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paulabrandon's review
2.0
Rob and Wendy Turner are a middle aged couple with adult twin sons and an adopted teenage daughter. An idyllic backyard barbecue is interrupted by the arrival of a seriously wounded man, and this sets their life off in an unforeseen, dangerous direction.
What could be considered mild spoilers follows.
All Fall Down feels like a hodge-podge of various genres. It starts out as what seems like domestic noir, with not only Rob and Wendy hiding secrets, but also daughter Georgia and son Josh. Then, with the inclusion of characters such as Jason Dennehy and Johnny Nyman, it begins to resemble gangster-lite nonsense. (I'm emphatically NOT a fan of gangster material. I have no idea why there's so much of that element in the books I read. I don't find it interesting at all.) There's a bit of mystery as to who might be setting the family up. And then halfway through, it changes into a home invasion thriller, with some very mild torture porn thrown in.
Due to the constant tonal shifts, it took me some time to get into the book. The first half was, frankly, a bit dull. The home invasion portion is reasonably interesting and tense, but still feels like it's holding back. The material is very tame compared to, say, what Karin Slaughter or Richard Laymon might do with it. Also, the home invasion portion is rife with cliches, and ultimately doesn't deliver anything you haven't seen done elsewhere better. There's an underwhelming cap-off, ending things pretty much as you expected it to.
The characters are fine. I liked the protagonists and disliked the antagonists. There were a couple of interesting and intense moments. But the book definitely felt like it had an identity crisis, flitting between so many different crime sub-genres. And despite trying to have a finger in all those different pies, couldn't really deliver anything to make it stand out from the pack. I suspect the publishers didn't quite know what to do with the material, considering the strange title and a plot description that pushes the domestic noir angle.
What could be considered mild spoilers follows.
All Fall Down feels like a hodge-podge of various genres. It starts out as what seems like domestic noir, with not only Rob and Wendy hiding secrets, but also daughter Georgia and son Josh. Then, with the inclusion of characters such as Jason Dennehy and Johnny Nyman, it begins to resemble gangster-lite nonsense. (I'm emphatically NOT a fan of gangster material. I have no idea why there's so much of that element in the books I read. I don't find it interesting at all.) There's a bit of mystery as to who might be setting the family up. And then halfway through, it changes into a home invasion thriller, with some very mild torture porn thrown in.
Due to the constant tonal shifts, it took me some time to get into the book. The first half was, frankly, a bit dull. The home invasion portion is reasonably interesting and tense, but still feels like it's holding back. The material is very tame compared to, say, what Karin Slaughter or Richard Laymon might do with it. Also, the home invasion portion is rife with cliches, and ultimately doesn't deliver anything you haven't seen done elsewhere better. There's an underwhelming cap-off, ending things pretty much as you expected it to.
The characters are fine. I liked the protagonists and disliked the antagonists. There were a couple of interesting and intense moments. But the book definitely felt like it had an identity crisis, flitting between so many different crime sub-genres. And despite trying to have a finger in all those different pies, couldn't really deliver anything to make it stand out from the pack. I suspect the publishers didn't quite know what to do with the material, considering the strange title and a plot description that pushes the domestic noir angle.
marsetta's review against another edition
3.0
You tried to save a life. Now you’re fighting to save your own.
It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME.
Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine.
The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires.
But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home?
Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…?
My actual rating is 3.5 stars. After finishing the book, I started to think what the title and the tagline had to do with the story "Ring a Ring O'Roses, Ring a Ring O'Roses, All Fall Down", don't see the connection!!
I found the whole story very slow and somewhat drawn out. I wanted an intense thriller, to be frightened. But unfortunately it wasn't to be. I didn't feel the suspense or the thrills. The idea behind the story was good and I like Tom Bale's style of writing but I found myself wondering at times about how the Turner family reacted to the situations they found themselves in, and came to the conclusion I just didn't really care for them.
Overall it wasn’t bad a book book, but it wasn’t good one either. I still would read more of his books as I like his style of writing but next time I hope he doesn't try to pack so much in.
Many thanks to the Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
To read this and other reviews go to https://crimeandmysterybookreview.wordpress.com/
It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME.
Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine.
The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires.
But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home?
Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…?
My actual rating is 3.5 stars. After finishing the book, I started to think what the title and the tagline had to do with the story "Ring a Ring O'Roses, Ring a Ring O'Roses, All Fall Down", don't see the connection!!
I found the whole story very slow and somewhat drawn out. I wanted an intense thriller, to be frightened. But unfortunately it wasn't to be. I didn't feel the suspense or the thrills. The idea behind the story was good and I like Tom Bale's style of writing but I found myself wondering at times about how the Turner family reacted to the situations they found themselves in, and came to the conclusion I just didn't really care for them.
Overall it wasn’t bad a book book, but it wasn’t good one either. I still would read more of his books as I like his style of writing but next time I hope he doesn't try to pack so much in.
Many thanks to the Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
To read this and other reviews go to https://crimeandmysterybookreview.wordpress.com/
nannyf's review against another edition
4.0
I have to admit this book really had me having to rethink everything I thought was coming. I expected it to go one way, then the author takes the story in a totally different direction.
The story starts as you would expect - a family event is rudely interrupted. This leads to a police presence which becomes very intrusive very quickly. The author drip feeds us with details which lead us to think we know what is going on, but then just as quickly turns it all on its head again. Most of the family members have secrets which begin to come out, and the author leads us towards the closing scenes which were not at all what I expected.
There are twists and turns throughout which will keep you interested. The characters are all well written, the storyline is a good one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story starts as you would expect - a family event is rudely interrupted. This leads to a police presence which becomes very intrusive very quickly. The author drip feeds us with details which lead us to think we know what is going on, but then just as quickly turns it all on its head again. Most of the family members have secrets which begin to come out, and the author leads us towards the closing scenes which were not at all what I expected.
There are twists and turns throughout which will keep you interested. The characters are all well written, the storyline is a good one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
clairereviews's review against another edition
5.0
All Fall Down by Tom Bale Published by: Bookouture (1 September 2016)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5*
Synopsis:
You tried to save a life. Now you’re fighting to save your own.It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME. Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine. The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires. But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home? Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…?
Review:
I was eager to read this book as I'd simply devoured the author's previous book, See How They Run. This has a similar opening feeling as it starts with a family, just an ordinary family, whose world rapidly begins to unravel.
Once the hidden secrets started coming and the story became more terrifying with every turn of my kindle page, I simply couldn't put it down! As with its predecessor, I read long into the night, my heart racing, until I reached the mindblowing conclusion.
With All Fall Down, Tom Bale has rightfully earned his place among the best thriller writers. I cannot wait to read his next book, but until then I'll be reading his back catalogue.
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5*
Synopsis:
You tried to save a life. Now you’re fighting to save your own.It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME. Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine. The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires. But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home? Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…?
Review:
I was eager to read this book as I'd simply devoured the author's previous book, See How They Run. This has a similar opening feeling as it starts with a family, just an ordinary family, whose world rapidly begins to unravel.
Once the hidden secrets started coming and the story became more terrifying with every turn of my kindle page, I simply couldn't put it down! As with its predecessor, I read long into the night, my heart racing, until I reached the mindblowing conclusion.
With All Fall Down, Tom Bale has rightfully earned his place among the best thriller writers. I cannot wait to read his next book, but until then I'll be reading his back catalogue.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
ALL FALL DOWN
Written by Tom Bale
September 1, 2016; 359 Pages
Bookouture
Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)
★★★
At a Turner family barbecue a man stumbles onto their property, bloody and barely alive. After the man dies the police start to investigate. The Turner family has some secrets - some that may be on the dangerous side. Could this dead man be tied to one of the Turners? And can they keep themselves from being the next victim?
I read great reviews on Bale's previous novel, See How They Run, so I was happy to request and review this suspense novel. I thought the novel was okay and the suspense kept me going...the pace was a bit slow and the characters seemed to have no personal traits. (ie: the names seem to be the only difference between characters). And by the end I just wanted to see where it was all going I almost missed how neat and quickly it was all tied up. I read some other reviews on this book - more good than bad - I saw one familiar pharse "not as good as See How They Run". While I did not exactly enjoy this novel I am definitely down for his previous book before making any judgements. I would tell readers if you cannot get into this book, I would pass on it as my feelings never changed from page 10 to 300.
k (My Novelesque Life)
Written by Tom Bale
September 1, 2016; 359 Pages
Bookouture
Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)
★★★
At a Turner family barbecue a man stumbles onto their property, bloody and barely alive. After the man dies the police start to investigate. The Turner family has some secrets - some that may be on the dangerous side. Could this dead man be tied to one of the Turners? And can they keep themselves from being the next victim?
I read great reviews on Bale's previous novel, See How They Run, so I was happy to request and review this suspense novel. I thought the novel was okay and the suspense kept me going...the pace was a bit slow and the characters seemed to have no personal traits. (ie: the names seem to be the only difference between characters). And by the end I just wanted to see where it was all going I almost missed how neat and quickly it was all tied up. I read some other reviews on this book - more good than bad - I saw one familiar pharse "not as good as See How They Run". While I did not exactly enjoy this novel I am definitely down for his previous book before making any judgements. I would tell readers if you cannot get into this book, I would pass on it as my feelings never changed from page 10 to 300.
k (My Novelesque Life)
katieeliza's review against another edition
4.0
With thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this thriller - lots of twists and turns with characters you root for. Enjoyable
I really enjoyed this thriller - lots of twists and turns with characters you root for. Enjoyable
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: August 11th 2016
“And Wendy understood. They all understood. There were no limits.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I know I was trying to stop requesting new Netgalley thrillers for a while, but this title was just too hard to resist. I have seen various raving reviews about Tom Bale's other thriller See How They Run, so as soon as I saw All Fall Down I knew I had to give it a try. And boy, this was one dark, twisted and gripping thriller! The plot might have a few minor holes, but the story itself is so intense that it personally didn't bother me. In fact, All Fall Down managed to grab my attention from the start and the many plot twist kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the ride. The story has quite a few surprises in store, although the ending is kind of an anti-climax. The descriptions and prose are excellent and set the right atmosphere for this dark thriller. I'm not sure I actually like the main characters, but I can't deny the character development is well done and it was interesting to see the different reactions to the psychological (and physical) torture they had to indure. In short, if you are looking for a fast-paced and properly dark thriller, All Fall Down is an excellent choice.
What started out as a quiet Sunday bbq for the Turner family, soon turned into a nightmare when a dying man shows up at their gate. He is beaten beyond all recognition and barely able to utter his last words: HELP ME. Rob, Wendy and their children are shocked by what happened, but try to explain it all away by calling it an unfortunate coincidence and the fact that the man picked their house completely random. But in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine, and none of them knows exactly why... They are unaware of the fact that they are watched and that their lives will soon be in the hands of someone with a very twisted sense of right and wrong. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance, or is something else to blame? And will they be able to save themselves before it's too late?
If you like dark and twisted thrillers with a healthy dose of graphic and violent scenes, you will most likely love All Fall Down. It's a fast-paced and gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat partly because of the many plot twists and 'hidden secrets'. I personally didn't really like the Turners, but their characters are well developed; Gabriel and his followers are seriously creepy and twisted and the perfect 'bad guys'. I can't wait to read more of Tom Bale's work!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
syren1532's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic read! The Turner's family barbecue on a Sunday afternoon is disturbed by a seriously injured man entering their garden. No-one knows who he is or who has caused all the injuries that he has suffered over a sustained period of time. After the police have left strange things start to happen in their home and elsewhere which puts them all on edge. They leave home for their holiday home in Norfolk for a family break but they could never imagine what will happen while they're there. A rollercoaster of a read that kept me gripped to the end. Highly recommended.
arathi's review against another edition
2.0
Rob & Wendy are enjoying a quiet Sunday with their children, when suddenly a completely hurt bleeding person shows up out of nowhere – and soon everything changes for them.
While this book was intriguing, it was a bit lengthy, a bit confusing to understand which character was which and how were they related to Rob & Wendy.
While this book was intriguing, it was a bit lengthy, a bit confusing to understand which character was which and how were they related to Rob & Wendy.