‘Had me hooked from the very first paragraph’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘I was totally gripped’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Completely riveted from the word go’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Lucy gets the same bus every day. Today, her journey home will change her life.Lucy can barely afford her weekly ticket for the grimy number 24, tries to avoid eye contact, and, if she’s really lucky, she gets a seat and reads a chapter of her book. But it’s a Friday – and the … and reads a chapter of her book. But it’s a Friday – and the bus is always crammed at the end of the week. She keeps her elbows close and clings to a pole at every juddering stop. All she wants to do is get home to her dog, Billy, the only comfort she has right now.
When she gets off, something feels different.
An envelope stuffed with thousands of pounds is in her bag.
Is it the answer to her prayers, or the beginning of a nightmare?
Because, in the end, everything has a price.
A compulsive read that will have you absolutely hooked and reading late into the night.
Read what everyone is saying about A Face in the Crowd:
‘I was totally gripped. It only took me a few hours to read this cover to cover and I barely put it down… I loved the writing style and will definitely read more by this author.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘A novel of spine-tingling suspense that had me hooked from the very first paragraph. A delicious sense of unease settles in early, and only gains momentum as the story progresses. Quite simply, a fabulous read… A brilliantly crafted novel that I could not put down, even for a second. I was completely riveted from the word go. Lucy is a fascinatingly drawn character, whose reliability as a narrator is suspect at best. I adored this read, and would not hesitate to recommended it most highly.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Kerry Wilkinson knows how to write! And craft a really good psychological thriller… There are a myriad of interesting characters along the way with plenty of red herrings. The end moves in like a runaway train and the twist is not what I was expecting.’ Goodreads Reviewer
’A fantastic thriller that I could not put down. A new favorite author to add to my list. Fabulous writing and characters.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘I was drawn in by the concept and the beginning really hooked me. Kerry Wilkinson definitely has an original voice and I can see why there has been a lot of talk about this book. I definitely needed to know how it all turned out!’ Ingrid Alexander Writes
‘It gripped me from the start and kept me turning the pages constantly. I liked Lucy’s character and really felt a connection to her and the people who lived around her, I think what was so emotive about this is the ‘everyday’ people who were central to the story. The people felt real…Really creepy and twisted, absolutely brilliant!’ Life Has a Funny Way
‘Great read. My first from this author but definitely not my last. Tons of suspense and twists and turns. Can’t wait for more.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘My first Kerry Wilkinson novel but absolutely not my last. From the offset you feel the tension build… Some great characters, an unusual plot and storyline and it’s many twists make this a very enjoyable and engrossing read.’ NetGalley Reviewer
‘I was totally gripped. It only took me a few hours to read this cover to cover and I barely put it down… I loved the writing style and will definitely read more by this author.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘I love Kerry’s books and the way he writes, this was a fast paced, gripping read with interesting characters which kept me on the edge of my seat. I can thoroughly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.’ NetGalley Reviewer
’An amazing thriller! Had a couple of red herrings that I tried to follow, plus a surprise ending. Highly recommended!’ Goodreads Reviewer
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I truly wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. It hooked me and I was interested but it had to too many holes to be plausible.
Lucy’s partner Ben dies in a train crash. After his death she discovers that he wasn’t the mogul he led her to believe and in fact had blown their savings and even taken out loans in her name. Five years later she is still repaying those loans, living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to get by when someone puts an envelope with cash into her purse on her morning commute. Soon after, she begins receiving ominous calls, fears she is being followed, hears strange music coming from the vacant apartment opposite hers and has no idea who she can trust.
There are a handful of interesting characters, some humorous observations and some fun red herrings but in the end none of them were enough to overcome an ending that just didn’t hold together well enough.
Also, who doesn’t check their bank statements? Like, ever? C’mon!
Thank you to Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
/ 5
A Face in the Crowd by Kerry Wilkinson was not at all what I was expecting, but I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised!
What it’s about: Lucy is barely scraping by until one Friday, on her usual bus, she gets off only to find an envelope stuffed with money in her bag. She has no idea where it came from, or why it’s in her bag, but she desperately needs it. She doesn’t use it right away, but after a while she feels like she doesn’t have a choice. Once she starts using the money though strange things start to happen, like hearing her favorite song played from the apartment across from her even though she’s never seen anyone there… She also starts getting the strange feeling she is being watched. So now the question is who gave her the money, and why?
A Face in the Crowd had so much going on that I was always very excited when I had a chance to read it. It was also a super-fast read and I was able to finish it in just under 4 hours and 20 minutes. I gradually felt worse and worse for Lucy, and this definitely isn’t one of those books where you are going to hate all of the characters.
There are a whole lot of secrets that slowly unravel as you read, and I think I gasped a little every time something else happened. Maybe I’m just being dramatic, but I really didn’t suspect any of the twists until they were revealed, and a couple of them were quite surprising. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen with Lucy and the money, and I would certainly say A Face in the Crowd is paced very well.
Final Thought: This book is such a solid book, and I am so glad I read it. I have never read anything by Wilkinson before, but I loved his writing style and his approach in this book. I can’t wait to read more by him, and definitely recommend checking out A Face in the Crowd if you like quick, compulsive mystery reads with a twisty ending.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
A Face in the Crowd by Kerry Wilkinson
Ben spoke of weddings and such the last time Lucy saw him as he was leaving for work. Five years later her life is MUCH different as she is living on a tight budget hoping to make ends meet. Sometimes she feeds her dog instead of herself but she is managing to scrape by as she works as a grocery checker and goes to school. She has some friends and does a bit of online dating but really…all she seems to do is put on foot ahead of the other to get from one day to the next…until…something big happens…and…she is faced with a dilemma. What should she do with that envelope of money that showed up unexpectedly…look for the person who lost it, spend it or do something else? Then…bizarre things begin to happen and she starts feeling things are perhaps not quite right. What is NOT right is a mystery…until it is not.
This was creepy and interesting and perhaps a bit unbelievable and yet…it did make me think and wonder…what if? If I had any quibble with the story it was that I felt Lucy was left hanging at the end and if given a choice might have liked another chapter or perhaps an epilogue that let me know what Lucy’s future holds in store for her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
I enjoyed this quick, easy, very suspenseful read! Lucy is struggling to make ends meet after boyfriend Ben tragically dies in a train crash after which she discovers he took out many loans in her name. Lucy lives in a cheap apartment building with an odd assortment of neighbors who add lots of character to the story. On her bus ride home one day, Lucy discovers someone has placed an envelope with a lot of money into her purse. From there, the book takes on many twist and turns culminating in a very surprising ending. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very good book in exchange for an honest review.
This book should come with a warning; that’s how addicting it is. Kerry Wilkinson has managed to create yet another rollercoaster thrill-ride for book lovers. In a genre that is so littered with template whodunits and melodramatic foreshadowing, Wilkinson has managed to set himself apart. This narrative is unique, brilliantly written, and fiendishly clever. It is absolutely engaging from the first page until the very last. Amazing. 5 Stars.
Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #AFaceInTheCrowd
Kerry Wilkinson knows how to write! And craft a really good psychological thriller.
Lucy loses her fiancé and her future when he dies in a horrific train crash. Her world is further rocked when she discovers all their money is gone and she is saddled with debt he took out in her name. She now lives in an efficiency apartment in a building with others who are living similarly. Then on a random Friday Lucy discovers someone has placed an envelope with a lot of cash into her handbag. What to do? There are a myriad of interesting characters along the way with plenty of red herrings. The end moves in like a runaway train and the twist is not what I was expecting.