Another cracking thriller of a read from this excellent author. Having read all of the previous novels; this maintains the intrigue, suspense and complexity of investigating missing people and it's not necessary to have read the earlier books, but, if you haven't you're in for a treat.

Raker was a journalist who now works as an investigator looking for missing people. A man and his son enter a ghost ride in an amusement park and disappear. Rebekah, someone Raker knows from a previous case, turns up from New York looking for his help. What follows is a multi layered tale that maintains tension and fascination to the last page. It's an uneasy read at times, especially when it touches on real life past horrors, but, it's the more interesting for that detail and I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Jospeh Penguin Random House for the opportunity to preview this excellent read in exchange for my honest review and congratulations to Tim Weaver, another triumph!

The last goodbye bye Tim Weaver is book 12 in the David Raker series and like the others in the h series it does not disappoint.
In this instalment David Raker has been asked by Rebekah Murphy, who we were introduced to in the previous book, to find her mother who disappeared in 1985 when Rebekah was three. She always wondered what happened to her. When she suddenly starts receiving condolence cards through the post who she thinks are from her mother.
Present day, Father Tom Brenner takes his son the local theme park to visit ‘The ghost house’ while they are waiting in the queue, they are called over to escape the queues and be let in. They enter the ghost house, but CCTV cameras show That Tom Brenner and his son Leo never come out. Where did they go? Are the two disappearance stories connected in some way?
Thank you, Penguin Michael Joseph, for a copy of Tim weavers latest offering. This is another long, but riveting read from the author. It has a cleverly written complex plot where the two stories of each disappearance seemly interlock together, that keeps you wanting more. 5 stars from me.

This was a brilliant very complex thriller. I didn’t realise when I requested it that it was a long way through a series, but although there were references to earlier storylines it was fine as a stand-alone. It was not an easy read. The plot alone with the multiple stories was complex. Great read though and I will definitely look at starting from the first one to back fill the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

Book 12 in the David Raker Series and another interesting case, actually two cases, for missing person person specialist Raker. He also has to deal with the worry about his closest colleague, Healey, who is under arrest in prison and under pressure to tell the police about his and Raker’s activities. Raker is a great character and as always well written and well plotted this was a one day read for me as I had to know!

Briefly, in the present Tom Preacher and his son Leo recently disappeared at a Theme park, seen entering a ride but never reappeared. Raker is approached by Rebekah whose mother Fiona vanished nearly forty years earlier. However, recently Rebekah has received cards which appear to have come from her mother. The search for both Fiona and a friend Jennifer who went missing at the same time turns into a race against time as Raker discovers some very nasty individuals hiding hideous secrets. Are the two case’s connected?

A very clever dark, twisted tale of murder and intrigue with a few gruesome bits but not gratuitous. I found it a thoroughly enjoyable read with a wonderfully engaging and complex plot to keep you guessing until the reveal. Great book.

Though this is book 12 in the series this was my first read of his. You don’t need to read the previous to enjoy this one, though after reading is and how engrossing it was I do want to complete the entire series. If you love books about missing persons the. This is a series you will grasp in your hands and not be able to put down.

This is my first read by author Tim Weaver and this is actually book 12 in a series " David Raker", which I did not realise at first.

I feel like you do not have to read the other books in the series to understand and enjoy this novel.

We meet David Raker who is a missing persons investigator, he is an interesting character and glad there are other books about him so that I can catch up on all the other novels.

In The Last Goodbye, David is hired by Rebekah who's mother upped and left when she was a small child, the other missing case which seems unrelated is a father and son who went into a ghost house and never showed up.

David Raker is basically a marvel at these cases and he soon makes links and the reader is taken on an intriguing journey. Both missing persons case relate and the reader gets to learn how and why.

Tim Weaver is a master at his craft, and I only have read the one book thus far. The characters are immense and I was super invested in each and every one of them.

Thanks to Tim Weaver, NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A warm welcome as always for the return of David Raker, the British private investigator who searches for missing persons, often in the most bizarre circumstances. Here he is faced with another of Tim Weaver’s trademark “unsolvable” mysteries- a father and his young son who enter a ghost house at a theme park but do not come out, and there are no witnesses or clues as to what might have happened. Raker is also asked to help a woman find the mother who disappeared from the family home forty years earlier, but is now apparently sending notes to her. Fast-paced, complex and twisty, this is a chilling story that will keep you guessing. Weaver gets better all the time and deserves to be more widely known and rated. The main characters, particularly Raker, are very well drawn and sympathetic. We have got to know him well over the series, and despite his own tragic loss and the brutality he encounters ( the villains are pretty horrific) he never loses his humanity and empathy. It is also a pleasure to meet again some of his regular contacts from the earlier books. This book can be read as a stand-alone but anyone doing so will surely want to go back and read all the others.

I do generally enjoy this ‘Missing’ series by the talented Tim Weaver and feel unlike some series’ every one can be read without reading any previous,in this book the basics of the past are mentioned to help new readers understand what has happened beforehand but tbh it holds it’s own as a good stand alone story
As with all the authors books there is a good beginning,how the ‘missing’ part has happened,a tense and exciting middle where it is investigated and a robust ending where things all start to make sense
There a lot of characters in this book and timelines and plot action but as long as you concentrate and keep a check on it all you are rewarded with a tale of intrigue and in parts very dark pasts of some of the characters
It is not a quick read and is involving but the readers investment pays off with some superb writing and involving story

Literally just finished The Last Goodbye and wow 🤯😨😢 what a ride ! Plenty of twists to get your teeth into! An amazing story! As alway Tim has delivered everything you'd hope for in a David Raker book and more!

I hadn't read any of the series previously so had no idea what to expect but this far surpassed anything I could have imagined! It's very complexly written and I imagine not being familiar with the regulars added to that but I soon figured out the characters and their relationships and the book really wad amazing! Even for an intro into the series, it still gave the relevant info and good insight into the characters without giving a load of spoilers for previous books. The book is well written and everything comes together really naturally with a perfect ending. There are twists and turns and I wa slept guessing the whole way through

The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver
Publisher: Michael Joseph Penguin Random House
Publication Date 8/6/23

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My most eagerly anticipated read of 2023 and it did not disappoint. I’m a massive fan of the David Raker series, each time I think it can’t top the last one and it does - and this one blew me away. Great story, so gripping I raced to the end and then had to reread it. Rich in detail and characters you really care about.
I’d give it more stars if I could.
I’ll be buying it for all my reader friends for birthday or Christmas.

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Fantastic installment. I highly recommend this series. It is so well plotted and I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommend this series as I find these books highly addictive and now we wait for the next installment

Weaver creates the most intricate plots that you think can't possible come together but they always do. This one is no different, there's lots happening and for a long time your completely clueless as to where things are going.
This is part of the David Raker series but also brings in characters and plots from his stand alone novel Missing Pieces. You probably need to have read at least that one and The Blackbirds otherwise you may be a bit confused.
Raker is the cat that has nine lives but is a very likeable character, even if sometimes you're shouting at him about the things he does.
Personally I found that the ending dragged slightly, his books are always on the longer side but it could have been about 50 pages shorter.

My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph Publishing for a copy of “ The Last Goodbye” for an honest

I was really drawn to this book by the intriguing premise , and also as I was aware of how popular an author Tim Weaver was , although I hadn’t read anything by him before .
As I got a little into the book I realised that this was quite a way into the series so I became a little confused with different characters. I decided that I wouldn’t continue until I’d read up on the previous books so I have given it a score that I may amend later.

Another ridiculously clever and twisty outing for Raker and I absolutely loved it.

Expertly plotted and executed this book, as with the rest in the series, grabs you from the start and doesn’t let you go.

This time Raker is asked to solve a very cold missing case that dates back almost 40 years. The case soon sees him caught up with some very dangerous figures from recent history. This time too Raker is not just the hunter but also the hunted as the Met close in on him and Healy.

Tim Weaver really is the ultimate ‘just one more chapter’ author. Every chapter leaves you on a cliff hanger or questioning what you thought you knew and you just have to keep reading!

This is Raker 12. I’ve read them all and never got anywhere near the twists so this time I thought just relax and go with the flow and maybe that's the secret because this time I managed to figure out one small twist. Very proud of myself!

And now that I’ve got my breath back I can't wait for the next installment and what comes next for Raker & Healy.

Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph & Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy

Tim Weaver does an incredible job in not letting standards slip in his latest addition to his gripping specialist investigator David Raker series, a man who is willing to cross lines to find out what has happened to the missing people he looks for, even if it is the worst, so that his clients can find some sense of closure and perhaps peace. Raker's latest case is one of his most challenging yet, Rebekah Murphy has 2 children, and is now an orthopaedic surgeon living in New York, but almost 40 years ago in Cambridge she was 3 years old when her mother, Fiona, disappeared in Cambridge, walking out on her father, Henry, and brothers Mike and Johnny. With her father and brothers now dead, Rebekah has come back to Britain accompanied by former NYPD cop, Frank Travis, hiring Raker, feeling a void within her, a need to know what happened to Fiona.

In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, Raker begins his inquiries and soon finds himself slipping into shocking, surprising and more dangerous territory than he could possibly have imagined. In more recent times, hotel manager Tom Brenner takes his 9 year old son, Leo, to a theme park, the 2 of them get on the ghost train, but they never get off the ride, seemly disappearing into thin air. Could there be a connection with the long ago disappearance of Fiona and that of another woman, Jennifer Johnson, she worked at the exclusive The Castle, who went missing around the same time? This is not all that is coming at Raker, he finds himself under increasing strains and pressure with the imprisonment of Colm Healy, and the Met's DI Martine Parkes is intent on getting Healy to implicate Raker, the goal of her boss, Detective Superintendent Aiden Phillips.

If you are familiar with Weaver, then you know just what complex and gritty rabbit holes he creates for Raker to fall into, and just how much the police, particularly Phillips, resent that he solves cases where they fail. Healy has no intention of giving up a Raker who had helped and supported him so much, but he is not coping well in prison, and the threats he faces are increasingly beyond his control. This is a dark, intense, and brilliant crime read, beautifully plotted, with twists that you will not see coming and it is great to be reacquainted with a cast of established characters like Elizabeth Feeny. A series that I recommend highly to those who love their crime and mystery genre. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

As a fervent enthusiast of Tim Weaver's captivating David Raker series, I embarked on the twelfth instalment, "The Last Goodbye," with high expectations. Let me assure you, dear readers, that those expectations were not only met but exceeded. With its intricate web of events and constant sense of urgency, this novel effortlessly ensnares your attention from start to finish.
Weaver masterfully picks up the narrative threads left dangling in the previous book, seamlessly continuing the gripping journey of Raker and Healey. The fallout from their previous encounters sets the stage for an enthralling adventure, one that never wanes in momentum.
The investigation at the core of "The Last Goodbye" is a labyrinthine enigma, requiring readers to remain alert and astute at every turn. Weaver deftly introduces an array of characters, their identities often shrouded in secrecy and their names morphing in a dizzying dance of deception. Keeping up with these intricacies may prove challenging, but it is a testament to Weaver's skill that he maintains a sense of clarity amidst the complexity.
And oh, that reveal at the climax! It is a masterstroke, carefully crafted and artfully interwoven throughout the narrative. One can sense Weaver's meticulous planning as the puzzle pieces fall into place, leaving readers both satisfied and in awe. The author's patience in developing this revelation over time rather than resorting to hasty resolutions is commendable and adds an extra layer of satisfaction to the reading experience.
As an inadvertent latecomer to the series, beginning with the tenth book, I cannot help but feel a tinge of regret for not delving into David Raker's world sooner. However, I am delighted to report that my newfound enthusiasm has led me to acquire the first book in the series. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to immerse myself in the earlier works and discover the depths of character and storytelling that I have been missing.
In summary, "The Last Goodbye" is a magnetic addition to the David Raker series, brimming with entanglements, relentless action, and a storyline that compels you to stay glued to the pages. Tim Weaver's ability to craft a narrative that keeps readers engrossed is truly commendable. So, whether you are an ardent fan or a newcomer like myself, I wholeheartedly recommend this book and the series as a whole. Prepare to be captivated by a world you won't want to leave.

This is the twelfth book in the ‘David Raker’ series by author Tim Weaver. David Raker is an investigator who specialises in finding missing persons. I really enjoy this series as it is so well written and a little different to other books in this genre.

This is an excellent addition to the series and although it works as a standalone I would recommend you read the whole series for full entertainment This is another gripping tale full of suspense that I really enjoyed from start to finish.

Two seemingly unrelated cases of disappearance form the focus of this latest novel. Tom Preacher and his son Leo mysteriously disappeared at a theme park, CCTV cameras recorded them both entering the ghost house but they never reappeared. The other case is the sudden departure of Rebekah Murphy’s mother when she was just a child. Rebekah seeks answers to her mother’s disappearance and asks for the help of missing persons investigator David Raker who soon discovers that these cases are not unrelated after all.

As always the David Raker novels are well thought out and excellently written. Excellent and realistic characters and lots of information to keep your mind thinking. Each character is well developed, each with their own secrets and motivations. The deeper David Raker investigates the more the intrigue, uncovering more secrets as the truth unravels. The story is expertly paced to keep the reader hanging on every word and detail.

The tension builds throughout and as soon as I had finished it I was instantly looking forward to the next instalment.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Another book from one of my favourite authors, I’ve read all of his books and this one is no different, it had everything in it and I couldn’t put it down

A father and son disappear from a theme park ride, while years ago a mother walks away from her children and is never seen again. It’s down to David Raker to find out the truth. Can both cases be related?

This book is quite far into the David Raker series and I am ashamed to say that this is the first book in the series I have read, despite owning a few. I can safely say now that it won’t be my last!

The writing is superb with plenty of action to keep you on your toes and a very complex, clever plot. It does take a little bit of concentration to really get the most out of the story but is well worth it. The character development was done very well, especially David Raker. I do feel that I would have got a lot more out of this book if I had read the rest of the series as there is a lot of references to past storylines, therefore some parts were slightly confusing. Saying that though, I did manage to get my head around it all and can definitely describe this as a twisty page turner. If this book is anything to go by then I will definitely be going back to the start of the series and catching up on all of the books. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy in return for an honest review.