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Lie in Wait
A man is dead. A woman is missing. And the police have already found their prime suspect...
Owen Hall drives into a petrol station to let his passenger use the facilities. She never comes back - and what's more, it seems she never even made it inside.
When Owen raises a fuss, the police are called - and soon identify Owen himself as a possible culprit - not least because they already have him in the frame for another more sinister crime.
Owen's always been a little different, and before long others in the community are baying for his blood. But this is a case where nothing is as it seems - least of all Owen Hall...
Owen Hall drives into a petrol station to let his passenger use the facilities. She never comes back - and what's more, it seems she never even made it inside.
When Owen raises a fuss, the police are called - and soon identify Owen himself as a possible culprit - not least because they already have him in the frame for another more sinister crime.
Owen's always been a little different, and before long others in the community are baying for his blood. But this is a case where nothing is as it seems - least of all Owen Hall...
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2016
186 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 29, 2016
I wish to thank Net Galley, Bonnier Zaffre Publishing, and author G.J. Minett for an advanced copy of Lie in Wait in exchange for an unbiased review.
I had been hearing a few whispers around Goodreads about this new British author who is supposed to be very good, so I decided to give him a try. The whisperers are right—he IS very good! In fact, he is better than very good. Lie in Wait is G.J. Minett’s second novel; after reading it, I can’t wait to get a copy of his first, Hidden Legacy.
The book starts off with an alluring prologue that harbors the makings of a nifty story. Following that we get a number of chapters that introduce a ton of characters and multiple seemingly disparate threads. I was wondering WTF??? I couldn’t see how all these people could possibly fit in and how any of this was going to come together. Fortunately, sometimes I have patience, and I figured this book was going to gel, and boy, did it ever. This is an ingenious little tale that takes the reader down a twisty topsy-turvy path to a very clever ending where everything comes together nicely. To me, the plot resembles a chess game where the protagonist continually tries to maneuver himself into a favorable position.
The protag is a big hulk of a man named Owen. Owen is one of those savants who has a real head for interpreting numbers. Otherwise the guy is a little slow, particularly socially, though he is smart enough to know he’s been dragged into big trouble. I found taking the journey with Owen as he traipses his way through the mess he’s in very absorbing. Owen, though not a saint by any stretch, is quite a likeable chap as are several other members of the large cast; I especially liked Anna (the shopping mall cop and lady boxer), and DI Andy Holloway. As the story moved along, my opinions of people were very fluid in that I couldn’t always figure out who was trustable and who was pulling the wool over somebody’s eyes. This just added to the fun.
The chapters alternate between “Earlier” and “Now,” and the entire story spans about 4 months. Within each chapter there are subsections labeled with the name of a character with the narrative being third person. This works well. The pace is steady as she goes.
Overall, I would label this novel a little gem. Its strong points include the excellent characterization despite the huge cast, the intricate plotting, and its uniqueness. I highly recommend Lie in Wait to anyone looking for a good entertaining read.
I had been hearing a few whispers around Goodreads about this new British author who is supposed to be very good, so I decided to give him a try. The whisperers are right—he IS very good! In fact, he is better than very good. Lie in Wait is G.J. Minett’s second novel; after reading it, I can’t wait to get a copy of his first, Hidden Legacy.
The book starts off with an alluring prologue that harbors the makings of a nifty story. Following that we get a number of chapters that introduce a ton of characters and multiple seemingly disparate threads. I was wondering WTF??? I couldn’t see how all these people could possibly fit in and how any of this was going to come together. Fortunately, sometimes I have patience, and I figured this book was going to gel, and boy, did it ever. This is an ingenious little tale that takes the reader down a twisty topsy-turvy path to a very clever ending where everything comes together nicely. To me, the plot resembles a chess game where the protagonist continually tries to maneuver himself into a favorable position.
The protag is a big hulk of a man named Owen. Owen is one of those savants who has a real head for interpreting numbers. Otherwise the guy is a little slow, particularly socially, though he is smart enough to know he’s been dragged into big trouble. I found taking the journey with Owen as he traipses his way through the mess he’s in very absorbing. Owen, though not a saint by any stretch, is quite a likeable chap as are several other members of the large cast; I especially liked Anna (the shopping mall cop and lady boxer), and DI Andy Holloway. As the story moved along, my opinions of people were very fluid in that I couldn’t always figure out who was trustable and who was pulling the wool over somebody’s eyes. This just added to the fun.
The chapters alternate between “Earlier” and “Now,” and the entire story spans about 4 months. Within each chapter there are subsections labeled with the name of a character with the narrative being third person. This works well. The pace is steady as she goes.
Overall, I would label this novel a little gem. Its strong points include the excellent characterization despite the huge cast, the intricate plotting, and its uniqueness. I highly recommend Lie in Wait to anyone looking for a good entertaining read.
September 4, 2016
LIE IN WAIT by G J Minett is his second book, a crime thriller, but the first that I have read. After reading this amazing novel, I plan to read his debut novel, THE HIDDEN LEGACY.
First of all I have to admit when I started this book I had no preconception of what to expect from this novel. I really enjoyed the author's clear and vivid style of writing, his complex plot, but most of all the wide cast of characters, and how he manages to keep track of all of them…as they all play a part in this jigsaw puzzle. I'm am not quite sure how Minett managed to write a story with so many different characters, their own secrets, and various sub plots that all weave a complex tale of crime, murder, mystery and suspense.
I have to be honest and say I found myself keeping track of the numerous many characters at the beginning of the novel, so I could follow it totally. But this is not a complicated book to read. The author provides clear headings at the start of each chapter, titled either “Now” or “Earlier”, and the date, and then the name of the character we are now following. I found this extremely helpful when I first started reading the book, until I got to know the characters better. This method actually assisted me in following the chronological activity and allowed me to try to put the clues together to solve this jigsaw puzzle…but I was wrong!
The main character Owen Hall, the protagonist is pathologically shy, a special needs on the autistic spectrum, lack of social skills and a victim of bullies throughout his life. He used to be an ugly duckling but now he is a tall stud who works in the landscaping business. Owen is obsessed with numbers, and reduces any situation into a sum, the answer to proceed or not with his next action.
Abi, one of the female protagonists, knew Owen in school, and was one of the few people that was nice to him. Abi hires Owen to design and landscape her garden but Owen discovers she is now married to Callum who also went to school with Owen and was one of the bullies in the group that picked on him.
When a murder occurs in the community what appears to be a straight forward crime turns out to be a far more complex one.
And Owen is a suspect…but not the only suspect. There are a few, but everything is based on circumstantial evidence! DI Holloway from the Major Crime Team is assigned to be in charge of this high profile case. Holloway feels Owen is being setup…but he needs answers.
This is a dark crime thriller by an experienced author that can write from the standpoint of several different characters with such consistency throughout the entire novel. Everything is tied together!
An excellent read!
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First of all I have to admit when I started this book I had no preconception of what to expect from this novel. I really enjoyed the author's clear and vivid style of writing, his complex plot, but most of all the wide cast of characters, and how he manages to keep track of all of them…as they all play a part in this jigsaw puzzle. I'm am not quite sure how Minett managed to write a story with so many different characters, their own secrets, and various sub plots that all weave a complex tale of crime, murder, mystery and suspense.
I have to be honest and say I found myself keeping track of the numerous many characters at the beginning of the novel, so I could follow it totally. But this is not a complicated book to read. The author provides clear headings at the start of each chapter, titled either “Now” or “Earlier”, and the date, and then the name of the character we are now following. I found this extremely helpful when I first started reading the book, until I got to know the characters better. This method actually assisted me in following the chronological activity and allowed me to try to put the clues together to solve this jigsaw puzzle…but I was wrong!
The main character Owen Hall, the protagonist is pathologically shy, a special needs on the autistic spectrum, lack of social skills and a victim of bullies throughout his life. He used to be an ugly duckling but now he is a tall stud who works in the landscaping business. Owen is obsessed with numbers, and reduces any situation into a sum, the answer to proceed or not with his next action.
Abi, one of the female protagonists, knew Owen in school, and was one of the few people that was nice to him. Abi hires Owen to design and landscape her garden but Owen discovers she is now married to Callum who also went to school with Owen and was one of the bullies in the group that picked on him.
When a murder occurs in the community what appears to be a straight forward crime turns out to be a far more complex one.
And Owen is a suspect…but not the only suspect. There are a few, but everything is based on circumstantial evidence! DI Holloway from the Major Crime Team is assigned to be in charge of this high profile case. Holloway feels Owen is being setup…but he needs answers.
This is a dark crime thriller by an experienced author that can write from the standpoint of several different characters with such consistency throughout the entire novel. Everything is tied together!
An excellent read!
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2016
I had the pleasure to read this author's debut novel 'The Hidden Legacy' in October last year and was an instant admirer. It was an exceptional debut novel that read like you would expect from a more established thriller writer, so when I saw this book was available to review I put my name forward without hesitation.
The main character in this novel is Owen, a man who is short on social skills and a common victim of bullies throughout his life. He does however have an unbelievable skill with numbers that he uses to deal with life and that only increases the attention he attracts. Due to bullying Owen was taken out of school and taught at home by his mother, this only made it more difficult for him to socialise and making friends. Now an adult he runs into one of his fellow students, Abi who was one of the few people that was nice to him when he was still at school. Abi hires Owen to landscape her garden but this becomes a little difficult when Owen discovers she is now married to Callum who also went to school with Owen and was one of the bullies that picked on him. When a murder occurs in the community lots of fascinating characters appear and what appears to be a straight forward crime turns out to be a far more complex one.
The more I read the more I enjoyed it and once I had each character fixed in my head they came to life. An excellent read that twists and turns and keeps you guessing which way it will go next. For me the strongest part pf this book was the very strong characters and the way they were crafted together to make an excellent read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bonnier Zaffre for supplying an advance copy of G.J. Minett's novel 'Lie in Wait' in exchange for a honest review.
His first novel was outstanding and told everyone I know how good it was and I have every intention of doing the same with this one.
The main character in this novel is Owen, a man who is short on social skills and a common victim of bullies throughout his life. He does however have an unbelievable skill with numbers that he uses to deal with life and that only increases the attention he attracts. Due to bullying Owen was taken out of school and taught at home by his mother, this only made it more difficult for him to socialise and making friends. Now an adult he runs into one of his fellow students, Abi who was one of the few people that was nice to him when he was still at school. Abi hires Owen to landscape her garden but this becomes a little difficult when Owen discovers she is now married to Callum who also went to school with Owen and was one of the bullies that picked on him. When a murder occurs in the community lots of fascinating characters appear and what appears to be a straight forward crime turns out to be a far more complex one.
The more I read the more I enjoyed it and once I had each character fixed in my head they came to life. An excellent read that twists and turns and keeps you guessing which way it will go next. For me the strongest part pf this book was the very strong characters and the way they were crafted together to make an excellent read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bonnier Zaffre for supplying an advance copy of G.J. Minett's novel 'Lie in Wait' in exchange for a honest review.
His first novel was outstanding and told everyone I know how good it was and I have every intention of doing the same with this one.
August 15, 2020
4.75*
An amazing gripping twisty thoughtful thriller.
I listened to this on Audio and it was SO good.
Owen, one of the main characters is a little slow, not too good with social skills and a bit of a stutter. Regardless, he’s very, very clever with numbers. He reads life basically interpreting it into numerals for his ability of understanding.
A crime has been committed and he’s been pulled right into it.
The chapters go back and forth, not a problem though.
And......
Loads of characters, normally that can confuse me but not this time.
I got through this within two days. I took it everywhere with me it was habitual reading.
I’m very late reading this, first book by this author. So good I want to buy her others.
If you like a fast moving thriller, this is definitely for you.
An amazing gripping twisty thoughtful thriller.
I listened to this on Audio and it was SO good.
Owen, one of the main characters is a little slow, not too good with social skills and a bit of a stutter. Regardless, he’s very, very clever with numbers. He reads life basically interpreting it into numerals for his ability of understanding.
A crime has been committed and he’s been pulled right into it.
The chapters go back and forth, not a problem though.
And......
Loads of characters, normally that can confuse me but not this time.
I got through this within two days. I took it everywhere with me it was habitual reading.
I’m very late reading this, first book by this author. So good I want to buy her others.
If you like a fast moving thriller, this is definitely for you.
February 7, 2017
Owen Hall is a man who's short on social skills. He has been bullied for most of his life. His mother took him our of school to teach him at home because of the bullying. But this only made it harder for Owen to socialise.
Now Owen is an adult he bumps into Abi, a fellow student, who was one of the only students to be nice to him while he was still at school. Abi hires Owen to landscape her garden, but Abi is married to Callum, who was one of the who bullied Owen at school.
When a murder happens in the community, Owen is a suspect, but he's not the only suspect. There are quite a few suspects.
This is a good read with a good plot.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author G.J. Minett for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Now Owen is an adult he bumps into Abi, a fellow student, who was one of the only students to be nice to him while he was still at school. Abi hires Owen to landscape her garden, but Abi is married to Callum, who was one of the who bullied Owen at school.
When a murder happens in the community, Owen is a suspect, but he's not the only suspect. There are quite a few suspects.
This is a good read with a good plot.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author G.J. Minett for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2016
Lie in Wait started off with an exceptionally intriguing prologue, and I was hooked immediately. For quite some time after that, I was clueless as to what was really going on, who these people were and how they could possibly all be connected. With lots of different perspectives introduced with a name at the start of the passage and time switches between 'Earlier' and 'Now', this could have easily turned into complete chaos, but quite the opposite. As the story progressed, all the different strands combined flawlessly. I was seriously impressed by the meticulous plotting. The writing was taut, the dialogue realistic and the setting in the South of England described so evocatively, I felt I knew the area. An utterly compelling psychological thriller!
At the center of this, is a murder mystery. A body is found. The police start investigating the death. There are potential suspects.
My feelings towards these characters kept going back and forth with each chapter. Forget likable or unlikeable characters or trusting anybody. Except for one character who really had no redeeming features whatsoever, I went through stages of feeling empathetic, feeling angry, feeling confused, feeling sad - with more or less every single one of these people. For an author to make me feel like this and to keep changing my feelings with each chapter, I think that is quite an achievement.
A really clever and complex story. Immensely entertaining. Great if you enjoy trying to put pieces of a jigsaw together.
Why not the full 5 stars?
I felt the ending was being dragged out a little. But that was a minor point.
The thing that started bothering me from about halfway through was that one of the characters was being portrayed in a way that was beginning to make less sense as the story progressed.
This is really vague because I don't want to spoil the plot for anybody. But basically, this character showed two conflicting ways of thinking and behaving that I found difficult to believe.
This is G.J. Minett's second book. The first that I've read. But I intend to go back and read his debut, The Hidden Legacy, and I will be looking out for any future releases because I really enjoyed the author's vivid style of writing, his ingenious plotting and the ambiguous characters and their complex relationships.
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
At the center of this, is a murder mystery. A body is found. The police start investigating the death. There are potential suspects.
My feelings towards these characters kept going back and forth with each chapter. Forget likable or unlikeable characters or trusting anybody. Except for one character who really had no redeeming features whatsoever, I went through stages of feeling empathetic, feeling angry, feeling confused, feeling sad - with more or less every single one of these people. For an author to make me feel like this and to keep changing my feelings with each chapter, I think that is quite an achievement.
A really clever and complex story. Immensely entertaining. Great if you enjoy trying to put pieces of a jigsaw together.
Why not the full 5 stars?
I felt the ending was being dragged out a little. But that was a minor point.
The thing that started bothering me from about halfway through was that one of the characters was being portrayed in a way that was beginning to make less sense as the story progressed.
This is really vague because I don't want to spoil the plot for anybody. But basically, this character showed two conflicting ways of thinking and behaving that I found difficult to believe.
This is G.J. Minett's second book. The first that I've read. But I intend to go back and read his debut, The Hidden Legacy, and I will be looking out for any future releases because I really enjoyed the author's vivid style of writing, his ingenious plotting and the ambiguous characters and their complex relationships.
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2017
Lie In Wait by GJ Minett was an okay read but I DNF as I found it totally confusing too many character POV's which I couldn't get my head around.
The premise was good but this just wasn't for me oh well that's how it goes, onto the next book.
The premise was good but this just wasn't for me oh well that's how it goes, onto the next book.
February 27, 2017
After reading the "Hidden Legacy" I was very keen to read another of G.J Minnett's work, once again I found it to be another exceptional story that is very cleverly put together. Owen is a man of limited social skills but has an innate ability to process numbers. He has been bullied throughout his childhood and due to this ended up being home schooled by his mother. After many years Owen finds himself back in the presence of one his fellow school students, the only one who took any time to be nice to him, Abi. As an adult Owen works as a landscaper and gardener where he crosses paths with Abi again as she wishes to have her back garden designed. The story is told between 'then' and 'now' and many characters are introduced to us and they make for very interesting reading. Slowly the pieces of the story come together and what a story it is, I will not say anymore so as not to give anything away but it has a great plot and is definitely worth taking the time to read it.
September 2, 2016
Well well, this one came out of nowhere. I hadn't read the authors previous work and had never heard of him (sorry Mr Minett) until I saw some recommendations for this novel on Goodreads. I'm so glad I managed to get a copy of this novel as I had a blast reading it.
The story revolves around a murder in a small English town and the quite large cast of characters in and around it. It's an intricately thought out and told story that will have you second guessing characters and their motives over and over again.
It starts with a compelling prologue involving our main character, Owen Hall and it had me hooked straight away.
Owen is a socially inept loner with a real talent for numbers. Most of his reasoning is based on numbers and he lives his life sort of using numbers as a moral compass. His lack of social skills, which feels like it borders on mild autism saw him bullied very badly as a boy in school. In fact his mother withdraws him from school eventually to home school him which only alienates him further.
Now a grown man(and boy has he grown, well over six foot and fit as a fiddle) he runs his own landscape and gardening business in his locality. He runs into one of his ex school friends Abi, a girl who was one of the few who made an effort at the time to talk to him and basically be nice to him. She asks him to draw up some plans and do some work on her garden which he agrees to. This eventually leads to him finding out that Abi is married to Callum, the same Callum who tormented and bullied Owen throughout his school days. This leads to a really dynamic relationship between the three and plays a major part in the telling of this intricate and complex story.
The first few chapters of the book introduce our cast of characters. It can seem a little confusing at first as yet another chapter starts and more characters are introduced. There was one stage in the early part of the book where I checked to make sure that I hadn't made a mistake in believing the book was less than 400 pages. I thought there is no way all these characters can play a significant part in the story or at least such a large chunk of the beginning of the book should be spent introducing all these characters in detail. It reminded me a little of reading Stephen Kings The Stand which used a similar method of introducing all the characters chapter by chapter at the start of the book but that novel was over 1000 pages!!
Fear not though, the characters were so well written in these early chapters that they are very easy to remember when they pop up at later times in the novel. There is not fat here either. All the characters are crucial to the story being told and shows the planning and vision the author had for the whole novel before putting pen to paper.
I won't go any more into the story as I'd hate to unintentionally reveal any spoilers. What I will say that this was a hugely enjoyable read. A great cast of characters very well written and all with their part to play in the story. Owen, are main character is extremely well written. It would be so easy to find it hard to latch on to him or have empathy with him, due to the nature of his withdrawn slightly reclusive character but I found that I bought in to him totally.
There's some great side stories and moments too with some of the lesser characters in the book. Although the crux of the story is about a murder and who did/didn't do it, most if not all the cast of characters are memorable and vividly imagined by the author.
The story at the end of the day is a simple one. It's a murder story and a whodunit. This however is very cleverly stitched together and indeed a story cleverly told. There's no filler here. Everything happens for a purpose and ties into the climax at the end of the book. It's the sort of book that would have great re-read value. It would be fun to read through it again knowing the outcome but stumbling on things you may not have noticed first time, or not noticed tier importance at the time - those sort of "aaah.." moments.
As I said at the start of this review, I had a blast reading this. When I picked it up I found it hard to put down or when I did put it down was surprised by how much I had read. Even when I had a couple of nights where my mind was distracted or I wasn't particularly in the mood of reading, within five minutes of picking the book up I was totally in the story again and the outside world couldn't have been further away. That to me tells me all I need to know about this novel. A very clever and memorable story, hugely entertaining and enjoyable.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre Publishing and author G.J. Minett for an advance copy of Lie In Wait in exchange for an unbiased review.
The story revolves around a murder in a small English town and the quite large cast of characters in and around it. It's an intricately thought out and told story that will have you second guessing characters and their motives over and over again.
It starts with a compelling prologue involving our main character, Owen Hall and it had me hooked straight away.
Owen is a socially inept loner with a real talent for numbers. Most of his reasoning is based on numbers and he lives his life sort of using numbers as a moral compass. His lack of social skills, which feels like it borders on mild autism saw him bullied very badly as a boy in school. In fact his mother withdraws him from school eventually to home school him which only alienates him further.
Now a grown man(and boy has he grown, well over six foot and fit as a fiddle) he runs his own landscape and gardening business in his locality. He runs into one of his ex school friends Abi, a girl who was one of the few who made an effort at the time to talk to him and basically be nice to him. She asks him to draw up some plans and do some work on her garden which he agrees to. This eventually leads to him finding out that Abi is married to Callum, the same Callum who tormented and bullied Owen throughout his school days. This leads to a really dynamic relationship between the three and plays a major part in the telling of this intricate and complex story.
The first few chapters of the book introduce our cast of characters. It can seem a little confusing at first as yet another chapter starts and more characters are introduced. There was one stage in the early part of the book where I checked to make sure that I hadn't made a mistake in believing the book was less than 400 pages. I thought there is no way all these characters can play a significant part in the story or at least such a large chunk of the beginning of the book should be spent introducing all these characters in detail. It reminded me a little of reading Stephen Kings The Stand which used a similar method of introducing all the characters chapter by chapter at the start of the book but that novel was over 1000 pages!!
Fear not though, the characters were so well written in these early chapters that they are very easy to remember when they pop up at later times in the novel. There is not fat here either. All the characters are crucial to the story being told and shows the planning and vision the author had for the whole novel before putting pen to paper.
I won't go any more into the story as I'd hate to unintentionally reveal any spoilers. What I will say that this was a hugely enjoyable read. A great cast of characters very well written and all with their part to play in the story. Owen, are main character is extremely well written. It would be so easy to find it hard to latch on to him or have empathy with him, due to the nature of his withdrawn slightly reclusive character but I found that I bought in to him totally.
There's some great side stories and moments too with some of the lesser characters in the book. Although the crux of the story is about a murder and who did/didn't do it, most if not all the cast of characters are memorable and vividly imagined by the author.
The story at the end of the day is a simple one. It's a murder story and a whodunit. This however is very cleverly stitched together and indeed a story cleverly told. There's no filler here. Everything happens for a purpose and ties into the climax at the end of the book. It's the sort of book that would have great re-read value. It would be fun to read through it again knowing the outcome but stumbling on things you may not have noticed first time, or not noticed tier importance at the time - those sort of "aaah.." moments.
As I said at the start of this review, I had a blast reading this. When I picked it up I found it hard to put down or when I did put it down was surprised by how much I had read. Even when I had a couple of nights where my mind was distracted or I wasn't particularly in the mood of reading, within five minutes of picking the book up I was totally in the story again and the outside world couldn't have been further away. That to me tells me all I need to know about this novel. A very clever and memorable story, hugely entertaining and enjoyable.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre Publishing and author G.J. Minett for an advance copy of Lie In Wait in exchange for an unbiased review.
August 29, 2016
I read Graham Minetts debut novel and I really liked it especially his writing style but I had given it a 3* as I had read something very similar in the same week and had (seemingly!) preferred the plot of the other book. Strange thing is though, that all these months later I can still remember The Hidden Legacy but can't for the life of me even remember the author or title of the other book! So I knew that this was an author who could really creep under your skin with his storytelling without you even knowing and I was keen to read Lie In Wait, his second book.
I will start by saying that this is a very different book with a more self assured style of writing especially with the many characters that crop up during this tale. At the heart of the plot is a murder that needs to be solved and to begin with my head was absolutely spinning! There were so many characters being introduced to tell their stories and these were also told both in the present and in the past until the two timeframes come together. I really had no idea how all the threads were connected and it wasn't until about 20% in that I began to settle back and let it all come together so please persevere if you get that same feeling.
Owen was a character I had quite a lot of sympathy for, I'm not sure if this is how the author wanted him to come across though. Others may find him creepy but I just wanted to take over the mothering that he had recently lost. His understanding of the world wasn't a typical one due to both the brain damage he had received at birth and his family circumstances. He also was bullied badly throughout his school days with one of the main bullies being Callum Green who is now married to Abi, who was always very kind to Owen. And you'd think because of that, I would have taken to Abi more than I did but I struggled to have any empathy with her at all! Even though she displayed herself as a good person, I found her to be far to in control of emotions for me to engage with her character. Phil, on the other hand, I took to straight away, the description of him doing the housework really brought a tear to my eye-it's the small things like that which make these characters come off the page and become real people with real reactions to their circumstances. And although Chichester isn't an area I have ever visited, I certainly felt at home there with the visual flashes we are given of, what must be, real locations.
On the whole this is a very clever book the way it takes all the threads at the beginning and weaves them into a twisty turny tale so that you are never quite sure of the direction it will take. A very different feel to The Hidden Legacy but if you look deeply they both have the same seed of an idea from which they have grown, but have just developed into different directions. An intelligent and interesting book from a natural storyteller.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
I will start by saying that this is a very different book with a more self assured style of writing especially with the many characters that crop up during this tale. At the heart of the plot is a murder that needs to be solved and to begin with my head was absolutely spinning! There were so many characters being introduced to tell their stories and these were also told both in the present and in the past until the two timeframes come together. I really had no idea how all the threads were connected and it wasn't until about 20% in that I began to settle back and let it all come together so please persevere if you get that same feeling.
Owen was a character I had quite a lot of sympathy for, I'm not sure if this is how the author wanted him to come across though. Others may find him creepy but I just wanted to take over the mothering that he had recently lost. His understanding of the world wasn't a typical one due to both the brain damage he had received at birth and his family circumstances. He also was bullied badly throughout his school days with one of the main bullies being Callum Green who is now married to Abi, who was always very kind to Owen. And you'd think because of that, I would have taken to Abi more than I did but I struggled to have any empathy with her at all! Even though she displayed herself as a good person, I found her to be far to in control of emotions for me to engage with her character. Phil, on the other hand, I took to straight away, the description of him doing the housework really brought a tear to my eye-it's the small things like that which make these characters come off the page and become real people with real reactions to their circumstances. And although Chichester isn't an area I have ever visited, I certainly felt at home there with the visual flashes we are given of, what must be, real locations.
On the whole this is a very clever book the way it takes all the threads at the beginning and weaves them into a twisty turny tale so that you are never quite sure of the direction it will take. A very different feel to The Hidden Legacy but if you look deeply they both have the same seed of an idea from which they have grown, but have just developed into different directions. An intelligent and interesting book from a natural storyteller.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
March 4, 2017
An incredible story that captured me from the beginning! Meet socially challenged Owen who bases his happiness on numbers: any name of which the single characters add up to a multiple of 3 is good – all the other numbers point to danger. Now Owen has the chance to catch up with Abi, the only one who was nice to him in school. But Abi is married to Callum – someone who bullied Owen as a child. Then there is Danny who has to pay back a loan to a dark criminal but is unable to raise the money. Detective Inspector Holloway meanwhile, has other worries on his mind; he does not know it yet but soon he will be investigating a murder.
Storyline
When Abi meets Owen again after all those years, he is a gardener who has recently transformed a friend’s backyard from a shamble of bushes to a beautifully arranged garden. Abi falls in love with the garden and hires Owen to do her garden too. Owen feels fate is bringing Abi back into his life, much against the wishes of the cynical voice in his head of his brother Willie, with whom we witness Owen constantly arguing. We know Owen is obsessed with numbers and his reason: people lie, numbers do not. Abi’s husband Callum is dead against the plan as he thinks Owen is a nitwit and has no problem telling him so. But Callum has other things on his mind: he is looking forward to spending a few days with his mistress. If Abi is honest, she is only too happy to have some time for herself. She knows her marriage is a bit rocky, perhaps some days away from each other would do them good. Would she have known Callum is not alone…
Somehow things are going wrong, but we, the readers, do not have a clue as to what is happening. Callum’s mistress is waiting in vain, Abi has no idea where Callum is. Then there is Phil, Callum’s father. He is a retired policeman, now working as a Security Guard at a shopping centre. Phil has trouble moving on with his life after the death of his wife. Callum is all there is left, but Phil knows his son. Or does he? Owen bears a grudge against Phil, for telling him off when Callum had bullied Owen for the umpteenth time. Detective Inspector Halloway is way in over his head: he has two important cases on his desk, one of them a high profile murder case without any clue. Except perhaps for the suspicious story Owen is telling him about the girl who drove with him in his truck and went missing at a petrol station, which needs to be investigated. Nothing is what it seems in this complex tale of murder, suspense, love and friendship!
My Thoughts
I loved the author’s debut novel The Hidden Legacy and looked forward to reading this second book. What a gripping novel! I enjoyed it very much and was amazed how the author has accomplished writing something that feels completely different, even if there are recurring elements. It is an intriguing story with the topics as autism, friendship, love and betrayal. When you are autistic and do not know how to handle life, you search for mechanisms to cope. Owen did – his is reducing people to numbers. Numbers can be trusted whereas people are difficult and can be deceiving. I found it touching how the author described him. At first, I had a little difficulty getting into the plot, as the present and (near) past interchange and there are many characters, but gradually I began to understand how the various events intertwined and how cleverly construed the plot was, with a plot twist as added bonus. Only at the end did I grasp the fullness of what happened and came to understand how the different characters’ influences were necessary for the storyline. Lie in Wait is a well-written and cleverly plotted thriller with a disturbing but also moving undercurrent.
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/lie-in...
Storyline
When Abi meets Owen again after all those years, he is a gardener who has recently transformed a friend’s backyard from a shamble of bushes to a beautifully arranged garden. Abi falls in love with the garden and hires Owen to do her garden too. Owen feels fate is bringing Abi back into his life, much against the wishes of the cynical voice in his head of his brother Willie, with whom we witness Owen constantly arguing. We know Owen is obsessed with numbers and his reason: people lie, numbers do not. Abi’s husband Callum is dead against the plan as he thinks Owen is a nitwit and has no problem telling him so. But Callum has other things on his mind: he is looking forward to spending a few days with his mistress. If Abi is honest, she is only too happy to have some time for herself. She knows her marriage is a bit rocky, perhaps some days away from each other would do them good. Would she have known Callum is not alone…
Somehow things are going wrong, but we, the readers, do not have a clue as to what is happening. Callum’s mistress is waiting in vain, Abi has no idea where Callum is. Then there is Phil, Callum’s father. He is a retired policeman, now working as a Security Guard at a shopping centre. Phil has trouble moving on with his life after the death of his wife. Callum is all there is left, but Phil knows his son. Or does he? Owen bears a grudge against Phil, for telling him off when Callum had bullied Owen for the umpteenth time. Detective Inspector Halloway is way in over his head: he has two important cases on his desk, one of them a high profile murder case without any clue. Except perhaps for the suspicious story Owen is telling him about the girl who drove with him in his truck and went missing at a petrol station, which needs to be investigated. Nothing is what it seems in this complex tale of murder, suspense, love and friendship!
My Thoughts
I loved the author’s debut novel The Hidden Legacy and looked forward to reading this second book. What a gripping novel! I enjoyed it very much and was amazed how the author has accomplished writing something that feels completely different, even if there are recurring elements. It is an intriguing story with the topics as autism, friendship, love and betrayal. When you are autistic and do not know how to handle life, you search for mechanisms to cope. Owen did – his is reducing people to numbers. Numbers can be trusted whereas people are difficult and can be deceiving. I found it touching how the author described him. At first, I had a little difficulty getting into the plot, as the present and (near) past interchange and there are many characters, but gradually I began to understand how the various events intertwined and how cleverly construed the plot was, with a plot twist as added bonus. Only at the end did I grasp the fullness of what happened and came to understand how the different characters’ influences were necessary for the storyline. Lie in Wait is a well-written and cleverly plotted thriller with a disturbing but also moving undercurrent.
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/lie-in...
December 3, 2016
I was really excited to learn that Minett had written another book as I had really enjoyed The Hidden Legacy.
Owen is a man fixated with numbers and patterns. He lacks social skills somewhat and was bullied as a child at school. Now a gardener, he comes into contact with an old school acquaintance who had always been fairly friendly with him. Abi, his friend, hires Owen to re-design her garden. Unfortunately, Abi is also married to an old nemesis of Owen's, Callum, now a successful businessman. Callum is not pleased that Abi has chosen Owen to landscape their garden but goes along with it throwing insults at Owen at any given opportunity.
A murder in the community takes place and the book essentially becomes a whodunnit albeit a fairly convoluted one. There are an awful lot of characters in this book and at times I felt like I was being led down a fair few paths which didn't really add to the story. I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Hidden Legacy which I thought was a gem of read. Unfortunately this one failed to hold my interest which is why it took me so long to finish.
Not a bad book by any means, just failed to ignite a spark. Many others have enjoyed it so I suggest you see for yourselves. It may well work for you.
Owen is a man fixated with numbers and patterns. He lacks social skills somewhat and was bullied as a child at school. Now a gardener, he comes into contact with an old school acquaintance who had always been fairly friendly with him. Abi, his friend, hires Owen to re-design her garden. Unfortunately, Abi is also married to an old nemesis of Owen's, Callum, now a successful businessman. Callum is not pleased that Abi has chosen Owen to landscape their garden but goes along with it throwing insults at Owen at any given opportunity.
A murder in the community takes place and the book essentially becomes a whodunnit albeit a fairly convoluted one. There are an awful lot of characters in this book and at times I felt like I was being led down a fair few paths which didn't really add to the story. I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Hidden Legacy which I thought was a gem of read. Unfortunately this one failed to hold my interest which is why it took me so long to finish.
Not a bad book by any means, just failed to ignite a spark. Many others have enjoyed it so I suggest you see for yourselves. It may well work for you.
October 18, 2020
An intricate character-driven realistic psychological thriller.
I really enjoyed my second G.J. Minett novel. A complex plot with a number of character POV's with a timeline that switches between 'earlier' and 'now'. It was a little trickier to follow as an audiobook but I had chosen this over the wait for a delivery.
There were a few places where I found the character links a little tenuous but again this maybe because it was an audiobook. Owen Hall was a really interesting choice and he elicited a number of feelings as I read from pity, care, empathy to unhinged, scheming and narcissistic. The swing between feelings for Owen, who is central to the investigation, was a highlight of the read. The narrator really brought the characters to life and it was an excellent listen. The setting was evocative and interesting.
A satisfying but slightly predictable resolution made the read that much more enjoyable.
I really enjoyed my second G.J. Minett novel. A complex plot with a number of character POV's with a timeline that switches between 'earlier' and 'now'. It was a little trickier to follow as an audiobook but I had chosen this over the wait for a delivery.
There were a few places where I found the character links a little tenuous but again this maybe because it was an audiobook. Owen Hall was a really interesting choice and he elicited a number of feelings as I read from pity, care, empathy to unhinged, scheming and narcissistic. The swing between feelings for Owen, who is central to the investigation, was a highlight of the read. The narrator really brought the characters to life and it was an excellent listen. The setting was evocative and interesting.
A satisfying but slightly predictable resolution made the read that much more enjoyable.
August 7, 2016
This is one clever novel. No it's more than that, it is one incredibly clever novel. I'm not quite sure how Minett managed to pull off a story with so many different characters, all with their own backstories and secrets, and numerous sub plots that all weave a complex web of crime, murder, mystery and suspense. It's only his second novel, but Minett has so surely raised his game and shown that he is capable of controlling many separate threads; pulling them together seamlessly in a compelling thriller. I can't imagine how complicated his planning process was, but I have in mind some enormous spreadsheet littered with multicoloured post it notes and symbols! Or maybe something akin to one of Carrie Mathison's walls in Homeland or Prison Break's Michael Schofield tattoos!
Having said that, it is not a complicated book to read. There is a lot going on and there is a wide cast of characters but it does not in any way feel like a difficult read. It is engaging, accessible and fluent.
Minett makes life very easy for the reader with very clear headings at the start of each chapter - either Now or Earlier (yes, there's a dual timeline to cope with too!) and the date, and then the name of the character we are now following. The characters change within each section but again, even though their voices are distinctive and different, a name is provided. I found this immensely helpful as I was reading at such a pace it meant I wasn't distracted, confused or forced to retrace my steps at any point to make sense of who was talking and when. In fact, drawing attention to the dates and names actually made me pay more attention to chronology and encouraged me to try to start to put the jigsaw of clues together (which I totally failed on, obvs!).
The main character Owen is a really well crafted protagonist. Minett captures his awkward social and emotional personality with conviction. Owen is obsessed with numbers - their reliability and their consistency offer him a sense of calm and control. He reduces almost any situation into a sum, the answer then providing a decision or assurance of his next actions. Although intriguing, Owen evokes a huge sense of empathy from the reader in the opening prologue as he is obviously so clearly affected by the shocking disappearance of Julie from his taxi. But as the novel progresses I found myself in a continual dilemma about this character; innocent? Guilty? Victim? Perpetrator?
Whatever you think, there is a definite sense that this man could potentially become volatile, menacing or dangerous. I liked that. Never quite knowing what a character might do or what they might be capable of creates a huge amount of suspense and tension.
But Owen is not the only suspect or potential criminal. There are several. In fact, most of the characters in the book are deeply unpleasant, malicious, dangerous and dark. Their dialogue is blunt, colloquial and offensive but there is nothing gratuitous or cringe worthy, it is all impressively authentic and realistic. I found the passages of speech very filmic and really effective in capturing the real colours of these fictional players.
Abi, one of the female protagonists, is equally complex. I found myself changing my opinion of her several times and was never quite sure exactly what her motives were and whether I could fully trust her (don't be ridiculous Katherine, this is a thriller - you can't trust anyone!). I thought her relationship with Owen was really interesting. Minett explores memories of bullying, school days and the relationships between people that have grown up together and I enjoyed this aspect of the plot.
I am impressed with how well Minett can write from the perspective of several different characters with integrity and with such consistency and reliability throughout the entire novel. There are no holes, gaps, forced or contrived aspects of the plot; Minett writes with solid assurance.
To finish, I just want to mention the setting and location of the novel. There is immense detail about the exact places and scenery used in the book which helps to make the dark world in to which Minett leads us, more convincing and believable.
This is a crime thriller with an ingenious plot and vivid characters. Owen is a masterful creation. It is a really gritty, dark novel. I am hugely impressed with this, only Minett's second novel, and think it sets him up as a writer to watch out for in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in return for a fair review.
Having said that, it is not a complicated book to read. There is a lot going on and there is a wide cast of characters but it does not in any way feel like a difficult read. It is engaging, accessible and fluent.
Minett makes life very easy for the reader with very clear headings at the start of each chapter - either Now or Earlier (yes, there's a dual timeline to cope with too!) and the date, and then the name of the character we are now following. The characters change within each section but again, even though their voices are distinctive and different, a name is provided. I found this immensely helpful as I was reading at such a pace it meant I wasn't distracted, confused or forced to retrace my steps at any point to make sense of who was talking and when. In fact, drawing attention to the dates and names actually made me pay more attention to chronology and encouraged me to try to start to put the jigsaw of clues together (which I totally failed on, obvs!).
The main character Owen is a really well crafted protagonist. Minett captures his awkward social and emotional personality with conviction. Owen is obsessed with numbers - their reliability and their consistency offer him a sense of calm and control. He reduces almost any situation into a sum, the answer then providing a decision or assurance of his next actions. Although intriguing, Owen evokes a huge sense of empathy from the reader in the opening prologue as he is obviously so clearly affected by the shocking disappearance of Julie from his taxi. But as the novel progresses I found myself in a continual dilemma about this character; innocent? Guilty? Victim? Perpetrator?
Whatever you think, there is a definite sense that this man could potentially become volatile, menacing or dangerous. I liked that. Never quite knowing what a character might do or what they might be capable of creates a huge amount of suspense and tension.
But Owen is not the only suspect or potential criminal. There are several. In fact, most of the characters in the book are deeply unpleasant, malicious, dangerous and dark. Their dialogue is blunt, colloquial and offensive but there is nothing gratuitous or cringe worthy, it is all impressively authentic and realistic. I found the passages of speech very filmic and really effective in capturing the real colours of these fictional players.
Abi, one of the female protagonists, is equally complex. I found myself changing my opinion of her several times and was never quite sure exactly what her motives were and whether I could fully trust her (don't be ridiculous Katherine, this is a thriller - you can't trust anyone!). I thought her relationship with Owen was really interesting. Minett explores memories of bullying, school days and the relationships between people that have grown up together and I enjoyed this aspect of the plot.
I am impressed with how well Minett can write from the perspective of several different characters with integrity and with such consistency and reliability throughout the entire novel. There are no holes, gaps, forced or contrived aspects of the plot; Minett writes with solid assurance.
To finish, I just want to mention the setting and location of the novel. There is immense detail about the exact places and scenery used in the book which helps to make the dark world in to which Minett leads us, more convincing and believable.
This is a crime thriller with an ingenious plot and vivid characters. Owen is a masterful creation. It is a really gritty, dark novel. I am hugely impressed with this, only Minett's second novel, and think it sets him up as a writer to watch out for in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in return for a fair review.
February 6, 2017
Such a clever book. Incredibly well constructed. Really enjoyed it.
March 4, 2017
This is the first book by G.J. Minett that I have read and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it - I'll certainly be looking out for more from this author. It's a very strong thriller that feels like a game of chess with all the pieces on the board, just waiting for someone to make the first move. At times I didn't know what the devil was going on and why this or that person was in the story but it all comes together in a magnificent a-ha moment at the end.
Owen Hall hasn't had a great life; he doesn't really know how to relate to people. He suffered a terrible event as a youngster and you wonder how much this affected his ability to deal with people. At school he was bullied by Callum Green and only Abi ever showed him any kind of friendship. Now Abi is married to Callum and Owen crosses paths with them once again.
The story starts with Owen stopping at a petrol station so his female passenger can go to the loo. When she doesn't come back, Owen can't understand what has happened and the petrol station attendant calls the police. Now that the police have Owen in their sights they realise that he fits the bill perfectly as a suspect in a recent murder.
In a game of cat and mouse, all of the traps are set to catch the murderer and it's an absolutely brilliant game that is played in Lie In Wait. I was so sure that I knew what had happened but I had completely walked past all of the clues, such is the clever style of G.J. Minett's writing. Looking back now, I should have been asking questions, but my attention was always drawn on to something else. Well played, sir!
I loved the unravelling and gradual reveal of Owen's history and perhaps only now, a few days after I have read it, do I realise how very good Lie in Wait actually is.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Owen Hall hasn't had a great life; he doesn't really know how to relate to people. He suffered a terrible event as a youngster and you wonder how much this affected his ability to deal with people. At school he was bullied by Callum Green and only Abi ever showed him any kind of friendship. Now Abi is married to Callum and Owen crosses paths with them once again.
The story starts with Owen stopping at a petrol station so his female passenger can go to the loo. When she doesn't come back, Owen can't understand what has happened and the petrol station attendant calls the police. Now that the police have Owen in their sights they realise that he fits the bill perfectly as a suspect in a recent murder.
In a game of cat and mouse, all of the traps are set to catch the murderer and it's an absolutely brilliant game that is played in Lie In Wait. I was so sure that I knew what had happened but I had completely walked past all of the clues, such is the clever style of G.J. Minett's writing. Looking back now, I should have been asking questions, but my attention was always drawn on to something else. Well played, sir!
I loved the unravelling and gradual reveal of Owen's history and perhaps only now, a few days after I have read it, do I realise how very good Lie in Wait actually is.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
October 14, 2019
Che gran casino con sto libro. Casino su GR e casino nel libro. Mi tocca riscrivere la review o meglio il breve commento.
Bocciato. Troppi personaggi per cui si finisce per perderne il senso. I salti passato e presente non migliorano la cosa. Di solito non è negativo ma deve essere fatto bene e qui per me è solo un casino che si incasina di più.
Poi sarò io ma qualche volta mi sono persa a ricordarmi tutto. E state certi che è colpa del libro stesso.
In questo momento sto leggendo anche un libro di King e anche lui passa da passato a presente e diversamente mi ricordo tutto. Quindi traete voi le conclusioni.
Bocciato. Troppi personaggi per cui si finisce per perderne il senso. I salti passato e presente non migliorano la cosa. Di solito non è negativo ma deve essere fatto bene e qui per me è solo un casino che si incasina di più.
Poi sarò io ma qualche volta mi sono persa a ricordarmi tutto. E state certi che è colpa del libro stesso.
In questo momento sto leggendo anche un libro di King e anche lui passa da passato a presente e diversamente mi ricordo tutto. Quindi traete voi le conclusioni.
November 17, 2016
This was an interesting read.
I liked the way it went from one person to the next with lots of different perspectives with a name at the start of the chapter and switches between earlier and now, as the story is told all things started to come together like a jigsaw puzzle.
I enjoyed the ending.
Worth a read.
Thank you Netgalley the Publisher and author for a chance to read this book.
I liked the way it went from one person to the next with lots of different perspectives with a name at the start of the chapter and switches between earlier and now, as the story is told all things started to come together like a jigsaw puzzle.
I enjoyed the ending.
Worth a read.
Thank you Netgalley the Publisher and author for a chance to read this book.
February 23, 2017
Lie In Wait is a difficult novel to review without issuing spoilers because it doesn't have a linear timeline. Initially it is about a woman, Julie, who is driving with Owen Hall, to Worthing when she goes missing in a petrol station but there is more to the novel which is slowly revealed as it goes on.
I didn't like Lie In Wait for a variety of reasons, really struggled to get through it and was skim reading by the end. It has multiple points of view, with each chapter handily titled so there is no confusion. I found it difficult to identify with any one character or get immersed in the narrative as the perspective kept shifting. The same goes for the timeline which kept changing from October to "earlier". Again each chapter is dated so the reader knows where they are but it makes for a choppy read. I found it an easy novel to put down in favour of doing other things.
The main protagonist is Owen Hall, a vulnerable adult who is obviously on the spectrum amongst other mental health issues. He is not a particularly likeable character so it is difficult to summon up the energy to care about him. The other characters rather fade into the background in comparison with him and then there are some characters who make an appearance for no apparent reason.
I would have rated this novel 2* for all the reasons above and that I had a fair idea from early on where it was going but I like the writing style which is clear, vivid and readable. I can also admire the cleverness of the plotting while deploring the unnecessarily convoluted style of it. I think therefore that 3* is a fair assessment.
I didn't like Lie In Wait for a variety of reasons, really struggled to get through it and was skim reading by the end. It has multiple points of view, with each chapter handily titled so there is no confusion. I found it difficult to identify with any one character or get immersed in the narrative as the perspective kept shifting. The same goes for the timeline which kept changing from October to "earlier". Again each chapter is dated so the reader knows where they are but it makes for a choppy read. I found it an easy novel to put down in favour of doing other things.
The main protagonist is Owen Hall, a vulnerable adult who is obviously on the spectrum amongst other mental health issues. He is not a particularly likeable character so it is difficult to summon up the energy to care about him. The other characters rather fade into the background in comparison with him and then there are some characters who make an appearance for no apparent reason.
I would have rated this novel 2* for all the reasons above and that I had a fair idea from early on where it was going but I like the writing style which is clear, vivid and readable. I can also admire the cleverness of the plotting while deploring the unnecessarily convoluted style of it. I think therefore that 3* is a fair assessment.
August 31, 2016
Owen Hall is a mathematical genius, a big strong man who earns his living by hard physical graft as a landscape gardener. He also happens to be fascinated by number patterns and sequences. Socially awkward and with a brilliant intellect, as a child he was different to the other children his age and was bullied to such an extent that his mother had to remove him from his school. Owen has never forgotten the scars, both psychological and physical that were inflicted on him in the schoolyard, and he has not forgotten his childhood tormentors.
When a brutal murder occurs in the small town where Owen lives he finds himself once more singled out as 'odd' when the police turn the spotlight on him and he finds himself the chief suspect in their murder investigation.
Is Owen Hall a violent murderer, or is he an innocent man, an easy target for suspicion who just happens to stand out?
This is G.J. Minett's second and much anticipated novel. I have previously read his debut novel The Hidden Legacy and thoroughly enjoyed it. In many ways Lie in Wait is a very different book, although both books touch on the theme of childhood bullying.
Lie in Wait is a dark thriller, extremely cleverly plotted by the author. At times, and particularly in the beginning of the book I found it difficult to keep the cast of characters straight in my head, but G. J. Minett had no such problems as he tells his story from the perspective of each character with immense skill. Just when I thought I understood where each character was coming from and what made them tick, they would say or do something to throw all my assumptions out the window!
G. J. Minett is a very clever writer with a natural ability to tell a story that the reader won't forget in a hurry. Long after you have turned the last page you will still be thinking about Lie in Wait and the complex characters he introduces you to in this dark and twisted journey of a book. A great read, this book will keep you turning the pages long into the night.
Thank you to newbooks/nudge, netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.
When a brutal murder occurs in the small town where Owen lives he finds himself once more singled out as 'odd' when the police turn the spotlight on him and he finds himself the chief suspect in their murder investigation.
Is Owen Hall a violent murderer, or is he an innocent man, an easy target for suspicion who just happens to stand out?
This is G.J. Minett's second and much anticipated novel. I have previously read his debut novel The Hidden Legacy and thoroughly enjoyed it. In many ways Lie in Wait is a very different book, although both books touch on the theme of childhood bullying.
Lie in Wait is a dark thriller, extremely cleverly plotted by the author. At times, and particularly in the beginning of the book I found it difficult to keep the cast of characters straight in my head, but G. J. Minett had no such problems as he tells his story from the perspective of each character with immense skill. Just when I thought I understood where each character was coming from and what made them tick, they would say or do something to throw all my assumptions out the window!
G. J. Minett is a very clever writer with a natural ability to tell a story that the reader won't forget in a hurry. Long after you have turned the last page you will still be thinking about Lie in Wait and the complex characters he introduces you to in this dark and twisted journey of a book. A great read, this book will keep you turning the pages long into the night.
Thank you to newbooks/nudge, netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.
August 18, 2016
Lie in Wait is the second novel from author G.J. Minett. Published by Bonnier Zaffre, Lie in Wait is due for release on 25th August 2016.
I have not read G.J. Minett’s, much praised, previous novel Hidden Legacy so I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one. I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my, as ever, honest review.
The Blurb:
‘Owen Hall has always been different. A big man with an unusual fixation, one who prefers to put his trust in number patterns rather than in people, it’s unsurprising that he’d draw the attention of a bully.
Or a murder investigation.
And, in the storm of emotions and accusations that erupts when a violent killing affects a small community, it soon becomes clear that a particularly clever murderer might just get away with it.
All they’d need is a likely suspect . . .’
Sometimes you read a book and you actually just cannot decide your feelings towards certain characters. This for me was one of those books.
G.J. Minett has written a novel involving a staggering number of individuals.
We have the main protagonist, Owen Hall. Owen is someone who has had it very tough in life. As a result of a traumatic birth, he developed unusual personality traits which have made him a target of bullying all through his school years. He has an uncanny fixation with numbers, aswell as a difficulty expressing himself without stammering or getting confused.
Owen is a landscaper by trade and a very talented one. Through a chance meeting, he becomes reacquainted with Abi, his childhood crush. Abi has always had a soft spot for Owen and stood by him in school where others walked away. Abi was not afraid of the bullies and Owen always felt in safe hands when in her company. Abi, in need of a garden overhaul, hires Owen to sort out her landscaping.
Callum, Abi’s childhood sweetheart and now husband is a very self-centred and over confident individual. Having a very successful career has only bolstered his ego further and nothing will get in his way to achieve what he wants.
His father Phil, an ex-cop, sees his son for what he really is but Phil is grieving for the loss of his wife Sally and wastes no more time pandering to his son’s ways. Phil now works in security and is battling with self-confidence issues.
An unexpected murder in the community forces everyone together in a very complicated web of lies and deceit. True personalities are exposed as we discover who is behind this act of violence.
The chapters of Lie In Wait are divided up by date and character. The reader is sent to the past and the present as the story unwinds over a couple of months.
Graham Minett casts a net over so many different story lines, it defeats me how he manages to pull them all together so successfully into a coherent storyline…but he does!!
It is a book that moves swiftly from scene to scene. It is a book that changes rapidly between different characters. It is a book you will want to read in as few sittings as possible. There were a couple of scenarios I felt stretched my imagination just a little too much but I enjoyed the direction they were taking and wanted to see where they ended up.
As I read this book I felt all sorts of emotions. With Owen my feelings jumped from sympathy to empathy but at no point did I harbour any ill feelings towards him. Callum, from the beginning was someone I just did not warm to. His attitude and general arrogance is played out very well as the story unfolds . Abi…well Abi is quite a complex character. I found I had very mixed feelings towards her and as a character, I didn’t find her very appealing.
Lie In Wait is a fast paced book that you need your wits about you. It’s not complicated but it helps if you are switched on when reading it. It is a crime novel with all the typical line up of good guys and bad guys..but I hasten to add, G.J. Minett incorporates them all into a very enjoyable read.
Who was the victim?
Who perpetrated the act?
Who is guilty?
Who is innocent?
Only one way to find out…you will just have to read it yourself!!
Who is G.J. Minett?
Graham was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and lived there for 18 years before studying for a degree in Modern and Medieval Languages at Churchill College, Cambridge.
He taught for several years, first in Cheltenham and then in West Sussex before opting to go part-time and start an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester. Completing the course in 2008, he gained a distinction for the dissertation under the guidance of novelist, Alison MacLeod and almost immediately won the Segora Short Story Competition with ‘On the Way Out’.
Other awards soon followed, most notably his success in the 2010 Chapter One novel competition with what would eventually become the opening pages of his debut novel.
He was signed up by Peter Buckman of the Ampersand Agency, who managed to secure a two-book deal with twenty7, the digital-first adult fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing.
“The Hidden Legacy” was published as an eBook in November 2015 and the paperback version is scheduled to be released on August 25th 2016.
The second book in the deal, entitled “Lie in Wait”, will be published as an eBook on August 25th 2016 and the paperback version will be on the shelves in bookshops around the country in February 2017.
Graham lives with his wife and children in West Sussex but retains close links with the rest of his family in Cheltenham.
I have not read G.J. Minett’s, much praised, previous novel Hidden Legacy so I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one. I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my, as ever, honest review.
The Blurb:
‘Owen Hall has always been different. A big man with an unusual fixation, one who prefers to put his trust in number patterns rather than in people, it’s unsurprising that he’d draw the attention of a bully.
Or a murder investigation.
And, in the storm of emotions and accusations that erupts when a violent killing affects a small community, it soon becomes clear that a particularly clever murderer might just get away with it.
All they’d need is a likely suspect . . .’
Sometimes you read a book and you actually just cannot decide your feelings towards certain characters. This for me was one of those books.
G.J. Minett has written a novel involving a staggering number of individuals.
We have the main protagonist, Owen Hall. Owen is someone who has had it very tough in life. As a result of a traumatic birth, he developed unusual personality traits which have made him a target of bullying all through his school years. He has an uncanny fixation with numbers, aswell as a difficulty expressing himself without stammering or getting confused.
Owen is a landscaper by trade and a very talented one. Through a chance meeting, he becomes reacquainted with Abi, his childhood crush. Abi has always had a soft spot for Owen and stood by him in school where others walked away. Abi was not afraid of the bullies and Owen always felt in safe hands when in her company. Abi, in need of a garden overhaul, hires Owen to sort out her landscaping.
Callum, Abi’s childhood sweetheart and now husband is a very self-centred and over confident individual. Having a very successful career has only bolstered his ego further and nothing will get in his way to achieve what he wants.
His father Phil, an ex-cop, sees his son for what he really is but Phil is grieving for the loss of his wife Sally and wastes no more time pandering to his son’s ways. Phil now works in security and is battling with self-confidence issues.
An unexpected murder in the community forces everyone together in a very complicated web of lies and deceit. True personalities are exposed as we discover who is behind this act of violence.
The chapters of Lie In Wait are divided up by date and character. The reader is sent to the past and the present as the story unwinds over a couple of months.
Graham Minett casts a net over so many different story lines, it defeats me how he manages to pull them all together so successfully into a coherent storyline…but he does!!
It is a book that moves swiftly from scene to scene. It is a book that changes rapidly between different characters. It is a book you will want to read in as few sittings as possible. There were a couple of scenarios I felt stretched my imagination just a little too much but I enjoyed the direction they were taking and wanted to see where they ended up.
As I read this book I felt all sorts of emotions. With Owen my feelings jumped from sympathy to empathy but at no point did I harbour any ill feelings towards him. Callum, from the beginning was someone I just did not warm to. His attitude and general arrogance is played out very well as the story unfolds . Abi…well Abi is quite a complex character. I found I had very mixed feelings towards her and as a character, I didn’t find her very appealing.
Lie In Wait is a fast paced book that you need your wits about you. It’s not complicated but it helps if you are switched on when reading it. It is a crime novel with all the typical line up of good guys and bad guys..but I hasten to add, G.J. Minett incorporates them all into a very enjoyable read.
Who was the victim?
Who perpetrated the act?
Who is guilty?
Who is innocent?
Only one way to find out…you will just have to read it yourself!!
Who is G.J. Minett?
Graham was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and lived there for 18 years before studying for a degree in Modern and Medieval Languages at Churchill College, Cambridge.
He taught for several years, first in Cheltenham and then in West Sussex before opting to go part-time and start an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester. Completing the course in 2008, he gained a distinction for the dissertation under the guidance of novelist, Alison MacLeod and almost immediately won the Segora Short Story Competition with ‘On the Way Out’.
Other awards soon followed, most notably his success in the 2010 Chapter One novel competition with what would eventually become the opening pages of his debut novel.
He was signed up by Peter Buckman of the Ampersand Agency, who managed to secure a two-book deal with twenty7, the digital-first adult fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing.
“The Hidden Legacy” was published as an eBook in November 2015 and the paperback version is scheduled to be released on August 25th 2016.
The second book in the deal, entitled “Lie in Wait”, will be published as an eBook on August 25th 2016 and the paperback version will be on the shelves in bookshops around the country in February 2017.
Graham lives with his wife and children in West Sussex but retains close links with the rest of his family in Cheltenham.
August 22, 2024
Very clever
September 2, 2016
Review previously published at If These Books Could Talk where you'll also find a guest post by the author GJ Minett.
If you were impressed by the intricately woven plots in Minett’s début novel ‘The Hidden Legacy‘ then you’re going to love what he’s done with his second tale ‘Lie In Wait’! Told over three timelines, with at least five different character points of view, you’d be forgiven for thinking this thriller would be a busy mess; but one of Minett’s qualities as a writer is he has a crisp, concise tone to his narratives that enables the reader to keep a clear head while reading.
At first glance, the plot seems a simple one – unpopular man is murdered, and a man with learning difficulties and extremely obsessive nature is the prime suspect. It’s clear from the outset how this story is going to end up, but it’s how Minett gets there that forms the meat of the novel. Owen Hall is a ‘vulnerable adult’, who’s possessive mother and distant father did little to aid his childhood bullying issues. As an adult, Owen clearly has trouble reading the signals people give off, often misinterpreting them with disastrous consequences, particularly with childhood friend Abi. Her marriage to wide-boy Callum (who was also Owen’s bully at school) is in trouble, and Owen thinks he’s the one to help.
When matters get taken out of Owen’s hands it’s left to others to get to the bottom of the situation. Holloway, a detective who’s overly cautious about dealing with vulnerable adults, and Callum’s father Phil, a former cop who stepped away from the force to become a security guard, are great provisional characters with enough background to grab your attention when it’s their turn in the story. However, it’s the central character of Owen that really stands out. He’s nuanced, with a fully realised range of emotions that underlie each situation he finds himself in. Whether it’s arguing with the mysterious ‘Willie’, or falling over himself to please Abi, Owen’s actions never fail to move you – even if it’s more often towards anger rather than sympathy.
One of my favourite parts of ‘The Hidden Legacy’ was the way Minett used the setting as a character in it’s own right, and there’s less of that here, where it’s more about the characters physical selves, rather than where they are literally. There’s little mention of weather or location, with far more emphasis placed on the character’s mindset as an aid to the atmosphere. While this works wonderfully with the central characters, there are times (mainly with Phil and his co-worker Anna) where this dependence solely on conversation causes some flat spots in the narrative.
With ‘Lie In Wait’, Minett has again shown that he can craft a clever tale that will keep even die-hard fans of the genre guessing.
If you were impressed by the intricately woven plots in Minett’s début novel ‘The Hidden Legacy‘ then you’re going to love what he’s done with his second tale ‘Lie In Wait’! Told over three timelines, with at least five different character points of view, you’d be forgiven for thinking this thriller would be a busy mess; but one of Minett’s qualities as a writer is he has a crisp, concise tone to his narratives that enables the reader to keep a clear head while reading.
At first glance, the plot seems a simple one – unpopular man is murdered, and a man with learning difficulties and extremely obsessive nature is the prime suspect. It’s clear from the outset how this story is going to end up, but it’s how Minett gets there that forms the meat of the novel. Owen Hall is a ‘vulnerable adult’, who’s possessive mother and distant father did little to aid his childhood bullying issues. As an adult, Owen clearly has trouble reading the signals people give off, often misinterpreting them with disastrous consequences, particularly with childhood friend Abi. Her marriage to wide-boy Callum (who was also Owen’s bully at school) is in trouble, and Owen thinks he’s the one to help.
When matters get taken out of Owen’s hands it’s left to others to get to the bottom of the situation. Holloway, a detective who’s overly cautious about dealing with vulnerable adults, and Callum’s father Phil, a former cop who stepped away from the force to become a security guard, are great provisional characters with enough background to grab your attention when it’s their turn in the story. However, it’s the central character of Owen that really stands out. He’s nuanced, with a fully realised range of emotions that underlie each situation he finds himself in. Whether it’s arguing with the mysterious ‘Willie’, or falling over himself to please Abi, Owen’s actions never fail to move you – even if it’s more often towards anger rather than sympathy.
One of my favourite parts of ‘The Hidden Legacy’ was the way Minett used the setting as a character in it’s own right, and there’s less of that here, where it’s more about the characters physical selves, rather than where they are literally. There’s little mention of weather or location, with far more emphasis placed on the character’s mindset as an aid to the atmosphere. While this works wonderfully with the central characters, there are times (mainly with Phil and his co-worker Anna) where this dependence solely on conversation causes some flat spots in the narrative.
With ‘Lie In Wait’, Minett has again shown that he can craft a clever tale that will keep even die-hard fans of the genre guessing.
April 27, 2017
I read way too many crime novels and sometimes get fed up with the standard formulae for police procedurals and psychological thrillers, so this novel made a refreshing change.
Expertly told from several viewpoints, it reminded me of the technique in Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels. I loved all the characters and didn't spot a single stereotype - and that can't be said of every crime novel these days. I loved the tantalising swerve in the middle that shook up what I thought I already knew - great storytelling.
It pays to play close attention to the chapter headings to keep on top of the timeline. I lost my way a couple of times.
I liked Minett's first novel too. A great new talent on the crime-writing scene.
Expertly told from several viewpoints, it reminded me of the technique in Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels. I loved all the characters and didn't spot a single stereotype - and that can't be said of every crime novel these days. I loved the tantalising swerve in the middle that shook up what I thought I already knew - great storytelling.
It pays to play close attention to the chapter headings to keep on top of the timeline. I lost my way a couple of times.
I liked Minett's first novel too. A great new talent on the crime-writing scene.
August 14, 2016
There are times when I’m reading that I just know that I’m in a pair of safe hands and this is exactly what I felt when I opened the first page of Lie In Wait. That despite not really knowing at the start what this book was going to be about, I could immediately tell though, that this was a different type of book to this author’s debut novel The Hidden Legacy, despite sharing some of the same themes.
The book opens with Owen, our protagonist, clearly a young man who struggles with the social side of life, but is exceptionally good with numbers. Owen has met up with one of his fellow students from the days before he was removed from secondary school to be home-schooled by his mother. As I said, luckily I felt I was in a pair of safe hands because this tale doesn’t go in the same direction as you might expect from such a character. Yes the book is about Owen but there is a whole cast of others that all have pasts and presents that are full of colour and surprises.
Without giving too much away Owen is hired by his old schoolmate Abi to redesign her garden and it is Abi who is the main link to the web of characters that flesh out the storyline. Abi is married to her childhood sweetheart, Callum who is a highly professional networker, hence the ready funds to use on a fancy garden. But there is a twist, Callum and Owen have their own history and the discord runs deep. Despite being successful in his own right Callum appears slightly put out in the change in Owen in the intervening years now he is a tall, well-built owner of his own gardening business.
At its heart there is a straightforward mystery, someone is dead and the police are looking to find out who caused the death. Surrounding this obvious crime there are many smaller crimes being committed, with some dastardly characters some with good intentions, many not so. The reader meets diverse characters such as security guards in the local shopping centre, policemen and friends of the main characters. What you can be sure of is that all of these characters matter to the plot in one way or another, no pointless filling for this author! Each of the chapters is headed with the name of the character narrating and the time period that it covers – yes it is one of those books that keep you on your toes switching not only character but time period. Thankfully the author has managed to give each of the narrators a very distinctive voice so despite the complexity of construction, following the plot as a reader is easy.
The switch in characters definitely kept me hooked particularly when the author tantalisingly ends a chapter with a revelation that you just know is going to have massive consequences and then the time period switches away from that particular cliff-hanger to provide a separate clue or maybe a red-herring to excite you. But what makes this novel so particularly clever, is that yet again G.J. Minett has produced a book that isn’t all action, rather it is has the essence of a psychological thriller in the purest sense. Not everything is spelt out for the reader but as information is revealed be it directly or ‘between the lines’ the reader is invited to think about the background to some of the characters and really evaluate why they behave the way they do.
It is important to me to have a sense of not only the time and the characters but of place. This book is set around Chichester, not a place I’ve been, but I didn’t for a moment doubt that this place exists; with its fancy houses and back alleys, the busy road and its retail park as well as the cinema where Owen treats himself to a solitary film and the fish and chip shop, where he buys his treat for afterwards. is all evocatively described I can believe I’ve visited, more than once.
I’ll be honest there are some parts of the plot which seemed to stretch my credulity, if not to the limit, at least to ‘ooh that’s a bit tight’ point, but by this time I was invested in the story, I wanted to know what happened because like the characters or despise them, they had all become important to me. After all this is what good storytelling is all about!
All in all this was a deeply satisfying read which has real depth to it which despite a complex plot which has been thought out to the nth degree it is an easy and enjoyable read. As an aside the construction of this novel would lend itself very nicely for TV, I would watch it even now I know what happens at the end!!
I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers Bonnier Zaffre, and this review is my unbiased thanks to them and the author for a superb read. Lie In Wait will be published in eBook format on 25 August 2016 with the paperback coming out in November 2016.
The book opens with Owen, our protagonist, clearly a young man who struggles with the social side of life, but is exceptionally good with numbers. Owen has met up with one of his fellow students from the days before he was removed from secondary school to be home-schooled by his mother. As I said, luckily I felt I was in a pair of safe hands because this tale doesn’t go in the same direction as you might expect from such a character. Yes the book is about Owen but there is a whole cast of others that all have pasts and presents that are full of colour and surprises.
Without giving too much away Owen is hired by his old schoolmate Abi to redesign her garden and it is Abi who is the main link to the web of characters that flesh out the storyline. Abi is married to her childhood sweetheart, Callum who is a highly professional networker, hence the ready funds to use on a fancy garden. But there is a twist, Callum and Owen have their own history and the discord runs deep. Despite being successful in his own right Callum appears slightly put out in the change in Owen in the intervening years now he is a tall, well-built owner of his own gardening business.
At its heart there is a straightforward mystery, someone is dead and the police are looking to find out who caused the death. Surrounding this obvious crime there are many smaller crimes being committed, with some dastardly characters some with good intentions, many not so. The reader meets diverse characters such as security guards in the local shopping centre, policemen and friends of the main characters. What you can be sure of is that all of these characters matter to the plot in one way or another, no pointless filling for this author! Each of the chapters is headed with the name of the character narrating and the time period that it covers – yes it is one of those books that keep you on your toes switching not only character but time period. Thankfully the author has managed to give each of the narrators a very distinctive voice so despite the complexity of construction, following the plot as a reader is easy.
The switch in characters definitely kept me hooked particularly when the author tantalisingly ends a chapter with a revelation that you just know is going to have massive consequences and then the time period switches away from that particular cliff-hanger to provide a separate clue or maybe a red-herring to excite you. But what makes this novel so particularly clever, is that yet again G.J. Minett has produced a book that isn’t all action, rather it is has the essence of a psychological thriller in the purest sense. Not everything is spelt out for the reader but as information is revealed be it directly or ‘between the lines’ the reader is invited to think about the background to some of the characters and really evaluate why they behave the way they do.
It is important to me to have a sense of not only the time and the characters but of place. This book is set around Chichester, not a place I’ve been, but I didn’t for a moment doubt that this place exists; with its fancy houses and back alleys, the busy road and its retail park as well as the cinema where Owen treats himself to a solitary film and the fish and chip shop, where he buys his treat for afterwards. is all evocatively described I can believe I’ve visited, more than once.
I’ll be honest there are some parts of the plot which seemed to stretch my credulity, if not to the limit, at least to ‘ooh that’s a bit tight’ point, but by this time I was invested in the story, I wanted to know what happened because like the characters or despise them, they had all become important to me. After all this is what good storytelling is all about!
All in all this was a deeply satisfying read which has real depth to it which despite a complex plot which has been thought out to the nth degree it is an easy and enjoyable read. As an aside the construction of this novel would lend itself very nicely for TV, I would watch it even now I know what happens at the end!!
I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers Bonnier Zaffre, and this review is my unbiased thanks to them and the author for a superb read. Lie In Wait will be published in eBook format on 25 August 2016 with the paperback coming out in November 2016.
October 22, 2016
I have heard on the grapevine that there is a new British crime thriller writer on the scene, and I had heard that this new author was the bees knees and that I had to check him out. Boy were those people right.
Thank you to NetGalley, publishers Bonnier Zaffre and author GJMinett for the opportunity to read this very clever and gripping crime thriller in exchange for an honest review.
The main character is a man called Owen Hall who has found safety in number patterns and doesnt mix well with people. People dont like Owen because he was different but that is exactly why I liked Owen. In books and films and real life I find myself drawn to people who are different from the rest.
When a murder happens in the small community where Owen lives it's a shame that people's first assumption was that Owen did it because he is strange, acts a little odd and doesn't fit in with the community. But did Owen do it? Or is someone just trying to frame him?
I really liked the start of this book it drew me in. But then following that we get a few chapters that are hard to read as we get introduced to a lot of different characters. At times I was left thinking what on earth is going on here, where are you going with this and how exactly do all these people fit into the story.
Thankfully I am one of those readers who hates not to finish a book. It really bugs me if I don't get on with something and I can't count the number of times I have picked up the same book again and again and again just so I could finish and see what happens.
That's how dedicated I am to reading lol. So because of that I didn't put this book down and I beg you not to do it either because when you get past those few chapters things will start making sense and things will click into place I promise you. You just need to bear with it. If you can. Bear with this book and it will take you on a walk down a very twisty tipsy tipsy road and you will find a very clever ending awaiting you.
I look forward to reading more books by G J Minnett in the future.
Happy reading everyone.
Thank you to NetGalley, publishers Bonnier Zaffre and author GJMinett for the opportunity to read this very clever and gripping crime thriller in exchange for an honest review.
The main character is a man called Owen Hall who has found safety in number patterns and doesnt mix well with people. People dont like Owen because he was different but that is exactly why I liked Owen. In books and films and real life I find myself drawn to people who are different from the rest.
When a murder happens in the small community where Owen lives it's a shame that people's first assumption was that Owen did it because he is strange, acts a little odd and doesn't fit in with the community. But did Owen do it? Or is someone just trying to frame him?
I really liked the start of this book it drew me in. But then following that we get a few chapters that are hard to read as we get introduced to a lot of different characters. At times I was left thinking what on earth is going on here, where are you going with this and how exactly do all these people fit into the story.
Thankfully I am one of those readers who hates not to finish a book. It really bugs me if I don't get on with something and I can't count the number of times I have picked up the same book again and again and again just so I could finish and see what happens.
That's how dedicated I am to reading lol. So because of that I didn't put this book down and I beg you not to do it either because when you get past those few chapters things will start making sense and things will click into place I promise you. You just need to bear with it. If you can. Bear with this book and it will take you on a walk down a very twisty tipsy tipsy road and you will find a very clever ending awaiting you.
I look forward to reading more books by G J Minnett in the future.
Happy reading everyone.
February 15, 2017
This novel threw me for the first couple of chapters there are a lot of characters and I was worried that trying to remember each one would distract me from the story. There was no need to worry.
G.J. Minett is such a skilled writer that I found myself a few times not even looking at the chapter heading and knowing which charachter I was reading by the use of language and the way they were written.
This story really leaves you trying to figure out how all these pieces and all these people tie together to figure out who the murderer is but there it is at the end all tied up in a neat little bow. The plot to this novel is fantastic so many threads all coming together flawlessly.
This story is so absolutely brilliantly well written that it leads you along sending you off in all the wrong directions and then hits you over the head with an amazing ending.
The story is told from two points in time "Now" and "Earlier" so I found myself skipping back over what I had read trying to piece what happened earlier to what's happening now trying to figure it all out.
The main charachter in the book Owen who is a hulk of a man, obsessed with numbers. He is on the autistic spectrum so is lacking in social skills and is painfully shy. He is ones of a few suspects in a murder which is being investigated by DI Holloway, who gets the feeling that Owen is being set up.
This is my first book by this author but I immediately got a copy of his first and will be on the lookout for any future books.
This is definatly one to read.
G.J. Minett is such a skilled writer that I found myself a few times not even looking at the chapter heading and knowing which charachter I was reading by the use of language and the way they were written.
This story really leaves you trying to figure out how all these pieces and all these people tie together to figure out who the murderer is but there it is at the end all tied up in a neat little bow. The plot to this novel is fantastic so many threads all coming together flawlessly.
This story is so absolutely brilliantly well written that it leads you along sending you off in all the wrong directions and then hits you over the head with an amazing ending.
The story is told from two points in time "Now" and "Earlier" so I found myself skipping back over what I had read trying to piece what happened earlier to what's happening now trying to figure it all out.
The main charachter in the book Owen who is a hulk of a man, obsessed with numbers. He is on the autistic spectrum so is lacking in social skills and is painfully shy. He is ones of a few suspects in a murder which is being investigated by DI Holloway, who gets the feeling that Owen is being set up.
This is my first book by this author but I immediately got a copy of his first and will be on the lookout for any future books.
This is definatly one to read.
February 3, 2017
I started wanting to give this book a five star rating. It's a great premise (bizarre disappearance of a woman) and as the plot unwinds, we learn more about the various characters involved and who might be responsible for the murder of a man bludgeoned to death. It's well executed too - fast paced and engaging.
The problem came with the characters. You see, as the book goes on, you realise that there simply aren't any nice people in the book. Not one. Sure, it's good to have flawed characters, but none of them have any redeeming features, so you can't really root for anybody. So that cost a star.
The other star was lost because of the ending. It's very difficult to talk about without spoilers, so let's just say that I struggle when it's unclear who's supposed to be the good guy in all this and who's supposed to be the bad. It was deeply unsatisfying and undid a lot of the hard work that had gone into character development. The choice of murderer was a good one, but I don't think it was handled in the right way to achieve the best effect.
It's not a bad book, but it's a wasted opportunity of a potentially great book.
The problem came with the characters. You see, as the book goes on, you realise that there simply aren't any nice people in the book. Not one. Sure, it's good to have flawed characters, but none of them have any redeeming features, so you can't really root for anybody. So that cost a star.
The other star was lost because of the ending. It's very difficult to talk about without spoilers, so let's just say that I struggle when it's unclear who's supposed to be the good guy in all this and who's supposed to be the bad. It was deeply unsatisfying and undid a lot of the hard work that had gone into character development. The choice of murderer was a good one, but I don't think it was handled in the right way to achieve the best effect.
It's not a bad book, but it's a wasted opportunity of a potentially great book.
September 14, 2024
An interesting novel that drew me in the further along it went. I loved how it was written from different viewpoints of the various characters, but I found the to-and-froing between the different time frames confusing. The subplots were woven into a tight tale that tied in perfectly at the conclusion of the novel, but I was bitterly disappointed with the author's poor choice of culprit, even if the method he was caught by was ingenious. It was altogether too obvious and left the ending a bit flat.
March 2, 2019
Questo libro è un po’ strano, molto particolare! La trama è molto bella ma è troppo intricata, si fa fatica a seguirla in certi punti. Il problema è che ci sono tanti punti di vista che si alternano e poi la storia salta molto avanti e indietro alternando le scene di prima e di dopo l’omicidio di cui viene accusato il protagonista. Non vale lo sforzo di star dietro a una trama cosi intricata, a mio parere. Recensione completa sul nostro blog https://lettricitralestelle.blogspot....
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