A Slow Fire Burning: The addictive new Sunday Times No.1 bestseller from the author of The Girl on the Train

This book was off to a slow start, it wasn't until the last 40% the pace quickened. There were times where I was wondering who the murder was. To me the book ended on a bit of a cliff hanger! However this is a great read.

I had previously only read ‘The girl on the Train’ which l enjoyed, so thought l would give this novel a try. And yes, it was a good read. Lots of twists to the plot, some rather sad & identifiable. I will say no more, but l recommend this book.

Rating: 3.3/5This long-awaited novel from Paula Hawkins (it has been four years since her previous book) is an aptly titled slow-burner. It has been cleverly constructed, but ultimately, I didn't find it as satisfying a read as I had hoped.It wasn't just that the narrative seemed to take a while to get into its stride - though it was only after I was a good 30% or more into the book that I began to feel engaged with it to any degree. There were also too many occasions when I got the impression that Paula Hawkins was trying too hard to be clever and indulging herself rather than showing proper consideration for her reading audience. Let me give you an example: The time frame jumps around frequently throughout the novel, with countless "flashback-style" moments being related by numerous members of a fairly large cast of characters. This literary mechanic, in itself, is nothing unusual, though many writers choose to signpost such switches in time to make the narrative easier to follow. Paula Hawkins has chosen not to do this - and it is a decision she has made while being fully aware of how it is likely to be perceived by certain readers:'It was there somewhere, though not at all easy to find in this novel, whose story jumped about all over the place, the point of view occasionally switching from victim to perpetrator, the timeline moving backwards and forwards. Very confusing and, if you asked Irene, irritating.'I will give the author the benefit that this quoted passage is intended to be a joke shared with her readers rather simply a slight dig at those who may disapprove of experimentation and challenging the perceptions of the audience.That said, I certainly didn't hate "A Slow Fire Burning" - there is also plenty to admire. It has a solid murder mystery foundation with plenty of misdirection. The tight plot has been properly thought through and the various strands are woven together neatly. There is a book within a book - not a new or unique idea - but executed effectively and ties in with the overall narrative. The characterisation is generally sound, though certain protagonists are better drawn than others - Laura, in particular, is delightfully well done.Overall, I enjoyed this for the most part and I acknowledge some impressive elements, but it still left me feeling not entirely satisfied.

Found it confusing at first with so many characters. Kept me guessing for most of the book, some very sobering parts.

Another fabulous read from the author who relays such great characters, intermingled in clever plots that always keep you guessing

This was this month’s book club pick, and I loved The Girl on the Train by the same author, which I read some time ago a couple of times, which is quite unusual for me, so I was really excited to get my hands on a copy, so much so that I bought myself a hardcover copy thinking I would love it. What a different read this turned out to be, though.This is a well-written book, the words flow nicely, and the title was a great success, depicting the slow fire burning of anger, resentment, jealousy, hatred and deceit. Although fires are usually ferocious and burn fast, I expected a fast-paced book where I would fly through the pages. I did get through this quickly due to the short chapters, but it was a disappointing read for me overall.The plot didn’t hold my interest well, though. We start at the end with the finding of Daniel’s body on his rented canal boat and then work back through the character’s backstories and who could possibly be responsible and why. There are several possibilities, all with slightly plausible reasons why they may have wanted Daniel gone.A Slow Fire Burning has a large cast, which I found easy to keep track of, with interlocking stories that they aren’t aware of themselves. A book within a book initially adds to the intrigue but ends with a very unbelievable twist.The characters we unlikeable and unreliable aside from tragic, young Laura. I felt a lot of the plot relied upon the vagueness and mental instability of many characters, including Laura. Without this, I felt the story wouldn’t hold together well. However, it is a book you need to pay attention to so that you don’t miss anything along the way.Laura was in a horrific accident when she was ten years old and has been left with significant injuries, including some social issues where she cannot control herself or act appropriately at times. Always getting herself in trouble, she has been tragically abandoned by her awful parents and has been left to defend herself, which she very clearly struggles with. The relationship she forms with the 80-year-old lady (whose name I can’t remember) is lovely, they care for one another, and it’s an excellent example of young and old helping each other and keeping company to the benefit of both parties.Carol and her ex-husband Theo are an odd couple. Daniel is Carol’s nephew, and they are grieving the loss of their three-year-old son, Ben, fifteen years ago. Miriam lives on the boat next door to Daniel’s and has a history with Theo. The relationships are pretty complicatedly entwined, so pay attention!Unfortunately, I felt this was a slow and, at times, laborious read. The ending was what put an end to a better review though. There were unbelievable occurrences, what felt like a rushed ending where parts were tied up but felt very lazily done. I am not sure who was responsible, despite someone being convicted of the crime, and some of the characters didn’t really have any input at the ending.

Paula is back with her third book; a much needed improvement after the second one following the hype of Girl on the Train.The story follows two deaths in the same family and a classic whodunnit to get justice for the latest death.A definitely do not judge a book by its cover when everyone suspects mad Laura of committing the crime, but is everything as it seems?The story flits between the characters and a book that Theo has supposedly written about something that happened in the past. But what’s never explained is the nosey Miriam and some things she does as to whether there is more there than what’s not being told.

Amazing story with a lot of thrill and suspense. Beautifully written

Spoiler alert! I loved everything about the parallel stories, the setting and the all women but I have been left with an unanswered question. Was J O'B. murdered by T.M. ?

Bueno si te gusta la novela negra

A slow fire indeed, applicable to both story and pace. Not action packed, but a clever dissection of the human condition at its worst.The setting is in the heart of a grey and foggy London, on longboats on a canal and Victorian townhouses along the towpath and the descriptions just made me longing to go back to this glorious capital as soon as possible. There are seven main characters, all of which vary from being seriously flawed to despicable with the exception of sweet Irene, who will act a little bit as a Miss Marple in the story and who is the only one with any true sense of empathy. But all have different personalities and the insight in their lives and minds is intriguing.The whole story is about grudges and revenge; children lashing out because of their selfish parents, parents crumbling under past mistakes. All dark sides of humanity are depicted: alcoholism, child abuse, depression, suicide, infidelity, dementia, rape and of course murder. Just in the epilogue we are treated with a little bit of hope, just a small ray of sunshine.Although a little bit confusing at first, I thought the book within a book was clever, especially when comparing the original manuscript with the final version. And all in all, a very good read that is written with very sharp insights in human nature.

Paula Hawkins is back! I loved her first “The Girl on the Train” and felt a bit let down by her second “Into the Water”. The 3rd one makes up for everything.The story goes back and forth between past and present and unravels incidents leading to the death of Daniel Sutherland, through the eyes of 5 damaged individuals- Laura, Mariam, Carla, Irene and Theo. Laura, a survivor of a hit and run trauma dealing with a disinhibition condition, Carla and Theo, aunt and uncle to Daniel, separated and still recovering from the untimely death of their young kid, Irene- next door neighbour to Daniel’s mother, Angela and a homage to Agatha Christie’s Marple and the prime witness, Mariam- a thread connecting all the characters and a serial killer attack survivor.The non linear narrative and the story within a story(told from two point of views) is pretty interesting but can get confusing as well. The author has multiple aces up her sleeve, and the way she unravels the plot, the reason, and the killer are engaging and justified. The character development is the highlight in this book, with each character having motives and means to kill and holding the suspense until the final few chapters- Carla and Laura stand out.The only negatives- the non-linear narrative with a story within a story angle might be a bit confusing, and not giving closure to the characters apart from Irene, Carla and Laura, felt like a bit of a letdown. Oh, before I end, go for the audible version and witness the magic created by Rosamund Pike. Absolutely loved what she did with the characters. Overall a strong comeback- 4.5 ✨