Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I received this as an ARC, great introduction, looking forward to understanding the character more, brilliant start with his back story which sounds interesting.
Looking forward to reading The first full story 'Never Game'

This was a very short introduction to a new character. I felt the story could have been expanded a bit as it seemed to be over as soon as it started. It was a decent enough read, though.

A great introduction to a new character.

Certainly short & sweet but leaves you wanting to explore more of the character’s story.

I just want to start my review by saying that I think this is a great idea. An author primarily known for one character releasing a short story in ebook form to introduce readers to his new creation, I hope it's one that catches on..

Jeffery Deaver never dissapoints. His stories are always tightly written and loaded with details and twists. "Captivated" is no exception. And his new character, "Colter Shaw" is certainly interesting. With an interesting backstory and methodology.

I look forward to reading and reviewing The Never Game next.

This was a good introduction to the character Colter Shaw, I will read the next one too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review, I will leave this review on Amazon.

A GREAT NEW CHARACTER FROM THE AUTHOR . HES DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CHARACTERS IN A WAY I CAN’T QUITE PUT MY FINGER ON BUT IT TOTALY WORKS. CANNOT WAIT TO READ MORE LONGER STORIES FEATURING HIM.

I usually enjoy a good Jeffrey Deaver, but this (as a short story) was somewhat lacking and a bit of a disappointment.

This is a novella by Jeffrey Deaver introducing a new character Colter Shaw, from a new series being written. I have already read and reviewed the first book in the series, The Never Game, so this one was a little bit like going back wards for me. But for newcomers to Mr Deaver’s writing or if you want to get a glimpse of what the new character series is like then this is a perfect taster. With this being a short story you don’t get the usual twists and turns normally expected from the authors writing. Colter Shaws parents lived off the grid as survivalists. Which taught Shaw a few lessons on survival, but he put himself through college and went on to study law. He is now a type of Bounty Hunter. But is selective on the cases he takes, and he is not greedy. If someone is missing he looks for the person for the reward being offered if he finds them he collects the reward.

In this short story he is tasked with finding a woman who has gone missing, she is married to an older man and because the police haven’t gone into action. Shaw takes on the case. He doesn’t want huge amounts of money just whatever is offered as a reward for finding the missing person. He even tells the husband that despite him looking for her, if she is found by someone else finding her from the posters then that person should get the reward.

Captivated by Jeffery Deaver was a brilliant introduction to his Colter Shaw series. Protagonist Colter Shaw is a man with a background that suggests he has an interesting past and a very unconventional upbringing. This unusual character has a unique personal history and is a multi-faceted guy who needs to live on the edge.
Growing up home schooled by his parents in an isolated and remote part of California, his father is a survivalist, whilst Shaw is a self-contained and resilient loner who travels around the country searching for missing people for the reward money.

He is in Indianapolis, Indiana, to meet Ron Matthews, a car dealer whose business has started to suffer from a down-turn. Matthews is married to Evie, an art professor and artist, who has disappeared and Ron wants his wife back, offering a reward. With a taut, if short, plot there are surprises, twists and danger, as the reader is shown a glimpse of exactly how skilful Shaw is at his chosen profession.

I definitely think there is a great deal more to come from Colter Shaw and I am looking forward to reading more of Jeffrey Deaver's work featuring him.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from HarperCollins via NetGalley at my request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Great short story featuring Colter Shaw.

Fast paced and well written, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

As always with Jeffery Deaver books, plenty of twists and turns.

If you've not read any Jeffery Deaver books before, whet your appetite with this. You won't be disappointed!

Great short story! I read the first Colton Shaw book and was immediately gripped- this has done nothing to change my mind. The twists and turns we all expect from Jeffery Deaver are all here. Loved it and can’t wait for the next full length novel.

Having never read a Jeffery Deaver book before this short story is a perfect introduction to the author.

It is a (very) short story about a Bounty Hunter who has responded to an advert for a missing person. We follow his journey of interviewing the husband who places the reward, interviewing the missing woman's colleagues to tracking down the woman.

Considering it is such a short book there are still a lot of details of the investigation, of the people and of the main character himself. It has definitely whet my appetite to read more Jeffery Deaver books.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this pre-release.

A fast-paced short sharp introduction to bounty hunter Colter Shaw who travels the U.S. for reward money. In this case, $10k to track down a car-dealers missing wife. But all is not as it seems, with a killer twist. A great taster for Deaver's next novel 'The Never Game'.

Short and sharp. I enjoyed this and it served it's purpose of whetting the appetite for the next Colter Shaw story - The Never Game - and sure enough I've gone straight on to that one next.
There were a few twists and turns and it quickly flowed. Not much to dislike!
Thanks for the preview copy.

I usually enjoy Jeffery Deaver's stories, both short and his novels, but this one was not my cup of tea. I've read much better stories by the same author and I think that this is just a bad parenthesis in his overall body of work. I should also add that my precise rating would be closer to 1,5/5. Just skip this one.

A very good introduction to Deaver's new protagonist: Colter Shaw.
Well-written, and well-paced, the author manages to pack in a lot of character-building into a relatively slim story. The mystery is interesting, albeit rather quickly resolved. The ending was good, too.
Certainly whet my appetite for the first full-length Colter Shaw novel, The Never Game.

Really enjoyed this quick read introducing Deaver's new protagonist Colter Shaw. Looking forward to reading the full length adventures now!

Lincoln Rhyme is a perennial favourite of mine so I had to give this one a go. As a taster novel it does what it says on the tin. A great introduction to Colter Shaw, a man with a lot of personal history. I loved the tease of his back-story and look forward to reading the next instalment in The Never Game.

Really enjoyed this short story and the introduction to Colter Shaw, looking forward to reading the full length book The Never Game and expanding on this new character.