Despite being book four in a series I read Gone in the Night as a Stand alone and it works perfectly well.  I assume the advantage of reading them in order is how much you learn about the main character of Alex Devlin.

Although Alex is the main protagonist, I felt this book gave equal time to Cora, a young woman searching for her homeless brother who seems to have disappeared, along with other homeless people.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading about two strong, main female characters working together.  This book really raised some thoughts for me around homelessness. Specifically around how do we keep the most vulnerable members of our society safe if we don't know where they are and who they are?

The story itself was told from three main perspectives although we do get an occasional other view e.g. the police officer.  In the beginning, each person and their stories seemed disconnected but as the novel went on, each person and their narrative became woven together, building from a slow burner opening to a fast paced ending.  Each chapter draws you further in until you become totally invested in the stories of Ricky, Cora and Alex.  Alex's story provided the investigative, logical mind.  Cora's was the heart and soul of the story, a determined sister who wouldn't give up the search despite the risks and Ricky's chapters provided the heart stopping suspense and the missing pieces.  Ms Riley has written all three characters with such strong qualities that you become totally involved.

A brilliant and thought provoking crime thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. It has great main characters and a really good story line. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Gone in the Night is a superb slow-burn of a thriller with an interesting, absorbing plot. It's a well-plotted story, and although this is the fourth in the series each can be picked individually without issue. Something about the way Riley writes has a certain allure which draws you in and refuses to let you go. Many thought-provoking questions arise throughout and hang in the air until they are addressed and answered in the conclusion. On the journey towards the climax, the tension was palpable and the suspense ratcheted up until I was feverishly turning the pages to find out what happened.

The characters deepen over the course of the novel and are likeable and believable people. This is an entertaining page-turner, and I was surprised by the amount of genuinely raw emotion the author added. The various different perspectives, each attributed to a single character, help you to see the bigger picture as well as having a deeper understanding of what made them tick. This is one of those books that has you skeptical about every single character and you never knew who to trust. The ending is satisfying but maybe a little contrived and convenient. Nevertheless, this is a thriller worth picking up. Many thanks to Killer Reads for an ARC.

Absolutely loved this fascinating thriller! Make sure you don't read it in the dark. Will definitely make you heart rate peak!

I don't want to ruin this book for everyone who still has to read it, but believe me when I say that you are in for a thrilling read!
The story is really well written and I could not put it away. Can highly recommend!

From the publisher: "When the victim of a car crash begs journalist Alex Devlin for help before disappearing without trace, Alex finds herself caught up in a mystery that won’t let her go.

Determined to find the missing man, she is soon investigating a conspiracy that threatens some of the most vulnerable members of society.

But will Alex be prepared to put her own life on the line to help those who can’t help themselves?"

This was a fast-paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. Once again, I chose to read a series out of order. This was my first in the Alex Devlin series, and my first by this author, but I am pretty sure it will not be my last.

The story begins with several story lines, setting the stage for our main characters' convergence. Throughout the novel, we see the story through the eyes of several characters. The author succeeds in making each voice unique and I did not question whose story I was hearing at any given time. Most of the chapters were short, but they stayed focused on one character at a time which made the story accessible and kept this reader wanting more.

The mystery was present, but I found the thriller aspects were much better well done. I did not particularly find there to be a lot of suspects, but hunting down the killer or killers and stopping them sooner rather than later felt urgent. Another reviewer mentioned the cat-and-mouse game in this book, and I wholeheartedly agree with that characterization.

I am not good at geography in general. I do recognize this book took place in the UK somewhere, but not in London. I did not find the exact location to be required knowledge to enjoy the story. There was some vocabulary in the book with which I was unfamiliar and I do believe it is English slang which has not yet made it over the pond (at least not yet to me). I also kept in mind that the word f*ck is not viewed as offensive in the UK as it can be here in the US, so I overlooked the liberal use of the word. Not that it was out of place, the characters generally used it in appropriate places and ways for their situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy of this book.

Gone in the Night (Alex Devlin)
by Mary-Jane Riley

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: May 3rd 2019 by Killer Reads



Amazon synopsis:
A twisty and compelling thriller perfect for fans of C L Taylor, K L Slater and B A Paris.
Some secrets are deadly…
 
When the victim of a car crash begs journalist Alex Devlin for help before disappearing without trace, Alex finds herself caught up in a mystery that won’t let her go.
 
Determined to find the missing man, she is soon investigating a conspiracy that threatens some of the most vulnerable members of society.
 
But will Alex be prepared to put her own life on the line to help those who can’t help themselves?


***

4 Stars

When I started this book I was confused. The first three chapters focused on each introducing a different situation. And I wondered what these three characters had to do with one other and if I could easily follow what was going on.

Around chapter five I found the storylines converging and then it made so much more sense to me. So, don’t give up on reading this one if you get confused in the beginning. The main character started to pull forward and we followed Alex most of the time through the trials of the book only occasionally waffling toward Cora and her missing homeless brother, Rick.

I am not sure any normal person would have gone to such an extent to find Rick after he went missing, Even his sister didn’t go to such lengths. I found it a little unbelievable that there were so many bad guys in this one town. I mean, really? It really felt like a hopeless situation.

This book really made me feel all the feels. And the dramatic ending is just one OMG moment after another. I may have started out unsure of this book but it gave it all to me by the end. It is a great book. Psychological thriller, suspense and mystery all combined in a great tale.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This is the first time I have read a book by Mary-Jane Riley. The author uses different view points from different characters in the story. Readers will not be trusting any of the characters even Ale as the story moves forward. Page after page will have readers questioning who is who. The author uses twist and turns to confusing readers. Readers will end the story having it all tied up in a nice little bow.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Killer Reads for the advance copy of Mary Jane Riley Gone in the Night.

First novel by this author for me can’t wait to read more.I was drawn right in full of twists and turns kept my interest from beginning to end.#netgalley #harperimpulseandkillerreads.

A slow burner but interesting crime thriller.
A missing person and the search. The issues that followed. A family with secrets, plenty of twists and turns. Unfortunately it did not hold my attention. Saying that I am sure that other readers will enjoy it more. Just not for me.
I would like to thank the author, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and Net.galley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is my first novel from Mary-Jane Riley and I am sure glad I was able to read one! Seriously y'all are going to love it, I promise! A definite must read. It will keep you guessing the whole entire way through. I loved it and I think y'all will too!

A very enjoyable read with a few good twists. This is part of a series of books about journalist Alex Devlin, in this book she finds herself stumbling into what she believes will be a touching story about homelessness but it soon turns out to be so much more! Alex is a very likeable character who is extremely determined to get to the truth. I look forward to reading Mary-Jane Riley’s previous books.

I'll admit that the first 5% of the book I wasn't sure it was for me and then it all changed so suddenly, I got SUPER sucked in to the story and loved every moment. The book is set over the course of a week and the chapters switch between a couple of characters perspective which I really enjoyed.

It's the sort of book that makes you suspicious of all of the characters but keeps you on your toes because it's so well written and has so many twists that I bet you won't get it right with your first guess or your tenth. Despite having numerous twist and turns and little plot lines going on, it ties up all the loose ends so well too, I can't think of anything that the author left unanswered which is brilliant.

I'll definitely be on the look out for all other books Mary-Jane Riley has written!

Nifty little thriller that I read and enjoyed as a standalone. Alex Devlin, a journalist, has a special knack for searching for missing people and this time she's looking for a homeless man when she discovers he's not the only one who has disappeared. There's a family with secrets, some bad guys, and good twists. What's best, though, is Alex, who is the epitome of intrepid. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is a fast, entertaining read.

An engaging, entertaining and enthralling read that I couldn't put down.
i loved the well developed characters, the way the author handles the development of the plot and appreciated the empathy toward the victims.
Even if this is not the first in this series it can be read as a standalone.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

An intriguing read from start to finish as journalist, Alex Devlin investigates the disappearance of homeless people. It was very easy reading with a suspenseful and intense build up to the end with a few plot plot twists that I didn’t see coming. The characters were likeable and pulled on my emotions and kept me turning the pages. I look forward to reading more of Mary-Jane Riley’s work.

I enjoyed Gone in the Night but I seem to be in the minority of readers that didn't enjoy the thought provoking subjects, it felt a bit like a lecture at some points?
Overall the storyline is good and fast paced with a great amount of mystery.

Gone in the Night is an engaging thriller by Mary-Jane Riley. The fourth in the Alex Devlin series but it can be easily read as a standalone. This is the first time I’ve actually come across Mary’s work. When I started reading this book, I thought I would try out the first couple of chapters, but once I had started it, I wanted to read on. I started this on the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and by the end of play on the Monday I had finished it. It’s definitely a pacy read with an intriguing scenario that kept me asking questions. You’ll be hooked once you get started.

The novel opens with Cora searching for her brother, Rick who has recently been sleeping rough. He always manages to get in contact with Cora somehow, but his silence causes Cora to worry. Rick has been known to disappear before so she knows she won’t get much help from the police. Later on, she teams up with journalist Alex Devlin, who was a witness to a car accident which she believes involved Cora’s missing brother. It seems there are plenty of people who don’t want them to find him.

There was such an intriguing mystery element to this book. First off there is the situation with Cora’s brother, and then there is a far deeper mystery when Alex begins to discover that there have been more homeless people disappearing off the streets and there have been suspicious deaths. And not to mention there are some shady individuals who it seems will stop at nothing to keep these goings on quiet and out of the public eye.

It’s a terrifying thought to think that if you went missing, would anyone look for you? What Mary-Jane Riley highlights in her novel is how easily the homeless can be exploited; desperate for warmth and security they may just be willing to do anything to get there. You can see how they would appeal to certain criminals looking to recruit people to help out in their schemes.

Alex becomes intrigued by the situation that is facing the homeless after speaking with Cora. She is tenacious in her investigations and won’t stop until she gets to the bottom of what’s going on, no matter the cost to her own well-being. Like Alex, I wanted to understand what was happening and what had happened to Cora’s brother. Instead of reading the first couple of chapters like I originally intended, I ended up flying through this book as each chapter just left me eager to find out more.

With a highly engaging plot and addictive writing that will keep you intrigued, Gone in the Night is a novel I would definitely recommend to thriller fans.

Journalist Alex Devlin is caught up in a strange mystery when a car accident victim who’s asked her to look into the mysterious circumstances of the accident….and then disappears. Determined to find the man, answer the questions posed by conspiracy theorists and get a byline in the process, Alex finds herself in the crosshairs of someone who wants the truth hidden at all costs

In this thriller we find a homeless man has gone missing and his sister and a journalist go looking for him. Along the way Alex, the journalist, finds herself caught up in the web of a wealthy, influential family with secrets they wish to keep hidden. Cora, the sister, grew up on the wealthy families farm and has a history of her own she's dealing with. After learning the missing brother has been spotted but is being chased by two men the hunt intensifies. Who will get to him first, the two ladies trying to help him or the goons hell-bent on capturing him before he can talk about the things he knows.
I enjoyed this fast paced thriller and although it's the fourth book in the series I found it does well as a stand alone story. A credit to the author for fleshing out the characters with her easy, descriptive style. I highly recommend this crafty cat and mouse novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC to enjoy and review.