This is a great thriller.
It's an original story that could have been too complicated, but it actually works.
The story revolves around a team of professional kidnappers who take their victims and demand money and no police involvement for the safe return of the person.
Fish is a Detective and we find out early on that he's involved with this group. Becca is a barrister and we hear about her case and then she is pulled into this as her daughter is the next victim.
This is a clever storyline which is fast paced and has some great twists and turns.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is my first introduction to author Simon Kernick. But it certainly won't be my last. As I was hooked from the very start, particularly when that final line of the prologue hit!

And as the story unfolded and I learnt more about the detective at the heart of it I genuinely couldn't get enough.

Then you add in everything else this story has to offer including the couple who believe they are involved in the perfect crime and a mother who is about to defend a killer in order to protect her only child.

And as the three stories interlink at breakneck speed. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how and if they would come together. Desperately trying to work things out. But Mr Kernick was always three steps ahead of me and the whole story would just turn on its head.

Which made it so compelling and thrilling to read and it's why I would genuinely recommend this story to all.

I'm now off to check out Simon's other books. As I can't get enough.

I’d like to thank Headline and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The First 48 Hours’ written by Simon Kernick in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Keith Fisher, or Fish to his friends, is a detective with the National Crime Agency, Becca Barraclough is a very successful barrister representing serial killer Logan Quinn who’s currently in Belmarsh Prison, and Delvina and Vincent Steele-Perkins run the Travellers Rest Funeral Home. They’re all connected by crime and each of them has an endgame in mind.

‘The First 48 Hours’ is an amazing thriller by an author who in my eyes can do no wrong. From page one I’ve been completely caught up in the complex and action-packed plot that has a surfeit of suspense and explosive twists and turns as the devious characters can’t be trusted to keep to the plan. It’s a remarkable novel that’s so tense I haven’t been able to stop reading as it builds to a dramatic climax. Just as I’m thinking Fish can enjoy his life in the sun we’re hit with a cliffhanger, so will we be reading more of him in the future? I do hope so.

I've not read many of this author's books and that's not for want of trying to fit them into an already bulging TBR but, what I have read had been top notch. I really do need to get my act together!
So... we start with a detective on the hunt for some cold blooded kidnappers. Ones who have also just stepped up to being killers. There's something hinky about the way he is going about it though. We also then have a mother who is a lawyer defending a nasty piece of work but one she has to defend with every bone of her body as her daughter's life depends on the outcome. And finally we have a couple bent on committing the perfect crime.
How all this meshes together (or otherwise) I will leave you to find out for yourself as, it is one heck of a ride. High octane roller coaster type. You might also want to invest in a neck brace with all the twists and turns the author bombs into the narrative all the way through. Not to mention all the moral dilemmas and other thinkie things you will also be hit with along the way.
I can't not mention the characters - and how nasty they mostly are. But also how wonderfully they suck you in and make you actually consider all their parts in the whole of what is going on. Yes that does make sense but I think you'll have to have read the book first to see what I am really getting at!
Pacing is frenetic mostly. With the occasional slower bit to allow the reader a bit of well needed breathing space before it all ramps up again. Picking up speed as it races to a wholly satisfying and exhausting ending.
All in all a cracking book which I thoroughly recommend to fans of the genre. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A group of people called The Vanishers are kidnapping children with the ransom being paid through largely untraceable cryptocurrency.
This is a brilliant thriller, full of twists and turns.
You need to concentrate from the first page, no page filling in this book.

A group of serial kidnappers are abducting children from wealthy family’s. If all goes well and the police aren’t involved the child is return once a ransoms is paid, however if the police are contacted the child is killed.

How will the kidnappers (called the vanishers) know? Good question they have a bent copper inside who is feeding them inside information.

Then there’s Becca a lawyer representing a serial killer. Becca also has a daughter, a doughter who she will do anything to protect including helping a serial killer and Becca is given just 48 hours to save her.

I was hooked right from the very first chapter of the first 48 hours. It was fast paced and had more twists and turn than any other book I’ve ever read. Unlike most thrillers this one is much more focused on the procedural side of things and at times it seems there’s a lot to take in and it can come across as very complex.

This was my first read by Simon Kernick and I will certainly be looking for more of his books. What a read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

An absolute classic "edge of your seat" thriller with all new characters for long time Simon Kernick fans. Here we have kidnap and deceit, and the criminal underworld versus bent coppers. If you're a Kernick newbie, buckle up because this does not give you a second to breathe from start to finish.
Kernick is a complete master at writing entire casts of hugely unlikeable characters but also making the reader root for them to succeed even though you don't want them to... and I don't understand that but I love it! Make this man an autobuy author, you won't regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a fabulous book. Such a great writer-you won;t be disappointed with this book. Recommended.

"The First 48 Hours" by Simon Kernick it's a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Kernick's talent for crafting fast-paced, suspenseful stories is on full display here.
The story revolves around a detective hunting down cold-blooded killers, but as the plot unfolds, you begin to question whether he knows more than he's letting on. Alongside him is a mother who must defend a murderer to protect her kidnapped daughter. The moral dilemmas and tension in this situation are palpable. And then there's a cunning couple attempting the perfect crime.
What I love about Kernick's writing is his ability to throw unexpected twists and turns at every corner. The characters are complex, and you can't help but become deeply invested in their fates. The cop's hidden agenda took me by surprise, and I couldn't put the book down until I found out how it all unraveled.
If you enjoy high-stakes thrillers with intricate characters and a relentless pace, "The First 48 Hours" is a must-read. Whether you're a longtime Kernick fan or new to his work, this book won't disappoint.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Wow. Just wow. Buckle up for this one, I can’t remember another book with so many twists thrown into page turning thrills.
A group of kidnappers are making good money from targeted kidnappings, helped by a crooked cop who knows the system and is on the investigation team. Not many good guys or girls in this and quite a lot of bad ones.
Can our crooked cop delay the investigation long enough for a final score, and what will he do when things start to spiral out of control?
Simon Kernick at his best here, this is the very definition of a page turning thriller with lots of shocks you didn’t think were coming.
Brilliant thrill ride.

........and he does it again.
Another superb novel from Simon Kernick.
Goodness knows how he can create a ruthless, cold and violent character that somehow has us rooting for him throughout.
Excellent plot which never slows down and a conclusion that will leave a smile on your face.
Nailed it.
Many thanks.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of The First 48 Hours, a stand-alone thriller set in London.

I enjoyed The First 48 Hours as it is a clever novel with plenty of twists and turns. I did not find it as gripping as I thought it would be and that is due, I think, to the continually changing point of view. The majority of the novel is told in the first person from the first person perspective of a morally ambiguous detective, Fish with the lawyer, the couple and some other characters making contributions as and when required.

The novel seemed slow to start as it introduces all these characters and their situations without much linkage. This changes as the novel progresses. It gradually picks up pace with a flurry of action and tension towards the end that culminates in an ambivalent ending that either offers mixed satisfaction or a door to a sequel. In between this slow start and fast ending is a tale of coercion, betrayal, double cross and all round lack of trust with enough twists to make the eyes pop. It is masterful the way the twists keep coming, in fact I don’t think that I guessed a single one in advance.

I can’t say that I liked any of the characters, with perhaps the exception of the lawyer, Becca, as she is a victim too, but even then, what she chooses to do is not sympathetic. This makes it difficult to identify with them and get caught up in their plights.

The First 48 Hours is a clever read that I can recommend.

A COP NEEDS TO CRACK A DEADLY CASE

He's a detective hunting cold-blooded killers, but does he know more than he admits?

A MOTHER HAS TO SAVE HER DAUGHTER

She's a lawyer who must defend a murderer - but how far will she go to protect her only child?

A COUPLE WILL COMMIT THE PERFECT CRIME

They have a foolproof plan, but will get away with the money....and their lives?

THREE STORIES. TWO DAYS. DOES ONE SECRET CONNECT THEM ALL? THE FIRST 48 HOURS.... MAY ALSO BE THEIR LAST.

A group of kidnappers, and a crooked cop who knows how the system works, is also on the investigating team.

A group called the Vanishers capture the children of the relatively wealthy, and if the ransom is paid, and the police are not contacted, the children are returned unharmed. But the latest parents have contacted the police. What then ensues is a few threads that are all connected. The first chapter in this book is one of the best opening chapters I've read. The character development is on par. The twists kept coming in this cleverly crafted storyline. I was completely invested in this perfectly paced read. There's so much more I would like to tell you about this book, but I can't as I would spoil it for potential readers. The story is told from multiple points of view. All the loose ends are tied up. I highly recommend this book.

Bent cops, psychopaths, legal wrangling, kidnaps, murders and twist after twist. Simon Kernick's new book has it all. He can always be relied on for a good read and this is no exception. A little concentration is needed initially until the main narratives come together but when they do.......just hold on and enjoy the ride!! Another fantastic book from Simon Kernick. Definitely recommended. A resounding 5*
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

An author I used to buy every book by and first book seen from him for a few years…anyway he is back and back with a sledgehammer of a book
As is his trademark its
Fast
Furious
Hectic
Claustrophobic and
Time Heavy ( everything revolves around the time things take )
Nasty is too subtle a word for the characters within this story, utterly vile some of them and it all revolves around a kidnapping ring where no one is hurt! More than that wont say except there’s more twists than any book read for a long time and will probably be one of my books of the year
A Kilimanjaro of a book ( not sure what that means but came to mind when thinking how to describe how good it is )

An excellent concept and really well executed. The story revolves around a team of professional kidnappers who take their victims, seamlessly, from the streets and demand high stake money and no police involvement for the safe return of the subject, the first few go well enough but then, when police are involved the young man taken is quickly killed. Next the demands are different - no money involved, just instructions to be closely followed and the victim is the daughter of a criminal lawyer who has defended some very dubious characters. The plot is clever and evolves quickly and it’s a delicious dive into the criminal underworld with lack of scruples and mixed loyalties. A recommend from me.

This is a typical Simon Kernick thriller with a fast paced storyline racing to a conclusion, which is his forte.
You have a cop in who is trying to find a kidnap victim or is he as all is not what it seems. You have a kidnap victim and their parent desperate to get their child back at any cost. What is any cost? What would you do to save your child or get them back? You need to read this to find out what this one will do.
You then have the kidnappers who obviously want to get their ransom demands and get away with it.
All are racing to sort out the ending they want but who will win? Who will get the outcome they want?

That then is the basic storyline but as ever with Kernick there is more than meets the eye and twists and turns at every corner. The cop is not all he seems and so can affect the outcome for the other two parties. The parent turns out to be a lawyer but she deals with some nasty defendants and wanting only one outcome, the return of her child, considers dancing with the devil to achieve it. Then there are the kidnappers who think they are one step ahead and clever but are they? Doesn't every criminal eventually make a mistake, so will they or can they get the money and run?

It all goes into an interesting storyline and one with the cop I was not expecting and to be honest took me a few chapters to get used to the idea. However you can't help but read on as it is a page turner and you want to know.
If you like Simon Kernick then you will like this it is as you would expect from him. If you haven't read him before and like a fast paced book to read then what have you been doing to miss him? Read it you won't be disappointed.

I've read Simon Kernick before and expected a good read. The prologue grabs you and delivers the first twist. The story then gallops along at 100 mph to a great satisfying end.

Do yourself a favour, read this book.

It is well-known to most thriller readers (as well as the relevant authorities) that the first 48 hours is critical in any criminal investigation involving a disappearance or kidnapping. This book is a fast-paced examination of those critical hours in the case of a child who has been kidnapped by a professional ring known as The Vanishers.

They operate by two key rules. If the victims do not inform the police, and also pay the ransom as instructed, they will deliver the kidnapped individual to safety. But in the case of this child, the parents do contact the police.

Two of the main characters in this story are particularly interesting. The first is Keith Fisher, an officer in the unit that deals with kidnapping, who is nicknamed Fish. The reader is given insight into his frame of mind, which is as entertaining as it is disturbing in terms of what one finds out about him. This is a difficult story to review without spoilers, so that is all I am going to say.

Meanwhile, the missing child's mother is a lawyer who defends all kinds of unpleasant individuals. Though, in her defence, I suppose somebody has to. Desperate to get her daughter back, she will go to any lengths.

The story involves multiple POV, and three apparently unrelated plot lines which intersect smoothly at the right point. This is a writer clearly experienced with delivering a gripping and unusual story, which is remarkably hard to put down.

It is the first of his books that I have come across, but I trust it will not be the last. Read it if you enjoy complicated storylines well-handled, multiple plot twists, continuous tension, and a satisfying ending without annoying plot devices that involve reaching too far.

The First 48 Hours is an exciting, fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns that kept me reading well past bedtime. The unexpected revelation at the end of the first chapter was just the beginning of these twists as what appears to be three seemingly unconnected stories all came together. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and highly recommend it. This was my first book by Simon Kernick but certainly won't be my last. Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc.