Linwood is back on form. I read this book in one sitting, despite it's length, it was that good.

I had fallen a little out of love with novels from this author after having read every single thing he wrote. But this novel is back where I first began with him, and a in style I love. He is able to take the extraordinary and weave it into everyday life and that's what I like. I cared about all the characters and was interested in all of them.

With references to COVID and the decline of retail this book is of the now. It also has a great storyline. So many different threads to it that kept my interest throughout. Questions were popping into my head and I kept them on the back burner as the characters began to ask those same questions too. Then began the twists.

Just who was this woman who had shown up? Was it the wife who disappeared 6 years ago?
I'll leave you to find out for yourself.

I have been a long time reader of Linwood Barclay novels but his books Elevator Pitch and A Noise Downstairs ( I haven't read Find You First as yet) felt to me a little rushed, and the story not up to his usual standard. However, I am pleased to say that this new one, Take Your Breath Away, is back up to his more usual standards, with characters coming through much more vividly and a plot that moved at a great pace.
I did predict who the main culprit was but not why, and that, as well as another main twist in the story, is the main plot and storyline to this new novel. A fast paced, well described story that had me racing through it to find out the conclusion.

Another fantastic thriller from this acclaimed author
I really enjoyed this classic Linwood Barclay mystery thriller with the different characters and storylines ,twisting and turning, its definitely a page turner.
I didn't realise how quickly I was reading the book and time did indeed fly
I would highly recommend this novel and if you have not read Linwood Barclay before you are really missing out

What if your wife went missing six years ago? What if the Police suspected the husband of foul play? What if a series of events unravels the mystery?....
A quick easy tale of love, relationships, jealousy and greed.
The characters were not deep enough to, however they were interesting enough to keep on reading.

This is a 3.5 star review from me. I am a fan of Linwood Barclay, but this is not one of his best.
The story of Andrew, his 6 years missing wife Brie, and his new partner Jayne was interesting, but the pacing fell away a few times, and the narrative became slow and plodding from time to time.
I found it unlikely, and therefore irritating, that Detective Marisa Hardy would still be pursuing Andrew 6 years on for the murder of his wife Brie, despite there being absolutely no evidence. Wasn’t there much crime happening in the town that would have kept her busy with other cases? That felt unrealistic to me, given how many current cases detectives are normally juggling.
Altogether an ok thriller/murder mystery, but it didn’t keep me gripped.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
What happened to Brie Mason? Did she disappear of her own accord? Detective Marisa Hardy is certain she has been murdered, she has a prime suspect, Brie’s husband, however she doesn’t have enough evidence to charge him. Some of Brie’s family also suspect her husband Andrew of being involved,
Six long years have gone past, Andrew has had to change his name, move away and slowly rebuild a life for himself, he has a new partner, Jayne, she knows he had been married but is unaware of the full story. His one friend and previous business partner has stood by him.
There has been a sighting of a woman who looks like Brie in their old neighbourhood, is it her? As Andrew tries to protect his new life, he finds himself once again on Detective Hardy’s radar. This is a rollercoaster thriller packed with suspense and tension and a huge unexpected twist
I am a fan of Linwood Barclay books, and highly recommend his new book.

This is a quick and enjoyable read and one that didn't disappoint.

Brie disappeared off the face of the earth 6 years ago and whilst the husband, Andy, was prime suspect, no evidence could be found against him. Now, a woman who appears to be Brie reappears and this sets off a chain reaction that has devastating results.

Written at a fast pace, with many twists and turns, this is a book with an intriguing plot that had me guessing most of the way through and although I did figure it out before the big reveal, it didn't spoil my enjoyment.

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

This was only my second of Linwood’s books and yet again he had me asking so many questions. Just like Find you first this was layered in secrets, that as a reader I wanted to know the answers to.

The author manages to take a thriller, add a little police procedural/detective edge to it and a crime that you’re not even sure is a crime with the possibility that the alleged victim has resurfaced six years later. Is it Brie? If it is where has she been and why did she vanish?

I am always at least one step behind and what I really love is you are never quite sure whodunnit, as more than one character is slightly dodgy to say the least. Could it be the tobacco smelling pest controller who is at odds with killing any living creature? Andrew’s business partner Greg who certainly had time to leave the fishing trip, Norman who was spotted outside in his car just before she disappeared or even Andrew himself? It is always left to right to the last minute to put you out of your misery.

Fast paced and thrill a minute can you solve the mystery of Brie’s disappearance before Andrew? The truth will Take your breath away!

Take your breath away by Linwood Barclay. A fast paced crime thriller, Andy Mason's wife Brie, went missing 6 years ago while he was on a fishing trip. No evidence, no body yet, plenty of speculation that, the husband did it. The FBI can’t prove anything so Andy changes his name moves out of town and restarts his life. Now living with Jayne he hears that Brie has been spotted at their old house. He has to find out whether its really her, and where has she been all this time.
Great characters throughout this novel, the FBI agent who wants to pin Andy down for the murder, is a classic hard working tyrant. Brie’s family who make up a lot of the cast, are all a bit suspect the sister who was very jealous of Brie led the campaign against Andy. Andy was a likable character, then the lies come out, leaving us thinking what he’s capable of.
The plot was great little twists everywhere, they are all lying about something but who is lying about killing Brie? I felt it all added up nicely to a great finale.
Overall a great crime thriller 5*.
Thanks the hq and netgalley for the ARC

I particularly love domestic thrillers..but they can’t be too scary, too violent or perverted….and I like them to be really clever…in fact I have a bit of a list of demands …and Take Your Breath Away ticked all those boxes!

Brie disappeared 6 years ago…her husband, Andrew was away with a friend …He has always been number one suspect, hounded by the police, and his sister-in-law who will not stop at anything to make sure he is put away…And then a woman looking exactly like Brie is seen in all the old spots…Is Brie really back? The story is mainly told from Andrew’s point of view but it does change around.

This could not move fast enough for me - I really had to know if Brie was back. And every time I thought I was inching closer to an answer the plot would swing to another narrative and I would be left hanging. I had absolutely no idea who was behind it all but I really wanted to find out. This is fast moving and compelling ..and you will constantly ask yourself, ‘did he do it?’ as you try and unpick Andrew’s narrative.

On the front cover there is a tribute from Stephen King calling Barclay a ‘suspense master’ - praise indeed. For me his talent lay in the way he managed to keep every option yawning wide open …as I read I would test out the sentences to see if they led me to a particular conclusion, was there anything in the gender, the language, the context etc etc which gave anything away…and there never ever was. So my tribute would be, ‘ ambiguity master’.

It you like a thriller that keeps you guessing, with a great cast of characters, a gorgeous mystery at the centre and twists that keep you twisting until the very last page then this one is for you. And oh my goodness there is one particular scene and your jaw will drop (if you know you know!)



With many thanks to HQstories and Linwood Barclay for a copy of this very enjoyable read!

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay is a 5 ⭐️ read.
Linwood Barclay has the amazing ability to build a story that you feel part of, the characters are always well thought out and the storyline that grips you from the first page until the last. I would highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

A good thriller from start to finish, which really has you guessing.

Lots of interesting characters but not too many to make things confusing.

A couple of nice little twists and shocks, the ideal little thriller, not too complicated – just right.

This does exactly what the title says. A page turner with twists and turns to keep you enthralled. Your world is split apart with the disappearance of your wife. 6 years later Just when you are building a new life she appears again or does she? The search is on for the truth

Another great read from this great author. Take Your Breath Away is a gripping thriller based on the sudden disappearance of Brie Mason., who after 6 years reappears. The plot creates numerous suspects and several possibilities of why and how in tyypical Barclay style .

Thanks to Netgalley for this copy in return for a review.

This is a great page turning thriller. A man has always been suspected of killing his wife but six years later she reappears. Is it really her?

There are some sophisticated twists and turns that you’re not expecting right up to the very end. The pace doesn’t slow and there’s enough going on to keep you hooked. Recommended for thriller fans.

I always know I’m in for a gripping ride with Linwood Barclay’s novels, and Take Your Breath Away is no exception!

Brie Mason disappeared 6 years ago whilst her husband Andrew was away on a fishing trip. Since then, Andrew has lived under suspicion by the police – because it’s always the husband, isn’t it? But now he’s moved on with his life, and met someone else.

Then one day, several sightings of someone who looks exactly like Brie, outside the house she used to live in with Andrew, throw Andrew’s life into disarray. Is Brie back after all this time – and if so, what on earth happened to her all those years ago?

The book jumps between multiple viewpoints which kept me guessing as to who I could really trust. Some parts of the novel are slower than others but I never felt bored – the pacing is spot on and the characters are entertaining to read about. I warmed to Andrew as the novel went on and felt his predicament when he thought Brie might have returned.

I really enjoyed Take Your Breath Away. It’s entertainment topped with a good dose of thriller fun.

Linwood Barclay is just pure genius at thrillers. How he weaves a complex plot with many characters and then everything ties together perfectly at the end always amazes me. Kept me guessing right up until the last couple of chapters, having suspected different outcomes and being incorrect!

Andrew's wife Brie goes missing while he is away on a fishing trip with his best friend. Most people, including the police, suspect that Andrew has got away with murder, even though he claims his innocence, but there is no proof and no body.

Six years later, a woman matching Brie's description is spotted at Andrew's old house and this leads to questions being asked. Was Andrew really innocent of the murder after all? Brie's sister had always suspected him and had made life very difficult for him. The detective on the original case is keen to finally get to the truth.

So many plot twists and a final shock makes this the typical Barclay thriller.

Many thanks to netgalley, the publishers and the author for an arc. Another 5 star thriller from one of my favourite authors.

Loved this from start to finish. One of my favourite authors is Harlan Coben and this had the same kind if tone in writing and prose - easy to read, fast-paced plot and some decent characters. Fans of Harlan Coben will lap this up.
6 years Brie has been missing, but is she actually dead? If she is dead, did her husband kill her like the cops suspect or if he didn't who did!? The questions keep coming!
The story keeps you guessing throughout with plenty of twists and sub-plots.
Highly recommended from me, I'll be heading to more of this author's work (as up to now someone I've somehow managed to not read one from him so far - not intentionally and in hindsight a big mistake!).

Many thanks for the ARC.

Andrew Mason has just started getting his life back in order six years after the disappearance of his wife Brie. She has never been found - alive or dead.
It was the worst period of his life, and the accusations have never left him. Did he kill his wife and if so where’s her body? Constantly badgered by the police Mason has changed his name and tried to move on.
Then one day he receives a bombshell. Someone thinks they’ve just seen Brie alive and well.
His life starts to unravel and he must find a way to seek out the truth whilst protecting the ones he loves. He starts searching for answers and hopes he can stay alive long enough to find out the truth and discover if his wife is really alive or has she been dead all along.
Linwood Barclay has done it again with this quite magnificent book.
A story that is so intense you just can’t put it down. It’s brilliantly written with a great cast of characters, with twists and turns throughout and the author’s brilliant talent to thrill. This book will take your breath away.

I absolutely loved this book , such a brilliant read. Could not leave it down. I have read all of Linwood Barclay’s books and each and every one is fantastic, such a brilliant author, I would really recommend all his books as books you can just not leave down, all filled with great characters and lots of twists and turns and shocks right to the end. This new book did definitely not disappoint, it is a must read.