Reviews

Ten Seconds: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold

charmedlassie's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

clairesirett's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

toellandback's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The third book in the Ben Harper series sees the newspaper reporter looking into the disappearance of his boss, Madeline, which seems linked to a huge campaign she led in the past, resulting in the imprisonment of a man. When it transpired that the man in question had been recently released from prison, then it all points to him. 
 Much like the first two books, this is complex, multi-layered,  plenty of characters yet doesn't quite pass into confusion territory with casual reminders throughout about how each character is linked. There's a separate police investigation regarding a spate of breaking and entering which involves Harper's on/off relationship with detective Dani Cash which dovetails nicely with their private lives.
 Not your average police procedure story but lots going on and plenty of surprises and twists along the way and I'd definitely recommend reading the first two ahead of this one. 

f4rhana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

leonajudge's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

stillsarah93's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

amyfeatonby's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

3.0

thearieslibrary's review

4.0

Ben Harper watches his boss get into a car never imagining that she would be declared as missing the next morning. To find her, he has to return to the case that made her journalism career and there’s more than just her life on the line…

At first, I really struggled with this book as it started off quite slow and I felt bored but by the halfway point, it picked up and then I couldn’t put my kindle down. 

One of the main plot lines felt a bit lost and took a back seat, which was a shame as it seemed a bit pointless to include as it didn’t really add anything to the plot. Despite this, the plot was interesting once things began to pick up. The ending had me in my feels and I even had a little cry. Unfortunately some parts of the ending did feel a bit rushed and more like an afterthought. 

The atmosphere that was set in terms of suspense of whether Madeline would be found and the intruder breaking into women’s houses was fabulous. I really like the characters in this series and seeing them progress. I also really liked how the book was brought to life through the rich descriptions of the setting. 

There was some derogatory language used about a person with substance use disorder in Madeline’s newspaper article, which instead should have used person first language, for example “a person with substance use disorder who was a prostitute”. The term “drug addicted” used within the book should be reworded, not just because it’s not person first language and reduces the person’s identity to their substance use disorder, but it also contributes to the stigma and negative bias used when discussing addiction. There are also some instances of ableism in one of the character’s pasts, which people should be aware of. 

⚠️ CWs: cursing, alcohol and drug use, blood, physical assault, kidnapping, gun use, murder, bullying, sexual assault, derogatory language, ableism; mentions fatphobia, person with substance use disorder, student/teacher relationship, car accident, miscarriage, vomit, cobercive control, homophobia, rape ⚠️

navik's review

mysterious fast-paced

4.5

snazzybooks's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

I hugely enjoyed the first two novels in this series, so had high hopes for the third - Ten Seconds. We're back with Ben Harper, a great lead character, and while the book starts off a bit slower than the other two did, I enjoyed the slightly calmer start – and it soon transforms into the twisty, suspenseful ride we've come to expect from this series! 

At the beginning of the novel, we delve into the personal lives of Ben, Dani, their colleagues and families, and there's a bit of romance in there too. We know there are a lot of unsettling feelings around someone breaking into houses in the area, but this feels very much in the background of the novel. Of course, it's all setting up for what is to come, and Robert Gold cleverly weaves these character-building threads into the larger tapestry of the plot. 

Then Madeline goes missing, and as soon as Ben realises this, the book really ramps up a gear. The investigation takes us back to a past case that made Madeline's career – a case riddled with secrets and unexpected connections – and her father Sam turns sort-of-Detective along with Ben, as they try to track her down. These two characters bounce off each other brilliantly. 

I also really like that some of the characters we meet in this book are brilliantly flawed. They're not good or bad; rather we see into their lives and what has made them behave the way they do, and this adds so much more richness to the book. 

Also interspersed throughout the narrative are snippets from an unknown character. Their story is tragic, and makes you wonder about the impact of nature versus nurture. Did their past shape their actions? The answer is cleverly left for you to decide. 

There are dramatic moments in this novel but it never feels over the top. Various elements of the narrative which at first seem separate come together (a type of plot I always enjoy) to create an engaging, addictive novel. Ten Seconds could be read as a standalone but I'd really recommend you read the first two to get the most out of it!