55 by James Delargy @JDelargyAuthor #BlogTour #whoisfiftyfive #RandomThingsTours @annecater @simonschusterUK #Review

I’m so thrilled to be sharing my review for 55 by James Delargy today as part of the blog tour! With thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invite to join the tour and to the publisher for my copy. First of all though let’s take a look at the description for the book…

ABOUT THE BOOK

Two suspects. Two identical stories. Which one is the truth?

Wilbrook in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It is home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town’s small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints.

All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler’s station. He’s covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers – he was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be number 55. His 55th victim. Heath is a serial killer.

As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55. Gabriel is the serial killer.

Police Sergant Chandler Jenkins needs to find out who is telling the truth – and quick. is He is forced to call in Mitch, his former partner and now insufferable superior, a partnership which dissolved in acrimony years earlier. Can Mitch and Chandler uncover the truth, before the 55th victim is taken?

BUY LINK

MY REVIEW

You know when you start reading a book and instantly realise that you have picked up something special, well 55 was one of those books for me! From the characters to the story James Delargy has very cleverly created a plot that brought such an intense reading experience. My mind was constantly trying to figure things out and then when I thought I had an inkling of what was going on another surprise would pop up and make me question everything.

The whole idea of two people claiming the same thing and not knowing who to believe was just perfect. Then add in Sergeant Chandler Jenkins as he desperately tries to get to the bottom of who to believe and it gripped me even more. I really enjoyed getting to know Chandler seeing the way he thinks and also experiencing a little of his past. There was a tense atmosphere not only from some of the characters who definitely got under my skin but also from the setting. James Delargy managed to get across the vastness and isolation of this remote town showing us that it can be a dangerous and unforgiving place. I have quite a soft spot for books set in Australia so this made me appreciate this book even more. Then of course add in the threat of a serial killer and you really do ramp up the tension.

With 55 you have a cat and mouse kind of story along with some brilliant twists that I just didn’t see coming! This book had the power to instantly grab hold of me and then not let go until I turned that last page. Talking of last pages, wow! I think that was pretty much all I said after finishing this book. However that’s all you’ll hear about it from me as I would hate to ruin a single moment of this book especially that ending! It really is the kind of book you want to read in one sitting and if you can’t it will be on your mind until you can pick it back up again. I actually finished this book after midnight because I just had to keep reading and discover the truth. That just goes to show how compelling and addictive I found it. Let’s just say that 55 will definitely get a place on my book picks for 2019.

55 is intense with some shocking moments and a plot that left me questioning everything. Absolutely Brilliant!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Delargy was born and raised in Ireland and lived in South Africa, Australia and Scotland, before ending up in semi-rural England where he now lives. He incorporates his diverse knowledge of towns, cities, landscape and culture picked up on his travels into his writing. 55 is his first novel, which has been sold in 19 countries so far and optioned for film by Zucker Productions in partnership with Prodigy Pictures.