Before It's Too Late

Chinese student Min Li wanted to cool off after an argument with fellow student and boyfriend, so she took a walk on the streets of Stratford-Upon-Avon. There she was kidnapped and is now being held captive in an underground pit. DI Will Jackman has been assigned the case of the missing student and as he begins his investigation, he uncovers a lot of strange inconsistencies. Someone is not telling the truth. When another student is taken even as Min Li grows closer to death, Will wonders if he will solve the case in time to save them.

Terrifying, unputdownable and gripping.

Jane Isaac is one of my most favourite authors ever, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on her latest novel. And what a treat it was. Almost like a chocolate bar you eat piece for piece, too scared it gets finished!!! This thriller features detective Jackman that was busy investigating a murder case, before he was redirected to a missing persons query. The mystery deepens when another student goes missing and he has to investigate that as well. Please Jane - write another book as stunning as this one, "Before its too late" (get it?)

I've just snuck a late lunch break to finish this but have deadlines to meet so I'll have to keep it short: Before It's Too Late is an excellent police procedural made even more interesting by hearing the voice of the female victim throughout. I think we're all a little tired of reading about multiple women being stalked, chased, tortured and murdered but when you enjoy the psychological thriller genre, it kind of comes with the territory. So bonus points to the author for making the victim a strong female with a voice that I'll remember long after I've forgotten the name of the perpetrator.

Note: I really enjoyed Jane Isaac's previous novel, The Truth Will Out so was delighted to receive a preview of Before It's Too Late from the publishers, Legend but I would happily have written the exact same review if I'd bought it and will definitely buy the next Jane Isaac novel whether it involves Will Jackman or DCI Helen Lavery. And I'll be cheering loudly when ITV announce that they're converting both into long running drama series...!

i received this book as a 'read now' via email, it's the first book I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last. It's a very thorough police procedural story which is told by the victim, the perpetrator and DI Will Jackman throughout which I loved. The story is fast paced and then comes the twist at the end, I would definitely recommend this and is well worthy of 5 stars, would love to read more books which follow Will Jackman and his team, great story Jane, well done!! Review will also be left on Amazon and Goodreads.

I'd seen this book advertised around the Twittersphere and was over the moon to be approved by the publisher to receive a review copy.

Before It's Too Late is a moody crime thriller set predominantly in picturesque Stratford Upon Avon. The main line of enquiry surrounds a missing student by the name of Min Li.

Originally from Beijing, she came to England to study, much to the disapproval of her parents with their traditions. Despite culture differences Min Li has settled well into the West. She has a boyfriend, is well liked, and is an all-round good student at Stratford University.

Why then would she mysteriously disappear?

As the plot paces along nicely and takes you in all kinds of directions, I say well done to Jane Isaac for teasing us with the truth of this matter!

I do love the way this story is told in two voices. There's Min Li's dark, first person accounts where we hear her private thoughts from the desolate place she has woken up to find herself in - finding herself imprisoned in little more than a concrete grave evokes every sense still available to the young woman. Hearing her plight in her own words makes for chilling reading - an already hideous situation can carry an altogether darker shade of bleakness when told by the person experiencing it.

There's also the third person, factual account from the police team frantically placing the curious pieces of this puzzle together. There's a perfect balance of characters including: DI Will Jackman, the leading officer in the case, who's trying not to allow an ongoing personal incident that occurred over a year ago interfere with his work (queue big hugs for Will x). DS Anne Davies is a likeable assistant, having recently become a mum she appears to welcome stakeouts, if only to get some sleep! But the one poking the occasional stick at them is their boss, DCI Reilly - the camera loves him, he loves the limelight, and there's no love lost between him and his team.

The unexpected reaction of the parents to their daughter's disappearance raises more questions than answers; different cultures have their own coping mechanisms, but something just doesn't sit right with DI Jackman. - it's very well plotted.

The race to find Min Li draws the team to various locations, only to receive zero cooperation from the community surrounding the investigation. Soon, another student suffers the same fate. The case is not as straightforward as the evidence suggests. (Although I had a pretty good inkling about the culprit's identity and would have liked to have been kept guessing for a little while longer!)

Jane Isaac has captured Min Li's isolation to perfection. This, together with its impressive crescendo, makes Before It's Too Late an altogether compelling read.

I am glad I got this from Netgallery I had never read any of Jane Isaac's books but I look forward reading more. This was a real page turner. It was well plotted and paced. I liked the fact that you were given the story from the perspective of Min, the kidnapped girl. I really liked her and this as it made me really anxious that her kidnapper might not be found before it was too late. Did they? Not telling!

DI Jackman is a very likable well rounded character. I hope there will be more Jackman & Davies stories to come. I will be looking out for them

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I really liked it. will be watching for her other titles and will be recommending it to bookstore customers

This is the first book by this author that I have read but, be sure, it won't be the last. The story drew me in right from the start and wouldn't let me go all the way through. Another book that made me feel bereft when I had to put it down. I pretty much loved everything about this book, The characters came across to be very real and well fleshed out. It was easy to emote with them which is something I really like in a book. It doesn't matter which emotions I feel, some good, some bad, some switching part-way through, I do like to feel something about the characters whose lives I am sharing, I feel more involved in the story when this happens. The setting for the book includes some places that I am familiar with and I also like to read about such locations, remembering things about when I was there, also enhancing my overall reading experience. I have to admit that it helped that I kinda fell a little bit in love with the main character Will Jackman! He's more than the usual ubiquitous flawed hero. No bitter ex-wife, no alcohol problem, his problems show him to be caring and loving, and indeed human, instead and I really felt for him and indeed his daughter.
The story is one of kidnap which seems to be a theme of a few books I have read recently, but this one differs insofar as throughout the book we hear from the victim, Min Li, every so often to see how she is faring as, in the mean time, we follow the police and their efforts to get to the bottom of what turns out to be rather convoluted and a little bit political. I found the victims voice to be extremely emotive and realistic. The author captures the feelings of fear and isolation perfectly combined with and balanced by the little things Min Li does to try and make her enforced stay a little more comfortable.
The story flows well, at a decent pace with good twists and turns and concludes with an ending that I personally had already slightly considered and dismissed (more fool me!) I really hope that the author has plans for more books featuring Will as I feel he has loads more to give as a character and I for one will miss him now this book is over. In the mean time however I will check out more from this author as I really loved her style of writing.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read anything by Jane Isaac before but will certainly be looking at her previous work after this interesting crime drama.
Min Li has been abducted and is being held captive somewhere underground. There are been 2 previous abductions in the same area, both of which became murder investigations and so Will Jackman is brought in to investigate.
I loved the character of Will. He was juggling his professional life with the guilt of his home life and this made him a very realistic character that I am sure everyone will take to. I hope this is the first of many outings for him.
The story itself took a while to get into and get going and I must admit I enjoyed the second half more which is when it became more interesting with a further abduction. I liked the way the kidnapper also told his story along side Will and Min Li without giving too much of a clue to his identity.
Overall a good police crime thriller that will make me pick up further novels by Jane Isaac.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

I haven’t read any of Jane Isaacs’ books before but after reading this, I will certainly read more by her and I feel very privileged to have been invited to provide an honest review by the publisher, Legend Press, via NetGalley. This invite in no way influenced my thoughts on the book and I say it as I read and feel it!

Before It’s Too Late introduces us to a really interesting, complex and likeable Police Officer - DI Will Jackman. He is thorough, methodical, logical and driven and is the sort of Police Officer that I would want looking for me if I had been kidnapped but, if I was a miscreant, I would be quaking in my boots. Will is also a troubled man with a huge amount of guilt being carried on his shoulders following a car accident which seriously injured his wife. Jane excellently delves into Will’s mind and describes his thought processes and reasoning as well as his frustrations with the investigation in a way that feels natural. I really like Will and feel there is quite a lot of mileage with him and his colleagues.

The victim, Min Li, is another great character and I love the way the Chinese culture is brought to life and explained by Jane in an interesting way without being cliche or patronising. I found the sections told from Min’s perspective when she was in the pit were so well described that I really felt like I was in there with her and I could really feel her absolute terror.

The story moves at a good pace and kept my interest from start to finish. There are some red herrings and twists and despite me guessing what was going on when the 2nd person was kidnapped, I still enjoyed how it all played out to the end. I’m not sure I would go as far as to say that this is a psychological thriller, well not for me anyway, but I do think it’s a good crime thriller and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

One last thing, this is the first nonfiction book I have read that mentions THE greatest motorcycle rider EVER - the Doctor himself - Valentino Rossi - this alone adds a star to my rating ;)

Min steps outside after a fight with her boyfriend, and gets abducted. She wakes up only to discover she is in a box underground with a blanket, food and water. DI Jackson is tasked with finding her. When a second student goes missing the rush to find them increases.

This was a fast paced novel and I enjoyed the back and forth from Min's perspective and DI Jackson. I didn't get the point of the back story of DI Jackson's wife as it didn't propel the story forward or have any bearing on the story but otherwise good story.

Tense and exciting Police Procedural thriller. This is a really well written book, full of twists and turns that I couldn't put down. I'm now going to read Jane Isaacs other books. Highly recommended.

Before It's Too Late is the first book I have read by this author and I can't believe I haven't come across her books up until now.

From the cover of the book to the description, it looks and sounds great and best of all it lived up to my expectations.

Just in the first few chapters there are two dead bodies and a third person missing! Needless to say the story had me hooked from the start. This book just flows so well and with quite a few twists the reader will find it hard to put down.

The story alternates between Min Li the student who has been abducted to the efforts of Detective Inspector Will Jackman and his team who are racing against time to save her and solve the case. Will Jackman and Min Li are actually my favourite characters throughout the story. Min Li I loved her strength and the warmth of her character. Will, what can I say apart from I especially loved his character. the author has made him such a down to earth person. Even though he has problems in his personal life, he doesn't let it interfere with his working life and I loved the normality of his home life with his dog. The author has written a very believable scenario with even more believable characters.

I really hope we are going to be seeing more of Will Jackman in the not to distant future.

Brilliantly gripping plot, lots of twists & intrigue, great for curling up with a tall drink

I really hope this is not the last Jane Isaac I read as it was a thoroughly good read. I was on holiday when I read it and it got me through a particularly long and what would have otherwise have been a boring flight.
I love to try and solve the crime before the end and although I had my suspicions (I won't give the plot away) there were plenty of twists and turns right up to the last page.

I looked forward to reading this after really enjoying Jane Isaacs previous novel The Truth Will Out and while not disappointed found this was less engaging. The blurb gives you all you need to know about the basic plot, although there is a sub plot involving dead girls which complicates the search for Min Li as it is never clear whether the police are investigating one case or two. It was a good read but it just seemed to miss the mark that transformed it from good to a page turner.

To be fair I read a lot of crime/thrillers which means that I am probably far more critical than most readers. I also suspect that having recently read some pretty exceptional thrillers this also paid the price of being compared unfavourably.

So to sum up, a good solid police procedural that just lacked that spark that takes it to the next level. But that is only my opinion.

I enjoyed reading Before It's Too Late. I liked the main character a lot and although, as most detectives seem to these days, he had a past trauma that was haunting him it didn't feel over used. The story line felt like it was going to be a bit run of the mill at first, but I was wrong, there were twists and turns and I only managed to work one out just before it was revealed. The book is easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable, I enjoyed Isaac's writing style and will definitely be reading more from her. The story gripped me quickly and kept me engaged throughout. I liked how the majority of the book was written from the perspective of the main detective, but there were regular chapters told from the female kidnap victims point of view which helped the reader to keep focused on the heart of the novel. If you enjoy police procedural books then this one is for you.

I received a copy of Before It's Too Late from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is amazingly fresh. I love the way the author weaved the story together alternating between missing person Min Li and Detective Jackman. The race is on the find Min Li and still alive. Min Li is a fun, energetic college student in love with life. Detective Jackman is thoughtful, logical and thorough in his investigation. As the search continues we are drawn into a web of lies and deceit not sure how it will end. Well worth the read!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.
The main character in this book is Detective Inspector Will Jackman, who lives at home with his chocolate Labrador. He is married but at the moment he lives apart from his wife for reasons that are explained in the book. They have one daughter who is a student at university.
The book opens with the disappearance of a Chinese student, following a row with her boyfriend on a night out. There is very little in the way of clues and evidence but DI Jackman has to work with what he has and try to solve the mystery. He faces a race against time to solve the case amid ever increasing concerns for the welfare of the student. This concerns only intensify further when a second student apparently vanishes without a trace.
DI Will Jackman is a likeable character who is loved and well respected by his family, friends and most of his colleagues. His life is marked by tragedy but elements of joy begin to appear.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It is a well written tale which is full of twists, turns and red herrings. It is told from two different aspects that of the investigation and that of the student. The author uses powerful descriptions to her advantage as it then becomes really easy to "picture" the scene from the book in your head. The author uses a confident and easy to follow writing style which sweeps you along and perfectly captures the tension and emotion involved when investigating such a case. The writing style captures you, draws you in and doesn't let you go until you have finished the book.
The ending of this book leaves the way wide open for a series about DI Jackman, his family (including the dog) and his colleagues. I sincerely hope that this is the case as I would love to know more about them and I would also love to "investigate" another case with them.

Loved this Book! A must for any Crime lovers! Fast paced.....Plenty of twists and turns! Jane Issac is on the up!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for an ARC of “Before It’s Too Late” by Jane Isaac, in exchange for an honest review. “Before It’s Too Late” is the latest crime thriller from Jane Isaac, whose previous second book, “The Truth Will Out”, was nominated as a 'Thriller of the Month novel, published in 2014. This is my first book my Jane Isaac but it won't be my last.

This is a British police procedural/ crime thriller, about a Chinese student, Min Li, who goes missing after an argument with her boyfriend.

A quote from Min Li:

“Where was this black hole? I concentrated hard, desperately listening for something familiar, the sound of life. I heard no traffic, no voices. Just my own breaths and the wind whistling through branches that felt as though they were planted in the ground above. The thought made me shiver. I am buried alive.” (My heart went out to her, to endure this situation)

Detective Inspector Will Jackman is currently investigating the disappearance and murder of Ellen Readman, a 22 year old that disappeared when he receives a call that another missing person (misper) has been reported, a twenty year old Chinese exchange student called Min Li. Jackman is removed from the Readman case and assigned by his boss Superintendent Alison Janus to the Min Li case. But are there links to the previous case? A possible serial killer?

This novel quickly turns into a kidnapping case when the ransom demand is made. Alternating chapters switch between first person, Min Li’s private thoughts from this concrete pit, her fears and desperation, and also the third person, dealing with the investigation and its obstacles. This definitely makes for a chilling reading.

For me, the story, seemed to have something of a slow start but then really picked up in the latter part of the novel, which I really enjoyed. I read a lot of crime/thrillers which means that I am probably far more critical than most readers. I also have read some exceptional thrillers this year, which also influenced my rating.

I definitely recommend this novel to those who enjoy reading British crime thrillers/police procedurals.

The first half of the book was really slow going but I was totally immersed in the story for the second half, which I read in one sitting.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the tension and suspense. Once I got into it, I was well and truly gripped.
I thought this book was well written, with suspense building throughout and I would look out for any future novels by Jane Isaac.
Thank you.

A recommended new series! This strongly characterized police procedural is set in the West Midlands town of Stratford, Warwickshire, England.

The cover is atmospheric and brooding and is an excellent choice to entice mystery fans.

Young women are disappearing from Stratford. Police wonder if a serial killer is at work. They have named the case “Operation Sky”. The latest is a Chinese university student Min Li. She was last seen leaving a pub after having an argument with her boyfriend. Could she be a victim of “Operation Sky”? When afterwards her parents in China receive a ransom demand, the case evolves from a missing persons case to a kidnapping – with the pressure turned up to find Min Li before it’s too late.

A former marine, D.I. Will Jackman is now a police inspector. He is tasked with finding Min Li and catching her kidnapper or kidnappers. Jackman is a likeable and complex character – a man torturing himself with guilt over the accident that changed his life forever. One short year ago his wife was injured in an automobile accident. She was driving that night because he had had too much to drink. Now she is living in an extended care facility suffering from ‘locked-in’ syndrome. Jackman and his beloved daughter try to remain positive but this proves difficult with less and less real hope for her recovery.

The novel is told partly via Jackman’s character and partly via the character of Min Li. Jane Isaac portrayed her so vividly that the reader feels a deep empathy for her and her plight. She awakens to find herself buried in a concrete pit of some kind. Her thoughts and reflections throughout her ordeal give the reader a well-rounded picture of her personality. She is a bright young woman from a strict Chinese upbringing who finds herself far from home enjoying freedoms and opportunities which she had only dreamed of. Now she wonders if she will enjoy a future of any kind… and wonders if she will ever see her parents and boyfriend again. She worries over her unborn child and wonders if he/she will make it even if Min Li escapes from her living hell. Her panic is palpable and her situation is so very dire that one can hardly imagine how anyone could cope. The immense solitude, the filth, the cold, the dark, the rats…

When after five days in the pit Min Li is joined by Lonny, a fellow university student, she doesn’t know whether to rejoice or despair. Another Chinese student, she has met him briefly before. Now they share a predicament which brings them closer. Does Lonny’s presence in the pit mean it is more likely they will be found? Or less likely?

The author depicts Min Li with understanding for her plight as well as her culture. The British network of Chinese immigrants is unfathomable to most of the police with the exception of a young sergeant who has worked within their communities. Jackman enlists his aid in finding Min Li and Lonny.

A well-paced story told with strong and realistic characterization, “Before it’s too late” is a superb introduction to a great new British police procedural series. An ingenious twist at the end will ensure that fans of the genre will welcome this new series and it’s troubled yet charming protagonist. The reader can’t help but like him and I look forward to meeting him again in subsequent novels.

Sincere thanks to Legend Press via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC for review.

Lin and Lonny are from the Orient and are attending university in the UK. Lin's life is forever changed, when she is kidnapped and placed in a concrete vault underground. She is held there for five days. The only solace she has is when Linny is also kidnapped and place in the vault with her. There time there is spent of talking about their families, childhood, and what they would eat if possible. Little do they know of hidden agendas. And terror yet to come. Well written. Captivating, interesting, fast-paced. Great character development. 5 STARS!

Excellent! I was gripped from the very first page. Look forward to reading more from this author.

Min Li a student is abducted after an argument with her boyfriend.
Detective Will Jackman is on the case to solve the crime of what happened to Min Li.
The story alternates between Min Li who is being kept in isolation underground and Will Jackman.
We hear from Min Li how she copes with the boredom,anxiety and the claustrophobic feelings she has.Will Jackman find her before its to late?
This is an exciting book A thrilling read

Before It's Too Late by Jane Isaac

Min Li, a Chinese student studying in Stratford-upon-Avon, has been stolen. Earlier in the evening she’d had a quarrel with her boyfriend Tom and ended up leaving the pub they were in to walk home late at night on her own. She didn’t get there. Drugged and with her face covered, Min wakes up in a concrete box, about four metres’ square, with nothing but a small grill in the ceiling to provide air and light. The sounds tell Min she is far from people, in a wood, and the damp and the rats tell her that she is trapped underground, buried alive.

The disappearance of Min Li gives Detective Will Jackman his first big case to lead and he is determined to find her. Stratford is troubled by the recent murder of a young girl in the town and it is imperative that he discovers whether or not there is a link. Working with Will is a close team, compensating him for the pressure handed down from above. Stratford-upon-Avon is not a town where this sort of thing happens. The pressure builds as the clock ticks away for the young and terrified Min Li. And it isn’t long before another young person joins her in the buried concrete box.

Before It’s Too Late is an addictive read. Our sympathies are immediately given to Min Li, aided by the regular chapters which give us Min’s point of view. There is so much to admire in Min. She never gives up hope even though, the more we learn, the more we must fear for her.

While we care for Min, we also care for Will Jackman. Not all is well with his life and this influences him strongly but it doesn’t overshadow his character or the plot. it is handled very well, as is the relationship between Will and his visiting daughter. I also liked Will’s team members very much.

The plot is exciting and tense and it also puts us in some interesting locations – there is Stratford-upon-Avon, of course (an unusual and pleasing setting for a crime novel), as well as Birmingham as the case takes Will deep into the Chinese community there. There is a strong sense of location throughout. While I did guess much of what was to happen in the book, this didn’t matter. I rather felt that I was supposed to know and that the psychology of the characters matters more than the suspense of a whodunnit.

Jane Isaac is a fine writer and a sensitive one. She has created a fascinating detective in Will Jackman. This is his first outing but I certainly hope it will be the first of many.

Jane Isaac's latest book has to be her best, in my opinion. Taking on the challenge of writing about the Chinese community in Britain must have taken a whole heap of research to get right, and although I know nothing about it, I have to say that Jane must have gotten things right as everything flows perfectly, drawing the reader into a fairly terrifying situation. Her characters are intricate and intriguing - there is a sense that something is not quite on the money about one particular character, and I was right in feeling slightly uneasy where that character was concerned. I really like the main detective - Will Jackman is not without his demons (and we all know that ALL good detectives have their demons!) but I liked him and found him believable.
A good strong plot line with some nice twists in it, I did enjoy Before It's Too Late very much indeed, probably the most of out all of Jane's books - it's her strongest storyline yet (and The Truth Will Out was bloody good) and I'm looking forward to the next one!