I’m beyond excited to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for the incredible A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins. Thank you to Anne Cater and Doubleday Books for giving me the opportunity to read this complex and multi layered novel.
About the book:
‘What is wrong with you?’
Laura has spent most of her life being judged. She’s seen as hot-tempered, troubled, a loner. Some even call her dangerous.
Miriam knows that just because Laura is witnessed leaving the scene of a horrific murder with blood on her clothes, that doesn’t mean she’s a killer. Bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Carla is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew. She trusts no one: good people are capable of terrible deeds. But how far will she go to find peace?
Innocent or guilty, everyone is damaged. Some are damaged enough to kill.
Look what you started.
THE SCORCHING NEW THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and INTO THE WATER
About the author:
PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before turning her hand to fiction. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989 and has lived there ever since. Her first thriller, The Girl on the Train, has been a global phenomenon, selling 23 million copies worldwide. Published in over forty languages, it has been a No.1 bestseller around the world and was a No.1 box office hit film starring Emily Blunt.
Into the Water, her second stand-alone thriller, has also been a global No.1 bestseller, spending twenty weeks in the Sunday Times hardback fiction Top 10 bestseller list, and six weeks at No.1.
Paula’s latest thriller, A Slow Fire Burning, was released on 31st August 2021.
My Review:
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins is a brilliantly complex and multilayered thriller that builds the tension slowly, cleverly peeling back the layers of each character and exposing their flaws little by little. It is clear from the outset that this is a group of damaged and not always likeable people, but nothing could have quite prepared me for what was at times an emotional punch to the gut as their stories are slowly revealed.
The story begins with the brutal murder of Carla’s nephew on a houseboat. His body has been discovered by Miriam, the middle aged woman who lives next door. But is there more to Miriam than meets the eye? Noting down the comings and goings of her murdered neighbour, she’s fully aware that Laura, a troubled but hot tempered loner, had left the scene of the murder with blood on her clothes. But does that mean Laura is the murderer? Or is she just an unfortunate victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Then we have Theo, a successful author and Carla’s ex husband. A devastating incident in their past tore the couple apart, causing a family rift that has never been fully healed. And finally there’s widowed Irene, the old lady who lived next door to Carla’s sister, Angie. Befriended by the troubled Laura, Irene is a strong and feisty woman who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Each character is flawed, their lives intertwining in ways that are slowly revealed as the story continues.
All five are connected to the murdered man in some way, but do they have a motive for murder?
Paula Hawkins strength lies in her characterisation and in her ability to bring forth the essence of exactly what it means to be human. These are people who have been damaged by life, who have been hurt by those who should have nurtured and cared for them. But are any of them capable of murder?
A Slow Fire Burning is a book that definitely lives up to its name. It moves backwards and forwards between timelines, the tension gently simmering beneath the surface as the secrets of the past begin to emerge. This is a dark and multilayered thriller, with a plot that keeps you guessing right up until the final shocking denouement.
Paula Hawkins has outdone herself with this moving, cleverly written and darkly complex thriller. I adored it!
One of my top reads of 2021 so far. Highly recommended.
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins is available to purchase now:
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Huge thanks for the blog tour support x
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