Creepy, edge of your seat crime thriller.
Loved the sound of it and it didn't disappoint.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book

Thank you #Netgalley and Avon Books UK for allowing me to read this AR+C of The Friend by Charlie Gallagher. I loved the description of this book! I enjoyed Danny’s storyline and sympathized with him. Then the book took a turn and it got strange, and less and less compelling and more police procedural. The description mentioned a “game” so huh? The writing was good and the basic story was good, but it turned out to not be what I expected. I think other people would enjoy this if they like detective-centric stories and are not as concerned with characters.

Charlie Gallagher returns with new main characters.

The Friend is a well paced and very interesting book with two excellent main characters who definitely bounce off each other and have plenty of scope to grow.

The book has a number of twists and picks up the pace until the very end and definitely kept this reader entertained.

Highly recommended

I have reviewed most of Charlie's books so I'm not sure whether I am best positioned to provide a subjective review of The Friend. Not sure an objective review is possible.
I have reviewed many mystery/murder/thriller books and read many before prior to commencement of my reviewing timespan. What I look for in a book to give 5 stars is firstly a really good storyline, secondly 3 dimensional primary characters i.e. not only do you get details of who, what and when events but you also get depth of character so that you can associate with them and understand them more. Thirdly twists and turns that ideally provide me with a ' didn't expect that' reaction.
I found the George Elms books to be superb reading but I did find the Maddie Ives set not as fulfilling and I remember noting in one or two reviews that I just didn't get to know Maddie (3rd dimension).
So I was really pleased to see that for the next book Charlie has provided a new character set but still based in Kent. So is this book a sideways development or a move forward?
Well I would say it is a massive step forward. The book is superb and the characters are beautifully described in the right amount of detail. I also feel it is Charlie's best book and is definitely one of the best I have read.
So it doesn't matter if you haven't read any earlier books please go for this one. I'm sure you will love it

I really enjoyed this book. Being from the area that Charlie Gallagher sets his novels in it’s great to have the opportunity to support a local writer. I felt ‘The Friend’ was a little different to the Maddie Ives and George Elms books and I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.

This was everything I hoped it would be and more. The story centres on the Evans family whose daughter is in hospital after attempting to commit suicide, and her dad who is approached by a stranger who seems to have the answers as to why she tried to take her own life.

The story shows how easily vulnerable people are to manipulate, and the lengths people will go to for revenge.

The story is dark with a disturbing storyline which is something I have come to expect from this author. I was disappointed when the author ended his previous series, the outstanding DI Maddie Ives series - which I highly recommend, however after reading this book I feel a new, equally exciting and chilling series has just begun.

Fading local football star Danny Evans doesn’t know how to handle what’s happened to his 15-year-old daughter. She’s lying in hospital in an induced coma after trying to take her own life, and Danny can do nothing to solve the problem which caused his little girl to feel such despair. So, when a stranger approaches him to say he might be able to help. That he can do what the police never could and find answers, find someone to blame, it’s not long before Danny takes him up on his offer.

Is this stranger who says he just wants to help get justice for Danny’s daughter really so selfless. Or will Danny have to pay big for this gift of revenge?

For DI Joel Norris the first body was supposed to be a simple case to get him back after his breakdown. Will it be too much to handle as it becomes clearer that his first murder case is part of a much bigger plot?

A clever story which manages to hold multiple separate plotlines and character perspectives together. The pacing is spot on as we gradually unravel what’s happening, and understand who is pulling all the strings. As an introduction to DI Joel Norris and his new regional major case team, it’s an excellent start. DI Norris is a refreshing lead detective. He’s coming back from a breakdown, but is open about his mental wellbeing and not trying to hide that he had to take some time for himself behind any kind of boorish machismo. He’s clever, precise and committed and able to empathise with the victims and witnesses. A bit like Karin Slaughter’s GBA agent Will Trent, but with more self confidence and without the passive aggressive approach to his boss and relationships.

Joel’s female companions could do with a bit more fleshing out, as they are the weak point of this first book. His boss is a strong-willed female Superintendent who has developed the idea of this new squad and put Joel in charge. He doesn’t seem quite sure of her motivation, but also makes it clear that he can use persuasion and confidence to get around the bureaucratic barriers in place, so doesn’t need her shouting the odds as she’s offered to do. That leaves her as quite a flat one-dimensional character who will definitely need more work to be of value to future books.

Joel’s DS, and currently only actual member of Joel’s team, Lucy Rose is slightly better developed, but not by much. She joins the squad because an early victim is a cop and friend of Lucy’s. Lucy makes it quite clear that she thinks her friend is being let down by having a senior investigating officer with no murder case experience in charge. She’s also clear that the assignment to the new squad is temporary. There are some good moments between Joel and Lucy which suggest they could work well together. But, this is mostly the Joel show to give him the opportunity to prove that he’s up for this new challenge, so Lucy’s ability to shine is limited. There’s only one witness with whom Lucy has a better rapport than Joel, but it’s Joel who immediately becomes invested in helping this witness deal with their domestic situation.

Hopefully the next books in the series will help develop these characters more and provide more of a sense of team. There’s definitely a solid foundation here for a new detective series and I’m looking forward to finding out where it goes next.

Danny Evans seems to have it all, a wife and two children and then the unthinkable happens. His daughter Callie tries to kill herself, after she becomes the victim of an online predator, leaving her in a coma.

Danny is approached by a P.I. and offered the chance of a lifetime. He is given the option of revenge on the man who victimized his daughter. What he doesn't know is that he has now set off a chain of events in a deadly diabolical game for his life and the lives of those he holds most dear.

This was my first book by Charlie Gallagher and it will not be my last. The story was dark, intense and filled with moments that actually had me at the edge of my seat. It hold your attention from the very first page and doesn't let you go and begs the question, how far would you go to get revenge when you can't get justice?

I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy original, creative and diabolical story lines.

The Friend by Charlie Gallagher is my introduction to the writing of this popular author, and I was unaware that this was the start of a new series. As a fan of Harlan Coben's writing, and hearing comparisons made, I wasn't sure if this would live up to my high expectations, but my concerns were unfounded. This is a dark and compulsive thriller that does not let go,

Callie Evans attempts to take her own life. Her parents, Danny and Sharon, are at a loss to explain how their daughter could have resorted to such desperate measures. When a somewhat dubious stranger approaches Danny suggesting that he has the answers the couple seek, even offering to pursue revenge, Danny finds himself entering into a high stakes game, one that will end with no winner.

DI Joel Norris enters into this terrifying game when he is tasked with solving two seemingly unconnected murders, and knows that his actions might mean the difference between life and death.

This is a tantalizing start to a new series that promises to both intrigue and chill.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC of this title.

I am such a huge fan of Charlie Gallagher now that I read The Friend. The brilliance of this novel sits in how despicably twisted the plot is. The themes that Gallagher covers in the sneaking-ly harmless named novel THE FRIEND are heart wrenching focusing on the extent a person goes to in order to obtain justice for their family and the extent a person would go to to save their family from dismantling in front of their eyes.

Charlie Gallagher does creepy like nobody’s business! Never fails. Go ahead. Get invested & let him creep you out, too😵

Danny and Sharon Evans have been left devastated whilst their teenage daughter lies in a coma. Who was responsible? A stranger comes forward claiming to have the answers, but does the information come at too high a cost?

This was a great read, I was drawn in from the very first chapter.

A gripping page turner of a novel. This is a must read for anyone who loves crime drama.

Thank you to #AvonBooksUK and to #NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I definitely would!!

Charlie Gallagher is an exceptional writer who uses his words to paint a perfect picture of the scenes that are unfolding on the page as the reader makes their way through the story.

I was hooked from the very first page. I could not put this book down, even for a minute and stayed up way too late wanting to finish it.

This is my first Charlie Gallagher book and I have become an instant fan.

I am looking forward to exploring more of what this author has to offer.

How would you cope if your young daughter tried to take her own life? If she felt the only way to escape what had happened was to end it all? Could you move on, make changes, look for ways to protect those closest to you, or would you want revenge?

Danny Evans is a successful lower league professional footballer, mainly with his local club, Dover Athletic, but he reached the heady heights of playing for Gillingham! It was the life he always wanted and with wife Sharon, children Jamie and Callie, and dog Zinedine he thought he had achieved the perfect life. Then Callie tried to kill herself and everything fell apart.

Now Danny lives in a hotel, drinking himself into a stupor most nights, while bemoaning everything that's happened and the incompetence of the local police.  So when someone tells him he knows exactly who caused all his problems, and why the police failed to act, he suddenly sees an end to his suffering, the prospect of getting his family back and of taking his revenge, no strings attached.

DI Joel Norris was the leader of the local Tactical Support Group when the responsibilities got too much for him but he's getting back to a place where he can return to work confident the past is really behind him. Heading up a new department was supposed to be a slow reintegration but that was before Dover was rocked by a horrific killing and he was asked to take charge of the investigation.

This is the first in an explosive new series by Charlie Gallagher and wow! I was hooked from the first page. Joel is a great character with a dry humour which raises a smile even when the situation is dire. His new, reluctant, partner, DS Rose is less easy to read. She is loyal, determined and tight lipped but gives no hint at what she thinks of those around her or her situation unless she has a point to prove.

The new series has to follow the very successful Maddie Ives set of books which are very big boots to fill. Joel Norris absolutely does this and for a large part of this book I had no idea how the police would solve what was a fiendishly clever plot. The way it all came together was eminently satisfying and I have no doubt Joel will give all fans of this author's work another great series to savour.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a brilliant start to a new series and absolutely unputdownable!

The Friend is an action packed police procedural that certain my has no shortage of bodies. Danny and Sharon Evans’ daughter is unconscious in hospital after trying to take her own life. When a stranger approaches Danny saying he knows who is responsible, Danny is tempted to act on this information. He’s offered a chance at revenge but will he be able to walk away? This book is a dark, tense thriller that will have you hooked. It’s the first in a new series and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the arc of The Friend by Charlie Gallagher.

4 Stars- This follows a young girl whom is overdosing in the park... then there is lets call it a month or so time skip into the future, then former footballer is in a bar and then someone random and a stranger approaches him and says he knows who caused her overdose and even why.... then theres another man who lost his wife and then its a huge rollercoaster of events happen but this is all I am going to say... you MUST i mean it MUST read this! you will not be disappointed in fact you'd be immensely shocked and gripped and thrilled at this thriller, recommend to all.

4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE FRIEND - Charlie Gallagher
Avon Books, UK
ISBN-13: 978-0-00844-552-2
2021, April 1
Mystery

Kent, England- The Present

Danny Evans, well-known locally as a football player and coach, is separated from his wife Sharon and son Jamie. His fifteen-year-old daughter Callie is comatose in the hospital due to a drug overdose. A child molester had blackmailed her and four of her friends into taking intimate photos of themselves. He has been drinking too much, and a man who claims he is a private investigator working for another client tells him that Marcus Olsen is the man who abused his daughter. He inveigles Danny into killing the child molester. Soon more bodies are found.
Detective Inspector Joe Norris had been off work for a month. His boss, Superintendent Debbie Marsden, brings him back to begin an investigation of a headless body found on Dover's beach. Then the body of policewoman Hannah Ribbons is found. Detective Sergeant Lucy Rose is assigned to him, but she shows little respect believing he doesn't have the background for such an investigation. Their investigation is also hampered by the dysfunction between police departments. Plus another man, Richard Maddox, whose wife died, has also been deceived into committing murder and becoming another dupe to use by the real murderer.

In THE FRIEND, author Charlie Gallagher, a policeman himself, has written an intricate mystery while sharing viewpoints from both some of the crime perpetrators and from the small investigative team. DI Norris has the mind and talent of an exceptional investigator despite DS Rose's initial skepticism. Even learning the grotesque crimes some characters have committed, the reader will still develop empathy for the problems those characters have faced. The further the reader gets into the story, the more compelled they will be to complete it. If you enjoy crime novels, you need to read this one.

Robin Lee

Absolutely gripping storyline, just when you think you’ve got it the plot takes a twist. Fantastic read couldn’t put it down. Descriptive language takes you right in to the story. Another huge success from Charlie Gallagher.

The Evans family are barely functioning after the attempted suicide of Callie, their teenage daughter. When Danny, her father, is approached by a stranger with answers, we are drawn into a complex mystery where nothing is as it seems.

This book was glacially slow in the beginning and I picked it up and put it down several times, debating if it was worth continuing. It’s roughly half way through when a twist reveal suddenly speeds everything up and the book becomes instantly more interesting. I liked Joel as the police character, but Lucy was rather irritating. The most believable character for me was Richard. I really felt for him and understood why he behaved as he did.

It’s well written in the main, though I found the tone of the banter within the police conversations a little jarring and out of place- it felt falsely jocular. The second half was well paced and cleverly done. It’s a real shame it takes so long to get going!

I’d definitely read more books by this author as the storyline was great. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This book was sent to me free by Netgalley for review. It is a dark story and not my choice of reading. It might suit others who don’t mind the creepy mystery. I could not get into it.