Betrayal (Empty Coffin Novel) [Paperback]

loved this page turner halloween story. Olivia grant is from london and goes to america port gamble in washington for brianna connors halloween party. After the party Olivia is feeling sick from some beer's and the room spins. Sadly it is here olivia is on an exchange for death. A very good page turner, highly recommend all readers this action packed story.

I greatly enjoyed Envy, the first in the Empty Coffin series, and found this to be a brilliant follow up. If you haven't read the first one, you may want to check my review of that one instead. I won't have spoilers for Betrayal here, but can't guarantee to avoid them for Envy.

Again, the novel opens with a crime: this time, the brutal stabbing of an exchange student at a Halloween party. We see all the details except the killer's identity, and are then party to the investigation carried out by the Ryan twins, Hayley and Taylor, who share secret psychic/intuitive skills. The writing is detached and very cinematic in feel, as it's descriptive and moves seamlessly between scenes and different characters' perspectives. There are traces of an omniscient narrator, commenting on the personalities of the characters, but this feels interesting and relevant rather than intrusive.

I particularly appreciated the additional insights into the twins' abilities and their history. In Envy, we had learnt about the weird feelings the girls have, and the information they can get access to. We also learnt (along with them) that there were others who knew about their gifts, and this novel develops their backstory further. This information is drip-fed in a natural way through the story and provides an interesting sub-plot which I hope will be taken further with future instalments in the series.

As well as learning more about the supernatural angle, this novel also gives us more insight into the twins' characters, their relationship and other characters in the town of Port Gamble, aka Empty Coffin. I was happy to see more of the girls' friend Beth Lee, and to gain more insight into the twins' family. It's great to read a series book that feels like revisiting a set of friends, and this definitely achieves that for me.

This is still a crime thriller first and foremost and the plotting doesn't disappoint. There are plenty of red herrings and clues to pick through and it wasn't clear to me exactly what had happened and why until the big reveal. As with Envy, I also appreciated the 'true crime' info at the end (some aspects of the story came from the Amanda Knox case).

Overall, this is another hit for YA crime readers, and for those who enjoy stories with a supernatural flavour.

Betrayal begins with 16 year old Olivia travelling, in late summer, to Port Gamble, Washington. She's been expecting an idealised version of America ... the reality is disappointing!

At the Halloween party held at best friend Brianna's house, Olivia tries the home brew and feeling unwell takes herself off to bed. She wakes briefly to defend herself but ...

Straight away we're into the action - not only with the murder but also in the early hours of the morning, we find out that there is far more to twins Hayley and Taylor than shows on the surface. Intriguing!

There is no prelude or background to Olivia's murder and so I was alert trying to pick up clues as I read. The author cleverly drops hints about motive (Oliva's YouTube videos come to mind and a photograph) ... at a couple of points I was so sure I knew who the perpetrator was but no, I was wrong.

As we follow the investigation into Olivia's death, we get to know the key characters including their flaws. The reader becomes a part of this community, not only at home but also at Kingston High. I was fascinated with these affluent people and their history with each other.

After a second murder, the plot focuses on the twins. This is just as tense and intriguing as everything that has happened so far. There are a couple of edge-of-the-seat scenes, which got my heart racing. Eventually their mother tells them the truth ... or does she! After I had finished reading there was something nudging me, and I realised that although a truth was told, there is something else we didn't get the answer to. Maybe it will be left this way or maybe it is something the author has brought in as a thread for the next novel in the series.

I enjoyed Olsen's writing style. The pace of the plot was perfect, keeping me engaged and leading me on. There are characters with their own agendas, which adds to the suspense. The author uses modern language and social media pitched at the right level for the targeted audience (although I would also recommend for adults too!) Texting, tweeting, Facebook and YouTube are all a part of the story. The media are also involved and their `interference' is a reflection of the part they play in real life.

Betrayal is more than a window into the baser nature of humans, there is also a paranormal element ... this is a thriller with a difference!

Having received Betrayal unsolicited in the post, at the time it was just a book that went on the reading schedule. I had no idea the affect it would have on me (don't you just love that!) I absolutely loved this story. I found it hard to put down and read it in 24 hours ... and I'm still thinking about it now.

I would like to thank Andrea Reece for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.