gingerbookgeek ( https://gingerbookgeek.wordpress.com/2019/05/22/i-am-quinn-by-mcgarvey-black/ )
If there’s one thing this Ginger Book Geek likes, it’s discovering new authors. McGarvey Black is certainly a new author to me and she is certainly not somebody I am going to forget in a hurry. I read the synopsis for ‘I Am Quinn’ and it intrigued me somewhat. It sounded like just the creepy sort of read that I enjoy and so without further ado I started reading as soon as I could. Having now finished reading the book, my initial thought is ‘wow’. I absolutely loved reading ‘I Am Quinn’ but more about that in a bit.
The main character is a lady called Quinn, who loses her life in mysterious circumstances. Certain people think she has actually done what she set out to do and killed herself, whilst others are not so sure and they think that there is more to her death than initially meets the eye. I am not going to tell you anything else about the manner of Quinn’s death as that would give too much away and I would hate to spoil the book for anybody. I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of Quinn to start with but by the end of the book I felt as though I had got to know her fairly well. Although she passes away, she is still around and sees how hard certain people take her death and how others don’t seem to mourn her passing at all. As the book continues we get an idea of what stage of life Quinn was actually at and what she hoped for the future. I have to say that there were characters in this book that I could quite cheerfully have poked in the eyes with a very sharp stick or slapped them about the face with a wet flannel. Certain characters made my temper rise and my fists curl into fists.
‘I Am Quinn’ has to be one of the most unique books I have ever had the pleasure of reading and it will stay fresh in my memory for a very long time to come. I was hooked on this book pretty much by the time I got to the end of the first page. I just had to keep reading to discover the truth about Quinn’s passing and to see how the story panned out. The more I read, the further into the story I got and then the more I wanted to read. I picked the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but because I couldn’t put the book down, I was still sat there reading a dozen chapters later. My Kindle wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it literally came everywhere with me. The story seemed to have a hold over me and I feared that if I had to put the book down for any reason then I would break the hold the book had over me. It was as if I had been hypnotised by the book in a sense.
For me, ‘I Am Quinn’ is brilliantly written and in fact it has to be one of the best written books I have read so far this year. The story is told from the different points of view of the different characters and there are occasional chapters from the point of view of Quinn both before and after she dies. I was a bit concerned as to whether or not this way of telling the story would work but I needn’t have worried because it worked brilliantly and the story flowed seamlessly. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact I loved her writing style because she made me feel as though I was part of the story myself and not just a nosy observer. The author certainly has a way of grabbing your attention from the start and she dangles enough bait to keep you interested all the way through the book. That’s what happened to me anyway. There were a few twists to the tale but I don’t want to go into them for fear of spoiling the book for other readers.
In short, I adored reading ‘I Am Quinn’ and I can’t wait for McGarvey’s second book to hit the shelves. I will definitely be first in the queue on release date. I would definitely recommend that you read this book. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
May 12, 2019Linda Strong rated it it was amazingShelves: read-in-2019
Quinn Roberts was murdered. Now she wants to know why …..
She’s frustrated because she doesn’t know exactly where she is … she’s there, but not here. She sees and hears her children, other family members mourn her passing. Her friends, though, seem to forget about her in short order.
Quinn was in the midst of a contentious divorce from her husband, Alec. He was a cheater for many of their 20 plus years together. Now it seems he has taken a new wife .. and a new life.
Detective John McQuillan le …moreflag18 likes · Like · 10 comments · see review
May 10, 2019Marnie | Once Upon a Time Book Blog rated it it was amazingShelves: 2019Review to come as part of the blog tourflag2 likes · Like · see review
May 17, 2019Diane Warburton rated it it was amazingAn intriguing read cleverly written in a unique and interesting way. Quinn Roberts is dead. She knows she is dead but can not understand why. Her soul will not rest and she watches her family and friends with sadness and confusion since her departure. Can she be so easily forgotten?… and why do the police keep coming to a dead end on their investigation? Who is holding things back? Who has secrets? Quinn was a popular schoolgirl and a well loved woman throughout her life. Who would want her de …moreflag1 like · Like · 2 comments · see review
May 12, 2019Ruth Matheson rated it really liked itThis is a slightly different read from most murder /mysteries as throughout the book we get input from the deceased. It is also a more realistic story in that it takes a number of years to bring the killer to justice. As the reader, you’re in that grey area of did he or didn’t he although your instinct knows which way to go just not how! Also was Quinn – the deceased – as mad as she is made out to be by various people.
There are a few underlying threads which are woven well into the story espe…moreflag1 like · Like · 1 comment · see review
May 20, 2019Alex rated it it was amazingI’m not one to read books by first time authors, but when a friend recommended I Am Quinn, I thought I’d give it a try. Figured if I wasn’t hooked after the first few pages, I’d put it down.
Well, I read the book in one straight shot. Pulled me in from the start. I connected with the characters and found the author’s approach to storytelling unique (I mean that in a good way).
Great read when you have a free afternoon.
flag1 like · Like · 1 comment · see review
May 20, 2019Philomena Callan Cheekypee rated it it was amazingShelves: loved-itThis is a cleverly written story that will stay with me for a while. The synopsis was interesting enough for me to want to read it and I’m glad I did.
The main character is Quinn who is dead. We get the story through her and other family members.
I’m not gonna say much about the storyline. You need to read this. It’s so so good.
Brilliant well written debut novel that I really enjoyed. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.flag1 like · Like · 1 comment · see review
May 17, 2019Peter Daniels rated it it was amazingI was fortunate enough to get an advance copy and a recommendation to read this book. It did not disappoint! The pace of the plot is just right and the characters are spot on. The title character who is dead makes periodic appearances at just the right moments to advance the storyline to a satisfying conclusion.
All in all, a fun read and kudos to this first time author.
BTW, this story would make a terrific movie.flag1 like · comment · see review
May 13, 2019Audrey Gibson rated it it was amazingThis book has gone into my top 3 best EVER reads. It’s different from the norm which makes it stand out in my opinion. I was in the book, totally engrossed and didn’t noticed anything going on around me. I can’t put into words how good this story is. AMAZING!!!!!!flag1 like · Like · 2 comments · see review
May 20, 2019Jamie added itGreat read…fast, smart, couldn’t put it down. Black needs to write more!flag1 like · Like · 1 comment · see review
May 16, 2019Marlene Pedersen rated it it was amazingAuthor cleverly inserts the voice of the murdered victim while the search for the murderer unfolds. Good read, keeps your interest throughout – all the way to the satisfying endflag1 like · Like · 1 comment · see review
May 17, 2019Mary Johnson rated it it was amazingExcellent! I will start by saying that I immediately looked for more books by this author and saddened not to find any. If this is a debut book, I can’t wait to read more!
The characters are all well rounded and realistic – sadly even the nasties. The story held me captive as the plot unfolds from the perspective of the puzzled, murdered woman to those around her. Back an forth the reader begins to see the people before and after the death and (alongside the chatty ghost) make some sense of what …moreflagLike · 3 comments · see review
May 19, 2019Chris Nolan rated it it was amazingThis is an impressive debut from McGarvey Black and a fine edition to the Bloodhound Books roster. The premise is unusual: Quinn herself announces at the beginning that she is dead and we follow the story from her point of view principally, but also that of her husband, children and parents. Flashbacks, first and third person narrative, clever and witty dialogue all combine to make a super read.flagLike · 1 comment · see review
May 20, 2019Emma-louise Smith rated it it was amazingAmazing. Loved every second. Lots of twists and turns and the perspective written was so good.
McGarvey Black 