Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC.
This was different in a good way, and the storyline was told form four points of view.
There were plenty of twists and turns but for me something was missing that is why I have given 3 starts - I would have given 3.5 if I could.

A gripping tale full of twists and surprises. It was slow paced and I like that.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sadly, I DNF'd this book. It was okay, but nothing special enough to keep me coming back to it in time to finish it by the deadline. I was intrigued about who the murder actually was and I may pick this up again one day to finish it.

For readers of the generic, mass-market thriller, I would definitely recommend this.

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.
At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.
Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

This book started out well and I was initially intrigued by the mystery and tension but as it went on I just found myself not caring about what happened to the characters and easily guessing what was going to happen next. A solid crime/thriller but nothing to call home about.

A good read
Told from four points of view
Plenty of twists
A definite read
Would recommend
Thanks NetGalley

⭐⭐⭐.5

𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚. 𝙀𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙉𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨.

📍 Read if you like:
• Slow-Pace
• Short Chapters
• Multiple POVs
• Mysteries

I requested this book off NetGalley on a whim without really expecting much out of it. The premise had me intrigued and I wanted to read this mystery book.

This story is set at 6 Ripley Avenue, a place where some of the UK’s violent criminals are being held to serve their remaining time in this community. Some of the neighbors weren’t happy about this idea and didn’t agree with it.

The book started super strong. We find out one of the criminals is brutally murdered. It starts as a super interesting whodunit story and it pulled me immediately. I loved the multiple POVs and short chapters. I found myself flying through the book.

I loved that some chapters were about the killer and what was going on in their mind, and they pulled off some really brutal kills.

The chapters did drag at times - regardless of being short - but I still liked the story. Most (if not all) of the characters were unlikable but I was fine with that. I was more interested in the killer on the loose, but unfortunately, I did predict the killer. It felt too obvious. This was still a fun read though!

I really enjoyed this tense thriller. It was the first book I've read by this author and I'll certainly read more. Lots of twists and turns and it had me guessing, which I love. Definitely one to read.

My thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the arc copy.

Noelle Holten’s first stand-alone crime thriller 6 Ripley Avenue is so terrifying I was still jumpy weeks after I finished it!

As the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license, Jeanette is not easily unsettled. In order to do this job, one needs to have a thick skin and be prepared for the unexpected. The rug is pulled out from under their feet on almost a daily basis, but even Jeanette and her experienced team couldn’t possibly have predicted what was going to happen next at 6 Ripley Avenue…

At 3 am, the phone rings and Jeanette is informed that a resident has been murdered. Nobody know who was responsible or how this murder happened yet Jeanette, her team and eight convinced murderers are now all suspects in a crime nobody saw committed. With tensions being sky high, long-held resentments and dangerous secrets come rushing to the fore with a crazed killer determined to do whatever it takes to evade justice.

The locked room mystery was a staple of the Golden Age of crime fiction and Noelle Holten brings it kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century with 6 Ripley Avenue. Known for her brilliant Maggie Jamieson series in 6 Ripley Avenue, Noelle Holten has penned a dark, disturbing and gruesome thriller best read in broad daylight with all the doors and windows bolted shut.

A spine-chilling page-turner with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, Noelle Holten’s 6 Ripley Avenue is an absolute cracker!

6 Ripley Avenue is a tightly plotted and well written psychological thriller, with a fast pace and plenty of tension throughout.

The story is told from four points of view. Jeanette, the manager of Ripley house, Sloane, a reporter who was intent on getting the hostel shut down, Helen, a neighbour of Ripley house who shares Sloane's sentiments about the place. The final POV is just entitled Killer, which was one of my favourites, as I love getting to see into the mind of a criminal.

I was quite surprised how much I warmed up to Jeanette throughout the course of the book and became one of my favourite characters. She has a high-pressure job trying to deal with brutal criminals, run the hostel without enough staff and deal with a murder under her roof. I didn't envy her one bit!

You really can tell that Noelle Holten used her knowledge of the probation system, having been a probation officer for eighteen years, through the novel and adds an air of authenticity to the story.

I had the killer in my sights from quite early in the story, although there were plenty of twists and turns that kept me on my toes.

A definite must if you love a realistic and tension packed thriller.

6 Ripley Avenue is a place that no one wants to live. It is a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders. The manager Jeanette receives a phone call at 3am that informs her that one of the residents, Danny Wells, has been murdered.

Jeanette races to the hostel to find out what has happened. Before long everyone inside the house is a suspect, but who would have committed the murder and why?

The narrative moves between the main characters and I really liked this as you feel like you get to know the characters well. I liked that the killer the self has a voice, but you don’t find out who they are until the end.

This is the first book that I have read by Noelle Holton and I loved it. I will definitely be reading more books from this author.

6 Ripley Avenue is a dark and gripping read that is full of suspense and had me up reading all night, as I wanted to find out what happened.

Highly recommended for fans of thrillers.

Arrrrgggghhh ...

This book seemed to have so much promise. The plot line sounded spot on, the eye catching cover and the blurb.... but...

I don't know why, I can't give an exact reason but I just could not for the life of me click with this book.

I'm not sure whether it was because of the slow pace which did make it feel like it was going on foreverrrrrrr, it just never seemed to pick up no matter how much I read!

There were a few things that troubled me and made me have to read back on.. for one instance the killer digs a hole in the garden/yard and buries the evidence but later on in the story the killer then retrieves said evidence from under the floorboards in his room... errr what??

Anyway, I'm sure others will LOVE it but sadly it's not one for me,

1.5* purely for the cover and blurb.

Thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC.

Very tense and gripping it is told through multiple POV. Instantly, I was hooked and it just got better with every page I read. This is my very first read of this author. An excellent story and you can tell that the author definitely has the criminal knowledge.

It's been a pleasure to watch Noelle Holten's writing career progress; from her first book, to having a popular series featuring Maggie Jamieson, and now her first standalone thriller. In 6 Ripley Avenue, she once again uses her own extensive experience to inform the plot and the result is a multilayered novel which is both chilling and thought-provoking.
It's a brave move to have the victim of murder be such an unpleasant character. Danny Wells was a convicted killer himself and as the novel progresses it becomes clear that he was a vicious, violent man who isn't mourned by anybody. There is no redemption arc for this man and yet the search for his murderer is still compelling in this contemporary locked room mystery. Noelle Holten pushes things still further by having a whole cast of flawed, even dangerous suspects –and even some of the protagonists aren't entirely likeable.
The narrative switches between the perspectives of four characters; Jeanette, the manager of the probation hostel where Danny Wells had been released on license and where he met his death; Sloane, an investigative journalist with a tragic past; Helen, an elderly woman who lives next door to the hotel and led the protests against it being opened; and the killer, whose identity isn't revealed until almost the end of the book. It does mean that this is a rather slow burning novel at first but there are still revelations throughout and I was constantly trying to figure out who I could eliminate from my list of possible suspects and who I thought did it.
We don't actually learn very much about the other convicted men who have also been released into the hostel, beyond their names and what crimes they were found guilty of. Nevertheless, there are some who are clearly more detestable than others and their presence drives home just how controversial these sorts of properties are in the communities in which they are established. We see the dedication and fortitude of probation staff through Jeanette's eyes but the problems within the system are explored too and her anguish as more issues come to light during the course of the novel surely reflect those of an underfunded profession which is often criticised by the media and wider public.
Meanwhile, Sloane and Helen's fears are entirely understandable and even though they don't always make the most sensible decisions, there's a warmth to their friendship which is really quite moving at times. Both have suffered their own losses and they share a dogged determination to identify the murderer and ultimately to have the hostel shut down. Of course, their amateur investigation doesn't go unnoticed by the hostel staff, the police and the killer, all of whom try to warn them off. The sense of intrigue and danger that ensues is gripping and I really enjoyed the red herrings and rising tension, particularly towards the end of the book.
6 Ripley Avenue is a darkly compulsive, insightful thriller with a satisfyingly puzzling mystery which kept me turning the pages from start to finish. I look forward to reading whatever Noelle Holten writes next.

Hidden in this crime thriller is a subtle critique of the legal system in regard to violent offenders and the way their rights often supersede those of their victim/s and their families. I would include potential future victims in that train of thought. Certain types of offenders will probably reoffend, and with that in mind the house on Ripley Avenue - in the middle of a normal neighbourhood, well it creates a lot of controversy.

A lot of controversy actually, especially when one of the violent offenders get a taste of his own medicine and ends up dead. Not sure anyone is really that upset about it, however it does mean the police have to find the person responsible for the brutal crime. Herein lies the problem, there are no witnesses and eight potential killers, and the author makes a grand job of making you think everyone has a legit reason to kill.

This didn't grip me the same way the DC Maggie Jamieson series did. The writing was a bit he said she said, a bit surprising but it's a standalone and slightly off the already beaten path. The premise was interesting though and the killer was kept hidden and in plain sight all at the same time.

I’d say this mystery was a three star read. A good story, Murder, with a unique location. It kind of kept me guessing and interested.

What was better was the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the crime reporter, Sloane and her nosy, older friend Helen. Great dialog and action.

I hope the author writes more with the newspaper angle.

We all know that Noelle is an excellent author, so picking this up means my expectations were high from the beginning.
I wasn’t disappointed with this one, but I also wasn’t overwhelmed either. It a good, solid read. But I found the pace a little slow for me.
I’d recommend it to others as the premise and execution of it were good, it’s just not for me.
Thank you to the Author, the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC.

Interesting mystery, compelling MC's and a whole stack of suspects.

I loved the plot - this halfway house where men, who are near being released from prison, are let out as a controled start to release. They have curfews and strict drug policies, they are fed and watched over. There are quite a few employees watching them, ensuring they all live together well, stay off drugs and start getting introduced back in to society. But then, one of the guys fresh from prison is murdered.

Right off the bat, you are introduced to the murder and the many disfuctions of the Ripley Avenue house. They've let a lot of rules lax as well as let the staff get a little comfortable (ie complacant) and things have run off the rails. I did like the added POV of a journalist, who has always thought this halfway house a bad idea, who is pushing to get the information out and the house shut down.

But I didn't love the killer's perspective. Just a few chapters in, you get the killer and I felt like it completely gave away who it was. The story felt a big long after that, as I knew who it was and was just waiting for everyone else to catch up. I did like it, just didn't love it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read. Creepy.

6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.

At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

My Opinion

Noelle Holten is one of those authors that I have heard positive things about but have never read. For me, this was a lovely introduction. An interesting plot with a lot of cliff-hangers. Told through the perspectives of various different characters this book will have you on the edge of your seat.

Rating 4/5

👮‍♂️ Sometimes the places where you are meant to be safe are the ones you should fear the most.”
- Noelle Holten

👮‍♂️ The book follows the story of Ripley house- a probation hostel for high risk offenders managed
by Jeanette. Until one night a resident is found murdered by one of the staff leaving the remaining seven residents and members of the night staff as prime suspects in a crime no one saw committed.

👮‍♂️ Pick this up if you like:
📌 Crime fiction 🔪
📌 Slow paced mystery
📌 Multiple POVs including the killer’s POV
📌 Unlikeable characters
📌 Whodunnit vibes

👮‍♂️ The plot of the book instantly grabbed my attention but it was kind of too slow paced for my liking. I actually felt like I can easily skip 20-30 pages and nothing significant would have happened in those pages. The book felt dragged at multiple points. Talking about the characters, I liked the character of Jeanette much more than Solane, the journalist. How she dealt with the stress of so much happening under her nose and the decision she made in the end, I was more than happy for her.

👮‍♂️ This was one of those books where you would be like yeah I know the killer from the very start. But then the author will try to divert your attention from the prime suspect by throwing suspicions on the other characters. And in the end it will turn out that you guessed it right from the very beginning.👏

👮‍♂️ Thanks to the author and net galley for the ebook in exchange of an honest review.