Cover Image: I Dare You

I Dare You

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Member Reviews

Book Review:
I Dare You by Sam Carrington
Published by Avon Books UK, 2019

I Dare You focuses on the release of convicted child killer Bill 'Creepy' Crawley in 2019, and the incident for which he was incarcerated, in 1989.

Anna returns to the village of Mapledon in 2019 with some trepidation, for it was during a game of 'Knock Knock Ginger' that her friend Joni, also ten-years-old at the time, was kidnapped by Crawley. Also returning to the village is Lizzie, now a journalist covering Crawley's release and digging into the original crime.

The narrative is masterfully woven between dual timelines set thirty years apart: the time of the crime, and Crawley's release.

The locals in the small town community are decidedly unhappy about Crawley's release and don't want him stepping foot back inside Mapledon. The crime for which he served time was heinous, but he maintained his innocence, and no body was ever recovered.

Few people build tension like Sam Carrington; her deftly woven words wind ever tighter like the strings on a guitar. The delightfully dark, sinister elements to this tale are delivered like a stab in the back, and the final jaw-dropper was delightfully unexpected.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Avon Books UK and Sam Carrington for the ARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

#IDareYou #SamCarrington #AvonBooksUk #NetGalley #BookRoview #Bookstagram

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A childhood game gone terribly wrong is the start of this thrill ride. Billy Cawley has waited decades to exact revenge on the people who he feels responsible for wrongly imprisoning him for the disappearance ofJonie Hayes. As the residents and the surviving girl await the consequences of their actions the tension builds and each recalls what actually happened it’s a nail biting end.

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I Dare You is the fifth standalone novel to be released by Sam Carrington. A clever and twisty story which was gripping.

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A good read, which kept my attention throughout. I would recommend this as a good holiday reading book. Very enjoyable.

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Enjoyable read.
Decent paced story which kept me engaged until the end. Well written and would look out for more from this author in the future! 4 stars

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Gripping and creepy to the last. Unfinished business, a released kidnapper and sinister flashbacks make for the perfect psychological thriller. Having not read anything by Sam Carrington before, I will be doing so now.

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Great read and I enjoyed the twist at the end. Didn't expect it at all. The narrative is a bit confusing at times with the flipping between past and present but that's only a minor gripe. Looking forward to reading more from the author!

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I enjoyed this book, there were some sections where it was a little drawn out however the other parts more than made up for it! A lot of twists and turns, and certainly kept me interested throughout.

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Thank you Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Well I didn't see that ending coming! This was creepy, twisty and really not what I expected. Kept me hooked for ours over a few days! Definitely recommend

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Anna, a school teacher, about to enjoy the summer holidays, instead finds herself returning to her childhood home in the village of Mapledon. Her mother is being targeted for her role in the arrest and trial of Bill Cawley – convicted of the murder of Anna’s best friend thirty years ago.
Lizzie, a journalist, is on her way back too – and between them they discover the shocking truth of what really happened thirty years ago and who was responsible.
The writing is impeccable, the settings authentic, the premise interesting. Mapledon feels claustrophobic and creepy, a local place for local people, and the complicated relationships have so much potential for a really gripping read.
Unfortunate, I felt very distanced from the characters – I didn’t like any of them, except for Lizzie, and so didn’t particularly care what happened to them.
I also felt the set up was a little unlikely, with the village children encouraged by the adults, to behave so horribly, and I thought the dénouement too was really unrealistic. It all felt very far-fetched, if I’m honest.

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This is a slow burning thriller which isn’t my usual thing but it worked so well in this book.
The book read very quickly due to the short chapters. I loved the dual timeline and the characters were so well developed.
I can’t think of anything negative to say about this book.

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A well written book, I enjoyed the suspense and the twists and turns. I was a little disappointed with the ending as it was predictable.

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Wowzers! This was a one-sitting read for me. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. A slightly slower middle soon got up to speed again for the ending. I'll be reading more by this author.

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I found this book very intriguing. I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the characters and the fun story filled with lots of twists. I did find the book to be a little ling but still very much enjoyable.

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This was a really good book, I've read a couple now by this author and this was easily the best one so far. It is based around the disappearance and murder of a ten year old girl. Thirty years on and the man accused of her murder is out of prison and wanting to set the record straight on what really happened on that fateful day. So many twists that keep the reader gripped, just when I thought I had it sussed another fantastic twist is delivered!

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Absolutely nothing is what it seems in this book! You plod along, and suddenly you are hit with a few twists and turns you didn't expect! This was a very well written book, and I didn't see the ending coming.... Highly recommended.
TB

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This book got me so bad. I didnt want to put it down. I loved reading every second of it. I was trying to piece all the puzzles together. The book is full of secrets , gossiping. This book wasnt predictable at all so it held your interest the whole way through.

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Everyone in Mapledon knows of “Creepy Cawley”, a reclusive outsider in the small town. The children of the town are warned to stay away from him but they get their thrills by daring each other to knock on his door and run away. That is until one day he catches one of them. Last seen by a witness been driven off in his car 10 year old Jonie Hayes is never seen again.

Bill Cawley is quickly convicted of Jonie’s murder but he never reveals where he hid the body. 30 years later and Cawley is released from prison, he’s intent on making the people who put him in prison pay. He claims he is innocent even though evidence was found in his truck and his home. But if he didn’t do it, then who did?

I Dare You was a great little mystery. While the author hints at who is involved in Jonie’s disappearance the story kept me guessing until the end as to how.

I felt there was a slight lull in the middle of the book where I found not much to be happening but then in true crime fiction fashion it ended with a bang. Despite a slow middle I’d definitely still like to read other books by this author.

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I dare you is a mysterious story as you never quite know who is telling the truth. I enjoyed it, although in places it felt a tad drawn out but when you get to the end, you’ll be glad that you stuck with it!!

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Two and a half star rating.
30 years ago two 10 year old girls were absolute pests, continually knocking on the door of the village loner’s door until one of them went missing. When the culprit is released from prison two 40 year old women return to the village. This book sounded really good but didn’t live up to the promise. It was all a bit contrived and predictable sadly. I hated the way the parts featuring 30 years ago kept going backwards from “the day” which was just confusing. The middle section was slow so I skimmed quite a bit. Only one of the characters was decent, the others left a lot to be desired! The small place mentality was good with their reactions to outsiders, especially someone a bit odd.

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