I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I enjoyed it but struggled to really love it. My primary issue was with the central protagonist, El. I wasn't able to connect with her as a character and didn't really believe her motivations. However, once things started to heat up and you just go with the plot, there was good tension and pace and I did want to see how things ended, which unfortunately wasn't the most satisfying either.

I would recommend it if you like a quick and easy "thriller".

Who doesn't love a good revenge (story)? I certainly do! This book starts off slowly, and draws you in how the whole revenge plot is formulated and executed. Entertaining read.!

This was a great thriller with plenty of drama and suspense and I felt engaged with it the whole way through. It was intriguing and had some good twists

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

This was a fun and interesting book, fast paced and enjoyable. There were a few plot holes and a couple of things I had an issue with, meaning it wasn't perfect. But it wasn't bad for a fun quick read!

Fab book with lots of suspense and being a page turner. Some plot holes that are left for the reader to decide which actually fitted well for this book.
Lots of emotion from the characters and how far a person is pushed.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

The Prank

This is a great read.

Really enjoyable and unputdownable thriller...that towards the end I could just not stop reading.

This does cover alot of difficult topics including suicide and depression and responsibility. They were handled very well and in a very nuanced and sensitive manner. It definitely gave alot of opportunity for discussion and thought about these matters and the effects those left behind deal with.

Elinor was a very interesting character...she wasn't always particularly likeable ..but she was very sympathetic and you felt for her even when you didn't agree with her. She was a very well drawn and multi layered character and I very much enjoyed that.
As we see everything through her eyes...it is important that we connect with her and I definitely think I did and that made the whole story so much more enjoyable.

I strongly disliked how just anyone and everyone was collateral damage to Elinor and felt for the people's who lives she had destroyed ..even if she felt guilty she still helped towards it and that definitely gave the reader alot to think about with regards to revenge and how far is too far. Also...was she any better than those she had hated?

The only criticism I have is that for the first few chapters I thought the book had been translated from a different language as the sentences and conversations did not flow properly. Namely all the scenes at the restaurant....I genuinely thought this was a book originally written in a different language and then when I realised where it was set...I was confused. Then it seemed to settle and everything became much more natural and flowed better.

Cannot say too much more because there are lots of twists and turns that are very enjoyable to follow.

Would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book, couldnt put it down, gripped from the beginning to end, would love to read more from this author

This is absolutely the type of book that I’d pick up and buy and it didn’t disappoint! It had me hooked from the start and I was intrigued to see how Eleanor’s story would pan out.

There were some great twists and L.V’s storytelling provides all the ingredients for a unputdownable mystery.

This is the kind of book you’d drop everything for. It’s pacy, thrilling and everything is nicely wrapped up at the end. A sensational debut and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book and did not finish it. Other readers may enjoy this more.

Nope nope nope really didn't enjoy this book felt like I forced myself to read it didn't understand majority of it found it boring not very exciting and the end was worse! I thought I'd keep reading as it may have a good ending. Definitely not for me!

“The Prank” is a cracking debut that is built on an unique and thrilling premise. This is a revenge thriller with a difference. Matthews has created an intricately woven plot that blends taut drama, tense emotion and a striking picture of grief and loss. This novel works perfectly on many levels. I was immediately drawn to the action and suspense surrounding Eleanor’s plans for seeking revenge. There are plenty of moments where the tension balances on a knife edge - will she be discovered, will she reveal herself too early, will she falter? - and this propelled me through the narrative and kept me turning the pages.

However, what I found most engaging about the plot was the unfolding of the impact Eleanor’s plans have on her. She sets out to seek revenge as a cathartic exercise, but the whole process throws a slew of emotions at her and it ultimately becomes an exercise in which her entire life can be analysed. This novel is Eleanor’s journey and it’s a fascinating glimpse at how life carries on after tragedy and what you make of it. The revenge may seem like the answer for Eleanor to move on, but as she progresses her plan it is the cacophony of other new experiences she is exposed to that hint at her ability to step back into life. She is a complex character and Matthews brings her vividly to life, so that she is a brilliant blend of likeable vulnerability and frustrating reclusion.

As well as this fascinating character exploration, “The Prank” is just a first class thriller too! Matthews layers tension seamlessly, building to an exhilarating crescendo of a finale. The novel is excellently paced, taking time to build the characters and scenario to garner investment from the reader. There are plenty of twists and I was kept guessing at how any or what kind of revenge would be enacted. The final revelations floored me and I didn’t see the big one coming! This helped me find “The Prank” a thoroughly enjoyable read that I’d highly recommend.

This was a 3.5 star

I enjoyed the book. I didn’t love it

I like the writing style

It was far-fetched to say the least. An easy, pleasant read.

I particularly liked the ending

Also reviewed on Amazon (4⭐️)

In the sixteenth century the word prank referred to a ‘wicked deed’, though its modern definition is much lighter: a practical joke or an act of mischief.

I started this earlier this evening & have just finished, I couldn't put it down it was soooo good! This was fantastic for a debut novel & I'm so glad I've had the chance to read it before release. A fast paced, edge of your seat thriller filled with clever plot twists, cliffhangers, suspense & tension.

What would you do if you believed a TV show was the reason your father ended his life?

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

The Prank by L.V. Matthews is an exhilarating, highly entertaining, fast-paced and addictive read. Based on the concept of a well-known and much-loved TV show which focuses on pranking the public, the pages themselves are positively dripping with menace, nastiness, and revenge, and I could not get enough. It’s a tale of karma and seeking justice, of righting wrongs, and ensuring people pay for their mistakes, especially when said mistakes can end up with the most heart-breaking consequences. From first page to last, I felt involved in the circumstances that fall upon El, and I was wrapped up entirely in the world of ‘Pranksters’ and everything it entailed.

‘But how far do we go in upsetting one person so that another is entertained? And who decides what is fair when it comes to comedy?’

The Prank by L.V. Mattews
In The Prank by L.V. Matthews, readers meet Eleanor. Orphaned at a young age, and plagued by her father’s suicide, it’s no secret that El has demons to fight. The only two people El can share her memories with are her younger sister Issy, and her Uncle Charlie. One evening in the busy and prestigious restaurant where El works, the arrival of one man is enough to put El on edge. She recognises his name from somewhere, she just can’t put her finger on where. It isn’t long before Eleanor digs a little deeper and realises where she knows this man from, with his powerful presence and dominating nature. The realisation of this man’s identity is what truly sets this novel in motion, and from this moment on, we’re in for one hell of a thrill ride.

L.V. Matthews writes an assured, confident and riveting novel in The Prank. It’s exciting, it’s bursting at the seams with secrets and revelations and it’s tantalisingly tense, too. I found El’s revenge mission was my main pull throughout the book, but there were so many other things that kept me on my feet. I loved seeing Eleanor interact with her friends and family throughout the progression of the novel, because these interactions revealed tiny, interesting parts of El’s past that had my mind whirring and forever wanting to know more. My eagerness to delve deeper into Eleanor’s history seemed to grow more intense with every chapter. It seemed there was an infinite amount to discover about this woman and I loved putting the pieces together as the chapters went by. I feel that Matthews got the characterisation in The Prank spot on, and Eleanor absolutely came to life on the page and her personality shone, as did many of the other characters’ too.

Another aspect of this novel that I thoroughly enjoyed was the overall menacing, rather playful tone to it. Although circumstances do seem to get darker as the novel moves forward, there was always this sense of mischievousness to it that I couldn’t get enough of. It made me feel that anything was possible for Eleanor in terms of acting out her revenge, and I loved just how many options she had. As El went further with her games, I couldn’t help but to wonder just how far she would go. The steps that she takes, with the help of a unknown man who she befriends on the web, seemed to get more dangerous every time, and it only heightened my excitement. I was always waiting with baited breath to see where the author would lead me next.

The character of Jim Lavente was done exceptionally well, and I really can’t compliment the author enough for writing such a powerful presence for this character. Right the very moment he first makes his presence known and El becomes aware of him, Jim Lavente is a force to be reckoned with, and coming up as El’s enemy, it was gripping to see these two come head to head. He was written so perfectly, it was hard not to feel a little fearful of Jim myself, and I couldn’t help but to silently congratulate Eleanor on her courage, because I for one would not be able to play games with Jim Valente, as El did. But it seems that Jim is just as keen on playing games as Eleanor, and of course, this only makes things all the more precarious.

The Prank by L.V. Matthews was a thrilling, perilous and addictive read. I couldn’t get enough of the cat-and-mouse game enacted by Eleanor and Jim, the ticking time-bomb of when El’s time would be up, and I found myself frustrated each time real life meant that I had to put down my Kindle and stop reading for a little while. I felt so emotionally invested in El’s quest, and felt as though my own satisfaction depended on it’s completion. L.V. Matthews ensures that her readers remain hooked from the very first page, and remain so right the way through to the final page. A novel full of tricksters and clowns, forever asking the question, ‘who can you really trust?’ I loved it, and I hope to read more from L.V. Matthews in the near future.

How far would you go to seek revenge? El blames a tv show for her father's suicide. After a chance encounter with a man linked to the show, she seizes upon the opportunity to uncover the truth and gain revenge. But as she finds out more, the desire for revenge becomes an obsession, affecting all those around her.

This is a revenge novel with a twist - an interesting reflection on how reality tv and the quest for ever more shocking entertainment, even at people's expense, can have unexpected consequences. Matthews has written the perfect, fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns - it kept me guessing right till the end and in El she created an excellent main character. It is an impressive debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it, struggling to put it down as I was desperate to find out what happened next.

The death of her funny, kind-hearted father leaves El, a young woman living in London, stuck in life. She feels no joy, aside from visits to her younger sister and uncle Charlie, she can’t leave her job, and she has very little real friends. That all changes one night when she hears the name Jim Valente. This leads El down a dark path, to change her future, and avenge her past. A stunning, fresh, and fast paced thriller, The Prank is a fantastic debut by L V Matthews, which should be on everyone’s to read list this year.

I loved this book so much. I was hooked immediately from the opening chapter, and was engrossed in the novel, finishing it a day later. I’ve found a new love for thrillers this year, after casually dipping my toes in with a James Patterson book at the end of last year. I feel like Matthews took the best of Patterson’s writing style; short, snappy chapters, ending on mini-cliffhangers, and made it better, by giving the story a heart and soul that many male authors in the genre struggle to do. My heart ached for El throughout the story, but I enjoyed seeing her persevere and get better. I enjoyed the non-traditional ending of feeling as though the story wasn’t yet complete, but rather, the characters were about to begin a life beyond what they had experienced. I think L V Matthews has a wonderful talent for writing and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next. I have already recommended the book to my thriller-loving book club friends and I’m more than happy to read it again for the purposes of that discussion!