’ emotional responses, subplots that distract from the main story, and the slow pace. At times there was repetition of mundane details that disrupt the flow of the novel. Despite its flaws, “The Call” has a compelling central premise. It offers a blend of mystery, intrigue, and anticipation that kept me engaged, despite its slow pace.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I recently closed the final page of 'The Call' on April 30th and took a moment to gather my thoughts before penning this review. Having experienced other works by Kerry Wilkinson, I approached this novel with anticipation, yet it didn't quite ascend to the top of my thriller list for the year. The premise piqued my interest, and I was eager to dive in and be captivated. However, my feelings remain ambivalent.

Kerry Wilkinson's prose in 'The Call' is commendable for its clarity and ease of navigation. Yet, I hesitate to endorse it as the 'edge-of-your-seat' thriller it's purported to be. The narrative, solely from Melody's perspective, lacked the depth and engagement I sought. The storyline revolves around her missing fiancé, but Melody's indifferent demeanor towards his disappearance stripped the plot of the urgency and emotional investment it required. The casualness with which she and the vacationing ensemble treated the situation struck me as odd, almost as if they were collectively shrugging off the concern with a 'he'll turn up eventually' mindset.

The dynamics between the sister, husband, and a friend of Melody's introduced elements that promised intrigue but ultimately led nowhere. It's only towards the end that the narrative picks up pace, delivering a twist that elicited a genuine 'oh damn' reaction from me. Yet, once again, Melody's nonchalant response to the events left me disenchanted.

In essence, 'The Call' had the potential for a gripping tale but was marred by its protagonist's implausible reactions. I give it a hesitant 2.5 stars, rounded up for the moments that did manage to surprise."

I have read many books by Kerry Wilkinson and loved them all, The Call is no exception. It had me intrigued from the description alone and I could not wait to get started on the story. The story was great with plenty of twists and turns throughout and really interesting characters. I could not fault it at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

If the author wanted me to feel worried and concerned about where Evan was then the least she could do was make the. characters in the book a bit concerned. So your fiancé goes missing and your dad carries on with his puzzles, your sister and her husband go out every day on the excursions you had been planning and even you don’t sound at all worried. Therefore what started out with a very tension promising situation simply fell flat for me. By the end I was more frustrated by how this good idea for a plot had somehow been wasted. I will give it three stars for the plot… it could have been a very good read.

Melody, along with her son, father, sister, and brother-in-law, take a trip to Canada, aiming to recreate the unforgettable holiday memories of her childhood. However when Melody's partner, Evan, mysteriously disappears on his way to their holiday home, it ruins their peaceful vacation.

The Call by Kerry Wilkson proved to be a slow burner and just an ok read for me. I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters, although the unexpected ending caught my attention. Overall, I'd rate it 3 stars.

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

Melody and Evan book a family vacation with some of their family including their son Sam, Melody's father, sister and brother in law. Melody has childhood memories of Vancouver Island which is why she specifically wanted to go there. With her mom no longer alive, she wanted to get her dad out of the house and go back and revisit some of those childhood memories and make new memories with the family and their son Sam. Little did she know, Evan wasn't going to make it to the vacation rental, because on the way he calls Melody and says he stopped as he sees something in the road. The call gets disconnected, and Melody is not able to reach Evan. From here, its about finding Evan, and holding out hope that he is still alive.

I found this book a pretty good read, although I do feel like there was a lot of fluff packed in the middle. Would be great to add some more additional spins in the middle of the book to really grip a readers attention.