A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins #review

Book cover of A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

Title: A Slow Fire Burning
Author: Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Transworld

Synopsis:

‘What is wrong with you?’

Laura has spent most of her life being judged. She’s seen as hot-tempered, troubled, a loner. Some even call her dangerous.

Miriam knows that just because Laura is witnessed leaving the scene of a horrific murder with blood on her clothes, that doesn’t mean she’s a killer. Bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Carla is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew. She trusts no one: good people are capable of terrible deeds. But how far will she go to find peace?

Innocent or guilty, everyone is damaged. Some are damaged enough to kill.

Look what you started.

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My review:

A Slow Fire Burning is not a fast-paced, action-packed rollercoaster of a book – rather it’s much like its title: a slow burner, but one which completely drew me in with excellent writing and captivating characters.

The story follows various characters linked to a man found dead on a canal boat one morning. Each person has their own secrets and history which make them of interest to the police, and as we jump back and forwards in time we slowly start to unravel more about them all. Very few of them are likeable characters but they’re all really intriguing, and to me they felt realistic and convincing – like people you might run into in the street or you might have in your life (for better or worse!).

The plot grabs you and does a great job of building the tension. Paula Hawkins brilliant writing kept me completely absorbed throughout – it’s one of those novels where not even one word feels wasted. There’s a book within a book too which is a really interesting aspect, though does mean you really need to pay attention!

I loved the twists. They were a surprise but felt believable which left me finishing the book with a real sense of satisfaction. Highly recommended if you are after a well-written, thoughtful mystery story.

My rating: 4.5/5


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