Andy and his sister arrive in Mortom shortly after their cousin Craig's untimely death. For some unknown reason Crag has left everything to Andy even though they were not particularly close. In fact they have not even seen each other in years. The death itself has been ruled accidental, however Craig did seem to have an enemy in town. Most people just thought he was weird, odd voice, odd mannerisms, riding around on his moped. One person in particular really had it out for him though, and may have had reason to do him harm. There is not much in the house worth picking through, but there does seem to be some strange goings on. A dead rat holds the first key to this mystery. Andy becomes more and more obsessed with unraveling these clues, while his sister just wants to pay her respects to their aunt and get back home. Things take a sinister turn as more clues are unraveled.
This was a fast paced and highly suspenseful read.

I received a complimentary copy for review ( )

This is a fun, exciting, and readable thriller that you can go through rather quickly.

It begins in medias res, with siblings Kate and Andy arriving at their late cousin's house in the small town of Mortom in order to sort out some paperwork. What they think will be a quick visit turns out to take an unexpected toll on their lives, as a game of wits between Andy and the dead man completely consumes Kate's brother.

The changes of perspective between Kate and Andy are particularly enjoyable, as is the slow reveal of family secrets that motivated Craig's actions before his death. The clash between the siblings' motivations and their constant fights are somewhat distressing to read, but very realistic.

I would have liked to see more citizens of Mortom introduced and depicted in greater depth, but I understand that limiting the number of important characters allows more control over the story. I also would have liked to see more of Kate and Andy's parents, as that would have made for a good contrast with the character of Aunt Mary.

The mystery is solid and appealing, which makes the book a page-turner. Regarding the clues themselves, at times the reader can guess the solution way before Andy, and that can be a little frustrating as you wait for the character to catch up. Another slightly frustrating thing for me were the cliffhangers at the end of some chapters that were made to be way more exciting that was necessarily due. However, the change of perspective at precisely those moments helps build up suspense and makes the reader want to get to the answer as fast as possible.

I found some details in the ending to be a little anticlimactic and not completely logical, but the overall wrap-up is generally satisfying. As readers, we have the feeling that we're leaving Mortom with some good answers and also some thought-provoking input about family and raising children. Craig's motivation and actions seem understandable in the end.

When something stinks under the fridge, there might be a good reason worth exploring. ( )

I really enjoyed this book; I was immediately hooked by the clues that Craig had left for his cousin, Andy. As each clue leads Andy more into danger, my reading appeared to speed up in tandem with my heart rate. The book drew me straight in as it launched into the first puzzle and I was so engrossed that I really felt as if I was in Mortom with Andy and his sister, Kate.

I found this book to be quite unusual and something a little bit different from a standard murder mystery. As each clue was revealed, my mind was racing to try to discover what the 'prize' would be and it quickly became clear that there was more than one puzzle to solve. I had so many questions whirring round in my head - How did Craig plant the clues? How did he die? Who is his father? What will Andy find at the end of the game? Thankfully, Erik Therme pre-empted all my questions and answered them all with a few little twists thrown in.

A delightfully dark debut novel - I will be looking out for more from Erik Therme.

I received this e-book from Booklover Catlady Publicity in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I recieved this book as part of a giveaway. Many thanks to the author. This is an honest review.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. A mystery surrounding the apparent suicide (or murder?) of a man’s cousin leads to a wild and suspenseful chase for expected treasure. I would definitely recommend this book! ( )

The author spins an intriguing tale throughout the book. As the reader, you get caught up in trying to solve the various puzzles introduced during the story. The story never drags on and quickly moves from beginning to a surprising ending. The story leads the 2 principal characters through a number of challenging “tests” that stresses the characters’ relationship with each other as well as the other characters in the story. The author gives us a strong cast of characters to deal with. I only wish they could have been developed slightly more. ( )