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.

A classic Linwood Barclay book with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, of which there were plenty. There several twists that I absolutely did not anticipate which is quite a rarity for this type of book.

Ive been a fan of Linwood Barclay for a long time and always start each book wondering if he can provide the usual pace, suspense and twists and turns. Well, happy to report he certainly did it again this time! By weaving contemporary themes with believable characters (good and bad) the story unfolds quickly and as ever is a real page turner.
He really does make good story telling seem so simple and long may the books keep coming.

Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

I Will Ruin You was full of the usual drama & tension you associate with a Linwood Barclay thriller & I really enjoyed it. A quick & pacey read with a few twists thrown in. I did however work out the main twist before the end which was a little disappointing but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book

A school teacher narrowly averts a former pupil blowing up the school. To many he is heralded a hero. To one misguided individual he has become a potential target for blackmail. Still struggling from post traumatic stress, the teacher becomes a victim of his own hysteria and irresponsible actions culminating in a frenzy of escalating violence and murder. Family members are drawn into the tangled mess and misguided actions that lead to a terrifying impasse . Events and perpetrators appear to be finally exposed only to be presented with a sting in the tail that finally draws a rip roaring story line to an unexpected conclusion. Uncharacteristic actions from educated professionals allow this storyline to run wild, so enjoy without questioning the apparent failure at any point of expecting protagonists to act with any degree of thought or common sense. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I am always excited when a new Linwood Barclay comes out! I love his manner of writing, his books are all very character driven. He knows how to write a good thriller, I like how he writes about ordinary people and the plots are always plausible.
Really enjoyed this one.

Absolutely spectacular! Starting with the unimaginable horror of an ex-student turning up at his old school with a bomb and hurtling from crisis to crisis, with twists and curveballs a-plenty. I just adore this type of story, of an ordinary man and his ordinary life suddenly becoming this extraordinary whirlwind of excitement and catastrophe in an instant.
I am and always will be a Linwood Barclay fan, I feel like he has a wonderful insight into the insecurities we all feel and can intertwine them into his characters alongside quirky details and capture our humanity perfectly.
I really hope that he will allow us to revisit one of these characters, one who I feel has all sorts of stories and adventures in her and who I warmed to immediately.
A brilliant story, expertly told as always.

Many thanks to NetGalley, HQ and Linwood Barclay for my ARC of 'I Will Ruin You' in return for an honest review.

I have read most of this author's novels and am a huge fan. This one was a delight. Clever, hard hitting in places, amusing in others with numerous twists, turns and cliffhangers.

High school English teacher, Richard Boyle, comes face-to-face with an ex-student who has a bomb strapped to him trying to enter the school. Thanks to his quick thinking, Richard averts a major tragedy and is a hero overnight. The publicity brings out old adversaries and puts him in a difficult position.

Great read and highly recommended.

Linwood Barclay at his sneaky, enthralling, ingenuous best.
As usual an intricate (but very easy to follow) plot absolutely loaded with twists throughout and a hapless hero who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time make this almost comical yet deliciously thrilling.
Loved, loved, loved it and it reminded me of his earlier work, most of which I never wanted to put down.
More please!

This is a good read and I did enjoy this book. There are some real hard topics (school shootings, historic child abuse) covered in this book but Linwood Barclay has covered them sensitively and well. This isn’t one of my favourite books by the author but there is no bad word to be said. I can’t put my finger on why but I wasn’t as keen on this as his other books.

The story is told in present day from the point of view of several characters. The main character is Richard Boyle who notices an armed intruder to his school early. We then follow the after math of the attempted school bombing and how things begin to fall apart for Richard as he tries to figure out why the bomber wanted to harm a few select teachers.

It was definitely a page turner and I raced through the book but I can’t say I really connected with the characters and I found I didn’t really care about the outcome. I think had it been an author unknown to me then it would probably have been 3 stars. If you love Linwood Barclay you will enjoy this but if this is your first don’t let it put you off, the majority of his books are 5 stars!

I have given this 4 stars as Linwood Barclay is one of my favourite authors and in all honesty it was a page turner!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ books for this digital arc.

I think we're at the point now where the name Linwood Barclay on a cover is selling point enough. And he's done it again with a really enjoyable thriller which looks at the choices we make when we feel backed into a corner. Read it!

It’s Linwood Barclay, it’s going to sell itself and it does indeed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I really wasn’t sure where it was going at times, I was in suspense - just read it!

A Linwood Barclay book pretty much sells itself. Even if one doesn’t have the wow factor, people will buy his next regardless.
This one though truly did bring all the wows! I had no idea where things were going and how they were going to tie up. He kept me on my toes for sure. Perfect read anytime anywhere.

What would you do if you are in English teacher Richard Boyles shoes? He’s mid lesson (FYI., The Road, Cormac McCarthy) when he spots someone running towards the school entrance wearing a suicide vest. He tells the class to lock and then bar the door, to call 911 whilst he rushes to the front door, yelling.’ Lockdown’ en route. There, intent on causing maximum harm is ex student Mark LeDrew and he has a very specific kill list. What occurs on that fateful door threshold puts Richard in the spotlight and he comes to the attention of another student in Billy Finister and he has a score to settle. This dramatic day is a catalyst for a sequence of events as Richard finds himself at the centre of a cluster storm. Is Richard in freefall? Is he the hero the media believes him to be?

The start of the book is both shocking, terrifying and moving and it certainly pulls you into the storytelling and there’s always something going on to keep your attention there. There are numerous suspenseful moments and chapters which end on cliffhangers which keeps you reading eagerly on. As you would expect from this experienced best selling author there are plenty of intriguing twists, it’s all told at a brisk pace and builds to an unexpected ending because they’re such good misdirection.

In the middle of all the drama is Richard and basically he’s a good man, but he doesn’t always make the most rational decisions because he’s under pressure and how. Does he deserve what falls on his head? Up to you to decide although I do shout Noooo at him on a couple of occasions !

Whilst I can honestly say this novel keeps me entertained, the plot has a lot of things going on in it, perhaps there are too many subplots which gets a bit overwhelming. It’s a bit like a load of fireworks all going off at the same time, exploding in different directions and you don’t know which way to look. Probably the authors intention so you don’t spot the most important plot firework!

Overall though, it maintains my interest throughout which is the aim of an authors game!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay literally starts with a bang and the pace never lets up from that opening until the final page. It’s another example of what the author does so brilliantly; writing twisty tales about terrible things that happen to ordinary people. This time, high school English teacher Richard Boyle prevents a catastrophic event from happening but the resulting limelight leads to some unwanted attention. Cue blackmail, lies, deceit and drama! Another winner from Linwood Barclay.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my copy of I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay.
Richard Boyle is a teacher, a good teacher who cares for the kids he teaches but no one special, until the day an ex pupil comes to the school with a bomb.
Richard is first to the scene and averts a tragedy.
Richard Boyle is a hero and someone out there decides to cash in. Blackmail is a dirty business and there is always a price to pay. But who will pay it. I could not put this book down Linwood keeps you turning the pages long into the night.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love a Linwood Barclay book and think he just gets better and better with each one. This one is definitely going to be a long term favourite.

Richard is teaching his high school English class when he notices something unusual out of the window. A man is heading towards the school - in fact towards a door that is likely to be slightly ajar as it hasn’t been fixed. This means that he can gain entry without being seen, so the only person who knows he is there is Richard. Realising that this could be someone meaning harm to the students, Richard leaves his class with stern words not to leave the room and heads for the doors where he realises he is face to face with a suicide bomber……

What starts as an ordinary day for many in this story soon means that life will never be the same again. The clever thing about this book is that no character or detail is there unnecessarily, resulting in a brilliant build up to the end of the story. Another fantastic read from Linwood.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.