A gritty and action-packed detective thriller, The Lost is a clever police procedural that is full of shocking twists and dark crimes.

With a gripping opening chapter, the story has a fast pace that will have you racing for Jonah to find the answers. And because he's under suspicion himself, although you know more of the facts than the police do, you still have to question his part in it all, and the revelations that come are absolutely blindsiding.

Would I read another book led by Jonah Colley? I've certainly grown a bit of a soft spot for him after this book so I'm interested to see what he gets up to next. If you like your thrillers centred around bent coppers, human trafficking and drug deals that focus on the dark side of humanity, this is definitely a book that you should pick up.

This being my first time reading Simon Beckett, I didn´t know what to expect from this author but I can safely say I will be seeking out more of his novels in the future.

What a brilliant, gripping thriller! Had me glued from the first page. You immediately connect with the main character Jonah, literally feeling his pain in some of the attack scenes, amazing descriptions which leave you cringing in sympathy!

A knuckleduster of a thriller, a simply must read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

The latest title from Simon Beckett is not, sadly, an addition to the David Hunter series but introduces a new character in the shape of DS Jonah Colley. As is the norm with police procedurals and similar novels, the protagonist is flawed in some way - in this case, that flaw is considerably more understandable, having been caused by the disappearance of Colley's son approximately ten years before the novel opens.

Beckett is a dab hand at creating a dark, disturbing atmosphere, and the London of this novel is not a good place to be. DS Colley is a well-realised, believable character who wins the reader's sympathy - this book is set up well to be the first in a new series, although it would be disappointing if this means that we have seen the last of the wonderful David Hunter. Perhaps there is scope for the two characters to meet in a future title.

For newcomers to this author, this will be a great introduction but for anyone who is already aware of his work, this new character and setting represents a major change of direction.

I have not read any books by this author and requested a copy purely on the basis of the description. Wow what a book. It held me gripped throughout from the opening chapter right through to the really dramatic finale. I really hope it’s the start of a series. Jonah was a brilliant character and the action and dialogue gripped me totally. It is definitely one of the best thrillers I have read this year. It is quite near the knuckle with some of the violence scenes and I felt myself actually cringing in parts when Jonah was being attacked.
Absolutely brilliant novel that I can’t recommend highly enough. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers.

Let me start off by saying as soon as I heard about the controversy on the cover, which is eerily amazing by the way, I knew I had to promote the book. And I am so glad I did. From the first page, The Lost captivated my interest and turned into one of the rare books that I couldn’t put down.

I liked the main character, Jonah. Having endured tragedies in his life, his strength was fascinating.

The story is told in the present times, but because of events in Jonah’s life, there is a time jump to ten years prior. This form of storytelling was perfect. Somewhat suspenseful, the time jump made the story that much more gripping.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mr. Beckett, however, will definitely not be my last.

I've been struggling with my reading mojo lately but I read The Lost in just a day. It starts with a bang and continues as it means to go on: incredibly gripping and fast paced so that I found it very difficult to put down.

The central character is Jonah Colley and I very much enjoyed getting to know him. He doesn't always do what you would expect and this lands him in some sticky situations but I always rooted for him and wanted him to find the answers to his questions. He has a significant back story which increased my sympathy for him. I loved the way Beckett explored Jonah's past as this helps the reader to see the reasons behind what he does. I hope that The Lost is the beginning of a series as I am keen to continue following Jonah's journey.

At times towards the beginning of the novel, I could not imagine how the different strands would come together, although I was extremely intrigued. However, as we reach the end, everything becomes clearer and I was fascinated as it did. It's very cleverly written and full of tension.

I can't wait to see what this author does next!

This is one of my favourite reads of this year. A tour de force of a crime thriller. I loved the David Hunter series and after reading the start of a new series this author has another winner on his hands. Hooked from the first to the last page, packed to the rafters with tension and suspense. A brilliant plot ,so well written . Full of heart in your mouth moments and a fantastic twist I never saw coming. A well deserved five stars and a MUST READ. I can't wait to read the next in another gripping and addictive series from this very talented author.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I hadn’t read anything by the author before reading The Lost.

I have two young children myself, one of whom is a boy about the age of Jonah’s son who went missing some ten years before the events of the book took place. Reading the parts of the book that discussed what happened were difficult, but the author dealt with them well, and the horror that a parent must feel in those circumstances was truly captured.

The story was gripping and it didn’t take me long to read because I was desperate to see how it turned out and what Jonah had gotten himself involved in when he answered the call from Gavin, the old friend, and fellow police officer who gets in touch one night to ask for help.

It soon becomes apparent that there’s a lot about Gavin that Jonah didn’t know as he continues to try and find out what happened that led to the events at Slaughter Quay and changes what he thought he knew about what happened to his son all this years ago.

Jonah is a great lead character and I’ll look forward to seeing more of him in future books in the series but there are several of the supporting characters who scream out for more attention in future books too. In particular for me are DI Fletcher and DS Bennett.

This was a great start to a new series and will be a hit with any crime fiction fans.

he Lost is the first book in a new series from Simon Beckett. Beckett is a new author to me so I was intrigued to find out more about this new series and protagonist. DS Jonah Colley is a firearms officer with The Met’s SCO19 division. He is a man burdened with overwhelming grief and regret. Ten years previously his 4 year old son Theo was lost, presumed drowned, after he wandered away in the park while Jonah, in charge of his son, nodded off.

Blaming himself and letting his wife Chrissie blame him, his marriage broke down and later he fell out irretrievably with his best friend, DS Gavin McKinney.

The start of Simon Beckett’s novel is both harrowing and emotional, but it also paves the way for an intertwined mystery and one that I can already see is going to lead the way for future books. Easy to get into, it captured my interest straight away and made for an easy, gripping and fast-paced read.

Colley is now a bit of a sad loner, living in a bed sit with no real life of his own. He’s having a few drinks with his unit one night when he gets a call from his erstwhile friend, McKinney who tells him he urgently needs his help. Colley is in two minds about responding. He hasn’t spoken to McKinney in years; their parting was, to say the least, acrimonious. But they had been good friends and something about McKinney’s urgent plea makes him feel that he has to go.

So he hops into his car and heads for Slaughterhouse Quay where a scene of carnage awaits him. What follows is a tense and dark story that turns Colley from cop into both a victim and a suspect and it is only by pursuing the case on his own that he can get to the truth.

Beckett dangles juicy plums in front of the reader as he raises levels of suspicion and cleverly plays on Colley’s – and by extension the reader’s – interest in both the fate of his long gone son and the other bodies that are found at the aptly named Slaughterhouse Quay.

There’s plenty of atmosphere and the plot, while sometimes convoluted, is well–layered. The middle could have used a tighter edit, but that doesn’t really detract from a good story and a terrific protagonist. I’m curious about one shadowy character and I wonder if we’ll see more of that person in future books in this series? I do hope so – because I will keep reading.

Verdict: The Lost is a twisted story with many deceptions and misdirection, though a plot device is so good it is used twice; but it nonetheless captured my interest and grasped it tight. Lots of misdirection, plenty of action and a bucketful of tension keep the adrenalin levels high and the emotional quotient goes through the roof at points. Simon Beckett is a natural storyteller. A series and a protagonist to watch out for!

My word! This novel puts the reader right into the firing line from the very start, plunging you into an investigtion that has its roots in a 10 year old disappearance.

Jonah's old colleague, and best friend in the Met, sends him a cryptic message, asking him to meet in a warehouse on Slaughter Quay, saying that he had 'got it all wrong'...

Arriving to find a grim , and literal, slaughter house, before Jonah can make any sense of what is going on, he is brutally attacked and left for dead.

When he comes around, with his best friend dead-and the body missing-he appears to all intents and purposes, the only one who can explain what is happening to a detective who is like a Rottweiler in human form. Determined not to let Jonah go so easily, he is on the attack right from the start, drawing conclusions from the flimsiest of threads. Broken and physically incapacitated, how can Jonah even begin to pull apart the threads of an case which goes back to the worst day of his life?

Ten years earlier, his young son disappeared from a park, it is a simple enough thing that many, many exhausted parents would have done, even if they wouldn't necessarily have admitted to, closing their eyes for a brief minute only to open them again and finding the bottom has fallen out of his world.

The assumption that Theo has died in a tragic accident is the final reckoning for Jonah's marriage, and although he has never completely been able to move on, the impression you get is that this is a man living half a life-everything stopped the day Theo vanished. And now, with Gavin re-appearing, Jonah is pulled back to the one suspect from the park-a career criminal spotted on a bench in the park. Whose pictures just so happen to be on Gav's computer. Whose blood is found at Slaughter Quay.

Just how much worse can Jonah's life get?

Oh trust me, it is about to get a whole heap worse...

The adrenaline and sheer energy of this driving plot puts the reader front and centre, riding shotgun with Jonah who knows as much as we do. It gives you a ringside seat to a deep dive into the darkest reaches of what human do to each other in the name of money, the way that the police functions as its own insular hierarchy. The ones keeping the populace safe from injustice can sometimes be the worst criminals and liars of all.

In Jonah you have a flawed, damaged protagonist with one foot in, and one out of the Met, able to see both sides of the story. Where does his loyalty lie?

This is the kind of novel which tears into the worst of crimes-a disappearing child, human trafficking, corruption and conspiracy theories. The line between right and wrong has never been so thinly drawn.

I absolutely devoured this book, my first by Simon Beckett, and I really cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

You know those books that come out of nowhere, grab you by the scruff of the neck, slap you round the face and then leave you gasping for breath at the end? Well The Lost is one of them.

Meet Jonah, a broken man after his daughter disappeared and then his marriage imploded. What does he have left? His career as a member of the firearms unit in the Met. And then a ghost from the past calls him leading him into a very dark and dangerous journey. I loved meeting Jonah. He’s a strong man with a sensitive side. His methods are toe the line but needs must when you’re a murder suspect!

This fast paced, twisty and turny thriller captivated me. It’s very different to the David Hunter book I read previously. A very different view point at the centre of the story and I seriously enjoyed the rollercoaster of a read. I’m so glad that this is the start of a series – I can’t want to see what happens next!

I’ve not read anything by Simon Beckett but was tempted by the opportunity to try The Lost, the first in a new series featuring police officer Jonah Colley, and it proved to be a chilling and compelling thriller, gritty and fuil of twists that keep you guessing right to the end.

Firearms officer Jonah Colley’s life changed forever when his four year old son Theo disappeared when Jonah nodded off while he was looking after him - he was never found but is presumed dead. Ten years on, Jonah receives a message from his former best friend and colleague Gavin McKinney, who he has not seen for years following a falling out, asking him to meet him late at night at a derelict warehouse. Their shared history leads Colley to feel he should go but he is in no way prepared for what he finds there, or how he will subsequently be forced to reevaluate the past. He is determined to uncover the truth, but in doing so he becomes a suspect himself - as he tries to understand what he has got involved in and how it is connected to events ten years’ previously it is soon clear that he must find the answers quickly if he is not to be in very real danger himself

It’s a book that throws the reader straight in from its opening in the chilling setting of the aptly named Slaughter Quay and the tension continues to build, as the reader, along with Jonah, has to try and figure out what to believe and who to trust. Jonah is an engaging central character, flawed but believable and your heart goes out to him as you feel the weight of his guilt over his son’s disappearance. I look forward to getting to know Jonah further in future books in the series.

THE LOST is a twisty thriller which keeps you guessing until the end. Jonah Colley, a London police detective, whose life has been indelibly marked by the disappearance of his infant son 10 years previously, a disappearance that Jonah tortures himself about. He blames himself for the loss of his son, as does his ex-wife, who left him in the aftermath. Colley lost his son, his wife and, as a direct result, his best friend. When that estranged friend calls him late one night, panicked, begging for his help, Jonah drives to a desolate quay on the Thames where he discovers several dead bodies before being attacked and left for dead. As he recovers, Jonah finds that he is suspected of knowing more about the events of that night than he his telling, perhaps even that he is involved in the crimes. As he tries to discover the truth, Jonah begins to believe that there is a connection with his son’s disappearance.

Simon Beckett has delivered a tense, claustrophobic crime novel, a dark mystery in which the central character, and the reader, do not know what to believe or who to trust. It is a gripping story, a breathless page turner with believable and engaging characters. This was my first exposure to Simon Beckett and I really enjoyed it. It will be interesting to see where he takes the character next, THE LOST being the first in a series, and I look forward to discovering his previous series.

Let me begin by saying this had one of the best openings to a book – I was on the edge of my seat from the very first page and felt like I’d stumbled into an episode of a crime drama!

The story follows Jonah after that opening chapter as we flip from present day to the past when Jonah’s son went missing. We’re given little bits here and there which really had me gripped and desperate to know more.

Meanwhile in the present day we have this ongoing investigation into what happened at Slaughter Quay that night. Everything ticked along at just the right pace with pieces of information coming together slowly to form a bigger picture.

Whilst I did guess early on as to what had happened I still really enjoyed the build up to the conclusion and some of the explanations to go with the events that happened. Not only that but it was very gritty in places with some rather unpleasant situations but this just added to the tension surrounding everything.

Overall if you’re a fan of crime drama’s such as criminal minds etc then you will thoroughly enjoy this!

Simon Beckett’s The Lost is a complex, hard-hitting and chilling crime thriller that will blow readers away.

Ten years ago, firearms police officer Jonah Colley’s worst nightmare had come true: his beloved son had disappeared. Jonah had been completely consumed by grief, anger and despair and his son’s disappearance had come close to destroying him. A desperate Jonah still struggles with the events that happened over a decade ago, but could a plea for help from an old friend end up giving him the answers which he has spent the past ten years seeking?

Finding himself under suspicion after the brutal discovery of four bodies at Slaughter Quay, Jonah had been brutally attacked and left for dead. The fact that he is the only survivor had raised eyebrows and pointed the finger of suspicion squarely in his direction. Determined to clear his name once and for all and to discover who was the mastermind behind the murders at Slaughter Quay, Jonah begins his own investigation, but is he is prepared for the shocking secrets he is about to uncover?

The deeper he digs, the more he realises that the people he knew and trusted have sinister depths that they go to great lengths to keep hidden. With the odds stacked against him and time definitely not on his side, Jonah needs to trust his gut and follow his instincts because the perpetrators might be closer than he initially thought. Far too close…

As past sins and presents crimes converge in the most startling and unexpected of ways, will Jonah ever get to the truth? Or will he be eliminated just when he might have found the missing piece of the puzzle?

Simon Beckett’s The Lost is top-notch crime fiction at its unputdownable best. Sure to keep readers absolutely glued to its pages, The Lost is a fast-paced, nerve-wrecking and heart-pounding thriller that is brilliantly layered, deftly plotted and so cleverly written readers simply will not be able to guess what is going to come next.

From the first page to the very last, readers will be completely captivated by Simon Beckett’s The Lost, a superbly told chiller perfect for Line of Duty fans.

Accomplished writing and a fast paced opening that never lets up. Time is important here and Jonah must find a way to stay ahead of that ticking clock. But this isn't any normal police procedural - this is complicated characters, intelligent plotting and a depth of emotion that is brutal at times to witness.


Full of twists and crooked turns the narrative is almost alive with friction. A compulsive read that kept me turning pages towards the reveal. Most of that I believe is down to the realistic and gritty portrayal of people that inhabit the book and the way that the author conjures up some of our worse nightmares.


Dual time lines are weaved effortlessly by Simon to give us a flawed and layered character in Jonah. Someone that we connect with. Someone we cheer on. But we do so from behind splayed fingers scared of where or what might be coming towards us. But we all have regrets right?


Edgy and Intense. Very dark. This is a fantastic read for fans of the genre.

The Lost is the first in a new crime series by Simon Beckett. Readers may be familiar with Simon’s David Hunter series – I’ve reviewed one here on the blog The Restless Dead – it was such an enjoyable read that I didn’t hesitate to accept a tour invite from Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers to review The Lost. My thanks to Tracy and to the publisher for the Netgalley copy to review.

Firearms officer Jonah Colley’s life fell apart the day his 4 year old son Theo disappeared and he is haunted by feelings of guilt. He has never given up hope that Theo may still be alive and has always had a suspect in mind but was never able to prove it. Ten years later a phone message from an old friend and colleague he hasn’t spoken to for years leads him to an abandoned warehouse at the aptly named Slaughter Quay. He could have no idea what awaits him or how the events that follow would make him reassess the past.

The Lost is one of those fast paced reads which throws you into the action from the beginning. Jonah Colley isn’t a hero, he has his flaws but he is inherently decent. With every twist and turn in this complicated tale he seems to end up further in trouble and I did wonder whether he would ever get a break. Whilst recovering from his injuries and having a loathsome detective on his back, he faces an uphill struggle to clear his name – even if some of his actions don’t exactly help his cause!

This was both an intriguing and exciting read where the past intertwines with the present. In the ten years since Theo’s disappearance the people closest to Jonah have moved on with their lives however whilst trying to solve the mystery that he has found himself embroiled in he has to make some emotional reconnections. He made mistakes but it’s easy to feel sympathetic towards him and I did think he unfairly took all the blame on himself that day.

The Lost is a dark and addictive read that leads to a tense and gripping conclusion. There are enough murders to satisfy a hardened crime fan but none so gory that anyone could be put off. I do love to be in at the start of a new series and this is one I shall follow with interest.

I really liked the character of Jonah, he’s a risk taker so there’s shades of grey to him but he is someone that you can root for nevertheless. It was quite a dark tale, more so than I usually read but I still enjoyed it, the author writes quite a twisty tale and I liked the pacing of the plot and the things that you didn’t see coming. All in all, I’m really looking forward to the next book.

Jonah is a firearms officer, like many others he has a terrible personal life, but his is more tragic than most. Ten years ago, his four year old son disappeared when he took him to the local park, resulting in the breakdown of his marriage to Chrissie and losing touch with his best friend, Gavin. But after years of silence Gavin needs his help and after going against his better judgement he goes to his aid. As you would expect, this doesn’t go to plan and his personal situation deteriorates even other.

I thought this book would be like many other police procedurals that I read but it is completely different. You don’t get to see Jonah as a police officer, instead you see him as a father still grieving over the disappearance of his son and who is now a suspect in a murder investigation. There are some unlikeable characters, mainly his ex wife, and a few I want to know more about. Fletcher is definitely one who I hope will be a returning character, I want to know more about his past and for him to respect Jonah.

Jonah was a character I liked a lot. His honesty, his self imposed isolation, his way of coping with danger, especially from a local gang, his determination to help despite what had occurred in the past and the pain he endured by doing so. I also smiled when reading a lesser character’s view of Chrissie (mine was similar)

I enjoyed this introduction to Jonah, I am looking forward to reading book two, just slightly intrigued over what way it will go with the ending. Hope I don’t have to wait long to find out

10 years separate two crimes, but what and is there a link is a question that Jonah Colley and other detectives want to know.

An old friend calls Jonah for help. Little does Jonah know what is to come. It will open old wounds and put him in the firing line as far as an investigation is concerned. How innocent is Jonah and what happened all those years ago?

This is the first time I have read a book by this author but I knew when I read the synopsis it was one I wanted to read. I do love a short synopsis and the one for this story is short, it is also very intriguing.

The author doesn't hang about with this story and it progresses at such a good pace, it works so well with the story where time is something that is important. As the main investigation gets going it feels as if Jonah has to try and stay one step ahead.

I like how the author has woven the two timelines together so well, it has helped build a larger picture and it is also a way to gradually learn more details. The major details are trickled out and rather than being one large eureka moment, there are a series of realisations, that is until you get towards the end of the story and the final piece of the puzzle is placed.

This is a story that is quite complex as I now start to try and write my review, but while reading it there wasn't a point where I felt lost or out of my depth. Instead, the author carefully laid the story out and it was full of double-crossing, lies, secrets and twists.

The story of Jonah is a heartbreaking one, it has tormented him for years and it gives such a brutal backstory which the author has used to build his character. There are dark and emotional themes in this story, there is cruelty that gradually unearths itself and it gives this a grittier edge.

This is one for those who like an intense, edgy, dark and atmospheric story. I thought it was an excellent read with some fabulously sneaky characters and also one that I found extremely addictive, so much so that this was a one-sitting read. I would definitely recommend it.