Character driven and solid, I found this book hard to put down, and finished it in two sittings.
There is a feel of comfortable, established characters, along with a solidly paced story.
All in all, highly recommended.

This is a really great character driven novel. The start of the book is dark and atmospheric. I did enjoy the slow build up. The big reveal was a surprise. The two timelines come together well.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

Sorry, the book just didn't flow for me, I didn't dislike it but didn't love it either. I didn't connect with the protagonist either, he was 2 dimensional for me, not like I like my fictional coppers!!

"The Lost" by Simon Beckett is a masterfully written thriller that had me completely enthralled from start to finish. The author's grasp on suspense, tension, and atmosphere is unparalleled, creating a page-turning experience that kept me hooked until the very end. The plot is well-constructed, with twists and turns that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. The characters are complex and well-developed, adding depth to the story and making it even more engaging. The writing is sharp and descriptive, immersing the reader in the dark and atmospheric world of the book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to fans of the thriller genre. Five stars.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. I found the characters hard to connect with, the plot dragged for my preferences, and I skimmed the last quarter to finish. For these reasons, I will not publically submit my review. Perhaps I need a change of genre and will return to re-read after a reset?

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Lots of twists and turns in the book. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

Jonah Colley is a trained and highly qualified armed Police officer. He's also a loner in a very busy world. He strong and determined but sometimes he has to give in to the sadness he feels inside. When his 4 year old son Theo went missing, Jonah was lost too. And when an old friend Gavin calls asking for help, Jonah goes to him, as he has nothing else to lose.

What greets him is a sight he wished he'd never witnessed and he's left literally broken and and in a state of 'what now' as it looks like his career could be on the line too, as he ends up on the wrong side of the law.

Jonah is a brilliant and well written character, he's tough but knows when he's up against it and knows his limits, but willing to push them when needed and this is going to be the toughest fight yet. I made the mistake of starting this one night and could not out it down, so compelling and fast paced through out. The plot line is unmistakably enticing and does not let up. The whole book just keeps thundering along at a rate of knots.
The Lost is pure edge of your seat stuff and its no wonder its had such a huge success already, it's such a great book, the life Jonah once has is no more and he's now reliving the hell he went through again. Desperate and at his wits end to not let history repeat itself for Chrissie, his now ex-wife he has to finally save himself before he can help anyone else.

I would highly recommend, I know The Lost will stay with me, and thats always a sign of an excellent book.

Loved it, really good fast paced thriller full of twists and turns and had me racing through it to get to the end!! Will look out for more from the author…

This had everything a psychological thriller needs, from character development to scenery and surroundings to the suspense of what was going to happen next and the big twist that every good thriller requires, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Jonah Colley is a police sergeant working for the Met’s firearms unit. He’s not the happiest soul – as one too often finds with many of the police procedural books currently being written. But then, he doesn’t have much in his life to be happy about. He’s merely been existing day to day for the past 10 years, ever since his 4-year-old son Theo disappeared on his watch. Colley had taken him to the park to play, but while Theo was on a roundabout, Jonah dozed off on a bench and when he awoke, Theo was gone.

Colley’s marriage to the already unhappy Chrissie disintegrated, and what had been a solid friendship with colleague Gavin McKinney was also unable to withstand the pressure, and that too fell by the wayside. So Colley now lives a miserable, lonely life in a horrible (rather dodgy) apartment block and finds himself barely existing and still asking many questions about that fateful day when his son disappeared.

And then, suddenly one night, Jonah finds himself in a bar, drowning his sorrows with some colleagues when he receives an unexpected call from Gavin, who he hasn’t heard from for many years, begging desperately to meet with him. Jonah is so shocked – not only that Gavin has called him but that he’s asked him to come and meet up … at midnight … that very same night … at a place that has the sinister name of Slaughter Quay. Well, of course, he’s intrigued and as much as he originally thinks he’s not going to turn up, at midnight he finds himself lurking around the abandoned docks looking for his old friend.

What ensues from here sets Jonah on a trajectory that he never could have foreseen: dead bodies, a brutal attack that leaves him severely injured, and more unanswered questions than he could deal with in a lifetime. But the worst part of all is that it sets Jonah up as a suspect and he’s not even sure what he’s suspected of doing. DI Fletcher and DS Bennett are waiting for him when he wakes up in hospital and they’re not going to give up until they discover what he’s done. They’re mean, and they’re relentless from the second he opens his eyes, and they don’t believe a word that Jonah says!

This is a fast-paced, dark, edgy thriller with many twists and turns. Told in a split timeline between what happened 10 years previously around the time of Theo’s disappearance, and the present day, it’s not difficult at all to keep up with the two coinciding plots. The author manages to sustain the many complexities of the general storyline and just as you think it’s all running away with itself, he brings it all back together and ties it up quite neatly – but not so neatly that you think it’s too convenient!

I found Jonah to be quite a tragic character. His life is just sad and he lurches from one disaster to another, hoping that one day … some day … a lightbulb will suddenly appear and he’ll understand exactly what’s happened and how he’s landed up at this point. Beckett portrays him well. It frustrated me that he was more reactive than proactive, but most of the time I don’t think that he had a choice.

This is a recommended 4-star read.

This was another thrilling read by a very talented author. Simon's books have been translated from German to English, so its enjoyable for all to enjoy. And enjoy you will! Recommended.

What a thrilling book this is. From the very first few paragraphs the author hooks the reader digging his claws into you and refusing to break free until the very last full stop. The tension builds substantially as the plot unfolds and the back story of Jonah is revealed. The author knows how to capture the readers imagination, mind and nightmares and immerse them in his book. I found it totally compulsive to read and binge read it over two days. I even found myself re-reading the last chapter just to make my time with the book last longer. The books lot will stay with you long after you finish it and it will leave you wanting more. The character of Jonah is that of a flawed man with a black hole inside him from the death of his son. A man who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth however painful it may be. A man whose life will never be the same after the investigation uncovers some dark truths. Take the plunge and get the book that will go straight into your top ten of the year.

This was my first Simon Beckett book and I thought the story was good, i do love a crime thriller, there was just a little something missing that didn’t keep me really hooked, hence the four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for letting me review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about firearms officer Jonah Collet. His young son disappeared a few years ago and now he’s involved in something from the past that could be connected.

I did enjoy this book but I felt it was quite gruesome and hard hitting with the crimes. This is not to take away from the book itself this was brilliant, just in my opinion it was a little too much for me. It does have the beginnings of a great crime series and it was very gritty and had some great themes. Missing children, abduction, trafficking and blackmail to name a few. I’d love for there to be a prequel about what happened with his son as this could be a brilliant read.

A good read especially if you enjoy gritty crime books.

"It's not the missing who are in danger but those left behind"
That strapline and the cover grabbed me from the off!

Now who doesn't love a new crime thriller series and if this first book in the Jonah Colley series is anything to go buy it is gonna be one hell of a ride!

I was fully immersed by the first explosive chapter and don't think a drew breathe until I finally put it down at 4am .. high five to insomnia.

Firearms Officer Jonah Colley is a man completely haunted by feeling of guilt after his young son Theo disappeared on his watch. Jonah has never given up hope but also has a suspect in mind, the only problem is he has no proof. Now living alone in the wrong side of town after his marriage crumbled every day feels like an uphill battle.

After receiving a phone call from an old colleague who he hasn't heard from in years, Jonah is thrown into a case where he literally has to fight for survival. I won't go into any detail as it will most definitely give spoilers but this is the tale of a cop, under suspicion trying to find not only the truth for others but also for himself, is this case connected to his missing sons disappearance?

This was a real fast paced, nail biting read that perfectly connects the past and the present. I can't wait for the next installment.

Thanks to netgalley and Orion Publishing Group, Trapeze for the ARC.

I read a lot of police procedurals. This was one of the best. Of course there is the faulty main character who doesn't quite follow the rules. The twists and turns to the story, the complicated history and the betrayals add to the drama. I wanted to shake Jonah to wake him up. He screwed up and in the end, he has to live with that. No matter how many others were involved, he can't change the past.

Jonah Colley lost his son 10 years ago. Never gaining full closure of the events that happened that day. A phone call out of the blue one day sends Jonah on a mission to help out an old friend who he hasn’t spoken to in years. A fabulous first instalment in the Jonah Colley series. I loved how the story evolved and it kept me entertained throughout and eager to see the story unravel.

I had not read any of Simon Beckett's books before, but but after reading The Lost, I will be working my way through the other books in the very near future. This was an excellent thriller, with many twists and turns. There were plently of action scenes where I was literally holding my breath to see what happened next. The main character is fascinating with a heart rending back story that affects his thoughts and actions as he tries to solve a complex and inter-related series of murders. Highly recommended. Thanks to Tracy Fenton at TBC for a copy in exchange for a review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Jonah Colley came over as a believable character. His harrowing guilt of falling asleep when his son was kidnapped was a defining part of his character. From the opening chapter I was carried along through a very clever and well written plot and found I couldn’t put this book down. The twists and turns are many but they are perfectly spaced and feel quite real. I would definitely recommend this one