An interesting look at the concept of mob mentality and how people can almost be manipulated into doing someone else‘s bidding without real realising - especially when considering social conflicts that can sit deep in a community. It was different to the usual crime stories I have read previously and enjoyed the fast pace and snappy chapters. I did feel certain parts were underdeveloped. But overall a great read.

The story starts with the Aberfan disaster and the first chapter of two are quite hard to read but the disaster doesn‘t dominate the book, which I think is a good thing. It is a coming of age story, a lovely exploration of friendship and an example of living trauma and how it can overshadow our whole lives. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A very well crafted story and one I certainly recommend!

A brilliant read that demonstrates the power of nature and how even after we have caused inexplicable and horrifying damage to an environment, there is hope that nature and new life can return. A very well written book that had me hooked from the first page.

An absolutely brilliant book. As a lover of true crime and an interest in how our brains work and what makes us tick this was a perfect book for me. The writing is brilliant, informative, emotional and really thought provoking. It really had me questioning at times and for several of the case studies I need to take time to process what I had read. She really fights for the need for better mental health services and I couldn‘t agree with her more.

Having really enjoyed the original trilogy I thought I would give this a go before the movie came out. Overall I enjoyed it and felt it gave background to the previous books and the rise of Snow. I thought the end came quite quick. Like I‘d missed a chapter. Would have maybe liked a bit to the end but didn‘t ruin the overall enjoyment.

I did enjoy this book even though I hadn‘t read the previous novel that included the same characters - it didn‘t affect the storyline or back story. However, I was disappointed with the ending, it wasn‘t really an ending. The book seemed unfinished somehow. I had become quite invested in the young boy at the centre of the story and to not have a total resolution I found frustrating. I did find the story interesting despite the ending.

I have loved all of Jane Harper‘s books so far - especially the Australian landscapes and for that this book was no different. The quiet coastal town, a maze of caves and an endless beach. However for me, this was not my favourite. It felt like at times nothing was really happening, then suddenly just at the end all was revealed with no real resolution. More a more about family and relationships than a crime novel. It was good but not great.

In all honesty, I didn‘t really ‘get‘ this book. I loved Normal People and thought I would give this go but it just didn‘t draw me in like Normal People did. The last few chapters were probably the best as that‘s when it sort of started to make sense. I didn‘t find the characters likeable and I just kept asking myself ‘so what?‘ The emails I found broke up the storyline and quite honestly I didn‘t really understand them. Quite disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book. Full of twists and turns and I really liked the seamless movement between past and present. His first book (Harry Quebert Affair) was brilliant. This one was not as good but came pretty close. Kept you guessing until the end.

A very well written book with a true story at the heart of it which made it even better for me. Really enjoyed the storyline and good character development. A great read for those interested in historical fiction or just the story of Titanic in general.