i've said this a lot and i'll say it again: i don't like thrillers. they never feel right to me. the writing is usually cringey, and i get bored pretty easily. but i keep reading them here and there, and 'the trial' is exactly why. i absolutely could not put this book down. i was fascinated by the group of characters, the ever changing who-do-we-trust, the bigger need for answers, the claustrophobia of being stuck in the compound, the eerie isolation of it.

i made a l0t of predictions while reading this and most of them turned out to be wrong, which is always appreciated. (spoiler?? there was a while where i thought they were turning people into goats and was very sad when that was not true). the end did feel overdramatic, and the explanation was not as original as i had hoped, but it worked.

the ending though. the ending is one of the most infuriating endings of all time. it is genius.

if this book intrigues you even a little, just go for it. it's worth the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book it sounded so good and for the majority of the book I did enjoy it. I did feel I needed to keep notes to keep up with the book which slowed the flow of the book and to be honest its not my preferred kind of read. Great cast of characters and great storyline, just a bit too complex for me

Overall this was a good story and I enjoyed it but eh.
Usually with this genre I’m hooked and can’t put it down. I will stay up just to finish. This book took me 3 days and I had to force myself to pick up my kindle in the middle. I did enjoy the wrap up and ending but felt it wasn’t super intense and I was craving that.

I really liked the sound of this plot concept and love a book that keeps you guessing. The Trial has a great cast of characters, although at times it was hard to keep up with so many. I found myself constantly trying to guess what was going on which is the ideal position to have the reader in with this kind of story! I wasn't a massive fan of the ending but overall really enjoyed the book!

Honestly, I wasn’t entirely certain what to expect with this one.

The details of the trial were mysterious and I definitely didn’t expect the reasons behind everything!

The story is a bit of ‘And Then There Were None’ and, though some of what happens it a bit unbelievable, it’s still incredibly entertaining.

I’m not 100% sold on the ending. It kind of ends with a whisper when I wanted a bang.

But it’s a good and entertaining beach read!

• ARC via Net Galley

This was okay. I was excited about a locked room mystery, but it just didn't keep my interest in the way this time of thriller usually does. It was easy to walk away from.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Trial by SR Masters wasn’t what I expected. The beginning was very interesting but as I read on, I lost interest as the story line involved more than I needed to read.

I absolutely loved this book! The premise was so original and unique that I was dying to see where the author would take it and I wasn't disappointed. I was hooked from the start and it just had me enthralled waiting to see what would happen next and who was behind it. The ending was just absolutely perfect and this is a must read

Thank you for the ARC

First page in and I’m already captured

This is a story about Elle who lives with and helps take care of her mother, but her mother keeps taking advantage of her. Elle decides to sign up for a trial, in this drug trial, Elle and a few others have been whisked away to a vacation spot as they take part in this month long trial not knowing if they were getting the placebo or real thing. Then weird little things start happening,is it the drug? Was such a good read couldn’t put it down. Loved Elle’s character and found her to be easygoing and a cautious.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was pulled in by the cover and description, and it did not disappoint. Very well written

I was gripped by this read right from the very first page and I was engaged the whole way through, I couldn't put it down. Twisty and unpredictable and kept me on the edcge of my seat.

This book was promising and I had high hopes, but I feel like it fell off a little bit near the end. It has an amazing premise that I would have enjoyed any other time, but for me, I think it was a bit long and dragged on unnecessarily at the end. It could have been wrapped up a lot sooner.

Good premise and promising and enjoyable start, but I wasn't a fan of the climax.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC of The Trial by S.R. Masters.


I was hooked with in the first couple pages ! The Dinamic of Elle who is genuanly a good person and trys to find ways to take the blame for everything or take care of her mom when really i would not if if my mom acted like that . You meet new characters alot in the begining of the book and it was hard to keep track of who was whom and who did what in terms of security , MDS etc. I felt it slowed down a little bit around 20% for me espically when how packed the first part of it was ,but it did pikc back up and man that ending !!


10/10 reccomend

I really struggled to get into this story. I wanted to like it but it was not for me.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins, UK One more chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A very disturbing creepy tale which stayed with me and kept me thinking. Its very imaginative and interesting. I liked how the characters were just ordinary people out to make some money and enjoy themselves on what they thought was a holiday setting. I am hoping for a sequel.

18-40? PAID CLINICAL TRIAL IN THE CANARY ISLANDS – UP TO £20,000 TAX FREE

It seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. An all-inclusive luxury trip abroad, all you need to do is take a pill every day and keep a diary.

Except you don’t know anything about the drug or what its side effects might be.

The headaches start, a dull ache at first. Every day worse than the last.

Then a body is found.

Everyone is a suspect. Anyone could be a killer. Even you . . .

This was the first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be my last. The beginning drew me in immediately and I flew through the first few chapters. Once Elle got to the island there were a lot of new characters and this sometimes got confusing remembering who was who. The middle was a bit slow for me but then got more exciting as the deaths started piling up. What was going on and was the drug to blame? The ending was a bit sudden and left unanswered questions. Overall a 4 star read.

My rating system - 1 ⭐️ ticked no boxes COMPLETE FAIL

Would you sign up a for a clinical trial knowing almost nothing about potential side effects?? 18-40? PAID CLINICAL TRIAL IN THE CANARY ISLANDS - UP TO £20,000 TAX FREE. It seems like the opportunity of a lifetime … doesn’t it. As the old saying goes though if it seems too good to be true… then it probably is.

Elle is stuck in a dead end job, with a leech of a mum who steals from her and lies and then gaslights her into feeling like shes done the wrong thing. Elle decides enough is enough and books herself a holiday all expenses paid. Mummy dear finds out and she fabricates a lie that sees Elle cancelling her trip and giving her hard earned savings to her mother only to find her out in the lie.

Enough is a enough, drunk and angry Elle gets onto her mothers computer and sees the Too Good to be True clinical trial offer. She shoots off her answers (not as regular nice Elle, as Holiday bad b*tch Elle). She is accepted and before she knows it she is sipping champagne, checking out hot guys and having the time of her life… after a while though things start to slip… What is the drug really doing to everyone… was this a huge mistake…will Elle get out alive??

WOW… I am a major outlier on this one but I HATED this book!!! It was so boring. The first 20% had me … nicely played suckered me in and I kept reading… Why!!!! What made me do that. I have no idea. I have been sick lately I think this booked played me in a moment of weakness. 🤥

The opening was creepy and eerie and I was like yesss… this is the stuff. Elle’s mother is a demon - bit too close to home for me - but she was so horrible and that kept my interest. Then she got herself on this trial good for her… shes had a rough time. So not too much is happening but you can feel the build…. 🧟‍♀️

Sooooooo much writing… so many words… so many sentences… Oh the words and words and did I say words… OMG talk about play by play. I felt like I was experiencing the worlds most boring holiday by the minute. Sorry for those of you that liked it and will like it but I simply cannot accept there being this much description. ‼️

Elle is boring, the people around her are boring and horrible (I think thats the point) but seriously there is no one to root for - literally not one person has a redeeming feature and honestly when the first person dropped I just didn’t care. I wanted this book to be over so badly that I didn’t care about anyone. 🤷‍♀️

So many things happened and none of it was interesting - too many things happened and there was too much description of the colour of the blood, the amount of the blood, where the blood came from - like really…. We all know blood is red move on. 🩸

THAT ENDING…. 15% for an ending… you ask a question and I’ll ask a question lets not worry about the lives at stake lets just go around and around and talk rubbish for ages and then have the worlds worst reveal - I won’t ruin it for people who actually want to read this book but my god political views and extreme ideals do not belong here it was TOO MUCH…. 🥵

I am not going to keep ranting - It bored me and I hated it what more is there to say. 😰

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up

Overall I really like the concept of this book. It was difficult in the beginning to try to keep all the characters straight, but after a little bit it became easier.
It was slow going until about 30% through, but then it took off pretty well.
It has some pretty good twists throughout.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the end yet, I’m goi g to have to stew on it a while.

Being a huge fan of creepy thrillers, this book was right up my alley! Elle is accepted into a clinical trial on the Canary Islands where the participants will be given an experimental drug in exchange for $20,000. Sound too good to be true? You be the judge of that! Elle is skeptical but when her elderly mother and mom's boyfriend scam her out of some money, Elle is determined to do something adventurous and earn some cash as well. The novel has a great cast of characters, all of whom have secrets and are there for different reasons. So what would you do for that kind of money?? Hmmm....I was sucked in from the beginning and didn't put it down until I was finished! What a wild ride!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Holy cow!! This book is fantastic! Has you gasping and wondering who, what, why and oh my god! Who did that and how could this have happened. I really, really love this book. It would make a fantastic mini series. If you like books that have you gasping for air some scenes, I highly, highly recommend it!!!