Richard Boyle is a high school teacher. He is dedicated to his job & the pupils her teacher. He's an all round good guy. When an ex student comes into the school with a rucksack & clutching something in his hand. The school immediately goes into lockdown mode. Richard, instead of staying in his classroom goes to try & talk the boy down. He persuades him to leave the building but on the way out the boy trips & the bomb goes off. Richard is not badly hurt physically, mentally he will carry the scars. Richard may be the hero of the hour but when the events are shown on TV someone's memories of abuse are rekindled & see a way of making money.

Poor Richard- no good deed goes unpunished! He finds himself in the midst of a horror show. He is being blackmailed, he is innocent but will anyone believe him? A lot of the time I wanted to shake some sense into him. He has a cop (& a very good one!) for a sister in law- does he ask for help? No he has to battle on alone! There were lots of twists & surprises in this book that stretched believability somewhat but overall it was a good read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Teacher Richard Boyle is hailed a hero when he saves his students from a terror attack. But this is only the start of his problems. A truly gripping and expertly crafted thriller.

Thank-you NetGalley for the ARC of I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay in return for my honest review.
This is an absolutely brilliantly written book, once I started i couldn’t put it down, it had me hooked from the beginning till the end.
This is defiantly one of my favourite books by Linwood Barclay so far.

This had me hooked from the first page. It was chilling at times but nail bitingly brilliant. I read this very quickly as I couldn't put it down. I love Linwood's books so this was no hardship. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I Will Ruin You grabs the reader in from the opening chapters in which Richard Boyle, a high school teacher, manages to prevent a former pupil, Mark LeDrew, from blowing up the school (although, unfortunately, not himself).

The ensuing media attention kicks off a chain of events as Richard finds himself accused of a crime and blackmailed as a result. Instead of confiding in his wife or in his sister-in-law, who is a bad-ass police officer, he attempts to deal with the problem himself.

An action-packed book with plenty of twists. For me, it required considerable suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader as it got rather far-fetched. It’s not the first time, in my opinion, that Linwood Barclay has created a main male character who acts rather stupidly and makes some very questionable choices. That said, this a definite page-turner, and the premise and opening chapters are fantastic.

After high school English teacher Richard Boyle heroically prevents a former student, Mark LeDrew, from carrying out a bomb threat at his school, he is celebrated as a hero. However, this act of bravery draws the attention of another former student, Billy Finster. Billy, a baggage handler with a murky past, threatens to expose damaging allegations against Richard unless he is paid for his silence.

As Richard grapples with the threat of Billy’s blackmail, he is forced to confront the possibility that Billy’s accusations—and those voiced by Mark—might hold some truth. Compounding his troubles are jealous colleagues, a lawsuit, protests from parents over controversial classroom discussions, and the psychological toll of the near-disaster, all while he struggles to keep these secrets from his wife.

Adding to the complexity, Richard’s sister-in-law, a law enforcement officer, is investigating Billy’s criminal connections. As the story unfolds, Richard must navigate these multifaceted challenges—balancing his safety and the well-being of his family, while seeking to uncover the truth behind Billy’s claims.

3.5/5.

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Linwood Barclay is one of my go to authors and I’ve read almost all his books. He’s a safe bet for a gripping story.

The opening to this story is tense and has me hooked. Richard, a high school teacher, intercepts a would be suicide bomber intent on blowing up the school. He’s hailed a hero, until he bumps into a former student who accuses him of abuse and blackmails him.
Parallel to this, Richard’s sister in law is a police officer investigating Fentanyl deaths in the area.
The two storylines eventually connect.

Unfortunately for me this wasn’t one of the author’s best. I felt like the story felt disjointed and disconnected and lacked the usual pull which keeps you reading and turning the pages.

There are quite a lot of characters and it took me a while to remember who was who and how they were connected. I didn’t warm to any of the characters really and they all seemed a bit flat and two dimensional. Richard was such an idiot and made so many poor choices time and time again, he was very frustrating.

The story does pick up again around the last 1/3 or so but overall I was a bit disappointed with this one as I had expected to be totally engrossed and have the book finished within a couple of days.

Despite this, I’m not put off the author and look forward to his next book.

I can always rely on Barclay’s work to be a good, solid thriller. Twisty, fast paced + full of suspense, this was jam packed with so many secrets and lies we have no idea who to trust and plenty of twists + turns.

Packing a punch from the very first action-filled paragraph, the tension never really lets up, making for an unpredictable + entertaining read. From school attacks to drug deals to domestic drama, I really enjoyed the multiple storylines + trying to work out how they linked together.

George Newburn + Johnathan McClain narrated the story brilliantly and really bought the characters to life. Our main character Richard was a compelling lead and the two “bad guys” gave me real vibes of Hazel & Cha Cha from the first season of Umbrella Academy 🥲

This was a compelling + entertaining audio read that I’d recommend! I do think I read my favourite of Barclay’s first (ELEVATOR PITCH) so I feel like I’m always comparing his later books to this.. definitely read EP if you haven’t already!

Another absolutely riveting read by Linwood Barclay. I haven’t yet read one of his books that have let me down. The plot and story always remain fast paced with so much going on and this one didn’t disappoint. Richard is a teacher, his wife is a headmistress. But when Richard goes to work one day he has no idea how his life is about to be altered. He is in the middle of an English class when he spots someone suspicious out of the classroom window, within seconds he is shouting Lockdown to his class and every class as he heads towards the main entrance, where he tries to cut of the person he has seen, but he is just a few seconds late and the male is already in the building. The only thing Richard can try and do is talk the person down. He knows who he is, an ex pupil, but why is he doing what he is doing? As Richard speaks he manages to convince the person to return to the car park and wait for help, but as he goes to leave the male trips on his shoelace and no more talking will bring him back. But Richard has managed to save the whole school.

But this is just the beginning for Richard, as he gets celebrity status, someone approaches him and accuses him of things he has never done, but if word is spread with accusations he knows some will believe. Now he is being blackmailed. So things go from bad to worse as Richard tries desperately to deal with everything himself. The pace is fast, there are a lot of twists in this read like riding a rollercoaster, right up until the end of the book.

A superb read with twists, turns, drugs, murder, car chases. Thank you to #Netgalley and #HQ for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fast paced? Yes
Entertaining? Yes
A page turner? Yes

I LOVE the title, I loved the literally explosive opening chapter.

BUT I found the characters annoying (particularly Richard!), down right silly in places & overall I wish it had been better!

Especially because Barclay is one of my faves, he is usually a sure fire winner for me.

Would I recommend it? Not this time!

My favourite from his back catalogue...
No Time for Goodbye, A Tap on the Window and Elevator Pitch.

This is a well written, tense, page turner about a teacher who saves the day at his school, only to end up in a blackmail situation.

There are various unsavoury characters and the storyline involves abuse, murder and drugs, it’s fast paced and I pretty much read it in one sitting. It’s got humour as well as pathos and a twist that, although I saw it coming, was still a neat conclusion.

It’s obvious from the way it’s written that the author has a high regard for the teaching profession and it highlights well the risks they take in addition to the hugely important role they play in the lives of students, positively or otherwise.

Overall I found it an immensely enjoyable read and I’m grateful to NetGalley and HQ publishing for the opportunity to preview.

As a former teacher, the premise of this book definitely sent shivers down my spine. A vulnerable ex-student makes the decision to blow up his old school to get rid of his bad past experiences. It is a scenario I have thought about, several times, but the positive is that there have been practically none in England. In the United States, where this story is set, there is a practised protocol for such events. Scary stuff.

The book opens well. An English teacher is in full flow with his lesson (studying The Road by Cormac McCarthy) with one eye on the strange young man passing through the school grounds. When he realises what is happening, the practice is turned into protective action. This is interesting to see how things are done in the USA. The teacher stops the attacker from killing many people and is deemed a hero.

However, the consequences are far reaching and the event triggers a host of other incidents. Everything happens quickly but doesn't appear rushed at all. The chapters are short and tense and really have that 'thriller' aspect running through them. With all of these complex layers of plot it may be easy to let a little fact escape - but I assure you it will be relevant.

The characters are realistic and respond in a way that is relatable. Hard decisions are made without the familiar overzealous attitudes often seen in thrillers such as this. There is panic and wobbly moments. The only parts I am not keen on are car chase and gun scenes, but I have to remind myself that this is set in America and things are a little different, like when someone takes a 'couple of shots' he means he is taking photographs.

A clever, taut and well constructed story as well as being a very human one. Recommended.

Richard Boyle is teaching his English class when he sees an ex student approaching the school with what appears to be an explosive device strapped to him. Richard immediately goes to confront the man instructing his class to lock the door and phone 911. After persuading the would be suicide bomber to go back outside Richard is pleased to have averted disaster but unfortunately this heroic act sets up a chain of events which will impact his life and also those of his wife and daughter. As with all Linwood Barclay's books, this is a fast paced book with many twists and turns and an ending I wasn't expecting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity of reading this book.

Yet another Linwood Barclay that had me hooked and completely delighted from the start. His original plots with the unexpected twists and turns make for a thouroughly good read.

Another brilliant story by Linwood Barclay. This is a dark premise for a story, a high school shooter, but it is an amazing, complex and complicated story of revenge. Highly recommended xx

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay is a thrilling contemporary suspense that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep!
The past has a way of catching up with us. Hidden secrets sooner or later rise to the surface. Consequences need to be faced.
Within the book there are heroes and villains. They look alike on the surface but underneath they are very different.
Greed and lust for money always corrupts. We witness the fallout when the local drug lords are crossed.
A dark secret must be protected at all costs. Whatever it takes, the truth must stay buried.
We see a kind hearted, brave character whose actions, through no fault of his own, mean his life is heading for a fall. The actions should have been applauded, and not hounded.
Family first. In order to protect a loved one, a copper’s hat is removed, and then later replaced.
All the characters were well drawn and believable. The lead character elicited sympathy from me. The villains were menacing and to be feared.
Linwood Barclay has planned and well executed a gripping plotline. I clung on for dear life as I followed the action.
The jaw-dropping finale was superb.
I will Ruin You is a very fine suspense novel indeed.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

What a brilliant book keeps you reading all the way through a real thriller. I certainly wouldn’t like to be in Richard’s shoes after a pupil comes into his school with a bomb attached to him aiming to blow up the school , or should I say certain teachers who he didn’t like, Richard’s life turns upside down with so many things happening to him there are so many red herrings it makes you dizzy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of such a brilliant book

Linwood Barclay is one of my go to authors if I am in a reading slump and need a book I know I will not be be able to put down. I Will Ruin You fits the bill and did not disappoint. It is a fast-paced page turner with a lot going on and some great characters.
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is the absolute definition of a page turner, very quick pace to the story which involves in no particular order, a bomber, blackmail plot, drug smugglers and dealers, historic child abuse and murder (several of them). That the author managed to cram so much into one story without it being overcooked is testament to his literary skill.

You will not be wanting to put this book down until you have finished it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

I love a good Linwood Barclay book and this one didn’t disappoint.
Richard is a school teacher and saves the school and pupils from a former student wanting revenge by blowing up certain people in the school.
The problems for Richard and his family start here and continue to snowball throughout the story. You could argue some of them are Richard’s own doing thanks to trying to make them go away instead of dealing with them in the correct manner. As a result the problems just grow and grow.
This was another page turner from one of my favourite authors which unfortunately means the end comes too soon. Clever twist I didn’t see coming at the end.