This was my first Sam Carrington book and it will NOT be my last.

I Dare You is a frenetic story of secrets, lies and small town drama. It's a little like....remember the Psycho remake from 1998? Remember the theme song? It's similar to the original but like....faster and somehow scarier. I Dare You is kind of like that. It's a story that you feel like you've read before but it moves faster - back and forth in time - and each twist is somehow deeper than the one before.

Bella and Jonie are friends BECAUSE their mothers are friends. Jonie goes missing and the town 'creep' is blamed for her disappearance and death. 30 years go by and the secrets surrounding Jonie's death start to resurface.

This book is about much more than a missing child. This is about small towns, lies, gossip and how far families will go to support each other.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Sam Carrington for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An excellent domestic thriller that stays with you long past your bedtime. Incredibly well depicted characters. Kudos to the writer!

The story opens in sleepy Mapledon in 1989 when two young girls are playing a game of (what I knew it as, of knock knock, run away). Of course, local weirdo, Billy Crawley, or "Creepy Crawley" as he's known is the chosen one by the local kids to torment.

It's told in the past and the present and is twisty, unputdownable and for me it was always just one more chapter. And that twist - I never saw that coming!

One day while out playing Anna's (or Bella as she was known then) friend goes missing. Precious moments are lost and her body has never been found. Billy was the prime suspect and went down for 30 years.

It's nearing the 30th anniversary and Anna's mother telephones her begging her to come home as certain untoward things have been happening. Anna's not set foot in the village for 30 years and has no desire to return....

It's a tale of intrigue with a healthy dose of meddling and did one man really spend 30 years inside for a crime he didn't commit? Highly recommend.

PROS:
• Short chapters. They gave me the impression, and I am inclined to think that is more than an impression, that I was reading at a super speed, even though the book is over 400 pages. And just for the next times, the short chapters thing is a big ON for me! Also, it helped a lot at the mystery!
• Structure of the chapters. As I have said at the previous point, they helped me read faster, BUT! The more important thing here, is how clever are built these short chapters! The author did an extremely great job by giving a handful of crumbles in each and every one of them, helping the plot twist to be mind-blowing!
• Slow-burning thriller. I am not a fan of this kind of thrillers, and books in general, but this one kept me on edge. It made me more curious about every bit that it gave me and had me wanting more and more.
• It made me cry! No need to say more here.
• Two timelines. Going back and forth between timelines accentuated the plot twist, giving it more power over me.
• Well defined characters. I loved the way that the author made a strong image for every character, even for those ones that appeared briefly.
•

CONS:
• Not even one. And I have tried to find at least one, trust me!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
• In my opinion, this is an amazing "whodunit" slow-burning thriller. I had my questions answered. I tried to guess the whos, whats, hows, and whys and failed. I had an amazing time reading this, and I am pretty sure when I say that this is in my top 10 reads of this year! Top 10 thrillers FOR SURE! I can't wait to read more books from this author since this one put it on my list with my favorite authors!

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

The description of Knock, Knock, Ginger (chap door runaway) took me back to my childhood and recalling how reluctant I had been to take part. There’s no way I’d have been knocking on the door of creepy Cawley. My preference here was in reading about the events of 30 years ago rather than the current incidents. I did struggle a little with the characters and found I had no one I liked enough to root for so didn’t feel quite as involved as I usually do. That said, this one did stick in my head and gave me a bit of a book hangover.

Sam Carrington's book always grab you and tell a fantastic story. I Dare You was no different and I really enjoying it. It is a twisty story that was not at all predictable. It was clear that the accused was not the guilty party but it was not obvious who the real criminal was. I was not even close when I read those final few chapters. It did take me a little while to get my head around what was happening, but once I figured it all. out I was really intrigued.

30 years ago a young girl disappeared in a small village called Mapledon. The local creepy man, Billy Crawley was arrested and sent to prison. Now 30 years later he has been released. Anna was a key witness in his arrest and returns home for the first time since she left. Her mother is in pieces and terrified that Billy is going to come back to town. Reporter Lizzie also arrives in Mapledon to get the story of the released man. But it is clear that there is more to her interest than just a story. Told from multiple points of view and both timelines, we learn about what really happened that night and who was involved.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

I received this Novel for an honest review from Netgalley.

Sam Carrington is an awesome writer. I devoured this novel I just kept turning the pages to see what would happen next. The story is told in the Before and After which brought the story together nicely. There are many twist to keep you interested and you will never guess the ending.

A definite page turner, this complex tale of a young girl’s disappearance 30 years ago has more questions than answers. Anna, now a teacher with a family of her own was the best friend of the missing girl, Jonie and as the years passed she thought about her less but a series of calls from her mother who still lived in the small tight knit community brought the memories back. Her mother had discovered that the man responsible for her disappearance and murder had been released from prison and since then frightening events had caused her to worry and become reclusive. Anna decided to visit her mother and get some answers. Meanwhile Lizzie, a journalist also decided to visit the village of Mapledon, as she too wanted answers to the mystery of what happened all those years ago. A twisty tale that delves into the lives of various villagers, all with secrets to hold on to and resenting the intrusion of outsiders who appear to meddle into their business. Are they just innocent gossips and busybodies or is there something more sinister going on? As the story develops it is clear that certain people know more about what happened than they are prepared to divulge. A well written story that alternates between past and present to gradually reveal the whole shocking truth.

A brilliant engrossing read with an unusual, twisty story. Really enjoyable and recommended reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this novel for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book from the first page until the last. It tells the story of a kidnapped child from 30 years ago. Her friend and the only witness returns to town when things start happening at her childhood home. There are interesting twists throughout the story with an ending that was not predictable. I would recommend to those who like mysteries and thrillers.

A story that had a great many twists and turns. It keeps you guessing until the very end. The story is told both in the present and in the past. Each character is well developed and the way their stories are woven together makes for a great read..

3.5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley, author and publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told through 2 different timelines and different characters POV, which could easily become confusing but I found this to be thoroughly enjoyable as you start piecing things together.
I loved the writing style, it was fast pace. The plot was great, but I was a bit disappointed that I guessed the twist correctly about midway through. But I will most definitely be checking more books from this author!

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last.

Two children went out to play but only one went home. Thirty years later the residents of Mapledon are finally going to find out what happened to the one who never returned.

A gripping story told in past and present times with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. A great read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I enjoyed this book. I was hooked from start to finish. I thought the story was really enjoyable and even though I had worked out the true killer early on it didnt spoil my enjoyment. I hated the character of Muriel she was a horrible person and what she did was so wrong. She should have got her day in court. I liked the character of Lizzie I felt she was well rounded and carried the scars of a traumatic childhood. I tried to like Anna but I just found her bland. Overall I enjoyed this book and would pick up another by the author.

I Dare You is a compelling addictive read .told between two time lines 1989 and present day .In 1989 a young girl goes missing in the close knit community of Mapledon and fingers point at Billy Creepy Crawley and he goes to prison for 30 years .When he is released on licence ,the old secrets and lies of the village are slowly uncovered .I loved the characters and found them very believable .The book is full of twists and turns which I love and it kept me guessing right to the end .! Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

I am afraid that I felt that this was rather slow. The story reviews the circumstances of a missing girl 30 years ago. At the same time 2 of the children of 30 years before return to the village to gain clarity about the missing child. having discovered that the adult who was sent to prison has been released. No one recognises them and they do some research before declaring their identities.
It is clear that the adult convicted of the crime is not the guilty party but it takes most of the book and much discussion before the final chapters of the book reveal all.
I found it difficult to relate to either of the returned children or their parents who seem to have left one of their neighbours to take the punishment and only wish to look again because he has returned and may disrupt their lives.

I felt hat it was disappointing

A gripping thriller that is made to perfection.
There isn’t one moment of stalling, a fast-paced read, alternating between now and thirty years ago, a story full of suspense and twists and so many secrets that you’ll probably think “Oh, this is going to play like this or that “ but it’s not! It’s even more interesting.
Every character in this story has something to hide and when step by step some of the past secrets are unveiled, it feels like it can’t get worse than that but the author has a great way to keep you engaged in the story till the last page turned.
Having to spend thirty years looked up because of a presumed crime may let people think that he’s back for revenge but it’s Bill Creepy Cawley the guilty part in this story? I really liked that we get his pov in the story and how he sees the story and the always misconceptions of an introvert person or a more private one that everyone around him makes without asking or thinking of the consequences.
Honestly, this story is so compelling that you won’t want to put it down or take a break until you’ll find the answers.
Perfect for any reader who loves suspense and on the edge of your seat thrillers.

This was an amazing thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. Starting with tragedy in a small town, and a missing child. I think everyone can relate to the fear this causes. It was so emotional and raw yet gripping and tense. There were a couple of twists I saw coming but then bam, a total knockout surprise. I love it when a book can do that.
I also enjoyed the way the story was told, not just in time jumps but something a little different. When in the past it went in reverse order, starting with the incident and then going back further to see what events caused it. I found this to be really unique and super effective.
I highly recommend checking out I Dare you by Sam Carrington. Now I can't wait to check out more titles!
A big thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the free copy, all opinions are my own!

Thank you to Net Galley, Sam Carrington amd Avon Books Uk for the opportunity to read this book. This book centres around a small village in England where a young girl went missing and presumed murdered 30 years ago. Anna returns to the village after her mother finds a dolls head hammered to her front door. The story then turns into Anna and Lizzie trying to find out what really happened. While the story line is wonderful I found the characters flat and I didn’t feel attached to them. There were some great twists but things happened or were explained quickly without any excitement. I figured out what happened early in the book so perhaps that is why I didn’t find it engrossing or exciting. To me it was an average murder mystery.