For the record, I didn't hate this book. Nor did I love it. Honestly? I was kind of "meh" about the majority of it. But I will say that for all the reasons I didn't enjoy it? Someone else definitely will, because this was not a badly written story by any means. It just... took too long getting to the point for me to be able to thoroughly enjoy it.

For one thing the bouncing POV made it difficult for me to stay invested because I was always having to go back and either figure out who was speaking, or exactly who they were to the overall plot. Honestly? I feel like it would have been more enjoyable if it was broken up into sections. Focus on one character and their arc, then another character and their arc, and then finally bring it all back together from the POV of the police officers trying to solve the case.

Perhaps if the author had chosen this way to go about it, I would have connected more with the cast of characters. As it was I felt they were very one-dimensional, lacking not only in depth, but anything that would really make me care about them (which considering the subject matter, the fact that I didn't care about any of them was really upsetting to me as a reader).

Don't get me wrong, the plot does pick up towards the last half of the book, but by then it was too little too late for me. I will however say that everything was wrapped up in a way that was satisfying (even if parts of it were a bit obvious). I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Fans of Harlen Coben novels and Law and Order type plots will love this twisted story from Charlie Gallagher. I’d been searching for a fast-paced detective driven mystery, and The Friend fit that need perfectly. The overarching plot tells the story of heartbroken family members looking for justice. Naturally, they want answers for their pain, and this is where the twists begin.

I had a hard time putting this one down. I think the plot’s unpredictability is what I liked most about The Friend. I was left guessing until nearly the end of the novel. Likewise, the characters were easy to like or dislike depending upon the intent. I can easily see this detective duo showing up in a series, and I will be happy to pick up the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review

TW: suicide, online exploitation

This is the first of Charlie's books I've read but wow what a great introduction to his work.
I was totally swept up in the story of Danny, whose daughter is in a coma after attempting suicide when being groomed by a stranger online. He's already lost his football career and his family.
A stranger seems to have the perfect solution and this is when things spiral.
The plot is so clever, it's not so complicated that you can't follow. The characters are likeable and I can't wait to read more about them.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

A slow burner that I really enjoyed. Wasn’t expecting it to take the direction it did!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Charlie Gallagher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is a hard one. I’ve read so many 4/5 star reviews for this book and people have loved it, unfortunately I didn’t.

I really wanted to love it. The whole premise sounded fabulous, but I just couldn’t engage with either the story or the characters.

I found the plot slow-paced and the characters flat and one dimensional. When it came to the ending I’d completely lost interest, so didn’t really care what happened anyway.

Overall, the book is well written and there were some unexpected twists and turns, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

That was a twisted tale of murder and revenge. 15 year old Callie Evans is in a coma following an attempt on her life. Danny and Sandy Evans, her parents, were not aware, at the time, that she had been groomed to provide intimate images and blackmailed to entice her friends into the same scheme. But now they know and Danny is struggling to cope with it. He is staying at a hotel and drinking himself to oblivion every day. So when a stranger approaches him saying he has information about the man behind the grooming, Danny can’t help being interested.

Danny is given a time and an address, he is wary but goes along. He finds a folder with information, some of it heavily redacted, and the guilty man trussed up with a shotgun in his mouth. All Danny has to do is pull the trigger. What would you do? What if it was your daughter? But it doesn’t end there. Of course it doesn’t. Danny is made to kill someone else. The same man approaches a bereaved former soldier whose wife had been killed in a hit and run accident a year ago. A similar scenario ensues. By now you are wondering what the supposed ‘friend’s’ agenda really is. How are these people and incidents related?

DI Joel Harris is back from a month’s stress leave. He is transferred from the tactical support side of things into a detective’s role. Not everyone thinks he is up to the job but Detective Superintendent Debbie Marsden has a cunning plan to make her new unit’s mark on the world and supports Joel all the way. He has a different and thoughtful approach to detecting and sees some of the links between the spate of killings and apparent suicides. Clearly there is something fishy going on.

Soon things get really explosive as more people, including children are under threat and the horrible truth emerges. The links between all the crimes becomes apparent. This was a pretty fast paced thriller that was quick and enjoyable to read. Charlie Gallagher writes reliably good thrillers based on his own experience in the police force so they always seem to have the ring of credibility. Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Charlie Gallagher for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

Holy thriller!! I will be honest, I don’t read a ton of thrillers/mystery, but that will all be changing after this heart racing novel!

I don’t want to give too much away, but it is about a deadly game that effects everyone involved in some way and had be staying up late at night needing to know what was going to happen next. I was blown away by the authors ability to tell multiple storylines and have them intersect and blend so perfectly. I also was pretty invested in the main characters and their lives.

Read this book! Such a good read!

Many thanks to Charlie Gallagher, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. I read and reviewed this voluntarily and opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Written by a serving English police detective, this new book from Charlie Gallagher is the first in a new series. Detective Inspector Joel Norris is recently promoted, returned from stress leave and a novice detective on his first case – a headless corpse. With only a semi hostile detective sergeant to work with, the bodies pile up and the perpetrators seemingly obvious. Needing to prove himself, Joel takes on each case willingly and has an easy manner that the families appreciate. A new crime team arrives and the twists and suspense build to an unexpected conclusion. A most enjoyable police procedural that is difficult to put down, so a must read four-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon books and Charlie Gallagher, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had looked forward to reading this as the synopsis sounds so good but I’m
Sorry to say I was quite disappointed, id heard DI Joel Norris compared to Will Trent without the bagage but I found we hardly got to know Joel at all and I just could not take to DS Lucy Rose at all. I found it all far fetched and this plot just wasn’t for me. However I would still try other books by Charlie as it was very well written

Danny Evans is approached by a stranger claiming to know who’s behind her teenage daughter’s attempted suicide, and he definitely can’t turn this opportunity down, especially not now knowing that the police hasn’t been doing enough. Unfortunately he doesn’t realise that this is only a new game for the “new friend” and that is only the beginning of a series of lies and murders.

First time reading a Charlie Gallagher’s book and it was a really enjoyable journey full of twists and suspence. Compared to many other books I’ve read I’ve found the first part much more fast paced and likeable than the second one, but overall the storyline was compelling and intriguing.

It’s a novel about grief, corrosive anger that evokes in some men the need to blame someone, but mostly it’s about manipulation. It’s quite scary to see how “the friend” using the right arguments can actually push the characters to act in a advantageous way for his game.

Definitely a dark read and highly recommended if you have read the Shadow Man by Helen Fields and enjoyed it.

Thank you Avon Books & NetGalley for the free book in exchange of an honest review.

There is no way that I could have predicted what would happen in this novel. It was full of surprises, twists and turns and rather than try and work it out, I just had to go along for the ride. And what a ride! It begins with Danny Evans, a popular football hero in the area, but when we meet him he is beset with problems. His daughter is in a coma following an attempted suicide; his wife and son are living in the marital home from which Danny has been banned; he is living in a seedy hotel where he haunts the bar and is drinking far too much.

A stranger approaches in the bar and offers a friendly shoulder which leads to Danny becoming involved in murder.

Mystery, murder and manipulation and great characters. A great book!

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I never repeat the blurb. Yet another excellent belter from Charlie Gallagher. Just when you think you know where it's going, nope, it goes elsewhere. Really nasty plot. Beware who you trust and never trust what you see, More please,

The story starts off slow but soon turns into a roller coaster ride. This is the first book I’ve read by the author and will definitely be reading more of his work. I found the first part the book a little difficult to read because of its content about child grooming but it’s needed for what is to come.

Fading football star, Danny is struggling to comes to terms with his 15 years old daughter’s suicide attempt. She is now in coma and Danny finds himself in a drinking spree. He finds the reason for his daughter’s suicide attempt and things just spiral out of control. How far would you go to protect your loved ones?

This story is clearly written with multiple separate plots but blended in perfectly. The police procedures are written so well and easy to understand. Brilliantly written with twists and turns. I highly recommend.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Danny and Sharon Evans are desperate for answers. Why did their daughter take her own life? When a stranger approaches Danny, he says he knows who's to blame. Danny is tempted despite Sharon's reservations. And when his new friend offers them revenge, how can he walk away?

DI Joel Harris has been on leave due to a work related incident. But now he's back investigating with his partner DS Lucy Rose. This is a cleverly written story that has multiple plotlines. The pace is slow to begin with but it soon builds to a steady pace. It's filled with lots of twists, it's dark and tense. Not the normal storyline in this police procedural but it was a nice change once i got into it. I will be looking out for the next book in this new series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AvonBooksUk and the author #CharlieGallagher for my ARC of #TheFriend in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this one reminded me a little bit of The Chain, which I loved, however this book was a really slow burner. I didn’t really get into it until about 2/3 of the way in, not because nothing was happening, because the action starts pretty early on, but because I just didn’t really care about what was happening

I didn’t like any of the characters very much, and I didn’t even dislike them (which is sometimes just as good). I just didn’t connect with any of them at all. I found them all rather wishy washy and a bit boring.

There was a good couple of chapters as it built up to the big ending...but like most of the book I thought the ending fell pretty flat too.

Quite a disappointed read overall, the best thing I could say at a push was it was ok.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Friend’ by Charlie Gallagher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Danny Evans, at one time a star player at Dover Athletic football club, is approached by a stranger who gives him a file with details on who was responsible for persuading his daughter Callie to take her own life. After being absent from work on stress-related sick leave, Detective Inspector Joel Norris returns from tactical operations to a new job in murder investigation and together with his new sergeant Lucy Rose they very soon have two murders to solve.

I’ve read other novels by this author that I thoroughly enjoyed but ‘The Friend’ was too slow and I found myself jumping chapters to get to the action. I like the new DI Joel Norris and hope that over time his character and partnership with DS Lucy Rose will develop and become as popular as DS Maddie Ives which I look forward to, but in this thriller he’s barely mentioned. I’m sorry to give such negative feedback but although this novel is okay it’s not as exciting as I’d expected.

I was really looking forward to reading The Friend but unfortunately I did not enjoy it at all. I found it extremely slow at the beginning so struggled to get into it and once I did get into it I found it too dark for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

My first book by the author and maybe I have been reading too many women oriented stories that it took me a while to get into this one.
The plot deals with the pitfalls of teenagers befriending strangers on the net and ruining their lives and the how the lives of their families get affected by one wrong step taken by them.
I liked DI Joel Norris and team.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon books for the ARC

Great storyline. Its amazing how grief can make even sensible people do strange things.
Scary how these things happen.

Slow start but don’t worry

I forgot how much detail and groundwork this author puts into his stories! It really does slow things down at the start but once you power through 25% it picks up. It is worth it, so be patient.

The concept was interesting and different. There were some nice twists. I found it very clever how everything tied together. The conclusion was well done, did not see that coming.

Second book by this author, enjoyed them both. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.