The subject matter of this one hooked me from the very start. Sebastian Trapp, famous mystery novelist, invites Nicky Hunter to his mansion to live for three months and write about his life, one that has fascinated many. Twenty years ago, his first wife and teenage son disappeared on New Year's Eve and the case was never solved. They remain missing. Some speculated it was Sebastian's doing and Nicky is intent on discovering the truth.

While I'll admit this one was a slower burn to begin with, it was definitely a case of the right book at the right time. I enjoyed the way the author unfolded the various threads of the novel, the literary references and the writing was just brilliant with some very clever twists. I’m so thankful I was able to read this one early. 4.5*

Thanks so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Harper Fiction for this gifted review copy.

Rounding up to three 🌟

I struggled to get into this one.
Put it down so many times.
Yet always came back, so I could find out what happened to Cole and his mother.
Got to say, I half guessed, so didn't even have the surprise reveal.
I felt it went on too long, and at times I was confused who was narrating.
Just didn't really grab me unfortunately.

I was really intrigued by this one because of the plot. Woman in the Window was decent for me, so I figured this one will at least be similar. Instead, I found myself very confused throughout most of the book. The change of narrators didn't work for me here because sometimes, I truly did not know whose POV I was in and had to flip back and forth (which took me out of it). Additionally, it was too long. Mysteries/thrillers that are too long just take away from that suspense I crave. This one had promise but it did not deliver for me.

End of Story
A.J. Finn

“If you introduce a gun in Act One, you have to fire it by the finale.”

I will give credit that I didn’t pick the twist. It was a blind oversight, so that definitely adds value. And as the reveal was unfolding the next answer is delivered and I also didn’t expect it. So the ending picked up, however the overall pace of this book to me was too slow. Not enough happened to propel the pace. It was a verbal cat and mouse chase that confused and baffled at times. I was waiting impatiently for paper butterflies.

“This is a story without heroes. Perhaps without villains, as well.” His teeth glint when he bares them. “A story where identities are slippery.” His tie drips scarlet from his neck, as though his throat were slit, and pools on the table. “Where the mystery and the violence are mostly within you, and where the clues almost ineluctably lead you someplace you don’t want to go.” Glitter in his eyes like knife points. Then he smiles gently. “We’re all in that story. Life is a thriller. The ending is fatal and the conclusion is final.”

I also had high expectations as I loved The Woman in the Window, so that’s on me, possibly I expected too much but this isn’t a book to rave and recommend although I’m glad I read it.

“Just a feeling. But watch your step in that house,” he tells her speaking low. “Too many rooms, too many stairs. B.B says it was the kind of place where at any moment someone very dangerous could be standing right behind you.”

Was this book clever, sure! The characters, especially Sebastian Trapp is magnetic, mysterious, highly intelligent and wholly eccentric. He is undoubtedly the star and without his wit the dialogue and overall storyline would be very dull.

“Conversations are always dangerous if you have something to hide.”

There’s almost an undercurrent of upset to the narrative. There’s moments where you learn something crucial but it’s easy to sweep it under the rug with the general off kilter and erratic behaviour.

“As Simon St. John tells us, the past is a poison. Tolerable only in trace amounts.”

When famous author Sebastian Trapp sends a chilling invitation to his long time correspondent Nicky Hunter, stating “i’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.” Nicky begins to unravel Trapp’s life story, that has been shouldered in mystery, after his wife and son disappeared over twenty years ago. When a body surfaces in the family’s garden, they all realise the past isn’t buried - it’s waiting.

“Motive is where the mystery lies.”

Well written with many twists and turns. This book was easy to follow and kept my attention throughout.

Unfortunately, this book was a DNF for me. It is a shame because I read a previous book by this author, and it was good. This one was difficult to follow, it lacked flow, and I couldn't tell which character was talking.

Renowned, terminally ill author, Sebastian Trapp, famed for his Simon St. John detective series, invites writer Nicky Hunter, who just happens to be his pen pal, to document his life story. Eager to work with her literary idol, Nicky moves into his eerie San Francisco mansion - but why has he chosen her, specifically, and why not a member of his family?

The place is straight out of a noir dream, complete with a koi pond, creaky hallways, and a family bursting with secrets: his icy second wife Diana, his fiercely loyal daughter Madeleine, and his wayward nephew Freddy. Oh, and the unresolved disappearance of Trapp’s first wife Hope and son Cole twenty years ago hangs over everything like a storm cloud - has Nicky stepped straight into an unsolved crime scene?

The finale is a whirlwind of revelations, pulling together the slow burn into a truly satisfying conclusion. If you love mysteries with layered characters, smart dialogue, and a house full of secrets, End of Story delivers in spades.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Found this difficult to follow at the beginning and not over keen on the writing style,I enjoyed TWITW so thought would this too,wa a dnf for me

I loved the woman in the window previously so I was excited to read this, I have to agree with other reviews though about the formatting making it a difficult read. Also the book was too slow in the middle so I lost interest a little and had to push through.

I loved this book, I also. Listened to the audio but I found reading it I was more infested and felt a stronger bond to the characters. The theme as such i thought was very different and i love the twists.

this was such a slow slow slow burn. The writing was good, the characters were all great and the twist was good. I wasn't able to figure it out. i just wish it had a faster pace.

Really enjoyed this. An engaging mystery full of suspicious characters and twists and turns. Kept me guessing to the end highly recommended

I’m in two minds about this book.
On the one hand, it was certainly very readable and the mystery is solved in the end with no unanswered questions left hanging.
On the other, it definitely feels as though there is too much book for the actual story within, and whilst I enjoyed the characters they did all feel a bit flat and two dimensional. I’d half guessed at the main reveal, though that doesn’t necessarily make it a poor narrative.
One of the reveals, whilst it does fit with the story, came off like a shock twist used purely for that shock value.
Overall the book does what it needs to do - solves the mystery - but there’s so much filler and atmospheric gothic description used, that half the time I almost forgot there was a mystery to be solved. Clues and points that drive the plot on felt few and far between - compare to a (much shorter) Christie mystery, and the pace feels off for the genre.

What was that ending? Definitely didn't expect that! This was my first thriller after almost 9 months of reading fantasy and as much as I wanted to read something different, this didn't satisfy my hunger for mystery as I thought it would.

The plot had an unexpected twist but I thought it to be a bit extreme, in my humble opinion. Also too slow to pick up pace that was extremely frustrating.

Sebastian Trapp, an author famous for his mysteries, invites Nicky Hunter, his long-time correspondent to write his life story as he is nearing the end of his days. His own life has been surrounded by mystery as his wife and son disappeared many years ago and Nicky is keen to get to the bottom of it. Before long, a body is discovered and everything starts to unfold.

This book was well written and I enjoyed the fact that it was a story about a mystery author and solving his own life's mysteries. The setting was good, in his grand house, and I felt as though I could really picture the attic room and the library.

It took a little while to get into this book, whilst the characters were introduced and the scene was set, but once it was off I really loved it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This one was a bit of a hard and very slow read but I’m glad I persevered with it- the ending was a bit of a surprise and I wasn’t expecting how it would end. I struggled to connect or like the any of the characters and found some parts very confusing.

End Of Story was a book I thought I’d like as I’d loved “The Woman In The Window” but unfortunately this is nothing like the previous book by this author.
The book has two central characters, the writer Nicky Hunter being invited to write the life story of Sebastian Trapp who is a mystery writer and is very reclusive. Mystery surrounds Sebastian as his first wife and son disappeared and Nicky is hoping that he is going to reveal what happened to them and is he responsible?
The book didn’t flow for me, I was confused by which character I was reading about at several times throughout the book. The characters weren’t strong or likeable to me. The start was exceptionally slow going and I found there were parts further in the book that just didn’t go anywhere. It’s a shame really as I do usually like a mystery book read and the ending had some proper twists but it was all too late as I’d took that long to get to that point.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK HarperFiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Disappointingly I found this a confusing read. I was never too sure what character I was following at a specific time and it came across as a jumbled mass of thoughts at times. This was a shame as there is a mystery at the heart of this book and it could have been great but the delivery was lacking. I did not particularly care about the characters either. I did not find them likeable and they were just people I was reading about.
Towards the end of the book there are some shocking twists that really turn the book on its head but for me, it was too little too late to save the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

My thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for a copy of “End Of Story” for an honest review.

I loved “ The Woman In The Window” so I was really excited to get a copy of A J Finn’s new book to read.
Sadly , despite several attempts, I couldn’t finish this book..I disliked the way it was written, and I found myself skimming through it.
I don’t like to give up on a book but sadly this one just wasn’t for me.

Although I’’ve enjoyed this author’s other book, The Woman in the Window, I really couldn’t get into this one. Mainly due to my high expectations from this genre. It’s very slow and didn’t manage to keep my interest.