⭐️3⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Spiral is very well written, well plotted, and the characterisation is great, but I didn’t particularly gel with any of the characters; I particularly disliked Theo, who came across as a selfish, spoilt brat, and by the end of the book, I just didn't care what happened to him.

I loved the premise but found the repetitive parts of the story too repetitive (and I was disappointed by the ending).

Cameron Ward's writing style is right up my street; unfortunately, the story didn't grab me as much as I hoped it would.

This is a wee gem from Cameron Ward.

I’ve been reading this for a while mainly because I couldn’t get to grips with the formatting of the ARC. So long in fact that ‘Spiral’ was announced as one of The Times Thriller Books of 2024 – and it’s easy to see why as there’s lots to like about it.

Billed on its pre-release as Perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh’s Hostage (haven’t read it, can’t comment) and Gillian McAllister’s Wrong Place Wrong Time (OKAY I’M SOLD!) this is a high concept thriller straight out of The Twilight Zone.

High school Maths teacher Charlie is on a flight where her son Theo is first officer. There’s been disagreements between the two, most of all with Theo’s quest to find his father and connect. But there’s more to it than that. Obviously.

It’s midnight and the plane starts to crash.

And then it’s not midnight. It’s 11.01pm and a disoriented Charlie has to work out whether what happened was just a dream. And then midnight comes round and the plane crashes again.

And it’s 11.02pm.

Coming across less Groundhog Day and more Groundhog Hour, the race is on for Charlie to try and work out what is happening and why? And is her son and his father somehow involved. Can she stop the plane crashing (more than once) and make it to one minute past midnight?

I couldn’t wait to see how this was resolved. And resolved (to an extent) it was – no spoilers though.

I really enjoyed this and Charlie’s recurring realisation about what’s happening. It’s ‘mostly’ a fast-paced tale in the style of Quantum Leap and the often-forgotten movie Source Code, which I loved about it. The only thing that slowed it down (for me) was a lot of back story about Theo and his dad – all absolutely necessary for the plot to move forward but not my favourite parts.

Anyway – If bad stuff happening on a plane gives you the fear then maybe don’t pick this up before a holiday. Otherwise, it’s a journey I’d thoroughly recommend getting on board for.

Cracking book with a unique storyline, a good thriller that’s you’ll had me hooked from the start and it’s a must read for anyone who loves this genre.

Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now
A more extensive review will follow
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you for allowing me to read the advance review copy of this book. I started to get a little tired of the repeat sequences, however I enjoyed the depiction of the characters, the story that unfolded and the exciting ending.

A fast paced thriller that kept me guessing throughout. I felt like my heart was going to burst from my chest at parts it was that enthralling

An absolute belter of a book, had me hooked in from the very first chapter, and I guarantee you won’t be putting it down any time soon!

Charlie Reid is trying to patch things up with her son, Theo, so boards a flight that Theo is co-piloting.
But the plane crashes and when Charlie comes to, she has gone back in time to our hour before the disaster, and is stuck in a groundhog style loop.
Can she work out how to save everyone?
It’s a character driven novel about the choices we make.
The chapters alternate between Charlie trying to save everyone in her nightmare scenario and Theo in the search for his father he never knew.
It’s a fabulous taut thriller
Thanks @authorcamward @penguinukbooks @netgalley for the fab read

Fast paced and utterly bingeable I devoured this in 2 sittings, and wow what a ride. A great plot, exceptional storyline and a narrative that left my nerves shredded!
I absolutely loved it! Read this book!

A fast paced mystery thriller with a slightly sci-fi edge. Hugely entertaining, cinematic escapism with great characters and a twisty plot. Recommended.

I read the bio for this book and it was right up my street
But I struggled with the actual book itself. I found it hard going at times which it shouldn’t be as it’s the same hour repeating over and over in Charlie’s life as he is first officer on a plane trying to visit his father
So it should had been thrilling and judging from lots of other reviews people did find that so I accept I am in the minority
And I will watch out for future Cameron ward novels

Woah what on earth did I just read?

That was utterly breath-taking and equally horrifying.

Whatever you do don't read this while on a plane, especially if you are a nervous flier - as someone who is reliving a fatal plane crash over and over again is not going to comfort you!

That being said it's probably a great book to read on holiday while you can spend hours uninterrupted digesting the story and coming up with your own ideas and theories just why Charlie's life is on this spiral.

And once you suspend reality at the Groundhog day-esque elements of this book, I was totally caught up in trying to work out what on earth was going on and why. Even with the chapters from Theo's point of view, where you see a young man on a downward spiral of his own.

There is a lot of science and maths involved at least from Charlie's chapters, most of which went over my head, but I did recognise the sequence, about a page before she did, so something must have stuck in my mind from school!

This is scary, it's compelling and its totally brilliant. Another must read book from an author that I am thoroughly enjoying reading.

Thank you Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Firstly this would make an epic movie! Secondly, I absolutely loved this novel, it is brilliantly written and I look forward to more from this author.

Charlie has fallen out with her adult son Theo about hiding the truth about his parentage from him. She knows deep down it was for the right reasons, as Theo's Father was not the man she thought he was, and she is grateful he hasn't been in Theo's life.

But Theo feels betrayed by his Mother, and determined to find his Father decides to base himself in the US. As a Commercial Airline Pilot, he is able to move around with ease, and quickly settles himself in the States, making new acquaintances and forging a new life for himself.

Charlie is determined to reconcile with her son, and unbeknownst to him, boards one of his flights from London to L.A. Ten hours in to the flight, something goes terribly wrong. The engines fail, the plane enters a steep dive then everything goes back.

Then Charlie wakes up, and minutes later it happens again, and again, and again.

Charlie has some deeply buried knowledge of time loops, and tries hard to recall anything that could be of use to her situation. She knows that ultimately she must use her power as the only person with the knowledge to stop the plane from crashing and save all of the passengers onboard.

Can she out everything she needs to before her time runs out?

This is the first book I’ve read by Cameron Ward

This was an original story with a Groundhog Day theme
I was unsure if I was going to like it but couldn’t put the book down once I’d started
Great read
Gripping
Will definitely be reading more by this author

This was a great and gripping read and Cameron Ward is quickly becoming a must-read author for me.
I actually really liked the Groundhog Day style of this and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
The pacing, in particular, was well done and it was one of those stories where you want to read just one more chapter and end up having read hundreds of pages in one sitting.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending and you did have to suspend belief a few times but I would still recommend giving this a read.
It would make a great beach read but probably not one that you'd want to read while travelling by plane.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this read. It was tense, harrowing and a real demonstration of a mother's love.
I wasn't quite sure if this was something I could become totally engrossed in, but after only a few pages I was hooked.
I loved the different perspectives that allowed the story to really come together.
The information being fed slowly, along with the countdown made this brilliantly tense!
Great thriller I'll certainly read more by this author!

Charlie is a distraught mother, travelling to LA to reconcile with her son who left the UK to find his father.
What makes this a storyline with a difference is, the plane crashes and everyone is killed. Then Charlie wakes and it’s an hour before the doomed flight….. the Groundhog Day plot maintained my interest and I enjoyed Charlie’s dilemma of how she can save herself and all onboard. The Son, Theo’s elements I found irritating and frustrating at times, but, the overall premise maintained my focus and I read in one sitting.

Overall, a solid Good Read and I’m grateful to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC.

I really liked this quirky story. It reminded me of Groundhog Day. The themes are around family, revenge, bad decisions, time travel and forgiveness. The pace is definitely ‘just one more chapter’ . I could easily have read it in one day. I liked the link to maths as well, made it seem more scientifically plausible. I will look out for more my this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook arc.

Absolutely loved this book! From page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller definitely had it's strong points, the 'time-loop' groundhog day element provided a countdown which built the tension perfectly as Charlie - on a plane bound for LA - is travelling to see her son who is actually one of the pilots on the plane. She wakes from what she believes to be a nightmare of a plane crash, only to find the same events happening again and again. Theo, the son, provides flashbacks to the past. While Charlie is a engaging character, Theo is quite a brat who seems hell bent on a life of self destruction - despite his mother and ex-girlfriend trying to offer their help. I think his character didn't help with the ending. No spoilers here though!