This is the absolute definition of a page turner, very quick pace to the story which involves in no particular order, a bomber, blackmail plot, drug smugglers and dealers, historic child abuse and murder (several of them). That the author managed to cram so much into one story without it being overcooked is testament to his literary skill.

You will not be wanting to put this book down until you have finished it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

I love a good Linwood Barclay book and this one didn’t disappoint.
Richard is a school teacher and saves the school and pupils from a former student wanting revenge by blowing up certain people in the school.
The problems for Richard and his family start here and continue to snowball throughout the story. You could argue some of them are Richard’s own doing thanks to trying to make them go away instead of dealing with them in the correct manner. As a result the problems just grow and grow.
This was another page turner from one of my favourite authors which unfortunately means the end comes too soon. Clever twist I didn’t see coming at the end.

Gripped from.the start of this novel by Linwood. Richard is a high school teacher who becomes a hero after rushing to prevent an ex pupil blowing up the school because of something that happened to him whilst he was at the school. As Richards face appears on the news he soon becomes a target for a blackmailer. The problem is he doesn't know how to handle it and the situation soon escalates. Never thought there'd be a n end to the things which kept cropping up, so many twists and turns.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for inviting me read this new novel by Linwood as I've read his books before and this does certainly not disappoint! Highly recommend. Would love to see this adapted for tv/ film.

Oh wow! Linwood Barclay does not disappoint!! Another story that had me on the edge of my seat, reading through the night to find out how this story would end!
The story has several strands which interlink as they develop. The key protagonist is Richard, a local teacher, who always puts himself out to inspire and help his pupils. He is suddenly drawn into a terrifying incident at his school which puts him slap into the eyes of the media, and it is the fallout from this event that sends him into a whole new and terrifying territory. Great storyline, great characters.........I could not see how this story was going to conclude! Fab read!

As a big Linwood Barclay fan I was really looking forward to this. No time for Goodbye was the start of my thriller journey with Barclay.

I will ruin you was another strong novel by Barclay. Pacey start to the novel was got me right into the story. Hen English teacher Richard Boyle steps in to rescue a former pupil his life is turned upside down.

It was so well written. Lots of twists to the point I doubt we’d find a resolution.

Looking forward to working my way through some more Barclay novels

A schoolteacher hero one minute then a blackmail victim the next.gets this excellent twisting tale off to a flier. Full of potential suspects into the murderer of the teacher’s apparent blackmailer including his wife, best friend and a pair of drug dealers. The action never lets up as the bodies increase in a frenetic finale with as happens in only the best yarns the truth revealed at the very end. Great fun.

This is everything you would hope for from a Linwood Barclay novel; the plot is gripping from the start, the characters are fascinating, the writing is fast-paced and the twists are great! Brilliant!

When English teacher Richard Boyle is confronted with an ex-student turning up at school with dynamite strapped to his body, he thinks on his feet and manages to avert a catastrophe. Richard is a hero for about five minutes, and then things start to unravel in many complex directions. Someone has spotted him on TV during a news report of the incident, and his life is destined never to be the same again.
The opening chapter, with the foiled attempt at blowing up the school, is so high-octane that I initially had worries about how the rest of I Will Ruin You would live up to it, but I needn't have worried. This is an expertly-plotted story with different perils coming for Richard; in the hands of a less accomplished writer I might have found myself working hard to keep hold of all the different strands, but the writing was so polished that I just enjoyed the story and trusted it all to unfold. The surprises and reveals kept coming until the end.

Richard Boyle is an English Teacher and a hero having prevented a suicide bomber blowing up the school. He is also at the start of a nightmare that could ultimately cost him his marriage, daughter and indeed his life. Written from multiple POV’s and with a number of different threads this could have become complicated but this author makes it look so easy- when I’m sure it’s not.

Briefly, the events that took place on this day result in Richard’s life being turned upside down. Sucked into a mire of drug dealing, blackmail and mistaken identity this is an explosive thriller. How complicated can it get? Very when it involves both Richard and his wife Bonnie but when the bodies start piling up can they work together?

There are so many secrets and lies it’s hard to know who to trust. The author has also included a thread around the controversy surrounding book banning currently going on in parts of the USA which I thought was very interesting. Some great twists and turns and a wonderful lead character made for a compelling read. Fast paced and full of suspense this was a very entertaining book.

Every time I finish a Linwood Barclay novel I think “now that was the best one” and each and every time it is true, they just get better and better. This one centres around a school teacher and an attempted explosive attack. I absolutely love his writing, the cleverly crafted characters and twisty storylines. When the final piece of this exquisite puzzle dropped into place I was FLOORED and I was glad I waited no longer than 24hours after receiving the ARC copy before DEVOURING it. Will be talking about this to anyone who will listen, HIGHLY recommend!

I have two thoughts when I see Linwood has a new book. The first is "oh goody!" The second is "oh no, will he be able to do it again, wow me again."& They say never meet your heroes. Well with books it's how to keep reading their books without the fear one will fall short. I'm very happy to report that( I clearly need to start having more faith in my favourite authors) that he's done it again. Completely new yet equally as suspenseful as his others.
This time with a normal guy going about his every day life as a teacher until the unthinkable occurs. And it doesn't stop there with the twists that come this poor man's way. And of course Linwood keeps bringing the twists. But they are always worthy of their place and never feel just for the sake of it. And he had me question the good and bad guys once again.
Now I can relax and wait for his next one 😌

This is a great read.
An English teacher finds himself trying to talk down a former student who turns up at school with a bomb strapped to his chest. He manages to talk him down, but it is the start of a rollercoaster for the teacher and not in a good way.
I won't spoil what happens as there's lots going on in this book, but it's a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HQ Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book from this well established author. It's a fun, action packed, fast paced read
The main character is Richard, a dedicated high school English teacher. Suddenly he is the local school hero, an ex pupil, Mark, turns up at the school with dynamite strapped to his chest, Richard is calmly talking him down, persuading him to slowly step outside, to minimise casualties, tragically Mark trips and the dynamite explodes ending his life.
Richard may now be the school hero but his life begins to spiral out of control. Mark’s parents are threatening him with a lawsuit, a group of parents are unhappy about his choice of reading material for his classes, another ex pupil is blackmailing him and a drug gang are in the neighbourhood, could his life be anymore complicated. Richard is stressed, his marriage was already in trouble, he is making rash decisions and acting out of character, he knows he is being set up, he needs to find out who is behind all these happenings which are linked to one another.
This is a clever plot with layers, suspense and tension as the story unfolds. Some very interesting shady characters.
This is another top book from Linwood Barclay.

Thank you for this ARC by Linwood Barclay. A real rollercoaster of a read. The story evolves right from the start, setting out the different characters at times hard to follow, but still engrossing. A superb read.

I have read a fair few books by this author and they have all been good solid reads. This one was no exception and kept me engaged and interested all the way through.
We start with Richard Boyle, a school English teacher, talking down a former pupil at the school door. Mark LeDrew has a bomb strapped to him. Richard successfully persuades him to stop but what happens next, although averting a major incident, does not end well for all. But Richard is hailed a hero. But his infamy does not come without issue and he soon becomes the target of a blackmailer...
And it all gets a bit convoluted and interconnected and, dare I say, in danger of becoming messy. Which it doesn't... just. But you do have to have your wits about you for the duration. But, as with all his books, you will be rewarded come the end...
There's definitely a LOT going on in this book. I could list them all but.. spoilers. There's also the usual secrets, lies, twists, turns, and obfuscation that this author does so well. It's also quite high octane in pacing as it really gets on with itself very well.
And oh how I felt for Richard, all caught up in a maelstrom of issues. He's a cracking character and an all round good person and so not deserving of all the author chose to throw at him! A lesser man would probably break...
All in all a cracking twisty turny read that I thoroughly enjoyed and which on the whole satisfied. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Linwood Barclay at his best. Once I started reading I Will Ruin You , I just could not put it down. The formula of ordinary people being faced with extraordinary events works so well.. A thrilling read from start to finish. Just when you think you know exactly where the plot is going, it doesn’t! Superb book.

I don’t think I have read a Linwood Barclay book with so many twists, turns and red herrings!
The subject matters covered are truly upsetting and controversial; gun law; school shooting; mental health; abuse of power and the vulnerability of children and the position teachers and adults working with children can find themselves in.
All of these issues were wrapped up in a fictional mystery thriller , but nevertheless they are important enough to have an impact on the reader.
A. Linwood Barclay book is always one to look forward to and this one did not disappoint.

A modern American twisty tale told in typical Mr Barclay style.

The main character is a High school English teacher, Richard Boyle, who comes face-to-face with an ex-student who has a bomb strapped to him trying to enter the school. If you are thinking this is America today then you will be correct as guns and shootings seem to be part of everyday USA school life?

Into the mix Richard, his wife and next door neighbour end up with a drugs connection. Mr Barclay is brilliant telling the story, with good characterisation and well described violent scenes. Loved it!

I still feel sad at the the state of these aspects of American life, guns and drugs, and maybe this is Mr Barclay's intention?

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ for the chance to read and review.

Bestselling Canadian author Linwood Barclay often writes about contemporary issues, exploring the things that trouble us through crime fiction. For example, in Look Both Ways he concocted a plot about self-driving cars, and in Find You First we meet a tech billionaire who has everything except the feeling that his life is worthwhile. I Will Ruin you plucks a whole range of topics from the headlines, such as violent incidents in schools, sexual abuse of minors, drug addiction and the recent increase in attempts to censor certain books. How does he pull these seemingly unrelated topics into a taut thriller?

The book opens with Richard Boyle, a Connecticut teacher, having a discussion with his students about The Road, Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic novel. Through the classroom windows, Richard observes a man approaching the school. The man is wearing a vest fitted with dynamite. Richard immediately goes into emergency mode and instructs a student to call 911. After ensuring his students are safe and that they will block the door with heavy desks, he leaves the classroom. Richard runs through the halls alerting other teachers to lockdown. He heads to the school entrance located in the direction that the man was walking. He is literally running towards danger.

It’s worth remembering that Connecticut is where the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting took place. Perhaps this is why Linwood Barclay chose the Connecticut town of Milford as his setting. It certainly lends credibility to his story.

When he reaches the doors, Richard recognises the assailant as Mark LeDrew, a former student. Mark has a list of staff members he wants to meet and it seems obvious that he intends to kill them in a suicide bombing. Fortunately, Richard convinces Mark that violence is not the answer and they go outside and wait until bomb professionals can arrive to disarm the bomb. But, just as he leaves the building, Mark trips on a shoelace which detonates the bomb, killing him and wounding Richard.

Richard becomes a hero in the press. Not everyone has the skills to defuse a situation that could have ended with mass casualties, and yet Mark’s parents intend to sue him for their son’s death. At the same time, other parents are unhappy that Richard has been teaching their children about The Road. All the media discussion of the bombing catches the attention of an angry individual in need of money and in the midst of the turmoil Richard is approached by a blackmailer.

The story unfolds from multiple points of view – including those of Richard, his wife Bonnie and his sister-in-law, Detective Marta Harper. There is also a cast of secondary characters who have chapters presented from their points of view. With the multiple plot lines, it is necessary to have the different perspectives to ensure that it is easy to follow the story as it progresses. The complexity of the interwoven plot lines and characters would be a challenge for an inexperienced writer.

I Will Ruin You is a very fast paced read. Similar to other thriller writers like Kellye Garrett, Barclay likes to end each chapter with a hook or an event that leaves you wanting more. It makes for an action-packed story that will keep you reading late into the night to find out what happens next.

At one point, when Richard is meeting with the parents who feel that The Road is not an appropriate book for teenagers, he tells them that good fiction provokes and bridges gaps and can bring people together by exposing them to the different sides of an issue. This could be a description of the book banning plot line in I Will Ruin You. Richard’s approach to addressing the parents’ concerns about the books studied in class is powerful. Equally powerful is reading about their desire to protect children from violent stories at a traumatic time, with mass killings occurring in their state and across America.

If you value the freedom to read broadly, the storyline around the book banning will likely hit home. Does Barclay manage to pull all the other storylines and character perspectives together? Of course he does. All the angles he puts across will keep you guessing, and his books never fail to entertain.

This book had promise and an interesting blurb, some of the sections definitely caught my interest but overall it was a bit like sleepwalking and my interest faded in and out quite a lot. I’ve read books by the author before and I wouldn’t say this is my favourite to date and I limped a bit towards the end. I perhaps could put my slight lack of interest down to the fact I didn’t really connect that well with the characters. The main married characters seemed to have a strange lack of trust with one another and I felt a lot of the time people were making odd decisions. I also mostly guessed the ending quite quickly which was a bit too obvious for me so a little disappointing. I would still potentially recommend giving this a go, it just didn’t quite resonate with me.