What do you think?
Rate this book
The Counting Game
*A SUNDAY INDEPENDENT HOT DEBUT AUTHOR OF 2025*Into the woods.
Count to ten.
Only one of us comes home again.
1995, Ireland. Panic grips the village of Drumsuin when a teenage girl goes missing in the nearby forest.
Saoirse is not the first girl to disappear in those woods. And when it’s revealed she was playing the Counting Game that day – a ritual believed to ward off the forest’s evils – old superstitions send the community into turmoil.
One person saw what happened to Saoirse. But 9-year-old Jack won’t tell the Gardai. Freya, an English psychotherapist with her own history of grief, is brought in to help the investigators break his silence.
As the race to find Saoirse alive accelerates, can Freya make Jack talk? Why is he keeping the forest’s secrets? And who is hell bent on driving Freya out of Drumsuin before the truth is discovered?
The Counting Game is a deeply haunting, atmospheric and emotional mystery, from an unmissable new voice in Irish crime fiction, perfect for fans of Tana French, Erin Kelly and Belinda Bauer
Count to ten.
Only one of us comes home again.
1995, Ireland. Panic grips the village of Drumsuin when a teenage girl goes missing in the nearby forest.
Saoirse is not the first girl to disappear in those woods. And when it’s revealed she was playing the Counting Game that day – a ritual believed to ward off the forest’s evils – old superstitions send the community into turmoil.
One person saw what happened to Saoirse. But 9-year-old Jack won’t tell the Gardai. Freya, an English psychotherapist with her own history of grief, is brought in to help the investigators break his silence.
As the race to find Saoirse alive accelerates, can Freya make Jack talk? Why is he keeping the forest’s secrets? And who is hell bent on driving Freya out of Drumsuin before the truth is discovered?
The Counting Game is a deeply haunting, atmospheric and emotional mystery, from an unmissable new voice in Irish crime fiction, perfect for fans of Tana French, Erin Kelly and Belinda Bauer
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
October 5, 2025
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
I admit, I didn't quite catch onto who the culprit was. ❓ In fact, even when the clues were laid out, I found it a bit difficult to connect the dots on my own, but as it was languidly explained, the pieces did fall into place. If anything, I am grateful it did not take the more practical approach, which, as much as it pains me to admit, would have been rather blase in its portrayal. 👍
“This memory is a very valuable one, but it definitely doesn’t want to be found.”
Freya and Jake's relationship developed at a believable pace. I don't know how much of the guilt over her daughter, Violet's tragic death played that much of a traumatic part, sharing a sense of loss. But it was one of the key parts that drove Freya to be that more involved in investigated Saoirse's disappearance, much to the chagrin of the people of Drumsuin and garda, the local law enforcement, with the frustrating feeling of secrets being held just below the surface. 🔢
It's also still very slow-paced unraveling of a mystery. Maybe because Jake's mind is so fragile that any hasty push would have damaged his psyche more so, despite how it is very much a race against the clock to believe that Saoirse is alive somewhere. 🥺 Delicately balancing fiction with reality was the cryptic creepiness of the The Counting Game itself - something terrifying that can make people disappear. It heightened the danger and uncertainty in Freya's eyes of what was lurking hidden beyond Jake's mind.
The author also capitalized on the mystique and allure of the forest really well in both the sensory details and the vivid imagery of this haunted, chilling and claustrophobic feel that even the forest played a sinister role in claiming its victims - the secrets shrouded in their midst. 🌳 It shined in certain parts - 'night stretches out in surrender to the frozen dawn' - that created an atmospheric feel to the setting.
“The forest knows how to punish people who don’t respect it.”
What I would have liked is for it to have been a bit more compelling. I mean, yes, I continued cuz I was curious, but I didn't feel the thrill of the search. 😕 That sounds morbid; but, like, maybe more oomph to the plot and characters. But, they're just normal people, the crowd argues... Well, yes... Freya was a strong and kind-hearted psychotherapist intent on doing the right thing, and Jake's innocence felt true, but I think I still wanted more of the thrill rather than the spill.
As in, it was also very much a background storyline, that when we got to the full suspense of the truth - it did not make that much of an impactful splash, rather it drizzled and washed away... I think mainly because the element of surprise was taken out much earlier, so that I felt the trajectory of the story shifted. 😮💨 I also felt that because Freya suspected everyone, she put herself in more danger than what she was really in; so that seed of a doubt was rather more of a plot device, aside from decrypting Jake's memories.
The family drama also could have been a bit more different. I understand the significance it played - echoes of a pain that feels familiar— holding on to grief and loss, a broken home I just wish it was not such a typical one; although again, I will give props to the author for not going down the oh so typical route. 🤷🏻♀️ I was bracing myself for the inevitable obvious, but I was happy to be proven wrong.
｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ
A note to the editors; as I received an advance copy, I found some errors that need correction. When the perspective alternates between Jake's third person and Freya's first person, the chapter annonts each chapter with the character's name. However, I believe chapters 27-28, and maybe another are labeled Freya, but it is actually Jake's point of view, still. Since, by that number I had grown accustomed to what that header meant, it took me a second to be caught off guard - go back and see did I miss something - and then realize, it is a mistake, which repeats a couple more times. 🧐 So, yeah, just take a look at that if anyone from the publishing side bothers reading this before the final print.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
“Sometimes the dark is safer than the light.”
I admit, I didn't quite catch onto who the culprit was. ❓ In fact, even when the clues were laid out, I found it a bit difficult to connect the dots on my own, but as it was languidly explained, the pieces did fall into place. If anything, I am grateful it did not take the more practical approach, which, as much as it pains me to admit, would have been rather blase in its portrayal. 👍
“This memory is a very valuable one, but it definitely doesn’t want to be found.”
Freya and Jake's relationship developed at a believable pace. I don't know how much of the guilt over her daughter, Violet's tragic death played that much of a traumatic part, sharing a sense of loss. But it was one of the key parts that drove Freya to be that more involved in investigated Saoirse's disappearance, much to the chagrin of the people of Drumsuin and garda, the local law enforcement, with the frustrating feeling of secrets being held just below the surface. 🔢
It's also still very slow-paced unraveling of a mystery. Maybe because Jake's mind is so fragile that any hasty push would have damaged his psyche more so, despite how it is very much a race against the clock to believe that Saoirse is alive somewhere. 🥺 Delicately balancing fiction with reality was the cryptic creepiness of the The Counting Game itself - something terrifying that can make people disappear. It heightened the danger and uncertainty in Freya's eyes of what was lurking hidden beyond Jake's mind.
The author also capitalized on the mystique and allure of the forest really well in both the sensory details and the vivid imagery of this haunted, chilling and claustrophobic feel that even the forest played a sinister role in claiming its victims - the secrets shrouded in their midst. 🌳 It shined in certain parts - 'night stretches out in surrender to the frozen dawn' - that created an atmospheric feel to the setting.
“The forest knows how to punish people who don’t respect it.”
What I would have liked is for it to have been a bit more compelling. I mean, yes, I continued cuz I was curious, but I didn't feel the thrill of the search. 😕 That sounds morbid; but, like, maybe more oomph to the plot and characters. But, they're just normal people, the crowd argues... Well, yes... Freya was a strong and kind-hearted psychotherapist intent on doing the right thing, and Jake's innocence felt true, but I think I still wanted more of the thrill rather than the spill.
As in, it was also very much a background storyline, that when we got to the full suspense of the truth - it did not make that much of an impactful splash, rather it drizzled and washed away... I think mainly because the element of surprise was taken out much earlier, so that I felt the trajectory of the story shifted. 😮💨 I also felt that because Freya suspected everyone, she put herself in more danger than what she was really in; so that seed of a doubt was rather more of a plot device, aside from decrypting Jake's memories.
The family drama also could have been a bit more different. I understand the significance it played - echoes of a pain that feels familiar— holding on to grief and loss, a broken home I just wish it was not such a typical one; although again, I will give props to the author for not going down the oh so typical route. 🤷🏻♀️ I was bracing myself for the inevitable obvious, but I was happy to be proven wrong.
｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ
A note to the editors; as I received an advance copy, I found some errors that need correction. When the perspective alternates between Jake's third person and Freya's first person, the chapter annonts each chapter with the character's name. However, I believe chapters 27-28, and maybe another are labeled Freya, but it is actually Jake's point of view, still. Since, by that number I had grown accustomed to what that header meant, it took me a second to be caught off guard - go back and see did I miss something - and then realize, it is a mistake, which repeats a couple more times. 🧐 So, yeah, just take a look at that if anyone from the publishing side bothers reading this before the final print.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I loved that this story was set in Ireland. My husband and I are in love with that country and it's people. I liked how this book was told from different perspectives and that it kept me guessing throughout. I especially liked when the ending was revealed, I realized it had been there all along. Great story.
January 22, 2026
A dark, creepy story of a missing teenage girl in a small town in Ireland. This is a slow burning, at times a bit too slow but the ending payed off. More a character driven story than I usually read, full of people with secrets and something to hide.
I enjoyed the supernatural themes l very unsettling and keeps you guessing. A town with long buried secrets just dying to be exposed. The characters are all pretty flawed, there are so many issues with them all. I wouldn’t want to live there!
Thank you to Gallery Books for my early copy to read. Publishes on April 7th.
I enjoyed the supernatural themes l very unsettling and keeps you guessing. A town with long buried secrets just dying to be exposed. The characters are all pretty flawed, there are so many issues with them all. I wouldn’t want to live there!
Thank you to Gallery Books for my early copy to read. Publishes on April 7th.
April 8, 2026
TW/CW: Smoking, death of parent, death of child, death by suicide, child abandonment, mental health, drinking, alcoholism, cutting, grieving, toxic family relationships, gaslighting, suicidal thoughts, language
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Southwestern Ireland, 1995: Two children go into the woods. Only one comes out.
When thirteen-year-old Saoirse Kellough goes missing, panic grips a rural Irish community. Saoirse is not the first girl to disappear in the forest, rumored by locals to be haunted, and the only witness—her troubled younger brother, Jack—refuses to speak. Saoirse went missing when they were playing the Counting Game, a ritual believed to ward off evil, and Jack has sworn to protect the forest’s secrets.
Freya Hemmings, a psychotherapist still healing from a loss of her own, is brought in to help investigators break Jack’s silence. As the race to find Saoirse alive accelerates, the search threatens to unravel a family facing the unthinkable. Everyone is a suspect, and the closer Freya and Jack become, the more danger they find themselves in.
Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 416
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
What I Liked:
1. Short fast chapters
2. Writing style flowed
3. Creepy parts
4. Very atmospheric
5. Loved the sister/brother relationship
What I Didn't Like:
1. Hate dreams in books
2. Some things never explain/revisited
3. Plot holes
4. Ending is unbelievable
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
The kids dad is horrible. His daughter is missing and he hasn't shown up for his son and to look for his daughter.
There are way too many dreams in this book. Absolutely found it annoying that everyone kept having these nightmares and they would drag us through in the book and they didn't mean anything.
Honestly, this is why Kate should not be taking care of her siblings. She lied about a lot of things and then about seeing her siblings talking to a man in a big coat off the side of the road after she never told the police that Saoirse and her had a fight. Not only that but Kate sees her siblings talking to a stranger and rather than question this to ask them what's going on she turns around and goes back home because she's going to be late for work.
I refuse to believe that Alice drugged Saoirse and carried her up a very high tree house and then back down to hide her body in Walter's trunk and then managed to get her out of the trunk all without anyone knowing. Plus she's described as thin, like the wind could blow her away. So, no I don't believe she did this. Walter has to be behind this because there's no way that Alice could do this herself. I don't even understand her reasoning for wanting to take the kids other than she lost a child.
I also didn't get when Freya asked Alice when Walter told her about her daughter dying but we had already discussed Walter telling Alice that Freya's daughter had died like 10 pages back. I didn't get why she was asking again if he had told her.
What is the obsession with all these women trying to mother other kids? You have Jacks aunt who as is trying to keep the kids for herself and then you have Alice who's kidnapping kids because she's trying to keep kids for herself. Now Freya is dealing with a loss if her daughter and is trying to kind of parent Jack because she won't leave the case. All these women just feel like the same character.
Whatever happened to the drawing that she put in her trunk when she found Jack in the middle of the road? That goes no where.
So we find out that Jack startled his mother when he came up behind her and asked her to not jump. She ended up falling.
Jack's dad comes to town yelling about not knowing his daughter was missing but at the time he ends up leaving because his sister aka the aunt denys him seeing his kids. I mean he never even makes an attempt to see Kate either. So weird.
Final Thoughts:
It drove me up the wall how much stuff everyone kept to themselves when it wasn't even that big of a deal - they wouldn't get in trouble for, but actually help the case to finding Saoirse. Everyone hide things sometimes for no reason at all.
I enjoyed how atmospheric the book was and the writing style was poetic like but not so much that it rambled and I lost interest.
I feel like ending was rushed and weak. I find it hard to believe that Alice a woman in her older age that was so thin and willowly could accomplish could succeed at taking Saoirse. There are plot holes too. How is Alice to stay in the town for 20 years to go into the forest and no one even know her or see her? They just now know her from the last 6 months she's moved to town? Seems far fetched plus no one in the town remembers her being Ellies mom?
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Southwestern Ireland, 1995: Two children go into the woods. Only one comes out.
When thirteen-year-old Saoirse Kellough goes missing, panic grips a rural Irish community. Saoirse is not the first girl to disappear in the forest, rumored by locals to be haunted, and the only witness—her troubled younger brother, Jack—refuses to speak. Saoirse went missing when they were playing the Counting Game, a ritual believed to ward off evil, and Jack has sworn to protect the forest’s secrets.
Freya Hemmings, a psychotherapist still healing from a loss of her own, is brought in to help investigators break Jack’s silence. As the race to find Saoirse alive accelerates, the search threatens to unravel a family facing the unthinkable. Everyone is a suspect, and the closer Freya and Jack become, the more danger they find themselves in.
Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 416
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
What I Liked:
1. Short fast chapters
2. Writing style flowed
3. Creepy parts
4. Very atmospheric
5. Loved the sister/brother relationship
What I Didn't Like:
1. Hate dreams in books
2. Some things never explain/revisited
3. Plot holes
4. Ending is unbelievable
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
The kids dad is horrible. His daughter is missing and he hasn't shown up for his son and to look for his daughter.
There are way too many dreams in this book. Absolutely found it annoying that everyone kept having these nightmares and they would drag us through in the book and they didn't mean anything.
Honestly, this is why Kate should not be taking care of her siblings. She lied about a lot of things and then about seeing her siblings talking to a man in a big coat off the side of the road after she never told the police that Saoirse and her had a fight. Not only that but Kate sees her siblings talking to a stranger and rather than question this to ask them what's going on she turns around and goes back home because she's going to be late for work.
I refuse to believe that Alice drugged Saoirse and carried her up a very high tree house and then back down to hide her body in Walter's trunk and then managed to get her out of the trunk all without anyone knowing. Plus she's described as thin, like the wind could blow her away. So, no I don't believe she did this. Walter has to be behind this because there's no way that Alice could do this herself. I don't even understand her reasoning for wanting to take the kids other than she lost a child.
I also didn't get when Freya asked Alice when Walter told her about her daughter dying but we had already discussed Walter telling Alice that Freya's daughter had died like 10 pages back. I didn't get why she was asking again if he had told her.
What is the obsession with all these women trying to mother other kids? You have Jacks aunt who as is trying to keep the kids for herself and then you have Alice who's kidnapping kids because she's trying to keep kids for herself. Now Freya is dealing with a loss if her daughter and is trying to kind of parent Jack because she won't leave the case. All these women just feel like the same character.
Whatever happened to the drawing that she put in her trunk when she found Jack in the middle of the road? That goes no where.
So we find out that Jack startled his mother when he came up behind her and asked her to not jump. She ended up falling.
Jack's dad comes to town yelling about not knowing his daughter was missing but at the time he ends up leaving because his sister aka the aunt denys him seeing his kids. I mean he never even makes an attempt to see Kate either. So weird.
Final Thoughts:
It drove me up the wall how much stuff everyone kept to themselves when it wasn't even that big of a deal - they wouldn't get in trouble for, but actually help the case to finding Saoirse. Everyone hide things sometimes for no reason at all.
I enjoyed how atmospheric the book was and the writing style was poetic like but not so much that it rambled and I lost interest.
I feel like ending was rushed and weak. I find it hard to believe that Alice a woman in her older age that was so thin and willowly could accomplish could succeed at taking Saoirse. There are plot holes too. How is Alice to stay in the town for 20 years to go into the forest and no one even know her or see her? They just now know her from the last 6 months she's moved to town? Seems far fetched plus no one in the town remembers her being Ellies mom?
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 6, 2025
This was a good psychological thriller. I loved the overall concept of this book as well as its atmospheric Ireland setting. I liked how this story was told through multiple points of view, primarily from the perspectives of Freya and Jack. This book had an intriguing storyline as Jack’s sister went missing while playing the counting game with Jack in the forest. This book makes you wonder what really happened to Saoirse and whether she ran away or was taken by either a human or a creature. I felt invested in the overall mystery, but it was quite the slow burn and I did find myself losing interest at times in the middle. Overall this was a good debut novel.
Read this if you like:
📖 Psychological mystery/thrillers
📖 Ireland settings
📖 Atmospheric reads
📖 Folklore
Thank you to @scoutpressbooks for the gifted copy.
Read this if you like:
📖 Psychological mystery/thrillers
📖 Ireland settings
📖 Atmospheric reads
📖 Folklore
Thank you to @scoutpressbooks for the gifted copy.
July 1, 2025
My Rating ~ 3.5*
The Counting Game by Sinéad Nolan published June 19th with Harper North (Harper Collins). It is described as ‘a deeply haunting, atmospheric and emotional mystery, from an unmissable new voice in Irish crime fiction, perfect for fans of Tana French, Erin Kelly and Belinda Bauer‘.
When thirteen year old Saoirse goes missing while playing a game with her younger brother Jack, Drumsuin village is left disturbed and in a state of panic. As search parties scour the surrounding countryside, the focus is on the local woods where Saoirse was last seen. Jack and Saoirse had been playing quite an unsettling game, called The Counting Game, one that they had learnt from their now deceased mother, when Saoirse disappeared. She is not the first teenager to go missing in this area so the local police are extremely concerned for her safety.
Jack has difficulty communicating, unable to vocalise what he may have seen. He expresses himself via his artwork which has some very disconcerting and dark imagery portrayed there. As speed is of the essence a decision is made to bring in a psychotherapist to assist in the case. Freya specialises in investigating missing children so her expertise is welcomed by most folk. She quickly immerses herself in the village, staying at the local hotel and starts to delve into Saoirse’s family background.
Suspicion is rife among the villagers with many believing that something sinister is at play in the darkness of the forest. Rumours abound of a creature hiding in the shadows but Freya is dismissive, convinced that this is just a product of the overactive imagination of some locals. With dark secrets and hidden pasts, the truth slowly starts to reveal itself but will Freya be able to find Saoirse before it’s too late?
There were a few curious plotlines in this tale that I did question, and I had to suspend belief a little, but I was willing to do this to see where it all ended. Freya is a well cast character. She has grit, with a hidden strength, but she also has a very vulnerable side that is sensitively portrayed. Sinéad Nolan is a trained psychotherapist which adds a layer of authenticity to the relationship that develops between Jack and Freya, with his voice depicted clearly and credibly. The otherworldly spin added an extra eerie element to the tale.
The Counting Game is an atmospheric and sinister read, a solid debut from a new voice in Irish crime fiction.
The Counting Game by Sinéad Nolan published June 19th with Harper North (Harper Collins). It is described as ‘a deeply haunting, atmospheric and emotional mystery, from an unmissable new voice in Irish crime fiction, perfect for fans of Tana French, Erin Kelly and Belinda Bauer‘.
When thirteen year old Saoirse goes missing while playing a game with her younger brother Jack, Drumsuin village is left disturbed and in a state of panic. As search parties scour the surrounding countryside, the focus is on the local woods where Saoirse was last seen. Jack and Saoirse had been playing quite an unsettling game, called The Counting Game, one that they had learnt from their now deceased mother, when Saoirse disappeared. She is not the first teenager to go missing in this area so the local police are extremely concerned for her safety.
Jack has difficulty communicating, unable to vocalise what he may have seen. He expresses himself via his artwork which has some very disconcerting and dark imagery portrayed there. As speed is of the essence a decision is made to bring in a psychotherapist to assist in the case. Freya specialises in investigating missing children so her expertise is welcomed by most folk. She quickly immerses herself in the village, staying at the local hotel and starts to delve into Saoirse’s family background.
Suspicion is rife among the villagers with many believing that something sinister is at play in the darkness of the forest. Rumours abound of a creature hiding in the shadows but Freya is dismissive, convinced that this is just a product of the overactive imagination of some locals. With dark secrets and hidden pasts, the truth slowly starts to reveal itself but will Freya be able to find Saoirse before it’s too late?
There were a few curious plotlines in this tale that I did question, and I had to suspend belief a little, but I was willing to do this to see where it all ended. Freya is a well cast character. She has grit, with a hidden strength, but she also has a very vulnerable side that is sensitively portrayed. Sinéad Nolan is a trained psychotherapist which adds a layer of authenticity to the relationship that develops between Jack and Freya, with his voice depicted clearly and credibly. The otherworldly spin added an extra eerie element to the tale.
The Counting Game is an atmospheric and sinister read, a solid debut from a new voice in Irish crime fiction.
May 10, 2025
Thank you to HarperNorth and Netgalley for approving me to read this, I’m rating it 3.75 stars.
I liked the eerie atmosphere surrounding the game, the forest/village and the missing girl. There’s so much tension throughout and it builds to a breaking point where the truth and folklore meet in the middle.
We get multi POV in this story which I really like so we get a full rounded story to help piece together what’s happening and who shouldn’t be trusted.
Highly recommend for fans of folklore/myth mystery thrillers
I liked the eerie atmosphere surrounding the game, the forest/village and the missing girl. There’s so much tension throughout and it builds to a breaking point where the truth and folklore meet in the middle.
We get multi POV in this story which I really like so we get a full rounded story to help piece together what’s happening and who shouldn’t be trusted.
Highly recommend for fans of folklore/myth mystery thrillers
May 20, 2025
Wow! Full review on way. This blew me away and I’m still recovering. I have a new favourite Author. Once I have processed the book full review will appear. This is on NetGalley right now if you want to go request it!
November 15, 2025
This was a bit of a slow burn but had some creepy parts and a good overall mystery. It centers on the disappearance of a teenager named Saoirse and is told from the POVs of her little brother and the psychologist brought in by the police to talk to him. The story takes place in the mid 1990s.
I liked the possible supernatural undertones, where it wasn’t clear whether a person or something else was haunting the woods in the small Ireland town. Creepy woods is always a good time! However, I did feel the story moved slowly and was rather repetitive. Jack, Saoirse’s 9 year old brother, had a distinctive voice but also pronounced a lot of words phonetically which seemed too young for his age. Thinking about this took me out of the story. Freya, the psychologist, was a likable and relatable character. I thought the ending and the ultimate unveiling of the villain was well done, though I was left with a couple unanswered questions.
Overall, this was a good read overall and I read it quail u because I wanted to find out what happened, but found it to be a bit slow. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the possible supernatural undertones, where it wasn’t clear whether a person or something else was haunting the woods in the small Ireland town. Creepy woods is always a good time! However, I did feel the story moved slowly and was rather repetitive. Jack, Saoirse’s 9 year old brother, had a distinctive voice but also pronounced a lot of words phonetically which seemed too young for his age. Thinking about this took me out of the story. Freya, the psychologist, was a likable and relatable character. I thought the ending and the ultimate unveiling of the villain was well done, though I was left with a couple unanswered questions.
Overall, this was a good read overall and I read it quail u because I wanted to find out what happened, but found it to be a bit slow. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2026
Count to Ten, Lose Interest Around Six
BWAF Score: 4/10
TL;DR: The Counting Game has a setting that breathes and a child protagonist good enough to make you resent everything around him. Jack’s chapters are tender, textured, and genuinely unnerving. But the pacing drowns in its own middle third, the adult lead never comes alive, and a moody folklore mystery deserved a better ending than a villain monologue. A frustrating near-miss from a writer worth watching.
There’s a scene in The Counting Game where nine-year-old Jack, asked to imagine his missing sister sitting in an empty chair, conjures her so vividly she puts a finger to her lips and starts bleeding from her nose. It’s the kind of moment that makes you sit up and think: okay, this book knows what it’s doing. And for stretches, it really does. The problem is that for equally long stretches, it doesn’t, and the distance between those two modes is where a promising debut goes to sag.
The setup is strong. Rural Ireland, 1995. Thirteen-year-old Saoirse vanishes while playing a counting ritual in the forest with her younger brother Jack. He won’t talk. The village of Drumsuin is one of those places where missing girls are practically a local tradition and the woods have a reputation that keeps people out. Freya Hemmings, an English psychotherapist carrying her own grief like a suitcase she refuses to set down, is brought in to coax the truth from Jack. Decent bones. A locked-room mystery with a child’s mind as the locked room.
And Jack is, honestly, the best thing here. Nolan writes his perspective with a gentleness and specificity that feels earned. His world is full of small, fierce logic: he names his fish Jack Dempsey and worries no one will feed it while the adults panic; he draws invisible letters on his stuffed bear’s chest; he categorizes adults by their smells and the sounds their chairs make. There’s a scene where he hides in an airing cupboard during a game with Freya and the book becomes something genuinely warm, this kid remembering what it’s like to just laugh. That warmth makes the horror land harder. The image of his mother’s body at the base of a cliff, seen through a child’s eyes that can register the wrongness of her angles but not yet the permanence of it, is quietly devastating.
The forest works as atmosphere too. Pine musk on the tongue, drizzle finding the back of the neck, the crunch of soft ground underfoot. There’s a chase sequence where the prose goes staccato and breathless in a way that matches the panic. The Creature that supposedly haunts the woods functions well as folklore, as a child’s way of metabolizing fear. Nolan has a good eye for the textures of dread: the way a village tightens around a disappearance, the specific claustrophobia of everyone knowing your business and nobody saying what they know.
So where does it go wrong? Pacing, mostly. The middle third is a swamp. Freya’s chapters repeat emotional beats without deepening them. We learn she lost a daughter. We learn it again. Her sessions with Jack, which should be the engine of the plot, often feel like they’re idling: she asks a question, Jack deflects, she reflects on her own pain, the chapter ends. Repeat for fifty damn pages. There’s a version of this structure that ratchets tension. That’s not quite what we get.
Sinéad Nolan comes to fiction from an interesting angle. Born in Dublin in 1985, she was roughly Jack’s age during the novel’s 1995 timeframe, and grew up climbing trees in forests that clearly informed this book’s setting. She studied creative writing at Derby, earned a master’s in journalism from Nottingham Trent, and spent years writing features for the Irish Independent and Sunday World before retraining as a counsellor and psychotherapist at thirty. She now works in private practice in London. That dual background is legible on the page: the journalism in her eye for procedural detail, the clinical expertise in the Jack-and-Freya dynamic. She developed the novel through the Faber Academy’s writing course in 2019, and the manuscript attracted nine literary agents. She’s cited Claire Keegan, Ishiguro, and Plath as influences, which tracks: you can feel Keegan’s rural Ireland and Ishiguro’s buried grief trying to push through the genre scaffolding. The trouble is the scaffolding keeps winning. Her second book, Shadow Play, is reportedly in progress.
Because underneath the folklore and the atmosphere, this is ultimately a pretty conventional whodunit, and it resolves like one. The supernatural ambiguity the book spends so long cultivating gets set aside for a reveal that feels imported from a more ordinary novel. The villain, once unmasked, delivers a monologue laying out motives and methods with the subtlety of a case file. After all that careful, moody work building a world where the forest might genuinely be alive and malevolent, arriving at a drawing-room confession is deflating as shit.
Freya herself is the weaker protagonist by a wide margin. Competent, caring, grief-stricken, determined, and none of it adds up to a person I believed in. Her internal monologue has a flat quality that might be intentional given her profession but reads as underwritten. When she’s in danger in the final act, I felt less “oh shit” and more “huh, okay.”
There are real pleasures scattered through, though. The one-eyed garda offering Blackjack sweets to a kid who won’t talk. The stuffed bear Wilberry with his sewn-on half-smile and missing button eye that mirrors the garda’s face, a detail so good it almost makes you angry the book doesn’t sustain that craft throughout. Aunt Bronagh snooping at the edges of conversations in a way that could be protective or predatory. Jack drawing the number eight over and over because eight is infinity, because Saoirse promised forever.
I wanted to like this more than I did. The setting breathes, the child protagonist feels real and stubborn, and the author’s professional background gives her access to psychological territory most thriller writers only gesture at. But the pacing problems are real, the resolution undersells the premise, and the adult narrator who’s supposed to be our way in is the least interesting person in the book. Not a waste of time, but a frustrating one, because you can see the better novel inside it, counting to ten, waiting to be found.
BWAF Score: 4/10
TL;DR: The Counting Game has a setting that breathes and a child protagonist good enough to make you resent everything around him. Jack’s chapters are tender, textured, and genuinely unnerving. But the pacing drowns in its own middle third, the adult lead never comes alive, and a moody folklore mystery deserved a better ending than a villain monologue. A frustrating near-miss from a writer worth watching.
There’s a scene in The Counting Game where nine-year-old Jack, asked to imagine his missing sister sitting in an empty chair, conjures her so vividly she puts a finger to her lips and starts bleeding from her nose. It’s the kind of moment that makes you sit up and think: okay, this book knows what it’s doing. And for stretches, it really does. The problem is that for equally long stretches, it doesn’t, and the distance between those two modes is where a promising debut goes to sag.
The setup is strong. Rural Ireland, 1995. Thirteen-year-old Saoirse vanishes while playing a counting ritual in the forest with her younger brother Jack. He won’t talk. The village of Drumsuin is one of those places where missing girls are practically a local tradition and the woods have a reputation that keeps people out. Freya Hemmings, an English psychotherapist carrying her own grief like a suitcase she refuses to set down, is brought in to coax the truth from Jack. Decent bones. A locked-room mystery with a child’s mind as the locked room.
And Jack is, honestly, the best thing here. Nolan writes his perspective with a gentleness and specificity that feels earned. His world is full of small, fierce logic: he names his fish Jack Dempsey and worries no one will feed it while the adults panic; he draws invisible letters on his stuffed bear’s chest; he categorizes adults by their smells and the sounds their chairs make. There’s a scene where he hides in an airing cupboard during a game with Freya and the book becomes something genuinely warm, this kid remembering what it’s like to just laugh. That warmth makes the horror land harder. The image of his mother’s body at the base of a cliff, seen through a child’s eyes that can register the wrongness of her angles but not yet the permanence of it, is quietly devastating.
The forest works as atmosphere too. Pine musk on the tongue, drizzle finding the back of the neck, the crunch of soft ground underfoot. There’s a chase sequence where the prose goes staccato and breathless in a way that matches the panic. The Creature that supposedly haunts the woods functions well as folklore, as a child’s way of metabolizing fear. Nolan has a good eye for the textures of dread: the way a village tightens around a disappearance, the specific claustrophobia of everyone knowing your business and nobody saying what they know.
So where does it go wrong? Pacing, mostly. The middle third is a swamp. Freya’s chapters repeat emotional beats without deepening them. We learn she lost a daughter. We learn it again. Her sessions with Jack, which should be the engine of the plot, often feel like they’re idling: she asks a question, Jack deflects, she reflects on her own pain, the chapter ends. Repeat for fifty damn pages. There’s a version of this structure that ratchets tension. That’s not quite what we get.
Sinéad Nolan comes to fiction from an interesting angle. Born in Dublin in 1985, she was roughly Jack’s age during the novel’s 1995 timeframe, and grew up climbing trees in forests that clearly informed this book’s setting. She studied creative writing at Derby, earned a master’s in journalism from Nottingham Trent, and spent years writing features for the Irish Independent and Sunday World before retraining as a counsellor and psychotherapist at thirty. She now works in private practice in London. That dual background is legible on the page: the journalism in her eye for procedural detail, the clinical expertise in the Jack-and-Freya dynamic. She developed the novel through the Faber Academy’s writing course in 2019, and the manuscript attracted nine literary agents. She’s cited Claire Keegan, Ishiguro, and Plath as influences, which tracks: you can feel Keegan’s rural Ireland and Ishiguro’s buried grief trying to push through the genre scaffolding. The trouble is the scaffolding keeps winning. Her second book, Shadow Play, is reportedly in progress.
Because underneath the folklore and the atmosphere, this is ultimately a pretty conventional whodunit, and it resolves like one. The supernatural ambiguity the book spends so long cultivating gets set aside for a reveal that feels imported from a more ordinary novel. The villain, once unmasked, delivers a monologue laying out motives and methods with the subtlety of a case file. After all that careful, moody work building a world where the forest might genuinely be alive and malevolent, arriving at a drawing-room confession is deflating as shit.
Freya herself is the weaker protagonist by a wide margin. Competent, caring, grief-stricken, determined, and none of it adds up to a person I believed in. Her internal monologue has a flat quality that might be intentional given her profession but reads as underwritten. When she’s in danger in the final act, I felt less “oh shit” and more “huh, okay.”
There are real pleasures scattered through, though. The one-eyed garda offering Blackjack sweets to a kid who won’t talk. The stuffed bear Wilberry with his sewn-on half-smile and missing button eye that mirrors the garda’s face, a detail so good it almost makes you angry the book doesn’t sustain that craft throughout. Aunt Bronagh snooping at the edges of conversations in a way that could be protective or predatory. Jack drawing the number eight over and over because eight is infinity, because Saoirse promised forever.
I wanted to like this more than I did. The setting breathes, the child protagonist feels real and stubborn, and the author’s professional background gives her access to psychological territory most thriller writers only gesture at. But the pacing problems are real, the resolution undersells the premise, and the adult narrator who’s supposed to be our way in is the least interesting person in the book. Not a waste of time, but a frustrating one, because you can see the better novel inside it, counting to ten, waiting to be found.
April 22, 2026
《3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️》
In a small Irish town in 1995, two siblings walk into the woods to play a strange game called The Counting Game. Only one child comes out. Thirteen year old Saoirse disappears. Her younger brother Jack is the only witness... and he refuses to speak. Enter Freya, a psychotherapist with her own grief stitched into her bones, brought into unlock Jack's silence. But the deeper she digs, the more the town starts to feel full of secrets, superstition and something lurking just beyond logic.
This one is all atmosphere! Quiet, eerie, and deeply unsettling in that slow burn way where nothing jumps out at you, but everything feels wrong. The story unfolds around a missing girl, a silent boy, and a town that clearly knows more than it's willing to admit. Underneath the mystery was an emotional core. Grief, guilt, memory... it all blurs together so you're constantly questioning what's real. And that forest? Yeah, I'm never trusting trees again. If you love thrillers that are more haunting than shocking, with a heavy vibe this one might be right for you!
In a small Irish town in 1995, two siblings walk into the woods to play a strange game called The Counting Game. Only one child comes out. Thirteen year old Saoirse disappears. Her younger brother Jack is the only witness... and he refuses to speak. Enter Freya, a psychotherapist with her own grief stitched into her bones, brought into unlock Jack's silence. But the deeper she digs, the more the town starts to feel full of secrets, superstition and something lurking just beyond logic.
This one is all atmosphere! Quiet, eerie, and deeply unsettling in that slow burn way where nothing jumps out at you, but everything feels wrong. The story unfolds around a missing girl, a silent boy, and a town that clearly knows more than it's willing to admit. Underneath the mystery was an emotional core. Grief, guilt, memory... it all blurs together so you're constantly questioning what's real. And that forest? Yeah, I'm never trusting trees again. If you love thrillers that are more haunting than shocking, with a heavy vibe this one might be right for you!
February 2, 2026
This crime novel does a lot of telling rather than showing. This makes sense to an extent since the two main POVs are the 9-year-old brother of the missing teenage girl at the centre of the mystery and the psychotherapist brought in to assist with the investigation by interviewing him and therefore neither of them are directly involved in most of the “action” of searching the scene or collecting physical evidence, but it does mean that the pacing is very slow and most of the revelations happen “off screen.”
I liked Freya’s (the psychologist) POV, but Jack’s (the child) didn’t ring true to me as a 9-year-old. It felt like a much younger child, especially the narrative choice of having some words spelled phonetically in his perspective. In particular, it didn’t make sense to me that he seemingly doesn’t know a word like hospital (which he POVs as ‘host-able’) but does seem to understand other, less common vocabulary without issue.
The setting is solid (even if the mention of it as being somewhere between Ballybunion and Cahersiveen meant I spent far too long trying to decide if the village is meant to be based on a real town or wholly imagined), with some good atmospheric moments. I liked the hints of folklore and small-town superstition. But overall the slow pacing dulled most of the tension that the atmosphere could have built up.
I liked Freya’s (the psychologist) POV, but Jack’s (the child) didn’t ring true to me as a 9-year-old. It felt like a much younger child, especially the narrative choice of having some words spelled phonetically in his perspective. In particular, it didn’t make sense to me that he seemingly doesn’t know a word like hospital (which he POVs as ‘host-able’) but does seem to understand other, less common vocabulary without issue.
The setting is solid (even if the mention of it as being somewhere between Ballybunion and Cahersiveen meant I spent far too long trying to decide if the village is meant to be based on a real town or wholly imagined), with some good atmospheric moments. I liked the hints of folklore and small-town superstition. But overall the slow pacing dulled most of the tension that the atmosphere could have built up.
March 21, 2026
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and really enjoyed the story. It was a slow burn mystery with some really great characters. I’ll be checking out more books by this author now.
Read
April 8, 2026rtc
December 19, 2025
Netgalley ARC
This was an ok thriller. So much of the intensity of its creepy atmosphere that's built up with the woods and the ambiguity of a potential supernatural element was lost by its glacial pacing that by the end all the atmosphere was lost, and I was just left with a inching march towards an eventual, obvious conclusion. The irony is, I think the ending would have been less obvious and much more of a twist if the pacing was faster but because it was moving so slowly, I had lots of time to rethink the clues and identify what happened. The family dynamics, fueled by the previous traumas, could have been compelling but it ended up feeling a bit trite. One of the POVs is a 9 year old boy named Jack, whose sister Saoirse is the one who's gone missing. The thing is, Jack's POV was full of spelling errors and misunderstandings of the type that are compelling if we're talking about a 4 year old but didn't make a whole lot of sense for a 9 year old. I had to keep reminding myself that he was 9 because he's written like he has the comprehension of a much younger child, and treated like a much younger child by everyone around him, which took me right out of the story.
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This was an ok thriller. So much of the intensity of its creepy atmosphere that's built up with the woods and the ambiguity of a potential supernatural element was lost by its glacial pacing that by the end all the atmosphere was lost, and I was just left with a inching march towards an eventual, obvious conclusion. The irony is, I think the ending would have been less obvious and much more of a twist if the pacing was faster but because it was moving so slowly, I had lots of time to rethink the clues and identify what happened. The family dynamics, fueled by the previous traumas, could have been compelling but it ended up feeling a bit trite. One of the POVs is a 9 year old boy named Jack, whose sister Saoirse is the one who's gone missing. The thing is, Jack's POV was full of spelling errors and misunderstandings of the type that are compelling if we're talking about a 4 year old but didn't make a whole lot of sense for a 9 year old. I had to keep reminding myself that he was 9 because he's written like he has the comprehension of a much younger child, and treated like a much younger child by everyone around him, which took me right out of the story.
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Read
April 1, 2026Sinéad Nolan’s The Counting Game is the kind of book that looks calm, even polite, before it quietly rearranges your nerves and leaves you staring into the woods wondering what you just agreed to.
Published by Gallery Books, with sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC, which I read while repeatedly telling myself that rural forests are absolutely not that creepy.
This is a slow-burn psychological thriller that understands the power of restraint. Two children go into the woods. Only one comes back. From that moment on, the story tightens like a held breath and refuses to let go. A missing teenage girl. A silent younger brother. A town that knows far more than it’s willing to say. Nolan doesn’t rush this setup, and she shouldn’t. The unease grows gradually, settling into your bones rather than jolting you with cheap shocks.
Set in rural Ireland in 1995, the atmosphere is thick with superstition, grief, and long-buried secrets. The forest isn’t just a setting; it’s a presence. It looms over every page, heavy with folklore and fear, and Nolan keeps you guessing about whether the danger is human, supernatural, or something far more familiar and unsettling. I loved how the story never fully commits to one explanation too early, allowing dread and doubt to coexist in a way that feels deeply unsettling.
The emotional heart of the novel lies with Freya, the psychotherapist brought in to help Jack, the only witness to his sister’s disappearance. Freya is grieving her own loss, and that pain shapes every interaction she has. Her sessions with Jack are some of the strongest scenes in the book. They’re quiet, tense, and emotionally loaded, proving that silence can be far more frightening than any dramatic reveal. Jack’s voice may divide readers, but for me, his perspective added to the sense of fragility and distortion that trauma brings.
This is not a fast-paced, twist-every-chapter thriller, and readers expecting that may struggle with the pacing. Some sections are deliberately repetitive, circling the same emotional wounds and unanswered questions. But that repetition feels intentional, mirroring how grief and trauma refuse to move in straight lines. When the story finally accelerates, the payoff feels earned rather than flashy.
“There are some places that remember what we try to forget.” That line perfectly captures the soul of this book. It’s about memory, silence, guilt, and the ways communities protect themselves by pretending not to see.
By the time the truth emerged, I felt unsettled, sad, and strangely moved. The ending doesn’t rely on shock value; instead, it lands with emotional weight and a lingering sense of loss. This is a novel that trusts its readers to sit with discomfort and ambiguity, and I appreciated that confidence.
The Counting Game is eerie, atmospheric, and quietly devastating. It’s a character-driven mystery wrapped in folklore and grief, best suited for readers who enjoy slow-burning psychological suspense that creeps under the skin and stays there.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
#TheCountingGame #SinéadNolan #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller #IrishFiction #MysteryBooks #SlowBurnThriller #AtmosphericReads #NetGalleyARC #GalleryBooks #Bookstagram
Published by Gallery Books, with sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted ARC, which I read while repeatedly telling myself that rural forests are absolutely not that creepy.
This is a slow-burn psychological thriller that understands the power of restraint. Two children go into the woods. Only one comes back. From that moment on, the story tightens like a held breath and refuses to let go. A missing teenage girl. A silent younger brother. A town that knows far more than it’s willing to say. Nolan doesn’t rush this setup, and she shouldn’t. The unease grows gradually, settling into your bones rather than jolting you with cheap shocks.
Set in rural Ireland in 1995, the atmosphere is thick with superstition, grief, and long-buried secrets. The forest isn’t just a setting; it’s a presence. It looms over every page, heavy with folklore and fear, and Nolan keeps you guessing about whether the danger is human, supernatural, or something far more familiar and unsettling. I loved how the story never fully commits to one explanation too early, allowing dread and doubt to coexist in a way that feels deeply unsettling.
The emotional heart of the novel lies with Freya, the psychotherapist brought in to help Jack, the only witness to his sister’s disappearance. Freya is grieving her own loss, and that pain shapes every interaction she has. Her sessions with Jack are some of the strongest scenes in the book. They’re quiet, tense, and emotionally loaded, proving that silence can be far more frightening than any dramatic reveal. Jack’s voice may divide readers, but for me, his perspective added to the sense of fragility and distortion that trauma brings.
This is not a fast-paced, twist-every-chapter thriller, and readers expecting that may struggle with the pacing. Some sections are deliberately repetitive, circling the same emotional wounds and unanswered questions. But that repetition feels intentional, mirroring how grief and trauma refuse to move in straight lines. When the story finally accelerates, the payoff feels earned rather than flashy.
“There are some places that remember what we try to forget.” That line perfectly captures the soul of this book. It’s about memory, silence, guilt, and the ways communities protect themselves by pretending not to see.
By the time the truth emerged, I felt unsettled, sad, and strangely moved. The ending doesn’t rely on shock value; instead, it lands with emotional weight and a lingering sense of loss. This is a novel that trusts its readers to sit with discomfort and ambiguity, and I appreciated that confidence.
The Counting Game is eerie, atmospheric, and quietly devastating. It’s a character-driven mystery wrapped in folklore and grief, best suited for readers who enjoy slow-burning psychological suspense that creeps under the skin and stays there.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
#TheCountingGame #SinéadNolan #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller #IrishFiction #MysteryBooks #SlowBurnThriller #AtmosphericReads #NetGalleyARC #GalleryBooks #Bookstagram
March 30, 2026
Maybe I’ve read too many horror novels lately, but I began The Counting Game expecting a true supernatural story. I believed that Jack was honest and truthful when he described the counting game and the Creature living in the forest. The idea that something otherworldly was lurking just out of sight seemed entirely plausible.
At the same time, the author introduces a series of human suspects as red herrings. Most of them are men with questionable motives, and it doesn’t take much imagination to see how they could be guilty. That tension between the supernatural and the suspiciously human begins to blur, even spilling into how I interpreted the story’s reality. Still, I remained convinced that the true culprit was something beyond human, and that these suspects were cleverly placed distractions.
It wasn’t until later in the novel that I began to question that certainty. Slowly, doubt crept in—what if the perpetrator wasn’t supernatural at all? What if the truth was far more human? The author brings this realization together beautifully. In The Counting Game, the true haunting isn’t a monstrous creature in the woods, but the lingering weight of mistakes and regrets.
At the same time, the author introduces a series of human suspects as red herrings. Most of them are men with questionable motives, and it doesn’t take much imagination to see how they could be guilty. That tension between the supernatural and the suspiciously human begins to blur, even spilling into how I interpreted the story’s reality. Still, I remained convinced that the true culprit was something beyond human, and that these suspects were cleverly placed distractions.
It wasn’t until later in the novel that I began to question that certainty. Slowly, doubt crept in—what if the perpetrator wasn’t supernatural at all? What if the truth was far more human? The author brings this realization together beautifully. In The Counting Game, the true haunting isn’t a monstrous creature in the woods, but the lingering weight of mistakes and regrets.
March 29, 2026
*The Counting Game* by Sinéad Nolan is a clever and engaging read that delivers a strong mix of intrigue and emotional depth. From the very beginning, the novel draws you in with its unique premise and keeps you invested through a steadily building sense of tension.
Nolan’s writing style is clear and accessible, yet still manages to explore deeper themes about relationships, decision-making, and the consequences of seemingly small choices. The pacing is well handled, with enough twists and turns to maintain interest without becoming confusing or overly complicated.
The characters are relatable and realistically portrayed, though at times they could have been explored in more depth. A bit more insight into their inner thoughts and motivations would have made the emotional moments hit even harder. Additionally, while the plot is engaging, some developments feel slightly predictable.
Overall, The Counting Game is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read that stands out for its concept and readability. It may not be perfect, but it’s definitely worth your time—an easy four-star book that leaves a lasting impression. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nolan’s writing style is clear and accessible, yet still manages to explore deeper themes about relationships, decision-making, and the consequences of seemingly small choices. The pacing is well handled, with enough twists and turns to maintain interest without becoming confusing or overly complicated.
The characters are relatable and realistically portrayed, though at times they could have been explored in more depth. A bit more insight into their inner thoughts and motivations would have made the emotional moments hit even harder. Additionally, while the plot is engaging, some developments feel slightly predictable.
Overall, The Counting Game is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read that stands out for its concept and readability. It may not be perfect, but it’s definitely worth your time—an easy four-star book that leaves a lasting impression. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 11, 2026
Thanks to Goodreads and Nolan for the opportunity to read and write an honest review of The Counting Game.
Wow! Small-town folklore, creepy woods, lots of secrets, and a game you don’t want to play make for a suspenseful, haunting psychological thriller in this crime fiction debut by Nolan.
In the setting of rural Ireland, a child disappears in the deep, dark woods that are known for not giving back those who enter. The crafting of mood was perfection. The forest felt alive with danger, the village dense with secrets, and the characters fraught with dread and fear, enhancing the story’s haunting quality.
The multiple points of view, the shifting timelines, and the slow burn pace worked for this novel, building tension, giving time to be fully invested in the characters, and allowing suspicions to jump from one possibility to another, keeping the suspense flowing. Then the finale comes in a tense, emotionally charged climax.
Being completely invested in this riveting debut novel from start to finish, I can’t wait to see what Nolan writes next!
Wow! Small-town folklore, creepy woods, lots of secrets, and a game you don’t want to play make for a suspenseful, haunting psychological thriller in this crime fiction debut by Nolan.
In the setting of rural Ireland, a child disappears in the deep, dark woods that are known for not giving back those who enter. The crafting of mood was perfection. The forest felt alive with danger, the village dense with secrets, and the characters fraught with dread and fear, enhancing the story’s haunting quality.
The multiple points of view, the shifting timelines, and the slow burn pace worked for this novel, building tension, giving time to be fully invested in the characters, and allowing suspicions to jump from one possibility to another, keeping the suspense flowing. Then the finale comes in a tense, emotionally charged climax.
Being completely invested in this riveting debut novel from start to finish, I can’t wait to see what Nolan writes next!
March 18, 2026
ARC Review comes out April 7th, 2026
The Counting Game by Sinead Nolan
WOW… this one starts out slow but had me hooked
If you love a twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller that keeps you guessing (and second-guessing EVERYTHING), this is it. The tension builds so perfectly, and just when you think you’ve figured it out… think again. 👀
I honestly didn’t want it to end. The suspense of the last 20% of the book had me on edge!
If you’re looking for your next twisty read, add this to your list ASAP.
Quick Summary: Jack and Saoirse are playing a counting game in a forest where others have disappeared. Saoirse goes missing by a “creature” and the police call Freya a psychotherapist in to help break the silence of wha happened in the woods forest with Jack. Will Saoirse be found?
Thank you so much for the ARC @netgalley
#bookstagram #arcreader #bookreview
The Counting Game by Sinead Nolan
WOW… this one starts out slow but had me hooked
If you love a twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller that keeps you guessing (and second-guessing EVERYTHING), this is it. The tension builds so perfectly, and just when you think you’ve figured it out… think again. 👀
I honestly didn’t want it to end. The suspense of the last 20% of the book had me on edge!
If you’re looking for your next twisty read, add this to your list ASAP.
Quick Summary: Jack and Saoirse are playing a counting game in a forest where others have disappeared. Saoirse goes missing by a “creature” and the police call Freya a psychotherapist in to help break the silence of wha happened in the woods forest with Jack. Will Saoirse be found?
Thank you so much for the ARC @netgalley
#bookstagram #arcreader #bookreview
April 21, 2026
In The Counting Game, teenager Saoirse vanishes into the woods. The same woods that are full of creepy stories. So creepy in fact that children go into the woods to play the counting game as a ritual to ward off evil. This story follows Jack, her 9-year-old brother who was with her in the woods when she vanished but can’t remember anything, as well as the investigator and the child psychologist assigned to the case. It’s a slow burn that’s full of emotion and I loved the setting of the book and the involvement of the psychologist. The ending had some unexpected revelations that I enjoyed as well. I really liked the audiobook narration and I’m glad I listened to this because I never would have known how to pronounce Saoirse.
April 21, 2026
I thought this was a decent read and pretty creepy. A lot of it is from the POV of a 10 year old boy whose sister went missing when they were playing in the woods, and that’s a tough POV to hit just right.
The book was chilling most of the way through. The boy can’t or won’t share what he knows about what happened. He’s frightened of someone or something lurking in the woods.
The biggest thing that tripped me up was that it had one of those, “oh okay,” endings when the reveal finally happened. It just didn’t entirely click for me.
Overall, it was a decent read, but not one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
The book was chilling most of the way through. The boy can’t or won’t share what he knows about what happened. He’s frightened of someone or something lurking in the woods.
The biggest thing that tripped me up was that it had one of those, “oh okay,” endings when the reveal finally happened. It just didn’t entirely click for me.
Overall, it was a decent read, but not one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
Read
March 30, 2026A haunting Irish story that leans toward folk horror. A psychologist is brought in to help question a young boy whose older sister has gone missing. But she's not the only missing girl in this small town, and her brother insists that the woods punish people.
I wasn't sure which way this book was headed: full on folk horror? Paranormal? Or a rational explanation. I won't spoil it for you, but it was an enjoyable read.
Perfect for fans of Alex North! Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
I wasn't sure which way this book was headed: full on folk horror? Paranormal? Or a rational explanation. I won't spoil it for you, but it was an enjoyable read.
Perfect for fans of Alex North! Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
March 25, 2026
I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars! I devoured this much quicker than I thought I would; once I started it, I couldn’t put it down! I loved the imagery and wasn’t expecting the twist at all.
March 2, 2026
3.5 stars
I found this book quite a slow burn, which I’m not normally a fan of. However the plot, character development and imagery were so beautifully done. I throughly look forward to more of this authors work.
I found this book quite a slow burn, which I’m not normally a fan of. However the plot, character development and imagery were so beautifully done. I throughly look forward to more of this authors work.
April 12, 2026
This one is definitely more of a slow burn, but the atmosphere?? yeah it was there.
The whole woods/isolated setting felt really immersive, and it has that quiet, something-is-not-right kind of feeling the entire time. Not super in your face, but enough to keep you a little on edge.
It takes its time, but I actually liked how everything slowly started coming together. I had a few moments where I was like… wait hold on… what is actually going on here.
And the twists??? some of those did catch me off guard. Not in a super shocking way, but enough to keep me interested 😬
It’s more about the mood and the buildup than constant action, but it worked for me and I stayed hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for the ARC!
The whole woods/isolated setting felt really immersive, and it has that quiet, something-is-not-right kind of feeling the entire time. Not super in your face, but enough to keep you a little on edge.
It takes its time, but I actually liked how everything slowly started coming together. I had a few moments where I was like… wait hold on… what is actually going on here.
And the twists??? some of those did catch me off guard. Not in a super shocking way, but enough to keep me interested 😬
It’s more about the mood and the buildup than constant action, but it worked for me and I stayed hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for the ARC!
July 11, 2025
This book is definitely a slow burn. It was a build up for the reveal I would say close to 80%-90% of the book and the twist I felt happened so quickly and then it was over. It was an okay twist ( I kind of saw it coming as things were getting revealed ). There is 3 POV’s that you are following but a lot of timelines which was little confusing but manageable. Overall it was an okay book. If you like creepy, forestry settings for your thrillers I recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A nice, twisty novel perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah's Magic Hour.
June 17, 2025
Great atmosphere, creepy setting with the forest of missing girls and the supposedly legendary creature that dwells within, taking those who disrespect or harm the forest! Add in a hide and seek counting game and a little boy who may hold the secret to his sister's disappearance but unable to remember and I was hooked in reading this to find out the truth!
The author did a great job with all the red herrings of suspects, while also touching on the possibility of something supernatural getting involved with the dead birds and previous missing girls, plus the awful story of the Magdalene Laundry and what happened there. I really felt for Jack who was obviously torn up about Saoirse going missing and being the last person to see her, especially when we got to see things from his perspective. It is rounded out nicely with the view of Freya, the psychotherapist brought in to help Jack work through his issues but also an outsider which really helped show how the community that this happened in was very suspicious of outsiders, especially ones asking uncomfortable questions. I did have to keep going to look back at the chapter headings though because it does jump around in time, from before their mother's death, to the days after Saoirse went missing. It did tie things up very well by the end though and I was on the edge of my seat to see if Saoirse could be found in time or if it was already too late. I do like how it never really was proven that it was did not have a supernatural element and it gave the ending a nice touch.
I really enjoyed reading this book and many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to get lost in the story!
The author did a great job with all the red herrings of suspects, while also touching on the possibility of something supernatural getting involved with the dead birds and previous missing girls, plus the awful story of the Magdalene Laundry and what happened there. I really felt for Jack who was obviously torn up about Saoirse going missing and being the last person to see her, especially when we got to see things from his perspective. It is rounded out nicely with the view of Freya, the psychotherapist brought in to help Jack work through his issues but also an outsider which really helped show how the community that this happened in was very suspicious of outsiders, especially ones asking uncomfortable questions. I did have to keep going to look back at the chapter headings though because it does jump around in time, from before their mother's death, to the days after Saoirse went missing. It did tie things up very well by the end though and I was on the edge of my seat to see if Saoirse could be found in time or if it was already too late. I do like how it never really was proven that it was did not have a supernatural element and it gave the ending a nice touch.
I really enjoyed reading this book and many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to get lost in the story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews