Twenty-Seven Minutes
By: Ashley Tate
ISBN: 9781728278148
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: 01/30/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: TBR (ARC)
JAN 2024 MUST-READ BOOKS
"This story of a small town’s obsessive hold on a decade-old tragedy, as four people in its grip try to move on, is both poignant and pacy, an unforgettable portrait of grief and the darkest ties that bind. A must-read debut that marks Ashley Tate as a brilliant new voice in literary suspense.”
—Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
In this stunning and propulsive debut, a town grieves the loss of a young girl—but some fight to keep the truth about her death a secret. For fans of Jane Harper, Ashley Flowers, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.
The question
For the last ten years, the small, claustrophobic town of West Wilmer has been struggling to understand one thing: Why did it take young Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help on the fateful night of the car accident that took the life of his beloved sister, Phoebe? If he'd called sooner, she might still be alive.
The secret
As the anniversary of Phoebe's death approaches, Grant is consumed by memories of that night on the bridge and everything he lost: his future, his reputation, his little sister. And the secret he's been keeping all these years is suffocating him. But he and Phoebe weren't the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there. She knows what happened—and she will do anything to help Grant keep his secret.
The truth
Everyone in West Wilmer remembers Phoebe, but only June remembers that another person was lost that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and now June is alone—no family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door. Someone who may know where Wyatt went all those years ago. Someone who knows what really happened on the bridge that night. Someone who is ready to tell the truth.
Taking place over three days and culminating in a shocking twist that will leave you breathless, Twenty-Seven Minutes is a gripping story about what happens when grief becomes unbearable, dark secrets are unearthed, and the horrifying truth is revealed.
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Praise
“Twenty-Seven Minutes is the rare gift that delivers it all: elevated prose, characters with depth, unpredictable twists, and a pitch-perfect mood that is wonderfully consuming. This story of a small town’s obsessive hold on a decade-old tragedy, as four people in its grip try to move on, is both poignant and pacy, an unforgettable portrait of grief and the darkest ties that bind. A must-read debut that marks Ashley Tate as a brilliant new voice in literary suspense.”
—Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
“I was completely transfixed by Twenty-Seven Minutes, a taut, raw, powerful suspense that centers around a decade-old tragedy that’s traumatized a community. Every character carries both a darkness and moments of goodness inside them as they grapple with their own memories and secrets of the night that took one of their own. Ashley Tate has written a masterful collision course of pain, sorrow, and grief that sliced open my veins and tore out my heart.”
—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her
“Twenty-Seven Minutes is a beautifully written story of family secrets, dangerous obsessions, and the unsolved mysteries that can haunt a small town for years. With her well-rounded characters, breakneck pacing, and emotional depth, Ashley Tate is a new thriller writer to watch.”
—Robyn Harding, international bestselling author
“A twisting, beautiful, deeply affecting mystery from a commanding new talent. Twenty-Seven Minutes is by turns evocative and unpredictable, truly gripping and deeply satisfying. I loved it.”
—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
About the Author
Photo Credit: Camilla Pucholt Photography
ASHLEY TATE worked for over a decade as an editorial writer and editor for various publications as well as Canada's first online magazine. Twenty-Seven Minutes is her debut. She lives with her husband, two children and their dog, in Toronto, Canada.
