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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Nic wakes up, naked and bound in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere. Her body is covered in cuts. Across the room her friend groans in pain. A shadow passes the window. The man with the knives is back.
Local author Kerry Buchanan has created a fabulously frantic cat-and-mouse thriller set in Northern Ireland, the first of a trilogy with Joffe books.
Normally, I’m not a thriller fan. My anxiety teeters towards unhealthy levels naturally, so being vicariously stressed for others is not usually my idea of a party.
But a thriller handled well can help reassure us that there is an order to the world and one person can truly make a difference. At the end of a great thriller we have catharsis. We are reassured in that the world continues to operate normally.
Until the author pulls the rug away again, because the one message that the best thrillers convey is that YOU ARE NEVER SAFE!
Kerry has some serious writing chops – she’s had numerous short stories published and is a regular at lots of literary events – but you can tell she had fun writing Knife Edge. Which indicates she has a grimly morbid streak in her usually sunny disposition. Which I like in a person. I often carry around my own little dark cloud, but my sunnier side usually burns off the gloom.
Kerry has created great characters, with Nic driving the plot. It was lovely to see such diversity amongst the cast, which is more reflective of the Belfast I know today. Less about the troubles, more about the slashy-slashy murder man.
Speaking of whom, the slashy-slashy murder man is a great creation. All through the book I was frantically trying to figure out who this guy was and what his motivations were. I felt like Ted Hastings searching for H and exclaiming to God, Mary, Jesus and the wee donkey at every twist and turn.
I loved it. Buy it. Kerry is great. Possibly a sociopath, but we can’t all be perfect.
Local author Kerry Buchanan has created a fabulously frantic cat-and-mouse thriller set in Northern Ireland, the first of a trilogy with Joffe books.
Normally, I’m not a thriller fan. My anxiety teeters towards unhealthy levels naturally, so being vicariously stressed for others is not usually my idea of a party.
But a thriller handled well can help reassure us that there is an order to the world and one person can truly make a difference. At the end of a great thriller we have catharsis. We are reassured in that the world continues to operate normally.
Until the author pulls the rug away again, because the one message that the best thrillers convey is that YOU ARE NEVER SAFE!
Kerry has some serious writing chops – she’s had numerous short stories published and is a regular at lots of literary events – but you can tell she had fun writing Knife Edge. Which indicates she has a grimly morbid streak in her usually sunny disposition. Which I like in a person. I often carry around my own little dark cloud, but my sunnier side usually burns off the gloom.
Kerry has created great characters, with Nic driving the plot. It was lovely to see such diversity amongst the cast, which is more reflective of the Belfast I know today. Less about the troubles, more about the slashy-slashy murder man.
Speaking of whom, the slashy-slashy murder man is a great creation. All through the book I was frantically trying to figure out who this guy was and what his motivations were. I felt like Ted Hastings searching for H and exclaiming to God, Mary, Jesus and the wee donkey at every twist and turn.
I loved it. Buy it. Kerry is great. Possibly a sociopath, but we can’t all be perfect.
Kinda wish we learnt more about Colm? The twist was very obvious and the FMC was quite unrealistic but it was enjoyable and there was some good tense moments. I’ll keep reading the series and see where it goes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Knife Edge is a fast paced thriller, set in Belfast, which opens with Nic and her friend being kidnapped and brutally tortured. What ensues is a frantic cat and mouse game as Nic escapes and tries to catch her abductor.
The opening chapter was intense, very gory and had me immediately hooked however from there on in I started to begin to lose interest. While the story is frantically paced and holds plenty of tension, unfortunately I found it all a little too much all at once. To avoid spoilers for those who may enjoy it I will not go into detail but overall I found the storyline progression too far fetched and I found it too hard to suspend disbelief.
Not for me, but great if you want a gritty fast paced thriller that you don’t have to put too much thought into.
If you enjoyed this review come follow me on Instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more
The opening chapter was intense, very gory and had me immediately hooked however from there on in I started to begin to lose interest. While the story is frantically paced and holds plenty of tension, unfortunately I found it all a little too much all at once. To avoid spoilers for those who may enjoy it I will not go into detail but overall I found the storyline progression too far fetched and I found it too hard to suspend disbelief.
Not for me, but great if you want a gritty fast paced thriller that you don’t have to put too much thought into.
If you enjoyed this review come follow me on Instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’d worked out the storyline very early. I found it unbelievable at times and resented the ending. As thought they ran out of pages. Built suspense well but congestion an issue
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Murder
Fantastic read
A fantastic crime novel that keeps you totally enthralled. Great characters especially the detectives and I really look forward to seeing how they develop in the next novel.
A fantastic crime novel that keeps you totally enthralled. Great characters especially the detectives and I really look forward to seeing how they develop in the next novel.
Absolutely loved this crime thriller set in and around Belfast, NI. Truly likeable characters, an addictive mystery, and jam-packed with action on every page.
The epilogue blew my mind and I can't wait to pick up the next one!
My only critique, and this doesn't affect my overall views of the book, was referring to Sgt Jacob as elderly -- elderly, to me, is someone quite old and fragile, which was the opposite of how this strong, capable, compassionate woman nearing retirement came across.
The epilogue blew my mind and I can't wait to pick up the next one!
My only critique, and this doesn't affect my overall views of the book, was referring to Sgt Jacob as elderly -- elderly, to me, is someone quite old and fragile, which was the opposite of how this strong, capable, compassionate woman nearing retirement came across.
I love it when I pick up a book and am immediately pulled into the story, and Knife Edge certainly does that.
The story follows Nic, who escapes the clutches of a terrifying killer, but the nightmare for her is only just beginning as he can't let go and is hell bent on torturing her.
Nic is a fantastic character. Even though she's been through so much, she's so strong and determined that I ended up admiring her a lot. Okay, there were moments where her determination made her actions more than a little foolish, but it just added to the entertainment of the novel.
Even though this is more of a psychological thriller, there is still a police presence in the form of detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch. They're both tenacious characters, who work together well with some much needed banter to break up the tense storyline.
I can't deny I was a little taken aback by the ending, but I can't wait to see what Kerry Buchanan comes up with next!
Knife edge is a tension packed thrill ride of a novel that had me flying through those pages.
The story follows Nic, who escapes the clutches of a terrifying killer, but the nightmare for her is only just beginning as he can't let go and is hell bent on torturing her.
Nic is a fantastic character. Even though she's been through so much, she's so strong and determined that I ended up admiring her a lot. Okay, there were moments where her determination made her actions more than a little foolish, but it just added to the entertainment of the novel.
Even though this is more of a psychological thriller, there is still a police presence in the form of detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch. They're both tenacious characters, who work together well with some much needed banter to break up the tense storyline.
I can't deny I was a little taken aback by the ending, but I can't wait to see what Kerry Buchanan comes up with next!
Knife edge is a tension packed thrill ride of a novel that had me flying through those pages.
slow-paced
Nic and friend Colm go out to a bar to celebrate friend Hannah's birthday. That night, Nic and Colm are abducted and tortured over six days. The abductor eventually kills Colm and Nic manages to escape.
This is a real cat and mouse style novel. We learn that this was the kidnapper's plan all along. He allowed Nic to free herself so he could torture her from afar. Letting her know that he was still there and still watching. He'd be back for her.
When he ends up taking Nic's sister Hazel, she vows to find her and take him down. The police think they know who is behind it as a similar case happened in Leeds and they think the preparator has travelled over to Northern Ireland.
I loved that the book was set in Belfast. It mentioned a lot of places that I am familiar with and would frequent quite a bit. You do need to suspend disbelief a little bit, like how closely Nic was able to work with police, but it was enjoyable all the same.
I quite liked the rapport between the officers and how they interacted with Nic. I thought the ending was very fitting too!
Bonus points for the Dropkick Murphys mention.
This is a real cat and mouse style novel. We learn that this was the kidnapper's plan all along. He allowed Nic to free herself so he could torture her from afar. Letting her know that he was still there and still watching. He'd be back for her.
When he ends up taking Nic's sister Hazel, she vows to find her and take him down. The police think they know who is behind it as a similar case happened in Leeds and they think the preparator has travelled over to Northern Ireland.
I loved that the book was set in Belfast. It mentioned a lot of places that I am familiar with and would frequent quite a bit. You do need to suspend disbelief a little bit, like how closely Nic was able to work with police, but it was enjoyable all the same.
I quite liked the rapport between the officers and how they interacted with Nic. I thought the ending was very fitting too!
Bonus points for the Dropkick Murphys mention.