Having read Michael Scanlons first book Where She Lies and enjoying it, I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the series featuring Detective Finnegan Beck and set in the Galway town of Cross Beg.
The first few chapters alternate between present time and 1954 and blooming heck it gave me the shivers.
Present time the body of a woman is found in her car, brutally murdered and when a car seat is spotted in the back and a baby bottle lying in the footwell is found its soon realised a baby had been in the car and the hunt begins for little Róisín.
1954 and we’re taken to Kelly’s Forge where a young boy cowers under a blanket as his mother is questioned by the police about the disappearance of his little sister, covered in blood his mother talks of the monster that took her baby and as the boy watches his mother is taken away deemed mad.
Both stories had me totally gripped, any mysteries involving children always has me on the edge of my seat and The Child Before had me nearly on the floor and turning the pages at lightening speed.
I’ve found with this authors story telling that you really get a feel for all the characters, each one has a story or a secret and even if they aren’t a main character you still get a sense of who they are. It’s very cleverly written and certainly pulls you in.
Beck, well what can I say about him? He’s a likeable character, but a mysterious one and likes the drink a bit too much although he is now attending AA meetings and seems to be on top of it. I feel like the author is holding something back though with this character, like there’s more to tell about him and I like that, it’s exciting to think there’s more to find out about Beck.
I really enjoyed reading The Child Before, it’s filled with beautiful if not eery descriptions at times and gives you a real sense of the setting. It’s also filled with mystery and with plenty red herrings it wasn’t easy to figure out the who’s and why’s and it turned out to be quite a surprise.
I’ll definitely be recommending The Child Before and i’d say it could be read as a stand-alone but it would be helpful to read Where She Lies first, not only do you get a better insight into the characters that way but it’s a blooming good read too.
So I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Michael Scanlon, hopefully soon.

This is the second in  the series. Disgraced Detective Finnigan Beck is still in Cross Beg. He is still not very happy but has reluctantly settled in. He has managed to stay sober for a while although it is still a struggle. When a young woman is found with her throat cut & her young daughter missing the town is all set to search for baby Róisín . But this isn't the first little girl to go missing. Many years before a baby went missing from an isolated  crofthouse & was never found.

The story is told from the present  & from fifty years ago when a small boy witnesses his mother being taken away covered in blood & his sister was gone. In spite of his general dissatisfaction with life, Beck cannot rest until he finds Róisín  & at the same time reveals what happened in the past.

This was a creepy & atmospheric read. I don't know why, but it never grabbed me in the same way that the first did. Hopefully the next will be a bit more to my taste- I still want to know what Beck gets up to next! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This story was really detailed, so it does require more concentration than other crime novels you might read but because of this it’s much more rewarding.

It starts with some fascinating flashbacks to 1954 when some unknown family is going through what seems like a traumatic incident involving a young baby. It’s very mysterious and creates a real aura of the unknown which is quite spooky. It’s also unclear at first how it’s linked to the present and honestly, when it is revealed, I was definitely not expecting it. It was a very well written and clever twist.

The murder and missing child mystery of the present is quite graphically described, but it’s very intense. The pain and stress of Beck, the main detective, is very clear to see when it comes to finding the missing baby. As the clues as to what may have happened to the baby are revealed, the hunt for her becomes quite emotional. It’s actually quite a stressful read in some places, as the crime and methods of solving it are described in such detail that I felt really involved with it.

Beck himself was an unusual choice for the main detective, his alcoholism and methods of dealing with it were unorthodox, his bluntness was brilliant, but his moments of inspiration were particularly great. I loved seeing his thought process and investigation so in depth, as it made the whole crime seem much more real. The glimpses into his personal life were also fascinating, and his slight character growth/change throughout was really well written.

The ending was seriously shocking. It’s not often that you come across an ending that genuinely and completely blindsides you, but this was it. To be honest, I had no idea where this was going, as there were enough red herrings or confusing clues to mislead the reader entirely. I really loved how Scanlon wrapped it all up, it was detailed, well thought-out, and with a partly happy ending included as well.

This was a very different and detailed crime novel, and if you’re looking for something you can get your teeth into, that has a truly awesome ending, then this is it.

She began to sing, the girl. Her voice was soft, so soft it was almost of the wind. It was a lullaby. She cradled her arms, rocking them gently back and forth. As if she was holding a baby. But she was not. Her arms were empty.
On a cold morning a cyclist finds the brutally-slaughtered body of a woman in her car, on a remote lane leading to the long-abandoned Irish village of Kelly’s Forge.
But when Detective Finnegan Beck arrives from the nearby town of Cross Beg to investigate he notices there’s a baby’s seat in the back of the car. A bottle of baby’s milk lying in the footwell. And no child.
Little Róisín isn’t the first child to go missing from that same remote location though. There was another baby girl, taken more than fifty years before, who was never found. Has too much time passed for there to be a connection, or does something – or someone – link these two crimes?
Beck claims he does not want to stay in Cross Beg. His heart is back in Dublin, with the woman he loves. But, knowing that a child’s life depends on him changes things. He knows he has to find the missing baby girl. Because if he doesn’t, he fears there’s a chance everyone will give up the baby for dead, just like they did before… 

This is the second book in the series featuring Detective Finnegan Beck. I found it easy to read as a stand-alone.
I feel this one is even better than the first as now the characters are developing more of their own personalities.
The characters are again very excellently written and growing.
Love the plot and storyline.
The story is fast paced, dark, thrilling and gripping; had me hooked completely.
I can't wait to read more of this series.
Recommend reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Michael Scanlon for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.  All opinions are my own and are not biased in any way.

The Child Before
by Michael Scanlon

Bookouture

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 05 Jun 2019


I am reviewing a copy of The Child Before through Bookoture and Netgalley:


The girl began singing it was so soft, it was as if it was of the wind.  The song was of a lullaby, the lady cradled her arms rocking them back and forth as if she were holding an infant, but her arms were empty.



A cyclist finds the body of a brutally slain woman in her car on a remote lane during a cold morning.  The lane she was found on leads to a long abandoned village of Kelly’s forge.






When Detective Finnegan Beck arrives on scene from the nearby town of Cross Beg he notices a baby seat in the back of the car.  A baby’s bottle of milk lying on the floor but no baby.




Little Rosin isn’t the first child to go missing in that remote location though, more than fifty years prior a baby girl was taken and was never found.  Could there be a connection from these two disappearances decades a part, or had tie to much time passed?  Does something or someone connect these two crimes?




Beck says he does not want to stay in Cross Beg because his heart is in Dublin with the woman he loves.  But when he learns a child life depends on him that changes.  He has to find the missing baby girl, if he doesn’t he fears that everyone will give the child up for dead.


I give The Child Before three out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going!  The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down.  I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was well written and flowed well and was easy to read. One you won’t want to end

This is the second book in a detective series, which I didn't know prior to reading. You don't need to read the first book prior to this one, but I think things would've been a little clearer and I would've been more invested in the characters had I already read the first book. However, this was an interesting story that moved quickly and held my attention. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Detective Beck has been redeemed but still remains in the Irish outskirts and is on hand to look into the case of a murdered woman and missing child. It was amazing how many different characters and events played into the ultimate story line. At points it was a bit overwhelming, but by the end it made for a rich encompassing story. I still would like to learn more of Detective Beck other than the stereotype Mr. Scanlon has forced upon him. As such, these books tend to be story and not character driven and I'd like a better balance. However, the series, set in Ireland, is a nice change of pace.

Irish detective Finnegan Beck is called in to investigate the murder of a young mother and the disappearance of her baby daughter. A horrific crime but with a strong connection to a deserted village where a baby was murdered in the 1950s. Has this baby met the same fate?
This is the second book to feature Beck and this time it focuses much more on the solving of the crime and police procedure whereas the first book was more connected with Beck’s personal life. Once again though, he is forced to confront his own demons and the lines between personal and professional life are blurred.
I liked the flashback chapters which describe the 1950s and they contrast sharply with the modern day in terms of the attitude of the police and the way that a case is handled. It left lots of mystery as the reader waits to find out how that case relates to the one in the present.
The style of writing is easy to read and I enjoyed the Irish lilt to the dialogue. The chapters are short which makes the book fast paced and suited me perfectly as I could fit a couple of chapters around motherhood and work commitments 🙂
The emotional background of the police detectives is explored to give depth to their characters. The focus isn’t just on the lead detective but also his colleagues who are dealing with personal battles.
I expected there to be more fallout from the previous book but there was little so this book works well as a stand alone read. The character of Beck continues to evoke sympathy in the reader as he fights alcoholism and supports his colleagues.
I wonder what the next book in the series will bring…

This is the second book in the series featuring Detective Finnegan Beck and one that I was looking forward to reading.   Beck is still in Cross Beg but yearns to be back in Dublin.  He and his partner Claire are called out to a remote abandoned village where a cyclist has found the body of a young woman in her car.  On investigating, Beck discovers an empty child’s car seat in the back, so there is a race against time to find the killer and her baby.  The story moves from the present day to 1954 when another baby went missing and was never found.  Beck has the job of trying to see if there are any connections between the two cases.  There are lots of suspects and all of them have hidden secrets,  Beck still has a lot of personal issues, the main one being a recovering alcoholic and his partner Claire is also having problems in her private life. This is a gripping crime thriller and I look forward to reading book number three in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

#2 in the DI Beck series, but I found it easy to read as a stand-alone.

Set in Ireland, The Child Before starts with DI Finnegan Beck being woken by a banging on his front door…Maurice Crabby has found a body…..

Samantha Power’s body, found in her car, throat cut and her baby, Roisin is missing…

The story has a few chapters from 1954, when a baby had been taken and never seen again…who is linked to this past crime?

When children’s bones are found in the ruined village of Kelly’s Forge, fear for baby Roisin’s wellbeing is palpable….

I found this to be a really gripping thriller, so many suspects and police officers, Gardai, with human emotions, troubled love lives and problems with alcohol…not a light read in any way, but utterly compelling…..right up to the nail biting end…

I also liked the epilogue…..a clever catch up on what happened after….anyone who likes a psychological thriller will love this…..

Thank you to Bookouture,  The Author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook  in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed book one, Where She Lies so was looking forward to reading this…..

It was great to be back with Beck and his colleagues.  Beck is brilliant as always, still slightly dysfunctional but seemingly sorting himself out!

The beginning of the story flits between present day and 1954 where two separate incidents are taking place.  In the present day a young woman is found murdered and her baby missing…  In 1954 a baby went missing and was never found……

Beck sets out on a complicated investigation to uncover what happened to her and the baby.  There are plenty of suspects; people known to the police for previous crimes but who is it? Why did  Samantha get murdered and where is her baby?  And what was going on in 1954?

Again there are plenty of twists, I thought I’d sussed it out…..but nope!  I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened! Hopefully we’ll hear more from DI Beck soon!

Book 2 in the Finnegan Beck series. This is better than the first one. The characters are starting to develop their own personalities.

Although I enjoyed the book I felt the ending was a bit rushed. There wasn't really an explanation of why the perpetrator did what they did.

Hopefully the next book will be more complete.

The Child Before is book two in the Detective Finnegan Beck series. It reads perfectly fine as a standalone as I haven’t read book one, but I will be going back to it after reading this one.

The story is fast paced, dark, thrilling and gripping. Had me well and truelly hooked as they say. A real page turner that I devoured. The story is told through short chapters too which I prefer. I loved the work relationship between Claire and Beck, they make a great team. But does this current case relate to something from the past? Something unfinished? You’ll have to read it to find it. Brilliant. I really enjoyed it. A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend.

The Child Before is the second book in the Detective Finnegan series but can be read as a standalone. A police prodecural thriller that will keep you on your toes and will keep you guessing till the final pages.

Detective Finnegan is back, this time to solve the murder of a woman who has been found by a local resident whilst on their morning ride through the abandoned village of Kelly’s Forge. What makes this case even worse, is whilst attending the scene, Detective Finnegan notices a baby seat in the vehicle and a bottle of milk lying in the footwell, but there is no baby to be found! As Detective Finnegan dives deeper into the case, it bears a remarkable resemblance to a case from 50 years previously where another baby girl was taken and never found.

The first few chapters of the book are told from the past set in the 1954 back to the present day. I always go in with trepidation when this occurs as they can cause some confusion but Michael handles the transition between the two well and they are easily followed with the past being an integral part of the story.

Character wise, they were all well written and developed and we are given a good selection as to who the culprit could be. I could not connect with Finnegan though, but this is on me and which is due to not reading the first book in this series. Even though that this can be read as a standalone for me I will need to go back and read the first book to get a better understanding of him. I so vary rarely read a series out of sequence but could not wait as this book appealed to me so much. From my opinion of him though in this book, I think he is a bit rough around the edges with a colourful past but I am sure that I will grow to like him!

The setting of Cross Bag, has the perfect mix of eerie and a haunting vibe which really sets the tone of the book perfectly, and was described so well that I felt I was also in the town mixed up in the case.

This is the first book I have read from Michael. I enjoyed his style of writing and the short snappy chapters that kept the story moving along at the right pace to a thrilling conclusion.

Do I recommend this book:

Absolutely! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank-you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Michael Scanlon for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Child Before in exchange for an honest review.

Thank-you also to Noelle Holten for the spot on this blog tour.

All opinions are my own and are not biased in any way.

Thank you to bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I knew I had to read this book. This can be read as a standalone like most detective series but you will get more from the surrounding story if you read the first book.

Detective Beck is back and this time he is investigating the death of a young girl and a missing baby girl. Beck is still dealing with a lot of ghosts but since the last book, he is trying to overcome them. I really like Detective Beck. He is smart, instinctive and determined. 

Alongside Beck, we have Claire Sommers. Claire is another character that I like. She has a lot of potential and I think she will go far. I can't wait to see her develop. 

Michael does an excellent job of weaving this story. I did not guess who the killer was at any point before it was revealed. There were lots of threads to the story that slowly came together I like Michael's writing style and the pace was good. There is a good amount of action and tension in this story.

This story was gripping and addictive and I can't wait to return to this series again.

Provided an excerpt on my blog for release day as discussed with bookouture. Thank you for sharing with me

DI Finnegan Beck has been banished to Cross Beg after an incident at his former post in Dublin. He's adjusting to life in the Cross Beg Garda Station and attending AA meetings. In this second book in the series, Beck and his team are confronted with the slashing murder of a young female in a car out on a lonely road. The biggest problem is that Beck notices that there is a car seat in the back of the vehicle, but no baby. This is classic Irish police procedural with the investigation throwing up clues and suspects and lots of questions. NO SPOILERS.

There is a lot going on in this story and it becomes complicated quickly. In addition, there's a whole second narrative involving the disappearance of a baby from the isolated Kelly's Forge, a Clachan of a superstitious and closed community in 1954. The reader knows there must be a connection to the current case, but it is a long time before any can be made. In between the forward action of the plot are long sections of description and detail about the area, history and landscape.

Beck is an interesting, but not really likable, character. He's brash, standoffish and obviously ridden with personal demons. Alcohol is his main friend, but he's trying to stay on the wagon. I think it may be too late for professional counseling to help him come to grips but I still am hopeful for his redemption. The reader sees glimpses into the other charcters' personal lives but they are still mostly just names on the page at this point. Perhaps they will be developed more in future books.

I enjoyed this and was able to finish it in a couple of hours. I'll want to read future installments in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This book came to me through NetGalley from the publisher Bookouture💙.  The child before was released today, 06/05/19.

The book begins with a cyclist discovering a murdered woman's body in a car not far from an abandoned village called Kelly's Forge.  When Detective Finnegan Beck arrives to investigate, he notices a baby seat in the car and no baby.  About 50 years ago, another baby girl went missing in almost the same location.  Detective Beck wonders if these two disappearances are linked.  Detective Beck wants to leave town to be with the woman he loves, but he's worried if he doesn't find baby Róisín, she'll wind up dead like the last child.

I liked the story and I thought it had a lot of potential.  I feel like something got lost in translation between the actual plot and the execution.  There were a lot of characters and it didn't seem like a lot of them were incredibly detailed.  I would have to read things more than once at times to keep track of who was doing what.  While I did enjoy the short chapters, parts of the book felt choppy and I wished I had a little bit more detail.  The ending felt rushed, and I read it twice because I didn't catch what actually happened the first time around.  I don't know if the writing style was just so different from what I was reading, or if this book just wasn't for me.  I didn't hate the book, but the ending just felt unresolved and I was left wishing for a better conclusion.

Brilliant story idea-I wish I had liked it better!

🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars