THE TWENTY-THREE (2016) Promise Falls Trilogy #3

The Twenty-Three by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I discovered Linwood Barclay's thrillers, I waited anxiously each time until I could get my hands on the next one. This one won't be available until November 1, 2016 but you have lots of other choices before then.

I love the fact that his story telling can surprise the reader. His plots are clever. His characters unexpected. The Promise Falls, New York setting is a small town we know. It's a lot like where we all live but with unthinkable things happening.

THE FIRST LINE: "I know I won't be able to get them all. But I hope I'll be able to get enough."

THE STORY: Book 1: Broken Promise - "With a demanding job at the Boston Globe, single parent David Harwood cannot find enough time to spend with his son. The solution he chooses is to go back home and work for the local paper in Promise Falls. Things start going wrong immediately."

Book 2: Far From True - "A group of teens are planning to attend a final showing at the local drive-in theater, smuggling in beer and one of their friends in the car trunk. They are in line when there is an explosion, the screen collapses, and people are killed. The reader is hooked! From there the author begins feeding out various story lines. The daughter of one of the victims asks Cal Weaver, a private investigator, to help solve a break-in at her father's house where he finds a hidden room. Meanwhile Detective Barry Duckworth is trying to solve two murders, one three years old, that he suspects are linked. And lurking in the background is the ominous Mr. 23."

And finally Book 3: The Twenty-three - People are suddenly being felled by a mysterious illness which is quickly identified as the town's water supply (shades of Flint, Michigan). Private investigator Cal Weaver focuses on who could benefit from such a tragedy while Detective Barry Duckworth investigates another murder which seems to be part of a pattern. David Harwood is back with his troubles too. How will it all end?

WHAT I THOUGHT: The confusion of characters I noted in my review of the second book just becomes more intense here. I actually had trouble getting into the story but by the time I was halfway through, I was committed to finding out the answers. Barclay does a great job of reminding the reader of who characters are, but I find it annoying sometimes. Will I read his next offering? Of course. Linwood Barclay is a masterful storyteller.

BOTTOM LINE: My recommendation would be to read some of the stand alone titles first. If you find, like me, that you love Linwood Barclay, then go ahead and read this trilogy. You can find reviews of other titles on my blog. One of my favorites is Never Look Away.

Title: The Twenty-Three (Promise Falls Trilogy #3)

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Berkley

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 464

Copyright: November 1, 2016

ISBN-10: 0451472721

ISBN-13: 978-0451472724

Disclaimer: An advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book was provided to me by Berkley and Net Galley for an honest review.

Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for The Toronto Star and the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 Sunday Times (UK) bestseller. He lives near Toronto with his wife. (from Amazon)
 

FAR FROM TRUE (2016)

Far From True by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unexpected twists and interesting characters populate Linwood Barclay thrillers. This is the second entry in a trilogy set in Promise Falls.

THE STORY: Once again Linwood Barclay delivers an unexpected and ultimately shocking opening. A group of teens are planning to attend a final showing at the local drive-in theater, smuggling in beer and one of their friends in the car trunk. They are in line when there is an explosion, the screen collapses, and people are killed. The reader is hooked! From there the author begins feeding out various story lines. The daughter of one of the victims asks Cal Weaver, a private investigator, to help solve a break-in at her father's house where he finds a hidden room. Meanwhile Detective Barry Duckworth is trying to solve two murders, one three years old, that he suspects are linked. And lurking in the background is the ominous Mr. 23.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Although Barclay is a master at plotting and making threads weave together, this entry in the series introduces so many characters that it takes some serious work to keep everything straight. Some reviewers thought the story could stand alone, but I disagree. Not only are there cliff hangers from Broken Promise, the first title in the series, there are reoccurring characters from many of Barclay's earlier books. For me, part of the fun was running into them and recalling their back stories.

FIRST SENTENCE: "They ain't seen nothin' yet."

BOTTOM LINE: Don't read this one as a stand alone. At the very least, read Broken Promise first so you're ready for the conclusion due out in November of 2016. Personally I would suggest reading one of his stand alone thrillers. Two I enjoyed were Trust Your Eyes and Never Look Away. Linwood Barclay is a good writer with compelling stories. Highly recommended.

DISCLAIMER: Invited by NetGalley to request and receive this title for an honest review.

Title: Far From True

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: NAL

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 480 pages

Copyright: March 22, 2016

ISBN-10: 0451472705

ISBN-13: 978-0451472700

Linwood Barclay is the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of fourteen critically acclaimed novels, including Broken Promise, No Safe House, A Tap on the Window, Trust Your Eyes, which has been optioned for film, Never Look Away, which has been optioned for television, and No Time for Goodbye.  (from Amazon)

BROKEN PROMISE (2015)

It took me long enough to get around to reading one of my favorite thriller writers! I won a copy from the Good Reads First Reads Contest back in May. Where did May and June go? It's a long story. I am now working to get back to the business of reading and writing reviews.

Once I actually was able to start reading Linwood Barclay's Broken Promise, I devoured the book in my usual way. Two days tops.

We're back in Promise Falls, New York, where  previous stories have taken place. Those of us who have read Barclay's books will recognize David Harwood and his son from Never Look Away (2010).

THE STORY: With a demanding job at the Boston Globe, single parent David Harwood cannot find enough time to spend with his son. The solution he chooses is to go back home and work for the local paper in Promise Falls. Things start going wrong immediately.

By the end of the story it was obvious that not all the mysteries raised in this book were going to be addressed. When I did a little research, I discovered that this is the first book in what will be a three books series the second and final installments being released at nine month intervals.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Reading one of Barclay's thrillers, there is always the relief that one's own life is safe from the cascade of bad things that are happening to these good people. That seems to be his formula. The author creates impossible scenarios for the protagonist so the reader will wonder how in the world the story threads can possibly be untangled.

With a nod to modern culture and characters enduring the same life problems, it's easy to relate and wonder 'what would I do' in this circumstance.

FIRST SENTENCE: "A couple of hours before all hell broke loose, I was in bed, awake since five, pondering the circumstances that had returned me, at the age of forty-one, to my childhood home."

BOTTOM LINE: If you don't intend to read the other two books, you will find the ending unsatisfactory. Otherwise it's a quick and engrossing read. RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: I won an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from the Good Reads First Reads project.

Title: Broken Promise

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: NAL

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 512

Copyright: July 28, 2015

ISBN-10:  0451472675

ISBN-13: 978-0451472670

"Linwood Barclay is an American-born Canadian author, noted as a novelist, humourist, and columnist. His popular detective novels are bestsellers in Canada and internationally, beginning with No Time for Goodbye in 2007." Wikipedia
 

I'm a Winner!

Look at the happy message I got from Goodreads today: "You are one of our First Reads lucky winners! You will soon receive a free copy of Broken Promise: A Thriller [Linwood Barclay​] in the mail."

NO SAFE HOUSE (2014)

No Safe House by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you read a book you like but aren't inclined to read others by the same author. It was the particular story or setting  or characters that attracted you.

Sometimes you read a book and can't wait to get your hands on the next story that the author writes.

That's how it is for me with Linwood Barclay. I've read or listened to a half dozen of his books and all of them have delivered the goods. His mind works in devious ways that are absolutely delightful in a thriller!

Since I couldn't track down a preview copy of No Safe House, I actually pre-ordered it for my Kindle so I could read it as soon as it was released. Even having read the prequel No Time for Goodbye a while ago, I needn't have worried that I might not be up to speed. Barclay is a master at making sure the reader knows exactly what she/he should be aware of and makes sure the reader doesn't know the rest until the appropriate time.

In No Time for Goodbye, 14 year-old Cynthia awakes to find her entire family gone.  Twenty-five years later, with her husband Terry and young daughter Grace, she agrees to a TV documentary that will reopen the case. The aftermath is terrifying.

It's seven years later in No Safe House and we find the family still coping with issues that are causing problems. Cynthia decides to live apart from Terry and Grace while she struggles with her demons. Grace is hanging out with a young man who convinces her to so something illegal and we are off and running.

Barclay tells his tale in alternating chapters using Terry's voice in the first person followed by third person narrative about what's going on elsewhere. Sometimes the timing overlaps, which is a neat trick to pull off so successfully.

Barclay has been referred to as the 'King of the Suburban' thriller. His characters' lives don't seem much different from ours before unexpected things start happening. The good guys sometimes make questionable decisions and the bad guys sometimes do the right things.

There is  a lot of suspense and threat in his stories but Barclay seems to have a great feel for just how much violent description the reader actually wants or needs.

Some reviewers have found fault with the story for being a stretch. I haven't read a thriller yet that wasn't. A little suspension of disbelief is what makes the story such a roller-coaster ride. It's just plain fun. Can I confess that I actually cried at one point?

Bottom Line: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Title: No Safe House
Author: Linwood Barclay
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
No. of Pages: 464 pages
ISBN: 0451414209
Copyright: August 5, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Amazon

Bestselling author Linwood Barclay was born in the United States but moved to Canada just before turning four years old when his father's job took the family across the border.

Linwood obtained an Honors B.A. in English at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario.
Initially he began working for a number of local newspapers, eventually landing a job at the Toronto Star in 1981. His break came with No Time for Goodbye in 2007. It became a runaway bestseller in the U.K. selling a million copies there and elsewhere.

A Tap on the Window (2013)

For a new title by Linwood Barclay, I will drop almost anything and start reading. A Tap on the Window will be available on August 6. 2013.

Stuff and Nonsense Has Posted My Review of TRUST YOUR EYES!!!!

Please visit Stuff and Nonsense, the book blog of my friend Marlyn Beebe, who asked me to write my very first 'guest' blog after reading Linwood Barclay's TRUST YOUR EYES. It would be wonderful if you would comment (as long as you are kind).

New Titles from Linwood Barclay!

Reading here and there I have picked up the following information: Linwood Barclay has two new books coming out! When I searched for Never Saw it Coming on Amazon, I discovered that although it is due out in February 2013, it's available as an ebook right now for $2.99! I will definitely be checking that out later.

The other title is A Tap on the Window due out in the fall of next year. You can read more about them HERE.

TRUST YOUR EYES (2012)

Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing a guest review. I'll post the link when I'm finished.

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The Accident (2011)

The Accident by Linwood Barclay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Linwood Barclay has been referred to as the King of the 'suburban thriller'. His stories have hooks that are irresistible. No Time for Goodbye deals with a girl who wakes up to find her entire family has disappeared without a word. Never Look Away, which is my favorite so far, deals with a young father who loses his wife and young child at an amusement park causing his world to unravel.

In The Accident Glen Garber's wife is killed in an accident under circumstances he can't believe. Through his grief and an incident that occurs involving his eight year old daughter, he begins to suspect that the placid surface of his neighborhood hides terrible secrets.

All three of these books are highly recommended thrillers, perfect confections for a beach read or a treat anytime. Even though terrible things happen, and pain is inflicted, Barclay goes easy on the gritty details and good ultimately triumphs over evil. He also writes about people living in the same economic depression that the reader is experiencing.

If I haven't convinced you yet, watch the short video HERE.

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No Time for Goodbye (2007)

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Once again a second reading of an author has not engaged me in the same way. Maybe it's because the plot line seems so similar. In Never Look Away a man's wife goes missing. In No Time for Goodbye a teen age girl's family goes missing. She goes to bed and wakes up to an empty house. It is twenty-five years later and Cynthia's husband recounts his wife's strange behavior as she begins to believe THEY are coming back for her.

This is 'snack reading' that keeps you up late, but I found myself skimming more to find out what was going to happen, much of which requires a suspension of belief, than reading a well written story. Still. Linwood Barclay writes a good scary thriller. His characters seem like real people and you wish them well. If you want to give this author a try, start with Never Look Away. Oh, and don't be surprised when the movie versions of these two titles hit the screen!


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Never Look Away (2010)

Never Look Away: A Thriller by Linwood Barclay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Once again Stephen King has recommended a great thriller and I wonder along with him about how we missed this author. Linwood Barclay has seven other titles listed in the front of his current book. The cover even touts him as "#1 Internationally Bestselling Author. . ." (and some other stuff that the library barcode covers up). When I checked him out, I discovered that he lives in Canada and has worked as a columnist for the Toronto Star.

David Harwood is a small town reporter working for a struggling newspaper. On this fateful day, he and his wife Jan and their four year old son head for the local amusement park for a day of fun when the unthinkable happens and his life begins to unravel around him.

There are so many twists and turns in the story that it will keep you turning pages to the end.

He has a new title coming out in 2011 and I will be busy reading some of his backlist until then!


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