Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Meet Bob. Your local courier…”

I read this book in two sittings. I wanted something short before I started my next big read and this was EVERYTHING I needed! It’s an addictive, creepy novella about a stalker delivery driver, with big You vibes. You would never suspect a courier, would you?! This book has seriously made me look twice at who delivers my parcels 😂 So happy to be sharing my review of Courier!

About the book

Meet Bob, your local courier.

You’ve barely noticed him. You’ve barely even looked his way.

But he’s noticed you. He’s noticed everything about you.

He’s been paying very close attention indeed.

And he likes what he sees…

The beginning

At first, I thought I knew the sort of character Bob would be. Quiet, easy-going. Anything for an easy life. A nice courier going about his day. I thought I could really see Bob throughout the duration of that first chapter. I felt as though I was slowly putting him together, piece by piece. But oh ho HO how wrong I was! I loved that in a few pages, the author had built up such a perfect picture of this character on the surface, but there was so much more to him, as we’d soon learn… Bob’s a delivery driver, but there’s one door he’s never keen to walk up to. He loves to just drop each delivery on their doorstep and then run. But one day, the door opens. And what’s behind it makes Bob curious. Made me curious. And by the end of that chapter, we get an idea of what’s to come. Bob becomes a stalker. At first, it’s just harmless social media stalking (we’ve all done a bit of that, right? Come on, admit it) but then it escalates… and we really see what he’s capable of.

“Sometimes I think the day they replace us all with drones can’t come soon enough. People are so f*cking soulless.”

The middle

I was surprised by the subtle humour in the book, but I loved it. It really made Bob feel real and made him shine. As loads of other people have mentioned in their reviews, Bob gives really strong Joe Goldberg vibes. I loved the You series and it was clear there was some inspiration there. At first, I didn’t feel too alarmed by Bob’s actions and thoughts, but it wasn’t long before he becomes obsessive of Natalie, the woman at the house he was always so nervous to deliver to. It’s clear there is some domestic abuse happening, and Bob could not let that happen. Her husband didn’t deserve her. He needed to protect her. And there was only one way he could make sure she’d never be hurt again… The lengths Bob goes to in order to find out more about Natalie, to keep her ‘safe’ was seriously creepy. The progression of his stalking was so well written, character development was *chef’s kiss*. The author has such an engaging writing style and it was really difficult to stop reading. Thankfully, it’s a short book that I read in two sittings!

“You can read all the books in the world and still not be interesting. Life is about experience.”

The end

Things get so incredibly dark which was such a strong contrast to the start of the book. The differing sides to Bob make him such a brilliant character to follow and I never knew where he’d draw the line. So much seems to go Bob’s way after telling a few lies and attending meetings with people who were grieving which, obviously, Natalie attended. The development of everything was just so brilliant. But that ending!! Oh my god! So unexpected, and I actually loved the abruptness of the final chapter. It felt so powerful and shocking! I’ve been thinking about it so much since I finished and I’m so keen to read more creepy novellas to fit in between my bigger reads. Any suggestions?! Do I wish this was a longer book? Yes, in some ways. But to be honest, it still does what it sets out to do so bloody well. Such a great novella and a great example of how to do it RIGHT! Big recommendation for spooky season!

“There’s always a silver lining to every cloud, if you look closely enough. Or drink enough wine.”

Overall thoughts

Courier is a great example of a creepy novella done right. Once you meet Bob, you’ll be wary about every delivery driver you meet! It’s the story of a courier-turned-stalker and his unhealthy obsession, showing the lengths he’ll go to get what he most desperately wants. It’s fast paced, unpredictable with such an engaging writing style. Very Joe Goldberg. It was truly brilliant. And that ending was a shocker!! I can’t wait to read more from Zoe after this! An absolute page turner. Loved it!

You can grab your own copy of Courier right now on Amazon! Make sure you’re following Zoe over on X/Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

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