Unfortunately, I found this an uncomfortable rather than an enjoyable read and was unable to get further than a quarter of the way into the story before having to put it aside unfinished.

His First Lie by Mark Hill was written! It is a slow burn, quietly reeling you in, holds on to you and never lets you go until the surprising finish! I experienced a full spectrum of emotions, from crying for the children, to spine tingling horror at the way their lives turn out as adults. Creepy thriller goodness at it's best!

This is the first book in a series featuring DI Blake, and sets a tone of more awesomeness to come!
This was a dark and gritty story that have kept me guessing until the end, and wow, what an end that was!
Recommended.

This book opens with a cracking chapter which is both gripping and disturbing in equal measures. Then we meet DI Ray Drake who has a very dodgy past and a questionable policing attitude . Now chasing a mysterious killer who is targeting families from Ray's past.
I struggled throughout this book, mainly because there were so many characters I found it hard to remember who was who. I was also left with so many unanswered questions at the end but hopefully those will be addressed in the sequel. 3.5 stars from me

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

This book was a slow start for me. Reading the synopsis, I expected it to come out swinging. By the end, I really did end up enjoying the book. If you have the patience to let the story build a bit (or drag depending on your point of view), I think you will be happy you stuck with it.

I was disappointed be His First Lie. It didnt hold my interest, and I found it rather boring. I was intrigued by high star reviews that said the "twist" will make it all worthwhile. Perhaps I expected too much. The characters were a bit 2 dimensional for my taste, which made it difficult for me to connect to their story arcs. The pacing was uneven as the action goes forward and backward in time. As for the "twist," I am not a fan of James Patterson type thrillers (this is comparative), as the villain usually turns out to be some minor character mentioned briefly early on, and the red herrings though plentiful, add up to nothing. If you like a strong, character driven police procedural, you may find His First Lie lacking, as I did.

What an excellent thriller! Kept me on the edge of my seat. After the murder of a family, DI Drake and a newly appointed investigator, Flick, come to a horrific crime scene. Flick is the main investigator on this crime but Drake can’t help but stick around because he realizes that he knows the male victim. He hasn’t seen him since he was a child but something about the murder gets under his skin. There will be flashbacks to when Drake was a child. Showing us a horrific situation at a children’s home, run by a despicable man. Drake, however, doesn’t want Flick to investigate to where her inquiries lead to this children’s home......for good reason! But Flick is tenacious and won’t leave things alone. There will be twists and turns, leading to an explosive ending. Who’s good and who’s bad? Hmmmmmm.....🤔 I cannot wait to read the next book Mark writes!!!

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. (less)

'A fantastic debut: dark, addictive and original. I couldn't put it down'
Robert Bryndza, author of The Girl in the Ice
Do you want a thriller that grips from the first line?

Do you want a thriller to leave you gasping for air?

Connor Laird frightens people: he's intense, he's fearless, and he seems to be willing to do anything to protect himself and those he loves. He arrives in the Longacre Children's Home seemingly from nowhere, and instantly becomes hero and villain to every other child there.
Thirty years later, someone is killing all of those who grew up in the Longacre, one at a time. Each of them has secrets, not least investigating cop DI Ray Drake.
One by one the mysteries of the past are revealed as Drake finds himself in a race against time before the killer gets to him.
Who is killing to hide their secret?

And can YOU guess the ending?


'Grips from the start and never lets up'
The Times

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview His First Lie by Mark Hill.
This is a solid thriller that has some good twists and turns. Although I liked it, I did think that this plot was a bit slow for me. It is a good read and I would read other books by this author.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

DI Ray Drake is faced with leading a newly promoted DS Flick Crowley in her first case as the lead officer and its a vicious case. Flashing between today and 30 years before with a violent child in an orphanage what links DI Drake to the killer?

This started slowly for me then the pace builds and soon I was devouring it and preordered book 2!

This is a fantastic debut novel from Mark Hill. The book is set in two time periods, 1984 and the present day. The theme is institutional child abuse and the repercussions for children in the care sector. I won't give too much away but the book is very well written with great characters and an excellent twist at the end. A very good thriller and would be a great holiday read. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

There was a certain amount of angst involved in my reading of The Two O’Clock Boy – due to the fact that Mark is indeed a good friend of mine (well I say that anyway he may beg to differ and hide under a table when he sees me coming) and also a lovely chap so the thought that I might not like it kept me up at night. I can’t lie about the books. Doesnt matter how much I love you…

Then I started reading The Two O’Clock Boy and instead THAT kept me up at night. Because I couldnt put the blinking thing down and it was entirely brilliant. I can say in all honesty that it was banging good – insanely addictive – as dark as you like (and I like it dark) with a main protagonist you might literally die for if you reside within the pages. Add in a twisted, compelling storyline with some relevant and thought provoking themes and you have a magnificent read that will stay with you for ages. And ages. Then keep you up at night some more…

ANYWAY on the due diligence front, if you love tv shows like Luther and you like the good guys to be not quite as good as all that then you’ll love Ray Drake even though he’ll possibly terrify you too. But hey I always liked the bad boys. And to be fair he’s going after a killer who is pretty terrifying too. If you like a thriller that has great depth of character, enough twists in the tail to satisfy a rattlesnake, a fantastic supporting cast and the ability to make you keep turning the pages as if they were a drug habit you just can’t quite quit then this book is for you.

Basically this book is probably for you. More if you are a crime fan. Even MORE if you just like bloody good writing which tells a bloody good story and then leaves you just wanting more. More more more. With a hugely rebel yell…

Go on. You know you want to. Just don’t blame ME for the lack of sleep and the need for much caffeine to get you through the next working day.

I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters. I would recommend this book.

So, for most of this book I was in kind of a middle ground.

Didn’t hate it.

Didn’t love it.

Was just curious enough about it to keep reading.

And then suddenly, you get to the last few chapters and OMG DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? And then: AND DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? And, finally: WHERE’S BOOK 2???

Sorry for all the caps, but emotionally, the end of this book is a series of all cap moments. And, yes, I want book 2.

Don’t get me wrong, you won’t like most of the characters. The story is full of flashbacks and it gets all kinds of complex. Character motivations make no sense…until suddenly they do.

I still have to give the book 3 stars. You can’t 4 or 5 star a book on the basis of the last few chapters. But when I think of this as a set up for what will be an engrossing dark series, then I’m good with this one.

Book 2 now, please!

Ray Drake is a detective who starts thinking that the murders he's investigating may have connections to his childhood. As the body count rises, he does everything he can to make sure those connections remain in the past.
It's rare for me to find a thriller or murder mystery that I can't figure out fairly quickly. Mark Hill managed to keep me on my toes. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something popped up to show me I was wrong...or was I? Even after you think you understand it all, he throws a last minute twist at you. If you love a good mystery or thriller, I highly recommend His First Lie. It leaves you wanting more and I can't wait for the next installment.

What a ride! I must admit I was a bit skeptical during the first few pages. I thought it moved a bit slow with not much happening. That changed in a snap! I am so glad I stuck with it during those first few pages, it was well worth it! Don't give up, you won't be disappointed!

His First Lie by Mark Hill slowly reels you in and never lets you go until the astounding ending.
i went the full gamut of emotions, from tears for the children to horror at the way their adult lives turned out.