I was offered an ARC of this book through The Killer Crime Club (Harper Collins), and I jumped at the opportunity as Linwood Barclay has never let me down. Find You First was no exception. In his usual style, Linwood captured my attention from the first page, and it was very hard to put this one down. I find his writing style easy to read yet full of interesting characters and little twists and turns in the plot that keep me 100% engaged throughout. I also like how he tries to lead my mind in one direction, making me think I have it all figured out, and then it ends up being something totally different. I don't like to talk much about the plot or characters in my reviews, but I will say that I found the theme of "what really makes a parent" very thought provoking in the midst of the main mystery. True rating - 4.5 stars.

Tech millionaire's Miles Cooksons search for the children who may have inherited a disease goes awry in this new thriller by noted Canadian Author Linwood Barclay. This latest thriller has more twists and turns than the roller coaster at the amusement in Promise Falls.

Barclay takes the reader on a journey of a good versus evil pulling from today's headlines. There is no mistaking some of the characters are based on real life villains but this doesn't distract from the story.

As always there are some Barclay added treats such as a reference to Christine, the Stephen King novel and car as well as a few references to his home province of Ontario. My only wish is that a book actually be set in the GTA or Canada as many other Canadian authors are willing to do now, especially someone with Barclay's standing.

What a ride! Find You First is a high-octane, multi-faceted, full-throttle chase: a tech millionaire wants to track down his biological children to give them important health news and part of his fortune, but someone else wants to find them first, kill them, and make any physical trace of them disappear completely. Barclay keeps probably a dozen narrative balls up in the air the entire time. There was so much going on, and so many potential ways the story could go, and the entire time, you just knew it was all going to come together spectacularly in the end.

Barclay did a good job at keeping me off-balance when it came to the mystery. For most of the book, I was sure I knew who the bad guy was, and I was confident that I had a handle on their motivation. The suspect I had in mind wasn't the obvious baddie, and while their methods were horrible, the motivation I thought they had made them actually kinda sympathetic. 

I was wrong. (My suspect turned out to be shady in other ways, so I'm still pretty proud of myself for sussing that out, but they were not behind the killings.) It took me a long time to even begin to suspect the actual bad guy, and their motivation turned out to be messed up far beyond what I ever expected. 

Some of the events in the final few scenes did stretch credulity. I can imagine they'd be pretty awesome to watch onscreen, but on the page, they did require quite a bit of suspending disbelief. Still, by that point, I didn't care how unrealistic some of the logistical details were; I was fully hooked. I started this book sympathetic to Miles (the tech millionaire) and mildly curious about what was going to happen, but by the final 25% or so, I was speed-reading through the e-galley, and felt almost breathless by the time I was done. 

It's such a fun, entertaining read, and the moments between Miles and Chloe, the first child he tracks down, are both funny and heartwarming.

+

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book is phenomenal! It's different elements weave together so intricately, it left me feeling like I'd been on the edge of my seat for hours.
It is a fast paced, well written tale that keeps you guessing right to the very end.
The characters are intriguing, complex and relatable, and the reader is invested in the outcomes for them all.
I cannot recommend this book more enthusiastically. You won't regret reading it.
Also reviewed at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3884946634?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had likeable main characters as well as villains that you grew to dislike. It wasn't too heavy and kept moving along.

Kindle Copy for Review from William Morrow and Custom House.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A tech millionaire with more money that he can spend finds himself dying from a terminal illness that can be transferred to the next generation. He will have to take a look back at his past.

When he was in his early twenties and broke, he found himself a sperm donor. He has children out there as they might end up being rich or be a candidate of the deadly disease as he searches for them.

He will meet one but soon some of his potential heirs are slowly vanishing as they never existed. Is there a potential killer out there wanting then dead or is it coincident? Does it have anything to do with the sole one he found?

A thriller read that will keep you enthralled.

This was the second book I’ve read by Linwood Barclay, and a reminder that I need to read more from this gifted Canadian author.
A few pages into the prologue, I was absolutely hooked and had to keep reading. The author kept me guessing with some really clever twists and even up to the last couple of chapters, I didn’t know how the book would end and was concerned for characters I had come to care for.

We all crave to know who we are, and where we came from, but what if knowing that put you in danger of being murdered.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Chloe looks in to who her biological dad is she finds answers that she has been craving for years, but also finds lots of new strange questions to be answered. Her newly found half-brother goes missing, and so begins her search to find all her siblings and possibly save them.
It’s so hard to describe this book without spoiling anything. It is such a unique story, and oh so brilliant. I didn’t know what to expect from it, and was so happy to be shocked and surprised with every chapter. Just when you think you are getting to grips with everything that is going on something else comes along and throws you preconceptions off kilter. So believable, and so chilling.
This was the first book I have read by Linwood Barclay, so I did not know what to expect. The story spoke to very current issues, and it was amazing to see these ideas mixed together here. I sped through the book and loved every moment of it. There was just the right mix of character development, action, intrigue and heart that made for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I was left satisfied with the ending, and I will certainly be looking out for more books by Linwood Barclay in the future.
Thank you to the author, HarperCollins, Scene of the Crime and NetGalley for the ARC to read, review and enjoy.

This will be THE book of the year, the one everyone talks about and can't wait to read. Find You First by Linwood Barclay starts with a bang and doesn't slow down the whole way through the book. It's one of those rare finds, where you can't put the book down and finish it in one day because you can't bear to stop reading it.
Miles Cookson is a tech bazillionaire and has recently found out he has Huntingtons disease which is incurable. He will most likely be dead in a few years. Thinking back over his life he feels a sense of responsibility. When he was in his 20's and broke he donated to a sperm bank. That got him the money to get a computer and started his career in the tech world. He is determined to track down any children born of his donation and give them his fortune. His brother Gilbert is not happy to be told he will only receive $20,000 a month from his brother upon his death. This is because Miles can't trust Gilbert's wife not to get her hands on his fortune.
When Miles finds out 9 names of people who are his kids he sets out to track them down. He first meets Chloe, a spunky wanna be documentarian who works at a diner. They become fast friends. Once they start trying to find the other 8 children of Miles, they discover 3 are missing and presumed dead. It seems to be a pattern. Who wants Miles' heirs dead? The chapters go back and forth between Miles, Chloe, the hit man and woman taking care of the heirs, and several other people. At first you won't be sure how some fit in to the story, but you will eventually.
Don't miss this book! It's such an original story line and the characters are great! My favorites were Miles and Chloe. The chapters read very fast and I flew through this book. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Linwood Barclay is one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers and while Elevator Pitch fell flat for me, Find You First is Barclay back at his best. Find You First is a adrenaline fueled ride that will have you guessing until the end. With an original plot and twists galore, Find You First is a book worth reading.

This is a thriller about Miles Cookson who has Huntington’s Disease. He wants to do the right thing and help his offspring. He donated his sperm through a sperm bank and he wants to find the recipients who might be carrying the same gene. The book was exciting and moved at a fast pace. It was hard to put down. The main characters of Miles, Chloe and Travis were very likable. Even though I liked the ending I thought it was a little rushed. Everything just seemed to fall into place. This is the second book that I have read by Linwood Barclay and I liked it better than the other one.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGallery for the ARC ebook.

Review also posted on the Blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

My First Linwood Barclay! WHAT Took Me SO Long?!

The Good News?! It was a Complete Success!

When single millionaire Miles Cookson finds out that he has a fatal disease, he sets out to make things right. Years prior, when he was a young man, he donated his sperm and could potentially have fathered several children. The chances are that he could have passed this terminal disease on to them. Now, he wants to find them and help them out the best way he knows how but giving them a part of his fortune.

Unfortunately for him, someone wants to stop that from happening and the outcome for his heirs ain’t pretty.

A race against time. Mystery and intrigue that will blow your mind. Connections that steal your heart.

“Find You First” by Linwood Barclay exceeded my expectations. It was a well-written, suspenseful, character-driven mystery suspense that kept me glued to the plot for the entirety of the novel. Though this was my first Linwood Barclay, it will not be my last.

Thank you to my book buddy Kaceey for recommending Linwood Barclay to me and for reading it with me. SO glad we both loved it.

Thank you also to Sam Glatt of Harper Collins - William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Once again Linwood Barclay nails it with an unputdownable thrill ride!

I have been reading this author’s books for years and I know I’m always guaranteed an exciting read when I pick up one of his books.

Miles Cookson just received devastating news. He has a terminal disease. Not even his millions of dollars he has earned in his tech company can save him. But maybe he can use his wealth to help others he may have inadvertently passed on his illness to. You see he has Huntington’s Disease, which is a genetic disorder. Offspring have a one in four chance of carrying the gene that will one day claim their lives.

Only Mikes never had children…at least the traditional way. But as a struggling young man, he did donate his sperm to a fertility clinic. Now he needs to track down his potential grown children to warn them and assist in helping pay for any care they may need.

Sounds simple right? But what if these ‘kids’ are vanishing before he can find them? Who else is tracking them….and why?

Linwood Barclay has the gift of pulling you into the story right from the beginning. Fasten your seat belt because you are about to be taken on one heck of a ride.

There are shocking moments and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing!

If you’ve never read a book by this author…. What are you waiting for!? This would be a great one to start with. I’ve read them all…. so now I have to sit and wait for his next release! Finger poised over the request button!👆🏼🙏🏼

A buddy read with Susanne!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Thank you to Sam Glatt, Scene of the Crime Early Read program, and William Morrow via Netgalley for an ARC to read and review.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC for an honest review. I am a fan of Barclay. I would actually give this a 3.5/5 but....

The story line is engaging, I liked the characters - Miles and Chloe. Jeremy....really, such an unbelievable character in the story (but yes, people do have God complexes!)

I thought the ending was horrible, which really brought the book down for me in the end. I will read other books by Barclay, as I don't hold one bad ending against an author!

This one is deliciously twisty — and had my attention right from the start. Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and has been diagnosed with a disease that all the money in the world can’t cure. He donated sperm many years ago when he was in a financial crunch, and now feels a need to contact progeny - he can’t do anything about the fact that they may have inherited the disease, but can make them financially able to handle medical costs. A fast read (maybe because I couldn’t put it down!),. Loved Elevator Pitch, and loved this one too!

What a terrific thriller! This book grabbed me from the start, had me reading late into the night and letting my housework wait another day. The characterizations were excellent and the dialogue outstanding. The plot was unusual and intriguing.

Single, forty-two year old Miles Cookson, a tech mogul, has just been given a death sentence: he has Huntington's disease. A fast progressing disease inherited from one of his long-dead parents. whose offspring have a fifty-percent chance off inheriting the disease. Thank goodness he doesn't have any offspring, right? Wrong. When he was young and in need of cash he became a sperm donor. Now he feels the need to find any progeny to let them know they may potentially have inherited the disease and to bequeath his millions to them. Bribing a clerk at the donor clinic, Miles finds that he has nine offspring, now in their mid-twenties. When he begins to hunt them down, however, he finds that some of them have recently disappeared. Completely. No remaining trace can be found. He is now in a race against an unknown foe to find is progeny. Who would want to eliminate them? Who stands to gain from their disappearance? This is the question driving the book. Although the author leaves broad hints as to who, we are left wondering why.

This is such a well-written book with dark humor and intricate plotting that I found myself invested in the characters and rooting for Miles and hoping his mission would succeed. There are subplots and some not so likeable characters as well. Overall it is one of the best thrillers I've read this year.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC. The publication date is May 5, 2021.

It was engaging and a bit slow at first but the story builded up well.
I will highly recommend to my fellow thriller/suspense savvy.

Linwood Barclay puts out another fast-paced thriller with Find You First.
Chloe knows her mother used a sperm bank for her conception in New York and now is the time for her to try out her talents as a video documentarian while searching for her birth father. Miles is now rich beyond his dreams but once upon a time, he was desperate for money and donated sperm for cash. A head-on collision is about to take place between the two but for totally different reasons.
Miles has found out he has a terminal illness and now wants to get in touch with any offspring that might have been produced all those years ago.
But wait, it's never that simple. The offspring start disappearing. As in completely wiped out from existence. Chloe and Miles form a tentative bond while racing the clock to find Chloe's half-siblings.
A weekend read that was really fun as technology has changed so much in past 20 years, what you thought was private is no longer so.

Thank you to NetGalley for early access in exchange for honest review.

There's a pattern going on among authors I used to love. I get into a series or a writer's early work and love it, but unfortunately, their newer books just fall flat. Find You First is no exception.

I was really looking forward to reading this, as I enjoyed previous Linwood Barclay novels. They were taut thrillers with great pacing and characters I could root for. Find you First just doesn't follow this formula. It opened well and drew me in, but it's been POV switch after POV switch and I just don't sympathize with anyone. The writing is so so, but seems to be more focused on checking boxes (hey look! It's a random lesbian mom! My book is LBGT+!) than just telling the story. And when I got to the Epstein-ish thread, my stomach turned and I won't be reading more. Not interested in reading about child rape at this point in time. Oh wait, I never was.

Thank you to William Morrow, through the Scene of the Crime Book Club for providing a copy for review.

While I did enjoy reading this it felt like a Lifetime Movie. The plot was interesting and in some instances current. It's basically the plight of two uber wealthy men but we really don't know anything much about them other than they were sperm donors, each with their own reason. One of the men, Jeremy, is a Jeffery Epstein kind of guy who uses young girls to entertain his cronies who are rich and powerful. The other is a computer app developer with an extremely successful company who discovers he has a terminal disease, Miles. Miles decides to find the adult children who are a product of his sperm to give them a ton of his money before he dies. However, someone is killing them off. Who else knows who these people are and why are they killing them? It's a bit of a silly plot and the characters aren't well-built. I didn't really care much about anyone in the book. I have read a great many of Linwood Barclay's books and quite enjoyed them but this didn't live up to my expectations. If you decide to read this be prepared to suspend all belief because it's a bit preposterous, fun but silly.