Could this be Linwood Barclay’s best book?

Miles Cookson has received devastating news from his doctor. He has inherited the disease called Huntingdon’s Disease and wants to get his life in order before the disease becomes too difficult for him to cope.

Miles has made millions out of apps that most people use in their lives every day. However, there was a time when he was struggling and sold his sperm to a fertility clinic. He wants to find the children he’s created and share his wealth with them. Unfortunately, the doctor who runs the clinic has a secret; the children Miles thinks he’s fathered have instead, been fathered by a megalomaniac. This man is hell-bent of not only killing all his offspring but making sure that there is no trace left behind to link him to them.

Linwood Barclay has excelled himself in this novel. The protagonist, Miles Cookson, is one of the most admirable characters I’ve ever come across. I loved him and felt so much empathy with how he copes with the diagnosis and his moral dilemmas of finding his “sons and daughters”, only to discover that someone else is even more determined to see them obliterated.

Another character that shines is Chloe Swanson – his “daughter”. She’s feisty, street-savvy and compliments Miles as she goes on the search with him to find her half-siblings.

There is an interesting villain. I’d love someone to contact me after they’ve read the book because I’m sure the person is based on an infamous scoundrel who hit the headlines and kept us enthralled with their nefarious lifestyle.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

What a book. I was hooked from the first page . I would have finished it sooner but at times I needed to sleep.
Miles is a very wealthy man and after being diagnosed with an incurable disease he sets about finding the children he fathered thanks to a donation at a fertility clinic when younger and down on his luck.
However, it soon becomes apparent that one-by-one the said offspring are mysteriously disappearing/dying with all trace of their existence removed.
Miles is in a race against time to find them before he is so debilitated by his illness that this will be impossible.
What Miles doesn’t know is that someone else is also looking for them. The question is who and how far will they go to achieve their aim ?
I have always loved reading Linwood Barclay’s books but was a bit disappointed with Elevator Pitch. This book is a return to to the Linwood Barclay I know and love. Keep them coming please.

I absolutely love Linwood Barclay’s books and would always pick them up without reading the blurb. This one certainly didn’t disappoint! It was fast paced and full of action. It had a unique storyline that all fitted together very well at the end. Fantastic book

This sounded so interesting and Linwood Barclay has some amazing books, but this one took me so long to get into and you have to suspend your disbelief quite a bit.
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I didn’t really connect with the characters to start off with (alot of them are vile) and wasn’t particularly bothered about Miles finding his heirs. Once he met up with Chloe it got a bit better for me, I really enjoyed their father/daughter relationship.
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Honestly though the way this is written it’s glaringly obvious who is picking off the heirs. The only thing I wasn’t 100% sure on is why. But when that revelation came about I like huh?!
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No spoilers here, but in my opinion it was hardly a believable reason to go around making them disappear. There was a glaringly obvious alternative spin that the perpetrator could have put on it to clear up the mess just as easily. But there we go, that wouldn’t have made a story would it 😂
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So overall it was a mediocre read for me because it didn’t make logical sense, but if you can suspend your belief and just go with it you might enjoy this one.

This book was ok but ultimately not one for me. I found the twists predictable, the character development was weak and I wasn’t as gripped as I should have been.

A quick read and a decent filler but not the best in the genre. I liked the idea - nine sperm donor heirs, dying one by one. And at first I thought it was going to explore all of them one by one Christie style.

Instead it introduced characters seemingly at random. Killed them off with no repercussions for anyone else emotionally. The final “climax” was tired and unexciting. Most the people you’d met were dead and several plot lines were abandoned with no resolution.

Could have done with a restructure and a replot. Not the best.

I have enjoyed Linwood Barclay novels in the past and I'm sure that his fans will enjoy this book. It's well written, fast paced and has a satisfying conclusion. Not high literature but an enjoyable read.

Chloe Swanson has always longed to find out who her biological dad is, knowing her mother went to a fertility clinic. Miles Cookson, millionaire computer app designer has just found out he has Huntington’s Disease and wants to contact any children he may have knowing that 20+ years ago he donated to a fertility clinic, and wants to financially support any children knowing this disease is genetic. Miles and Chloe connect. While trying to find the other potential heirs, they discover that some of them have disappeared, all traces of their life cleaned up and removed. Who is behind this all?
I enjoyed the storyline, and hooks you in from the beginning, bringing together lots of characters and plots. There are several people with motive to dispense with the potential heirs.

Fast paced thriller with intertwined stories and lots of interesting characters. The plot is very up to date with sexploitation and DNA searches and the consequences of both. Began to figure it out quite early but the good characters and storyline kept me interested.

CW: sexual assault, gore

In <i>Find You First</i> we follow Miles, a tech billionaire with a newly-discovered terminal illness, as he tries to find what potential children he has out there in order to bequeath them his fortune. Unfortunately, they might also have his illness. As Miles sets out on his quest, he discovers that the children he helped bring into the world are disappearing - as are any trace of them. We also follow Nicky, a young (although its never stated how young) teen, who has gotten wrapped up in the entertainment business. Specifically, entertaining important adult men at parties held by a Jeffrey-Epstein-type - whom she accidentally overhears departing some damning information. In addition, we also follow some of Miles' children, as well as some criminals. A massive cast! But surprisingly not confusing.

What I Liked:
- Fast-paced.
- There was a lot of different threads to tie up, and Barclay does it well. It had less of a twisty vibe throughout, it was more just following the threads along until they came together.
- Lots of horrid characters to gleefully hate and root for their comeuppance.
- Action-packed conclusion.

What I Didn't Love:
- Had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit - especially at the end.
- At one point he describes the weight of the only fat woman, to the lb. This is not done for any other character.
- It was a little bit long - but thankfully the fast pace got me through that easily.
- A few too many characters - it was easy to keep up after a few introductions, but still. It was a lot.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. Fast-paced, action-packed, weird mystery. Am all for it. Would recommend to any thriller fan.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the author, and HQ for the eARC. This one's available to purchase in the UK now!

Linwood Barclay is a safe pair of hands if you are looking for an enjoyable crime novel that keeps you guessing and racks up the tension. This one deals with a very contemporary issue- the growing number of companies who will check a sample of an individual’s DNA and match it up with anyone on their database who shares part of it, possibly introducing customers to relatives they didn’t know they had. But this news might not always be welcome....
This is not, however, one of Barclay’s best. Some of the “villains” were a bit too stereotypical and it was too easy to guess what was going on quite early on- there were not enough suspects. The leads were easy to warm too though, and Miles’s dilemma was relateable, and the book is worth reading if only for the nerve-jangling scene featuring a winnebago towards the end.

I loved Elevator Pitch, which was my first book by this author, and I couldn’t wait to start this one. Overall I found it an ok, average read when it could have been so much more. The plot, on paper, was a good one but it just got a little far fetched in places and was a little busy where it didn’t need to be. It’s certainly not going to put me off reading more from this author but I did expect something more considering the wealth of writing experience. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for letting me read and review this book.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

It's been a while since I read a Linwood Barclay book and this was a great one to come back to. Gripping, entertaining and fast paced storyline with short chapters (something I really enjoy as it keeps me reading - just one more chapter then I'll get up... )

Loved it.

Linwood Barclay has a really distinctive style & Find You First is no exception. Short, gripping chapters, the story jumps between the characters (which can be a little confusing, as there are quite a few to start with, until you've got them sorted in your mind). A fast paced thriller that is very engaging with plenty of twists, a few characters you can really get behind & a couple you wouldn't mind getting behind to shove off a tall building.

I’ve been a big Linwood Barclay fan since No Time For Goodbye, so I was excited to read his latest thriller.

I flew through this and read it in a day!

There’s a lot going on and a lot of characters, but I felt they were distinct enough that I didn’t get confused.

The main premise of the plot is a great idea and certainly something different!

Miles is an extremely wealthy and successfully businessman, and after a shocking diagnosis, he wants to help the children he fathered at a fertility clinic over 20 years before.
However, as he starts to track them down, it’s not just Miles looking for the children.

This book is certainly thrilling and gripping, I couldn’t put it down!

Of course, not all the characters are likeable, but I did really warm to Miles and was rooting for him.

I thought I had it sussed out but no, twist after twist keeps you gripped. I did work out one of the people up to no good but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story at all.

A couple of parts I thought were a bit far fetched and unrealistic, but on the whole I really enjoyed this.

Another great book from Linwood Barclay!

Highly recommended, especially if you like a good thriller. Great escapism during these strange times.

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for a copy of this book for review.

Having read several books by Linwood Barclay and enjoyed them, I was not as impressed with this title. Although it was fast paced and entertaining, I found it a bit far-fetched. I realised early on who was doing what although I didn't know the exact reason for it. Quite readable, but not his best I don't think.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Linwood Barclay/HQ for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is a brilliant read! One of Linwood Barclay's best to date.

Miles Cookson, a tech billionaire has just discovered he has a genetic illness and this makes him take stock of his life, achievements, and his legacy. When young and needed money, well before he made his millions, he was a sperm donor. Now, he feels he has an obligation to find his genetic offspring and warn them about the illness but also more importantly, to look after them should they too have the same diagnosis.

So begins the hunt for all of his children; his money and connections help to make this relatively easy and he first of all finds a "daughter" called Chloe. Immediately, they both sense a connection and they then start to look for her half siblings.

BUT strange things are happening to the others, some seemed to have vanished without trace; no trace left behind, a bit too clean! And so the race is on to find the others before something terrible befalls them. There are other sinister forces in play.... the book is fast paced, suspenseful and a great read. You'll find yourself rooting for the relationship between Miles and Chloe.

A great book, a genuine 5 star triumph!

After disappointing Elevator Pitch, Linwood Barclay is back on form with a new super entertaining, fast paced and suspenseful story. Although not your typical Linwood Barclay thriller, Find You First is as gripping and as twisty as most of his other books. Eagerly awaiting the next one!

I haven't read anything by Linwood Barclay for some years and I really don't know why but I had a word with myself and got stuck into this with relish.

What we have here is an exciting thriller that had me hooked. The pace is unrelenting, the characters are just excellent ... even the horrid ones ... and the story is captivating. There are a number of threads to the story and to go into them all would ruin it so I will say nothing apart from you needing to keep your wits about you, but in a good way.

There is tension, twists and nail-biting moments and, yes, you have to suspend reality at times but if you can't do that in fiction, when can you?

All in all, a really enjoyable read and my thanks go to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

What a fabulous book! Fast paced with so many twists & turns. Loved the characters and it made me cry at the end. Highly recommended

It's been a long time since I read a Linwood Barclay good and so glad I was given the opportunity to read this as it reminded me how amazing a writer he is.

Unexpected twists and turns keep you engrossed in this book. Just when you think you know what is going on you turn a page and are told otherwise.

Great read for those who enjoy a crime/mystery read.