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20 Minutes #7

20 Minutes Around The Bonfire

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Fireworks. Flames. Fate.

The seventh book in the bestselling 20 Minute Series sees the citizens of London descend on Battersea Park for the annual 5th November celebrations.

With everybody in one place, and the mood in the park high, what could possibly go wrong?

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2020

127 people are currently reading
419 people want to read

About the author

Daniel Hurst

89 books3,960 followers
Daniel Hurst is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of fast paced psychological thrillers. His most popular titles include Til Death Do Us Part, The Passenger and The Doctor's Wife, the latter title reaching #1 on the Amazon UK Kindle store in February 2023. A regular KDP Select All Star since he became a full-time author in 2021, Daniel prides himself on writing fast, releasing stories often and engaging with his readers.

You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Plus Size Bibliophile.
1,201 reviews59 followers
June 6, 2022
Book 7 of 20 - 4.5 Stars

Just when you think this author has touched on all the major social issues, you get blind sided with an epic and soul shattering event that knocks the wind out of you. Cheers to you Mr. Hurst, I am shook af.

It's so hard to review this series because I want to do a recap of all the OG characters and sum up everything. Ideally if you are reading this review you are either on this journey with me or you are considering jumping on board and if so then you NEED to start with book numero uno as these are not stand alones and there is a method to this madness. But what beautiful, tragic, inspiring, soul crushing madness it is.

This story has a lot of pain. April is spiraling, Will is struggling, and Joe..... Let me just say that I NEVER thought redemption was possible for him. But he proved me wrong.

Find me on Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/plus.size.b...
531 reviews2 followers
January 5, 2023
I really enjoyed 20 Minutes Around The Bonfire Book 7 by Daniel Hurst, includes a series of inter-connected short stories.

Jelena has started getting suspicious of her boyfriend Bogdan whom she adores but she knows through past experience when someone had lied to her. Jelena has placed a tracking device on Bogdan's mobile phone unbeknown to him and she tracks him down to Battersea Park where there was going to be spectacular firework display but there will be more than fireworks going off this evening.

Bogdan has finally paid off his debt in full to Ronnie Larkhall, a criminal money lender in Battersea Park and hopes that this will be the last time he ever has to see Ronnie or his gang again. He just wants to get back to protecting and loving Jelena whom he adores.

Ronnie Larkhill has two agendas this evening in Battersea Park, one is to meet with Bogdan who had promised to bring the remaining money in lieu of the debt he owed him. Secondly, his daughter Lucy was performing on stage singing to a rapt audience and Ronnie is the type of person who will do anything for Lucy and Lucy dreams of being a pop singer.

Will's life has been turned inside out as he has experienced a tragedy which concerns his Mother whom he adores. This has left him feeling depressed and wishing his life was over whilst he is in Battersea Park.

Valentin is in Battersea Park but he is not here to enjoy the spectacular firework display as he is on a mission to add another notch to his belt as he is now on his way to becoming a serial killer.

Curtis is a fireman and he is on duty this evening in Battersea Park and he is hoping that everything will run like clockwork and there will no emergencies. Bonfire night has always been an event that involved some kind of emergency and he was on standby.

Scarlett aged only eighteen and Lucas, three years older than her were both working from a van supplying burgers to the multitude of people who had turned up to enjoy the firework display at Battersea Park. Lucas decides to go for a quick cigarette break but does not return. Scarlett is working like a Trojan to deliver burgers to the many hungry customers. She then drops everything to go and see if she can locate Lucas as she is fond of him and also she could not cope with just one pair of hands.

Tom a Policeman along with his colleague, Lizzy are patrolling Battersea Park in order to control any disturbances. Tonight is going to be a very busy night for them indeed.

Zara is a freelancer and worked as an event organisor for the firework display and is experiencing problems with lighting in certain areas in the park and is straight onto it as she wants everything to run smoothly. Then she takes a call from her walkie-talkie informing her that there is nobody serving at the burger van. Somehow this evening is not going to run as smoothly as she had envisioned.

Jonny is in charge of the setting up off all the fireworks and is looking forward to entertaining everyone by giving them a night to remember. Jonny takes pride in his work and presentation and just like his boss, Zara he wants everything to run smoothly too. Zara informs Jonny that she wants the fireworks to go off ten minutes earlier due to the event having to be shut down so he gets to work.

Melanie and her boyfriend Jamal have both come to Battersea Park but they were not here to watch the firework display because they had other plans on their minds.

Carol and her husband Steve are in Battersea Park to enjoy the firework display without their extended family who were having a break in the countryside for three nights. Sadly this time of the year is the anniversary of Ben who died from cancer aged nineteen and Carol throught that the firework display would lighten their sorrow. Carol was concerned about how Steve's condition was getting worse and the tests the doctors did on Steve had appeared negative at the present time so Steve is not as concerned as Carol is.

Lindsey and her boyfriend, Diego are also at Battersea Park and had just taken a photograph of an elderly couple when they had asked them politely to take a photo of them both. Lindsey is racking her brain trying to rememeber where she had seen the woman then the penny drops as she remembers it was on the train journey she had taken a while back. Then both Lindsey try their luck at a stall where they threw beanbags at cans lined up against a wall hoping to win one of the soft toys to no avail as the man running it has rigged the cans in order to make his fortune.

Archie works full-time running a games stall in Battersea Park and he is looking forward to making a killing as he has rigged one of the cans in the game unbeknown to his customers.

Rose knows she shouldn't go to Archie's game stall in Battersea Park as she knows all too well that this will not be ending well for her by the time she took her last shot.

Harry - Unbeknown to his Mother he and a party of friends were meeting at Battersea Park which was on the otherside of town in order to watch the firework display but he had told her that he was having a sleepover at a friend's house. There will be more than the firework display that they will be seeing this evening as they see Policemen with torches not far from the burger van.

April and her friend Katie have both come to watch the firework display in Battersea Park and they chance upon two young men, Adam and Greg who they both latch onto in order to get more alcohol as they had no more and the queues were far too long to wait to get served. Helicopters hovered above their heads and lots of vans were beeping their horns something bad was going to happen this evening.

Faye is part of the Armed Response team and the only woman on the team too making their way along with a convoy of response vehicles were making their way toward Battersea Park as they were responding to a call saying that a terrorist attack was going to take place this evening. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack with all the crowds waiting for the firework display to start but will they be able to save the day or not?

Joe had come to Battersea Park with his parents supporting him in the background as his ex-girlfriend, Louise wanted to meet him and to his disbelief and amazement to forgive him for raping her a couple of months ago. Joe and Louise watch the firework display together but before the end of the evening they will experience the repercussions of the evenings events.

Louise could not believe what she was seeing as she witnessed the carnage that was unfolding before her and had no idea why this was happening. Louise only wanted to meet up with Joe this evening in order to forgive him but also for her mental stability. Who will leave the park this evening, will it be Joe or will it be Louise?
151 reviews
January 21, 2022
Absolutely magnificent

These 20 minute books are so addictive and just brilliant. It's sad some characters appear to have gone but at the same time it's nicer getting to know about other peoples story. I can not recommend you read these books enough. You will never regret them. I am sure you will be like a lot of readers who enjoy the books and have such a different directions throughout this book. I really can not praise Daniel Hurst for giving us a ultimate reads in a series like 👍this BRILLIANT
Profile Image for StinaStaffymum.
1,467 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2025
Just five days after the events in "20 Minutes at Halloween" , several characters return alongside a few new ones as the people of London gather for the annual bonfire night. And we catch a glimpse of another 20 minutes in the lives of those people.

After recent events, Jelena has grown suspicious of boyfriend Bogdan's secretiveness and tonight she is following him as he kissed her goodnight for another shift working security. But instead of heading in the direction of work, he is heading south as she tails him into the crowded confines of Battersea Park and to the stage area overlooking the huge bonfire. She sees him meet the gangster and hand over an envelope.

Bogdan has done it. He has finally got the money to pay off his debt to Ronnie and tonight he hands over the rest of the cash that will see the end of their business. With that done, he just wants to return home to Jelena and move on with their lives.

Will's life was turned upside down five nights ago when he returned home after performing to a sea of adoring fans. A tragedy which rocked his world and only adding to his already existing feeling of depression.

Valentin is not in Battersea park to enjoy the fireworks but to claim his fourth victim thus crowning him with the status of serial killer.

Curtis returns with his colleagues as they are on hand should there be any emergency. We first met him in the second book as he doused the flames of the flat in which Jelena had been kept prisoner for four months.

Tom is also on patrol at Battersea Park tonight with his colleague Lizzy, to help keep everything under control. But a scream from the food stalls hails their attention.

Carol, Lindsey and Diego also return along with Harry who told his mum he was at a sleepover at a friends in order to stealthily scarper to south London for the fireworks. April and her friend Katie also return, getting drunk as per the norm while Joe and Louise round off the regulars in this story.

New faces include 18 year old Scarlett, who is working the burger van at Battersea Park tonight but is struggling to meet the demands of customers without her colleague Lucas who stole a few minutes for a cigarette; Zara, the organiser for the event; Jonny, who is in charge of the fireworks; Melanie, there with her Syrian boyfriend Jamal not for the fireworks but for another plan they've set in motion; Archie, the sixty-something stall holder who cons the money out of unsuspecting players to his stall, intent on making a killing tonight; Rose, a quiet mouse of a woman who is set on gambling her way into winning at Archie's rigged stall, and Faye, an Armed Response officer deployed with her team as they descend on Battersea Park looking for the suspected terrorist in their midst. And that ending? Wow! Didn't see that coming! Let's just say I would have much preferred Diego to be caught up in those fireworks of a different kind!

All play a part in this series of interconnected stories that is skillfully plotted. It is so hard to review without giving too much away. So if you are here reading this you are either taking this journey with me or you are considering doing so. If so, then you need to go back to the prequel "20 Minutes Earlier" and start from the beginning because, while the author does recap some of each characters' backstory, these books are not standalone and all are connected. Each book is novella and a quick read. I devoured books 6 and 7 in one day! Meanwhile...onto the next!

Next...20 Minutes Before Christmas

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Profile Image for Paula  Phillips.
5,662 reviews340 followers
December 22, 2024
Needing something to read as the year winds down, I have felt in a reading slump this week, I clicked into the 7th book in Daniel Hurst's 20 Minutes Series. This is one of those multi-character novel series where each character is represented by its chapter and the book does not repeat the same character's viewpoint but you may see their paths cross with one another. It also shows you a lot can happen in 20 minutes. It is Guy Fawkes time and everyone is gathered in the park for an amazing fireworks display, but a few are there to settle their scores and plans. The book starts with Bodgan paying off his debt to protect Jelena, then we move to Jelena following him into the park. Robbie - the loan shark admiring his daughter Lucy's performance and asking Will for a picture and autograph, Will mourning the savage loss of his mother who was killed recently by our serial killer who then kills another at the event, Scarlett who finds the body and then calls Tom - the policeman. We have Louise and Diego, Louise's ex-boyfriend Joe, and April - who also dated Joe recently. Then we have Jamal and Melanie. I hated Jamal as he had Melanie convinced that they were going to be suicide bombers together and the plan to detonate and they would be in the next life together, of course - that wasn't Jamal's plan all along. In this title are also Carol and Henry from the earlier books and a few introductions to newer characters. This series is fascinating to read and shows readers exactly how much can happen in 20 Minutes and I have also enjoyed seeing how the various characters connect and how their stories are interweaved with the other strangers around them. I am now looking forward to reading this series as I know there are 18+ books in Daniel Hurst's 20 Minutes Series.
Author 1 book
November 15, 2022
I can't believe what happened at the end of this book! I am worried for which, if any, of the characters we've been following are dead.
Consistently a 4-star series because, whilst Daniel does an amazing job of keeping these little glimpses engaging and interweaving, some of the characters feel like fillers (I honestly didn't care about the con-man), and the errors frequently take me out of the immersion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jane Wynne.
697 reviews5 followers
December 7, 2020
Continuing the series we meet some old friends and some new. It is Guy Fawkes night and people are gathered in Battersea Park for the bonfire and fireworks. But some people are there for more sinister reasons.... Very short takes from each character, gently interwoven with eachother to make a complete story.
Profile Image for Jeanne Dierkes.
64 reviews4 followers
January 24, 2021
Still capturing my attention

This one felt a bit slow in parts, probably because I already knew the characters' stories. However, it definitely picked up more and more as new characters and their background were introduced, as well as more and more details of how everyone was connected in one way or another. The story continues!
Profile Image for Sarah Louise .
114 reviews
May 21, 2021
Gripping

Oh my goodness. Wow. These 20 minute books are fantastic. Never have I been so enthralled by a series of books before. I can’t put them down and I will be bereft when I come to the end of them. It will take some time before finding another series of books to beat these ones. Fantastic author
265 reviews6 followers
June 3, 2023
•20 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝔸𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖
•𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 ℍ𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕥

After finishing 'At Halloween' I just had to go straight into this.

What a great 20Minutes timeline this was. Knowing something huge was going to happen but trying to work out who it was going to be 👀

Another fab read in this great series by @danielhurstbooks

5🌟

#books #bookstagram #danielhurst #20minuteseries
Profile Image for Louise Pledge.
1,292 reviews28 followers
September 27, 2023
I actually read most of this book once before and was thoroughly confused. Now that I have started back at the first of the series, it makes sense this time and was very enjoyable (read it all in one day). I've already started the next one and hope I live long enough to make it through all of them!
6 reviews
March 18, 2022
Suspenseful

Can't stop reading the series. This one felt a bit more suspenseful, leaving a feeling of excitement and dread. I feel like I know. Previous characters return along with new ones. Must read in the collection!
1,075 reviews7 followers
October 5, 2022
#7 in the 20 Minute series takes place a week after Halloween in Battersea Park, London. 20 minutes and 20 characters will all be affected by what happens on Bonfire Night. Hard to out these books down and moving onto #8.
Profile Image for Amy Perera.
401 reviews2 followers
November 3, 2022
𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔. 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔. 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆.

𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤...
I can't get enough of this series. This one was as gripping as the last and that explosive ending was unexpected. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
408 reviews4 followers
January 4, 2023
Fireworks

This seventh book of the series is certainly an explosive encounter with a lot more explosions then you usually get on bonfire night. Death and cheating and honesty and deception all being included.
Profile Image for Jo.
1,367 reviews81 followers
April 25, 2023
Another fast paced read. Love the way each chapter is from the PoV of a different character and each character is linked to the next one in some way. Explosive ending in more ways than one. Onto the next book in the series.
1 review
December 6, 2020
Best book in the series so far!! Didn’t want it to end. Had me gripped from start to finish.
Can’t wait for the next one!

Definitely recommend this series for anyone who hasn’t started it yet.
Profile Image for Sara Eames.
1,723 reviews16 followers
June 2, 2021
Another excellent book in this well-written series
Profile Image for Alessandra.
81 reviews
December 2, 2021
Fast paced

Another thrilling story with a fitting end. Each book keeps getting better than the last. A great read! Would recommend.
699 reviews3 followers
December 18, 2021
Brilliant

Another fantastic rollacoster of people who are believable each character had there own storey to tell fantastic series well done
Profile Image for mark fowler.
183 reviews1 follower
December 23, 2021
Wow what a book

What can I say but this series just gets better and better ,a real page turner and faint wait for the next one
26 reviews
April 20, 2022
Great book

Cleverly told next chapter in the lives of the cast including some new characters. I’m going straight to the next story to see what happens next!
Profile Image for PRISCILLA WADE MCWHORTER.
204 reviews3 followers
August 27, 2024
INCREDIBLE...

I can hardly believe all the action that took place with each of the characters in this book. It was all great... from the heart pounding... to the earth shattering.
164 reviews1 follower
March 28, 2025
Fantastic!

Another brilliant instalment in this series. Old characters and new meet on bonfire night. Brilliantly written I highly recommend these books.
Profile Image for Teri.
353 reviews23 followers
May 21, 2021
I've stayed up way too late reading these books. Gonna have to stop after three of them.

As an American who lived for a year in England in the early 1980s, Guy Fawkes Night is an interesting thing. I don't remember seeing big bonfires then, just little ones, so maybe it has developed into an even bigger deal than it was then.

I really enjoyed this book and the way some characters developed.
Profile Image for Louise Wilson.
3,655 reviews1,690 followers
February 13, 2025
20 Minutes Series #7

It's Guy Fawkes night and our characters have gone to watch the firework display. We read about what they get up to as they walk around the bonfire in Battersea Park. Although each character has only a twenty minute period, a lot has been crammed into it. The story is poignant, devastating, and we lose some of the main characters.

#KindleBook
Profile Image for Zoe.
10 reviews2 followers
November 8, 2020
Best one by far, can't wait for the next one. I found the previous book in the series to be one of the least enjoyable but it made sense after this one, as it was laying some foundations and filling out the characters for this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Natalie Auld.
76 reviews3 followers
November 4, 2020
Easy to read in the same fashion as the other 20 minutes series. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Profile Image for Zoe Reads.
671 reviews38 followers
November 6, 2020
My favourite of all the series so far! So intense I read this in one sitting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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