Very interesting thriller that doesn't follow the usual formula. Strong female protagonist and gripping story. Would definitely recommend!

https://wordpress.com/post/queensofgeekdom.com/2258

I’ve been itching to get a hold of a copy for months. I somehow knew it was going to be something I’d love, and I wasn’t wrong. I’d already pre-ordered a signed copy, but Net Galley UK approved my request and sent me a Kindle copy at the beginning of the week. Full of cold, I set myself on the sofa with a cuppa and a blanket, and past a whole autumnal day within Ritter’s world.

The Characters

Abby is so relatable, its rather scary. She’s a little bit of a loner, fuck up and passionate about her job. However, that’s not where the comparisons end for me. It’s Abby’s relationship with father that will haunt and sooth me for many days; the difficulty, the pain and guilt are all things I understand and help me to be drawn into the plot. It wouldn’t matter what the plot was; I’d have followed her into the depths of hell because I had her back, and many other readers will feel the same.
The supporting characters are all explored through Abby’s thoughts and memories and, as a result, you trust them as much as she does. Condor is one of my favourite characters, and I wish we’d been given more time with him. However, as Abby goes, so goes my nation.
There’s enough mystery behind a lot of the characters and it’s organic; allowing you to suspect and dismiss as the novel progresses.

The Plot

It’s a perfect slow burn plot that is set in motion way before the book begins. Being a book within the crime thriller genre, it would be easy to fall into the stereotypical pit falls or become so convoluted that it loses its readers. Bonfire escapes both of these, by giving a clever plot that will keep you guessing right up until the final reveal.

Underlying the law suit that the environmental lawyers are trying to uncover, Abby is returning home and opening up old wounds she never expected to face. It brings about a heart to the book that some crime novels of this ilk often lack.

The Writing

There’s a wonderful voice presented in this first-person narrative, one that I trust; Abby fast becomes a person I would love to get to know. The development of the plot and the sleep deprivation is well presented in the narration; without losing clarity of written structure.

This is a solid debut novel by Ritter, and I for one will be looking forward to any and all future offerings.

SHOW US OFF:

Like many others, I requested this book as I am a big fan of Kristen Ritter's acting career and was intrigued to see whether her writing would be equally great.

The story is interesting and kept me gripped throughout. The opening was especially intriguing, and this is something many writers struggle with. The characters are well written, and the small town setting is described brilliantly.

Overall a fanatstic debut from Kristen, and I hope to see more from her in the future as she develops her writting style further.

I was super excited to get an advanced copy of this novel for review from NetGalley. I'm a fan of Krysten Ritter's acting and there's been a lot of hype around this, her first novel. The premise of this novel is very similar to Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn which is one of my favourite mystery novels. A now successful 20-something reluctantly returns to her hometown to investigate some strange goings-on that may be related to events for her past. Despite the parallels to Flynn's work I think Ritter has created an interesting story featuring a well written and slightly flawed main character. I liked the character of Abby and her hectic, confused narration of the events. I enjoy books that feature unlikable characters - why should they all be likable - and I still rooted for her to uncover the truth. The plot is fast paced and intricate, however I would have enjoyed a bit more of a deep dive into the political corruption surrounding Optimal, the corporation she's investigating. I felt I had to suspend my belief slightly to go along with some of the plot developments, but I still enjoyed the ride and flew through this book in two days.

I'm not normally as fan of celebrity books, however I thought I would give this a chance. I'm glad I did, the author does a brilliant job in describing emotions throughout the book. I love the start where she is describing how it feels to return to a past that Abby clearly would love to just forget. I think it could be enjoyed by many ages, it has that mean girl feel for the teens, and who to now trust plot for the adults.
I have not watch anything with this author in so I can safely say my review is not bias in anyway towards her. I this from this book she has a promising career in writing. The story is gripping and you tend to feel what Abby is feeling, while is had twist and turns I was not socked by the ending. This did not matter, the story flowed and still kept me engaged.

I really enjoyed the book overall. An interesting mystery that kept me turning the pages.

A good 3.5 stars.

Krysten Ritter has written a compelling story of small town America and layered different strands involving bullying, small town economics, pollution and blackmail that captivated me and kept me reading until the small hours.

Abby is a fantastic character; flawed, traumatised by the childhood bullying that she endured, but determined to get to the bottom of what it is about the town of Barrens that won't let her move on. As the past sinks its claws into her she starts to unravel, and her drinking and hazy memories make her an unreliable narrator adding to the suspense of what exactly is happening and who is running "The Game"

I did guess quite early on who was responsible for what was happening in Barrens, but there was enough intrigue to keep me reading. The last few chapters were a little derivative and I found myself yelling at the book "Don't let him in", but overall it is a well written, fast paced, intriguing debut and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publishers and net galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

10 years since leaving home Abby Williams confronts events of her childhood after returning to Barrens, Indiana for a work investigation. Her past quickly catches up with her as she battles for answers in this gripping tale from actress Krysten Ritter. It's the kind of mystery crime thriller where nothing is quite as it should be. The eerie landscape and a location where everyone knows everyone ensure that suspicion is cast in every different directions. Corporate corruption, missing school friends and perspectives blurred by alcohol. It's the kind of 'what is actually going on here?!' rollercoaster ride where you are not even sure whether to trust the protagonist.

Never dull the story relentlessly and unpredictably charges onwards as Ritter weaves complex threads together to build an engaging story. It's the kind of novel that you have to keep reading just to see where it ends up. Quite impressive for a debut author famous for star performances in Marvel's Jessica Jones and Breaking Bad.

If you are a fan of gritty thrillers then you can't go too wrong with this book.

In a well-crafted debut, Krysten Ritter not only introduces us to badass characters and intriguing plots, but also her uniquely interesting and captivating writing style. This crime / legal novel sees Abby Williams return to her childhood town, place of more bad memories than good, in order to investigate possible environmental pollution by the biggest company in town. When she finds out the truth, however, it is much bigger and much worse than just a bit of poisoned water, and much more deeply tied to the whole town.

First of all, "Bonfire" shines with wonderful story-telling. In few details and with precise description, the book captures the essence of characters, emotions and the general mood - making everything clear, but leaving details to the readers' imagination. Krysten Ritter also did a good job of describing high school bullying, small town life and the return home to unwanted memories. The plot is thrilling - while it leaves plenty of space of scenes of quite character building, it still makes the book a captivating page-turner. The ecological angle is unusual for a crime novel, but worked well in bringing fresh ideas to the genre. It stars out, in a way, as a little more badass version of the movie "Erin Brockovich" and definitely shines a light on the dark side of rapid growth, capitalism and big companies. I loved the slow turn of the morals in town. Appearances can be deceiving - and once the perfect, boring, innocent facade was cracked and doubt slipped in, there was no stopping the reveals, the secrets past and present, the dirty deeds and the crime. It is a brilliant book on all levels, well worth reading.

(Without spoiling anything, hopefully, there is a trigger warning for suicide, and rape / sexual assault of minors.)

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with the ARC for this! All opinions in this review are my own.
I have to admit that I was sceptical going into this with Krysten Ritter being the celeb that she is, I think how good could this book be? But wow did she prove me wrong and make me feel like an idiot because I loved this!
Abby Williams left her hometown of Barrens and didn’t look back, moving to Chicago and making a career for herself as an environmental lawyer. But she’s brought back when her Law firm starts investigating Optimal Plastics which proves highly unpopular with the Barrens-Locals as Optimal has single-handedly rebuilt their town. Abby arrives back and has to deal with her father and his possible illness along with seeing all her high school friends and reliving the mystery of her missing best-friend, Kaycee. She soon realises that things really don’t see to have changed that much in Barrens despite how much people try to prove that they have.
I really enjoyed the character building in this and felt that I got to know not only Abby really well but also the side characters who help to make the story. This was a thriller / crime and so this intense character building for the main side characters just made the plot really come together when the twists were revealed and I felt like I wasn’t missing any information on the characters which would have helped with the plot outcome.
The sub-plot about Abby’s father was really well done and it didn’t feel like it was shoved in as an after-thought to try and pad the book out or to give the main character even more to deal. It was well thought out and actually added to the story and plot as a whole. There was also a love triangle involved here with two of the old boys she knew from high school and yet again this wasn’t made a focus of the book. It added more to the story but didn’t compete for attention against the main plot and yet again, it added to it which was great. The way it was concluded was also very well handled so well done Krysten Ritter!
I wouldn’t say it was a quick read, especially at the start and I know I read things near the beginning and thought ‘Why do I need to be told this?!’ only for it to make so much sense later on in the book when it all came together. But I loved that! It’s annoying when a write includes a lot of stuff that just isn’t required for character building but then isn’t needed later on in the book and is just unnecessary information.
One of the other great things about this was that I saw some of the twists and plot devices coming but there were also a few which I didn’t see coming at all! Plus the twists that did happen seemed so believable because of the character and story development and I think they actually benefited best from the reader knowing what was coming for some of the story.
I really hope that Krysten writes another book – be it a continuation of Abby Williams and her dealing with the fall-out from the this book & more of her twisted environmental law practices or a different thriller crime book. Either way I’d definitely be picking it up and I’ve been really pleasantly surprised.

I really enjoyed this more than I expected. It did feel like it took more than a few hours to read.
Some of the twists I didn't see coming but the odd thing I did expect.

Fantastic debut from Krysten Ritter. I thought this might be terrible as a lot of celebrities' novels are, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It's gripping and vivid. A real treat.

This is an atmosphere drenched and compelling crime debut from Krysten Ritter set in Barrens, a small town in Indiana. As children, Abby Williams and Kaycee Mitchell were best friends, only for Kaycee to turn on Abby with her coterie of friends at school. Hating her father and her miserable life, Abby is the one that got away. She lives in Chicago and is a environmental lawyer, returning to Barrens after a decade away, to investigate Optimal Plastics, a corporation that singlehandedly saved Barrens from economic and social devastation. It funds a number of social enterprises, provides scholarships and employment, and is at the heart of the community, with the majority of the town fiercely loyal to the company. Optimal is, however, dogged by rumours of corruption, contaminating the water supply and more. Abby may have moved away from Barrens, but Barrens and its secrets have never left her. This time she wants answers to the past, only to find that the past looms large in the present.

Abby arrives in Barren with a group that includes her best friend, Joe, a black gay lawyer, setting up office on the Gallagher farm. They find a community hostile to their presence and the threat they represent. Two complainants drop their claims, but they continue to probe. Abby finds herself confronted by ghosts from the past, from the meanest girl, Mischa, who is now Vice Principal at Barren High School to her father who is a shadow of his former self. Haunted by Kaycee, a talented painter, telling her that problem is not that she cannot draw but that she does not see, Abby is convinced there is a connection with Kaycee and their current investigation into Optimal. Kaycee was popular, a born liar, poisoned Abby's dog, involved in the deplorable Game and blackmail, and apparently pretended to be sick with her friends to scam payments from Optimal and left Barrens soon after. However, Abby had seen Kaycee coughing up blood and displaying other worrying symptoms, and knows Kaycee was sick. Abby strikes up a relationship with Condor and Brent, and finds her drinking is spiralling out of control, all too aware that she is drawn to things that hurt the most. As all those close to her abandon her, questioning her conviction that the past and Kaycee is relevant and connected to Optimal, Abby finds her sanity is on the line as the past threatens to bury her.

Krysten Ritter has written a gripping and beautifully written crime debut. It is tense and suspenseful, drawing in the reader with ease. The greatest strengths of the book lie in the complex character creation and development of Abby, a woman who wants to come to terms with the past so that she can be alive in the present. Ritter presents a picture of a woman paying a heavy price as she gets closer to the truth, no-one believes her, yet despite her life disintegrating around her, she clings on with a tenuous grip with determination. She wants to do right by her childhood friend, Kaycee, even though Kaycee is a less than admirable character. The portrayal of Barren and its community is done remarkably well. I loved this brilliant book and whilst it does have its flaws, I recommend it highly. Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.

To be honest, I only reviewed this as it is based in Indiana which is the name of my new granddaughter! However, what is basically a big company allegedly polluting water, and the resulting conspiracy theory, the book turns out to be far more than that. One of the investigators, Abby Williams, returns to her home town after being away for some time. It is this homecoming which is really well described with her having to come to terms with old college friends and her father. She struggles with many trust issues, and I loved this aspect of the book.

I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed this intense and atmospheric tale from Krysten Ritter - whilst it is far from being the first "Girl escapes small town only later having to return and face her demons" tale I have read, it is definitely one of the ones of superior quality and storytelling - Abby as a character immediately engaged me and the well layered, twisted yet authentic plot just sealed the deal.

Big corporation v socially engaged lawyer is another type of story that I love to read - this is also the defining theme within "Bonfire" which the author uses to great effect - mixing up Abby's past life with her present, making her see things with new eyes and eventually leading us to answers and a rather heart stopping conclusion. I liked that Abby was portrayed as strong, driven, yet haunted by her very realistic demons - there was no sense of safety within the story for her at all, no promises made that she would endure. The supporting cast are cleverly woven in, the socially relevant big corporation cover up is given a new little twist and ultimately this is a tale of redemption and understanding. Sometimes you know, you just can't go home....

The small town setting is beautifully described, you can smell the "Bonfire" in the air, see the good and the bad and all the area's in between - I want to describe it in some ways as "mean girls on acid" but that doesn't really say what I mean, Krysten Ritter building her relationships between the people you meet in an intelligent and thought provoking way. The mystery elements are clever, you'll love/hate/love Kaycee as remembered by Abby and the ups and downs between these two girls is one of the strengths here.

Very good indeed. Yes. I'm aware of course that the author is a well known and much admired actress - I have not watched any of her screen moments but I'm fairly sure that if she is as good an actress as she is writer I'd better go track them down.

Recommended.

Kristen Ritter is a strong writer who is able to build suspense and create characters. I started reading because she was awesome in Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 and Jessica Jones but I kept reading because the story sucked me in and wouldn't let me stop.

ARC gratefully received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this debut novel from Krysten Ritter. Abby Williams is a lawyer and a new case sees her moving back to the small town she grew up in. I really enjoyed learning the truth and unravelling the mysteries along with her. My thoughts pretty much alined with Abby's the whole time. I was suspicious of the same people and felt her frustration and disappointment when she was doubted and kept hitting barriers.

Abby's determination to get answers kept me engaged and interested. The truth when it was finally revealed shocked me as much as Abby.

This was an immersive page turner from start to finish. I enjoyed the fact that as focused as Abby was about the case and getting answers there was a lot of human emotion throughout the book. She isn't just a lawyer. There's emphasis on the fact she's a daughter and friend too.