Mystery set in NORTH AMERICA

6th December 2023

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate, mystery set in North America.

The 10 year anniversary of the death of Phoebe Grant has come around. She died in a car accident on the infamous bridge in her home town – fictional West Wilmer. Grant, her brother was driving and also in the car was Becca, who is still around town today.

An older woman drives off the bridge and, given the terrible history, there are calls now for the bridge to be dismantled. A vote is to be called in town.

The mystery is why it took Grant 27 minutes to raise the alarm, a significant period of time that might have allowed Phoebe to live beyond her teenage years.

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We also meet June, whose brother disappeared on the very same night as the accident. There had been a party attended by many of those involved that appeared to be a pivotal event.

In present day the lives of many of these people intersect as they gear up for the memorial and look back at their lives as they were then and what is happening to them now.

This is a circular narrative that revolves through present and past, revisiting and digesting. This is a brave construct for a debut author to use, instead of the more usual linear narrative, which tends to be more forgiving. As it is, she keeps the plot tightly woven as it moves around in time, and keeps a good level of suspense until the end. The feel of small town North America comes through, as gripes and prejudices abound and divisions stoke upset.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

Catch the author on Twitter @tate_ab 

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