Cover Image: The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 1

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 1

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Member Reviews

Nice sampler to get you interested and wanting to read each of these books when they are published. Looking forward to publishing date.

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Now, I'm not a big thriller/suspense fan, but this sampler has me very interested in these four books. I'm mostly intrigued by "Deep Into the Dark" and "Finlay Donovan Is Killing It."

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Finlay Donovan is Killing It
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:
I am SO excited to read this entire book! The sample I was provided was the first five chapters and I am left needing to know what happens!

Elle Cosimano hooked me from the beginning with the wittiness she brought to the character of Finlay Donovan.

I have a feeling this will be a big seller next year! I can’t wait to read the full book!!

Every Last Fear
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:
I love a good thriller! I only sampled the first seven chapters and I think this will be a top 2021 thriller!

I have recently been reading books with multiple points of view and some can make it work and others not so much. But Alex Finlay does a fantastic job of it!

Very very excited to read the full book!

The Lost Village
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:
I’m conflicted if I would enjoy this book or not. Even though I only read the first few chapters it felt like the pace would be slow. It struggled to grab my attention.

I would still like to give this book a try as I feel it will have a great story but towards the end.

Deep into the Dark
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:
I’m excited to read this book in full! I think it will be a slow build but rewarding in the end! I have a feeling this will be a big hit when it comes out!

I also noticed this is #1 of a series and I can’t wait to follow Margaret Nolan on this journey!

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This book was a great preview of four upcoming Minotaur books. I have already read one, Every Last Fear, and it was excellent - a great thriller about a family tragedy intersecting with a podcast and one man’s trip to Tulum, Mexico to find the truth. I already knew I wanted to read the second one, The Lost Village, and the great opening here was giving me Midsommar vibes and has prompted me to start on that one soon!

I was also pleasantly surprised to find I really liked the other two! I had been on the fence about Finlay Donavan, and was very curious to check out the author’s voice — and sure enough, the writing style and drama of the opening plot had me hooked from the first page. I will definitely be reading that one. But my biggest surprise was Into the Dark! From the blurb, I did not think that one was for me at all. But the description of the serial killer and the interesting cast of characters sucked me right in.

I really love to get these samplers on NetGalley. When I go into a physical bookstore, I usually pick up the book and read a few pages before buying it to make sure I like the author’s voice. Sometimes I can tell right away if I connect to the book — or if I don’t. The sampler serves the same purpose with books on NetGalley, and saves me the trouble of having to read a book where I pretty immediately know I don’t click with the author’s writing style or the narrator’s voice.

This is the first sampler I’ve gotten through NetGalley that has made me interested in reading ALL the books it contained (excluding the one I had already read - but had I gotten this excerpt before reading it I would have jumped to request that one as well). Also, I really think the generous length of each sample in this volume did a lot to invest me in each story. I wish more publishers would take this cue and provide a sampler with longer previews of fewer books.

Two thumbs up for the Minotaur sampler, and thanks to St. Martin’s for the great preview!

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Thanks so much for the sampler of four upcoming Minotaur Books- this is such a great idea. The samples were long enough to really get a feel for each book and whether or not I'd want to read the full book (s). I'm so excited for all four books, especially Every Last Fear. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for this awesome sampler.

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Giving would-be readers the opportunity to read a sample of a book is a brilliant idea. The Minotaur Sampler e-book is a look inside of four titles expected to be published in early 2021. Unless I'm familiar with an author's previous work or the book was recommended by someone I know, the only thing guiding my decision to read a book is the publisher's synopsis. Many times, the description is insufficient to inform my decision. When I purchase a book in a shop, I typically flip through the first chapter to help me determine whether it's a book I want to read. Netgalley and St. Martin's Press provide a great service to readers through the Minotaur Sampler. After reviewing the books in this issue, I requested two of the books from Netgalley.

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I love these NetGalley samplers so much because they give me the opportunity to find new authors and books to read. Plus they help me avoid the ones that aren’t for me. We all know book blurbs can only say so much about a book but it’s actually reading it that lets us know if we connect with the book. Reading the description of this sampler I thought two of these books were possibly of interest to me and after reading I found I wasn’t interested in one but I loved the other. One of these books is so well written that I found myself hooked and I really need to read this book! I’ve never heard of the author before but I was really impressed by the story so I will definitely be checking out her other works. I’ve already requested the book and I really need to know how the rest of it goes! If you’ve never read a sampler before they are perfect for reading on your kindle because each book is listed like a chapter so you can easily navigate between books if one is not for you.

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Wow! I loved this sample pack. Not only because of the great works it contains but I am surprised and delighted with the length of each sample. The lengthy samples really gave me the context I needed to know if I would be willing to purchase these books, and each one has been added to my TBR. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing such an in-depth sampler!!!

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This title provides a generous sampling of four titles that will be coming out soon. For each book, there is a description of the author and the book’s plot. These are followed by several chapters from the books. There is definitely a long enough extract that readers will know if they want to read thenovel in its entirety.

Readers of mystery and suspense, take a look. You may find something to get you through the next few months.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

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This book gives readers a look at upcoming mystery and thriller titles from Minotaur Books. I really enjoyed the opportunity to sample the opening chapters and especially look forward to reading more of these titles. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and Every Last Fear are definitely going on my TBR and I can't wait to read these books in their entirety.
Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the early look at these books.

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This is a a great sampling of these upcoming Minotaur titles. I was able to get a real feel for these books and know which ones I want to read in full. I especially can't wait to get the rest of Finlay Donovan's story!

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