A single question has haunted them for a decade: why did it take Phoebe Dean's brother, Grant, so long 27 to call for help?​ TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES is the debut novel by Canadian Ashley Tate. After her mother died suddenly, the author wanted to write about how dark and transforming grief can be. She used an event set in a small town to share that feeling of fear that comes when everything changes in an instant.
Just don't expect to actually like any of the characters. ( )

What really happened the night of the accident ten years ago?

Why didn't Grant call the ambulance immediately instead of waiting twenty-seven minutes to call for help.

It has been ten years and those people that know what happened have been struggling with the truth they didn't make known all of these years.

Now that they are going to have a memorial service for Phoebe, Grant's sister, will the truth come out?

Why do they need this memorial when another person just got killed on that same bridge, and talk of tearing it down are in the works?

And what about the disappearance of Wyatt on the same night? Had he been involved?

TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES goes back and forth in time telling events and life situations from ten years ago and present day.

The book took a while to catch my interest, and the odd characters were none that I could warm up to or sympathize with, but it does get better so don't give up.

There is a surprise ending. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ( )

Ten years ago on a bridge in the small town of West Wilmer Phoebe Dean died in a car accident in which she was travelling with her brother, Kent, and local girl, Becca. But why did it take Kent 27 minutes to phone for help? What really happened that night?

This is quite a bleak and sad story set in a claustrophobic town where its inhabitants all seem to have secrets or are very reserved. None of them are particularly likeable, either. I liked the writing style, however, it drew me in and I was eager to know what exactly happened on the night of the accident. On the other hand I did find it a little drawn out and protracted. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app so perhaps, in this instance, it would have been better to read it continuously to gain momentum, rather than in a serialised format. I enjoyed it, though, and thought it depicted small town dynamics very well. A well written and engaging read with an interesting twist ( )

Twenty-Seven Minutes is Ashley Tate's debut novel.
From the prologue: "...if an ambulance had been called right away she would have survived...but the ambulance was called too late - twenty-seven minutes too late."

Between the cover picture and that bit from the prologue above I was expecting a suspense/mystery book. There are a number of questions and actions that need to be discovered and addressed. That somewhat filled the mystery expectation.

But, the delivery of the book is much slower than I had imagined it to be. The past and present is viewed and seen through the eyes of the four main characters. Everyone of them is hiding something. I had thought I would have empathy for at least one of them, but I didn't.

The small town they all live in is gray, wounded and ugly. That goes for the supporting characters as well. Mean spirited, insular and stuck in the path they've chosen.

This book was a very slow burn for me. I found that that the plotting was far too slow and repetitive for me. Some of the issues from the opening pages have yet to be resolved by the last chapters. Unfortunately I'd lost interest by the time I turned the last page.

Others quite liked this book so I encourage you to check out other reviews.

Twenty-seven minutes. That’s how long it took for Grant Dean to call for help the night his sister Phoebe died. The single witness, Becca, still has no memory of the accident…although few actually believe that. Now, ten years later there’s a memorial. Ten years later someone is ready to talk, to tell what they didn’t before. This is a story about a small town unable to move forward after a tragic accident claims the life of a popular young woman, leaving too many unanswered questions.

Ashley Tate’s debut sets up the story well, told through a duel timeline, with large cast of characters. Technically a suspense thriller I think it’s strength lies in the slow burn look at loss and profound grief. Narrators are unreliable, sometimes morally grey, often unlikable …and yet I couldn’t look away! A more seasoned mystery reader may have figured out the twist much earlier on but I feel it’s almost beside the point. My investment was in the characters journey.

I recommend for readers that love a mystery suspense that doesn’t sacrifice character driven themes. I’m excited to see what Tate does next and think she’s an exciting new author to watch.

I received a review copy from the publisher @PoisonedPenPress via @Netgalley ( )