The Six is a riveting read! Six friends meet up at a reunion music festival reliving their youth but one of them is attacked in the woods 7and the others protect him resulting in a murder. In a reckless act of solidarity the friends hide the body but another murder is discovered close by and their situation becomes precarious as they know suspicion will fall on them. Their efforts for self preservation backfires on them as a serial killer called The Candle Man is implicated and seems to be after them too as they attempt to return to their normal lives. Relationships between them break down as suspicion and accusations are thrown back and forth. As the story unfolds the Six realise that they didn't know each other as well as they thought and they are all in danger
Tense and compulsive, dark and menacing set in contemporary and familiar middle England.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "The Six".

I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!

I could definitely see this book as a film. The thriller plot centres around a group of friends who return to their youth with a trip to a festival. However, it turns out not to be the happy time they anticipated, instead it becomes the scene of a brutal event that changes all of their lives in an instant.
I enjoyed the narrative flashbacks whilst we begin to piece together the personalities and events of the past, mixed into the current events and the aftermath of that weekend.
A mix of thriller and serial killer crime drama this book is certainly entertaining. I wasn’t the biggest face of the OTT rooftop drama towards the end of the book ~ I can only use my suspension of disbelief so much... however it’s overall a well-written, nicely paced and plotted story with an exciting cast of characters to discover.
Recommended read.

Matt, Alexandra, Chris, Michelle, Stuart and Nicola know each other since school. Now they are all in their thirties and are accepting the fact that they are adults now. They have houses, jobs, are married. When they decide to go on a trip to a music festival they did not know that this trip will change their lives. On their last night camping on the festival ground something happens. Afterwards nothing is like it used to be. They friendships cracked and a year after the horrible events one of them is dead.

This book was just what I needed. A solid psychological thriller, well-crafted and the writing is superb. The author creates a chilling atmosphere. The friends made a wrong decision in a moment of panic and now they are paying a high price for their actions. I found the characters well developed and I envied them for their lasting friendship. The thing about the serial killer and how he worms his way into their lives is creepy and the twist at the end was a surprise. I did not see that coming although in hindsight I can see there where some red flags but I did not get them. I especially liked the writing and how the author sucked me into his creepy story right from the beginning. The reason I only give 4 Stars is because the story slowed down after a while. The showdown at the end on that roof was a bit overdramatic and unrealistic. But I enjoyed the book, though. This was my first book from Luca Veste but definitely not my last one. I already found the German edition of “Dead Gone” on my kindle which I somehow never managed to read. I will change that very soon.

I would have given this book 5 stars however the final scene on the roof was a step to far in believability for me. That aside I did enjoy the book and did not work out who the candle man was until the reveal, which was very well written. This is the first book from this author I have read and will be reading more in the future.

This is another excellent read by Luca Veste, not just a crime thriller but it's dark and very compelling. Excellent characterisation, a consistent pace and a story about friendship.Can six friends keep a secret? You need to read this to find out.The author never disappoints and tells a very good story. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I have only ever read one other book by Luca Veste but when I read the blurb for The Six I knew I had to read it. I was expecting a lot from this book and it absolutely delivered. I read this book quickly, although at times it scared the crap out of me. I was hooked on the story and had no idea where it was going to go. It is cleverly written and so creepy you will want to read this with the lights on. I love it when the ending of a story shocks me and the ending of The Six came completely out of left field and had me stunned!

A group of friends decide to have a weekend away before real life of babies and weddings start. They head off to a field where they attend a 90's music festival - a complete blast from the past for them all. In the middle of one of the nights something really bad happens and they decide to hide it and not talk about it again. But can it really be that easy? A year later and their friendships are strained, relationships have broken down. And then one of them is dead. Somebody outside of their group knows the truth and is out for them all.

A great book that I absolutely recommend for readers and lovers of crime and creepy stories. Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Struggled with this book and nearly didn't finish it.
It didn't grab me and keep me hooked, and I didn't feel I related to the characters
I did finish it though and I didn't guess who the murderer was.

Thank you netgalley, Luca Veste and Simon Schuster UK for allowing me to read and review this book.

I struggled to get into this book. Don’t think the main characters had enough depth. Storyline had a twist or two which is always good but just did not seem plausible plot, I’m not sure I could believe a group of friends would choose to hide two dead bodies after defending themselves against a serial killer. Plot twists are even more surreal, the more I think about this book the more I can pick holes in it.

Usually a big fan of this author but unfortunately not this time. I found it impossible to like or care about any of the characters so it took me almost two weeks to read which is unheard of.
Also there's some inconsistencies with the age of the characters, at more than one point what is described historically puts them closer to forty, strange when their ages are such a focus of the plot.

"You never know the moment your life changes forever."

Luca Veste’s The Six is the thriller that you won't be able to put down this winter.

Six friends head out for what is meant to be a fun-filled, memorable weekend at a music festival; a chance to have one last hurrah. 

But then an unthinkable tragedy strikes, shattering the meant-to-be magical weekend - and the six friends discover that their lives will never be the same again. 

A year after making the pact to "never speak of tonight again", it is clear that the pressure and the stress of what happened that night is starting to fracture the already-strained group.

Someone knows what actually happened that night. And they're determined to make them pay.

With some serious I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes, The Six will keep thriller fans on the edge of their seats from the first page until the very last.

Admittedly, it's not exactly the typical kind of serial killer novel - at the very heart of it, The Six is a character-driven drama about the core group of friends.

Throughout the novel, Veste goes back-and-forth from when the gang met in secondary school and university for the first time (and what made them so close) to the present day, as the mystery unfolds.

The book is told from the point of view go Matt, one of the six friends who continues to struggle with what went on at the music festival. He barely sleeps or eats; rarely leaves the house and lives in a consistent state of fear.

The single point of works perfectly as, while Matt is far from the most reliable narrator, it does make him more intriguing and compelling - and definitely the one that the reader ends up rooting for throughout the book.

Each one of the core friends is well developed and distinctive, with every one of them adding a new layer to the mystery of what is really happening - and why.

The Six is a novel filled with twists and turns that will keep readers on their toes until the last words.

An interesting story with a unique hook but the pacing spoiled my overall enjoyment. The beginning was intriguing and held a lot of promise but the middle section was too slow and the ending felt rushed and underwhelming.

The Six is an outstanding psychological thriller which I highly recommend. When starting to read the book, the plot felt slightly familiar and I was concerned that the story line would be predictable. This was definitely not the case - - - the high quality writing and twists throughout kept me interested and motivated to keep reading. The narrator is a sympathetic character; even though I wanted to shake some sense into him (and his friends) at times, his reactions and logic were understandable and consistent. The conclusion was well crafted and satisfying - all in all, a terrific read!

A tense, enjoyable read that takes the reader back and forth in time. I must admit I didn’t race through it, some parts were really good but I felt some parts plodded on. Overall it was a different take on a serial killer story with characters that may not appeal to everyone but the story had enough twists and turns to keep me interested enough to want to find out how it would end.

This is a solid thriller that tells the story of six friends who find themselves in a rather unfortunate situation. The serial killer is tracked down in the end by the story narrator after a good few twists along the way. The book has a good few tense moments and unforeseen reveals. It starts well but the pace slows a little (for me) before picking up again around the middle of the book.

Luca Veste is the master of scene-setting and in The Six he sets the scene perfectly in the opening; his trademark chilling narrative sent shivers through me from the outset. The nineties playlist was a step down a path of nostalgia and for those who have seen the Fun Loving Crime Writers and Luca’s spectacular encore, a little smile will be raised.
This book is way more than a serial killer chiller thriller; it explores the lives of six friends who found themselves caught up in a nightmare and one year later their past comes back to haunt them.
Luca Veste books should come with a scary movie soundtrack - this one gave me all the chills! He builds up the tension and the trepidation perfectly and is a master at placing the reader right in the heart of the storyline.
I had no clue who to trust or to believe but I certainly found myself caught up in the lives of each of the characters as the story was laid out from the point of view of Matt. His anxiety, guilt and panic were written to perfection, I actually felt as though it was me who was living through his nightmare. Every time I thought I’d worked it all out, the rug was pulled right out from underneath my feet!
It is tense and it is disturbing - read this on your own in the dark...if you dare! I dared and it scared the living daylights out of me! Secrets and lies between the group come tumbling out as the reader takes every chilling step of the journey with them.
The plotting was tight, the characters multi-layered and the setting perfection. Once again Luca Veste has shown himself to be a writer of real distinction. Would I recommend that you read The Six? You can bet your bottom dollar I do - but you may want to read with the lights on and most definitely not by candlelight...
(I will post this on my blog nearer publication day)

A solid serial killer thriller from Luca Veste. A tale of how our memories of youth can be rather different in reality, how we reminisce but then remember the truth, how years later, things can come back to haunt us.

Six school friends, now in their 30s decide to attend a musical festival in order to get away from it all and to remember their youth. It's not going to be a weekend of fun this time, but definately one to remember!.

With flashbacks and careful character depictions, this is a story of friends regretting their past, reliving their past and looking inside themselves. I did find it predictable to a large extent but it was fun to relive the 90s. the music festival vibe and to imagine....

Character development is strong and there are some interesting choices made by them!

Remember this book next time you head to Glastonbury or similar....

Ooooh, I do like a good serial killer book and this foots the bill.

It follows a group of six thirty-somethings who maintain a friendship beyond their meeting at school and university. A weekend trip to a music festival results in an event that changes their life, something they try to bury by agreeing not to speak about it again or to involve the police. However, each of them struggle in their own way with the events of that weekend.

Almost a year to the day, one of the 6 is found dead to an apparent suicide, or was it a suicide? Matt, the character narrating the story in the first person is the most suspicious of the death of his friend and decides to investigate further whilst the others want him to “leave well alone” for fear of the consequences.

The author cleverly takes the reader back and forth to earlier and present days allowing the reader to understand the complexities of their relationship.

This is a fast paced book which makes the reader want to “read on”. I have not read anything by this author before but his style of writing draws you in and you can fully visualize each person and scene.

Thanks to the publishers Simon & Schuster UK and to Netgalley.co.uk for allowing me to preview this book for a fair and honest opinion.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47791966-the-six

Six friends, marriage and babies on the horizon, decide to spend a few days revisiting their youth by attending a 90s music festival. The atmosphere of a great few days takes a macabre twist, however, when somebody dies. Knowing that their life will never be the same, the six make a pact never to speak about what happened the night that they buried the body. Now, though, a year later, somebody seems to know what happened and the killing has started again…

I’m a big fan of Luca Veste’s Murphy and Rossi series and really enjoyed his standalone The Bone Keeper, so The Six was a book I had been looking forward to for a while. As the majority of serial killer plots tend to be police procedurals, I was also interested to read one from a different angle. Told from the perspective of Matt, one of the six, we immediately get an inside view of what is going on, his fears and neuroses showing us how greatly the death and subsequent events have affected his life.

Told in the present day and also in flashbacks to their time at school and university, The Six transports you straight back to the 90s, Luca Veste nailing the musical references, providing me with a pleasing nostalgia trip! I did smile at the Britney Spears reference, knowing the author’s penchant for “…Baby One More Time” thanks to his work with The Fun Lovin’ Crimewriters! The flashbacks provide a perfect insight into the pasts of some of the characters, helping us to understand the present-day friendships and also giving hints as to what really happened at that music festival.

From the start, I had convinced myself that I knew where the plot was going to go, only to find my theory actually discussed by one of the characters! This definitely took the wind out of my sails and made me even more desperate to find out what was happening. I was happy with how the story culminated, if a little shocked!

I have purposely avoided talking too much about the plot as I feel that this is a book where you will get more enjoyment by going in completely blind. All I will say is that if you enjoy a creepy serial killer plot that will have you listening out for strange noises at night, then The Six is the book for you!

I had to admit it took me a couple of goes to actually get into this book. However, once I did I enjoyed it. Luca Veste certainly has the knack of ramping up the tension and giving me the fear! Very atmospheric, I found it a chilling and uncomfortable read at times. Very well written with some interesting twists and red herrings along the way, I would certainly recommend this as a thriller.