I have to say I'm pretty over invested in Max and Scout and I'm almost more interested to see how they're coping after losing Edie than the plot itself.

For me this instalment was solid but had a slight feel of just ticking over rather than any serious development of the series, althoug I really enjoyed the focus on his boss Pat, and the thin line between justice and vengeance.

As per usual I'm looking forward to the next book

Always very happy to pay another visit to the world of DI Wolfe, whether it be a contented domestic scene in his flat near Smithfield market, with young daughter Scout and canine companion, Stan, or racing around the streets of London, playing cat and mouse down a tube station or visiting Highgate cemetery, I was delighted to see that the sixth novel in the series had arrived!
Tony Parsons has created a very likeable, damaged, loyal and determined character in Max Wolfe. He always convinces me in the moment as Max rushes from one crime scene to another but, even more interesting is the way that he portrays the father-daughter dynamics in the Wolfe household. The author is incredibly good at catching the ordinary loving moments, the irritations and squabbles, the childhood changes and the paternal worries in this unusual but utterly believable relationship. Whilst it is this that makes Max Wolfe such a memorable character, his role as a single parent wouldn’t work without the depiction of such a compellingly real little girl.
The central crime in this story is, as ever, very well plotted with the expected twists and turns. Nothing is as it seems; all families are complicated if one looks carefully enough and this is certainly the case in ‘#taken’. Not only is Book Six up to the high standard of the previous tales; it also further develops Max’s dealings with his ex-wife. My only query here is, how could someone of his good sense ever have married her in the first place?
Highly recommended. Begin at the beginning if you haven’t met Max before, secure in the knowledge that six great tales await you!
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone Century for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I love Max Wolfe - there now, I've said it. He's probably my favourite fictional cop, wish he was real!
Anyway, I've heard a whisper that this is his last outing - say it isn't so? I'm going to really miss him, and Scout and, of course, Stan. And, no more forays into the Black Museum... sigh...
Back to the book - sixth in series, start with book one and read in order - yadda yadda! Honestly, you'd do yourself a favour if you do as they are all excellent books - both reading and listening to - I also have all the Audible versions (apart from this one which isn't out yet) and they are brilliantly narrated.
So, in this book Jessica, a young mother is kidnapped. Taken from a car as she was returning home with her young son left strapped into his baby-seat. Max is called in to investigate and things take a bit of a dark turn when he discovers that Jessica's flat mate, and owner of the car she was driving, Snezia, is romantically linked to crime boss, and nemesis, Harry Flowers. Was it really Jessica who was the target or did they get the wrong girl? But then Jessica has her own connections to crime via her father, an ex-cop. Max and his team, still reeling from the events of the last book (no spoilers), have their work cut out for them as they try to cut through the noise and work out what is going on, in time for them to save Jessica.
There was so much going on in this book that my head was pretty much spinning as much as Max and his team's. Wow, this author never fails to deliver with twist after twist, turn after turn and plenty of dead ends to boot! There's also the obligatory trip to the Black Museum to garner a bit of background and a small amount of Max battling Anne for the good of their daughter. Stan gets his fair share of the action too but thankfully, not as much as the last book.
Plotting is tight and there is pretty much no superfluous padding which means that the story gets on with itself at a fair lick. So much so that I found it very hard to put down and became quite grumpy when life dictated to me that I had to!
All in all, if this really is the last book, it's not a bad one to end on. I'd love to read more about Max and his wonderful families - personal and professional - but I respect the author for going out on a high. Maybe he'll sneak me a few short stories in the future. Hope so. I'd hate to have to say a final goodbye to Max.

I have read and enjoyed all six Max Wolfe police procedurals and “Taken” is well up to standard.

The books are so well plotted and written and the characters beautifully depicted and you can’t help but relish the time spent with Max’s supporting cast of family, friends and dog.

Not as gruesome or terrifying as many other examples of this genre, this is top class entertainment written by a master of his craft.

When Jessica Lyle is abducted in front of her apartment, the kidnappers obviously made a big mistake. It was not the lovely mother of a baby-boy, but her flatmate Snezia Jones who was the target since she is the mistress of London’s drug dealer number one: Harry Flowers. This is personal, the woman has been taken to get to the underworld boss who is so distressed that he comes personally to DC Max Wolfe to offer his assistance. It does not help the police that Jessica’s parents immediately go public with the case, they want their daughter back and they give their mission a hashtag to spread the word: #taken. Yet, this media hype only leads to more people who have waited a long time for their chance to take revenge on Harry Flowers. Jessica remains missing and obviously, the time is running out.

I absolutely love Tony Parson’s series about DC Max Wolfe, the sixth instalment actually was one of the best so far. The author has created a plot that can really surprise due to the astonishing twists and turns.

This time, Max Wolfe’s team really has a hard job to do since they need the cooperation of the drug dealer Harry Flowers and have to rely on his information – which not only is all but reliable but also brings Max and also his daughter Scout in the highest danger. The threat comes from a very unexpected side but it was absolutely credible from a human point of view. Apart from the missing person’s case, Max has to struggle again with his ex-wife Anne and the question of how to educate Scout. Surprisingly, the loss of Max’s lover Edie Wren which happened at the end of the last book in the series did not really play a big role even though I expected this to have a large impact on him.

Again, a masterly crafted plot around a set of very unique characters makes a great read.