I was looking forward to this one because of the title and plot! This one was a little disappointing for me. The plot was messy. The book had multiple different character POVs and timelines from 10 years ago to present, I will say the tension was great. I was disappointed because I couldn't relate to any of the characters.

I can’t believe this is the author’s first novel! Such a great book. Read it in 2 days. Keeps you engaged and hard to put down. Looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

"Twenty-Seven Minutes" by Ashley Tate is a compelling debut novel that delves into the aftermath of a decade-old tragedy in the small town of West Wilmer. The story revolves around the Dean family, haunted by the untimely death of Phoebe Dean in a car accident. The central question that plagues the town is why it took her brother, Grant, twenty-seven minutes to call for help on that fateful night, potentially influencing Phoebe's survival. The book explores the complexities of grief, the weight of secrets, and the repercussions of tragic events on a small town. With its unpredictable twists and emotional depth, Ashley Tate establishes herself as a noteworthy new talent in the realm of literary suspense.

27 minutes. Those 27 minutes can mean life or death. 27 minutes can change the lives of many.

A town is grieving the death of a young girl who died on a local bridge. As the 10 year anniversary approaches, another death occurs on the same bridge. The question remains why Grant waited 27 minutes before calling 911 to report his sister’s accident 10 years ago. If he had called right away, she may still be alive. This is a gripping and horrifying story that follows all those involved in the accident, and some that weren’t.

I couldn’t put this book down. The story was so well written and it brought me back to the stupidity of my high school years. I could relate to all the characters and really felt their pain and heartbreak. Looking forward to reading more of Ashley Tate’s.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Ashley Tate for the Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is a slow burn thriller with multiple POV's and multiple timelines leading you up to the car crash that ended up killing teenager Phoebe. Right from the beginning we know that if her brother Grant hadn't waited 27 minutes to call the police, she very well could be alive... but why did he wait so long?

This is an emotionally gripping thriller that really had me wondering what was going on and why it was taking to long to find out!

I did feel like it was a little slower paced for my taste, but all in all it was a very good slow burn thriller.

I recommend this one if you're looking for an emotional thriller with lots of secrets and questions on what really happened that fated night.

Since my review is middle of the road, I am only posting it here. I don't believe in posting average to below average reviews on Goodreads, because I don't want to hurt the author's rating. The only times I do that is when a book is problematic (racist or something), which this book definitely was not.

This was a middle of the road read for me. On one hand, I truly loved and enjoyed the exploration of grief and trauma. The characters were plentiful and are well fleshed out overall. Community pain is heavily explored, which I appreciate, because many books only discuss personal trauma.

The book kind of lost me when it dragged on without any major developments until the very end. Slow burns have power in their own right, but this read could have been just a bit shorter. It takes too long to even begin to guess what happened, and it was hard for me to stay hooked. I would suggest just a bit more of a bread crumb trail to build suspense!

The author has the stuff to write fantastic material, and I will happily give any future works they create a genuine try! Twenty-seven Minutes has some powerful points and could easily be a five star read with some minor adjustments. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press publishers and Netgalley for my e-ARC!

A tragic accident leaves a sister dead, her brother injured and a friend seriously injured. The brother took 27 minutes to call for help. Could his sister have been saved had he called immediately? Flash forward ten years to another accident on the same bridge. Will the truth come out, answers given as to what took so long for him to call for help?

I was really excited to read Twenty Seven Minutes, but unfortunately it just didn't capture my attention. Something was just missing. I do think it was a good premise for a book and it was well written, it just wasn't for me. I would give it a 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

I had a hard time reading this one. It’s a lot different than many thrillers I have read. I couldn’t keep track of the characters either. It had a great premise though! Interested in seeing more books from this author

Twenty-Seven Minutes had a really fun premise, but I found it to be a little too cliche for the thriller categories. The beginning starts off with a bang and I was so excited to keep reading, but then it stalled out majorly. The characters were hard to keep track of (and a lot were unlikable).

For a debut novel, I didn't think this was terrible and I'd definitely like to read more by the author.

3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Four unlikable individuals tell this story from varying points of view, each of them unreliable narrators. The end result for me was a slog that felt repetitive and never-ending, with little progress being made toward a resolution. I finished the book through sheer determination, but it was not enjoyable. I didn’t care about the characters, I was not invested in their fates, and I was getting tired of them. The ending only confirmed what I already knew—they were all responsible, in one way or another, for the terrible events of the night in question.

It didn't draw me in, but maybe I was just not in the mood. I thought I wanted a mystery but it just didn't keep my attention. I think if I had pushed myself to keep going I would have found out a few things to keep me going more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

Thank you to #NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Ashley Tate for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Twenty-Seven Minutes, to be published 30 January 2024. 4/5 Stars for this virtual character study of a psychological thriller. I particularly enjoyed the way the characters were developed over the course of the book. They were believable and interesting, although mostly tortured due to the circumstances of their lives. This novel was suspenseful, full of intrigue and twists galore. I liked the finale. Readers who enjoy a variety of personalities and mystery will like this novel. #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress #AshleyTate #Twenty-SevenMinutes

DNF. Couldn't get into this although the premise sounded promising. Too slow and couldn't relate to the characters, and didn't really care what happened. Confusing with the charaters and different time lines. Gave up half way. Saw another review that said the last 10% of the book made up for the slow start and middle but personally I could not finish.

Everyone wonders why it took Grant so long to call for help when he had a car accident and his sister Phoebe was injured. Those extra twenty-seven minutes could have saved her life. But Grant and Phoebe weren't the only ones whose lives were changed that night. June's brother Wyatt disappeared the same night of Grant and Phoebe's accident. What really happened that night, and what is everyone hiding?

I have to say that I think I mostly finished this book because I really did want to know what happened. But it was definitely a slow burn and seemed to get a bit sluggish when nothing was revealed until the very end. The twist was a bit anticlimactic as well. Not bad for a debut novel, but this one was a bit too slow-going for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 30, 2024
“Twenty-Seven Minutes” is the debut novel by Canadian author Ashley Tate that asks the question- how far would you go to be seen?
Ten years ago, brilliant and beautiful high school student Phoebe Dean was killed when a car, driven by her brother Grant, went off a bridge in their small town of West Wilmer. Even now, the entire county is still grieving the loss, especially Grant. At the time, rumours and speculation flew- why did Grant wait twenty-seven minutes before calling the police? But Grant isn’t the only one keeping secrets about that night and as the ten-year celebration comes closer, the whole town is on edge, desperate for answers.
“Minutes” is tense and suspenseful, full of unexpected twists and turns. Narrated by various characters who played important roles on the night of the accident (Grant, Becca, Grant’s girlfriend and June and Wyatt Delroy, the local troublemaker and his sister) the story is told over the three days leading up to the ten-year memorial. Of course, each narrator shares their various flashbacks and memories as well, helping the reader piece together what really happened on that night, through a slow and careful reveal.
The story’s main theme is the devastating impact of tragic loss, not just on family and friends but an entire community. Secondary to that is the struggle many of the characters suffer just to be seen, to be acknowledged, heard and understood by someone and made to feel their thoughts and feelings matter. Although there is no doubt this novel belongs to the suspense genre, there are emotional elements to “Minutes” as well that add an extra layer of depth to the plot and contribute to building character rapport.
There were a few plot points that were predictable and easy to guess, but Tate manages to throw a few surprises in the mix, including some paranormal elements that were both unexpected and chilling. The story flows well and the plot caught my attention right from page one. I enjoyed the multiple POV’s and Tate shows burgeoning skill in her ability to tie everything together in a conclusive way.
“Twenty-Seven Minutes” is a debut that shouldn’t be missed, and I anticipate the next work by Tate.

As the decennial of Phoebe’s death in an auto accident approaches and a memorial is planned, the main characters from that fateful night converge to reveal what really happened and why it took her brother, who was driving, twenty seven minutes to call 911. Phoebe was seen as the perfect child by her mother and community. Her brother, not so much. That fateful night had devastating affects on her family and Becca, who was also in the car. Far reaching, it also
touched others including Wyatt who disappeared that night and his family.

This almost reads like a YA novel, but it is far too dark to be anything other than an adult read. I found the characters to be unlikable and could not engage with the story. The narrative seemed to go on and on in a mosaic of obsession, guilt, and grief. I did like the different POVs, but the characters were all such sad people. Curiosity about the real events of that night ten years ago will keep readers hooked.

There are others who will really like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Three and a half stars...
This is a twisted thriller. Ten years ago a horrible car accident happened and is still causing problems for a group of damaged teenagers living in a gossip-ridden nowhere town. When a 10 year memorial is planned, the horror returns, especially to those injured in the accident. One of the emotionally damaged teens involved begins to revisit the heartbreaking loss of her brother. The driver of the car is haunted anew. What exactly happened during the twenty-seven minutes following the accident? How many secrets will finally be uncovered? Read this page-turner to discover the answers. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read prior to publication.

2⭐️

Ten years ago, siblings Grant and Phoebe Dean were in an awful car accident with classmates Becca in the car. The accident, which happened on a bridge, took the life of Phoebe who was the town darling that everyone loved. The question that everyone has is why it took Grant twenty seven minutes to call for help? Only Grant and Becca know.

The same night if the accident, June’s brother Wyatt ran away. She has spent the last ten years trying to figure out where he went. Now that her mother has died she has began to ask questions about what happened to Wyatt and what does it have to do with the death of Phoebe Dean.

I really wanted to like this, but literally nothing happens until the last 10% of the book. The first 90% is very repetitive; it boils down to these main facts: 1. Phoebe was perfect and everyone loved her 2. Everyone seems to forget Becca was involved 3. Grant and Becca repeatedly saying that no one can ever find out about what happened that night 4. Everyone forgetting about June all together.

There are four POV’s through this book and that might have been at least two too many. All of the characters fell a bit flat and by the time we got to the twist I just didn’t care. It also really bothered me how clearly Grant gaslights Becca throughout the book and that he basically uses her mental health issues to do it.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this ARC to me!

A small rural town experienced the death of a high schooler, Phoebe, from a car crash but as the story unravels it may not seem so cut and dry. Her brother Grant at the wheel while Grants secret lover Becca was in the backseat. The town seemed to close the case but with the ten year anniversary of the wreck, people are starting to talk and secrets are starting to reveal themselves. I enjoyed the plot and how my stance on Wyatt, Becca and Grant, seemed to change from chapter to chapter with more information being revealed. This book doesn’t give anything away until the end but has twists and turns throughout!

However, I found aspects of this book to be repetitive and found myself confusing characters until I was halfway through.