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

This is the second book in the Finnegan Beck series, about a troubled alcoholic detective, set in a small town in Galway, Ireland. The first, Where She Lies, was a solid four star read for me, but this one took me a lot longer to get into, although it did improve in the second half. While not terribly original, the author has created an interesting main character and the mystery did have me intrigued enough to stay up late finishing it.

A young woman is found dead in her car in the countryside, her throat slashed, and her baby is missing. Beck and his team discover a range of suspects, including the violent ex, nervous current partner, the brother recently returned from Australia, and the smarmy local supermarket owner, each of whom seem to be hiding a guilty secret. And this is not the first baby to disappear - in 1954 a young boy watches as his mother is taken away to an institution for murdering his baby sister, but her body was never found. Meanwhile in the present, Beck is struggling to stay on the wagon and dodging calls from his ex in Dublin, and his junior partner Claire's marriage is in trouble. Will they put their personal problems aside long enough to solve the heinous crime?

My biggest problem here was the overly long, beautifully evocative but ultimately pointless scene-setting descriptive sections at the start of most chapters - at least a page every time. I'd find myself skimming over them to get to the actual story, but that made for a disjointed read as I'd worry I'd missed a clue, so the narrative dragged on and I kept stopping to check Facebook or Goodreads, but felt I should push on as it was an ARC and I did want to know what happened. This reduced in the second half as the tension ramped up.

Beck is not a likeable hero - there are more hints this time about traumatic events in his childhood that have left him damaged and difficult, but his renegade behaviour is hard to excuse, even if the suspects he bullies and assaults do have it coming to them. Claire makes a sympathetic counterpoint at least, and her relationship problems help humanise her. The other police characters are not particularly well fleshed out, and Gimball the pathologist, who was entertaining in the first book, is now a petty booze-soaked buffoon.

The subplot about the past mystery did add a layer of intrigue, I wasn't sure it was necessary to hide the boy's identity as it's reveal wasn't any kind of surprise, but his story was very sad and I liked the way it was resolved. Then there were various other threads that didn't really go anywhere and felt a bit like padding, like the ridiculous fake-Australian brother - seriously, no one talks like that! (I've lived in Aussie and there are lots of them here in NZ.)
On the plus side I didn't guess the killer's identity at all and definitely liked the ending.

Overall this was a slightly disappointing follow-up to book one, but I'm keen to continue the series, as Scanlon has great potential as an author if he can curb the overly wordy descriptions and focus on plot and character development.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review. The Child Before is available now.

The Child Before is a taut and gripping thriller I'm glad I picked up. This book has a creepy prologue that sucks you right in! If crimes against children frighten you, this book is perfect. For those looking for that terrifying experience that comes with a missing baby, add in a similar and creepy cold case, this book is just the one. This book is the second in DI Beck series.
Set in Kelly's Forge and Cross Beg, Finnegan Beck is called to investigate the murder of a young woman in her car. Despite being on the job for a long time, when Beck sees the mutilated body, it chills him to the core. And then, he notices an empty baby seat in the back of the car - minus the baby! 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?
Let it be noted, I certainly don't appreciate lead detectives just conveniently "dreaming up" stuff to help them solve a mystery. So I was really aghast when Beck did just that and wondered if I missed any part that said previously if Beck had some supernatural capabilities. I loved the start of this book, it's what kept me turning the pages. Cold cases that are gritty & deviant with those spine chilling details, keep me hooked; however, somewhere along the middle, this book seemed to have lost its magic, as Beck is needlessly called to another scene of crime and the focus shifts. Fortunately, the pace & my interest picked up again 70% into this book, so that in the end redeemed this book for me. Hence, with a heavy heart, I deducted a star.
Of all characters, I obviously like Finnegan Beck the most - he seems real to me. Not the perfect, polished copper but someone flawed, rough at the edges and battling his own demons. While book 2 can be read as a standalone, I wish I had picked up book 1 before getting on to this sequel as I feel I'd have gotten to know Beck more closely and better. The plot & premise of this book is good however I'd have been more impressed if there was a more substantial coverage & links to the cold case which basically is why this book is called - The Child Before. I won't give up this easy on DI Beck; he has a lot of potential.
I now find myself adding the first book to my TBR.
Thank you, NetGalley Bookouture & Michael Scanlon for an arc!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Child Before, the second novel to feature DI Beck of An Garda Síochána, set in the Galway town of Cross Beg.

Maurice Crabby wakes Beck to tell him he has found a body. When Beck gets to the scene he finds a young woman half in her car with her throat slashed. Worrying but not as worrying as the empty child’s car seat. Soon a major investigation is under way to find Samantha’s killer and locate baby Roisín.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Child Before which has several good twists and a well concealed perpetrator. The novel opens in 1954 with an unnamed young boy narrating the events of the evening his sister disappeared. This narrative alternates with the current day investigation for the first few chapters. To be honest it seems a bit pointless as only the reader knows about this missing baby and Beck doesn’t find out until near the end of the novel although it does make the reader think and speculate. The investigation is well done with plenty of blind alleys and red herrings as the team struggle to establish both motive and opportunity.

I would also like to comment on the descriptive passages which are almost poetic and give the reader an excellent sense of location and atmosphere. It is most unusual in crime fiction and an added bonus.

I’m still not sure if I like Beck so Mr Scanlon must be doing something right in his characterisation. He is a recovering alcoholic with connection issues. He seems uninterested in other people, unwilling to get involved or share. Then there is the strange relationship he has with his married ex. I can’t even pretend to understand what’s going on there. Of course he’s a smart investigator but likeable? My jury is still out on that one.

The Child Before is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I absolutely loved this book and loved it so much that when I finished it I bought Michael Scanlon’s first book and can’t wait to read it. I didn’t know when I started this book that it was the second in a series but was very happy to find out there was another one.
I don’t understand some of the low reviews of the book. This is truly a great book and not just a run of the mill boiler plate mystery book that has been written so extensively lately.
The book takes place in Ireland and has kept a lot of old Irish folklore. The story is basically about the killing of a young mother and the abduction of her baby daughter. This also parallels a murder of a young baby in 1954 in the same area.
Detective Finnegan Beck is in charge of the murder while fighting his own demons. I thought his character was very well written and I will enjoy reading more about him in the first book in the series.
I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley and Bookouture and of course Michael Scanlon for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review. 5 stars for sure!

Murders and missing children in cases 50 years apart are at the root of this mystery set in Cross Beg, Ireland. The first chapters alternate time periods but the section from 1954 leaves you a but hanging. DI Finnegan Beck has been sent to Cross Beg from Dublin because he has, to put it mildly, a lot of problems. A murder and a missing child, however, key him up. This has some great characters staring with Beck. The mystery isn't too gruesome or twisty (no spoilers) so you, like me, might get the point even before Beck. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

# The Child Before #
It certainly was not the best book I have ever read, at the beginning it tried to put far too much into the first few chapters, by the description of the tres and surrounding area yet not enough detail about the women found deceased in the car. I just felt the book did not hold me at all, I started to become bored and losing interest by chapter 7 never the less I perceived. With the hope it would pick up Sadler it didn’t . I don’t give up on books easily. Yet I almost did this one on rumours occasions. Not most definitely not for me far to cramped with no entertainment value. Others may see it differently. It’s not one I personally would recommend

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone.
The book has both current narrative, and also historical narrative from a young boy who sees his mother taken away following the disappearance of her baby.
The current narrative is the story of Detective Beck, who is investigating the murder of a woman and the disappearance of her baby.
As the investigation gets going, Beck discovers everyone has their own secrets and struggles to piece it all together.
The killer seems to be running rings round Beck and the team but he soon gets on top of the case.
This is a gripping crime thriller and I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A young mother is found dead in her car with her throat slit and her baby, who was in the car with her, is nowhere to be found. There was also a murdered baby 50 years ago that is thrown into the mix. The murder and search for the missing baby are handled by an alcoholic detective named Beck.

I liked the premise of this book and I thought it started out okay, but I quickly got confused and a little bored. I did not read the first book in this series, so maybe that is the issue, but I felt there were so many characters introduced with their various backstories that I had a very hard time keeping them all straight. When the murderer was revealed, I had to do a search to see when we had been introduced to that person if at all. I didn't feel that the motive was very unique or interesting. I also didn't feel that the connection to the previous murder was that clear and felt that whole part of the novel could have been removed. This wasn't a terrible book, I just didn't love it.

First, I would like to thank Boukouture publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free Kindle ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I typically do not like to read a book from the middle of a series if I have not read the first book, but the synopsis sounded intriguing and gave me the impression that I could read it as a stand-alone novel, so I took a chance on it.

When reading this book, you really forget that it is part of a series. It is easily read as a stand-alone novel. However, my biggest complaint with the book is its lack of character building, which perhaps occurred in the first installment in the series. The first book seems to have garnered a lot of positive feedback, so maybe I set myself and my review up for failure by reading this novel on its own.

Initially, the prologue gripped me. I was so excited to read this book because the prologue was full of imagery. I read the short prologue three times over because I wanted to soak in every word.

Unfortunately, that is where the fun stops, my friends.

This book was exceedingly boring. For a mystery, one would expect some intrigue, case development, and police detective work. Honestly, I just felt as though I was watching Detective Inspector Beck Finnegan wait for someone to hand him the killer on a silver platter without lifting a single finger. Not only is Beck completely devoid of character, but he is painfully boring to read about. He doesn't do anything. He doesn't investigate anything. He doesn't really talk to anyone in the book or even the reader. The author sums up his lackluster qualities perfectly when Mikey says to Beck, "You're emotionally stunted, mate, you know that?" and the author narrates, "Beck did not reply, thought: I already know that." (This is an irritatingly incomplete sentence, by the way.)

The excellent writing in the prologue did not carry on throughout the book. Instead, obnoxiously short chapters composed of choppy, short sentences take hold. For instance:

"It was cold now in the room. And with it came a feeling, solid and heavy, pressing down on him. Which was this. The baby was dead. God, he thought. Please. God. Let me be wrong."

By this point, I had lost all hope that the book would redeem itself. I refuse to DNF books, so I carried forward, but I struggled to stay focused and kept getting lost jumping between characters (since there is nothing really unique about anyone). Again, perhaps I could have appreciated this book more if I had read the first novel in the series, but I found this book to be rather disappointing.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first novel in this series, Where She Lies, I was eager to dive into this, the second outing for DI Finnegan Beck. Sadly, it was quite disappointing. The writing style was very different from the previous instalment as it was disjointed and so overly descriptive that the narrative moved forward at a terribly slow pace. That said, the main plot was intriguing and was what stopped me from just abandoning it in favour of something else. I do hate to give a less than positive review, but I feel that where it is warranted constructive criticism can be helpful to both the author and potential readers, and I feel it is warranted here.

As I said, the main plot is compelling and engaging, but there were also many subplots, and this made the story quite convoluted and confusing and not in a good way. They really added nothing to the overall story, in fact, they took away from it. I truly hope the third instalment is as entertaining as the first. I will pick it up but only because I know how capable Scanlon is at producing the goods, and whilst I, unfortunately, cannot recommend The Child Before, I heartily recommend Where She Lies if you enjoy gripping police procedural's and haven't already read it. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Detective Finnegan Beck is back !!!!!!
A flawed character who likes alcohol a bit too much and his his own rules to get his man. This is my kind of book.
The story is set in two time periods and spans fifty years. A young boy witnesses his mother being taken away covered in blood and his baby sister is missing presumed dead. Fast forward fifty years, a young woman is found brutally murdered in the woods and her baby daughter is missing. What connects these two cases ?????
This is a busy read and a little disjointed in places but in no way did it detract from my reading pleasure.
A proper mystery which kept me guessing and reading until late into the night. Almost five stars and recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one, perhaps too high. I would rate this at 2, maybe 2.5, stars out 5. My reasons for this being numerous. Firstly, I found the first third of the book to be much of a nothingness. Very little went on in those first 30 chapters, in spite of the alternating narrative voices, one present-day and one from 1954, when a child went missing and it's mother was remanded upon suspicion of having murdered her own baby. She maintained claims that it had been a monster that lived in the woods that had taken and killed the child which could've been a gateway to a much darker and more macabre story but ultimately it fell short.
I also had a problem with the over the top descriptions used; at one point, the author even explains to the reader what a shadow is. I felt like I was being treated as an idiot and it was reminiscent of a child's creative writing assignment where they try to cram in every big word and clever-sounding phrase they know.
I winced at the typicality of some of the character representations; the dark, brooding detective inspector with his troubled past, the lone wolf with the dark secret and complicated, unfinished relationship with a woman we never meet. Oh and of course he's a recovering alcoholic... You know the old trope; we've all come across this guy before!
Alongside all this are some confusing subplots which I believe were meant to provide character background but they fell flat, leaving all the characters one-dimensional and hard to distinguish from each other. I found myself going back to see if I'd encountered a character before and what I knew about them, they were all so unmemorable.
In spite of all of these negatives, and because I don't enjoy giving too harsh a review, I feel it is important to point out the good points that contributed to the 2/2.5 stars I awarded this book.
Some of the descriptive language is good, some of the imagery is haunting and I did feel that, having not read the first book in this series, I might have been missing something I'd have found in that book that would've added to this one. Maybe that's more of a 'benefit of the doubt' allowance than a good point but still. I think it is also worth pointing out that I read this book in short bursts over the course of a few days which could very well be why I didn't feel immersed in a taut thriller like I wanted to be. There was also the problem of the language barrier for me; a lot of Irish words that went right over my head.
The story overall has a good plot but it wasn't utilised in the best way and the wrap-up at the end was cheesy and unnecessary and didn't actually answer all the questions I had. Sorry Michael Scanlon: it's a no from me.

The Child Before is the second book in the DI Beck series by Michael Scanlon and it is an enjoyable and readable police procedural.

I hadn't read the first book in the series which would have probably assisted my enjoyment of this book however it is still a good book on a standalone basis.

Recommended

A first for me by This author. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I read as a standalone, I felt it was very compelling yet the start was a bit slow for me. Good storyline and characters. I felt confused at times probably because view didn't read the first book. I recommend reading that one to be able to enjoy this one more. I would definitely recommend for anyone that loves suspense!

This is the second in a series but can be read as a stand-alone book
This book was ok. There is a lot going on in the book but it is all very obvious and predictable
It is also very disjointed in places.
A bit of a disappointment

Number two in the series and Beck is still in Cross Beg. He is still a tortured soul, still grumpy, still has a drink problem, and still is a bloody good if at times a tad unethical cop or to be precise Garda.
I enjoyed this book. It’s a claustrophobic read and everything in Cross Beg feels a bit hopeless. Well written and I didn’t for a minute spot the culprit. I loved the character development warts and all

THE CHILD BEFORE is the second in the DI Finnegan Beck series by Michael Scanlon and I held out high hopes for this book after enjoying the first one. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. The description made it sound for interesting reading and, having enjoyed the first one, I was looking forward to this book.

I was really interested to see where Beck would go after being redeemed and restored to his former rank of Detective Inspector but the only positive I could find remotely interesting in him this time round was his giving up the drink. Having said that, he did get himself completely blotto towards the end of the book and I thought "Why?"

THE CHILD BEFORE opens with alternating chapters between the present and some 60 years prior in 1954 in narrative. The historical narrative is of a young boy who witnesses the traumatic removal of his mother by the local police following the disappearance of his baby sister, Bernadette. The mother is covered in blood so naturally the police believe she has killed the baby. I thought "this sounds promising" but then after half a dozen or so chapters, they stopped. Presumably because we learnt the identity of the boy in the historical narrative. But what of THAT mystery?

The present narrative features the return of Detective Inspector Finnegan Beck, who had been demoted and relocated from Dublin to Cross Beg after a questionable shooting. He was cleared in the previous book and restored to his former rank of Detective Inspector. As in the first book, he continues his struggle with alcohol but I was pleased to see he had embraced sobriety and attended AA meetings. His so-called friend, Dr Gumball, also the State Pathologist, spent his free time drinking himself to oblivion and seemed rather put out that Beck now chooses not to. I could have throttled the selfishness out of Gumball for belittling a man who was taking sobriety seriously.

Beck's latest case involves the murder of Samantha Power, who was discovered in the wood of desolate village Kellys Forge with her throat slashed open, and the disappearance of her baby daughter Roisin. The team work simultaneously investigating Samantha's horrific murder and in the search for Roisin, in the hope the baby is still alive. Whilst this is the central story arc in the book, there are other sub plots going on beneath the surface as characters deal with issues in their own lives as we try to figure out who may be responsible.

When a second body is discovered the case hits much closer to home making it personal for the team as they endeavour to solve both murders. As the investigation builds it becomes apparent everyone has secrets of their own and those woven into the storyline slowly begin to surface.

THE CHILD BEFORE is peppered with some colourful characters who are woven neatly into the story. Claire Somers, Beck's partner whose own relationship issues surface, has recently married her journalist partner Lucy Grimes and the couple have unsuccessfully been trying for a baby. Lucy doesn't feature in this story as much as she did in the previous book, except through mention. Inspector O'Reilly, who has been a thorn in Beck's side since his arrival in Cross Beg. He doesn't rally like Beck and made it known when he was of a senior rank before Beck's rank was restored, making them now of the same rank. Superintendent Wilde - not sure about him. He was pretty chummy with O'Reilly in the first book and they appeared to be "against" Beck at the time. In this book, he is more on the side of his officers. Vicky, a journalist also in AA with Beck though I'm confused as to where she first popped up or how she really fit in. She just seemed to be there with no real purpose. And then there are potential suspects. Maurice Crabby, who runs the local supermarket and appears to be somewhat strange. Billy Hamilton, Roisin's father and Samantha's violent ex. Edward Roche, her current partner who seemed to be a bit of a bully himself. Mikey Power, Samantha's brother who scarpered to Australia ten year before but was back on holiday. He annoyed me with his constant use of Aussie slang calling everyone "mate" and using terms no real Aussie actually uses. I should know - I'm Australian and when a writer from lands afar portrays an Aussie, it just seems ts false. It was irritating, to say the least.

I enjoy most crime thrillers and mysteries but I can't say I enjoyed this one much. I found it somewhat disjointed which is a shame considering I loved "Where She Lies" (the first one) and was looking forward to this one. However, I found THE CHILD BEFORE lacking in depth and believability. Unlike most books where everything is tied up neatly, this book fails to do so. I was left with unanswered questions as to what happened to the child that disappeared in 1954 and its mother now in a sanatorium, amongst other things. If you are going to introduce a mystery from half a century ago, the least you can do is bring some form of closure to it in solving it! The only answer we got for it was a "monster". Instead, it's just filed away as something or other one can't be bothered to deal with. I was most disappointed and felt cheated.

While the book does move at a decent pace, I found it a disappointing follow-up to the first Beck novel and I hope the third one is an improvement.

I would like to thank #MichaelScanlon, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheChildBefore in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

To be totally honest, I don't know if I can give this book a fair rating. When I requested it from NetGalley, I didn't realize it was the second book in a series. So while I enjoyed some aspects of the book, I didn't understand a lot of the references that were made.
I was more than halfway through the book when I discovered it was book #2 in a series.
I give it 3 stars because I like the genre. But it was hard to get into the characters that, at least for me, having not read the first book, weren't fully developed.