The central mystery surrounding the death of Phoebe Dean and the seemingly suspicious actions of her brother Grant, combined with the ten-year anniversary approaching, sets the stage for a story brimming with suspense and hidden motives.

Multiple Perspectives: The inclusion of various character perspectives, including the caretaker, the secret girlfriend, the missing bad boy, and the former football star, promises a nuanced exploration of the event's impact on different individuals.

Comparisons to Literary Suspense: fans of Jane Harper and Celeste Ng will see a focus on character development, psychological elements, and a slow-burn approach to uncovering the truth, rather than an action-packed thriller.

Potential Pitfalls: The synopsis hints at a small-town setting and gossip-driven atmosphere, which could resonate with fans of certain genres but might feel repetitive or overly dramatic to others. The emphasis on character complexity might come at the expense of a fast-paced plot for some readers.

This will be great for fans of literary suspense.

"In this stunning and propulsive debut, a town grieves the loss of a young girl - but some fight to keep the truth about her death a secret. For fans of Jane Harper, Ashley Flowers, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.

The question
For the last ten years, the small, claustrophobic town of West Wilmer has been struggling to understand one thing: Why did it take young Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help on the fateful night of the car accident that took the life of his beloved sister, Phoebe? If he'd called sooner, she might still be alive.

The secret
As the anniversary of Phoebe's death approaches, Grant is consumed by memories of that night on the bridge and everything he lost: his future, his reputation, his little sister. And the secret he's been keeping all these years is suffocating him. But he and Phoebe weren't the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there. She knows what happened - and she will do anything to help Grant keep his secret.

The truth
Everyone in West Wilmer remembers Phoebe, but only June remembers that another person was lost that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and now June is alone - no family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door. Someone who may know where Wyatt went all those years ago. Someone who knows what really happened on the bridge that night. Someone who is ready to tell the truth.

Taking place over three days and culminating in a shocking twist that will leave you breathless, Twenty-Seven Minutes is a gripping story about what happens when grief becomes unbearable, dark secrets are unearthed, and the horrifying truth is revealed."

I'm all about the gaps in the timelines of crime.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a highly-promising debut novel from new author, Ashley Tate. Fast-paced and twisty, this thriller is bound to carve a path for further novels from the author.

The novel hangs its plot on themes of grief, regret, reputation and reality vs belief. The grief in Twenty-Seven Minutes is particularly well explored, with it shown to be both dark and transforming in equal measures.

The characters are well-penned and padded out, however there are a lot of main characters which are all the same age and have a lot in common which, coupled with the multiple point of view narration, did make the novel more confusing than it perhaps needed to be. A series of family trees at the start of the novel would have been appreciated.

I loved the fact that the small-town rumour mill became a character in its own right - an intentional feature according to the author’s note, and one which marks Ashley Tate as an author to watch in the future.

There is a fabulous final twist right at the end of the novel, but the ending still left me wanting a really clear outline of exactly what had happened in the twenty-seven minutes ten years ago. After all of the detailed backstories, for each individual character, in the story’s development, the novel’s denouement seemed somewhat rushed.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this novel. It is far from perfect, but if this is the author’s first attempt at penning a novel, I will be looking out for her subsequent titles.

3.5 ⭐️
This thriller was told by different POVs and told from the past and present which l enjoyed. The beginning was very captivating and kept me engaged, but then the story slows down. I didn’t like any of the characters and felt zero connection to them. I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, I found it very anticlimactic, but if you prefer a slow-burn book then this is for you.

This book started out like it was going to be a great read but it soon fell short for me. It was told from multiple points of view from very unlikeable characters. I found the storyline very confusing at times especially with the flashbacks to 10 years ago and somewhat repetitive. I was glad to finally make it to the ending which left me even more confused.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.

This is more of a character study of trauma than a mystery, but it is very good at getting into the characters' emotions. Unfortunately, those characters are unlikable and by the time the mystery of the 27 minutes was revealed, it didn't have impact. I just didn't care.

Ultimately, this book is about trauma. A small town had a tragedy 10 years before, when a popular teen was killed in a car accident. Her brother was driving and didn't get help for 27 minutes. Why? And now that another accident has happened at the same bridge, the townspeople want to vote to take it down. And when the bridge is dismantled, will the town finally have an answer?

I know a lot of people have LOVED this book, but it just wasn't good for me. A lot less repetition of people's trauma would have gone a long way. It could have been a shorter tighter book,

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-Seven minutes can be the difference between life an death. For Phoebe, this was the case. Her brother Grant waited 27 minutes to call an ambulance and by the time they arrived, Phoebe was dead. Now, ten years later, the question remains: why did Grant wait those 27 minutes? Who else was on that bridge and what kind of secrets where they hiding?

Ashley Tate’s thriller leaves you guessing until the last minute. All of the characters are intertwined in their own twisted way and when you thought you had it all figured out, Tate throws you a monkey wrench and makes you look at everything from a new angle.
Twenty-Seven Minutes is a must-read!

“That’s the thing about lies. They’re like string – once they start unraveling, you’re f***ed.” This book is getting some mixed reviews, but I loved it. It is a story about grief and what happens when that grief consumes you. Additionally, it takes place in a small town riddled with secrets – one of my favorite book settings – and the town and its rumor mill almost becomes its own character.

It starts with a powerful opening scene and then becomes a slow burn mystery which is very character driven. There are a lot of characters, but this cast is manageable to keep straight. Don’t let reviews that say otherwise scare you. Told from multiple points of view, each character is complex and well-developed as the mystery of that deadly night is revealed. Figuring out what really happened and who was to blame kept me interested and engaged. And the last few pages – what a wild ride! I did not see the twist coming!

I also appreciated the author’s note about how she wanted to explore the fear that comes when everything in your life changes all at once. I think she did an excellent job portraying that through her characters. Overall, this is a well-executed debut with deep themes of small-town drama, grief, fear and parental expectations.

It’s been a while since I posted a review but I made it a goal to read at least one ARC per month to catch up on the ones that I have!! **10 years ago a small town was changed forever when Phoebe Dean was killed in a car accident. Her brother, Grant, was driving. Why did it take him 27 minutes to call for help? As the anniversary of the crash approaches, Grant’s mother will be hosting a memorial to commemorate. Secrets have plagued the town for a decade but the truth will finally be revealed. What happened on the fateful night?** I loved this one!! Twisty and mysterious! I definitely recommend! Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this ARC in return for my review!!

Wow! I was pretty much sucked into this small town mystery/thriller from the get-go. Gripping, intriguing, compelling and supremely satisfying. Twenty seven minutes is set in a small town that thrives on gossip. The rumor mill is swirling about how a young girl died 10 years before, after an elderly woman dies on the same bridge a decade later, causing old memories to resurface and the town to debate whether or not the bridge should be torn down. The author excelled at crafting a storyline filled with tension and suspense that will keep you guessing until the final page. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Twenty Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
Publication Date- January 30th
Publisher- Poison Pen Press
Overall Rating- 3 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty Seven Minutes is unlike any other thriller I’ve read before. In some ways the uniqueness worked in other ways I struggled to understand what was happening and why.

What Worked: Twenty Seven Minutes is a unique story about first love, grief, sibling relationships and the power of growing up. My favorite thing about this book was the ending. Though predictable in some ways, I thought it was a good twist. There were parts of it I guessed about halfway through but the full story of what happened on the bridge that night, I did not guess. There were times I was concerned we were going in a direction that I didn’t like but by the end I was very pleased with how the story wrapped up. In some ways this is fast paced story, I read it in one sitting. I will say, once you start you really want to know how it will end. For those reasons, I gave it 3 stars. It was mostly enjoyable. Lastly, this is multiple POV and dual timeline. Because of it’s uniqueness, I think most thriller authors should try this.

What Didn’t Work: As I said above the man focus of this story is the sibling relationships and we are focused in on more than one sibling relationship. At times it felt like there were too many characters to keep with and keep apart. I do enjoy having multiple things to think about in a book but this got a little too jumbled for me. I also struggled to understand the “why,” of the obsessive sibling relationships and even after the ending I could use a little more explanation. Though this is a fast paced story, the middle felt repetitive. Even though we were shifting perspectives and shifting time points, I was either getting confused or felt we were repeating the same message I didn’t understand which was why these siblings were controlling each other so much. I’m not mad I read it, and I would like to try more from the author in the future.

Ten years after a tragic accident in which a teenage girl died, the townspeople want to remove the bridge where the accident occurred--bringing up the past and uncovering the mystery of the true cause. The story alternates between the time of the accident and the present and the people haunted by the incident struggling with guilt and secrets.

This book was not for me. It was very drawn out and it was a DNF for me about halfway when it just didn't get any better.

With multiple POV's, we see how twenty-seven minutes changed so many lives. Ten years later, after the death of Phoebe Dean, the secrets of that night are finally being exposed. A thriller that relies on the reliability of your narrator's, this book will keep you questioning the truth until the very end.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication. My review will post to my blog on 1/25/24 and will also be posted to Goodreads and retail sites. I'll also feature the review on Instagram.

Review:
As soon as I read the premise of this one, I knew I had to read it. I was in the mood for a good mystery, and the promise of a "shocking twist that will leave you breathless" made me feel like this was exactly the book that I needed.

In this novel, the small town of West Wilmer becomes the backdrop for a perplexing mystery that has haunted its residents for ten years. The question of why it took Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help after the car accident that claimed his sister Phoebe's life sets the stage for an intriguing narrative.

The book opens with a bang as we're immediately dropped into the story right after the wreck occurs, and we get a look inside Phoebe's head as thoughts race through it, giving just enough information to leave the reader intrigued and hungry to know what happened. We then jump forward ten years post-accident, and Phoebe's mother is planning a memorial for her, which just so happens to coincide with another accident on the bridge that claimed yet another life. The plot unravels over the three days leading up to Phoebe's memorial and is told from the perspectives of four different characters: Grant, Phoebe's brother who was driving the night she was killed; Becca, a young woman who was in the car the night of the crash; June, a former classmate of Phoebe, Becca, and Grant; and Wyatt, June's brother and town troublemaker who also went missing the night of the accident and hasn't been seen by his sister since. To say much more about the plot or these characters would give away things that I feel made the book fun to read, so I'll just leave it at that.

One of the strengths of this book is its ability to create a sense of claustrophobia within the town of West Wilmer. It's your standard small town where everyone knows everyone's business (or at least think they do). The atmosphere is almost suffocating, mirroring the feelings of our main characters as they struggle with the aftermath of that fateful night.

As far as characters go, I felt they were all pretty intriguing, but I was most drawn to June as I felt she was the most sympathetic and the easiest to understand. Her loneliness and determination make her a relatable and sympathetic character. However, I struggled to fully connect with the other characters. While Grant's internal struggle is well portrayed, I found it difficult to empathize with his actions. I was also super confused with Becca and her relationship with Grant. Ten years felt like way too long of a time for anyone to put up with the things she put up with. I never fully understood them, and this made it challenging to invest fully in their respective storylines.

Another aspect of the book that fell short for me was the dialogue. I found it to be unnatural and somewhat stilted. Conversations between characters often felt forced, which detracted from the overall reading experience. I get that the author was trying to move the storyline along and often used dialogue to set up certain plot points, but it made the dialogue often seem really unnatural, and conversations felt unbelievable.

Despite these flaws, the pacing is excellent. The plot unfolds over the course of three days, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover the truth alongside the characters. The narrative builds steadily towards a shocking twist that delivers on its promise to leave the reader breathless. I had my suspicions of what was going on about halfway through, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, I felt this was a good read that delivers on its promise of mystery and intrigue. While the characterization and dialogue have their flaws, the strength of the premise and the final reveal made for an enjoyable reading experience.

*3.5 stars rounded up to 4*

What if the secret you thought would save you is actually eating you alive?

The ten-year anniversary of Phoebe’s death is approaching & with another fatal accident on that same bridge fresh in the minds of the citizens of West Wilmer, there’s talk of demolishing it altogether. But Grant, Phoebe’s brother & the driver in the accident that killed his sister, is doing everything he can to keep that bridge standing….

Becca was also a passenger in the vehicle that night with Grant & Phoebe - she’ll do anything to keep Grant safe, but where is the line between love & obsession? And how much more talk about poor Phoebe can Becca take when she’s got her own trauma that no one seems to care about?

June has recently suffered yet another loss, but she may have just gained some answers about her brother Wyatt, who went missing the same night as Phoebe’s death - however, she might not be prepared for the whole truth about that fateful night…

I will say that this debut author can definitely write, & I’ll be interested to see what stories she comes up with in the future, but most of the characters in this one were crappy human beings. The town of West WIlmer is a pretty bleak setting, the kind of place that the high schoolers are desperate to leave & many depressed adults find themselves trapped in. The pace of this story could’ve been a bit quicker, but the ending was a big surprise & the multiple POVs with the dual timelines kept me on my toes.

Thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the cover and the name of the book, Ashley did a great job keeping me guessing throughout the story, I never had a dull moment.

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
I was very interested in reading this book, as I heard she was a similar writer to Lisa Jewel and Patricia Wolf. It is a story of a decade-old death of a young, high school girl named Phoebe Dean and the story revolves around those she left behind. How they are dealing with the grief, confusion, and regret around the circumstances of her death. A new memorial service is being held by her mother and along with that, the town is obsessing over the actual bridge which was the site of her death because another more recent death occurred there and the townspeople want to demolish the bridge stating it is a beacon of despair. The mystery behind Phoebe’s death unfolds in a present-to-past method of reading, which I didn’t like.
This is a dark, dismal, and depressing story. The relationships of the primary characters are fractured and doesn’t look as if there is any coming back from this devastation. The resolution is in the last few pages and there is no real ending, no real solution to all the despair we have been reading about. What is the consequences of the result? What was the point of this story if there is no consequence? Not sure I can recommend this book. I found it disappointing. I will not remember it and was not invested in the storyline until the last chapter. Bogged down and slow is how I feel after thinking about it for a week or so after finishing.

A decent thriller, though I didn't like that characters who weren't there were more described with more motivation than those who were. It all felt a bit reversed and anticlimatic.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a stunningly well done mystery thriller that I really enjoyed. It does have a few flaws, but the characters are well fleshed out and there are many twisty plots lines that will keep you guessing as to what really happened during those twenty-seven minutes.

The present day timeline is told from four main points of view: Grant, June, Wyatt and Becca. None of these characters were particularly likable, as they were all selfish, delusional and just all around not very nice people. They all had very well crafted parts to play in this very sad story and they played them well. I really hated both Grant and Becca as they were the ones who really knew what happened ten years ago, but were so determined to keep their secrets. The way they used each other was really quite awful. I felt some sympathy for both June and Wyatt as they were both very much pawns in everyone else’s lies. All four characters were quite believable, but also made for unreliable narrators.

Some of the timeline of what happened that night ten years ago, is told by several other very minor characters in short little chapters interspersed throughout the book. It is through these characters that we get a broader picture of what went on and the rolls that the four main characters played that night. These characters were just bit players in the main event, but they did tend to be more reliable narrators. 

The blending of the present day narrative with the many different accounts of what happened the night of the accident was pretty well done. There were a few minor instances where it didn’t work, but hopefully those were caught in the final edit. I liked the device of using italicized letters for the parts that took place in the past, especially when these were memories of the four main characters. Because of the many points of view that were so very different from each other, it was very hard to figure out what happened that night until closer to the end of the book. It was a very well crafted plot with good pacing and with lots of small reveals that led up to the final big twist at the end. 

Even though this is a rather disturbing thriller, it does keep you thinking throughout the slow build up to the end. The characters, while unlikable, are at least intriguing enough to keep you guessing as to what is really going on. This is a slow train wreck of a book, but I mean that in a good way.