20 Minutes Later (20 Minutes #2) by Daniel Hurst
Genre: Psychological thriller, Quick Read, Novella
Read: 11th February 2025
Published: 1st April 2020
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Set just after the vents on the tube, several characters will return alongside many new ones, as they about their lives in various places around London.
Theres the romance of a first date. The courage of the emergency services. And there's the danger from those with dark secrets to hide...
20 Minutes. 20 People. 20 intertwining stories as gripping and unpredictable as the last...
MY THOUGHTS:
Following on from "20 Minutes on the Tube", this picks up around twenty minutes after the previous book with many of the same characters with a few new ones lending yet another perspective to a much bigger picture. Some of those we met in the first book are missing from this one though as their stories had yet to be told I hope we meet up with them in some of the future installments. And yet, though they may be missing, their stories follow through one of another character's perspective.
For example, Will who we met outside the Tube station in the first book is missing from this one, though his story continues through his best friend Chantelle and another woman Olivia, whose story coincides with that of Valentin, the high flying market trader who has found a new career path in serial killing via his obsession with true crime podcasts. But we also meet Jelena's two captors and even the unique perspectives of the Eurostar ticket inspector, a fireman and a police emergency call dispatcher. And of course, we meet up with Harry who has come to meet his dad, Jelena saved from her prison by pure chance, Bogdan who came to Jelena's rescue on the tube, Carol who is awaiting news of some hospital scans, Louise the purse snatcher, April who went on a morning date with Joe who charmed his way through the date and many more. We see the aftermath of the suicide in book #1 that held up train services on one of the lines and how far reaching this event affects those in and around the time as well as those linked to the victim. We get Keith's perspective as they await the arrival of he who never will to the meeting that would change everything. Instead he made the choice to change his, and everyone else's lives, by his actions.
While we meet up with 10 characters from the first book, we also meet 10 new characters. Most are linked to either Jelena or Will though there are a spattering of newer stories that are just beginning. Each of the characters are linked at least one other in one way or another.
I was invested in each and every story and was disappointed to leave their stories behind and move on to the next ones. 20 minutes in each of their lives doesn't seem enough but I know I will meet up with them again and their stories will continue to unfold in this thrilling and unique way. Each of the books are relatively quick reads. The first was 227 pages and this was 222. I think they are the longer ones and most are shorter from here on in, but don't quote me.
My only complaint was a very beginner's error in grammar when referring to "the nineties", an apostrophe was used (ie. ninetie's). Totally incorrect use of grammar and a rookie mistake to have made. No apostrophe. It's the "nineties".
Overall, a brilliant and unique storytelling of events as each of the character's stories unfold little by little. I can't wait to meet up with them again and see where they go from here.
Next...20 Minutes in the Park
MEET THE AUTHOR:
He has been employed in several glamorous roles in his lifetime, including bartending, shelf stacking and procurement administration, all while based in some of the most exotic places on the planet, like Bolton, Preston and South London.
Daniel writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.
Since following his lifelong passion for writing in 2020, he has amassed a loyal and devoted set of readers, and regularly has several books in the top 100 of the Psychological Thriller Charts on Amazon. His title The Passenger became the #1 selling psychological thriller in the UK in October 2021. The Doctor's Wife is his first publication with Bookouture.
A prolific writer, Daniel likes to keep readers on their toes by self publishing even more books in between those released through his publisher.
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