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Spiral
368 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2024
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 3, 2024
A clever and interesting read! Charlie's estranged pilot son is in some sort of trouble, so she decides to take a trip to his home in America, but on a plane he is piloting. She wakes up in her seat, and decides to try and see if she can talk to her pilot son, but after number of hurdles bar her way, there's a major catastrophe as the plane plummets! She wakes up again on the plain, same time, same seat...
As I never read book blurbs, this one took me by surprise. Written as a contemporary novel about an estrangement between mother and pilot son that becomes something a lot more as the book progresses. The book also covers the backstories of Charlie and her son that led to the plan ride. in alternating chapters. This speculative fiction / mystery read is so innovative and I would recommend it to each and everyone. 8 out of 12 fab Four Star read :). Thank you to the writer for sending me a copy (I think, apologies if I am wrong).
2024 read
As I never read book blurbs, this one took me by surprise. Written as a contemporary novel about an estrangement between mother and pilot son that becomes something a lot more as the book progresses. The book also covers the backstories of Charlie and her son that led to the plan ride. in alternating chapters. This speculative fiction / mystery read is so innovative and I would recommend it to each and everyone. 8 out of 12 fab Four Star read :). Thank you to the writer for sending me a copy (I think, apologies if I am wrong).
2024 read
February 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller about a British mother, Charlie, and her airline pilot son, Theo, who are estranged. Theo now lives stateside and is on a personal quest to find the American father he's never known. Meanwhile, Charlie is afraid for her son's safety knowing that his father is a dangerous criminal. She catches Theo's flight to America to try and reconcile with him, although he's unaware she's on board. It's at this point that things really start to go haywire! The flight hits turbulence, awakening Charlie as the plane plummets free fall towards the ground. . . and then there's nothing. Charlie wakes up once more and the cycle repeats itself — the same crash over and over.
What an exhilarating book this was! Caught in a Groundhog Day loop of seemingly unending plane crashes, Charlie desperately tries to figure out what's happening. It was such a thrilling read. The action on the plane was fantastic — I was a nervous wreck on the edge of my seat! However, I couldn't quite muster up the same enthusiasm for Theo's part in the story. Unable to predict the ending, I thought it was great. An addictive read with a very good plot.
What an exhilarating book this was! Caught in a Groundhog Day loop of seemingly unending plane crashes, Charlie desperately tries to figure out what's happening. It was such a thrilling read. The action on the plane was fantastic — I was a nervous wreck on the edge of my seat! However, I couldn't quite muster up the same enthusiasm for Theo's part in the story. Unable to predict the ending, I thought it was great. An addictive read with a very good plot.
March 30, 2024
This book was simultaneously exactly what I suspected it would be and also totally unpredictable. Let me explain....
It centers around a mother who is on a flight to America to help her son out - although he is actually the pilot of the plane and unaware she's a passenger. She witnesses the plane crash down loop after loop and has to concoct a plan to save the day.
There are several points I'd like to make about this book. Firstly, Theo's storyline was completely unexpected and truly added the essential drama to a plot which had limited outcomes.
By the time I was around half way through, I figured out why this airborne-Groundhog-Day was afoot and how it could be stopped. Although, the novel was so well written and beautifully paced that I was still on the edge of my seat to see how it ended and how close my predictions were to being correct. There were certain aspects as time ran out that I really didn't see coming and the ending was absolutely spectacular. Although it made sense, I hadn't guessed it, which was nice as there were many plot points along the way that I had predicted.
Both airplane crises and deja vu plots have been done to death in various ways over the years so I was really intrigued to know how Ward would execute this. Much to my amazement, this book was a solid 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)! It's an easy read which hooks you and keeps you on the edge of your seat for the duration. There are elements of gangland culture, the complex and fraught relationship between a mother and son, tainted romance - even philosophical discussions of time and space! Yes, Spiral verges on sci-fi, but it still feels wholly believable due to Ward's gorgeous storytelling. This book is so much more than the premise: it's emotional, tense and brilliant.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an easy-to-read, engaging thriller. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read the ARC from NetGalley, and I'm already adding Ward's other books onto my tbr!
It centers around a mother who is on a flight to America to help her son out - although he is actually the pilot of the plane and unaware she's a passenger. She witnesses the plane crash down loop after loop and has to concoct a plan to save the day.
There are several points I'd like to make about this book. Firstly, Theo's storyline was completely unexpected and truly added the essential drama to a plot which had limited outcomes.
By the time I was around half way through, I figured out why this airborne-Groundhog-Day was afoot and how it could be stopped. Although, the novel was so well written and beautifully paced that I was still on the edge of my seat to see how it ended and how close my predictions were to being correct. There were certain aspects as time ran out that I really didn't see coming and the ending was absolutely spectacular. Although it made sense, I hadn't guessed it, which was nice as there were many plot points along the way that I had predicted.
Both airplane crises and deja vu plots have been done to death in various ways over the years so I was really intrigued to know how Ward would execute this. Much to my amazement, this book was a solid 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)! It's an easy read which hooks you and keeps you on the edge of your seat for the duration. There are elements of gangland culture, the complex and fraught relationship between a mother and son, tainted romance - even philosophical discussions of time and space! Yes, Spiral verges on sci-fi, but it still feels wholly believable due to Ward's gorgeous storytelling. This book is so much more than the premise: it's emotional, tense and brilliant.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an easy-to-read, engaging thriller. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read the ARC from NetGalley, and I'm already adding Ward's other books onto my tbr!
July 6, 2024
Well if you’re looking for a book that’s going to keep you glued to every page then this really is the book for you. For me being in a bit of a reading slump this was one that grabbed my attention right from the start with a completely different kind of plot that had me racing through the book as I was desperate to find out what the heck was going on.
The writing was so well crafted and I loved the Groundhog Day kind of theme and the playing with time aspect it was so very cleverly done and also well explained and interesting. I’m not saying more about the plot as I think it’s better to read this story with no preconceived ideas as that’s what I did and it made it even more enjoyable I think not knowing what was happening or going to happen made it all the better.
So a book I would highly recommend it really is a thrill a minute read with excellent twists and all you want in an addictive and clever thriller.
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The writing was so well crafted and I loved the Groundhog Day kind of theme and the playing with time aspect it was so very cleverly done and also well explained and interesting. I’m not saying more about the plot as I think it’s better to read this story with no preconceived ideas as that’s what I did and it made it even more enjoyable I think not knowing what was happening or going to happen made it all the better.
So a book I would highly recommend it really is a thrill a minute read with excellent twists and all you want in an addictive and clever thriller.
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
July 6, 2025
Spiral is a high-concept, pulse-pounding thriller that combines a Groundhog Day-style time loop with a gripping emotional core. Mother Charlie finds herself trapped on a doomed flight—with her estranged pilot son Theo aboard—repeating the same fatal crash over and over again. As she experiences the loop, she must piece together clues to save everyone on board .
The novel balances edge-of-your-seat suspense with deeper layers—relational tension between mother and son, speculative physics, and moral choices under pressure. Reviewers describe it as “fast-paced, tense, creepy and a high-octane ride” and “impossible to put down,” praising the clever premise and emotional stakes. Most agree that the time-loop structure doesn’t overwhelm the story, thanks to strong character development and narrative momentum .
An inventive and gripping thriller, Spiral delivers relentless tension while exploring a mother's fierce love and self-discovery. A standout summer read for fans of high-concept suspense.
The novel balances edge-of-your-seat suspense with deeper layers—relational tension between mother and son, speculative physics, and moral choices under pressure. Reviewers describe it as “fast-paced, tense, creepy and a high-octane ride” and “impossible to put down,” praising the clever premise and emotional stakes. Most agree that the time-loop structure doesn’t overwhelm the story, thanks to strong character development and narrative momentum .
An inventive and gripping thriller, Spiral delivers relentless tension while exploring a mother's fierce love and self-discovery. A standout summer read for fans of high-concept suspense.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews