Game Players

This is the 4th of Amanda Walleger books that I have read and I have never been disappointed. The same goes for her latest. Six kids see something wrong, try to make things right and everything goes wrong from then. The children are the main characters and I really felt their pain. This book like all the others by this author was devoured in one sitting. I loved it. Well done Amanda you are vastly becoming one of my favourite authors.

This was another fun read from the author. A good mix of mystery and suspense. A book I would recommend to others.

6 children have a “den” in a wood- so well hidden that it can’t be seen unless you know it is there. One day they see a man who is known to one of them bury something. They have a meeting and decide what they should do. When they next visit the den the man is dead and they are in the thick of things. They take the package and hide it, not quite knowing what to do with it but knowing that whatever it is , is causing trouble. When murder is added to the mix things get rather scary for the close community. As ever Anita grabs your attention from the very start and doesn’t let go. Characters which come alive as you read. Scenarios that you can see in your minds’ eye, coming to life as the tale unfolds. A plot to keep you turning from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this . A captivating read .
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Anita Waller has rapidly become an author I look out for. Game Players is a well written book full of danger and extremely fast paced. 6 children have a den in the woods and uncover a large package of drugs and then the next day find a body. We follow the children and their families as Gangsters try to find the drugs. You get to know the characters well in the story and I felt for the children and their families. From the moment I read the first page, I was spellbound by this story and could not put the book down. This book deserves more than 5 stars. I would highly recommend this book.

I thought that this book was a great read. I really felt for the children after everything they had been through, and it was believable that the children would do the thing they did. The whole story was a good thrilling tale, with no lose ends.
I hadn't heard of Anita Waller before but will certainly be looking out for her again

If you want to read a novel that you can pick up then put aside to go to sleep, work etc, then I suggest you don't start reading Game Players by Anita Waller. This book drags you in from the very beginning and will not let go until you finish. I devoured it in one night..... who needs sleep, right?

This was my first book written by this author and I was not disappointed, in fact I was hooked from the first to last page. I was captivated by the storyline, the easy style of writing and the fast pace of this thriller. A must read for all crime .lovers. Thanks to Bloodhound Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this outstanding book.

Once again the author delivers a story so twisted it is brilliant. Fantastic characters and a story that doesn't let up ,you couldn't ask for more .

Six children playing outside in the woods see a man burying a package. They recover the package, only to discover it contains drugs. Many people begin to search for the missing package and before the end of the novel, several people have died. This is one that held my interest. I appreciate the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

When a gang of six children playing in their den in the woods spot a man burying drugs nearby, it marks the beginning of the end of their childhoods.Unsure what to do, the children dig up the drugs and take them away. But when the dealer, who they watched bury the stash, shows up dead, the youngsters are thrown into turmoil.

The Author has a way of keeping you on your toes. Many twists and turns. Finished this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. A must read

A gang of six children (nice gang... a bit like 'Famous Five' but six) spy from their secret den in the woods, somebody up to no good, burying a stash of drugs (whoa... this goes way beyond 'Famous Five') and maybe not the best idea, as children do, dig up the drugs and relocate them to a wendy-house. Imagine the terror they experience, when the find the said man, lying in the hole with the missing drugs with his throat cut (forget I even mentioned 'Famous Five.'
The children and families are in great danger because someone wants their drugs back.
This was a fabulous read, and I will definitely be reading more of Anita Waller.

Brilliant book, it’s like a Famous Five book but definitely for adults only, storyline works really well and the characters are fantastic. Kids get themselves into danger with tragic consequences

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. 3.5*

A group of 6 children build a den in the woods next to a police station. They witness a man burying a package. As inquisitive as children are they dig it up to find a bag of drugs. The man is subsequently murdered and the children have no idea what to do with the drugs they have hidden.

As the police investigate the bodies begin to pile up and the children and their families are under threat.

This is a simply written book whilst engaging is not enthralling or gritty even though it involves murder and gangsters. I have read previous books by this author and think it is just her style of writing. I also thought the children were a little bit mature for their age.

Anita Waller never disappoints! This was an absolutely gripping tale that I could hardly stand to put down. The villains were completely evil and very easy to hate. The actions of the children were believable, and Ms Waller knows how to create characters that worm their way into your heart and before you know it you find you care very much about what happens to them. This was a wonderful book that takes the reader through the gamut of emotions and provides a thoroughly satisfactory read. Really, really great.

I have read all Anita's books and they have all been brilliant, I cannot fault the skill of this author, very talented.

I find with Anita's writing she gets you involved straight away and this was a gripping page turner which I can definitely recommend and I look forward to her next 'gripper'.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Well the synopsis definitely did the job for me when I agreed to read this book for the Book Blitz, it did not however prepare me for the journey contained within its pages and the emotions I would go through reading this story. Be prepared to put everything on hold when you pick up this book, for me it was a "one sitting read" a book that I could not put down. 

The six children are a close-knit group and it was great to read a story about a group playing outside, making dens and basically building the bonds of a strong friendship. They definitely have each others backs and this really shows when they discover not only bag of drugs but then a body. They discuss the stages of what they will do and the possible outcomes of their actions. They did not however discuss every possible variable or outcome and I can say that I didn't envisage the route this story would take.

This fast paced story had me with my heart in my mouth as I read how their childhood innocence was taken from them, the author has injected real emotion, feeling and absolutely shocking story lines within its pages as I read.

The children are fundamental to this story in making this story a really great read. The plot is twisted and although I am not going to give any details, believe when I say you will be horrified, shocked and if like me you really get into a story you will also go through the wringer. It is easy to follow and also quite detailed.

This for me was a book I absolutely loved. It had crime, mystery, suspense and murder that was wrapped around the story of six children and their families as well as a community. It showed the bond of friendship and how decisions they made were for their own justifiable reasons. This is an absolute Highly Recommended read from me.

A thriller book with a difference. You would be forgiven for thinking you had mistakenly set off reading a YA or children's novel; it is indeed a book for grown ups.

Game Players is very Blytonesque, in that it centres around a gang of six kids who live on an estate in Sheffield and use a woodland area to build a den - a world free from Xbox or Fortnite! Bliss, you may think - but things go wrong.

Whilst hiding in their den, the kids see someone bury a package in the woods. They dig it up, and discover that it is drugs. They discuss their options and decide on the best course of action. Unfortunately, this event entangles them in Sheffield's drug under belly; a dangerous place full of people with little care for the value of life, regardless of whether they are men, women or children.

I enjoyed this book. It hooked me in, and I was eager to finish it, and to see how things worked out for all of the characters. It portrays a pretty seedy world, but the violence is not described in gory detail, for which I was thankful!
Thanks to #Netgalley for this copy of #GamePlayers
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This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it.
A gang of 6 young children spend their summer playing in a den in the woods.
Then one day everything changes. They see a young man bury a package in the earth, can they resist digging it up ? Of course not!
After a discussion they decide the next morning to put it back. However on arriving, to their horror the young man is lying with his throat cut in a pool of blood.
So starts a chain of events which lead to more murders.
The children and their families are under threat as the police push on with their investigations doing everything to protect them.
An interesting cast of characters who come alive as the story unfolds and the links between them all were revealed.
The children were charming.
Plenty of twists and turns to hold your interest right through to the final page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for the chance to read this an ARC.

A thumping good read. From the outset this book draws you in and the intrigue builds tension. The use of 6 kids as lead characters is unusual and makes it a more approachable thriller.

I started reading this just before bed and stayed up for two hours as I just couldn’t put it down. Am exhausted now but it was worth it!

Absolutely brilliant- enjoyed every minute of it!

My first reading of this author so no expectations or pre-conceptions. The story starts off centring around a tight knit group of six children who find themselves in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. I liked the description of the strong friendships between the children but I did think that they thought and acted much older than they were at times. As the tale unfolds other characters emerge, all linked in some way to what has happened. There are many twists and turns until eventually the police investigation takes over and brings the story to a fitting conclusion. The author deals with drugs, murder and gangsters but in a fairly gentle style making this book suitable for those who don't like too much gore. This is a book that you want to keep reading to the end. Highly recommended!

When I was younger I loved reading The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. Game Player reminded me of these stories, but an adult version.

I started this book one morning and ended up reading it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a captivating read about how one summer can change the lives of six children and their families.

This is an engrossing read that I pretty much inhaled. I highly recommend this read and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Game Players is the first book that I gave read by Anita Waller but it probably won't be the last.

At first I wondered whether it should have been described as YA or Chikdren's fiction however as the story develops and there are more adults involved more mature or adult themes are introduced without it becoming too onerous or overpowering

The book is a fairly easy read but keeps you turning the pages

A thumbs up from me

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Game Players by Anita Waller. I am really starting to like mystery/thriller books from UK authors - I think I have discovered a whole new world and Anita Waller is an author I will follow.
A group of children from a well do to area play in the woods and create a "fort". They are a tight knit group, they watch out for each other, and protect their little area in the woods. One day they see a young man bury something and they soon find out that the area they thought would be safe for them to play is no longer - They dig it up and discover that this young man has buried drugs. The kids think they are doing the right thing by taking it and hiding it but soon their actions lead to death and destruction - and nothing will be the same again.
Fast paced and well written - recommend.

What a shocking, horrifying book...in the most brilliant way! Like a grown up Famous Five. Highly recommended and will be looking out for future stories from Anita.

Yet another brilliant book by Anita Waller. I have read all of Anita’s books so far and can honestly say they have all been great reads.

This one centres around a group of six friends aged 9 to 11. Whilst playing in their den within the woods they see a young man burying something. They decide to take a look and that decision will change their lives as well as those around them.

This book really does keep you hooked from start to finish and it is so unusual for a thriller to be centred around a group of children. I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend this to anyone that loves thrillers. There are some really upsetting scenes but they are handled so brilliantly. I absolutely loved the children’s characters and if I had to choose just one I think it would be Daryl !! I even found myself feeling sorry for one of the main bad guys, I’m sure you can guess who.

A definite must read and if you haven’t already you really must read Anita Waller’s previous books.

I really like Anita Waller, when I read 34 Days I absolutely loved it and have been a fan of the author ever since, and she's definitely got a place in my top author's list.

There was a lot that I loved about Game Players, it grabbed me right from the start and I loved the 'gang of six', a group of children who find themselves caught up in a world that they don't belong. They make a decision, all agreeing by vote, but are totally unaware of the fatal consequences of that vote. 

As a reader I couldn't help but root for the gang, and also feel slightly envious of them as I'd of loved to have friends like that when I was growing up! I loved how Waller made each child an individual, but together they were such a team and a real force to be reckoned with.

The book is told from various points of view and I have to say that I enjoyed reading all of them which is unusual as often there's at least one that you don't enjoy reading about so much. The police officer who knew that something was going on but had no idea what. The criminal with a conscience. The imperfect parent trying to do their best. They all added to the story and made it a compelling read that I just didn't want to put down.

Game Players was one of those books that I desperately wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen, but when I did I was really sad that it was over and that I would have to leave that gang of six behind. 

Thanks for a great read Anita Waller! When is the next one out??

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for a copy of Game Players by Anita Waller, I was under no obligation to review the book and all thoughts are my own.

This is a good book which centres around a group of six children who cone across some drugs in the woods, and then a dead body.
They work out a plan for the drugs but the next day when they find the body they realise they must tell the Police.
The Police start investigating the death of the local man but the children still have the drugs hidden.
I understand they were unsure what to do but the loss of these drugs gets some nasty people interested in them and soon disaster strikes.
This is a good read which I flew through in a few hours.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was my first book by Anita Waller. I got a pre-publish copy with a request to review. I liked the book so much that I pre-ordered the regular Kindle version from Amazon. I highly recommend this book. You can just picture the six children and the way of their thinking to stay out of trouble. You will sympathize with both children and parents and occasionally even feel sorry for some of the bad guys.

Well this is my second book by Anita Waller and I really enjoyed reading it.
The story begins with the introduction of the gang of six children who have a den in the woods where one day they see a man hiding bag of cocaine in the ground, later they find a young man dead... it is a story filled with twists and turns that keeps you on toes and doesn't let you stop reading.
All characters were very well built, bad ones are evil and easy to dislike them, on the other hand children are realistic and their actions were pretty believable. You simply start to worry about them because you know that everyone is in danger.
Storyline is great, the book itself is easy to read and I can say that I will be reading the next ones written by the author.

This is the first book by Anita Waller I have read and I’m pleased to say I really enjoyed it.

It’s what I would describe as a gentle thriller as I felt it was more character than action driven. It reminded me a little of the film stand by me, as it had a touch of a coming of age story to it.

I loved the setting of the woods. I grew up playing in the woods and making dens with my friends so I enjoyed the descriptions of the children’s innocent games as it took me back to my childhood. The Gang of Six are a beautiful creation that I hope the author writes more stories about. I found that I really cared about them and therefore felt more involved in the story as I cared about what happened to them. I really wanted to be part of their gang, involved in their games and investigations. They are really close, good friends and I wish I had such friends in childhood.

This is one of the first books I’ve read when I actually felt sorry for the drug dealer. Vinny seems, underneath everything, an ok guy whose just got into something way over his head. He’s a criminal with a conscience which is quite sweet to read about.

This isn’t an overly fast moving book but it is a hugely enjoyable one, mainly because of the characters the author has created. The action alternates between the children and Vinny, the drug dealer, which gives the reader more of a holistic view of what is happening and helps to add to the tension as you are aware of what is happening before the other side.

This is the first book by Anita Waller I have read and I’d be very interested to read more from her in the future, particularly if she was to write another story with the gang of six in it.

Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound books for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

My take on this book was surprising and very vocal.
It was especially from all the six kids .
When they find money and drugs in the woods they have to tell the police about it because the six kids are being hunted .
I got this ARC from Bloodhound and NetGalley .

Six children see a package being buried in the woods near their den and are utterly confused and frightened. They make the dangerous decision to take it without realizing the danger it will put them in.

This was my first time reading a book by Anita Waller and I was impressed. It kept my attention well and I wanted to see what would happen next. I enjoyed the bond that these six children had and I loved the focus that it had on the change in their lives rather than what was happening to the people looking for the package. It did focus a lot on those looking for the package but the children played major roles in the book and I think that is what made it so intriguing.

To me, the book really didn't have much of a climax. I felt like it was the same pace throughout the whole book. I was waiting for it to build up to a climax at the end but it didn't and it was fairly disappointing. However, I thought this was a great read and would recommend it!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

http://toristhrillingthoughts.blogspot.com/2018/05/game-players-by-anita-waller.html

WOW! ANITA HAS DONE IT AGAIN. What a bloody brilliant, outstanding, captivating story. This has to be a new favourite author for me, she just knows how to hook me left, right and centre! Loved Game Players. Anita comes up with the best stories I promise you. After Captor I had high hopes but this tops it!

A well deserved five stars from me and highly recommend. Game Players will be going into my top 20 of 2018! Brilliantly written, a fast paced read which is easy to devour. Brilliant. Would love to see this story turned into a film.

Six innocent children in the wrong place at the wrong time… I felt sorry for each child and what they went through, but I loved the relationship between the group and how they all stuck together. Children taking on grown up decisions should not happen, I reckon they handled the situation as best they could.

The age of innocence, children running free, playing in woods, building dens over the long six week holiday from school. And then they witness one man’s actions and things never be the same again.

I loved the camaraderie between the six children. It’s a proper gang that run together, causing mischief and playing in the woods. Such a contrast with the cutthroat nature of the set up of the gangsters. The Sheffield mob are not afraid to cut one of their own loose whereas the Gang of Six have each other’s backs no matter what! I was really rooting for the gang to get through all of this and I will admit there were a few gasps and hand to mouth moments as I read.

This is the first book I’ve read by Anita Waller and it won’t be the last. I was lucky enough to meet the author last October and hear her read from 34 Days which piqued my interest in her books. Many of my bookish friends have read her novels and rate them highly so I’ll have to get myself some to read, starting with 34 Days!

This is a very gritty read. This might sound weird but it was very Yorkshire and it’s meant as a complement. I could hear the locals in the story sounding just like the people I know from the City of Steel. Yorkshire folk are a hard and loyal bunch and the author has captured this perfectly in the Gang of Six despite their young age. Add into the mix, the ruthlessness of the gangsters and you’ve got a cracking crime thriller.

When a group of children hiding in their secret den see someone burying drugs in a hole in the ground, they collectively decide to do the right thing - dig it up and take it to their local police station. Unfortunately, before they've had time to hand in the drugs, they discover the dead body of a local small-time dealer where the drugs would have been, had they not dug them up.

Eventually they decide to tell the police about the body they've found but not that they've got the drugs, because they don't want to be blamed for the death of murdered man. To avoid getting into trouble, and having their secret den taken away from them, the kids make up a story of discovering the body whilst playing a game of hide-and-seek. But of course, kids lying to the police can only get them into more trouble, right?

Are they now responsible for someone's death? If they hadn't of meddled with the drugs, would the man still be alive? These are just some of the questions raised in the book Game Players by Anita Waller, which highlights how a group of innocent children get caught up in a major drug dealing racket, and become stuck with a heap of drugs that people are killing for! These guys mean business and they'll stop at nothing to get their stash back. It's worth a lot of money.

This is a great book, and I read it super-fast. The children find themselves having to grow up overnight when their childish actions come with deadly serious consequences. This believable story shows how one act of naive kindness can turn their lives upside down as events spiral out of control and their own lives, and those of their families, are put in danger.

The kids were great to read about, as they were really good friends who looked out for each other. I loved how they worked together to get themselves out of trouble, just like those in Stephen King's The Stand. They're a team and think they'll be together forever. Just like kids thinking the hot summer holidays are never-ending. I also enjoyed reading how one boy's dad was involved in a way which made me dislike him, but when things got really bad, he had a change of heart and stepped up to become the concerned father he should have been all along. This is just one, of many plot threads, which made this book a worthy read.

This is an entertaining and believable thriller, which I found both gripping and incredibly moving. It's about the true bond of friendship, decisions having consequences and the games people play with their lives. I enjoyed it immensely and will look into reading more of Anita Waller's books from now on. Superb!

This is the first book of Anita's I have read and, although it wasn't as fast paced as most of the books I read, was still an enjoyable read and I will be looking out for more of Anita's books in the future.

The book revolves around a group of children finding some drugs and then what happens afterwards.  

All of the characters are very well described and I loved the fact that the Gang of Six are all very protective of each other and enjoy playing as a gang.  The author really made me feel for the group as they had their innocence ripped from them as they get dragged into the story and have to grow up very quickly.

Overall it was a very enjoyable book, which got started quickly before the pace slowed down a bit.

Six children are playing in the woods when they see the local drug dealer Vinnie Walmsley burying a package. They dig up the package and discover it is drugs and hide it somewhere else. When he is later found dead the kids go to the police about his death. But there are other players that are looking for the drugs and they know the kids found them. They start going after the kids and their families to get the drug back.

This was a great thriller. I was on the edge of my seat hoping the kids and their families made it out of the fight over the drugs. You can’t help but get invested in the kids and their families. They are a great set of friends and they are just trying to do the right thing. Of course when dealing with drug dealers and missing product you just know that things are going to go wrong, in the worst way possible, and all you can do is pray to make it through.

This is my first book from Anita Waller but it will NOT be my last. It was so easy to care about these well written characters, especially when it is kids. Of course there are some brutal scenes but they are well written. This is a great thriller and one that I think people will really enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

Well Anita Waller has managed to fulfil all my expectations and more in her new book Game players. It utterly amazes me how she can give the sense of shock and horror in one foul swoop, it sends tingles through my spine every time I delve into Anita’s imaginative storylines.

Game Players, 6 children, a stack of buried drugs and a murdered man, the lives of these 6 children is never going to be the same again. After the children decide to hide the drugs, their lives pummel into a uncontrollable spiral, there is danger around every corner, the boss wants his drugs back by any means possible. As the pages unfurl disaster strikes, the families are on tenderhooks, are they safe, can the police keep them safe.

The dynamics of the children reminded me of my childhood where we would all hang out, play games, summer holidays were awesome, just like these kids not a care in the world and feeling safe. But that safety can be shattered in an instant, something you see, hear, do can be your downfall. I felt really sorry for these kids whose split second decision altered there lives and everyone around them but I was also quite proud of their camaraderie when everything became almost unbearable.

My interpretation of the story to me, follows the naivety of the children, the conundrum of being unable to confront their fears and pass the vital information over to the police in case of backlash, but also being in the spotlight of a drug baron who will stop at nothing to get back what is his.

Anita has a written a well proportioned book with the correct balance of fear, darkness, criminality and pieces of familiar family ties which connect the whole storyline together with the awesome WoWness which will drag throughout the pages at full pelt until your reach the penultimate ending.

Anita has blown away the rest in one stroke of her pen with her new exceptional psychological thriller Game Players, even that cover tips me over the edge with the dark creepy woods. Oh the chills just thinking about it……

Thank you to Bloodhound Books, Anita Waller and Sarah Hardy for an advanced readers copy of Game Players in exchange for my honest opinion and unbiased comments for my review on the Blog Tour.

Six children have formed a small gang and have been meeting at a den they created in the woods. One day, they witnessed a man burying what appears to be drugs. They devised a plan to get rid of the drugs, but this was easier said than done. Then they made the unfortunate discovery of the body of the man that had buried the drugs. From this moment on, the children and even their families are not safe.

Game Players is dark story that is very well-written and was a one-sitting read. I look forward to reading more of Anita Waller's books in the future.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review.

A really good book centering on a group of 6 children who are close friends. They find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. They see a man burying something in the woods, while in their den, and dig it up. The consequences are horrendous for them. This book has a storyline that keeps you riveted and fearful for the children.

Loved the story line and twists and terms. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy when I first started reading this, but it was a great read. Would thoroughly recommend this book. 😀

This is my first time reading this author. I have two of her books, still unread on my Kindle. I really enjoyed it. I thought the title was okay but could have been a bit stronger. Game Players uses different narrative viewpoints to tell the story including the kids. This works really well. Sometimes the kid’s narration seemed uneven and they sounded younger or older than they are supposed. This only happened a couple of times and worked well overall. I enjoyed getting different perspectives on what was happening. The pacing works really well, slow burning at first and gradually increasing as events unfolded. Game Players has a lot of twists and turns and fairly rattled along.

Wow. I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery. It started by reminding me of the Famous Five. Kids getting the better of adults, who are not very bright. But then the murders kicked in and the action kept going. I devoured this book in hours. It kept me engaged right to the end. Excellent!!!

I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley - thank you Bloodhound Books!

Enjoyable, well-written murder mystery - but I'm not sure I'd classify it as a thriller. It makes a nice change to read a book for an adult/teen audience written from a child's (children's) point of view, although sometimes I found the dialogue a little too grown-up for the nine-to-eleven-year-old children who are the main protagonists.

Plenty of twists and turns, with some shocking moments among them. Well-developed story line - all in all, a good absorbing read.

I have read all the books by Anita Waller and I really enjoyed it. Anita has very quickly become one of my favourite authors!
The story is about a gang of six children who have a den in the woods and one day they see a man hiding a bag of cocaine in the ground. Later they find a man dead. The story is filled with lots of twists and keeps you guessing and it is very hard to put the book down!
I can't wait until the next book!

Gritty, menacing, and meticulous!

Game Players is a well-paced police procedural that introduces us to a ruthless mob boss, a relentless police officer, amateur criminals, flawed parents, and a tight-knit group of six innocent children whose inquisitive nature will unintentionally trigger a chain of catastrophic events that will lead to a trail of dead bodies.

The writing is dark and intense. The characters are secretive, impulsive, and in over their heads. And the complex plot told from multiple perspectives interweaves into a compelling story with lots of twists, turns, surprises, violence, and murder.

Overall, Game Players is an intricately woven, engrossing mystery with lots of action and a great cast of characters that is highly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.

I've never read this author before, I found it bit slow in the middle with what all the kids were doing and playing but it speeds up and turns to a page turner, I have even bought another book by here as well.

Another excellent read by this author who always makes you want to keep reading in one session. I loved the authors interpretation of telling story through children and their innocence but also common sense. Very sad at times when criminals get desperate but couldn’t wait to get to the end.

A really good read. Six children playing in their den in the woods watch someone hiding drugs. They dig up the drugs and set in motion a catalogue of events which touches all their lives in the most brutal way. Really well written. A good plot with some surprises thrown in.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Book Review: Game Players by Anita Waller
It's the summer holidays and a group of kids are playing in the woods, when they spot a local thug burying something. So, what do they do? Well, as kids are kids, they do the exact opposite from what most of us would do and they dig up the package and realise it's drugs. Now, their dilemma is, what should they do with the drugs? I know, I know you're all yelling 'Dob in the Dealer' - but, well, kids are kids aren't they? And it's not as easy for them to make this decision (It's all to do with their pre-frontal cortex, you know?) So, they spend time in their den trying to work out what to do .... and it's then that Waller, as only a devious minded crime writer can do, ups the stakes dramatically, making the kids' dilemma even more fraught.
From there on in, Waller delights us with twist after twist, her acerbic humour and her edge of the seat tension. She doesn't shy away from the gritty sordid world of gangs, henchmen and drug trafficking, but rather embraces it in a realistic, if sometimes shocking way. Game Players twists its way into your subconscious and this makes for compelling reading.
Waller's characterisation is delightful, from the ten year old children, to the couldn't care less father, to the evil criminal. This book was a delight from start to finish - not sure delight is quite the right word for a novel with a pretty hefty body count - but you get my drift. You'll love it. Go on give it a go!

At the beginning of this i was a little worried that it was not going to be a book for me. Glad I continued and finished. I really enjoyed this book and had fun reading it. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Just when I thought Anita couldn't get any better and along comes Game Players.

The story line was so well written, you had laughter, tears, deaths and more tears.

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you wanting to read more, there were edge of your seat moments as well as just wanting to give those kids a big hug because of what they were going through.

I have read all of Anita's books and I just want to keep reading more, I definitely recommend reading this and the rest of her books if you get a chance, you won't be disappointed

Excellent book, dark & disturbing, but I like that ! Kids, secret hideaways, drugs, gangsters, death & revenge. What more could you want ? I wasn't sure what to expect, it sounded good but I wasn't sure it would stack up but I really enjoyed this book. I read it in a day. If you like mysteries and thrillers add this to your TBR list. You will be glad you did ! Plenty of twists and turns to keep you in suspense.

I would like to thank Netgalley & Bloodhound Books for this partnership.

It all starts when a group of six teenagers playing in the woods spot a man who is burying drugs. It will change life forever. They are going to unearth the drugs, except that the dealer is dead and the dealers will at all costs want to find their drug. Police will investigate this mystery because teens will be targeted by gangsters.

A captivating story with fluid writing and endearing characters, eager to read other books by this talented author.

They are called the Gang of Six. Six youngsters around the age of 10 or so. Friends one and all. They have fashioned a hide-away in the woods. They think they're safe since the police station is within a few minutes away.

But it's not as safe as they thought. As they sat whiling the time away, they happen to see a man burying what looks like drugs very close to their hideaway. Not sure what they should do, they decide to dig the bags up. They'll decide what to do with them later.

The next day, they stumble across the man, a drug dealer, who was hiding the drugs .. only he's dead with his throat cut. Scared out of their minds, the kids report the body to the police ... after making sure they all have the same story. There's no mention of the drugs.

But someone is searching for those drugs and will stop at nothing to get them back.

That summer will see these kids lose their innocence ... maybe even their lives ... when the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals

In the beginning, this has a feel of STAND BY ME to it. But as the story progresses, it's gets much darker, much more dangerous. As characters go, the kids are fantastic... almost too much so. They are best friends, and they all take care of each other. Some of the parents merit an honorable mention, some don't.

The story premise is a good one, although the ending didn't quite meet my expectations. There are several twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and kept me glued to the pages.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

GAME PLAYERS by Anita Waller is an engaging crime fiction novel about how the lives of six children and their families can change through the consequences of their action…on one fine summer day.

When a gang of six children playing in their den in the woods spot a man burying drugs nearby, it marks the beginning of the end of their childhoods. The Gang of Six as they liked to be called include:

1)Mark Brownlow-Twin-Sole-Leader (11 ½ years old)
2)Dominic Brownlow-Twin-Second-in-command (11 ½ years old)
3)Freya Brownlow-Sister (9 years old)
4)Ella Johnston-Freya’s best friend (9 years old)
5)Sammy Walker-likes Freya (11 years old)
6)Daryl Clarkson-Sensible one, smart and most important one in the gang as he kept them alive.

Their lives will be forever changed!

But what should they do? Dig up the drugs and turn them over to the police, since the police station is close to their hidden den.

Unsure what to do, the children dig up the drugs and take them away. But when the dealer, who they watched bury the stash, shows up dead, the youngsters are thrown into chaos.

The children are so scared now and tell the police about the body they have discovered.

In the interim, the gangsters start searching for their missing drugs.

Soon the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals who will stop at nothing to retrieve their narcotics…

In this novel, the children’s characters are at the forefront, and the reader gets to get to know each character’s personality in detail. They are all different and each have an important role to play in this novel. This is a dark creepy fast-paced domestic thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. I highly recommend this read and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books via Netgalley for my copy.

I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read with murder, drugs and thugs. The ending wasn’t a big surprise, but I did stay up half the night to finish it! The children were all very likable and I even started to feel sorry for some of the “bad guys”. This is the first book I’ve read from Anita Waller. I’ll admit I had trouble decifering some of the quirky sayings and unknown words (to me, anyway), but it added a little humor to the seriousness of the story.

Six young school kids form a “Gang” and spend their time building a Den in the woods and hanging out there...just typical kid stuff. While hanging out in their Den, they spot someone hiding something in the woods. Of course they become curious and dig it up, choosing to keep it a secret. This one choice starts a chain of terrible consequences, that not all six kids make it through. After a few surprise twists, it starts getting exciting.

Thank you again NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

#GamePlayers #NetGalley #Amazon

This is an intense and enthralling read with sharp contrasts between the innocence of youth and the dark underbelly of society. It is unique in that it centres around a group of 6 young children enjoying the freedom of childhood until they naively become embroiled in something that will change their lives forever.

Well written, great pace, fantastic characters and a complex plot makes this book a must read.

Thanks to the publisher, Bloodhound Books, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

This was a great little gem to discover! The author did an amazing job of showing the innocence of youth and the horrendous things in society. I am going to seek out more of this author’s work.