“The Token” had me hooked from the very first chapter. There’s a storm, a yacht that can’t move, and a group of strangers who are up against something much worse than the sea.
The beginning is great: tense, movie-like, and full of fear.
Then Bolton pulls the rug out from under us and takes us back two weeks, introducing us to seven normal people whose lives are about to change forever. A lawyer sends each of them a letter and a strange token. What does it mean? Billionaire Logan Quick, who is dying on the Scilly Isles, has named them as beneficiaries in his will. What’s the catch? They have to keep the token safe and not tell anyone. It’s a great idea: a mix of a psychological thriller and a locked-room mystery, with some social commentary thrown in for good measure.
The cast is what makes this story so interesting. Holly, Tara, Cheryl, Sabri, Robin, Craig, and Tug (yes, Tug!) don’t know each other or Logan Quick. They come from different backgrounds and have different secrets and problems. And even though they’re not perfect, they’re not the usual group of bad people you see in thrillers. Yes, they have flaws, but they are clearly human. That’s what makes the stakes seem real.
The tension builds as the story goes on. The media finds out about the inheritance, and all of a sudden, the tokens are dangerous. People will kill for them. The group comes together not because they trust each other, but because they need to. And as they get closer to the Scilly Isles, the air gets thick and heavy. The yacht turns into a pressure cooker of fear, suspicion, and competition. Bolton is great at looking into how money affects people. The promise of quick money makes people paranoid, desperate, and greedy. Not only does the question change from “who will survive?” to “who deserves to?” The changing relationships between the characters are interesting: they form alliances, betray each other, and just when you think you know someone, Bolton throws in a twist.
The speed is just right. There are no slow parts or extra chapters. The story moves forward with every scene, and the tension never stops. I read it in a few sittings, but I would have done it all at once if life hadn’t gotten in the way.
The ending is satisfyingly twisty, and I felt bad for the characters more than once. “The Token” is a great choice if you like psychological thrillers with a strong cast, high-stakes tension, and a little bit of moral ambiguity. There is a lot to like here for fans of Lucy Foley, Lisa Jewell, and even Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.” It’s a new twist on the “strangers trapped together” trope, but with Bolton’s usual grit and smarts.
“The Token” is smart, addictive, and very fun to read. This book shows why Sharon Bolton is one of the best in the business: she never follows the crowd. Anyone who likes their thrillers to be tense, twisty, and full of heart should read this.
Thank you to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for including me in this #blogtour! Be sure to follow all these wonderful bookbloggers for their insights and reviews as well!
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About the author: Welcome | Sharon Bolton
