Blurbed by James Patterson as “the best thriller I’ve read all year,” 48 Hours to Kill by author Andrew Bourelle is the newest entry in the crime fiction genre.

Action-packed and stomach-turning at times, 48 Hours to Kill features Ethan, a prisoner whose sister went missing and is presumed dead, and his hunt to learn the truth during a 48 hour furlough.

Formatting the story in hours remaining in the furlough heightened the tension and gave this book a real time feel. The setting is Reno, Nevada amongst the less spectacular casinos and the desert surrounding it. I haven’t been there but felt like the descriptions made for a strong sense of place.

Ethan’s character is one of a confident and somewhat pushy man who has experience in convincing people in physical ways in his past. He has learned these ways from Shark, his former boss and gangster. Ethan’s sister’s best friend Whitney comes along for the ride and to help out in his quest for revenge and justice. There is some physical heat between these two but it is pretty tame.

The twist of the story was not really one for me as I suspected the ending early on but it was still satisfying in how it came to fruition. Don’t let my armchair investigator abilities stop you from reading this.

Overall I really enjoyed the ride and stayed up late to finish it. Bourelle has co-authored several books with James Patterson and teaches English in New Mexico.

Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. 48 Hours to Kill publishes December 7, 2021.

48 Hours to Kill is an extremely graphic, violent, crime drama (mobster torture type of stuff). I haven't read this author before so didn't quite know what to expect. It's written in an alternating timeline with the main character, Ethan, in prison, during a furlough, before and after the crime, and the countdown clock of his time during furlough. The story takes place mostly in Reno, Nevada where Ethan worked for a very shady, evil man, Shark. Ethan commits armed robbery, is apprehended, tried and sentenced.
Ethan's sister, Abby, is missing, declared dead. He's on a prison furlough to attend her memorial. In reality he wants to find out what really happened to his sister.
Rounding out the supporting characters are  jailhouse inmates, detectives, Shark's gang of enforcers, Abby's best friend & a nosy neighbor, their Mother, and the FBI. All were interesting and seemed to belong in the story.
The plot concept was different, unique and well constructed. The authors authenticity, the location description, knowledge and talent was outstanding. It was suspenceful, despite at about 27% I'd guessed part of plot. I also didn't quite understand the three week timeline between the cops & FBI investigating and Abby being declared dead.
It is a fictional tale, so the action was not always realistic or believable, but certainly pulse pounding and thrilling.
I have very mixed feelings about the content. It was very hard-core and original. Too much gore about the crimes even for me, had to skim & skip some parts. I read many murder/crime mysteries and I think sometimes less is more, I don't need shock value to picture the events. I did not dislike the book, it was simply outside my comfort zone. I wasn't surprised by the outcome. It's better than three star, but less than a four star for me.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Andrew Bourelle, and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy. This review and the opinions stated here are mine alone given voluntarily.

The book has some good writing with a fast pace and a smooth flow. The countdown in the beginning of the chapters gives nail biting feel. But there are some glaring plot holes that spoiled the fun for me. 4 stars

This book was awesome. Great premise and great energy. The writing really sings. The story doesn't linger in any one place for too long which makes for a great experience.

I was honestly shocked to be be approved for this one because I was so excited to read it and wanted it desperately, and well I absolutely loved it! Stayed up way too late to finish as I just couldn't put this one down and was done in a day! The characters were written so well, the plot and its pace was perfect. Tense and engrossing. I was completely sucked in to this story and had to know what was going to happen next. Definitely going to be in my top 10 of 2021 and I will be purchasing a hard copy. Thankyou so much for such a wonderful ARC!

This book had a really unique premise and story line to it! I read a LOT like a lot a lot, so i feel like I read the same storylines kind of over and over. but I have never read a book with this story line and that was refreshing! and kept me turning the page to see what happened next!

48 Hours to Kill by Andrew Bourelle

A fast-paced thriller. Ethan jailed for an armed robbery is given an unsupervised 48 hour furlough to attend his sister's memorial and funeral. Ethan, big brother and protector of Abby, is devastated by her death. har
Ethan wants answers. What happened to Abby and why.
Shark is a loan shark and strip club owner. He organized the armed robbery that resulted in Ethan's arrest. In exchanged for Ethan's silence Shark promises to look after Abby which evolved into Abby stripping at Shark's club. Ethan has 48 hours to mourn Abby and get answers. The police, FBI, enforcers, stalkers, high stakes poker games, assault, robbery, murder and mystery. Not stop action. Can very easily see this being a movie. Great fun fast read with a unexpected ending. Highly recommend.

This was by far the easiest five star rating I have ever given. Just, WOW!

48 Hours to Kill, was on my list of most anticipated reads for this year. I was incredibly surprised and delighted to be given the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to its December 7, 2021 release date. Now, I know that seems so far away but I promise you, this book is worth every bit of the wait! Andrew Bourelle, takes us on a wild ride of twists and turns and an ending that will have you clawing at your seat.

Ethan is a prison inmate granted a 48 hour furlough to attend his sisters funeral. The terms surrounding her sudden death just seem to be a bit off, for one, there is no body. There is just enough blood for Abby, to be declared dead.

Ethan is determined to use his 48 hours to dig deep and find out what actually happened to his sister. In order for Ethan to do this, he must face his past. Ethan also comes to terms with that fact that he might have to really become the criminal he swore he did not want to be.

48 hours has elements of surprise, thrill, and even a little romance. I could not say one bad word about this novel and I am excited to add Andrew Bourelle, to my list of auto but authors! You will not want to miss this one!

I don't think I can adequately express how good 48 Hours to Kill is. I love discovering new-to-me authors, especially when the book is original, fast-paced and brutal. 48 Hours to Kill is a love story that is also about vengeance, redemption and the lengths some will go for the ones they love. I cannot recommend 48 Hours to Kill enough. This will be a book I will read again.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the privilege to review 48 Hours to Kill.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for letting me read an eArc of this book!

I will also be posting a review, in English and in French on my Instagram @ekilareading. :D

***
As a kid, I wanted to be a badass. Someone people would fear just by looking into their eyes. The kind, that managed to get respect in prison, because of his 'past".
The kind, that people knew not to lay one finger on their family, otherwise all hell would break loose on their a**. ​Now that I am not far from my thirties, I am just fine living a quiet life reading about those badass. Hell, as a writer, I might even write my own fear-inducing anti-hero.

Ethan Lockhart, got 48 hours to be "free". A furlough. He is quite lucky because there will be no shackles, no guards with him. Just warnings and restrictions. After all, what stupidity can he think of doing? He is only going to his sister's funeral. His baby sister, the only person in the world who ever saw past the smirk, past the confidence and the rage. The only one that ever mattered.
Only, there is a small problem here; Except for a coffin, there is no body and no "actual proof" his baby sister might be dead. And Ethan only sees two possible outcomes: Either he finds his sister's killer and her body. Or he finds his sister.

This book is a pure good old polar, thriller kind of story. With lots of action, intricates links between characters. You find yourself in a spider web of possibilities and you get tugged from everywhere trying to reach a conclusion, just like Ethan.
Ethan is only but an older brother, with a past to regret and lots of guilt in his mind, trying to do good for the baby sister he left behind when he went to jail.
He isn't perfect, far from it. Sometimes, you may even feel like his decisions are irrational. But once again, he's a man in grief, with a bad temper, strength, and a big chunk of humanity gone.
We see this guy, going down, getting knocked down losing the few people who had some sort of trust in them, so he could find closure to one of the worst pain humans can feel.

The writing is gripping, a real page-turner that never leaves you alone. It had me go to work with bags under my eyes. You get attached to Ethan, you get involved and you also want to know the end of all this. Because the further you go into the story, the smaller it feels, like the solution is right there. yet you can't get to it. And then you get that ... "son of a bi**" kind of feeling.

It's a testosterone-packed thriller, be ready for violence, impulsivity, and hard description. Not a lot of conscience in the humans we read about it here. It's a survival game and everyone is out there to play for themselves.

Enjoy the read! :D

Ethan was put in jail after he got involved with some gangsters who got him to commit a crime. Instead of ratting out the bad guys he kept silent and was found guilty of his crime.

After 5 years in prison, he learns his sister, Abby, has gone missing and is presumed dead. He is granted a 48 hour furlough to attend her funeral. However, Abbys body has never been found and Ethan suspects she could still be alive. During his furlough he starts to investigate her case and find out what happened to his sister.

This was a surprisingly amazing read, as soon as I had read the premise I was excited to read it. The book is super fast paced and the chapters are short which I love. Each chapter tells the different POV’s of the various characters. Even though Ethan committed a crime I found he was easy to root for and enjoyed his character. I don’t think I can say anything bad about this one and I think this could make an excellent movie. I definitely suggest you check this book out.

Thank you Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Author Andrew Bourelle.

Wow! What a freaking page turner! You have no idea how much action, suspense, grit, and mystery can fit into a mere forty weight hours until you release a reformed criminal on furlough for his sister's funeral. He makes acquaintances with old friends and foes alike still working in the gritty, brutal world of drugs, thugs, and strippers. He falls hard for a childhood friend of his sister's and their chemistry practically explodes off the pages. And when it becomes clear that his sister's body was never found--opening up the possibility that she may still be alive--things ramp up to two hundred.

I'm not usually a fun of action thrillers, but this was quite a masterpiece if an action thriller can be labeled as such. I enjoyed the clever mystery, hidden clues awaiting readers smart and observant enough to see them. And the ending? Brilliant!

I would bet money this novel makes it to the big screen shortly after its release.

48 Hours to Kill is by far the most intense crime thriller of the year, with viciously violent action, powerful dialogue and highly-enjoyable characters that leave a lasting impression on the readers.

Ethan Lockhart is serving a prison sentence when he hears the tragic news that his sister was murdered. Given a furlough release unexpectedly without any guards or tracking devices, Ethan has 48 hours to pay his respects at the funeral. What irks Ethan is that her sister’s body hasn’t been found, with the authorities stating there was enough evidence to support the idea that his sister was killed. The narrative builds up slightly slow at first in order to develop Ethan’s character properly as he struggles with the guilt of not being there for his sister who he loved more than anyone and anything. When he finds out there is more to his sister’s alleged murder, he vows to put his violent skills to use one last time. From that moment, the pace is anything but slow as the action ramps up with a simmering mystery that becomes clearer and clearer but never completely solved until a brilliantly unexpected twist in the final act which was hiding in plain sight all along. In the course of his investigation, Ethan teams up with his sister’s childhood best friend who always had a crush on Ethan. Their chemistry is electrifying and one of the best aspects of the story.

48 Hours to Kill is a love letter to readers who like their gripping mysteries with a balanced diet of both ingenuity for strong storytelling and brutal action that is not always as skillfully incorporated in crime thrillers/dramas. Andrew Bourelle rewards readers who pay close attention to details as the clues Ethan discovers are not spoon fed to readers but rather hidden in his encounters with other characters, resulting in an extremely immersive read that requires sharp thinking to keep up with Ethan’s deductions. For the icing on the cake, Ethan butts heads with gangsters and thugs who obstruct his quest for vengeance and truth, setting the stage for numerous bloody fisticuffs and shootouts that are some of the most realistically horrifying sequences involving burnt eyeballs and flipping thumbs hanging off wrists.

From start to finish, 48 Hours to Kill is an absolute page turner that irrevocably puts Andrew Bourelle on the list of upcoming thriller authors for fans to keep an eye out for. I would not be surprised if this is adapted to the big screen soon; it has a cinematic spark that would work well with a lead like Ryan Gosling.

This review is posted on Best Thriller Books site: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/48-hours-to-kill-by-andrew-bourelle

The review will be promoted in the week of its release.

Good guys, bad guys, suspense, mystery, drama, action - what more could you want?

Ethan is in prison and gets a 48 hour furlough to go to his sisters funeral. His sister was murdered and he wants to investigate who killed her. But what can he do? He only has 48 hours.

each chapter counts down the time he has left before he goes back into prison. And a LOT happens in that 48 hours. But seeing the hours count down adds to the suspense of the whole book.

One of the things I really liked is that this is not just an action packed novel - it shows the relationship with Ethan and his sister and you can feel the love between them.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. I mean, I read this book in a day, Had to know what happened next.

Ethan Lockhart and his younger sister where close growing up. He always looked out for her and loved her like no one else.
Now Ethan is in prison for robbery because he got mixed up with the wrong people. Today Ethan is being released for 48 hours to attend his sister, Abby's funeral.
As Ethan is once outside without any guard or monitoring device he will begin his hunt to find out killed his baby sister.
He starts with the person he asked to watch over her while in prison his former boss Shark. Shark has become a major crime boss and Ethan believes he is responsible for Abby's death.
Ethan is going after him.
As the 48 hours count down Ethan is unraveling a string of clues that may give him answers but at what cost to him. Shark is watching his every move. Once they clash the outcome will will have ripple effects.
Will Ethan find the answers as to what happened to Abby?
Will he make it back to prison on time? Alive?
This is such an action packed story with incredible characters.
You will not know what happens until it all comes together at the end.

Wow! Great book! Crazy crazy story! Lol this book had a little bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, drama, and it was action packed! The storyline was awesome! It definitely had a bit of gore too ,but not to bad lol lots of bad guys and even some good bad guys! I highly recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!