⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Will Ruin You - Linwood Barclay

All Thriller and definitely NO FILLER!

This was by far and away my favourite Linwood Barclay title - and it doesn’t let up until the very last line.

Packed full of punch, this twisty mind meddling novel heaps drama upon drama….moving seamlessly from one tight spot to the next without any pause in between.

Read it in two sittings, because once you start - you can’t stop!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC - it was pure brilliance!

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay is yet another highly accomplished novel by the author.
Richard Boyle, an English teacher, spots an old pupil acting suspiciously on entering the school and manages to avert a major tragedy when the bomb strapped to Mark LeDrew detonates and only kills Mark.
After that Richard is hailed a hero and also an abuser and is now being blackmailed by another old pupil. This then leads to drug dealing by yet another old pupil and all the secrets and lies then come to a head when various people are murdered, some innocent and some not.
A fast paced thriller that readers of Linwood Barclay are used to reading, with plenty of deaths, lies and secrets all to be uncovered.
Highly recommended

Loved this book. A microcosm of small town America and what's hidden under the surface. A hero can be a hero to one person but a figure of hate to another, depending on your views, beliefs or prejudices; conscious or otherwise.

This book makes you question your own thoughts, what's right and what's wrong and why you believe something is so. Also it's just a damn good family, thriller story to read with lots of twists, turns and omg moments.

Thank you again for another 'must read' book.

With Linwood Barclay books, you know you are guaranteed a thrilling ride, this one is no exception.

Richard Boyle faces his share of troubles and turmoil throughout this book as the reader is taken on the rollercoaster of this ride alongside him. His world is turned upside down with problems coming at him from every direction. No sooner than one gets solved than another comes around the corner. Life as a teacher is always lived on a knife edge of ‘what if’s’ and Richard is certainly getting his fair share of cuts here!

Running alongside this seems to be another completely separate story, with a whole new set of characters and circumstances, a different world. I couldn’t see how they would come together as one story but of course Linwood Barclay can make that happen!

The characterisation is quite strong, particularly with Richard, his wife Rachel and sister-in-law Marta. Great to see strong women holding their own!

There is not much more that can be said without spoiling the plot, a pacy book.

When teacher Richard Boyle acts without thinking at school he diverts a tragedy. Unfortunately, it puts him in the spotlight and leads to a series of shocking events out of his control.

When I read The Lie Maker in July 2023 I couldn't believe it had been such a long time since I'd read one of Linwood Barclay's thrillers. Having enjoyed The Lie Maker so much I jumped at the chance to read and review the author's latest novel, I Will Ruin You.

The heart-stopping opening chapter really sets the tone for the nightmare situation teacher Richard Boyle finds himself in. Richard is a well-respected high school English teacher, he treats his students as young adults and challenges their thinking. During one of his lessons, he spots a man heading for the side door into the building. Without giving thought to his own safety he heads out to intercept the intruder. It turns out the intruder is a former student with a grievance against some of the staff and he's determined to make them pay.

A school intruder, intent on harm, is the nightmare that every teacher, student and parent must have considered at some point. The opening chapter builds on that fear, showing how easily it could happen, particularly if the intruder is an ex-student with knowledge of the building. As staff and students go into panic mode Richard manages to keep a calm head, despite the adrenaline flooding his system, and talks them out of their planned attack.

In the aftermath of the event, a TV crew shows the school on the local news and this triggers memories for another past student who decides to seek retribution for the abuse he suffered in school. This sets off a nightmare journey for Richard Boyle.

Richard is adamant he's innocent of the accusations and it is very easy to put yourself in his shoes. How do you prove your innocence? Richard has to decide whether to stand his ground or pay off his accuser simply to make the accusations disappear. At the back of his mind is the thought that "mud sticks".

There are quite a few sub-plots within the story which all add to the tension. As these plots converge the terror for Richard Boyle intensifies and lots of secrets are revealed.

I found this book hard to get into and couldn't get engaged in the storyline unfortunately. I have read many of this author's earlier reads and always enjoyed them but for me personally his writing style has changed.

I did persevere with the book but for me I didn't really enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for this ARC.

I love Linwood Barclay and this book did not disappoint. The premise of the story was great and there were lots of twists and turns. I would thoroughly recommend this book.

5 Stars from me!

This is a superb example of classic Barclay at his best. Much like one of my all time favourite books (Never Saw It Coming also by Linwood Barclay), it is fast, exciting, thrilling-without-being-scary and has a solid storyline.

It offers a hard-to-put-down reading style with a 'just one more chapter' feel to it, meaning that I raced through it in just two sittings. With a practiced and perfected blend of drama, thriller, crime and psychological, there is something for everyone within these pages.

What else is there to say, fans of Linwood Barclay will love this book!

I have read a lot of this authors work in the past and really enjoyed them but sadly this one for me isn’t one of my favourites. It started out well and I was really engaged but it lost its way then. It’s told from several points of view which always works well. I didn’t find the storyline anything in the way of different to many others. It felt like it went off in too many different directions with some being unnecessary and I lost interest. The characters were ok enough. The narrator did a good job. Overall it was an enjoyable enough listen just not one of my favourites.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review #IWillRuinYou

High school teacher Richard Boyle’s world changes when he spots an ex-student determined to cause all manner of disaster. Though Richard does avert a major tragedy, what happens means he’s subject to not just positive reactions. Then he receives his first threat from someone whose memory is triggered by the incident. Cue much secrecy and many, many lies as Richard both wants to avoid whatever is coming down the line and find a way out of it that won’t affect his family. It’s evident that just about everyone has something to hide, however… I enjoyed how twisty the book was, which is to be expected of a Barclay novel, and you’re always kept on your toes.

One of my favourite authors who never lets me down, an explosive start sees high school teacher Richard Boyles life turned upside down and it just keeps going from bad to worse. Whilst the situations he keeps finding himself in threaten to ruin his life he just seems to keep making bad decisions. I was willing him to sort things out throughout the book but the plot twists as always keep coming and keep you hooked until the final pages. Well written with believable characters and addictive storytelling.

I always love a Linwood Barclay novel as they never disappoint, this was a brilliant novel with great characters, the plot had a few twists. This book would make a fantastic holiday read, but be prepared to be kept up all night reading to find out

Oh my goodness! How does Linwood Barclay come up with so many very different and diverse ideas for book themes and make them all so good?

This is the fourth book I've read by this author and have to say I have loved every one of them and will definitely be reading more and recommending them to everyone. What a thrill ride.

All of his books could easily be made into movies especially "I will ruin you" which is probably every teacher's worst nightmare.

Richard Boyle an English teacher spots an ex pupil on the school grounds with a bomb strapped to his chest. He somehow manages to jump into action and avoid a catastrophe to become the hero, but now all eyes are on him and someone starts to blackmail him, putting his whole livelihood at risk. What would you do?

Great characters, great twisty story, great book and a big thank you to HQ for giving me the chance to read and review an advance copy of this Linwood's latest hit.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's an excellent read, full of twists and turns. I'm looking forward to the next book—a great author.

High school teacher Richard Boyle intercepts a previous student trying to enter the school with dynamite strapped to his body. The crisis is averted but it's just the beginning of the chaos coming Richard's way.

This was a fast paced thriller packed with action. I constantly wanted to know what was happening next. Every chapter left you wondering where the story would turn in this crazy list of events.

Overall it was a very enjoyable read. The plot had a lot going on, a little too much at times, but not enough to overwhelm me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another cracking thriller from Linwood Barclay. As usual, the story gripped me from page one and never let go. It revolves around a teacher preventing a bomb attack on his school from a former pupil but then getting caught up in a tangle of intersecting crimes. I have to admit to guessing a guilty party fairly early but what exactly had happened was still beautifully set out and the pace just never slowed enough to work it out. A perfect holiday read, impossible to put down and beautifully written, as always.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

What a thrill ride of a story!

In a world where one good turn … brings along 10 bad ones. Richard Boyle, hero of the day, effectively hits every unlucky branch coming. Whilst the majority of his problems are exacerbated by his own stupidity. You can’t help but feel sorry and frustrated by him!

In his trademark style Linwood Barclay weaves multiple plots into one seemingly straightforward one. Each story is intrinsically tied and unbearably headed towards disaster as none are aware of the each other and the consequences of their actions.

Linwood Barclay is officially one of my go-to authors. It doesn’t matter if you want a story that’s grounded in believability or totally something totally bonkers. He will spin you a story that is both captivating and utterly compelling to read. I WILL RUIN YOU is a fine example of this.

As always I can’t possibly summarise what I’ve read to give a more specific review because I’d end up telling you the whole plot! But know, you’re on to a good one here. What I will say however is that first scene really caught me quite unexpectedly. It was raw and horrifying and I was very close to tears. Living in Britain we (luckily) don’t come against these sorts of threats as often as the satiates. But just reading the procedure and being in that situation really threw me.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I so enjoyed the latest book by Linwood Barclay. He introduced the leading characters at just the right pace and, initially, you had no idea how it would all come together. A cleverly constructed story with a satisfying conclusion.

YEAH a new Linwood Barclay book and you just know that this author will always delivers a tense powerful read filled with tension and this one starts with a bang and never drops the pace pulling you in from the first page
The story unravels perfectly, and the way the author allows the characters to unfold at just the right tempo is exceptional.
This was a strong gripping read with an unexpected but perfect ending.
The whole book makes you think how you would react if you were faced with being accused of something you know you hadn't done and how far you'd go to clear your name.
RECOMMENDED
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

What a totally absorbing and gripping book. Grabs your attention from the start and holds it all the way until the end, taking you on a roller coaster ride of a journey.