Blog Tour | Review: Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski

When you think about fresh new crime fiction, you should think of Six Stories! I’ve been patiently waiting for my stop on the blog tour to share my review of this exciting new read with you all.

From the back cover:

1997. Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an outward bound centre. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced.

2017. Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivalled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure.

In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries’ mysterious death. And who’s to blame… As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth.

A chilling, unpredictable and startling thriller, Six Stories is also a classic murder mystery with a modern twist, and a devastating ending.

My Thoughts:

This is truly one of those books where the plot shouldn’t be elaborated on or explained to deeply before reading and it’s going to be nigh on impossible for me explain what it feels like to read this book (but I’m certainly going to try), you have to read this book and experience it for yourself. You’re probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about – I’m talking about Wesolowski’s ability to narrate a story in six podcasts, this is the first time I’ve ever read a book narrated in such a way and I wasn’t prepared for its powerful impact!

Each of these interviews had a chilling undercurrent, the writing beautiful yet haunting, the story felt so real, if you said I was reading True Crime, I’d have believed it – that’s how real this story was to me! The last time, my mind was so conflicted and manipulated was when I watched the documentary, Making a Murderer, [too a lesser extent] that’s the kind of effect this book had on me! As each of the interviews were taking place, I was paying full attention, trying to figure out who murdered Tom Jeffries, searching for clues, trying to synchronize the interviews to deduce what really happened; making this a traditional “whodunit” that utilised the digital age we live in today remarkably well.

I can’t find the right words to express how much I loved the layout of this story, the six podcasts, the format was brilliant, the alternative narrative we are also given, by Henry (he and his friends discovered Tom’s body), further created a chilling atmosphere. I’m so impressed with the way this story was told, so clever, so compelling, so real!

I really liked the ending, even though it didn’t pan out the way I expected, but a small part of me felt something was missing and I mean that in a good way! This book has no conclusion, no wrap up of events, as the reader, you are left to make up your own mind on who and what you believe, once the last interview is over, the book just ends and then the cogs in your brain start turning….

“One body.

Six stories.

Which is true?”

This book is available to buy now from: Amazon UK / Book Depository

*My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this book*

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