“Halfway… a timely reminder for travellers that they are exactly at the midpoint between where they are going and where they are coming from – wherever that is!”

This novel has the perfect setting for a gripping and suspenseful murder story. A small town in the middle of a snowstorm with blocked roads and no phone signal. Add a killer on the loose, people looking for a shelter from the snow, a remote farmhouse, and the landlord of a closed inn who seems to be hiding something, and I found myself spending a Sunday afternoon completely immersed in this novel.

The story is told from three different points of views. One is a young woman with a complicated past and secrets to hide. She is hitch-hiking through the country when she is caught in the snowstorm. A nurse gives her a lift in her car, but from here things get more difficult and darker. Then, there is an old man bedridden by old age and disease. He thinks about his past, his estranged son, and his current obscure situation. And lastly, there is a young and ambitious officer who wants to prove herself and dreams of the bright light of the big city, but she is stuck at her desk. What do these three characters have in common?

The novel is slow-paced but full of tension. Page after page, there is a weird feeling of something bad about to happen that kept me glued to the pages. A series of gruesome murders and the dark atmosphere that frames the story make for a chilling and haunting read.

The characters have a past full of secrets, often disturbing, that are slowly revealed. Although I didn’t find them very likable, the protagonists of the novel are multi-layered, complex, and very well-drawn.

HALFWAY is a dark, claustrophobic, and gripping novel and I’d like to thank Emma Welton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

Nothing much happens in the town of Pont in Wales so when PC Lissa Lloyd and her partner get a call about an emergency at Rigdeback farm they rush out to find a brutal assault and murder. Who could have done such a thing?

Meanwhile a hitchhiker and a stranded motorist, looking to get out of a snowstorm comes across an abandoned looking pub. Luck would have it that the landlord answers the door but he’s unhappy to see them but let’s them stay. But is it safe for

Halfway has this claustrophobic, horror movie vibe to it, helped along by the raging snowstorm that runs through the entire story.

It’s told through three distinct voices. The first is the hitchhiker, someone who seems to be running away from something in their past. The second is the old man, who is frail after two strokes and having difficulty telling what is reality and what is just in his mind, living in his memories. The third is the law, Lissa is just out of her probationary period as a new officer stuck in a little outstation where nothing really happens. She has her head in the clouds, imagining herself in a movie when reality gets too overwhelming.

Halfway is one of those novels where you don’t quite know what’s happening until near the end and everything is revealed with clever plotting and misdirection that keeps you guessing.

I have to be honest the first half of the book is super slow. We get a lot of backstory for the characters which dragged the pace down and threatened to lose my attention.

Overall Halfway is a slow burn psychological thriller, full of intriguing characters and clever plotting which will keep you guessing until the end.

I love a book that messes with my head and keeps me guessing. I love a book in which the killer's identity isn't revealed too early in the story and I am given an opportunity to figure out who they are for myself. I love a story that is riveting and enthralling,holds my attention throughout and leaves me wanting more when I finish the book. Well, I am pleased to say that Half way is all that and so much more.

The Halfway inn is closed to customers, side-lined by a bypass and hidden in inhospitable countryside. One winter's night,two women end up knocking on the door, seeking refuge as a blizzard takes hold.

But why is the landlord less than pleased to see them? And what is his elderly father trying to tell them?

At the local police station PC Lissa Lloyd is reluctantly holding down the fort while the rest of her crew share in the rare excitement of a brutal murder at an isolated farmhouse. A dangerous fugitive is on the run, but how can Lissa make a name for herself if she is stuck behind her desk? When a call comes in saying that the local district nurse is missing, Lissa jumps at the chance to investigate her disappearance.

The strangers at Halfway wait out the storm, but soon realise they might have been safer on the road. It seems not all travellers will make it home for Christmas.

This gripping,fast paced thriller is set over the space of 23 hours and the story is told in chapters that alternate between Lissa (the law) the hitchhiker and the old man. Out of the small number of other characters,the only two who are really relevant to the plot are the landlord and the nurse. Unfortunately, many of us have a bad habit of judging people and the author has used this frailty in human nature as a brilliant plot devise. Misdirecting the reader, making you think you know the character's back stories when in reality, more than one of them is now who they appear to be. By the time I finished this riveting read, I had completely changed my feelings and opinion about more then one character and had realised that I had misjudged one character completely.

I absolutely loved this intricately plotted,well written psychological thriller from the heart pounding prologue, right through to the ending that had just a tiny dash of poetic justice. There are two morals to this story 1) don't be so quick to pass judgement on people and 2) be careful what you wish for. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this book. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it most definitely will not be my last. Very very highly recommended by little old me

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Halfway takes place in a small community that has been practically cut off from everywhere due to a snowstorm. There has been a murder and as you read you start to slowly uncover what has happened.
At first, I couldn’t see how the narrative matched the synopsis. The author spends a lot of time setting the scene. It’s a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere and with the chapters covering the points of view of the hitchhiker, the old man, the law and the apprentice there is a lot to learn.
The parts that concerned the hitchhiker were my favourite. They were the most intimidating and thought-provoking. At first I thought the hitchhiker was one to be wary of, you are aware that there is something she was hiding, but as I got to know more about the nurse I started to suspect that something more sinister was happening.
The chapters covering the law were amusing with the rookie police officer’s actual actions compared with the type of officer she wanted to be. All based on the way that female police heroines are portrayed in the movies and TV shows.
When you actually realise what happened on the snowy night I was amazed. I had been duped from the beginning and now want to reread to see what I misread.
Halfway is one of the more original novels that I have read this year.

Well, if you like a good crime fiction thriller and don't mind a bit of gore, Halfway by B.E. Jones may just be the book for you!

What it's about: Told in the space of one day, this book switches mostly between a hitchhiker trying to get out of town, the "old man" who is bedridden due to a stroke, and a young police officer named Lissa Lloyd who is trying to make a name for herself on the police force. Set in a small village in the heart of Western Wales during a snowstorm, this is a book about murder, lies, theft, and the connections between our players.

I don't want to say more about the plot because I think Halfway is another one of those novels where it is best to go in pretty much blind and let the story unfold. I will also warn people that the blurb for this book, in my opinion, is a bit deceiving and not completely accurate to the story. My suggestion is not to read it at all if you can help it, and just read the book (or read it and forget it like I did!).

I loved the concept of the whole book being set in one day. Besides the prologue and what I would consider an epilogue, it starts on December 22 at 9:30 AM and ends the same day at 5:30 PM. I thought it was a very clever novel, and I was pretty blown away by how everything turns out in the end. This book reminded me a bit of movies like Crash, which isn't something I've read much before.

I don't know if I was a huge fan of any of the characters, and Lissa annoyed me, but that wasn't really a problem and I think it was part of the point. I was very into the story and it was a very fast read for me. Halfway does get a little gory, but there are really only a small number of scenes like this and it didn't gross me out too much. You also get a lot of backstory on some of the characters, so I would say the pace of this book isn't particularity fast, and some people may find it slow. For me, I just couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next and I didn't really spot anything coming.

The only thing that I really had any issues with was that I thought the ending got a tad confusing. The details of the jewelry robbery got a little convoluted for me and I didn't understand the significance of all the names the author ends up mentioning. Overall, this book is pretty easy to follow along with, but the end threw me for a loop when I started hearing a bunch of people's names I wasn't familiar with and how they were supposed to all tie together.

Final thought: Halfway is a bit of everything - crime, a character study, psychological thriller, and mystery. It was cleverly written, if a bit slow-paced, and had a very unique concept that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to mystery fans that don't mind character detail, a slower pace, and some gore (mind you, NOT Karin Slaughter gore). Overall this was a very interesting and unique book, and I definitely look forward to reading more from B.E. Jones!

I don't know about you but I have often wondered when I was driving somewhere new, what I would do if my car broke down late at night in an unfamiliar place. Well after reading this novel, that thought doesn't even bear thinking about and I am giving up driving (and I'm only half joking!).

In a secluded spot called The Halfway Inn, strangers take refuge on a cold winter's night but what should be a safe haven in the dark becomes anything but. Will they make it out alive? And who is the killer lurking in the shadows?

Intriguing, dark, and with plenty of twists along the way, HALFWAY by B.E. Jones is a fascinating read with plenty going for it. While I have to say that it is a little slow to get into the action, it wasn't long before I was fully engrossed and eager to find out exactly what was going on. Very atmospheric, HALFWAY by B.E. Jones is a compelling thriller and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Ever feel like a book description gives away way too much information? I’m honestly glad I didn’t read the blurb above before I started reading Halfway. I much prefer discovering things on my own and not quite knowing what the book was about allowed me that.

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Wales, in the midst of a blizzard, the reader meets a multitude of characters. It’s rather obvious from the start that their paths will cross at some point but how or why remains a mystery for quite a while. There’s the hitchhiker, whose either running away from or towards something. There’s an old man, who has suffered a stroke, stuck in his bed just wanting to be heard. And there’s a police officer, desperate to make a name for herself.

Out on an isolated farm, there’s been a vicious murder. The police officer is sidelined, not involved in the investigation at all. How is she supposed to move up the ranks if she can’t even get away from her desk? Who’s responsible for the murder up at the farm and why? What’s going on with the sick man in his room? As you can tell, there are a lot of questions that need answers and I thoroughly enjoyed trying to unravel the various threads.

Halfway is one intricately plotted puzzle. For the longest time, I couldn’t at all get a handle on things and didn’t have a clue what was going on. However, I found the chapters and the characters so immensely intriguing that I couldn’t stop reading. This story is very much on the slow side but does a brilliant job of setting the scene and delving into the minds of the various characters. Even if the pace puts you off at the start, stick with it. It pays off in the end when things come together rather cleverly.

If you’re a fan of true crime then I would recommend this crime thriller as a book that comes close to giving the reader a similar kind of shock value. Halfway uses its characters to tell the story over the course of one day which worked well as a storytelling tool and gave it a stylish, current feel. The threads are told in different points of view from The Law, The Hitchhiker and The Old Man and they gradually come together until they collide with some unexpected and shocking twists!

One of the things that struck me whilst reading was that it could easily have been a play due to the Halfway pub playing such a huge part in the plot with everything revolving around this isolated and creepy location. The atmospheric setting was practically a character in its own right, it played such a huge part in what happened when all the characters came together at last. And I have to say I did love how the connections finally became clear as Beverley Jones was far cleverer than I gave her credit for! Very well played!

This is the first of this authors books that I have read but I’d happily read another in an instant. She has a contemporary crime writing style that felt fresh and interesting throughout with some cracking twists. A creepy and chilling crime thriller.

In the midst of a blizzard, a district nurse picks up a female hitchhiker and they both end up seeking shelter at a closed down pub, the Halfway Inn. The odd behaviour of the landlord, his elderly father, and events happening elsewhere converge upon this isolated place.

The story is told from three viewpoints; the hitchhiker, the elderly man, and a female police constable. It is most definitely a slow burn with details slowly being revealed throughout the story. I thought it was an OK read, but I didn't really care for any of the characters which made it hard to become invested in the story.

TW: violence and some animal cruelty.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Little Brown Book Group UK, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

A horrific murder slowly explained from various viewpoints. I found this slow to begin with, despite the murder at the beginning, but it then gathered momentum until my suspicions were played out and then twisted again, finally providing a satisfying read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Constable for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Halfway Inn is closed to customers, side-lined by a bypass and hidden deep in inhospitable countryside. One winter's night, two women end up knocking on the door, seeking refuge as a blizzard takes hold.
But why is the landlord less than pleased to see them? And what is his elderly father trying so hard to tell them?”
The blurb really intrigued me and I really enjoyed this book.
The prologue gives you a glimpse of how the day ends for the three characters, and is very intriguing. It certainly made me want to know what events led to this point.
The story then takes you back to the beginning of that day and the chapters are then told from different characters point of view.
This is a steadily paced story with a gripping final few chapters.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Really enjoyed this book. As the storm rages, the tension rises as most of the characters are hiding things. This makes for a very claustrophobic feel, given that a chunk of the book happens in one specific location - the Halfway house of the title. I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours. I didn't guess the identity of the killer for quite some time and it's a good twist when it becomes obvious. My only downside is that it takes a while to get going and that might make some people stop reading before it gets really good. Very glad I kept going with it though!

What a clever psychological thriller this turned out to be. Don't assume anything in this book, just go with the flow. The chapters are split between three main characters: The Hitchhiker, The Old Man and the Law. Most of the action takes place on the 22nd December in a snowstorm. That's all you need to know to begin this unusual approach to a thriller. Will definitely look out for the previous title 'Where she Went' by this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/B.E. Jones/Little Brown for a digital copy of this intriguing title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The hitchhiker is running away from something and just wants to find a safe place, the law wants to make a name for herself and not be stuck uselessly behind her desk forever and the old man knows something is very wrong but his deteriorated mind won't allow him to form the right connections and express his fears. Seeking refugee from the blizzard they all end up at the Halfway Inn together where is soon becomes clear your chances of survival might have been higher outside in the storm!

The prologue gives you a glimpse of how the day ends for the three characters, its intriguing and you certainly want to find out what happens and what events lead to this point. Chapter one takes you back to the beginning of that day and the chapters are shared been the hitchhiker, the law and the old man. It's a slow burner from then on until its explosive climax, whereas I personally prefer to have twists spread throughout the book rather than all crammed into the end.

I know that it is necessary to lay all the different threads throughout so they can get tangled up in order to deliver that ending but I found the build up a bit tedious. I also didn't like any of the characters I wasn't rooting for any of them, they are all untrustworthy and I had a feeling of unease constantly, but maybe that was the point? I won't go into detail about the ending (I don't want to ruin it) but I will say it is not for the faint-hearted. For me it was a classic case of the perils judging a book by its cover but the blurb sounded irresistible!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Little Brown Book Group UK for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

This started slowly, and was - dare I say it - not one I thought I’d finish. But as the various strands started to pull together, and you sensed the links between this large cast of characters, it got much more interesting.
Set in a small Welsh village there’s an awful lot going on. A police officer determined to atone for some rookie mistake gets caught up in a gruesome scene. An elderly couple are discovered, the woman murdered and the man visibly shaken. There’s talk of people searching for hidden wealth, and a local lad confesses a very odd story. Caught up in events beyond your wildest imaginings, we suddenly have a wanted killer on the loose.
Alongside these events we have a female hitchhiker who is rescued by a local nurse. Spooked by the bad weather the two women head to the local abandoned pub to try to shelter. Once there it’s clear that nothing is quite what it seems, and I was quite surprised by one or two of the revelations that came out.
It was a long time coming - too long, really - but once we began to piece together the various stories it was a tense thriller. Intriguing ending that really changed my view of one or two of our characters.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Mysterious murder and mayhem in South Wales! Set at Christmas time with plenty of snow on the ground this book rattles along with alternate chapters from the viewpoint of a mystery hitchhiker (hope she was wrapped up warm?), and old man and PC Lissa Lloyd. The last named is very junior and has a chance to shine. The book really is exciting when this happens ...after a slow start. The story weaves together culminating in an old pub - Halfway Inn. Apart from the story, I was really impressed with the author's wonderful use of the English language. Beautiful descriptions with superb metaphors, alliteration and similes. - loved it! For no other reason I am happy to give it 5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read such a well written book. I have ordered her other book in order to enjoy her writing.

Well... this blew my mind a little along the way. For those of you who prefer your thrillers to hit the ground running, be warned that this, for me anyway, was a bit of a slow burn. But the author does build up the tension and intrigue nicely along the way until, suddenly, well... the punches start coming thick and fast. We first follow a hitch hiker who appears to have a bit of a past. She teams up with a nurse whose car journey home has been scuppered by the snowy weather. Together they proceed on foot to the Halfway Inn which has been closed for a while. There they meet the landlord and his elderly bed-ridden father. He is not really up for visitors for reasons that eventually become clear. Meanwhile, we also follow a young PC who is holding the fort whilst the rest of her squad investigate a brutal murder. She is chomping at the bit for a bit of action so, when a potential missing person call comes in, she jumps at the chance to make a name for herself. But how far will she go...
This book was jam packed full of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour that, for the most time, appeared a bit disjointed but which did come together really nicely at the end. An end that satisfied but also gave a lot of food for thought and was potentially left open for a sequel. Or could this be the start of a series with a series arc. Who knows?
Characterisation is tricky to explain but, on the whole, the characters were very well described, within the aforementioned duplicity of course! I did find some of the goings on a bit strange but then, when the curve ball was delivered, everything made perfect sense. With how things ended, I also think that there is potential for more to come from certain characters and I'd definitely be up for some of that.
Pacing was a tad hit and miss even given the slow build up. There is quite a lot of description but this gave the book quite a claustrophobic atmosphere which, in turn, increased the tension throughout. Once a lot of key things were revealed, it took off at a rate of knots!
All in all, a good solid read that I do not hesitate to recommend to fans of the genre who like slow burners. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Tense and dark, not a light read and it is necessary to concentrate to keep up with all the twists in the plot. All comes to a satisfying conclusion and glad I stuck with it.

I could not get into this book at all - it was written in a confused (rather than confusing) fashion and there was little to no cohesion. Not my cup to tea.

really enjoyed reading this book well written, could not put the book down as it kept you guessing who did what right up to the last minute.