Member Reviews

In "Rattle" by Fiona Cummins, suspense and thrills abound in this gripping thriller perfect for fans of bone-chilling mysteries. Cummins crafts a spine-tingling tale centered around a serial killer known as "The Bone Collector," who preys on children and collects their bones. With each turn of the page, readers are drawn deeper into the heart-pounding hunt to stop this monstrous predator. The characters, including Detective Sergeant Etta Fitzroy and the hauntingly eerie Jakey Frith, are vividly portrayed, adding layers of intrigue to the story. While the subject matter may be intense, Cummins balances it with moments of humanity and resilience, making "Rattle" a compelling and unforgettable read for those who dare to delve into its dark depths.

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I was promised serial killer more frightening than Hannibal Lecter, but I didn’t receive it. I felt he was quite underwhelming actually. The idea of him was quite intriguing, the execution fell short.

The writing was good, although it felt too wordy. The chopping and changing of characters was confusing and there just didn’t seem to be a plot twist worth an extra star unfortunately. For a book with so many pages, I expected more. Maybe next time.

Thank you so much for my ARC i really appreciated it in return for my honest review.

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Thank you for sending this book. But it wasn't for me. I did not find the serial killer interesting. I went back to it again and again but I was not able to finish this book.

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My list of problems with this book:

1. Boring killer. Seriously the worst ever I think! More frightening than Hannibal Lecter????
2. An incompetent police with emotional problems (she constantly thought about her own problems all through the book)...
3. Parents that you didn't care about, hell I didn't' care much about the fate of the children either since I couldn't connect to a single character in the book.
4. One of the parents had a BIG MYSTERY that was revealed towards the later part of the book. Totally unrealistic and laughable.
5. Inner monologues. I wanted to scream at them that I don't care! Get on with the plot.
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6. The narrator (I listened to the audiobook) was not bad, but the voices of the children just didn't work for me.

Reading the sequel? No, I don't think so...

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A great debut novel, put time aside to read in one sitting.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

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It took me a bit of time to get into this but, once I did, I was hooked! It was kind of intriguing (in a very morbid way!) and definitely disturbing. I really liked the character of Etta Fitzroy and thought she was very well written. The ending is not all tied up in a pretty bow as there is a sequel of this book forthcoming which I am very much looking forward to.

Great book - a strong 4 stars

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Loved this book a gripping dark,dank and damp story which will give you nightmares and make your knuckles turn white as you hold on for dear life. Loved that it was a big book so kept me going for a good while and I was disappointed when it ended. Will be waiting impatiently for the authors next foray into writing.

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This was a very disturbing story but that's fine as I like chilling stories. I read this quite quickly as the book was easy to follow.
I like the main character DS Etta Fitzroy and i'm glad to see there is a second book out next year.

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It’s about a serial killer taking the lives of others in an attempt to fulfill himself. Born with a rare degenerative bone disease, The Collector is basically a regressed version of Doomsday as he sets about killing people and making his collection grow.

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I enjoyed this book because not only did it take me on a thrilling journey, but it taught me about a bone disease I hadn't heard about before. The plot was good and the characters were well described and well rounded. At times if felt a bit long winded- especially the parts describing Lilbeth towards the end but I am intrigued with the ending and expect to get reading a sequel in the future

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I couldn't read as the copy isn't available anymore and I completely forgot to download a copy to the kindle app.

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Despite its very sensitive subject matter - child kidnappings and malformations - the book is not as gruesome as I expected. It is the slow, insidious fear which creeps up behind you rather than the graphic and very overt violence. A tour de force in building tension.

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It's not often I read a book where the atmosphere of creeping menace leaves me spooked but Rattle has certainly managed it!

He goes to work, he comes home and cares for his sick wife and he goes to his father's house and cares for their museum. He also looks out for more exhibits- only these are not dusty antiquities, they are bones and the more deformed and distorted the better.

Jakey has a life altering bone disease. It has caused a rift between his parents who whilst loving Jakey to bits can't seem to cope with each other. He would be a perfect trophy for the Bone Collector.

Etta Fitzroy, a police officer is still scarred by the disappearance of a young girl. When Clara goes missing she becomes obsessed with finding her. When Jakey is kidnapped from hospital & rabbit skeletons are left to taunt her, she begins to make connections- and they are chilling.

This is a brilliant debut. Fiona Cummins really can draw you into a tale. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for introducing me to this author- definitely a five star read.

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This was an action packed murder, mystery with some great characters and an absorbing storyline. Quite horrific at times and the tension is intense. A good ending with a twist in the tail.

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https://jennyobrienwriter.wordpress.com/2017/02/25/lanzarote-book-by-book/

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Rattle won’t deliver anything new or provide any unexpected twists and turns, but what it does provide is a pretty gripping read that I devoured in only a few sittings. Fiona Cummins gives us a strong, albeit formulaic, addition to the crime thriller genre that seethes with menace and tension.

Rattle is full of rich descriptions. It makes the human body sound like a work of art. I’d heard of Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive before under its more commonly used name, ‘Stone Man Syndrome’ but I didn’t know a lot about it. Rattle managed to give it a human face as I realised how difficult it must be not just for the sufferer, but for the families who have to see their children become trapped in their own bodies. The Frith family were strong, but damaged, and had very real reactions to the reality of living with a sick child. The Frith’s grew as characters as the novel progressed, and I was impressed with the reality of their emotions and the way Fiona Cummins wrote them in a way that ensures empathy rather than pity.

DS Etta Fitzroy was an interesting character herself, although not entirely original. Every crime novel these days needs a disgraced detective with a tragic backstory, so she seemed more like an archetype than a real, fleshed out character. She also made stupid mistakes unbecoming of a detective that felt contrived to bring a bit more tension to the narrative rather than for any reason that made sense to the story. It was moments like these that brought the quality of Rattle down for me.

For me, my biggest disappointment with Rattle was its lack of any real resolution. I’m not sure if Fiona Cummins was setting it up for a sequel or to become a series, but because of this, the whole novel felt somehow, unfinished. Instead of making me want to desperately pick up the next book when it’s written, it made the preceding parts of the story feel somewhat lacking. I just needed more from it. I needed more explanation, more detail, more motivation and more resolution. The ending betrayed what had, up to that point, been a stellar novel.

All in all, Rattle was a gripping, enjoyable read. But if you’re looking for something groundbreaking that will reinvent the genre, then you’ll have to keep looking. While the villain was interesting and unique, the plot, in general, was on crime thriller rails. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll know where it’s going. But at least you’ll enjoy the journey.

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Rattle is one scary, creepy extremely well written novel by debut author Fiona Cummins.

The Bone Collector is a serial killer who likes to collect skeletons of victims with rare form of bone disorders for his display museum. He kidnaps 5-year-old Clara Foyle who has cleft hand from her nursery school. The parents are torn apart and then the Bone Collector sets his eyes on Jackey who has Stone Man Syndrome that causes a second skeleton to be formed. While Jackey and his family are in danger Detective Etta Fitzroy starts investigating Clara Foyle’s disappearance at the expense of her own personal life.

The characters in this book are very well developed and the story keeps on your toes. The author portrays the strain that Jackey’s disease has on his parents and the effect of a disappearance of a child on a marriage skillfully. It is a disturbing read due to the violence against children but a very well written book and a Must Read for all psychological thriller lovers .

Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

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This book scared the hell out of me and I loved it. I have talked non stop about it since I read it and can't wait to read more from this author!

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I enjoyed this story, to a point: it is creepy and pretty original and I very much liked Detective Etta Fitzroy. Most of the characters were well drawn and sympathetic - I liked Erdman ('Erdman', though?!). However, the book does concentrate a lot on people's feelings and thoughts, rather than being a fast-paced, action-packed, plot-driven thriller, as it seemed to be marketed - I also didn't find the 'baddie' to be particularly scary and there were far too many questions left by the end for me to find it satisfying. It was well-written though and I would like to read more about Etta Fitzroy. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC of Rattle.

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