3.25 Stars* (rounded down)

Curveballs, life is full of them! Just ask Lucy - the main character in Kerry Wilkinson’s “A Face in the Crowd.”

Lucy’s life hasn’t turned out the way she thought it would. A few years ago she was engaged and thought she had it all. Then her world came crashing down. Now she lives day to day as a cashier at a supermarket, while her dog waits for her in their small bedsit.

One day however, everything changes. Someone puts an envelope full of money in Lucy’s purse while she’s traveling home from work on the bus. Upon finding it she vows to turn it in! It’s thousands of pounds, after all! Lucy, of course can’t help but wonder how the money got there. That’s of course when strange things start happening. Coincidence? Hmm. Read on to find out!

Unfortunately for me, “A Face in the Crowd” by Kerry Wilkinson is a suspense / thriller that left a tiny little bit to be desired. I didn’t quite find this novel to be super twisty as I guessed the ending at the beginning. That said I loved the character of Billy (the dog) quite a lot. This is the second Kerry Wilkinson novel that I’ve read so far and I can say that I really like his writing style and can’t wait for to his next standalone.

This was a buddy read with Ms. Kaceey (of course!).

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 5.15.19.

Please read the synopsis first.... This was a solid little read. Nothing too earth-shattering, just a good story with a well-developed main character. Unlike several I've read lately, I really liked Lucy and wanted good things to happen for her. They didn't. Her experiences were mostly plausible and although there was a bit of a twist it wasn't the typical jaw-dropping OMG moments that have become so popular. Just a solid story that got me through the week! Thank you to Netgalley/Bookouture for the ARC of A Face in the Crowd. I enjoyed it and will recommend it!

A Face in the Crowd – Kerry Wilkinson

My first foray into Kerry Wilkinson’s twisted world was the DI Jessica Daniels police procedural series since then I’ve devoured every book I can get my hands on. So far I haven’t read one that I didn’t love on saying that this wasn’t my favourite. I really can’t recommend Kerry Wilkinson enough.

You can’t help feeling somewhat sorry for Lucy her life is in the toilet. Five years ago she had it all money, a good job and the love of a good man Ben and then poof it was all gone. Tragically Ben died very young leaving her a grieving widow. As if that wasn’t enough the secrets he kept began coming through the letterbox.

Lucy gets the number 24 bus everyday for work, one day this is a trip with a difference she gets off the bus with an envelope containing several thousand pounds. The envelope had been slipped into her bag when she was in a world of her own. This is money that she could really use living in a crummy bedsit, working as a checkout girl in her local supermarket, struggling from payday to payday. It suddenly seems as if things are conspiring against her, making it necessary to dip into the money even though she knew she should hand it in to the police.

Most of the characters are ok, there’s one or two that really need to give their heads a wobble. Tanya the ‘caretaker’ of the building that Lucy, Jade and live in, she’s about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. As for the guy downstairs he’s a prize peach. Matt I kinda thought was incidental to the story Lucy was clearly still not ready for a relationship. My favourite character is Billy the dog, I loved him and was se desperately worried about him at one point in the book.

A few sinister things begin to happen since that fateful Friday and each of them unsettles Lucy, there’s the man outside, the strange phone calls just for starters.

If you love a good police procedural or psychological thriller give Kerry Wilkinson a chance I promise you won’t be disappointed.



Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture

3.5 stars.. Kept me interested. The characters where likeable. And the story line was a good one. Didn't see the ending coming. Wasn't unputdownable but an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book, I liked the main character and her dog,and enjoyed the ordinary setting for a change from some of the other books I have read recently,it felt authentic.The pace of the book was good, and it seemed believable.I did think things got quite weird towards the end, I had no idea how things were going to pan out but I certainly didn't predict the ending.No spoilers but it was a little hard to swallow.But i did like reading this book.Thanks to netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC.

Loved it! Another great book from Kerry Wilkinson. A claustrophobic read, you can feel the fear desperation and stress oozing from Lucy. Who can she trust? is she imagining things? Are people watching her ?and what would you did in the same situation.? Great stuff

Psychological thriller with lots of twists,kept me guessing till the end.Also a moral dilemma,what would you have done?

I've read a lot of books by this author, and A face in the Crowd did not let me down. The story is well-paced and cleverly plotted with lots of twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I'm excited to see what Wilkinson comes up with next!

Kerry Wilkinson knows how to write! And craft a really good psychological thriller.

Lucy loses her fiancé and her future when he dies in a horrific train crash. Her world is further rocked when she discovers all their money is gone and she is saddled with debt he took out in her name. She now lives in an efficiency apartment in a building with others who are living similarly. Then on a random Friday Lucy discovers someone has placed an envelope with a lot of cash into her handbag. What to do? There are a myriad of interesting characters along the way with plenty of red herrings. The end moves in like a runaway train and the twist is not what I was expecting.

Suspenseful to the very end. I didn’t connect with Lucy, the protagonist, but the twists kept me turning the pages. It’s a good psychological mystery with a unique premise that many will find engrossing.

Let me begin by saying that Billy is a GREAT name for a dog - and he was definitely my favorite character in the book.

That's not to say I did not enjoy Lucy - our heroine - or the book itself. For about 80% of the thriller, I was all in - following Lucy and her neighbors as they went about their daily lives, trying to make ends meet. I was rooting for Lucy to pull herself out of debt - debt that landed in her name after her fiance died and his financial situation came to light. Once comfortable, Lucy found out that Ben had taken out loans in her name and had hidden the late notices. She now lives in a poorer part of town and works in a supermarket - so when an envelope with over 3000 pounds lands in her bag, we have a moral conundrum.

As is the case with too many thrillers, I found the end rushed and in need of editing. One story line - neighbor Jade's murder - seems completely unnecessary and leaves a ton of loose ends. As for the big reveal - the fact that Ben is really alive and comes back for Lucy - also needs polishing. Her reaction feels a bit flat and for Ben to let her go after confronting her in a dark playground only to quietly threaten her on a crowded bus does not ring true.

I'm also all for Billy being the hero but - where did he come from exactly?

Thank you Netgalley for this preview - I'm hoping the finished product will be a little more polished.

An excellent engrossing psychological mystery thriller that gripped me from the first pages and didn't let go till the very end.

Lucy is financially struggling and works in a dead end job to pay the ever increasing bills.
One day she finds an envelope full of money put into her bag, what would she do?
Although she knows she has to report the money, she decides to keep it until someone proclaim it.

From there its a rollercoaster of surprising twists and turns and nothing is really what they seem to be.
Thanks Netgalley, Bookouture, and author Kerry Wilkinson for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Entertaining mystery but had a couple of holes in the story (hint: if someone has a lot of debt, why not declare bankruptcy?) vs. not eating to save money. Overall, however, not bad at all.

I was drawn in by the concept and the beginning really hooked me. Kerry Wilkinson definitely has an original voice and I can see why there has been a lot of talk about this book. I definitely needed to know how it all turned out!

A Face in the Crowd by Kerry Wilkinson is a thriller that hooked me from the first page.
Lucy is struggling to make ends meet. She lives in a bedsit and works in a supermarket and is living hand to mouth. One day as she gets off the bus she finds a package full on money has been put into her handbag. She knows that she should take it to the police station but decides to hold on to see if someone reports it missing.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked Lucy's character and was rooting for her all through the book.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking out for more of his work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I so enjoyed this book love this author Lucy has lost everything she in a dead end job just to pay the bills same routine every day to work but one day everything changes what would you do if someone puts an envelope full of money in your bag its so twisty addictive and everything is not what she thought so recommend will have you gripped

Lucy lives her life by routine. She gets the same bus at the same time everyday. She eats the same meals, takes the same walks and goes to all the same places. One day after work she gets home to discover and envelope full of cash in her bag. Who put it there? And what do they want with Lucy?

I really enjoyed the start of this book. In fact I was totally gripped. It only took me a few hours to read this cover to cover and I barely put it down. The only reason it isn’t a 5 star review was the end. There were some good red herrings but the ending was a bit thin and full of holes.

I loved the writing style and will definitely read more by this author. The characters were good and I felt sucked into the story by the third chapter.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

A Face in the Crowd is a fantastic thriller that I could not put down. A new favorite author to add to my list. Fabulous writing and characters.

I love Kerry's books and the way he writes, this was a fast paced, gripping read with interesting characters which kept me on the edge of my seat.

I can thoroughly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

An amazing thriller! Had a couple of red herrings that I tried to follow, plus a surprise ending. Highly recommended!