ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES
Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.
At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.
Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…
Don’t miss the first nerve-shredding standalone thriller from Noelle Holten, author of the Maggie Jamieson series.
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for 6 Ripley Avenue today. Many thanks to Noelle Holten, One More Chapter and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel, received through Netgalley.
It's been a pleasure to watch Noelle Holten's writing career progress; from her first book, to having a popular series featuring Maggie Jamieson, and now her first standalone thriller. In 6 Ripley Avenue, she once again uses her own extensive experience to inform the plot and the result is a multilayered novel which is both chilling and thought-provoking.
It's a brave move to have the victim of murder be such an unpleasant character. Danny Wells was a convicted killer himself and as the novel progresses it becomes clear that he was a vicious, violent man who isn't mourned by anybody. There is no redemption arc for this man and yet the search for his murderer is still compelling in this contemporary locked room mystery. Noelle Holten pushes things still further by having a whole cast of flawed, even dangerous suspects –and even some of the protagonists aren't entirely likeable.
The narrative switches between the perspectives of four characters; Jeanette, the manager of the probation hostel where Danny Wells had been released on license and where he met his death; Sloane, an investigative journalist with a tragic past; Helen, an elderly woman who lives next door to the hotel and led the protests against it being opened; and the killer, whose identity isn't revealed until almost the end of the book. It does mean that this is a rather slow burning novel at first but there are still revelations throughout and I was constantly trying to figure out who I could eliminate from my list of possible suspects and who I thought did it.
We don't actually learn very much about the other convicted men who have also been released into the hostel, beyond their names and what crimes they were found guilty of. Nevertheless, there are some who are clearly more detestable than others and their presence drives home just how controversial these sorts of properties are in the communities in which they are established. We see the dedication and fortitude of probation staff through Jeanette's eyes but the problems within the system are explored too and her anguish as more issues come to light during the course of the novel surely reflect those of an underfunded profession which is often criticised by the media and wider public.
Meanwhile, Sloane and Helen's fears are entirely understandable and even though they don't always make the most sensible decisions, there's a warmth to their friendship which is really quite moving at times. Both have suffered their own losses and they share a dogged determination to identify the murderer and ultimately to have the hostel shut down. Of course, their amateur investigation doesn't go unnoticed by the hostel staff, the police and the killer, all of whom try to warn them off. The sense of intrigue and danger that ensues is gripping and I really enjoyed the red herrings and rising tension, particularly towards the end of the book.
6 Ripley Avenue is a darkly compulsive, insightful thriller with a satisfyingly puzzling mystery which kept me turning the pages from start to finish. I look forward to reading whatever Noelle Holten writes next.
6 Ripley Avenue is published by One More Chapter, purchasing links can be found here but please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
Follow the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/HarperCollins UK – is an international Kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. All books in the series can be found on her Amazon author page.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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