neighborhoodkat's review
3.0
thank you to head of zeus publishing for providing me an arc through netgalley.
some spoilers ahead!
overall, i liked this book but it fell a little flat for me. the premise is intriguing- multiple deaths happening in the same place, history of the towns old mental hospital, there’s a lot going on. the story is told from multiple point of views that appear to all be happening at the same time. we have willow, dci jansen, a little girl named alice, and a few others.
when we first met alice, i thought she was the daughter of one of the other characters - michael. but she isn’t and once the timeline is revealed, the rest is pretty easy to figure out.
overall a good story, but nothing keeping me on the edge of my seat or reading *just one more* chapter.
some spoilers ahead!
overall, i liked this book but it fell a little flat for me. the premise is intriguing- multiple deaths happening in the same place, history of the towns old mental hospital, there’s a lot going on. the story is told from multiple point of views that appear to all be happening at the same time. we have willow, dci jansen, a little girl named alice, and a few others.
when we first met alice, i thought she was the daughter of one of the other characters - michael. but she isn’t and once the timeline is revealed, the rest is pretty easy to figure out.
overall a good story, but nothing keeping me on the edge of my seat or reading *just one more* chapter.
annarella's review
4.0
Even if it's a bit slow at the beginning it was a gripping and fascinating read, well written and riveting.
The solid mystery, the multiple layer of this story were a pleasure to read and I appreciated the storytelling and the character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The solid mystery, the multiple layer of this story were a pleasure to read and I appreciated the storytelling and the character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
brewtifulfiction's review
4.0
Unexpectedly mysterious.
That is how I'd describe The Fall.
A clever plot with a twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Unexplained deaths, missing family members and memories that span past and present provide a story that is well plotted and fast paced.
I was kept guessing until the end. I'll admit after a while, there were certain parts that I figured out but not enough to stop the story from being engaging.
A brilliant crime novel.
That is how I'd describe The Fall.
A clever plot with a twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Unexplained deaths, missing family members and memories that span past and present provide a story that is well plotted and fast paced.
I was kept guessing until the end. I'll admit after a while, there were certain parts that I figured out but not enough to stop the story from being engaging.
A brilliant crime novel.
travelsalongmybookshelf's review
4.0
The Fall - Rachael Blok
‘The world was all before them.’
Just wow! This was such a fantastic book!
This book opens with someone falling from the tower of St. Albans Cathedral, it is shocking, gripping and totally captured my attention.
The fall is witnessed by Willow who has come to the town to put on an exhibition in the cathedral, about Hill Barnes an old psychiatric hospital, an institution where people were put away years ago.
DCI Maarten Jansen attends, and Willow as a witness prompts a deeper investigation into a long-buried past. Willow's own family history entwines with the case and Jansen starts to wonder how everything is connected, was this death a suicide or something more?
‘The women. The men. Chunks of their lives, dispensed into wards, boxes. Stolen away. When people talk of the good old days….’
I loved this book, having visited the cathedral I could visualise where this was happening which definitely enhanced the experience for me. There’s quite a bit going on and the story is told from multiple POV’s but I actually found this helped rather than hindered the narrative. You can get inside the mind of the characters and get to know them quickly.
Slowly as old secrets are unravelled we learn of the connections between these characters, tensions rise, we are given little snippets of what is to come.
I felt on edge and found myself taking little sharp intakes of breath as I read, my heart rate rising as the suspense winds and winds and tension bubbles under the surface.
It’s a spellbinding read and I couldn’t put it down, dark, atmospheric and unexpected with a really spine jangling ending this is one book really worth reading!
✩✩✩✩
‘The world was all before them.’
Just wow! This was such a fantastic book!
This book opens with someone falling from the tower of St. Albans Cathedral, it is shocking, gripping and totally captured my attention.
The fall is witnessed by Willow who has come to the town to put on an exhibition in the cathedral, about Hill Barnes an old psychiatric hospital, an institution where people were put away years ago.
DCI Maarten Jansen attends, and Willow as a witness prompts a deeper investigation into a long-buried past. Willow's own family history entwines with the case and Jansen starts to wonder how everything is connected, was this death a suicide or something more?
‘The women. The men. Chunks of their lives, dispensed into wards, boxes. Stolen away. When people talk of the good old days….’
I loved this book, having visited the cathedral I could visualise where this was happening which definitely enhanced the experience for me. There’s quite a bit going on and the story is told from multiple POV’s but I actually found this helped rather than hindered the narrative. You can get inside the mind of the characters and get to know them quickly.
Slowly as old secrets are unravelled we learn of the connections between these characters, tensions rise, we are given little snippets of what is to come.
I felt on edge and found myself taking little sharp intakes of breath as I read, my heart rate rising as the suspense winds and winds and tension bubbles under the surface.
It’s a spellbinding read and I couldn’t put it down, dark, atmospheric and unexpected with a really spine jangling ending this is one book really worth reading!
✩✩✩✩
jessicas_bookshelf's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shopeing's review
4.0
What a woven tale. This book has some twists and turns to try to keep you guessing what the different connections are and who did what.
People always say regarding people and places how small the world can be. With that in mind, your mind may see parts of this story as being serendipitous.
The author hooks you in the beginning by telling you just a fraction of something that the other characters don’t know and it takes a portion of the book to find those answers. There are a lot of underlying items in this book that can put you at war with your inner thoughts: who did it? Why did they do it? Who all was involved? How are they linked? What are they hiding?
This also isn’t just a simple murder mystery. This takes you on a ride that includes historical relationships, familial squabbles, and of course ethics & morality. You think you know a person, but you will never fully know what’s going on inside their head. No one’s story is a straight line.
Without giving any spoilers, this book will make you question if you know the history of your life, family and everyone you believed you could trust. How much can you even believe your own memories?
Thank you to the author Rachael Blok, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC eBook!
People always say regarding people and places how small the world can be. With that in mind, your mind may see parts of this story as being serendipitous.
The author hooks you in the beginning by telling you just a fraction of something that the other characters don’t know and it takes a portion of the book to find those answers. There are a lot of underlying items in this book that can put you at war with your inner thoughts: who did it? Why did they do it? Who all was involved? How are they linked? What are they hiding?
This also isn’t just a simple murder mystery. This takes you on a ride that includes historical relationships, familial squabbles, and of course ethics & morality. You think you know a person, but you will never fully know what’s going on inside their head. No one’s story is a straight line.
Without giving any spoilers, this book will make you question if you know the history of your life, family and everyone you believed you could trust. How much can you even believe your own memories?
Thank you to the author Rachael Blok, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC eBook!
eddienewreads's review
4.0
The novel is written from a number of viewpoints, including one whose significance to the plot isn't immediately apparent but who nevertheless has a compelling story to tell. I enjoy how the novel is split into three sections . You will not be disappointed with this book. Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this advanced copy. On April 14th do yourself a favor and purchase this book.
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