ljwrites85's review
3.0
Ada was once a medium. She closed her connection to the dead but after the suicide of one of the residents in a tower block she manages, communications from the dead come back more powerful than ever. One in particular wants nothing more than to harm her and those around her. Can she stop him before he hurts anyone else?
The Tower is a gritty and dark ghostly thriller which I found quite moving at times.
Ada was a flawed and realistic character. She’s had such an unhappy life that I couldn’t help but feel bad for her, and I just wanted her to be happy with DI Harman. Of course it’s never that simple, especially when you’ve got a ghostly stalker like Michael.
Michael was so cruel and diabolical, genuinely one of those characters you’ll love to hate!
I will say this is not the most cheery read, there’s suicide, self harm and mentions of abuse, so if you’re looking for something light hearted you may have to find another book!
The Tower is a haunting and at times poignant read that will stay with you after you’ve finished the last page.
The Tower is a gritty and dark ghostly thriller which I found quite moving at times.
Ada was a flawed and realistic character. She’s had such an unhappy life that I couldn’t help but feel bad for her, and I just wanted her to be happy with DI Harman. Of course it’s never that simple, especially when you’ve got a ghostly stalker like Michael.
Michael was so cruel and diabolical, genuinely one of those characters you’ll love to hate!
I will say this is not the most cheery read, there’s suicide, self harm and mentions of abuse, so if you’re looking for something light hearted you may have to find another book!
The Tower is a haunting and at times poignant read that will stay with you after you’ve finished the last page.
leahrochelle's review
5.0
This book was so scary! It’s hard to find a legitimately spooky and unpredictable ghost story these days and this checked those boxes
jessica42980's review
2.0
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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This review will post on my site on May 26, 2020.
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This is sadly another novel that did not work for me. Yes, I enjoy the crime thrillers and this one had paranormal twists to it. I was fine with that but the direction the novel went did not work for me. The final act/twist which explains everything did not work for me. Unfortunately, I can’t go into it or I would give away spoilers. This is the author’s second novel and I will give her another try and read her debut at some point.
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This review will post on my site on May 26, 2020.
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This is sadly another novel that did not work for me. Yes, I enjoy the crime thrillers and this one had paranormal twists to it. I was fine with that but the direction the novel went did not work for me. The final act/twist which explains everything did not work for me. Unfortunately, I can’t go into it or I would give away spoilers. This is the author’s second novel and I will give her another try and read her debut at some point.
entertaininglynerdy's review
5.0
Loved this book! It’s creepy and grabs your attention from beginning to end. I’m excited to read more books from this author!
pixiejazz's review
4.0
The Tower is a strange story that's so much more than just a haunting, if you will. It's creepy. It's sad. It's dark. And I honestly don't know how I feel about any of it.
Ada is a housing manager for a housing estate known as The Tower. Everything seems relatively normal, until one day a resident winds up dead. Supposedly a suicide, it's the event that triggers the rest of the story. Suddenly, Ada's life is flipped on its head. Her past has come back to haunt her, literally. How far will Michael, her ghost, go to get to Ada?
I thought Ada was a decent character. She had a past that she was trying to forget and move on from, but that was easier said than done. And her reactions to everything going on around her were realistic and believable.
I also quite liked Daniel. In fact, he was my favorite character in the book. I felt bad for him, though, and I just wanted him and Ada to have more of a relationship than what they did have.
Michael, of course, is just awful. And when the truth about why he's come back to haunt Ada ten years after the first time (after she was able to block him), it's a bit of a twist that readers might not see coming. Didn't change anything, though. He's still an awful character.
If you're into supernatural horror with a twist, give The Tower a shot. I'm glad I did.
4 stars from me!
Ada is a housing manager for a housing estate known as The Tower. Everything seems relatively normal, until one day a resident winds up dead. Supposedly a suicide, it's the event that triggers the rest of the story. Suddenly, Ada's life is flipped on its head. Her past has come back to haunt her, literally. How far will Michael, her ghost, go to get to Ada?
I thought Ada was a decent character. She had a past that she was trying to forget and move on from, but that was easier said than done. And her reactions to everything going on around her were realistic and believable.
I also quite liked Daniel. In fact, he was my favorite character in the book. I felt bad for him, though, and I just wanted him and Ada to have more of a relationship than what they did have.
Michael, of course, is just awful. And when the truth about why he's come back to haunt Ada ten years after the first time (after she was able to block him), it's a bit of a twist that readers might not see coming. Didn't change anything, though. He's still an awful character.
If you're into supernatural horror with a twist, give The Tower a shot. I'm glad I did.
4 stars from me!
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free ARC of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
At the start of The Tower I thought I knew what kind of book I was getting. I assumed that it was going to be psychic teams up with love interest to solve serial killings. I was both wrong and right, as this book is much darker and more surprising than the initial setup leads you to believe!
Ada is a housing manager with a secret past. She used to be able to see visions and communicate with the dead, but deliberately shut the ability down long ago and now just tries to lead a normal, regular life. When tenants in the apartment block she manages start dying, Ada realises that she will have to reopen the door to her powers, but who knows what else might sneak through?
The premise here reminded me of one of my all-time favourite films, Fallen, but with the religious aspects substituted for more of a crime suspense investigation. There is also a romantic element here, between Ada and Daniel Harman (her police contact and friend-with-benefits) which I loved and would like to have seen developed much further.
The tone of the book is very dark, and gets progressively darker as Ada is dragged into a case that pivots around self-harm, suicide and domestic violence at every turn. Ada herself struggles with self-harming and leans heavily on alcohol to drown out the horrors that she faces, so there may be potential triggers in all of these areas for some readers. However, the author’s treatment of these subjects is sympathetic and the details are all relevant to the central plot, not peppered in salaciously.
In fact, Ada’s own experiences and thought processes are intrinsic to the story, as the narrative is in her own first-person account, so we get an intimate understanding of the issues she faces and her attempts to handle them successfully.
I was completely blindsided by the ending, and enjoyed how the author deliberately took my assumptions and expectations and subverted them in a new and unexpected direction. When I thought back over the whole book, I realised that I should have actually seen it coming, but had been as successfully hoodwinked as any of the other victims in the book!
I would definitely read more from Anne-Marie Ormsby, and plan to check out Purgatory Hotel when I get the chance, as it is unrelated to this plot, but appears to be set in the same fictional universe.
The day I found the first body it was my ten-year work anniversary. I’d gone in that day with boxes of doughnuts to celebrate and I was just about to tuck into one when my phone rang. I remember it was a Krispy Kreme ring doughnut with pink glittery glaze. I never got to eat it, and now I can’t see a ring doughnut without remembering the body. That room and the look on his face.
– Anne-Marie Ormsby, The Tower
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/blog-tour-the-tower-anne-marie-ormsby/
At the start of The Tower I thought I knew what kind of book I was getting. I assumed that it was going to be psychic teams up with love interest to solve serial killings. I was both wrong and right, as this book is much darker and more surprising than the initial setup leads you to believe!
Ada is a housing manager with a secret past. She used to be able to see visions and communicate with the dead, but deliberately shut the ability down long ago and now just tries to lead a normal, regular life. When tenants in the apartment block she manages start dying, Ada realises that she will have to reopen the door to her powers, but who knows what else might sneak through?
The premise here reminded me of one of my all-time favourite films, Fallen, but with the religious aspects substituted for more of a crime suspense investigation. There is also a romantic element here, between Ada and Daniel Harman (her police contact and friend-with-benefits) which I loved and would like to have seen developed much further.
The tone of the book is very dark, and gets progressively darker as Ada is dragged into a case that pivots around self-harm, suicide and domestic violence at every turn. Ada herself struggles with self-harming and leans heavily on alcohol to drown out the horrors that she faces, so there may be potential triggers in all of these areas for some readers. However, the author’s treatment of these subjects is sympathetic and the details are all relevant to the central plot, not peppered in salaciously.
In fact, Ada’s own experiences and thought processes are intrinsic to the story, as the narrative is in her own first-person account, so we get an intimate understanding of the issues she faces and her attempts to handle them successfully.
I was completely blindsided by the ending, and enjoyed how the author deliberately took my assumptions and expectations and subverted them in a new and unexpected direction. When I thought back over the whole book, I realised that I should have actually seen it coming, but had been as successfully hoodwinked as any of the other victims in the book!
I would definitely read more from Anne-Marie Ormsby, and plan to check out Purgatory Hotel when I get the chance, as it is unrelated to this plot, but appears to be set in the same fictional universe.
The day I found the first body it was my ten-year work anniversary. I’d gone in that day with boxes of doughnuts to celebrate and I was just about to tuck into one when my phone rang. I remember it was a Krispy Kreme ring doughnut with pink glittery glaze. I never got to eat it, and now I can’t see a ring doughnut without remembering the body. That room and the look on his face.
– Anne-Marie Ormsby, The Tower
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/blog-tour-the-tower-anne-marie-ormsby/
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