I’ve a confession. I’ve been meaning to read T.M. Logan’s books for ages and although I’m trying not to take on new blog tours I simply couldn’t resist taking part in this one for The Curfew because I’d heard such good things about his writing. My grateful thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to participate. I’m delighted to share my review of The Curfew today.

The Curfew is published by Bonnier imprint Zaffre on 17th March 2022 and is available in all good bookshops and online including here.

The Curfew

I should have known something was wrong. I should have sensed it. Felt it in the air, like the build-up of pressure before a thunderstorm, that heavy, loaded calm.

The curfew
Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight.

The lie
When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever.

The truth?
Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything…

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

My Review of The Curfew

A teenager is missing.

New to T.M. Logan’s writing I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Curfew. What I got was a fast paced, twisty and compelling thriller that had me hooked and that I thoroughly enjoyed. I found it difficult to tear myself away because the narrative is exciting, meticulously plotted and totally entertaining. I loved the timed elements relating to the night of the action and the days subsequently as the reader is drip fed information that draws them in completely as they try to unravel what exactly has happened and to whom.

Much of the enjoyment in The Curfew comes from the fact that it’s not just a question of who has committed the crime, but that we don’t know precisely what crime has actually been committed, so that the compulsion to read on, to find out more becomes almost an obsession. I think I must have thought every character, almost including the dog, Toffee, was guilty of something at some point! The oppressive weather adds to the atmosphere too because it’s easy to imagine how rational behaviour can become altered by the heat giving a feeling that there’s a literal and metaphorical storm brewing for the characters.

I found the characterisation realistic and convincing. The exploration of family dynamics and what parents will do to protect their children shines through the presentation of all the adults, but is especially clear in Andy’s first person narrative so that whilst I didn’t always approve of his actions I could understand perfectly why he behaved as he did. I loved Harry unconditionally, but you’ll need to read The Curfew to find out why!

As well as an exciting, fast-paced story that races along, The Curfew considers themes that are incredibly pertinent to today’s society. The nature of guilt, moral responsibility and challenge, the influence of media, including social media in everyday lives, friendships and relationships, family, obsession and difference all spin through the story adding extra interest and depth.

The Curfew may be my first read by T.M. Logan but it wont be my last. I thought it was assured, convincing and thoroughly entertaining. I really recommend it.

About T.M. Logan

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than a million copies in the UK and been translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

His thriller, Trust Me, begins when a woman is asked to look after a stranger’s baby on a train – only for the mother to vanish. When she looks in the baby’s things, she finds a note that says: ‘Please protect Mia. Don’t trust the police. Don’t trust anyone.’

The Curfew, coming March 2022, follows the events of a hot midsummer’s night, when five teenagers go up to the woods to celebrate the end of exams, and only four come out…

Tim’s thriller The Holiday was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny for Channel 5.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his family and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For further information, exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, or find him on Facebook and on Instagram.

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