To save your child you must open The Box...
Ed Truman's family is falling apart. His daughter Ally is being targeted by an alt-right incel organisation, Men Together. His house is being picketed, former clients are accusing him of sexual assault, his son won't speak to him. And then Ally disappears.
Frantic, Ed suspects that Men Together have abducted her. But before he can go to the police, his DNA is found on the body of a young woman. Suddenly he's the subject of a nationwide manhunt, led by the tenacious DCI Jackie Rose. Ed finds himself on the run with Ally's friend, Phoenix, who claims to know where Ally is. But what is the truth? Is Ed a violent sexual predator? Or is he the victim of a ruthless conspiracy? The answers are in The Box. But not everyone who goes in, comes out alive...

Wow; what a read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

This thriller was a break from the norm - the reason behind the drama being different from the countless others I read on a regular basis.

The action is relentless and the writing is good. I just felt "The Box" didn't really feature in its own book!

I look forward to reading more from this this author in the future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

This book begins with a shocking, yet intriguing prologue. We meet someone who is locked in a box and experiences torture in a form of electric shocks. My interest was immediately piqued as I was wondering who was inside of this box – was it a child, an adult?

Then, the plot moves to meeting Ed Truman and his family. He is a lawyer and a drunk, married to Gabrielle, and they have two children Ally and Mitchell.

One day, when Ally goes missing, Ed is convinced that a group calling themselves Men Together are behind her abduction. Ally is a strong-willed feminist, everything that Men Together despise. She threw a milkshake at William Carmicheal, its leader, and in response the group targeted Ally by posting her private information online. Ed is adamant that the group ruined his daughter’s life and now they are trying to ruin his.

Ed gets accused of sexual harassment by three of clients, his DNA is found on a dead woman’s body, and he becomes a wanted man by the police.

With the help of Phoenix, a friend of Ally’s, who lives in a squat but has amazing hacking skills, the duo try to find Ally and prove Ed’s innocence. It’s not going to be an easy task as William Carmichael’s men are in pursuit, followed by intelligent and determined DCI Jackie Ross.

Will Ed and Phoenix succeed?

Read this book for yourselves to find out. I found the whole idea, the plot and the characters utterly fascinating. I really liked Phoenix as a character, she was fearless and honestly, her hacking skills were outstanding.

I also liked Jackie, she never gave up, she endured personal tragedy and felt guilty as a result. I am glad things worked out for her in the end and she managed to get some closure.

I was repelled by Men Together but felt that the threat is real, as incel organisations target women each day.

Overall, it is a fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing all the way to the end.

I definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Viper Books for accepting my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

'The Box' genuinely made me feel nervous when I was reading it, i was so tense about what was going to happen to the characters as the story developed.
The book begins with one of the most vividly terrifying opening scenes I have read in a long time, with a young girl trapped inside a box and being subjected to horrendous pain - it was almost too much to read.

Then we meet Ed Truman whose very ordinary life is about to flip on its head. His 16 year old daughter Ally has gone missing following repeated online and in-person harassment from an alt-right incel organisation, Men Together. Ed is understandably desperate to find her, but every step takes him further into a murky world of violence and terror. The group is one step ahead of Ed at every stage, orchestrating matters from behind the scenes.

I enjoyed reading it though found some of the 'Box' scenes too graphic for me, it was more like a horror book at that stage and Im not a horror fan at all. But the overall storyline with Ed, Ally and the Men Together group had me desperate to read on, to find out what was going to happen to everyone and how it was going to be resolved.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viper for the chance to read it.

A crime thriller that starts off slow but speeds up to a satisfying finish. I enjoyed the story, the contemporary theme of incels in society and the threat to life. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

The box is one hell of a fast paced thriller, following husband, father and lawyer Ed on the hunt for his daughter after being targeted by a group of men after having their website shut down.

While on his missions his life takes a huge turn around before he even knows what is happening along with a murder investigation.

The Box was a book that has been on my radar for a while, and it did not disappoint- the twists and turns within this story will leave your brain in a muddle. It is so busy, with a LOT of things going on in and around the life of Ed, but it all fits perfectly and is still east to keep up with the story.

This is one of those books that has a hype and it is very much lived up to!! A fantastic thriller, with an incredibly fast pace and highly recommended.

Ed searches for his missing daughter and finds himself caught up in a murder investigation as the prime suspect.
The writing is clever and at times funny and I quite enjoyed it. I liked the character of DCI Jackie Rose best with her wisecracks and refusal to be intimidated.. Why didn’t the parents try phoning Ally though, I wondered? Not sure how credible some aspects of the plot were either. It was a good read though and I quite enjoyed it.
Thanks to Viper and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

⭐️ 4 ⭐️

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

A slow-burning, addictive read.

I thought the first few chapters were slightly slow-paced and it took me a while to get into, but once it really got going I was hooked and couldn’t put it down.

I particularly like Dan Malakin’s fluid writing style; I found it extremely easy to read and the short chapters heightened the feeling of tension and suspense. There’s also a gentle humour in the mix that lightened the mood.

The Box features diverse, relatable characters and the dialogue between them always feels authentic and believable.

The title is a little deceiving as the box doesn’t actually feature that much in the book. Overall, it’s a dark, atmospheric thriller that will keep you guessing right until the very end.

Ed Truman is worried about his daughter. Plus, he is being picketed by the Men together organisation which he took to court. It’s Friday night and they all usually sit down and eat together on that one night a week but they haven’t heard from her. Then, suddenly they get a message to say she’s gone to Brighton to be with friends but to their knowledge she doesn’t know anyone in Brighton. The evening meal is off. Ed gets drunk which isn’t great as he has court the next day.

Ed arrives at court, late and looking a state. Steve, his partner, is not impressed and tells him so. He goes outside where a young girl bumps into him and her shopping goes everywhere. He follows her back to her squat but doesn’t go in. Later that night, he gets a taxi back there just in time to save her life when she runs in the opposite direction away from the entrance. He tries to follow and finds her in a stairwell with a man from the picket line from the night before. Things get ugly, a man gets stabbed in the leg and they are on the run. A young girl is killed in the squat and Ed’s DNA is found on her, the next day he is a wanted killer. The young girl Ed is with, is called Phoenix, a friend of Ally’s. She claims to know where Ally is and how to find her, Ed believes her. First, they have to get out of London and head to the hideout but they mustn’t call anyone or use their phones.

Is Phoenix right and Ally is really alive? Or is she dead? Will they be able to find her? Or will Ed be arrested before he can save his daughter?

This was a fantastic read, it was like being on a rollercoaster at a very fast pace. The plot was well thought out and the writing was very descriptive. I have heard good things about this book, now I can understand why, because it deserves it!

Ed is having a terrible day. He arrives home to find his house picketed by aggressive men and his daughter appears to be missing. She sends a text to her mother, but, Ed believes it wasn't typed by his daughter. Then there's the question of who is in the box?

This is a thriller that pulls you in and it's got twists and turns aplenty. I'm glad I stuck with it, as, there was a point it nearly lost me - it's a confusing read at times and starts off quite slowly. If that happens to you, stick with it, it's worth it!

Overall, a decent thriller. 3* Good Read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail Viper Publishing for the opportunity to preview.

Ed Truman is having a very bad day….

Accused of sexual harassment, his teenage daughter goes missing, and just when you think it can’t get worse, life kicks him in the goolies and his dna turns up on the body of a dead woman. I’ll say it again, Ed Truman is having a baaaaaad day.

The Box reads very easily - a teasing slow burn dealing with some dark topics, with great characterisation and a fabulous villain (if I had my way, there would have been a hell of a lot more of this guy!!!) But what I didn’t expect was the dry humour. I mean, I giggled… a lot. Ed is a bit of a sap but he has that typical dry British humour that gives him an endearing quality. I also loved the character of DCI Rose - now there’s a kick ass woman you don’t wanna mess with.

Overall I enjoyed this book and found it well paced and well executed. Recommended!

Fast-paced and thrilling, I couldn't put it down! Dan Malakin tackles an important, but little understood, subject in the rise of incel culture. 'The Box' takes some prevalent topical issues and weaves a nightmare around them. A great read!

Ed Truman is having a very bad day: first he has incels from the local Men Together group picketing his driveway, his son seems to hate him, his wife is bored, & his daughter is missing. Ally failed to come home & although they received a text from her saying she had gone away for the weekend, Ed is not convinced it is from Ally. She has been targeted by the incel group for 'milkshaking' their leader, doxxed on their website, & threatened. The group have now stepped up their campaign after Ed filed a restraining order against them & got their website shut down.

DCI Jackie Rose hates this time of year as it is anniversary of the death of her family, killed by a car bomb. No=one was ever brought to justice but Jackie lives in hope. Her latest case involves the death of a young woman whose body was found out in the open at a local park. Jackie finds it strange that there was no attempt to hide the body, almost as if someone wanted her to be found quickly. The girl has the hair from her attacker clutched in her hand, if the person is on the DNA database, they'll have their man. When the results come back as Ed Truman, & he is simultaneously accused of sexual harassment out of nowhere by three women, Jackie thinks it's all starting to look a wee bit too convenient.

Ed goes on the run & meets up with one of Ally's friends, Phoenix, who has video evidence of what Men Together are really up to. Can Ed & Phoenix find out what happened to Ally & get the incel group shut down for good?

This book covers some deep dark areas of modern society; incel culture, misogyny, homophobia, & transphobia. It was difficult to read some of the chapters, especially those from the point of view of Benedict, one of the leaders of Men Together. Benedict uses his good looks to mask his virulent hatred of women. It's unsettling to think that there are actual men on the internet who think like him. Jackie is a great character, a strong no-nonsense woman, but I found Ed a bit bleh at times. Overall, it was an interesting read but many of the supporting characters felt quite thinly drawn & I thought it was quite easy to work out where betrayal was going to come from. Good but not great, 3 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Serpent's Tail/Viper/Profile Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Ed is not having a good day - understatement! He has successfully managed to take down a controversial website, run by incel organisation Men Together, who targeted his daughter Ally. But that has repercussions - again understatement. His house is besieged, his reputation slowly being tarnished when former clients make pretty serious accusations against him, and then his worse nightmare. Ally disappears...
Ed is convinced that Men Together have his daughter and that the vitriol and accusations against him also stem from that direction and have been created to stop him from his interference. They want their website back up but it was Ally's wish, she made him promise, not to ever give them that back, not even if the worse happens. And it has... With the accusations against him mounting up, Ed is now a wanted man. Not trusting the police to believe him, the evidence is so stacked, he goes on the run, teaming up with a very unlikely partner, Phoenix, a friend of his daughter. But do they have what it takes to not only keep one step ahead of the police, but to also bring down the enemy, save Ally, clear his name, and stop Men Together, once and for all...
Oh my days. This book had me running round, chasing my tail, all the way through. In amongst all the Ed stuff, we also witness something else quite shocking happening inside "The Box". But I will say no more about that as, well, spoilers obviously, but also as you really need to discover the shocking truth of what is really going on as and when the author intends for maximum impact.
It's action packed and quite fast paced pretty much all the way through. It hits the ground running from the first page and doesn't let up until the very end. There are the odd moments of calm in amongst all the action and they served me well for a bit of respite, but it's not long before it all kicks off again. The action ramps up all the way to the aforementioned shocking end, which left me reeling but wholly satisfied.
The characters are well drawn and all play their parts very well indeed. Making them wholly believable. Which is no mean feat when you get to the end and it all becomes clear!
I've not read this author's previous book - The Regret - but I am definitely going to add it to my ever growing TBR - or even my TBLT (listened to). My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The Box is an intriguing thriller that starts as a bit of a slow burn and ramps up as it goes - there are lots of strands which makes it a little bit of a challenging read initially, but the strands are well woven and as the story begins to come together the tension builds and the reader is kept guessing as it builds to its shocking conclusion.

Ed Truman is a lawyer whose life begins to get complicated when his daughter becomes the taste of an an incel organisation, Men Together. His family home is picketed, Ed is accused of sexual assault and his daughter goes missing. When Ed becomes a murder suspect following the discovery of his DNA on the body of a dead young woman, Ed is faced with a race against time to save his daughter and prove his innocence. The police investigation is led by DCI Jackie Rose, the true definition of a “kick ass” detective, and for me the standout character of a book full of intriguing, if not always entirely likeable characters (please give us more of Jackie Rose in future books Dan).

I will leave you to discover more about “The Box” and its relevance to the story but all I can say is that if you like your books dark, unpredictable and unsettling with plenty of twists then you should pick this one up as I have no doubt it will have you hooked.

Your daughter is missing. You've been accused of a terrible crime. How can you save her if everyone believes you're a murderer? The Box holds the answers ... if you live long enough to find them -The Box, Dan Malakin

Of course the minute I read that I knew I needed this book. Thanks to Angana and Viper Books I got my wish along with being part of the blog tour.

Ed Truman is a solicitor who finds his daughter, and subsequently his whole family targeted by an alt right men's activist group - Men Together. As the smear campaign picks up speed, Ed's daughter Ally is missing. Now Ed is focused on finding Ally and putting a stop to this war on the family. Which is easier said than done when the whole country thinks you are a sexual predator and murderer and DCI Jackie Rose has a task force on your tail.

As Ed sees hes life and family falling further and further apart, he knows that finding Ally will glue it all back together. Then he meets Phoenix. A friend of Ally, who claims to know where Ally is and why she is missing. It because of The Box.

The characters, the family dynamic, the interaction between awkward teen and father, the spouses frustrations, the mystery of Phoenix. All of this had me feeling for them. I loved them, hated them, wanted them to succeed. Dan Malakin writes fantastically flawed people not just the hero you root for. The story is fast paced without feeling rushed. You get those moments of history and backstory but you don't lose get off track. Most of all you get drawn in, you stay up late, you run to work because you just had to finish it and now you are, in every sense, running late. Add The Box to your TBR, add Dan Malakin to your list of faves, and get ready to run.

I’m sorry to say that this book didn’t live up to my expectations

It was a thriller that kept you intrigued but it just didn’t feel right to me like I wanted a little more back story and not so quick to jump straight into everything when you didn’t know who was who.

I know I’m in the minority with my view but I received this book in exchange for an honest review so I hope I’m doing that.

3.5 stars rounded to 4 (Can I do that?)

The Box is a decent enough thriller dealing with a father's missing teenage daughter and his fight to find her whilst also being on the run from the police due to some damning DNA evidence on a murder victim.

There is one cracking baddie in this (who also comes into his own around halfway through) and some other pretty good characterisation that includes a detective with a past that haunts her – and rightly so.

The prologue for The Box totally drew me in and to be honest I was expecting something wildly different based on that, to what I actually read.

For me, the promise shown in the prologue didn't deliver. However it's still a well-executed thriller that's extremely well-paced and easy-to-read (I read this in 2 days).

The Box
Dan Malakin

This 'thriller' totally blew me away.

I honestly thought the title hinted at films (and books) such as the movie starring Cameron Diaz, or Gwendolyn's Button Box (King), but nothing could be farther from the truth.
It's not until halfway through the story that I found out about the Box. And, oh, yes, it's real.

I personally think it takes guts and courage to take one of the most famous books/films ever written/shot as theme for this 'thriller.' Personally, I see it more as a thought experiment on 'the natural order of things.'

The story is told by the I-narrator, Edgar ('Ed), a domestic abuse lawyer, accussed of sexual harassment. His daughter Ally, who is involved with a group of activists, who targeted a men's right movement, is missing.
Pretty soon after her disappearance, the pace of the story accelerates quickly. A body is found in the park, and domestic abuse lawyer Ed is suspected of this murder.
On the run, he teams up with Phoenix, an ethical hacker/whizzkid who is on the run too.

This multi-layered novel focuses on typical (natural) male/female behavior too.
Some of the protagonists show masculine behaviour and qualities often attributed to men.
Typical 'female/male' behaviour/roles are displayed. 'They are all shit dads' [ red…]
[ 'Men make women look like f*** idiots, they need to park their egos'].
With women in charge/ victimized, breaking the rules, or women leading the way while man shambles behind. portrayed as wimps.

The Men's Learning Center, with Carmichael as figurehead, want to nullify the role of women, and who'd rather go back to the natural order of things, i.e. patrichiasm, does 'procedures' on people. Ally & Phoenix have footage with which they want to prove that this is a dangerous group indeed.

With a tragicomic, cynical storytelling strongly reminiscent of that of Raymond Chandler, the storyline switches back and forth in time; the reflective protagonist is tragicomic, and very clear about his own shortcomings. Loved the original twist on Burgess' novel! Highly recommended!

This is a book that stats with a bang, becomes a slow burning thriller and keeps you hooked till the end.
There's a lot going on, an average man involved in something very big and an interesting detective.
I loved the storytelling and the solid plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine