A Price to Pay

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Price to Pay by Carol Gulliford is a gripping, emotionally charged contemporary crime thriller that masterfully explores the devastating domino effect of a single flawed choice.

The narrative grabs the reader early, establishing a quiet but relentless tension that refuses to let go. The plot follows Frank, an ordinary man who makes a terrible mistake in a desperate bid to resolve his wife's financial crisis. This single lapse in judgment snowballs into a chaotic nightmare of mounting lies, buried secrets, and psychological mind games. As Frank becomes helplessly ensnared by the ruthless Morgan family, who weaponise his past to keep him under their control, the stakes skyrocket.

The novel excels in its realistic, slow-burning escalation, demonstrating how easily a small error can dismantle multiple lives and trap an individual in a web of impossible choices. Well-written, fluidly paced, and anchored by deep character development—particularly regarding Frank's agonising struggle to protect his family—this brutal story is a stark reminder of the hidden costs of the easy way out. Highly recommended for fans of domestic and financial crime suspense, this compelling ride earns 4 heart-stopping stars.

This is a gripping novel about how easy it is to get sucked into crime if you are desperate.

Well written, the book flows easily and the characters are well developed. Especially the character of Frank.

He is a family man, loving and caring, and the fact that he cares for people in general shines through. His guilt for what he has done weighs heavily on him.

I am not condoning what he did, he felt like he was backed into a corner and doing the best thing for his family. Until he wasn't.

Once involved, he battles to extricate himself, thinking that it was a one time commitment.

Tense, heartbreaking, slightly dark and suspenseful, I enjoyed the book immensely.

Thank you to Inside Story and Carol Gulliford for the chance to read and review this novel.

4/5 stars from me.

“A Price To Pay” by Carol Gulliford was a fantastic read! What starts as one small mistake quickly spirals into something completely out of control. The suspense kept building with every chapter and I couldn’t put it down! It’s a tense, gripping story that kept me turning pages, and I ended up reading it in a single sitting. If you enjoy suspenseful reads where one bad decision leads to a cascade of trouble, this one is definitely worth reading.

First, I’d like to thank Carol Gullifird and Inside Story for the opportunity to read this great book before publication.

This was a gripping, fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages.

Frank is an ordinary man who makes one terrible decision in an attempt to fix his wife’s financial problems, but that single mistake sets off a chain of events that quickly spirals out of control.

The tension builds steadily as Frank becomes trapped by the ruthless Morgan family, who use his past actions to keep him under their control.

Watching him struggle with impossible choices and the lengths he is willing to go to protect his family made for a compelling and emotional read.

The author does an excellent job of exploring guilt, desperation, and the consequences of bad decisions. Just when I thought I knew where the story was heading, new twists kept me guessing.

A suspenseful and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend to fans of crime thrillers.

I really enjoyed this book in which the main character Frank whilst trying to do the best he can for his family and show his brother that he’s not useless falls into a criminal world, he thinks the one job he’s been asked to do with his old school friend Harry will set him up for life , Just one job right? However the powers that be in the criminal world have other ideas and plans for Frank. The storyline hooked me in from the very start and soon became a page turner. I really felt for Frank when all he wanted was to provide a decent life for his wife and family. We also read about Alicia who is the main reason the one job he’s been asked to do didn’t quite work out the way he thought it would. An easy read that I would recommend, it doesn’t have the huge twists that some thriller books give but still kept my intrest throughout

A Price to Pay is an easy read that takes you on a POV journey through a very bad, desperate decision. A series of unfortunate events leads the reader through a first person narrative, lead by a cast of characters who each feel unique and interesting. An easy recommendation for a fun read! Gulliford does it again!

One night. Two men. One house full of jewels and money. The objective is to get in and out with as much as possible. However, things don’t quite turn out as planned and the the fallout from the night casts a long shadow over the men and all those around them.

I can easily say this is one of my favorite books that I’ve read in a while. The pacing is lightning quick, the characters are often morally questionable, and the writing is sharp. I found myself grabbing my kindle whenever I could just to see where the story was going. Carol really knows how to write, and this book is another shining example of how to make a wild thriller that grabs you by the throat and leaves you gasping until the very end.

Grab a copy of this and hold on tight. It’s going to get very bumpy!