This started so well with police officer Jonah being asked for help by an old friend Gavin. Against his better judgement he goes to meet Gavin at midnight at the deserted (and aptly names) Slaughterhouse Quay. There he finds Gavin dead and two other bodies. One of the bodies is not dead however and he tries to save her until he himself is attacked. A breathless and exciting start then which had me gripped. Off work with a badly injured knee and finding himself under suspicion, he resolves to find out what's going on.

As i've already said, I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel. Jonah is a sympathetic and likeable character and there were enough twists to keep me satisfied. However about halfway to two thirds of the way through it started becoming repetitive and very unbelievable. There is a twist towards the end which took me by surprise but it was too ludicrous for me to suspend disbelief and I lost interest at this point. That lack of interest made me unsympathetic to the plot device of having Jonah hampered by a severe injury. I get it that this made him more vulnerable and increased the peril but if you've ever had a broken bone you'll know how painful it is and how unlikely it is that you'll want to put yourself in more danger. It's a shame because this initially was very promising. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Jonathan Colleys son disappeared 10 years ago and it nearly destroyed him,when he answers a call for help from an old friend he is led to Slaughter Quay where he discovers four bodies.He is brutally attacked and left for dead.
Being the only survivor he is under suspicion, he uncovers a network of lies and secrets about people he thought he knew and his left wondering what really happened all those years ago.
I found this to be a good read started off a bit slow for me but warmed up enough to keep me reading
Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC

Jonah Colley has lived with the tragedy of his 4 year old son, Theo, dying for 10 years and is just about getting his life together when he gets a desperate call from Gavin, an old friend and colleague who he hasn’t had any contact with for years. Gavin begs him to meet him at Slaughter Quay at midnight. What could go wrong?

This book had me from the first page, but then lost me for a time. Jonah is a really good character, a past with secrets that get brought out quite naturally, a soft side but angst over the mistakes he’s made before - and keeps making. The action is bloody at times, the pace is steady but some of the interrogations by DI Fletcher are not quite believable and the amount of action Jonah has, despite having a badly damaged and operated on knee again are a bit unrealistic. That said, I did need to read to the end to see how this was sewn up, and I do feel that I want to know what happens next to Jonahs life. An interesting read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ten years ago, Jonah Colley’s young son vanished. Being a police officer didn't make it any easier to cope with. The case was eventually closed, resolved as an unfortunate accident. Jonah threw himself into his work, and tried to move on. His marriage fell apart, and he drifted apart from his best friend at the time. Then, out of nowhere, his old best friend, Gavin, calls, begging for help. He asks Jonah to meet him urgently at Slaughter Quay, as Jonah is the only one he can trust. What follows next is a brutal attack. Jonah is left for dead. There are bodies in the warehouse building. Suddenly Jonah goes from police officer, to prime suspect. The worst part of it all - he has no idea what is going on.

He quickly gets drawn into a tangled web, the more he explores, the more tangled he becomes. What does all of this have to do with what happened ten years ago? And who can Jonah trust? Old wounds from the past are reopened, and Jonah has to relive the torment he has been trying to bury for years.

This was a gripping read, with lots of twists and turns and lots of drama and suspense. The characters were developed really well. Jonah, for all his flaws and faults, really came across as a person you could feel real pity for, and could see how tortured he had been all these years, and wanted him to succeed in his investigation, not only to clear his name, but to relieve his anguish.

Highly recommended reading, I can’t wait for more in this series!

*I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It was quite a thrilling book with plenty of suspense and shocks but I deducted a star because there was too much violence for my taste. A cliffhanger at the end heralding the possibility of a sequel?

I liked this book but I didn't love it. It is a pretty typical lost child police procedural and I have read better. That's not to say that this isn't enjoyable but it was pretty long winded and repetitive. It could do with a bit of editing. The first half is a much faster pace and I think that's why I was able to read it so quickly. But the ending kind of ruined this book for me, it was a cliffhanger of sort, unanswered questions abound. That's why I do not usually go for serial books. I have yet to decide if I will be reading the next book or not...maybe just to get some questions answered?

By the end of chapter two I was hooked. What a gripping start to the story. Sergeant Jonah Colley, a police firearms officer, is an interesting character. A broken man since his 4-year-old son went missing ten years earlier, he becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders. The first is his fellow best friend Gavin who he has had no contact with for years. Lots of secrets come to the surface, and Jonah is constantly trying to find answers, especially about what happened to his son, while being constantly watched and harassed by the awful DI Jack Fletcher and his colleague DS Bennet. The story is a complex and tangled web, with more murders and a lot of violence. I did get a bit lost at times and am still not sure whether the ‘seemingly’ connected plots were connected or not, or whether the baddies were really goodies. I would have enjoyed the novel more, and given it 4 stars, if some of it hadn’t been so far-fetched. Jonah’s knee ‘exploded’ in chapter two, and was operated on. What he managed to do while on crutches (and the same knee was badly damaged in at least two more fights later) is amazing! Oh, and freeing his wrists of clip ties more than once must have left his wrists ripped to shreds but it didn’t seem to curtail his activities at all. Despite a little moan, this was a well-written read and I would like to see what happens next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

A very good read. Jonah is a policeman in the firearms unit. Ten years previous, Jonah's son disappeared presumed dead and his marriage broke down. Jonah gets a phone call from and ex-friend who he hadn't seen in since that time asking to meet him as he has important information for him. Jonah embarks on a roller coaster ride in hope of finding his son. The story is fast paced and well written. I really enjoyed this book despite a high body count.

Favourite thriller of 2021.
Clever, unexpected plot..
Sergeant Jonah Colley receives a call from an old police friend asking him to meet him at Slaughter Quay in London’s docklands. Gavin had been his best friend until a major rift in their relationship ten years previously.
What follows is a rollercoaster of action, misdirection and an unknown future for Jonah.
Totally unexpected direction of travel of storyline. Who can Jonah trust? His police colleagues, his ex wife, his friend or no one?
Great storyline, plot, lots of red herrings, tension and supporting storylines.
Great characters- loved Jonah.
Looking forward to next story.
Thanks to #Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
4.5 Stars ⭐️

Woah! I started to read this with the intention of half hour reading before bed but couldn’t put it down until I finished. There’s a lot going off in this book but it all pulls together for a twist I didn’t see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Jonah Colley #1

Jonah is an elite firearms officer for the Met’s SCO19. Out of the blue he gets a phone call from Gavin who he hasn’t heard from in ten years. Gavin sounds scared and asks Jonah to meet him at the derelict Slaughterhouse Quay at midnight. Against his better judgement he goes but there’s no sign of Gavin at first and then Jonah makes a mind blowing discovery. After an incredibly dramatic start the novel backtracks to ten years ago where we learn of the disappearance of Jonah’s son Theo, for which he blames himself.

The author pulls you into the storytelling right from the start and making me question why I’ve not read his books before! Jonah is an intriguing central protagonist, he’s far from perfect, he’s prepared to take risks and stretch the lines of the law to get to the truth but that’s what makes him interesting. At times, he’s either extremely unlucky or blissfully unaware or a combination of both! His sons disappearance hangs over him like a dark cloud and is a factor in many of his actions and so I root for him. The characterisation is good throughout, they’re all well fleshed out and there’s a character to loathe in DI Fletcher who is fist clenchingly awful especially during some interviews. Gavins background over the last few years further adds to the complex and fascinating plot with more questions than answers. It’s a well written novel with a fast pace, there are some really creepy moments with some dark discoveries and moments where you almost hold your breath. It’s a gritty storyline with some violence, it’s full of tension and suspense that builds to an exciting, unpredictable and dramatic conclusion with a great twist.

Overall, I’m all in for number two and I’ll endeavour to read more by this author.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Orion Publishing Group for the ARC.

The opening to this book is really intriguing, atmospheric and tense. But, for me, it then settled into a rather boring read - only to come half-way to life again towards the end.

Jonah Colley, now a Sergeant in SCO19, the Met's Firearms Unit, has blamed himself for 10 years for the disappearance of his 4 year old son Theo. Jonah fell asleep whilst his son played in the park. Only one small shoe was recovered at the entrance to a small culvert opening within the grounds - his body was never recovered and his death was ruled as drowning.
Now, having a drink with colleagues, Jonah receives a call from Sergeant Gavin McKinney asking for his help - he sounded scared. Jonah and Gavin hadn't been in contact for 10 years but Jonah is drawn to meet him at midnight at Slaughter Quay.

Inside an abandoned warehouse he discovers blood and Gavin's phone; as well as three bodies wrapped in plastic - a killer is in the process of wrapping Gavin's body; a fight ensues and Jonah awakes in hospital.

DI Jack Fletcher and DS Bennett investigate but don't really believe a word Jonah says, but when a DNA sample throws up the name of Owen Stokes - the one suspect in the case of Theo's disappearance - Jonah needs to find a connection.

I'm afraid I found a lot of the narrative where Jonah is so desperate to find answers to what happened to his son, too lengthy and repetitive.

Apart from a tense beginning and a Twist at the end, it was all rather slow going

Sorry, but that's my opinion.

Good story. Well written.
Moved at a fast pace and very tense in places.
I dropped a star because of all the bad language.
I hate bad language.

Thank you Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
I have read everything so far by Simon Beckett and was really excited by a new series (I hope). The book had a great start and i liked the characters but I felt it dragged a bit in the middle, great beginning, good end and different story, but needs a bit of work.

The book started with great promise but appeared to drag on. There were lots of loose ends and I struggled to get to the end. My thanks to Net galley for a chance to try a new author.

A rare ‘did not finish’ for me. This may be a case of ‘it’s me not the book’. I enjoy Beckett’s book and was interested to see a new character/series perhaps, but I’m afraid the strong violence, hints of torture and involvement of a child was just too much for me.
It is well-written and gripping.

I was glued to this book until I had finished it. A real page turner, congratulations to the author, Simon Beckett, for writing such a superb, gripping thriller. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the novel.

Simon Beckett is a new author to me and, as The Lost is the first in a new series, it seemed a good place to get acquainted. The book gets off to a cracking start – a firearms police officer lured to an abandoned warehouse on Slaughter Quay (great name!) and we're very quickly into the thick of mystery, subterfuge and tantalising questions with a good measure of violence thrown in.
Jonah Colley is a worthy addition to the current trend of building a series round a strong character. The plot is convoluted and at times I struggled to work out who the baddies were, but the elements of excitement and tension are well maintained so I found myself carried along with the story.
If I have a cavil with this book it is that Colley sustains more injuries than enough, yet seems to carry the day regardless. I fear for his health if this level of damage continues in subsequent books. An easy read, not taxing, a little OTT in places but enjoyable nevertheless and I will look out for more of Colley's exploits.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own..

This book is well-written, but the interconnected plots are a bit convoluted and sometimes implausible. There were a lot of loose ends left at the end of the book, and I didn't really understand who the ultimate villains actually were.

This was an intriguing fast paced thriller that kept me guessing until the very last page. I was pleased to see it was the first in a series as the ending left a gigantic question that I was hoping might have been resolved.
Jonah Colley is a police firearms officer who has a sad past as 10 years previously his 4 year old son disappeared from a park whilst he was looking after him. He blames himself since, due to extreme tiredness, he fell asleep whilst watching Theo. . His marriage subsequently breaks down and he now lives in a tower block in a part of London that does not seem particularly salubrious. However he still has his job and he carries on until one day he is contacted by his old friend and colleague Gavin.
Summoned to a deserted warehouse by the river he finds some shocking things awaiting him and is then seriously injured. He sees a corpse and fears Gavin is dead but there is no body to be found once the emergency services finally arrive despite his viewing of one before he was attacked.
Trying to figure out what has happened ensures that Jonah gets into more and more trouble and leads him to believe that he cannot trust anything he once believed, particularly what he thought happened 10 years ago.
His life begins to unravel and he finds himself the prime suspect in a series of murders pursued by two dogmatic and unpleasant police detectives.
This was an enjoyable and entertaining crime thriller which had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. I liked the character of Jonah and am now looking forward to seeing more of him in the next book of the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for my arc in exchange for an honest review.