What do you think?
Rate this book
Banktoun #2
Willow Walk
When the past catches up, do you run and hide or stand and fight?
When a woman is brutally attacked on a lonely country road by an escaped inmate from a nearby psychiatric hospital, Sergeant Davie Gray must track him down before he strikes again. But Gray is already facing a series of deaths connected to legal highs and a local fairground, as well as dealing with his girlfriend Marie's bizarre behaviour. As Gray investigates the crimes, he suspects a horrifying link between Marie and the man on the run - but how can he confront her when she's pushing him away? As a terrified Marie is pulled back into a violent past she thought she'd escaped, she makes an irrevocable decision. And when events come to a head at a house party on Willow Walk, can Gray piece together the puzzle in time to stop the sleepy town of Banktoun being rocked by tragedy once more?
When a woman is brutally attacked on a lonely country road by an escaped inmate from a nearby psychiatric hospital, Sergeant Davie Gray must track him down before he strikes again. But Gray is already facing a series of deaths connected to legal highs and a local fairground, as well as dealing with his girlfriend Marie's bizarre behaviour. As Gray investigates the crimes, he suspects a horrifying link between Marie and the man on the run - but how can he confront her when she's pushing him away? As a terrified Marie is pulled back into a violent past she thought she'd escaped, she makes an irrevocable decision. And when events come to a head at a house party on Willow Walk, can Gray piece together the puzzle in time to stop the sleepy town of Banktoun being rocked by tragedy once more?
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2016
48 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
S.J.I. Holliday
16 books231 followersLibrarian Note: Also writes under the name Susi Holliday.
Susi (S.J.I.) Holliday grew up near Edinburgh and spent many years working in her family’s newsagent and pub before studying microbiology and statistics at university. She has worked as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry for 20 years, but it was on a 6-month round-the-world-trip that she took with her husband several years ago that she rediscovered her passion for writing.
You can find out more at www.sjiholliday.com, or on Twitter and Facebook @SJIHolliday.
Susi (S.J.I.) Holliday grew up near Edinburgh and spent many years working in her family’s newsagent and pub before studying microbiology and statistics at university. She has worked as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry for 20 years, but it was on a 6-month round-the-world-trip that she took with her husband several years ago that she rediscovered her passion for writing.
You can find out more at www.sjiholliday.com, or on Twitter and Facebook @SJIHolliday.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 24, 2016
Highly suspenseful novel set in a small English town with an all-too-true current-day problem.
October 13, 2016
Willow Walk is book two in the Banktoun trilogy. I really enjoyed Black Wood and really looked forward to this one.
Set in the fictional town of Banktoun we met a couple of characters from book one, namely Davie, who is quickly thrust into another murder of a young woman on a desolate stretch of road. We know from the outset that something has gone terribly wrong in the narrative then the rest of the book cuts to the lead up. And boy what a story!! It's compelling with relationships, friendships, abuse, violence and emotional blackmail at the heart of it all. Ms Holliday has a brilliant knack of capturing the everyday whether they are situations or characters, it always feels realistic and never far fetched. Imagery, smells, nuances, personalities, settings that we don't really notice, if anything taken for granted but captured here so that you have to sit and think about them as you recall moments in your own head.
Whilst Black Wood had moments of dark humour that had me laughing out loud at times, this read more as a straighforward thriller. I actually missed the humour from the last book but given the subject matter I can fully appreciate the different approach here. Willow Walk is a very readable book that I enjoyed hugely and I am totally looking foward to book three. I'm just sorry it's going to be a trilogy.... I hope she's got something else up her sleeve!!
Highly recommend. Thanks to all those concerned for my review copy. Very much appreciated.
Set in the fictional town of Banktoun we met a couple of characters from book one, namely Davie, who is quickly thrust into another murder of a young woman on a desolate stretch of road. We know from the outset that something has gone terribly wrong in the narrative then the rest of the book cuts to the lead up. And boy what a story!! It's compelling with relationships, friendships, abuse, violence and emotional blackmail at the heart of it all. Ms Holliday has a brilliant knack of capturing the everyday whether they are situations or characters, it always feels realistic and never far fetched. Imagery, smells, nuances, personalities, settings that we don't really notice, if anything taken for granted but captured here so that you have to sit and think about them as you recall moments in your own head.
Whilst Black Wood had moments of dark humour that had me laughing out loud at times, this read more as a straighforward thriller. I actually missed the humour from the last book but given the subject matter I can fully appreciate the different approach here. Willow Walk is a very readable book that I enjoyed hugely and I am totally looking foward to book three. I'm just sorry it's going to be a trilogy.... I hope she's got something else up her sleeve!!
Highly recommend. Thanks to all those concerned for my review copy. Very much appreciated.
January 14, 2017
I’m not a huge crime fan, but loved Black Wood, so I bought Willow Walk as I really wanted to see what more this author had to give. The thing I like about these books, is despite being crime, they aren’t overly heavy on the police procedural side, which is definitely the part I find least interesting.
This author really knows how to create great characters that are believable and easy to connect with.
I don’t want to say much about the plot, so all I’ll say is I loved the opening scene of this book, where someone wakes up at a party to discover everyone else passed out around them. The story then goes back in time during the lead up to that scene. The subject matter is rather heavy and at times hard to digest, due to the horrific nature of it.
Willow Walk is a darkly disturbing and chilling crime thriller that had me reading with great interest and a sense of unease throughout.
I can’t wait to see what happens in The Damselfly, which is the third and final book in this trilogy.
This author really knows how to create great characters that are believable and easy to connect with.
I don’t want to say much about the plot, so all I’ll say is I loved the opening scene of this book, where someone wakes up at a party to discover everyone else passed out around them. The story then goes back in time during the lead up to that scene. The subject matter is rather heavy and at times hard to digest, due to the horrific nature of it.
Willow Walk is a darkly disturbing and chilling crime thriller that had me reading with great interest and a sense of unease throughout.
I can’t wait to see what happens in The Damselfly, which is the third and final book in this trilogy.
June 10, 2016
I enjoyed Black Wood and was keen to get back to Banktoun for Willow Walk. I will just say that this can be read as a standalone novel although there are little references to what happened previously, it isn’t something you feel in the dark about. Although if you haven’t read Black Wood….why not??!! These books aren’t just police procedural, they are suspenseful domestic noirs that feel like they are happening right in our own doorsteps.
The start of this book throws us right in at the deep end with someone waking up after a house party and walking through the silence of bodies crashed out on the floors and sofas to go home. But they don’t seem to realise that maybe these partygoers are a little bit too still and that the smell of vomit and booze may be masking another more sinister smell.
We’re back in Scotland again with Sergeant Davie Gray. He really isn’t having much luck with the ladies at the moment as his girlfriend Marie seems to be acting rather strangely and is unusually distant. But this may be more to do with a case he is investigating rather than his charms, well he hopes so anyway! Or does he? In the small town of Banktoun, once again things are happening a little too close to home. But this is what I really love about these books, they come with normal characters that could very well be your brother or your friend or your Aunties cousin twice removed! Davie is the perfect example of this, he knows everyone in the small town of Banktoun and everyone knows him. He is there for advice if needed and runs the small police station whilst dealing with the constant worry about closure.
I particularly liked the way that letters were used throughout the book to show us the frame of mind of Graeme. I started to dread reading each letter when it appeared as it gradually formed a picture of what had happened in Marie’s past. It was a great way of building up an insight into one of the creepiest characters I have read about in a while. He literally made my skin crawl!
SJI Holliday has created a town full of dark secrets and lies that could be any town in the UK today highlighting problems with drugs, drinking and bored teenagers. I love that the small town attitude is used to a great effect here and is a very realistic portrayal of a small Scottish community (I should know…I grew up in one!) where relationships, both work and personal, constantly collide. This is a dark, creepy story of murder and obsession that grabbed me from the very first page and has left me wanting more! This really has to be optioned for a tv series, Scotland needs a new police hero on the small screen and I think Davie Gray fits the bill perfectly!
Many thanks Black and White Publishing for my review copy which was provided in return for an unbiased review.
The start of this book throws us right in at the deep end with someone waking up after a house party and walking through the silence of bodies crashed out on the floors and sofas to go home. But they don’t seem to realise that maybe these partygoers are a little bit too still and that the smell of vomit and booze may be masking another more sinister smell.
We’re back in Scotland again with Sergeant Davie Gray. He really isn’t having much luck with the ladies at the moment as his girlfriend Marie seems to be acting rather strangely and is unusually distant. But this may be more to do with a case he is investigating rather than his charms, well he hopes so anyway! Or does he? In the small town of Banktoun, once again things are happening a little too close to home. But this is what I really love about these books, they come with normal characters that could very well be your brother or your friend or your Aunties cousin twice removed! Davie is the perfect example of this, he knows everyone in the small town of Banktoun and everyone knows him. He is there for advice if needed and runs the small police station whilst dealing with the constant worry about closure.
I particularly liked the way that letters were used throughout the book to show us the frame of mind of Graeme. I started to dread reading each letter when it appeared as it gradually formed a picture of what had happened in Marie’s past. It was a great way of building up an insight into one of the creepiest characters I have read about in a while. He literally made my skin crawl!
SJI Holliday has created a town full of dark secrets and lies that could be any town in the UK today highlighting problems with drugs, drinking and bored teenagers. I love that the small town attitude is used to a great effect here and is a very realistic portrayal of a small Scottish community (I should know…I grew up in one!) where relationships, both work and personal, constantly collide. This is a dark, creepy story of murder and obsession that grabbed me from the very first page and has left me wanting more! This really has to be optioned for a tv series, Scotland needs a new police hero on the small screen and I think Davie Gray fits the bill perfectly!
Many thanks Black and White Publishing for my review copy which was provided in return for an unbiased review.
June 8, 2016
Having opened her series with Black Wood the first of the Banktoun trilogy, SJI Holliday transports us back to this seemingly ordinary town in Willow Walk, where dark deeds and murder are afoot. In a delicious mash up of Twin Peaks meets Take The High Road, Holliday once again traps us in the claustrophobic confines of this small town, and draws us into the lives of its singularly twisted inhabitants…
Opening with what is probably the creepiest prologue I have encountered for some time, Willow Walk quickly establishes a chilling air that draws the reader in instantaneously. What Holliday balances so beautifully is the very ordinariness of this small Scottish town, with the extraordinary dark secrets and emotional tribulations that exist within the lives of its inhabitants. Consequently, she can draw in characters to a greater or lesser degree as the story unfolds, and how the events impact on the wider community. Indeed, with a flourish of authorial brilliance, Holliday has used a character that made only a fleeting appearance in the first book as one of the main characters in this one. Her characterisation is consistently superb, and shows great skill in playing with the sympathies of the reader throughout. Like Black Wood, there is a curious mix of likeable and dislikeable characters, and there’s a wonderful sense of a grey area in their motivations and desires, demonstrating how far ‘ordinary’ people can have their own morality tested by the bad situations they find themselves in.
The stalwart figure of Sergeant Davie Gray is at the epicentre of the book, ruefully observing the downsizing of his police team, and grappling with affairs of the heart in his fledgling relationship with the secretive, and obviously, emotionally damaged Marie. With an escaped mental patient on the run, of which Marie knows more than she’s telling, and the nefarious activities taking place when a travelling fair pitches up in Banktoun, Gray certainly has his work cut out in this one, but manages to retain the air of decency and professionalism that defines his character so markedly. He’s a safe pair of hands as the evils of the outside world begin to encroach on the community that he works tirelessly to protect.
The characterisation of Marie was terrific, and desperate to avoid spoilers as usual, this is a woman who undergoes the brunt of the darkness that lies within the book. I loved the way that her character veers from moments of emotional tenacity, to the depths of despair and fear, and it’s fair to say that Holliday really puts her through an emotional wringer. As we, as readers, begin to realise the weight of emotional turmoil that her former years placed her under, through the clever use of correspondence from a damaging figure in her past, her story is utterly enthralling, as is how she can possibly extricate herself again from a position of extreme danger and threat. Throughout the book, Holliday uses the other characters in a cameo form, to unveil a tale of teenage angst and the dangers of legal highs, so topical in Britain at the moment, and the protagonists ebb and flow in the book as a whole, but not to the detriment of the main narrative. It will be interesting to see which of the minor players will come to the fore in the next book, as even in a fleeting mention there are people within this book that I really want to know more about.
Once again, Holliday has weaved a tenebrous tale which is no ordinary tale of small town folk. As the extent of the depravity that Marie has experienced in her early life comes to the surface, the book attains an air of claustrophobic, psychological darkness that is both disturbing and voyeuristically intriguing, and which ultimately just keeps you reading. The extraordinary nature of Marie’s experiences work harmoniously with the very ordinary preoccupations of some of the town’s other inhabitants, and it is this balance of plot, and sterling characterisation, that makes Willow Walk such a deliciously dark and compelling read. Highly recommended.
Opening with what is probably the creepiest prologue I have encountered for some time, Willow Walk quickly establishes a chilling air that draws the reader in instantaneously. What Holliday balances so beautifully is the very ordinariness of this small Scottish town, with the extraordinary dark secrets and emotional tribulations that exist within the lives of its inhabitants. Consequently, she can draw in characters to a greater or lesser degree as the story unfolds, and how the events impact on the wider community. Indeed, with a flourish of authorial brilliance, Holliday has used a character that made only a fleeting appearance in the first book as one of the main characters in this one. Her characterisation is consistently superb, and shows great skill in playing with the sympathies of the reader throughout. Like Black Wood, there is a curious mix of likeable and dislikeable characters, and there’s a wonderful sense of a grey area in their motivations and desires, demonstrating how far ‘ordinary’ people can have their own morality tested by the bad situations they find themselves in.
The stalwart figure of Sergeant Davie Gray is at the epicentre of the book, ruefully observing the downsizing of his police team, and grappling with affairs of the heart in his fledgling relationship with the secretive, and obviously, emotionally damaged Marie. With an escaped mental patient on the run, of which Marie knows more than she’s telling, and the nefarious activities taking place when a travelling fair pitches up in Banktoun, Gray certainly has his work cut out in this one, but manages to retain the air of decency and professionalism that defines his character so markedly. He’s a safe pair of hands as the evils of the outside world begin to encroach on the community that he works tirelessly to protect.
The characterisation of Marie was terrific, and desperate to avoid spoilers as usual, this is a woman who undergoes the brunt of the darkness that lies within the book. I loved the way that her character veers from moments of emotional tenacity, to the depths of despair and fear, and it’s fair to say that Holliday really puts her through an emotional wringer. As we, as readers, begin to realise the weight of emotional turmoil that her former years placed her under, through the clever use of correspondence from a damaging figure in her past, her story is utterly enthralling, as is how she can possibly extricate herself again from a position of extreme danger and threat. Throughout the book, Holliday uses the other characters in a cameo form, to unveil a tale of teenage angst and the dangers of legal highs, so topical in Britain at the moment, and the protagonists ebb and flow in the book as a whole, but not to the detriment of the main narrative. It will be interesting to see which of the minor players will come to the fore in the next book, as even in a fleeting mention there are people within this book that I really want to know more about.
Once again, Holliday has weaved a tenebrous tale which is no ordinary tale of small town folk. As the extent of the depravity that Marie has experienced in her early life comes to the surface, the book attains an air of claustrophobic, psychological darkness that is both disturbing and voyeuristically intriguing, and which ultimately just keeps you reading. The extraordinary nature of Marie’s experiences work harmoniously with the very ordinary preoccupations of some of the town’s other inhabitants, and it is this balance of plot, and sterling characterisation, that makes Willow Walk such a deliciously dark and compelling read. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2016
I was a big fan of “Black Wood” with its evocative haunting feeling and dark dastardly goings on, so I was really looking forward to Willow Walk and well, blimey! Ms Holliday has done it again and then some…
This was creepy good. Loved it. Having a decent eye for creating characters can make all the difference between a great novel and an ok one – the characters in Willow Walk are brilliantly drawn and accessible, some we already know, some we don’t and around them the author weaves a deep and tasty twisty tale of relationship drama, criminal acts and life lessons, setting them once more in the claustrophobic small town vibe of Banktoun.
It is chilling stuff to be honest, causing the odd shiver, especially in the way that the plot is constructed, the letters are a touch of genius that just brings everything into sharp focus. I love the way the relationships are drawn, this writer is not one to back away from controversial topics, rather she faces them head on and makes you consider your own opinion, all the while telling a stonking good story that is engaging, fascinating and yes indeed a bit of a page turner. Thanks for THAT one sleepless night, but hey its worth it for the good ones.
The writing is sublime, the storyline darkly delicious with some thought provoking themes and genuinely intriguing characters. You really don’t want to miss it.
On a final note LOVE Davey. Book crush. More please.
This was creepy good. Loved it. Having a decent eye for creating characters can make all the difference between a great novel and an ok one – the characters in Willow Walk are brilliantly drawn and accessible, some we already know, some we don’t and around them the author weaves a deep and tasty twisty tale of relationship drama, criminal acts and life lessons, setting them once more in the claustrophobic small town vibe of Banktoun.
It is chilling stuff to be honest, causing the odd shiver, especially in the way that the plot is constructed, the letters are a touch of genius that just brings everything into sharp focus. I love the way the relationships are drawn, this writer is not one to back away from controversial topics, rather she faces them head on and makes you consider your own opinion, all the while telling a stonking good story that is engaging, fascinating and yes indeed a bit of a page turner. Thanks for THAT one sleepless night, but hey its worth it for the good ones.
The writing is sublime, the storyline darkly delicious with some thought provoking themes and genuinely intriguing characters. You really don’t want to miss it.
On a final note LOVE Davey. Book crush. More please.
June 14, 2016
Willow Walk is the second novel in the Banktoun trilogy, Black Wood being the first.
Black Wood was a really enjoyable novel that was dark and steeped with lies and secrets. Well I am pleased to say we get all that again in Willow Walk but there is also an added creepiness about this book which I loved.
The story tends to alternate between the story itself and letters sent from Graeme to his sister. These letters really creeped me out. You can tell who ever this Graeme is, has some serious issues and the letters really don’t make for pleasant reading at all!
It was great to meet back up with Davie again as he was one of my favourite characters from the first novel. He certainly seems to have his plate full with a dead body turning up, escaped inmate and illegal highs, it wouldn’t be so bad if things were good in his personal life, but unfortunately they don’t seem to be going great either.
Even though I love a good old detective crime series, what I love about this trilogy is that the police work tends to be more in the back ground. It very much focuses on the residents of Banktoun instead. I think this makes it more engaging to the reader as I very much could feel what Laura and Marie especially were going through.
The main storyline of Graeme and his sister really grabs you by the throat. It’s hard to say to much without giving some of the story away but what I will say was that it takes a lot to shock me but shock me it did. It certainly left me with chills going up and down my spine.
Even though this is the second novel in a trilogy, I think it works very well as a stand alone novel though it is great getting to know Davie especially in Black Wood.
Willow Walk is a dark and shocking read that will chill you to the bone. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Black & White Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Black Wood was a really enjoyable novel that was dark and steeped with lies and secrets. Well I am pleased to say we get all that again in Willow Walk but there is also an added creepiness about this book which I loved.
The story tends to alternate between the story itself and letters sent from Graeme to his sister. These letters really creeped me out. You can tell who ever this Graeme is, has some serious issues and the letters really don’t make for pleasant reading at all!
It was great to meet back up with Davie again as he was one of my favourite characters from the first novel. He certainly seems to have his plate full with a dead body turning up, escaped inmate and illegal highs, it wouldn’t be so bad if things were good in his personal life, but unfortunately they don’t seem to be going great either.
Even though I love a good old detective crime series, what I love about this trilogy is that the police work tends to be more in the back ground. It very much focuses on the residents of Banktoun instead. I think this makes it more engaging to the reader as I very much could feel what Laura and Marie especially were going through.
The main storyline of Graeme and his sister really grabs you by the throat. It’s hard to say to much without giving some of the story away but what I will say was that it takes a lot to shock me but shock me it did. It certainly left me with chills going up and down my spine.
Even though this is the second novel in a trilogy, I think it works very well as a stand alone novel though it is great getting to know Davie especially in Black Wood.
Willow Walk is a dark and shocking read that will chill you to the bone. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Black & White Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2016
S J I Holliday does it again with another brilliant crimey psychological thriller set in fictional Scottish Banktoun. I really loved her first - Black Wood - but this is even better: powerful, compelling and utterly realistic. Holliday has an enviable knack for creating characters you can totally believe in, and plots that are both satisfying and unpredictable. Pacey and compelling from the outset, this tale of obsession and dark secrets deserves to place its author in the top ranks of the UK crime-writing world.
Read
May 27, 2016This is the first book I've read by SJI Holliday and I'll certainly be reading more. Willow Walk is set in Banktoun, a fictional small town in Scotland and the story revolves around three main characters - Marie Bloomfield, DS Davie Gray and a sixteen year old girl called Laura. Each storyline is compelling and I found myself frantically turning the pages to find out how they were connected. As the novel progresses dark secrets are revealed and there's a growing sense of menace. I won't give away the ending but will say that all three storylines converge in a shocking and breath-taking way. I hugely enjoyed Willow Walk and can't wait to read whatever SJI Holliday writes next.
May 7, 2016
Holliday has done it again, she has created characters who are believable and relatable, and shrouded them in a dark suffocating psychological thriller that has you gripped from start to finish.
Small town settings are wonderful places for crime fiction and Holliday certainly makes the most of it. I loved meeting a couple of characters I already knew and I definitely enjoyed meeting the new ones. Though some you really wouldn't want to meet on a dark street. A great read!
With thanks to the author and publisher for my copy.
Small town settings are wonderful places for crime fiction and Holliday certainly makes the most of it. I loved meeting a couple of characters I already knew and I definitely enjoyed meeting the new ones. Though some you really wouldn't want to meet on a dark street. A great read!
With thanks to the author and publisher for my copy.
July 2, 2016
Chilling, creepy and compelling! Truly loved this book, once I started it I couldn't wait to see what happened throughout the story but didn't want it to end! Kept me totally intrigued all the way through. Lots of believable characters and a dark secret thats just so mind blowing! Haven't read this author before but I will definetly be looking for her work in the future. Thank you to The Book Club for the opportunity to review this book in return for an honest review.
March 26, 2018
Very good story, set in a small town in Scotland. Something awful was about to happen and the suspense held all the way to the end of the story. Must read more by this author.
March 18, 2017
I had read Books 1 and 3 of the 'Banktoun' books so I thought I should go back & read book 2. I was glad I did.
In many ways it is the story of what happens when 'good' people decide to try & solve things and end up with unforeseen and tragic circumstances. The author is very good at creating likable believable characters and making you care about what happens to them. I also really like the setting as I find it easy to visualise and it becomes part of the story.
I think S.J.I. Holliday gets better & better. I enjoyed this one but I thought 'The Damselfly' (Book 3) was even better.
In many ways it is the story of what happens when 'good' people decide to try & solve things and end up with unforeseen and tragic circumstances. The author is very good at creating likable believable characters and making you care about what happens to them. I also really like the setting as I find it easy to visualise and it becomes part of the story.
I think S.J.I. Holliday gets better & better. I enjoyed this one but I thought 'The Damselfly' (Book 3) was even better.
June 17, 2016
I came to this book without having read the first in the series but I don't think that it's necessary as this works well as a stand alone novel.
You are caught up in this book and its characters from the outset, by a mysterious and creepy prologue which keeps you guessing throughout the rest of the book. From there we are taken through the events which led up to this chilling scene. As Marie's story unfolds I kept veering from profound sympathy to horror at some of her choices, if this had been on tv I think I would have been shouting at the screen on several occasions.
This is a well written spine chiller with some deeply flawed characters and the pace is perfect for the build up of the suspense. I loved Davie and wanted to give him a big hug, I hope that he features in the next book as I will be looking out for it.
Thank you to TBC on FB and the author for giving me this arc in return for an honest review.
You are caught up in this book and its characters from the outset, by a mysterious and creepy prologue which keeps you guessing throughout the rest of the book. From there we are taken through the events which led up to this chilling scene. As Marie's story unfolds I kept veering from profound sympathy to horror at some of her choices, if this had been on tv I think I would have been shouting at the screen on several occasions.
This is a well written spine chiller with some deeply flawed characters and the pace is perfect for the build up of the suspense. I loved Davie and wanted to give him a big hug, I hope that he features in the next book as I will be looking out for it.
Thank you to TBC on FB and the author for giving me this arc in return for an honest review.
June 22, 2016
After enjoying Black Wood I was looking forward to reading Willow Walk and I'd like to thank TBConFB and publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.
What I loved about Black Wood AND Willow Walk is that they are so real - the towns, the characters and the storyline all feel realistic. Willow Walk has the topical thread of the dangers of Legal Highs running through it which is highly publicise at the moment.
I love Davie and his character and approach to his police work - again extremely plausible and you can actually imagine him as your local Bobby!
Willow Walk is more than just a police procedural, it is a story of family dynamics, domestic noir and thought provoking plot around drug use in younger generation.
The prologue throws you straight in at the deep end and so from the start you know what you are up against, the rest of the book is a psychological dark build up to the climax.
Highly recommended
What I loved about Black Wood AND Willow Walk is that they are so real - the towns, the characters and the storyline all feel realistic. Willow Walk has the topical thread of the dangers of Legal Highs running through it which is highly publicise at the moment.
I love Davie and his character and approach to his police work - again extremely plausible and you can actually imagine him as your local Bobby!
Willow Walk is more than just a police procedural, it is a story of family dynamics, domestic noir and thought provoking plot around drug use in younger generation.
The prologue throws you straight in at the deep end and so from the start you know what you are up against, the rest of the book is a psychological dark build up to the climax.
Highly recommended
August 15, 2016
Sure to be a popular read - this second novel by SJI Holliday is a fine follow up to her debut of Blackwood. The story of Bankstoun's citizens who are struggling with their past and their futures along with a possible killer on the loose in the town. Follow Marie's story as she is confronted with her traumatic past and how the decisions she makes lead to a unforgettable conclusion.
SJI's novel is faced paced with well drawn characters. Those who enjoy a well tensioned thriller will be well pleased with this story. Check it out!
SJI's novel is faced paced with well drawn characters. Those who enjoy a well tensioned thriller will be well pleased with this story. Check it out!
Read
December 9, 2019I enjoyed the build up of tension in the first half and thought it was well written.
I think Davey has potential as a series character (and the last few pages of this novel seemed to cue his next story). I'll be happy to give number three a go.
I think Davey has potential as a series character (and the last few pages of this novel seemed to cue his next story). I'll be happy to give number three a go.
December 15, 2016
She bangs the door shut. Hard. Starts walking. Fast. Something pings at her. Get away from here. You need to get away. Behind her in the house, no one flinches. No one stirs. No one breathes.
And so begins SJI Holliday's second book in her Banktoun series. As if the cover isn't eerie enough. Fairgrounds - like clowns - are atmospheric and foreboding places and it immediately sets the mood of the book. With "Willow Walk" Holliday has written a great crime detective story with prose that is at times deeply unsettling and unnerving.
"Willow Walk" has three threads with three central protagonists and a few more important characters circling around. It is set in Banktoun, a small fictional town in Scotland and centres on Marie, DS Davie Gray and 16 year old Laura. At first the link between Laura and Marie's stories seems unrelated but as the novel continues, Holliday cleverly intertwines the plots to a climatic finale.
DS Gray is investigating an increase in local drug crime amongst the teenagers - particularly a new drug that has catastrophic effects which has caused several deaths. Then a woman is brutally attacked by an escaped inmate from a psychiatric hospital and suddenly DC Gray finds himself swept up the hunt to track down this dangerous man. As the novel develops, Holliday uses the drug crime storyline and the psychiatric hospital to explore themes of addiction, dependency, vulnerability, obsession and madness in various different guises and through various different characters. I found this really effective and it added another depth to the story.
Laura is 16 and in love with Mark. They get together at the fairground which is a fantastic backdrop to capture the hazy, aphrodisiac kind of illusion of true love which almost hypnotises Laura and certainly drags her under some kind of spell.
"The tingle hits her hard, shoots down her spine and there's a moment: dance music blaring out all around them, shrieks and laughter, the pop of rifles, the ringing of bells, the mingling scents of hot dogs and candy floss, the thick smell of engine oil from the ancient rides, the thumps of the engine dodgems bumping each other...it all swirls around them both.......lost in a daze."
Laura is a likeable character. An impressionable age; falling in love for the first time, taking new risks and in the transition to adulthood. Led by desire, her perception of events is unreliable and her vulnerability is clear to the reader as we try to figure out just how good to be true this Mark really is. There's a great passage when Laura visits a fortune teller at the fair and during her reading the fortune teller starts to stammer and fall over her words, trying "to rub them all together, removing the pattern and the story they've told...." Holliday creates a really palpable sense of impending doom but we are as quick to dismiss it as Laura. She has found love. She is safe.
But soon we see things are not as they seem and Laura is propelled into a much more threatening and dangerous situation that arises from a series of coincidences, revelations and intertwining relationships as the characters story lines begin to impact on one another.
The passages about the fairground are highly memorable. Holliday conveys the 'epileptic' flashing lights, the smells, the confusion, euphoria, shrill screams, tinny music, colour and artificial vibrancy of a fairground effortlessly in a way that not only transports you to that place but also haunts you. These glimmers of dreamlike prose sprinkle a kind of supernatural feel over some of the pages which I liked. Holliday effectively controls the balance in her voice between a gritty realism, violent, graphic crime scenes and mesmerising prose.
I was most fascinated by Marie though. We soon realise that she too is perhaps not as reliable as we thought. As Davie begins to delve deeper into his investigation, he also becomes anxious of her strange behaviour. There is clearly a terrible back story to discover here - and my goodness, aren't we desperate to have it revealed to us! She is introverted, a victim, unhappy, stressed. As her past is referred to more fully, Holliday restrains from falling into a gratuitous detail but still the revelations are deeply harrowing.
But then at times, Marie is unable to help herself and her behaviour to us as the rational bystanders is perhaps harder to understand. However her relationships with her brother is tremendously complicated. Holliday really exploits this idea of secrets, shame, obsession, love and sibling relationships and makes it a compelling aspect of the book.
By the end of the book I was full of questions about her and as chilled by her behaviour as her brother Graeme's. Graeme is also a very well developed character. He is as unnerving and terrifying as some of the greatest psychopaths in thriller fiction. His letters, which are inserted between chapters, are so menacing that they really put the reader on edge or even high alert as we can barely watch to see his role in the story unfold.
My absolutely favourite part was Chapter 35. This was some of the most beautiful description I have read in a crime thriller. It was so absorbing. I could feel the weight of silence, see the camera's panoramic sweep of the room, felt completely mesmerised by the words painting such a visually intriguing scene and was totally wrapped up in the moment. The sense of unnatural calm, stillness and silence was hugely evocative. There are some scenes in the book which literally linger in the air and make the reader feel like they have pressed the pause button on a film so they have a chance to really look around and take in every detail of the devastation around them.
There's a lot to think about in "Willow Walk". There are themes of siblings, relationships, violation, innocence, bonds, addiction, drugs and madness. Some of the themes and ideas crept up on me and left me pondering for a few days after. Some of the scenes came back to me like mini flashbacks of a bad dream in the time after I'd out the book away. It's like a film that will stays in your head long after you've finished watching the rolling credits. Particularly as Holliday plants a few clues in the epilogue hinting at the next instalment in the Banktoun series.
I really enjoyed "Willow Walk". I liked the writing style a lot and I liked the various different characters and how they interacted together. I read "Black Wood" a long time ago and although "Willow Walk" is the next instalment, it equally works as a stand alone and doesn't need to be read in sequence.
And so begins SJI Holliday's second book in her Banktoun series. As if the cover isn't eerie enough. Fairgrounds - like clowns - are atmospheric and foreboding places and it immediately sets the mood of the book. With "Willow Walk" Holliday has written a great crime detective story with prose that is at times deeply unsettling and unnerving.
"Willow Walk" has three threads with three central protagonists and a few more important characters circling around. It is set in Banktoun, a small fictional town in Scotland and centres on Marie, DS Davie Gray and 16 year old Laura. At first the link between Laura and Marie's stories seems unrelated but as the novel continues, Holliday cleverly intertwines the plots to a climatic finale.
DS Gray is investigating an increase in local drug crime amongst the teenagers - particularly a new drug that has catastrophic effects which has caused several deaths. Then a woman is brutally attacked by an escaped inmate from a psychiatric hospital and suddenly DC Gray finds himself swept up the hunt to track down this dangerous man. As the novel develops, Holliday uses the drug crime storyline and the psychiatric hospital to explore themes of addiction, dependency, vulnerability, obsession and madness in various different guises and through various different characters. I found this really effective and it added another depth to the story.
Laura is 16 and in love with Mark. They get together at the fairground which is a fantastic backdrop to capture the hazy, aphrodisiac kind of illusion of true love which almost hypnotises Laura and certainly drags her under some kind of spell.
"The tingle hits her hard, shoots down her spine and there's a moment: dance music blaring out all around them, shrieks and laughter, the pop of rifles, the ringing of bells, the mingling scents of hot dogs and candy floss, the thick smell of engine oil from the ancient rides, the thumps of the engine dodgems bumping each other...it all swirls around them both.......lost in a daze."
Laura is a likeable character. An impressionable age; falling in love for the first time, taking new risks and in the transition to adulthood. Led by desire, her perception of events is unreliable and her vulnerability is clear to the reader as we try to figure out just how good to be true this Mark really is. There's a great passage when Laura visits a fortune teller at the fair and during her reading the fortune teller starts to stammer and fall over her words, trying "to rub them all together, removing the pattern and the story they've told...." Holliday creates a really palpable sense of impending doom but we are as quick to dismiss it as Laura. She has found love. She is safe.
But soon we see things are not as they seem and Laura is propelled into a much more threatening and dangerous situation that arises from a series of coincidences, revelations and intertwining relationships as the characters story lines begin to impact on one another.
The passages about the fairground are highly memorable. Holliday conveys the 'epileptic' flashing lights, the smells, the confusion, euphoria, shrill screams, tinny music, colour and artificial vibrancy of a fairground effortlessly in a way that not only transports you to that place but also haunts you. These glimmers of dreamlike prose sprinkle a kind of supernatural feel over some of the pages which I liked. Holliday effectively controls the balance in her voice between a gritty realism, violent, graphic crime scenes and mesmerising prose.
I was most fascinated by Marie though. We soon realise that she too is perhaps not as reliable as we thought. As Davie begins to delve deeper into his investigation, he also becomes anxious of her strange behaviour. There is clearly a terrible back story to discover here - and my goodness, aren't we desperate to have it revealed to us! She is introverted, a victim, unhappy, stressed. As her past is referred to more fully, Holliday restrains from falling into a gratuitous detail but still the revelations are deeply harrowing.
But then at times, Marie is unable to help herself and her behaviour to us as the rational bystanders is perhaps harder to understand. However her relationships with her brother is tremendously complicated. Holliday really exploits this idea of secrets, shame, obsession, love and sibling relationships and makes it a compelling aspect of the book.
By the end of the book I was full of questions about her and as chilled by her behaviour as her brother Graeme's. Graeme is also a very well developed character. He is as unnerving and terrifying as some of the greatest psychopaths in thriller fiction. His letters, which are inserted between chapters, are so menacing that they really put the reader on edge or even high alert as we can barely watch to see his role in the story unfold.
My absolutely favourite part was Chapter 35. This was some of the most beautiful description I have read in a crime thriller. It was so absorbing. I could feel the weight of silence, see the camera's panoramic sweep of the room, felt completely mesmerised by the words painting such a visually intriguing scene and was totally wrapped up in the moment. The sense of unnatural calm, stillness and silence was hugely evocative. There are some scenes in the book which literally linger in the air and make the reader feel like they have pressed the pause button on a film so they have a chance to really look around and take in every detail of the devastation around them.
There's a lot to think about in "Willow Walk". There are themes of siblings, relationships, violation, innocence, bonds, addiction, drugs and madness. Some of the themes and ideas crept up on me and left me pondering for a few days after. Some of the scenes came back to me like mini flashbacks of a bad dream in the time after I'd out the book away. It's like a film that will stays in your head long after you've finished watching the rolling credits. Particularly as Holliday plants a few clues in the epilogue hinting at the next instalment in the Banktoun series.
I really enjoyed "Willow Walk". I liked the writing style a lot and I liked the various different characters and how they interacted together. I read "Black Wood" a long time ago and although "Willow Walk" is the next instalment, it equally works as a stand alone and doesn't need to be read in sequence.
January 9, 2017
Well, any misgivings I had from book one have been blasted away from this book. As a reader, I can really see the way that this author has matured since her debut with this, the second book in the Banktoun Trilogy.
This book can be read as a standalone as the main story is self contained but, to get the best from it, it would be better to have read Black Wood first. We pick up several characters from book one here and even though enough backstory is explained for things to make sense, it's always better to get the big picture. Also, Black Wood is a good read so why wouldn't you?
The book opens with a rather disturbing scene. Someone wakes up at a house party to find everyone else dead. What has happened? More interestingly, for me anyway, why has this person been spared?
We then switch over to follow Davie Gray the Police Sergeant for the village of Banktoun. After the shenanigans of book one, he is concentrating on his personal life and is currently seeing Marie. Things are not all rosy in their life at the moment though and he is not sure if she is cooling off him or if there is something on her mind. He has too much time to think though as work is quiet so he has been assisting detecting by doing grunt work for them on legal highs that have been doing the rounds. But, it's the quiet before the storm as Davie is soon to find out. And boy what a storm it turns out to be. The fair is also in town but it's another kind of thrilling ride that we end up with.
It was so good to return to the wonderful village of Banktoun although, to be honest, I was only away overnight as I re-read Black Wood only the day before starting this one! I really love the brilliantly atmospheric village that Ms Holliday has created. It is one of those settings that is so front and centre that I would definitely consider it to be a character in the book along with the people!
Unlike Jo from book one, I warmed to Marie much better. As we find out in the book, she has been through so much in her life before moving to Banktoun, desperate to escape her past. Sadly for her, in this book, her past catches up with her and she is put through the emotional wringer once again as she receives a letter from someone she thought she had escaped from. This letter puts her on a path she is unable to veer from, even though she has people in her new life that can help her, she feels unable to share her past as she is unwilling to expose herself for fear of rejection. Something I think most people can relate to albeit with secrets nowhere near as bad as Marie's. She really did tug at my heartstrings at times and I found myself getting quite emotionally invested in her plight. Also, I felt quite sorry for Davie as he couldn't understand her blowing hot and cold all the time. But then he didn't help himself as he also learned things that he could have broached with her. Suffice to say, their reluctance to communicate culminated in a rather exciting climax that left me rather shocked.
As with book one, we have quite a few characters here, some of whom we already knew from Black Wood so that made things a lot easier for me to follow. We also have letters every so often, written from Graeme to Marie. These are rather sinister in nature as, due to circumstances, they never reached their final destination. We also have flashbacks which made for some very uncomfortable reading at times. It's a very hard hitting book, shocking and chilling throughout.
Davie has his hands full too as he is helping investigate the murder of a woman as well as trying to stop the legal highs that are becoming rife in his area. We also revisit Laura who is embarking on her first relationship with Mark. Things also don't quite go right for these two young lovers as Mark becomes caught up with a lad at the fairground. Sounds like a very busy book, well it is, equally as with Black Wood, we have a lot going on aside from the main story here. In this book, the author has matured so much with her writing that these threads weave themselves seamlessly around each other and meander along until they all come together at the end, culminating in a very satisfying ending. I left the book breathless but completely sated.
I have been extremely fortunate to have snaffled an advance copy of the final book in this trilogy. Having loved my starter and my main course, I can't wait to see what Ms Holliday serves me up for pudding. I'm putting the coffee on in anticipation!
This book can be read as a standalone as the main story is self contained but, to get the best from it, it would be better to have read Black Wood first. We pick up several characters from book one here and even though enough backstory is explained for things to make sense, it's always better to get the big picture. Also, Black Wood is a good read so why wouldn't you?
The book opens with a rather disturbing scene. Someone wakes up at a house party to find everyone else dead. What has happened? More interestingly, for me anyway, why has this person been spared?
We then switch over to follow Davie Gray the Police Sergeant for the village of Banktoun. After the shenanigans of book one, he is concentrating on his personal life and is currently seeing Marie. Things are not all rosy in their life at the moment though and he is not sure if she is cooling off him or if there is something on her mind. He has too much time to think though as work is quiet so he has been assisting detecting by doing grunt work for them on legal highs that have been doing the rounds. But, it's the quiet before the storm as Davie is soon to find out. And boy what a storm it turns out to be. The fair is also in town but it's another kind of thrilling ride that we end up with.
It was so good to return to the wonderful village of Banktoun although, to be honest, I was only away overnight as I re-read Black Wood only the day before starting this one! I really love the brilliantly atmospheric village that Ms Holliday has created. It is one of those settings that is so front and centre that I would definitely consider it to be a character in the book along with the people!
Unlike Jo from book one, I warmed to Marie much better. As we find out in the book, she has been through so much in her life before moving to Banktoun, desperate to escape her past. Sadly for her, in this book, her past catches up with her and she is put through the emotional wringer once again as she receives a letter from someone she thought she had escaped from. This letter puts her on a path she is unable to veer from, even though she has people in her new life that can help her, she feels unable to share her past as she is unwilling to expose herself for fear of rejection. Something I think most people can relate to albeit with secrets nowhere near as bad as Marie's. She really did tug at my heartstrings at times and I found myself getting quite emotionally invested in her plight. Also, I felt quite sorry for Davie as he couldn't understand her blowing hot and cold all the time. But then he didn't help himself as he also learned things that he could have broached with her. Suffice to say, their reluctance to communicate culminated in a rather exciting climax that left me rather shocked.
As with book one, we have quite a few characters here, some of whom we already knew from Black Wood so that made things a lot easier for me to follow. We also have letters every so often, written from Graeme to Marie. These are rather sinister in nature as, due to circumstances, they never reached their final destination. We also have flashbacks which made for some very uncomfortable reading at times. It's a very hard hitting book, shocking and chilling throughout.
Davie has his hands full too as he is helping investigate the murder of a woman as well as trying to stop the legal highs that are becoming rife in his area. We also revisit Laura who is embarking on her first relationship with Mark. Things also don't quite go right for these two young lovers as Mark becomes caught up with a lad at the fairground. Sounds like a very busy book, well it is, equally as with Black Wood, we have a lot going on aside from the main story here. In this book, the author has matured so much with her writing that these threads weave themselves seamlessly around each other and meander along until they all come together at the end, culminating in a very satisfying ending. I left the book breathless but completely sated.
I have been extremely fortunate to have snaffled an advance copy of the final book in this trilogy. Having loved my starter and my main course, I can't wait to see what Ms Holliday serves me up for pudding. I'm putting the coffee on in anticipation!
April 13, 2017
A modern day crime novel that doesn't get bogged down with police procedure but has all the energy and pace you'd expect from the genre. It's very edgy and dark with a sinister and creepy character that will stay with you long after you've read.
SJI Holiday knows how to create suspense as she leaves you hanging at the end of every chapter, painting vivid pictures in your mind as to what is going to happen next.
I loved it.
SJI Holiday knows how to create suspense as she leaves you hanging at the end of every chapter, painting vivid pictures in your mind as to what is going to happen next.
I loved it.
April 10, 2017
Excellent! Another great book in this series - I love Davie Gray and I love Banktoun!
October 9, 2016
Sergeant Davie Gray has an embryonic relationship with Marie Bloomfield but Marie has a past that will come back to haunt her.
I have a confession to make. Black Wood by SJI Holliday has been languishing on my ‘To Be Read’ pile for over a year and I haven’t got round to reading it. Having devoured Willow Walk in day that I simply had to put on hold until I’d finished it, I’ll be digging out Black Wood immediately. I’m sure there are Banktoun nuances I’ve missed by not having read Black Wood, but Willow Walk is fantastic as a stand alone book.
By the end of the prologue my heart was racing and it didn’t slow down until well after I’d read the last word. This is thriller writing at its best. It’s taut, pacy and heart-thumpingly good. What is so effective is what isn’t said as well as what is. SJI Holliday knows exactly how to build suspense by drip-feeding information so that the reader’s imagination runs riot. I found the build up sinister and I was unnerved by the letters from Graeme that intersperse the narrative, bringing him into sharp focus.
I found the tightly knit community of Banktoun as claustrophobic as Marie’s habit of holding her breath under water when she goes swimming. What also held my attention so effectively is that Davie Gray isn’t a policeman with deep psychological issues of his own as in so many crime based novels and this made Willow Walk a refreshing and captivating story for me. There’s quite a range of characters but they are all skilfully linked either through the main or sub-plot which weave in and out and complement one another perfectly.
Willow Walk also made me think as much as it entertained me. Love is explored in all its passions and frailties so that I was left questioning whether I felt repulsion or sorrow for Graeme. Similarly, I felt almost guilty about the way our society deals with the production, distribution and use of legal (or herbal) highs, how we treat those with a range of mental health issues, how our institutions succeed or fail because of the integrity of their staff. There’s so much in this novel that I think it will repay several reads and there will always be more to uncover. This is such intelligent writing.
Speaking of writing, SJI Holliday’s narrative style is incredible. Her dialogue is natural and the range of sentences give tension and atmosphere. She can pivot the whole plot on a couple of words. Stunning stuff.
Willow Walk is just how I like my crime fiction – the psychological elements far outweigh the police procedural ones so that I feel as tainted by the criminals as those in the book who come into contact with them. I can’t recommend Willow Walk highly enough.
I have a confession to make. Black Wood by SJI Holliday has been languishing on my ‘To Be Read’ pile for over a year and I haven’t got round to reading it. Having devoured Willow Walk in day that I simply had to put on hold until I’d finished it, I’ll be digging out Black Wood immediately. I’m sure there are Banktoun nuances I’ve missed by not having read Black Wood, but Willow Walk is fantastic as a stand alone book.
By the end of the prologue my heart was racing and it didn’t slow down until well after I’d read the last word. This is thriller writing at its best. It’s taut, pacy and heart-thumpingly good. What is so effective is what isn’t said as well as what is. SJI Holliday knows exactly how to build suspense by drip-feeding information so that the reader’s imagination runs riot. I found the build up sinister and I was unnerved by the letters from Graeme that intersperse the narrative, bringing him into sharp focus.
I found the tightly knit community of Banktoun as claustrophobic as Marie’s habit of holding her breath under water when she goes swimming. What also held my attention so effectively is that Davie Gray isn’t a policeman with deep psychological issues of his own as in so many crime based novels and this made Willow Walk a refreshing and captivating story for me. There’s quite a range of characters but they are all skilfully linked either through the main or sub-plot which weave in and out and complement one another perfectly.
Willow Walk also made me think as much as it entertained me. Love is explored in all its passions and frailties so that I was left questioning whether I felt repulsion or sorrow for Graeme. Similarly, I felt almost guilty about the way our society deals with the production, distribution and use of legal (or herbal) highs, how we treat those with a range of mental health issues, how our institutions succeed or fail because of the integrity of their staff. There’s so much in this novel that I think it will repay several reads and there will always be more to uncover. This is such intelligent writing.
Speaking of writing, SJI Holliday’s narrative style is incredible. Her dialogue is natural and the range of sentences give tension and atmosphere. She can pivot the whole plot on a couple of words. Stunning stuff.
Willow Walk is just how I like my crime fiction – the psychological elements far outweigh the police procedural ones so that I feel as tainted by the criminals as those in the book who come into contact with them. I can’t recommend Willow Walk highly enough.
July 1, 2016
Willow Walk is book 2 in the Banktoun Trilogy written by the very talented SJI Holliday. I read Black Wood, the first in the trilogy last year and enjoyed it. Willow Walk is however, in my opinion, the superior book. I’m very much looking forward to the third instalment to discover if ill-fated Banktoun can take much more!
Sergeant Davie Gray is called to the ICU following the brutal attack of an unknown woman. He doesn’t understand why he’s called but he begrudgingly goes. Only when he arrives at the hospital does he realise that the victim bears a staggering resemblance to his girlfriend, Marie. He’s not there to assist in the case as he first thought, he’s there for identification purposes. Thankfully it’s not Marie but she is acting strangely; pushing him away and drinking more than usual. What secrets is Marie hiding and why is she so cagey about the letters hidden in her kitchen cupboard? Can Davie work out what implications Marie’s past has on their future and the lives of their friends…?
I was drawn in to this book straight away by the incredibly creepy prologue. I had to find out more! Who was this woman and how had she ended up here, surrounded by total devastation at a drink and drug fuelled party? From there the story builds filling in the gaps so that events start to make more sense. I felt at times that there was a lot going on but it was still easy to follow and everything is beautifully tied up at the end.
Some of the themes are quite upsetting but SJI Holliday has done a terrific job of setting the scene without going too far. It is quite an uncomfortable and unsettling read in places so be warned. I had a sense of foreboding (introduced by that creepy prologue) from the start, which didn’t leave me until I closed the back cover and took a deep calming breath.
Would I recommend this book? If you’re looking for a character driven psychological thriller then I most certainly would. It’s a cracking read, very compelling and cleverly written by Susi Holliday.
Four out of five stars.
Many thanks to THE Book Club on Facebook (TBC), the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Willow Walk in exchange for an honest review.
Sergeant Davie Gray is called to the ICU following the brutal attack of an unknown woman. He doesn’t understand why he’s called but he begrudgingly goes. Only when he arrives at the hospital does he realise that the victim bears a staggering resemblance to his girlfriend, Marie. He’s not there to assist in the case as he first thought, he’s there for identification purposes. Thankfully it’s not Marie but she is acting strangely; pushing him away and drinking more than usual. What secrets is Marie hiding and why is she so cagey about the letters hidden in her kitchen cupboard? Can Davie work out what implications Marie’s past has on their future and the lives of their friends…?
I was drawn in to this book straight away by the incredibly creepy prologue. I had to find out more! Who was this woman and how had she ended up here, surrounded by total devastation at a drink and drug fuelled party? From there the story builds filling in the gaps so that events start to make more sense. I felt at times that there was a lot going on but it was still easy to follow and everything is beautifully tied up at the end.
Some of the themes are quite upsetting but SJI Holliday has done a terrific job of setting the scene without going too far. It is quite an uncomfortable and unsettling read in places so be warned. I had a sense of foreboding (introduced by that creepy prologue) from the start, which didn’t leave me until I closed the back cover and took a deep calming breath.
Would I recommend this book? If you’re looking for a character driven psychological thriller then I most certainly would. It’s a cracking read, very compelling and cleverly written by Susi Holliday.
Four out of five stars.
Many thanks to THE Book Club on Facebook (TBC), the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Willow Walk in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2016
I must start by thanking TBC and the author for letting letting me review this fab story. I awarded five stars as I really enjoyed it, was hooked from start to finish and felt like I was in the story myself. I would highly recommend this story to you all! It is well written, contains short chapters and will hold your attention until the end. This is another story which focuses on a set a twins, which I personally enjoy reading stories about twins it is a subject that I have always been interested in and this story did not disappoint me! There have been many great reviews published for this story so if you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Willow Walk would make the perfect story for readers who enjoy a brilliant thriller, mystery, suspense, crime and drama filled story. I also think it would appeal to young adult readers as this stories does have parties, drugs, alcohol, boyfriends/girlfriends and a fair. We have all been young once haven't we?
Think I have found a new author to indulge in. This is the first book I have read by SJI Holliday. Enjoy, I loved it.
Think I have found a new author to indulge in. This is the first book I have read by SJI Holliday. Enjoy, I loved it.
May 5, 2016
Willow Walk is a gripping read from start to finish. It begins with a terrifying incident at a party that really built up the tension straightaway and threw me straight into the plot. I could feel my skin prickling, and my pulse racing, as I read that first chapter, with its very vivid narrative.
Willow Walk covers many themes. It's a story of running from the past, sibling love, legal highs and tragic events in the usually quiet town of Banktoun. I enjoyed Black Wood, Susi Holliday's first book. But with Willow Walk, she has definitely upped her game. Her characters are sharply developed, her plot slick and her writing concise. This is a fast-paced read, with fewer subplots than her previous novel.
Willow Walk is creepy and tense and covers some highly emotive contemporary issues. It kept me intrigued all the way through.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Willow Walk covers many themes. It's a story of running from the past, sibling love, legal highs and tragic events in the usually quiet town of Banktoun. I enjoyed Black Wood, Susi Holliday's first book. But with Willow Walk, she has definitely upped her game. Her characters are sharply developed, her plot slick and her writing concise. This is a fast-paced read, with fewer subplots than her previous novel.
Willow Walk is creepy and tense and covers some highly emotive contemporary issues. It kept me intrigued all the way through.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2016
I would like to thank my book club and the author for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest and open review.
I read and enjoyed "Black Wood", which is the first in the Banktoun series. This, in my opinion is even better. I didn't just read it I devoured it!
I was great to meet up with old friends, particularly DS Davie Gray. He's such a likeable character.
"Willow Walk" hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the final page.
There are twists and turns and many secrets are revealed, some more unexpected than others. Once revealed, however, you definitely have an OMG moment.
This is a book that will make your heart beat faster and at times you'll have to remind yourself to breathe!
This is a true psychological thriller and I'd definitely recommend it.
I'm looking forward to book 3.
I read and enjoyed "Black Wood", which is the first in the Banktoun series. This, in my opinion is even better. I didn't just read it I devoured it!
I was great to meet up with old friends, particularly DS Davie Gray. He's such a likeable character.
"Willow Walk" hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the final page.
There are twists and turns and many secrets are revealed, some more unexpected than others. Once revealed, however, you definitely have an OMG moment.
This is a book that will make your heart beat faster and at times you'll have to remind yourself to breathe!
This is a true psychological thriller and I'd definitely recommend it.
I'm looking forward to book 3.
May 6, 2016
Wow! Get it but be warned once you pick it up you won't want to put it down! This has to be a personal record to read a book! Thanks SJI !
This is another excellently written page-turner from Susi. A true nail-biter.
I'd read the first in a matter of days despite having a day job and read this one in a similar time frame, consuming hundreds of pages sometimes in one sitting. That speaks volumes for me about the fluid way in which the narrative flows, alternating between Davie and Marie and 'the letters' she receives. The letters that keep appearing in the novel add to the ultimate creepiness of this story.
I highly recommend this chilling novel - it has suspense, thrills and it gave me the creeps. A thoroughly good read. 5 Stars for Willow Walk
This is another excellently written page-turner from Susi. A true nail-biter.
I'd read the first in a matter of days despite having a day job and read this one in a similar time frame, consuming hundreds of pages sometimes in one sitting. That speaks volumes for me about the fluid way in which the narrative flows, alternating between Davie and Marie and 'the letters' she receives. The letters that keep appearing in the novel add to the ultimate creepiness of this story.
I highly recommend this chilling novel - it has suspense, thrills and it gave me the creeps. A thoroughly good read. 5 Stars for Willow Walk
June 15, 2016
You know an author has got it just right when a character is giving you the creeps so much that you don't want to read more but you can't stop yourself. Graeme is such a creep that you almost want to boo and hiss in pantomime style when he makes an appearance. Add to that the letters and it's no wonder I had that twisty feeling in my stomach. This is even better than Black Wood and I have high expectations for book 3.
June 23, 2016
omg I enjoyed this book so much I couldn't put it down so many twists and turns and your just wanting to now what happens so you got to read another chapter I would highly recommend this book to people
December 21, 2016
Excellent book. Holliday captures the reader and this makes for a superb reading experience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews