a very fast paced debut that anyone that wants to could easily read it in one sitting.
At times the plot can be a little less plausible than I would have liked but overall, I really enjoyed it.

Next of Kin is a fast paced debut that you could easily read in one sitting. At times the plot can be a little less plausible than I would have liked but overall, I really enjoyed it and will look out for other books from this author.

Thanks for the opportunity to have read this entertaining debut novel by by a new and exciting author. I honestly hope that there might be more to come! Recommended.

A New Year’s Eve celebration begins with the pop of a champagne cork—and ends with the bone-chilling screams of a killer’s victims. Ten-year-old Ben Brook is the lone survivor of the brutal murder of his wealthy family at their upstate New York compound.

Detective Buddy Lock Mysteries

A debut novel with a promising start. I will look out for more books by this author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed the character of Buddy,, he was a no nonsense, hardworking, honest detective. I enjoyed following him while he tried to solve this crime and keep anymore harm from coming to any more of the Brooks family.. His girlfriend Mei, was a great character is well and who couldn’t love the little boy, Ben. It was a great story, great backstory, lots of action, and a great finish.

I will definitely be looking into more books from this author.

I thought it was a great first novel. I thought he wrote more.i really hope he writes more novels soon.

i did not hate this book but there was nothing that jumped out as exceptional to me either. it was pretty typical, though at parts far fetched and implausible. it seems like the start of a series and i'm sure many people will enjoy it, just not for me.

A pretty good debut despite some implausibilities and a lead character that is a tad stock (but who I expect will round out in subsequent books.). Poor little Ben has not only has his family murdered, he's now the subject of a child-hunt. Detective Buddy Lock gets involved, rescues and protects Ben, and manages to untangle a much larger crime than should be on the shoulders of a kid. This is an easy fast paced read- the short chapters will keep you turning pages. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. This one would be good for travel- it's diverting and entertaining, complex enough to keep you engaged but not overly ornate. I'm looking forward to seeing more from Tucker.

Fantastic novel. I really loved this book and couldn't put it down. Thrilling plot, and really well written. Highly recommend.

James Tucker knocks it out of the park with his first book! Great read. This was an engrossing and thrilling book. I could barely put it down. Never a dull moment. The twist near the end is a whopper. Don't miss this great, action packed read. I can't wait for more books by this author.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book! It was a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing. You really feel for Ben, who loses his whole family in one night and is then hunted by the killer. This was a great first novel, and I am interested in reading more books in this new detective series!

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

I found this to be a fast paced police procedural with somewhat flat characters. Not a bad story, but I found some of the twists and action pretty implausible. Felt more like Mr Tucker wrote a Life time movie rather than a book. Nice escapist reading. If this is the beginning of a series, I would read the next one. If it's not, I'd be okay with that too.

This was a vey fast paced and exciting read. A new year is being celebrated when an entire family is murdered.. except for 10 year old Ben. Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advance copy of this book to read and review

I did not finish this book. It didn't catch my attention.

Next of Kin is a very well written detective mystery. I enjoyed the plot that was very engaging and flowed well. My first book by this author and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

This is an explosive thriller that I could not put down. The plot has many unsuspecting twists & turns.

Ten-year-old Ben Brook is the lone survivor of the brutal murder of his wealthy family at their upstate New York compound-like camp, during a New Year's Eve celebration. Ben manages to escape from the killer that time, but how many times will he be able to evade the madness the killer is subjecting the rest of the Brook's family to?
NYPD detective Buddy Lock is intent on keeping Ben safe while trying to demolish his own demons from his past as a detective. Will Buddy unravel this mystery & find the killer in time?

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

NEXT OF KIN is a fast-paced thriller with a twisty plot and good characters. When ten-year-old Ben Brooks' entire family is murdered, Buddy Brook tries to keep him safe as a murder continues to take out Ben's extended family and others who stand in his way. Buddy is a complex cop with a keen mind but even he has trouble discovering what lies at the root of this madness. Don't start this one unless you have some time on your hands, because you will want to keep reading!

NYPD detective Buddy Lock is the central investigating figure in this first novel but to my mind, the hero is 10-year-old Ben Brook. Someone has a huge grudge against the very wealthy Brook family, which consists of four brothers and their spouses and offspring. He takes it out on them by murdering as many as he can in as gruesome a way possible. Ben is a survivor of the first attack and he is taken under the wing of Buddy and his partner Mei.

Every time I set aside time to read this thriller I couldn’t wait to get into the plot again. Despite several small incidents which stretched credibility it was a real page-turner and superb for a first novel. Although set in the USA and written by an American it never felt foreign, nor thankfully were the pages filled with NY slang dialogue. It was in fact like slipping on a favourite, warm jacket on a bright but chilly winter’s day.

Although the focus was clearly on Buddy and his investigating powers the very real love both he and his girlfriend developed for Ben came through in spades. It was the love of a father for his son and I applaud the author for being able to develop this subplot so effectively.

The plot had quite a few twists and turns and I thought I had the killer sussed at quite an early stage. How wrong could I be? The uncovering of the truth was quite a shock. Now that the personalities of Buddy and Mei have been so well established I look forward to the follow-up novel in what I very much hope will become a series.

First class!

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

A very bloody and suspenseful mystery. I stayed up late to Finnish this one- spud not put it down. the author does a good job of weaving fact and fiction and i liked the characters. The ending is a bit of a surprise- look forward to the sequel (I hope).

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Next of Kin by James Tucker. A rich family is murdered and mutilated in an isolated cabin in upper New York State. There is a survivor - 10 year old Ben Brook. He has escaped once, but can he escape again.
Enter police detective Buddy Lock. A seasoned NY cop who is charged with solving this mystery. He takes Ben into his home to ensure his safety. Soon other members of the Brook family are murdered and Lock finds himself in a cat and mouse game with the killer. And someone wants to kill young Ben and who ever else is in the way.
This book will definitely be a series book. This is a typical police procedureal one which i find is like i said "typical" - nothing special.
Lots of characters which was sometimes confusing but also didn't drive the story.
Typical and just ok.