All Fall Down – Book Review

By M.J. Arlidge

“You have one hour to live.”

Those are the only words on the phone call. Then they hang up. Surely, a prank? A mistake? A wrong number? Anything but the chilling truth… That someone is watching, waiting, working to take your life in one hour.

But why?

The job of finding out falls to DI Helen Grace: a woman with a track record in hunting killers. However, this is A case where the killer seems to always be one step ahead of the police and the victims.

With no motive, no leads, no clues – nothing but pure fear – an hour can last a lifetime…

Official Summary

DI Helen Grace is back in an action-packed thriller. All Fall Down sees Helen and the team chasing down a killer that leaves no clues behind, but the victims receive a call from an unknown number informing them that they have one hour to live. Can Helen catch this killer before it is too late?

I have been following the DI Helen Grace series for a while now, except for the two eBook novellas, I have read the entire series. I have to say that while the stories are not exactly realistic, and Helen Grace is always a bit of a lone ranger, I simply love the series. M.J. Arlidge does a wonderful job of keeping you entertained. All Fall Down is no exception. With 134 short chapters, this book is easy to read and you find yourself reaching the end all too quickly.

Justin Lanning, on his way out of the office, receives a phone call from an unknown number. The caller delivers a simple message: “You have one hour to Live” gripped by fear and panic Justin calls his partner and asks him to meet him at home after telling him about the phone call.

When Justin does not make it home, Adam raises the alarm. Soon Justin’s body is discovered, and Helen and her team embark on a terrifying case, chasing a killer who seems to have no motive and leaves no clues behind.

Soon the team discovers another victim and a shared history between the victims that have them looking in all the wrong places. Can they unravel this puzzle and save some lives? You will need to read the book to find out.

This book was a quick 484 pages of short chapters that rushed by all too quickly. I found myself drawn into the story and desperate to find out who this killer was. The storyline was brilliant, it had me hooked from the very first page.

DI Helen Grace is starting to change, her need to escape into the S&M world is being held in check and she has a new love interest. That added some spice to this book. All the usual characters are present and as always Charlie Brook’s is a pregnant wonder woman. You simply must love her character. Detective Superintendent Grace Simmons is ever-present, but something is wrong with her, something that has not been revealed in this book – guess I am going to have to wait for the next book (Truth or Dare) to find out what’s bugging Simmons.

I have been off M.J. Arlidge lately and I did not have high expectations of this book. The previous one was not one of my favourites, but oh boy did Arlidge deliver with this one. LOVED IT! I am a fan all over again and I cannot wait for the release of Truth or Dare later this year.

Looking for a fast, action-packed thriller that will have you reading way past your bedtime – then All Fall Down is the book for you.

I recommend this title even if you have not been following the series. But be warned, you will be added this entire series to your TBR when you are done – it is worth it.

Author: M.J. Arlidge – ISBN: 978 1 4091 8841 4 – Publisher: Orion Books- Pages: 484 – Source: Private Copy – Christmas Present 2020

DI Helen Grace Series in Order:

  1. Eeny Meeny (2014)
  2. Pop Goes The Weasel (2014)
  3. The Doll’s House (2015)
  4. Liar Liar (2015)
  5. Little Boy Blue (2016)
  6. No Way Back (2016) – an eBook novella
  7. Hide & Seek (2016)
  8. Running Blind (2017) – an eBook novella
  9. Love Me Not (2017)
  10. Down To The Woods (2018)
  11. All Fall Down (2020)
  12. Truth or Dare (2021)

Coming June 2021

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author bio from Amazon

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last twenty years, specialising in high-end drama production, including prime-time crime serials Silent Witness, Torn, The Little House and, most recently, the hit ITV show Innocent. In 2015 his audiobook exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a number-one bestseller. His debut thriller,Eeny Meeny,was the UK’s bestselling crime debut of 2014 and has been followed by 8 more DI Helen Grace bestsellers.

This was my first hard copy book in a while, and I have to say nothing beats holding a real book in your hands. The smell of a new book will always keep me favouring a hard copy book to an eBook – even if I am running out of shelf space. 2021 will have to be the year where I do something about adding more shelf space to my house. Thank you to my awesome husband for gifting me this book for Christmas. The next read on my list is Lisa Jewell’s The Truth About Melody Browne, and oldy – keep an eye out for my review. Or join my mailing list and never miss a review again. Thank you for listing to my waffling…… until next time, Happy Reading!

                                               

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