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ankysbookbubble's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly don't know what to say. This book is unlike anything I've ever read before. It's been a long time since I found a thriller that pulled me in as deeply as this one did. Well, considering the fact that this story takes place in a submarine, I'd say it was pretty deep. Okay okay, bad joke!
Pressure was weird, surreal and goosebumps raising. It pulled me into it so completely that I felt like a part of the story myself.
(Translation: I was so into it I freaked out at the sound of my brother slamming the door shut.)
The characters were so real and almost all of them had something in common with the killer. The killer's point of view only adds to the mystery.
The best thing about this novel was that it kept me wondering all the while I was reading it. I was trying to assemble all the clues, examining the suspects. I felt like the detective that wasn't there.
I especially loved the ending because it was realistic and full of uncertainty.
I'll recommend you to grab this one as soon as possible. Pre-order it now, because I'm telling you. You don't want to miss this one.
Pressure was weird, surreal and goosebumps raising. It pulled me into it so completely that I felt like a part of the story myself.
(Translation: I was so into it I freaked out at the sound of my brother slamming the door shut.)
The characters were so real and almost all of them had something in common with the killer. The killer's point of view only adds to the mystery.
The best thing about this novel was that it kept me wondering all the while I was reading it. I was trying to assemble all the clues, examining the suspects. I felt like the detective that wasn't there.
I especially loved the ending because it was realistic and full of uncertainty.
I'll recommend you to grab this one as soon as possible. Pre-order it now, because I'm telling you. You don't want to miss this one.
jolinsdell's review against another edition
3.0
Having read other reviews for this book I had high hopes for Pressure. Having read the book I have mixed feelings about it. I love psychological thrillers and this book definitely kept me turning the pages, and guessing about who the killer was and why.
The story hopped around a lot; chapters from different characters points of view, scenes from the past of the "child"... it was hard at times to remember which character I was seeing things as. That said, the scenes of the child were done really well.
Then there's the ending. I was left with questions unanswered, and a sense of not really knowing what happened to him (trying to avoid putting in spoilers so won't go into details. When you read it you'll understand what I'm talking about).
Anyway, like I said, I have mixed feelings about this one. Despite it's con's, the pro's make it worth reading.
The story hopped around a lot; chapters from different characters points of view, scenes from the past of the "child"... it was hard at times to remember which character I was seeing things as. That said, the scenes of the child were done really well.
Then there's the ending. I was left with questions unanswered, and a sense of not really knowing what happened to him (trying to avoid putting in spoilers so won't go into details. When you read it you'll understand what I'm talking about).
Anyway, like I said, I have mixed feelings about this one. Despite it's con's, the pro's make it worth reading.
stormiclouds's review against another edition
5.0
Pressure is unlike any thriller I've read before. For one, it's set on a submarine that is stranded at the bottom of the ocean and slowly running out of oxygen. So not only are the characters facing the mystery of a serial killer, but they are also racing against time and their limited supply of oxygen. The chapters are continually rotating points of view and time frames, but not in a way that is confusing. The chapters told from the villain's point of view had me continually scouring the rest of the book for clues that hinted at who could possibly be the killer.
This book was fast paced, gripping, and an all around amazing ride. I don't want to give away spoilers, because I truly hope you will give this one a chance, but that ending WOAH!
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was fast paced, gripping, and an all around amazing ride. I don't want to give away spoilers, because I truly hope you will give this one a chance, but that ending WOAH!
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
btpbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
WOW. WOW WOW. This is a must buy and must read. Pressure is going straight into my top 20 of 2018. Bloody brilliant! Cannot top that story… A well deserved five stars. Wow. Will not forget that story in a hurry.. I am seriously impressed and want to rave about this book. BUY IT! You will not regret it.
I have not read anything similar to this story before and I loved every minute of it! A real who dunnit with a twist. It had suspense all the way through which kept me hooked and wide eyed. A brilliantly written and clever story line… A unbelievable cliff hanger.. Many twists, turns and dark chapters lie ahead! Parts are a little brutal and made my stomach clench including child abuse scenes.
I would highly recommend this story to you all. Outstanding. I loved how there was a little map of the layout of the submarine in the front of the book and how the story was told through each character and how they ended up in their position… Do you think you can solve who the killer is? I didn’t and the outcome had my jaw dropping and shocked! I would love for this story to be turned into a film, I’d watch it. Well done Betsy!
Soo… Did I love this book?
Yes I did, so I will shut up now. Buy it.
I have not read anything similar to this story before and I loved every minute of it! A real who dunnit with a twist. It had suspense all the way through which kept me hooked and wide eyed. A brilliantly written and clever story line… A unbelievable cliff hanger.. Many twists, turns and dark chapters lie ahead! Parts are a little brutal and made my stomach clench including child abuse scenes.
I would highly recommend this story to you all. Outstanding. I loved how there was a little map of the layout of the submarine in the front of the book and how the story was told through each character and how they ended up in their position… Do you think you can solve who the killer is? I didn’t and the outcome had my jaw dropping and shocked! I would love for this story to be turned into a film, I’d watch it. Well done Betsy!
Soo… Did I love this book?
Yes I did, so I will shut up now. Buy it.
noveldeelights's review
4.0
Not sure I’ve ever mentioned this before, but little old me and water do not mix. I hate drinking it, I don’t particularly enjoy flying over it, I don’t like being in it or on it and I most certainly wouldn’t want to be under it. So obviously reading about a submarine stuck at the bottom of the ocean is a perfect choice of book for me. 😄
Pressure has all the hallmarks of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Throw a bunch of people together in a closed environment with no means of escape and put a murderer amongst them. Except this isn’t a fancy manor in the countryside or a remote island but a submarine. Quite frankly, for me it’s the stuff of nightmares.
Due to a technical error, the submarine loses power and ends up at the bottom of the ocean. With limited supply in food and oxygen and no means of escape, tempers start to rise and then someone is found dead. The remaining crew members begin to turn on one another and the pressure builds up in more ways than one.
There are ten people on board. Bit by bit, they are introduced to us. They explain where they came from, their secrets and dreams and how they came to be on the submarine in the first place. None of these characters are particularly likeable and being stuck together like this sure brings out the worst in them. There are also flashback chapters from one of the people on board, describing their absolutely horrid, heartbreaking and harrowing childhood.
I quite early on figured out who the killer was but that didn’t ruin my reading experience at all. Pressure is a gripping and compelling story that held my attention throughout. It’s tense with a dark, threatening and claustrophobic feel to it. While I was worried that the outcome would be completely predictable, I was surprised and glad to see it wasn’t at all. I think this would make an excellent movie, to be honest. You know, if you like water and all. 😉
Pressure has all the hallmarks of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Throw a bunch of people together in a closed environment with no means of escape and put a murderer amongst them. Except this isn’t a fancy manor in the countryside or a remote island but a submarine. Quite frankly, for me it’s the stuff of nightmares.
Due to a technical error, the submarine loses power and ends up at the bottom of the ocean. With limited supply in food and oxygen and no means of escape, tempers start to rise and then someone is found dead. The remaining crew members begin to turn on one another and the pressure builds up in more ways than one.
There are ten people on board. Bit by bit, they are introduced to us. They explain where they came from, their secrets and dreams and how they came to be on the submarine in the first place. None of these characters are particularly likeable and being stuck together like this sure brings out the worst in them. There are also flashback chapters from one of the people on board, describing their absolutely horrid, heartbreaking and harrowing childhood.
I quite early on figured out who the killer was but that didn’t ruin my reading experience at all. Pressure is a gripping and compelling story that held my attention throughout. It’s tense with a dark, threatening and claustrophobic feel to it. While I was worried that the outcome would be completely predictable, I was surprised and glad to see it wasn’t at all. I think this would make an excellent movie, to be honest. You know, if you like water and all. 😉
ljwrites85's review against another edition
5.0
(rounded up from 4.5)
The adventure started when Frank Holden, a bigwig film producer decides to make a low budget movie under the sea. He gathers together a rather ragtag group of actors, production crew and submariners but disaster strikes when there is a malfunction. Now ten people are trapped inside a Pica Explorer submarine at the bottom of the ocean. entrapped within its walls with no escape, a murderer begins picking off the passengers one by one. Who will survive?
This is an utterly addictive read! The feeling of claustrophobia and the tension of being trapped somewhere without knowing exactly where you are sent shivers down my spine throughout. I think it would make an amazingly good horror movie.
There are quite a lot of different points of view, each character gets their own chapter, essentially tell you how each one ends up on the submarine. There is also a child which at first threw me a little, like who is this child and what’s it got to do with the people trapped on the sub? It took me a few chapters to figure it out but I’m not going to spoil it, you’ll just have to read it yourself and see.
I did feel there might have been one too many characters but of course that’s just my opinion.
Overall a tense, addictive read that will have you gripped throughout.
The adventure started when Frank Holden, a bigwig film producer decides to make a low budget movie under the sea. He gathers together a rather ragtag group of actors, production crew and submariners but disaster strikes when there is a malfunction. Now ten people are trapped inside a Pica Explorer submarine at the bottom of the ocean. entrapped within its walls with no escape, a murderer begins picking off the passengers one by one. Who will survive?
This is an utterly addictive read! The feeling of claustrophobia and the tension of being trapped somewhere without knowing exactly where you are sent shivers down my spine throughout. I think it would make an amazingly good horror movie.
There are quite a lot of different points of view, each character gets their own chapter, essentially tell you how each one ends up on the submarine. There is also a child which at first threw me a little, like who is this child and what’s it got to do with the people trapped on the sub? It took me a few chapters to figure it out but I’m not going to spoil it, you’ll just have to read it yourself and see.
I did feel there might have been one too many characters but of course that’s just my opinion.
Overall a tense, addictive read that will have you gripped throughout.
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
5.0
The Pica Explorer, a submerged submarine, has lost power and has sunk to the ocean floor. With ten people on the sub, time is of the essence because oxygen will run out – and soon. As if that alone isn’t terrifying enough, murders are being committed, one by one. I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie’s work, and immediately sensed a parallel to her book And Then There Were None.
Here the story is told in two different ways, from several first-person points of view to a mysterious telling from one of their pasts. This allows the reader to get into the minds of those aboard. However, despite all of the individual stories, I was consistently kept guessing. From beginning to end, the story runs at breakneck speed. You just know someone else will be next, but who, and why? Equally thrilling and horrifying, Pressure was an excellent read.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review.
Here the story is told in two different ways, from several first-person points of view to a mysterious telling from one of their pasts. This allows the reader to get into the minds of those aboard. However, despite all of the individual stories, I was consistently kept guessing. From beginning to end, the story runs at breakneck speed. You just know someone else will be next, but who, and why? Equally thrilling and horrifying, Pressure was an excellent read.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review.
grammarchick's review
1.0
I think the pressure here was to simply write a good book. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. This was one of the worst books I've read this year. A group of people working on a movie become trapped in a submarine. Then they start dying off. In between bits of narration by the various characters, we read about a child who was abused. As the story progresses, it's unclear which person on the ship could be the child. Sounds promising, but turned out to be a struggle just to stay interested. It was like someone took a few cardboard characters - neglected child, drunk parent, pervert, etc. - and tossed them into the background of a life-or-death situation. So here's grim, disgusting and cliched all at once.
One of my pet peeves is dialogue that seems like it is copy-and-paste for every character. The dialogue felt stilted and it seemed like the characters didn't know what contractions were; I have a hard time believing these random people just happened to have the same structure to all their speech, except for Mr. Pervo Producer, who kept calling all the women 'doll.' The reasoning for the murders was a reach, the ending was a cop-out and it was hard to sympathize with any of these people. Frankly, I was ready for the sub to just collapse and kill everyone already, because I could not watch this clunky story lurch along any farther.
One of my pet peeves is dialogue that seems like it is copy-and-paste for every character. The dialogue felt stilted and it seemed like the characters didn't know what contractions were; I have a hard time believing these random people just happened to have the same structure to all their speech, except for Mr. Pervo Producer, who kept calling all the women 'doll.' The reasoning for the murders was a reach, the ending was a cop-out and it was hard to sympathize with any of these people. Frankly, I was ready for the sub to just collapse and kill everyone already, because I could not watch this clunky story lurch along any farther.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
5.0
Have you ever had that discussion where you talk about what the worst possible way to die would be for you? Well I think I now can add being on a submarine to that little list.
The story flicks between characters when they are on the submarine and how they got to be on there. As there are a few characters it did take me a little while to settle into getting to know who is who but that didn't stop me from being fully emerged into what was going on.
I can only describe this story as being claustrophobic and suffocating. I mean that in the bestest possible way. The author drags you into the story so it feels like you are trapped on the vessel with the characters. At times I could totally empathise with the characters as I could feel the madness setting in.
If it wasn't bad enough to be stranded on the submarine the fact that there is a murderer amongst them makes it way more unbearable. I honestly didn't know which one was worse, a possible death from lack of oxygen or being murdered. It was a total guessing game as to who it could be. As soon as I thought it could be one person, something happened which totally squashed that idea and I was back to square one.
Pressure reminded me very much of Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None. It is crammed pack full of suspense that intensifies the further into the story you get. This is one thriller that will seriously mess with your head with shocks and surprises a plenty. An absolute must read for fans of a gripping psychological thriller that will leave you gasping for air.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The story flicks between characters when they are on the submarine and how they got to be on there. As there are a few characters it did take me a little while to settle into getting to know who is who but that didn't stop me from being fully emerged into what was going on.
I can only describe this story as being claustrophobic and suffocating. I mean that in the bestest possible way. The author drags you into the story so it feels like you are trapped on the vessel with the characters. At times I could totally empathise with the characters as I could feel the madness setting in.
If it wasn't bad enough to be stranded on the submarine the fact that there is a murderer amongst them makes it way more unbearable. I honestly didn't know which one was worse, a possible death from lack of oxygen or being murdered. It was a total guessing game as to who it could be. As soon as I thought it could be one person, something happened which totally squashed that idea and I was back to square one.
Pressure reminded me very much of Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None. It is crammed pack full of suspense that intensifies the further into the story you get. This is one thriller that will seriously mess with your head with shocks and surprises a plenty. An absolute must read for fans of a gripping psychological thriller that will leave you gasping for air.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
em_beddedinbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Got attracted by the beautiful cover art and the blurb further pulled me in.
I have always had an affinity towards locked room murder mysteries, and which locked room can compete with a submarine with a faulty engine which has sunk to the ocean trapping 10 people within , with only a weeks oxygen supply?
These people are feom different areas of life and speciality comprising of submarine crew, scientists and film shooting crew.
And slowly the deaths happen .
their numbers are dwindling and each person is suspicious of everyone else.
what could have been an excellent story somehow lost its coherence and glamour while being told.
I can't exactly pinpoint the fault, but it could have been better executed.
I have always had an affinity towards locked room murder mysteries, and which locked room can compete with a submarine with a faulty engine which has sunk to the ocean trapping 10 people within , with only a weeks oxygen supply?
These people are feom different areas of life and speciality comprising of submarine crew, scientists and film shooting crew.
And slowly the deaths happen .
their numbers are dwindling and each person is suspicious of everyone else.
what could have been an excellent story somehow lost its coherence and glamour while being told.
I can't exactly pinpoint the fault, but it could have been better executed.