THE BEST BOOK oh my god what a read! I could not put this book down, I was so absorbed as it was a real page-turner.

This book has bestseller written all over it. I had to remind myself to breathe as packed a punch and kept me breathless from beginning to end! I finished it within 24 hours the characters are so well described you actually feel as if they are real people.

The twists, turns were at full-throttle lightening speed it just kept going and going it never slowed down I absolutely loved it!

I loved this author's writing style and now it’s a painstaking wait for the next one! A massive 5 sparkling stars!

**Six Strikes** is a gripping thriller that pulled me in from the first chapter and never really let up. Antonia Grave keeps the tension high throughout, balancing sharp action with a lingering sense of unease that made me want to read “just one more page” over and over again.

I especially liked how grounded the main character felt. Their reactions, doubts, and stubborn determination gave the story real emotional weight, even when things got intense. The twists were clever without feeling forced, and the pacing stayed tight all the way through.

A few moments moved a bit quickly, but overall this was a fast, addictive read with atmosphere to spare. If you enjoy thrillers with grit, mystery, and a strong central voice, **Six Strikes** is absolutely worth picking up.


📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Antonia Grave and Avon Books UK📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

With her infamous reputation, long time prisoner Maddie Reid is feared by both her fellow inmates and the officers of HMP Bronzefield. When she is approached by an old acquaintance, her ‘guest’, to assist in writing a book about her past, Maddie agrees, though the information has to be given under her terms.

Told over several timelines starting in 1999, this story switches back and forth, between the actions of Maddie throughout her ordeals and the repercussions, to 2027 when her book writing interviews take place.

An enthralling read, captivating from the start, this book is a definite page turner. It is deep, dark and unsettling, with an ending that sits well.

An excellent debut that will surely be a bestseller.

4.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK.

Six Strikes by debut author Antonia Grave is published by Avon Books UK, Harper Collins UK.
The story spans decades starting in 1999 when Maddie is confronted with with an abusive relationship. Fast forward to 2007, she became kind of an advocat for women in hopeless relationships. Set in the north of UK, the story progresses nicely. A raw and gritty thriller, gripping and literally unputdownable,4,5 stars.

Absolutely brilliant book from Antonia Grave. Its so wonderfully written. I read it over one weekend as I really struggled to put it down! Highly recommended.

Six Strikes is a bold and unsettling thriller that asks what happens when trauma and vengeance collide. Maddie, scarred by years of abuse, takes justice into her own hands by targeting the men she calls “fleas”—predators who stalk women, abusive husbands who refuse to walk away, and those who thrive on fear. Her mission is brutal but rooted in a fierce desire to protect, and that complexity makes her story both chilling and deeply compelling.

The narrative unfolds with Maddie years later, in the stark confines of a prison interview room, recounting how she not only hunted down one of the UK’s most prolific killers—the Manchester Maniac—but also became a killer herself. This framing gives the novel a haunting resonance, blending confession with suspense, and forcing the reader to confront uncomfortable questions about justice, morality, and survival.

What makes Six Strikes stand out is its emotional depth. It’s not simply a tale of violence and pursuit, but a story about scars, resilience, and the blurred line between protector and predator. The atmosphere is tense and immersive, yet threaded with humanity, making Maddie a character who lingers long after the final page.

Perfect for fans of Alice Feeney, Helen Fields, and Jo Callaghan, Six Strikes is both chilling and thought-provoking—a thriller that burns with intensity and refuses to be forgotten.

With thanks to Antonia Grave, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Maddie is a survivor. She has suffered at the hands of abusive men, the types of men she calls 'fleas', and her plan is to remove those fleas from the world, before the Police catch up with her. She knows there is a serial killer in Manchester, and she is determined to rid this flea, seeing as the authorities have so far failed to catch him.

This was a dark story. I liked Maddie, and her actions are very thought provoking, whether you feel what she is doing is justified for the greater good, or she is just as bad as them. I found myself really rooting for her, and I hoped she got the life she had dreamed of. We read from two different timelines, back when she was in a women's refuge, and then from HMP Bronzefield where we read more about her own backstory. It got quite slow in places, but it was still quite a good and captivating read.

Review of ‘Six Strikes’ by Antonia Grace, due to be published on 12 March 2026 by Avon Books UK.

Told from the point of view of Maddie Reid, now an infamous serial killer, her backstory being a child abducted as a 10 year old, kept captive by her abuser, Ben Starr, for 12 years. 

We follow Maddie through two timelines - one in 2007 in Manchester, where together with investigative reporter Victoria Sloane they hunt for clues as to who the ‘Manchester Maniac’ is - the other during her incarceration at HMP Bronzefield in 2027.  We follow Maddie’s recall of the other abusers, or ‘fleas’ as she calls them, how she caught them and ended their lives.  

Undoubtedly, the horrors of her past and lost childhood shaped her future, Maddie sees only bad, and struggles to see any good.  Maybe her thoughts and actions are misguided, or maybe she is right - she is a hero who has saved countless other women from a fate similar to her own, or worse. 

The revelation of who her mystery prison visitor is left until near the end, with there being a few suspects for who it could be, with a cleverly written tiny little reference that is almost blink and you’d miss it to give a glimpse of their identity, earlier than the reveal itself.

A well written, well executed, dark and unsettling debut.  I found myself completely engrossed in Maddie’s story.  Words don’t do justice to just how good this novel is - it’s a highly recommend read.

Raw, dark and utterly gripping.

It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel, the writing is stellar and the way in which it unfolds unsettling and yet compulsive.

Told from two timelines, we are introduced to Maddie. Abused, broken, different, survivor, seeker of justice, serial killer. She is a multi faceted character with depth and paradox. The story raises the question about morality when seen from the perspective of someone who genuinely believes that they are doing something right having been a victim themselves.

I loved this book, from the moment I picked it up I knew I had a good read! This book reminds me a lot of Sweetpea by C J Skuse - just without the dark humour. It’s not gory and (luckily) it does not glorify or detail Maddies abuse. In stead it is artfully written so the reader is able to fully empathise with her without having to truly ‘understand’ what she lived through.

Definitely one to look out for in the book clubs next year. I think this’ll cause quite a stir.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I first heard about this book, I thought that the title sounded very intriguing and that’s what made it stand out for me. The story follows the female lead character Maddie, from her point of view, as we realise she is being held captive by a pedophile, then we quickly learn that Maddie kills men who abuse women, men she calls FLEAS … she is a serial killer !! After a difficult life, and having been abused herself, Maddie is on a mission to rid the world of abusive husbands, stalkers and one serial killer - the Manchester Maniac, in order to protect other women. According to her, in a world made for men, she has carved out a place for women to be safe. Years later while serving time in prison, an important visitor is going to write a book about Maddie, and her crimes. It’s time to tell all.

The book is quite a complex, layered story, which is dark and full of secrets and deception, and is in parts, a very disturbing read. I enjoyed the story line immensely, but I felt it was let down by a lot of rambling and repetition.

The implausibly gruesome plot is highly unlikely but fascinating and engaging and we get a gradual unraveling set of events, jumping between timelines to help us understand why Maddie acts as she does.
The story is not without subtle humour, and one of my favourite quotes by Maggie,
“I am the police, but far more effective- they should thank me” perfectly sums up her attitude.

For me, this was an exciting tale, that will certainly entertain anyone who is looking for a dark, menacing thriller. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books for the advanced copy.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel as it's woven so well with the the story ramping up the tension with every single page. Dark and unsettling I adored this psychological thriller and found it extremely hard to put it down.

I really look forward to seeing what comes next from this author.

4+
Abuse sufferer Maddie Reid hunts ‘fleas’, men who stalk and murder women and men who abuse women. She’s got pretty good at it and so far has evaded the law. Meanwhile, in Manchester, a serial killer known as The Maniac is stalking prey, making life dangerous for women and so Maddie cannot resist the ‘lure’ of the city. Can she find the killer when the police failed to do so? Inevitably, the law catches up with Maddie and twenty years later at HMP Bronzefield, Maddie is in an interview room. Will she tell all about her hunt for the Manchester Maniac and how she came to be apprehended?

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel so accomplished is the writing. This is a raw, shocking, dark and utterly gripping novel, a novel of retribution (justified? I’ll leave you to decide) and which makes very valid and thoughtful points about female safety along the way. it builds intensely and slowly but with excellent suspense and with some very good revelatory jolts along the way.

Will post to instagram etc near publication

What can I say about Maddie without giving too much away? She’s resilient, resourceful, a survivor, scarred, damaged and utterly unforgettable. As you read about her, her actions, maybe like me you’ll ask a multitude of questions about right and wrong and about justice.

Overall, this is an excellent psychological thriller with many twists and turns and which is hard to put down. I hope it’s the best seller as it deserves to be.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Avon Books for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

4 Stars from me

Despite knowing from the beginning that Maddie ends up being interviewed in jail, I read this hoping all the while that she would get away with her crimes 🤦‍♀️

Maddie Reid has had one hell of a childhood - now finding herself completely unaware of the every day things that most people take for granted. The book flits between her being out and tracking down 'fleas' to eradicate, and the interviews in prison with a visitor aiming to publish a book about her. I enjoyed both parts equally, and had my suspicious about who her mysterious prison visitor might be.

There are several characters with potential to be the Manchester Maniac, but can Maddie find out who he is before the police manage to track her down?

Great thriller, with a side order of retribution, what's not to like?

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and Avon Books UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved just everything about this book. It's weaves and weaves you think you know but you don't at all. Spectacular first book from this author

Thanks to the author the publisher and Netgalley a early release of this book.

Wow! It’s quite hard to believe this is a debut for Antonia Grave! This story was so well-crafted. I went back and forth thinking I had everything figured out one moment, only the next moment to find that I had been lead astray. Graves puts together the pieces of this puzzle slowly but surely with the moves of a veteran. If you enjoy thrillers with mystery, grit and a strong, intelligent FMC then this one is for you. Bravo Ms. Grave! I can’t wait to read your next novel. Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books UK for the chance to read this story. All opinions are my own and given freely.

Six Strikes is a shocking utterly gripping story. Told from the POV of Maddie Reed in two time lines 2007 and 2027.This thriller gripped me from the first chapter with plenty of twists and turns. This is a truly dark story ,I liked Maddie despite her actions. I really enjoyed this book it is one I won't forget .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel – the writing is engrossing, the story shocking and dark in places but always full of emotion. It is an excellent psychological thriller, featuring a deeply scarred main character who is a survivor turned vigilante – truly fascinating stuff. There are parts of the book that feel a little wordy and repetitive but all in all, this is a gripping and suspenseful read which I think will become very popular indeed.

A clever and compelling thriller about a vigilante serial killer , how she got there, and her imprisonment. It’s a fast read that is dark, disturbing, and compulsively readable. I am definitely looking forward to more from this author.