I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and knew friends who would also be interested. The issue was the 10 years in the future story line as this felt like too long and makes you question why this is only now being discussed. The books redeeming qualities are the multiple POV way of telling the story and the ending wasn't what I had predicted. However, the whole thing did feel slightly drawn out as to why it took her brother 27 minutes to call an ambulance, 27 minutes that could have saved her life.

I had a hard time finishing this book, but I did. The story goes back and forth from the present to ten years prior, when an accident happened in which the drivers sister died. As the title says, it took twenty-seven minutes for someone to call for an ambulance. The story brings together the three main players in the car and then those around them, that night, and weeks before.

I guess I could not suspend my belief in regards to the behavior of some of the parties, well, mostly all of the parties. Ten years had passed and yet the main characters were still operating in arrested adolescent mode. None of them seemed all that bright or for that matter, sane.

I did not find a lot of suspense. I kept reading just so I could find out exactly what happened that night on the bridge.

Twenty Seven Minutes was a little underwhelming for me. It truly had great promise, but I felt it was far too much of a slow burn. I appreciated the multi pov for each chapter but that added to the chaos in that it feels sporadic and comes in bits and pieces which makes the timeline confusing.. Essentially, Phoebe, a teenager was killed in an car accident 10yrs ago. The title refers to the 27 mins it took Grant (Phoebe's brother & the driver of the car) to call 911. It is alleged that Phoebe could have survived the if grant called immediately. The book surrounds what really happened that night & why Grant didn't call until 27 mins later... The ending is definitely unpredictable though so that gives the story a little bit more.

I have to say that Ashley Tate surprised me with this ending. I did not see it coming at all. This book is well written. I sort of had to push on during the middle of the book, but I am so, so glad I did. I would have missed a good ending if I had not finished this book.

The town of West Wilmer is approaching the 10 year anniversary of the horrible wreck that happened on the bridge and took the life of a young lady, Phoebe, in their town. Not only was Phoebe lost in the wreck, but Becca and Grant were also hurt and have had a long road to recovery. There is also a secret that Becca and Grant share that Becca is determined to help Grant hide. With the approaching anniversary, the truth is eating at Grant and making him regret every keeping the secret that he and Becca have.

On the same night as the wreck on the bridge that claimed Phoebe's life, June's brother Wyatt went away and no one has heard from him or seen him since then. With June's mother passing away, she is left with no family that she can turn to. She desperately wishes that she could find her brother and then she would at least have him. June believes that he is alive and if she could just find him, she could convince him to come home. June is conflicted about whether she should go to the anniversary memorial at the bridge or not. She knew Phoebe but she just doesn't know if she wants to go and stir up those memories.

This story takes place over 3 days, but we get the back story of what really happened in the wreck and we get the present day what is going on. I liked the back and forth and it helped to build the suspense of the storyline. I don't want to tell you too much to give the story away so you are going to have to read the book to find out what really happened in the wreck. I enjoyed this book and I know you will too!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book! Great read!

Twenty Seven Minutes" by Ashley Tate is a slow burn and intense thriller mystery that demands the reader's attention and contemplation. The author's talent shines through in the thoughtful character development and the meticulously crafted premise.

What sets this novel apart is its deliberate pace. Unlike many fast-paced thrillers, Tate takes the time to delve into the depths of her characters' minds, allowing readers to truly understand their motivations and complexities. This deliberate approach may not be for everyone, but for those who appreciate a more thoughtful and immersive reading experience, it's a rewarding journey.

The story keeps you guessing until the very end, weaving an intricate web of suspense and mystery. I found myself resisting the urge to rush through the pages, opting instead to savor every moment and piece together the puzzle alongside the characters.

While the deliberate pacing adds depth to the characters and the plot, it might be a bit challenging for those seeking a quick, adrenaline-fueled read. However, if you're in the mood for a gripping thriller that encourages you to engage with its characters and unravel its mysteries at a measured pace, "Twenty Seven Minutes" is an excellent choice.

I just reviewed Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate. #twentysevenminutes #NetGalley Thanks NetGalley.

Man, this is a hard review for me to write! I was pulled into this story immediately, and couldn't put it down! Between the different perspectives and 2 timelines I was stumped trying to figure out where the story was going. Unfortunately the middle really slowed down for me, and I had a really hard time sticking with it. Each chapter felt repetitive and I wanted to be pulled in again but it was just too slow. The ending was amazing, and had a twist I somehow didn't see coming! Overall the plot was great, and the character development was good, it just went a bit slow for me. It's still a book I would recommend to my friends I think! Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Tate for the arc in exchange for my honest review of this book!

Ugh this was so overly dramatic and not in a good way. I started skimming the chapters about 20% of the way in and then completely skipped from 50% to 85% of the book and missed absolutely nothing. I kept reading in hopes of some great reveal, but nope just an anticlimactic ending. Also, side note: how weird were Phoebe and Grant as brother and sister? I kept thinking they were in a romantic relationship. Anyway, you can skip this one (or if you're still curious, just read the first few chapters and last few).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3/5

Overall what kept me going was finding out exactly what happened during those 27 minutes and while I had pretty much guessed what had happened it was still satisfying to find out.

I did feel certain parts of the plot were very underdeveloped, mainly the relationships between characters and even parts of the end that didn’t quite line up.

Overall if you enjoy low burn mysteries and are willing to suspend your questions I think you’ll quite enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ashley Tate for the advanced read of Twenty-Seven Minutes in exchange for an honest review.

Spilt second decision can change your life. We can wish for different circumstances, try to forget the past, and lie, but the thrush always comes out. Twenty Seven Minutes a story of a desperate decision take change the trajectory of many young lives.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Pub date: Jan 24

This was a very interesting take on a thriller and I mean that in a good way. I liked how it read more upmarket in that it deals with very heavy themes of family and abandonment and self-respect while also keeping the tense atmosphere of a mystery. I enjoyed the unlikeability of all the major protagonists just because I thought it was a very honest look at the negative side of rural life and the effects it can have on emotional development. A really unique read!

Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for letting me read and review. Opinions are my own.

It's been about 18 hours since I finished Twenty-Seven Minutes and I'm still not sure if I liked it or, well, didn't. I was captivated with the opening scene—the gruesome depiction of Phoebe's death. But as the pages turned, my interest diminished. There were several twists throughout the story that were intriguing, but I felt like the plot jumped around a little *too* much. And there are A LOT of characters.

What I liked: It's a fast read with a captivating plot. The twist at the end was interesting and I honestly didn't see it coming. I also like the bit of spook that Ashley brought to the plot with Phoebe's "haunting" of her brother.

What was left to be desired: More character development. I felt like with so many characters, it was tough to really get to know the main group. Phoebe is also extremely unlikable, so I really didn't *need* to know who killed or how she died. And frankly, her death in the end was the most...lackluster. I also didn't love the timeline jumps and it made it quite confusing when trying to keep track of everyone's movements.

I feel like this premise had promise, but it just didn't all come together as much as I would've liked. A solid 3 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press & Ashley Tate for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Twenty-Seven Minutes" is a gripping mystery told from multiple POVs and including some unreliable narrators, keeping you guessing until the very end. Some of my enjoyment was brought down slightly by characters who were difficult to root for and a tendency to tell rather than show. I would have liked a little more perspective from Phoebe, even in flashbacks, to underscore the tragedy of her death. Ultimately, she was simply the backdrop of the story and the focus was on those around her (the good and the bad). The novel was elevated for me by a surprising and satisfying twist and finale, that I *almost* guessed along the way, but was in no way predictable. An overall solid debut.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

the only reason i finished this book was because i was on a brutal six hour train ride from edinburgh to london & had nothing else to read. the dialogue was atrocious. the characters were half-baked. the stakes were overblown. it felt like a book i could’ve & would’ve written when I was twelve years old. how this woman got a byline from ashley audrain is beyond me.

Twenty-Seven Minutes vividly portrays the enduring effects of grief and loss, interwoven with an intriguing mystery. This well-paced novel captivated me with its satisfying conclusion and unexpected twist, making it utterly unputdownable.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The summary of this sounded good but I just could not get into it at all. I struggled to get through this one. Too many characters, repetitive dialogue, and the story was just too slow for me.

This book just didn’t grasp my interest like I hoped. I got 25% in and realized the story felt too forced and I wasn’t really aware how all the changes connected nor did I care. So I skipped the rest!

I read an advanced reader copy of Twenty-Seven Minutes, by Ashley Tate. I had heard a lot of buzz about this novel, and was excited to read it. The novel is a suspense story of an upcoming ten year memorial of the death of a teenager, killed in a car accident on a bridge. But there is a catch. The brother of the deceased girl took 27 minutes to call the police, leaving questions if Phoebe would live if he acted sooner. But why did he wait? What happened?

The premise is interesting - and theoretically a good hook for a story. The reality, for me anyways, is that the way the story is told, through rotating chapters from the perspectives of four characters, plus interweaving chapters titled "ten years ago." just did not work. Yes, this is a very common plot technique. But somehow, the five perspectives just did not work for me. I wanted the story to advance, but you would get a nugget of information, and then take a step back, as 3 or 4 other voices were told. It did not make the book easy to read, but instead, seemed to drag the story out. And while the twist at the end was interesting and yes, shocking, by the time it occurred, I was just reading to get to the end. Add to that, I felt like the shock raised more questions than they answered, given the rotating chapters.

I hate being negative in reviews. But this one just didn't work for me.

The question at the heart of this book is why did it take teenager Grant Dean 27 minutes to call for help following a car accident that resulted in the death of his little sister, Phoebe. The book goes back and forth in time from the date of the accident to the present (10 years later) and gives us the perspective of several of the townspeople affected by the event.

While I really liked the premise of Twenty-Seven Minutes, I couldn't connect with the characters, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book. And while the author did a great job with building tension and teasing the existence of secrets surrounding the crash, it took too long to reveal what was really going on, and I lost interest about halfway through. If you do stick it out though, the ending is worth it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fantastic premise for a book. A rainy night. 3 teenagers in an accident on a bridge. But it takes 27 minutes for them to call for help. What happened in that missing time? What are they hiding?

Unfortunately the story was slower paced and the characters were not very likeable. Lots of recapping the same story again and again but the twist at the end was solid. I just wish there was a bit more meat to the story.

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

My Thoughts

Paraphrased and added to book quote: “Phoebe Dean was so special she glowed. This is what they’ll think when they think of her, when they think of young Phoebe Dean. Because over time all of her flaws will become slightly blurred, slightly vague. Over time the Phoebe Dean legend will live on without her”.

Selective Memorywill occur often in the case of someone dying because people choose to focus on positive traits instead of negative ones because they wish to Honor rather than be totally honest.

Privately what is shared is not always what is said publicly as there’s good and bad in everyone.

In Phoebe Deans case there are character traits that come to light that are very negative indeed!

Paraphrased book quote:“without Phoebe Dean around to age or mature or correct them, the actual complicated girl will fade away until all that is left is the one that they just remember as the special one, as the perfect one, as the one who died in a tragic accident as it rained, on a bridge”…

Viewed through the eyes of classmates Rebecca Jane Hoyt, June Alice Delroy, her brother Wyatt’s and Phoebe’s own brother Grant Dean readers learn a very different story about her.

By the time all of this is firmly established however and despite all of it being important to the development process in the story itself there’s still plenty left for you to find out about exactly what happened during those 27 minutes.

End result of which will probably be as big of a surprise to you as it was for me.

Be warned none of these characters are ones to exactly endear themselves to you.

[EArc from Netgalley]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.