My favourite Linwood Barclay book so far! This has absolutely everything anyone could want from a good mystery and keeps you guessing right up until the end.

The characters are well rounded and the story itself is brilliantly paced, realistic and intriguing; I enjoyed the fact that there are no 'good guys' and 'bad guys' and how authentic they all are - these people could be your friends and neighbours

Linwood Barclay has a unique way of crafting a storyline, with little twists at unexpected moments, changes of pace that don't make sense until he puts the pieces together later and you realise that a slow bit wasn't a slow bit, he was giving us a moment to notice. Not a word is wasted!

Solid 5 stars from me and I look forward to 2022 and reading it all over again!

Each of Linwood Barclay’s previous dozen or more thrillers has been a treat, so I eagerly got started on my ARC of Take your Breath Away. I was not disappointed: as he has done in previous thrillers, Barclay juggles several subplots here that are initially puzzling but eventually blend together to reveal what really happened to the female lead character at the heart of the novel: Brie Mason. This character disappeared six years ago, while her husband Andrew was on a fishing trip. Her presumed death caused Andrew to lose his livelihood, his home and his reputation as people could not stop talking about him. Andrew has finally recovered and found security once more with a new partner, Jayne, when sightings of his former wife Brie in different locations start to come in. Could Brie be alive after all? And what will Detective Marisa Hardy unearth when she investigates the case of Brie Mason for the second time in six years?
Although I found some of the dialogue and some of the events a little overstretched, perhaps even verging on unbelievable, I enjoyed the solid construction of this domestic thriller, and the dramatic insights it offers into contemporary US society. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this book review and to keep abreast of Linwood Barclay’s fiction production.

Linwood has done it again. A close study in human relationships with a huge dollop of 'who dunnit' running through. His characters are well defined and believable and the close family turns out to be not quite as close as we thought. Linwood keeps us guessing throughout, leading us down dead ends before the final reveal. I'd say this is a quieter book than his others but nonetheless still enjoyable.

This story was so easy to get into right from the start and it kept things interesting right up until the end. There was plenty of twists and turns which I like in a thriller. The characters were all easy to remember and the pace of the story was good. I would recommend this for any thriller fans out there. The writing was done well it was not over descriptive at any time or lacking in pace.
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I love Linwood Barclay books, he’s fantastic at unpredictable endings and you can’t beat a twist in the tale. This was a solid 4.5 out of 5.

Andrew’s wife has been missing for six years, he’s not been having an easy time of it and finally seems to be getting his life back on track then there is a set back to blow everything out of the water.

It’s difficult to say a lot about this book without giving any spoilers out but on the whole it is a really enjoyable and captivating read.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reading copy.

An interesting plot but not as fast paced as led to believe from previous reviews. For me personally a very long winded tale and I felt the twists and turns were too far fetched and spoilt my enjoyment of the book hence 2 stars rating. Felt disappointed..

He never disappoints I really enjoyed it it’s about Andrew Mason who went on a fishing holiday whilst he’s there his wife Brie goes missing and Andrew becomes the prime suspect then 6 years later she is seen or is it her.

Andrew has a new life now with Jayne so when Brie is seen it’s very concerning as to where has she been for 6 years the Detective who was investigating the case 6 years ago has to reinvestigate all the evidence which is very puzzling to say the least. Definitely recommend it keeps you on the edge of your seat a real page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

a great twist on the "always the husband" premise of a woman going missing without a trace for 6 years, only to seemingly re-appear.
I thought the character of Andy was excellent- his emotional turmoil in escaping his past, starting a new future and then being plunged right back into the horror of the initial investigation into the disappearance of his wife leaps off the page.
Great twist and turns!

Thoroughly enjoyable mystery ride with lots of twists and turns. I read this book at one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. It kept me guessing to the end as the characters unfolded and new plotlines appeared. The last twist was a satisfying ending to a brilliant read.

I loved this book! I’ve read a lot of Linwood Barclays books and enjoyed them and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. The twists and turns kept me gripped right until the end

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a free Advanced Review Copy of this book.

I haven't read this author before, but the book cover and description pulled me in, so I requested a copy.

[Disclaimer] First up, because the ARC is an uncorrected proof, it's impossible for me to know whether or not the many issues I found in this copy will be corrected by the time the book publishes, such as mixed up sentences, spelling errors, and--most importantly of all--the overwhelming amount of repetition. The number of times the author repeated whole sections of the story so far is mind numbing. Then we have each character's relationship followed by their name right up until the end of the book. When you only have one sibling, you don't need to be told "Your sister, Jayne". And there simply aren't that many characters, so it's way easy to keep track without this level of redundancy. Therefore, this review is based upon the assumption that this will all have been edited out and proof corrected by the time this book goes on sale.

My Review:

The book opens with the main character Andy and his wife, Brie. Andy goes away for a guy's weekend, and when they FaceTime each other, it's obvious the marriage has its issues. Then something happens to Brie. The next chapter opens six years later and brings us into the aftermath of Brie's disappearance. Quickly, the narrative moves into a scene where the missing wife is seen by an old neighbour, and this has knock-on effects galore.

I kept thinking I'd worked out whodunnit, but no, the author foiled me every time with some great twists to this plot. As mentioned in the above disclaimer, with the removal of repetition and back story sections, I would say the pacing is fast and the plot intriguing. The read will hold your attention and keep you guessing up until the penultimate moments. Sometimes, I failed to follow some of the reactions and actions of the characters, but on the whole, I connected with the characters, and the whole set-up felt believable and realistic. The ending was wrapped up nicely, and I could see why a certain character had set in motion the things he did. Take Your Breath Away gets 3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 for rating purposes.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

#TakeYourBreathAway #NetGalley
A good thriller.
Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most people assumed Andy had got away with murder, but the police couldn’t build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom – he drank too much, was abandoned by his friends, nearly lost his business, and became a pariah in the place he had once called home. Now, six years later, Andy has put his life back together. He’s sold the house he shared with Brie and moved away for a fresh start. When he hears his old house has been bulldozed and a new house built in its place, he’s not bothered. He’s settled with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good. But Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter. One day, a woman shows up at his old address, screaming, ‘Where’s my house? What’s happened to my house?' And then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman – who bears a striking resemblance to Brie – is gone. The police are notified and old questions – and dark suspicions – resurface. Could Brie really be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been?
I loved this author's all books and the writing style is awesome.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.

Andrew Mason's wife Brie disappeared while he was on a fishing trip for the weekend never to be seen again.
The police can't prove it was Andrew but mud sticks and most people think he has killed Brie.
He lost everything his home,his business and people who were meant to be friends.
Six years later his settled with his new partner Jayne and life is good.But when a woman who looks like Brie keeps turning up in different places what's going on?
If she's alive where's she been and what does if mean for Andrew's new life.
Linwood Barclay sure knows how to write a brilliant book,they just keep getting better and better,full of mystery and twists to keep me guessing to the end. Highly recommended
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC

This was an unusual and twisty thriller told from several points of view six years after Brie disappeared from her home and her husband Andrew was suspected of her murder by many despite Brie never being found. There were some interesting characters in this, very well formed as well as good dynamics between them. The reason Brie came back was inspired and the reason behind her disappearance was very unexpected. This moved at a really good pace and definitely kept you thinking, I had a few suspects in mind but was way off in the end! 9/10

I always enjoy this author's books and this was no exception. So many twists and cliffhangers. Is Brie really still alive? If so why suddenly reappear after six years? Impossible to give a detailed review without revealing spoilers, you really need to read it yourself. You won't be disappointed.

I really enjoyed Take Your Breath Away. The pacing is spot on, and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Andy Mason’s wife, who appears to have been spotted visiting their old address six years later, made for an intriguing read. Linwood Barclay has created a mystery that has many layers, that weave seamlessly together into an exciting plot.

The author is an expert in misdirecting the reader with well placed red herrings, and creating characters that place them firmly in the ‘under suspicion camp’. I love the way the author gets into the head of his characters. We learn about their flaws, their relationship with Brie, and their secrets that have long since been buried. At each twist and turn, the tension grows, which pushes the reader on to the shocking conclusion.

I admit I guessed part of the mystery pretty early on, but the ‘why’ remained an ongoing challenge for the amateur detective in me. On a couple of occasions, the plot takes a turn that will require the reader to stretch their imagination, but that is the beauty of fiction that something which seems outlandish becomes credible under the author’s pen. Take Your Breath Away is a thrilling story that holds the reader’s interest throughout, a real whodunnit, with twist and turns galore.

My review will be posted to gooreads, my Instagram and Amazon account.

Oh my god! Oh my God! Oh my God! This book is a race track of all the emotions. So many twists and turns it is a standout book which will leave you breathless and with a racing heart. I could not put it down and read it one sitting going deep into the early morning to finish it. Buy it, read it and buy one for your friends!

I'm a huge fan of Linwood Barcley and therefore was really looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed. Great plot and a fab cast of characters. Highly recommended.

Brie, who is a wife, daughter and sister, seems to have reappeared after going missing for six years. I found this an absolutely brilliant concept, which makes for a suspenseful mystery, one that is full of the emotion and heartache endured by the family she left behind.
This is an out of the ordinary situation which is engrossing and gripping because its all so plausible and there's no way of predicting whats going to happen next. We learn all of the family secrets and how they impact on each other. One not to be missed..

Where did Brie go? Why is she back after six years?
An absolutely belting read and just when I was loving it I turned a page and loved it a little bit more.
This is how you write a book!
Thank you Linwood & Net Galley for a preview of this book.
I only give deserving reviews and this one deserved it.