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dullshimmer's review
3.0
I had a hard time getting into this one at first. The book's chapters are all from different characters points of views, but there are so many different ones who get a POV that it makes it hard to know why you're supposed to care about the character you're following. Eventually, as the story gets going a little this sorts itself out a bit, but I think just going for a regular old third person narrative style would have probably worked out a bit better in my opinion. It would have at least created a smoother start.
Beyond that the book was just okay. There weren't many characters that I really liked. I did like Amy, who is kind of our main character in our story, but also thought that it was a bit of an odd move for her to work so hard to find her missing roommate, Kat, that she had only known for two months and had recently found out that she had stolen her identity for a sham marriage. Why would she have cared quite enough? I'm not sure we're given a good enough motive for that.
I did also like a few of the minor characters like Charles, Amy's dad and Mark, Kat's brother. However, they were somewhat minor characters and didn't play that much of a role in the book. The rest of the cast, I didn't really fancy that much. Kat was barely in the book and since she was the cause of so much trouble with her poor choices, it was hard to like her. Ross who winds up helping Amy, more because he fancies Kat then anything else, was kind of an arrogant jerk that was hard to like.
The narrative also seemed more cluttered than it needed to be. You have a company buyout going on in the background for the company that Amy and Ross work at, a backstory about a high end vodka company that Kat's dad started, some characters like Amy's dad that seemed unimportant to the plot, and even a potential cure for cancer thrown into the mix. It was just a bit cluttered feeling, but this is the start to a series of books, so maybe it is all setup for later reveals?
Even though I do have these complaints about the book, it was also a fairly nice easy read and kept me interested once I got past the first quarter of the book or so. It has a fair share of issues, but it did end up being enjoyable enough. The big question, that I don't currently have an answer to, is do I go on to the next book? It's tempting, but I'm not sure if I will or not especially since it seems to follow Kat more than Amy which is kind of odd in some ways.
Beyond that the book was just okay. There weren't many characters that I really liked. I did like Amy, who is kind of our main character in our story, but also thought that it was a bit of an odd move for her to work so hard to find her missing roommate, Kat, that she had only known for two months and had recently found out that she had stolen her identity for a sham marriage. Why would she have cared quite enough? I'm not sure we're given a good enough motive for that.
I did also like a few of the minor characters like Charles, Amy's dad and Mark, Kat's brother. However, they were somewhat minor characters and didn't play that much of a role in the book. The rest of the cast, I didn't really fancy that much. Kat was barely in the book and since she was the cause of so much trouble with her poor choices, it was hard to like her. Ross who winds up helping Amy, more because he fancies Kat then anything else, was kind of an arrogant jerk that was hard to like.
The narrative also seemed more cluttered than it needed to be. You have a company buyout going on in the background for the company that Amy and Ross work at, a backstory about a high end vodka company that Kat's dad started, some characters like Amy's dad that seemed unimportant to the plot, and even a potential cure for cancer thrown into the mix. It was just a bit cluttered feeling, but this is the start to a series of books, so maybe it is all setup for later reveals?
Even though I do have these complaints about the book, it was also a fairly nice easy read and kept me interested once I got past the first quarter of the book or so. It has a fair share of issues, but it did end up being enjoyable enough. The big question, that I don't currently have an answer to, is do I go on to the next book? It's tempting, but I'm not sure if I will or not especially since it seems to follow Kat more than Amy which is kind of odd in some ways.
wolfshine's review
5.0
An intense, engaging thriller that flows easily across multiple POVs. What at first seems to start as a cozy mystery ramps up in intensity when Amy learns that her roommate has gotten involved in some thing she would’ve been smart to avoid. Things get worse for Amy when she learns that Kat used her name to do it. Desperate to save Kat and herself, Amy is whisked on a race against the clock.
The beginning of the story from the end was very easy to read. The characters were realistic, and I especially loved the back and forths between Kat and Amy. Both of them felt like real people. I didn’t care for Ross at much, but his character was very well developed too. Since we spend time inside each character’s head at least once in the story, it is easy to understand all of their motives.
I enjoyed this thriller from start to finish.
The beginning of the story from the end was very easy to read. The characters were realistic, and I especially loved the back and forths between Kat and Amy. Both of them felt like real people. I didn’t care for Ross at much, but his character was very well developed too. Since we spend time inside each character’s head at least once in the story, it is easy to understand all of their motives.
I enjoyed this thriller from start to finish.
kimchi84's review
4.0
I saw this advertised on Facebook so decided to get a copy, it sounded quite interesting and right up my street. Nothing wrong with a change of pace and I've been reading a lot of romance and chick-lit recently so I really needed something different. Plus I was starting to find myself in a bit of a slump. This has definitely got me out of it!
I quite liked Kat who with all of her flaws just wanted to do the right thing but got herself in too deep. She is quite naïve in some respects, she wanted to please someone who just wanted to earn money out of her.
Amy has a job and is just about getting by living in the tiniest apartment with Kat, but she soon finds out that Kat has stolen her identity for a sham marriage. I really feel for Amy as she is trying to make ends meet and Kat is constantly living the high life and spend hundreds, if not thousands of pounds on outfits she can't really afford.
Amy soon gets into the thick of the gangster life trying to search for Kat when she goes missing. Amy doesn't know that Kat has run away but genuinely thinks she's missing. All she wants to do is clear her name and get her life back.
The characters were quite addictive and I found myself turning the pages into the early hours of the morning. A. A. Abbott is a new author for me and I'm definitely going to add the next book to my TBR. I'm invested in the characters and I'm routing for Amy and Kat's brother. Amy deserves something good out of all this.
It was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of it as well as the twists and turns. Definitely worth a read!
I quite liked Kat who with all of her flaws just wanted to do the right thing but got herself in too deep. She is quite naïve in some respects, she wanted to please someone who just wanted to earn money out of her.
Amy has a job and is just about getting by living in the tiniest apartment with Kat, but she soon finds out that Kat has stolen her identity for a sham marriage. I really feel for Amy as she is trying to make ends meet and Kat is constantly living the high life and spend hundreds, if not thousands of pounds on outfits she can't really afford.
Amy soon gets into the thick of the gangster life trying to search for Kat when she goes missing. Amy doesn't know that Kat has run away but genuinely thinks she's missing. All she wants to do is clear her name and get her life back.
The characters were quite addictive and I found myself turning the pages into the early hours of the morning. A. A. Abbott is a new author for me and I'm definitely going to add the next book to my TBR. I'm invested in the characters and I'm routing for Amy and Kat's brother. Amy deserves something good out of all this.
It was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of it as well as the twists and turns. Definitely worth a read!
wickedwriter's review
5.0
A A Abbott writes thrilling characters and dark themes. A tale of deceit and double dealing that leads you between Birmingham and London in a cat-and-mouse tale that keeps you turning the pages. Looking forward to reading the next book!
rebeccacarter's review
5.0
This was a fun, light read, and yet quite intense at moments as well. From the boredom and stress of a corporate worklife, to running away from killers, you'll be completely immersed in the story.
Stories with a lot of characters can become confusing at times. That isn't true of this one. As it's told from the viewpoint of all these characters, you get to know each of them better than if another character were simply describing them. You even get to feel a little sympathy for the bad guys, understanding some of the reasoning behind their actions. (Just a little bad... they still could have made better choices with their lives.) ;)
Stories with a lot of characters can become confusing at times. That isn't true of this one. As it's told from the viewpoint of all these characters, you get to know each of them better than if another character were simply describing them. You even get to feel a little sympathy for the bad guys, understanding some of the reasoning behind their actions. (Just a little bad... they still could have made better choices with their lives.) ;)
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