Deaver takes us on a wild ride with the first book in the Colter Shaw series. A survival video game has come to life, and Colter Shaw is the man who has taken on the task of solving the puzzle. He is initially seeking the reward for a missing woman, and then learns it is so much more for that. This book takes you through the puzzle at hand while giving you a few hints into who Shaw actually is and why he has chosen this life. I was captivated by this wonderful story, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series to be released. I highly recommend this book!

While I hated to say goodbye to Lincoln Rhyme - at least temporarily, I thoroughly enjoyed the start of a new series with Colter Shaw as the lead character. One never knows what he is thinking but he has to solve the puzzles before the perpetrator figures out he is on to him. A worthy start, to new series from Deaver. I never expect anything less, and Deaver always delivers

Great for fans of mystery/thriller series readers! This first book in the series introduces the character Colter Shaw who's line of work is collecting rewards when offered, mostly for missing persons. He’s not a bounty hunter or a private investigator, nor has he ever served in the military or police, yet he’s been trained very well. His father, Ashton Shaw home schooled his three children and taught them survivalist tactics.

This is a fast paced action mystery book that takes place in Silicon Valley. The book starts about finding a missing college girl that the police think is more a runaway than kidnapping. Shaw finds the girl, and the police finally take it serious, particularly when another kidnapping happens in a similar way, which turn out to be reenacting a video game called The Whispering Man.

By the end of the book I was hooked and could hardly put the book down, wanting to know what happens next. There are a few misdirection and teases so I was a little surprised by the end. We also have a set up for an ongoing personal mystery of Colter’s, which surrounds his father and his death. This book can easily stand alone, but also is a good set up for a new character to follow and a series.

Book rating: 3.5 stars

An Deceptively Complex Novel That Captured and Held My Attention Throughout the Entire Novel

This is the first novel in a new series by Jeffery Deaver. The novel starts with two threads. First the protagonist, Colter Shaw, tries to save a woman from a sinking ship, but that thread stops without a resolution and is taken up with another centered on an incident with a Molotov cocktail thrower. Now the novel’s main storyline settles with Colter looking for another job. He seeks people who are offering rewards to find missing persons. He finds a father offering $10,000 to find his young daughter. Colter has some success and offers what he has discovered to the local police; even with evidence that it is a kidnapping and not a runaway, the police seem not to take any action. Colter decides to continue without them. Colter’s success comes at a terrible cost. The novel takes off from here as a second disappearance soon after this first.

Once I read to this part, I was hooked. In fact, I read 40% of the novel the first day. Unfortunately, the realities of life brought down that pace, but I did continue reading every chance I had. There are plenty of twists, turns, and misdirection that feed and sustained my interest.

As the first novel in the series, the background is rich and plentiful on the Colter character. Much of the B-storyline is woven into the main storyline to explain how he thinks in situations that he is about to face. After that first day’s reading, I marveled at the author’s skill in making every scene, including these B-storylines, tie directly into the novel. As for the Colter character, some readers may perceive that he lacks depth, but the author goes to much effort to show how his character was built from his parents and siblings.

One sex episode occurred but was definitely not graphic. There is a sprinkling of some vulgar language. I do not believe that these will be objectionable to most readers.

As I mentioned before, I really liked that not one scene was fluff. Every scene supported the main storyline, immediately or later on in the novel. The author ties up every loose end by the end of the novel except one main storyline thread. Normally, I judge this harshly because these loose ends tend to be hooks to read the next novel. In this case, it appears to me that this thread may span several novels and not the major storyline of the author’s next novel. Since this is the first novel by Deaver that I have read, I do not know if this is a common trait of his or not. Of course, I may be wrong.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel and really anticipate the next in this series. Based upon this, I rate this novel with five stars. I believe that you will enjoy it also.
I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from G. P. Putnam’s Sons with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read this novel early.

"The Never Game" enthralled me and wouldn't let me go easily. Now, it didn't grab me from page one despite starting with a tense and exciting scene. I had too many questions about what was happening to get into it. Then in the next chapter Deaver jumps back two days in time and soon I was hooked.

The chapter set up, by design, echoes levels in a video game. The story revolves around video games and though I don't play, many of my friends and acquaintances do. I enjoyed learning more about them and Deaver's use of them as part of the plot. Neither my lack of knowledge nor lack of interest in video games slowed down the story for me. The story was gripping and fast-paced. Do video games cause violence? Deaver doesn't answer that, doesn't try, but he does make you think about cause and effect, and human behavior.

Deaver intertwines philosophy, humor, romance, suspense, mystery, and action with characters, even throwaway ones, who are richly drawn, and a mystery that was plausible and fascinating. At times Colter's deductions were reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes; Colter is observant, and both logical and intuitive. Colter's father, not unlike Gibbs on "NCIS", had a number of rules, and also a philosophy, that he passed onto his son. Shaw is reticent, self sufficient, competent, cautious, and somewhat restless. He's also on a mission to determine what happened to his father many years ago.

Actually, there are two separate plots. The primary one is the kidnappings and their possible connection to a video game. That one is complex and suspenseful, and full of twists and surprises. Several times I was sure I knew what would happen but Deaver continually surprised me. He neatly sidestepped cliches or inverted them.

The secondary plot has to do with Colter's family and his slightly unusual background. That same background led to his current occupation as a reward seeker. When there is a reward offered - missing person, lost dog, etc - he takes the job and if he's successful, he gets the reward. It's an unusual job, similar to a bounty hunter except a crime isn't necessarily involved. He's good at it, an excellent tracker, and makes a decent living. He even has a crew he relies on - a PI, a computer person, even a business manager. Colter is serious about his work and equally serious about finding out the truth concerning his father's death. This plot line wasn't wrapped but seems like it will be an ongoing story arc in the series.

"The Never Game" was a gripping and highly suspenseful read, and a great start to a new series. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Jeffery Deaver has done it again!

I have been a fan of Deaver for many years especially of his Rhyme & Sachs series. So I was really interested to read this new series featuring a character by the name of Colter Shaw.

Colter Shaw is a restless and mysterious man who collects rewards from finding missing people or helping to solve crimes. He is not a private investigator, nor a detective, but he strictly holds to the fact that he collects rewards. (By the way, this was an actually ingenious idea for a lead character). Colter has gone to the Bay Area of California to help find a missing girl. Her father has offered a reward . Once he gets involved in this endeavor he is drawn into an even deeper level of investigation involving other missing persons and a villain copying a famous video game on his victims.

I found the book to be very fast-paced and as always meticulous in facts and plot. Deaver is infamous for his knowledge of law enforcement on many levels and this shows, but the reader is not bogged down in many facts. The world of video gaming was also interesting and eye opening.

This was a great book and if you are looking for a great who-dun-it, police procedural, suspense novel. I am really looking forward to reading more in the series. Colter Shaw is definitely someone you want to learn more about.

Another winner for Jeffery Deaver! I hope this is the start of a new series. The characters are great, the pace is excellent and the intrigue into the world of computer gamers was fascinating. This is a sure winner and I look forward to more books with Colter Shaw.

The Never Game (Colter Shaw #1) by Jeffery Deaver
My Rating 4stars
Content Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre Thriller/Mystery
Publication Date May 14th, 2019

The Never Game, written by Jeffery Deaver is the first book in a new thriller series featuring the very likable character, Colter Shaw. Although I have not had the pleasure of reading any other books by Jeffery Deaver I have heard good things. When I recently found one of his books on NetGalley I jumped at the opportunity to read and review.

This story was very well developed, researched and painstakingly thought out. I did find the beginning a little slow but felt that was due in no small amount of background information given, as is sometimes needed with the first novel of this caliber. I must admit that I am not a fan of the gaming culture, but I did find that Deaver was able to present the story in such a way that you don’t have to be a lover of all things video games.

I liked the way the author weaves the plot of the book with Shaw’s survivalist familial background. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about how Colter grew up with a paranoid father, intellectual mother and two siblings. Deaver does give us little hints to a subplot, and I am looking forward to seeing where that takes Shaw, but that is all I am willing to say about that. The main plot is filled with deception, greed and plenty of twists and turns and a little touch of romance.

I did find Colter Shaw to be somewhat of a paradox, on the one hand, he was intriguingly complex and enigmatic, and on the other hand, he presents himself an uncomplicated and straightforward a what you see is what you get kind of guy. These characteristics made him interesting and likable, a character that you want to get to know better. Deaver does an excellent job surrounding Colter with a very well developed group of secondary characters that add mystery to the story.
I am looking forward to reading where Shaw’s “reward-seeking” will take him.


***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

This new series kicks off with a kidnapping focus and gaming on the sidelines. The hero is a son of a survivalist raised off the grid with mad skills for tracking and logic. A fascinating beginning that will hook you on this series. 5-star!

Bestselling author, Jeffery Deaver, has created a new series with a new character, Colter Shaw, who travels around helping people locate missing persons and police solve crimes; he calls himself a Reward Seeker (similar to, but not exactly like a bounty hunter). Shaw is an expert tracker, having learned much growing up in a survivalist family. In the first book in the series, The Never Game, Shaw locates a missing girl who has been kidnapped; there are other missing persons to come, and when he finds them, he learns that their circumstances closely match those in a video game, The Whispering Man. Several murders occur before Shaw is able to track the perpetrator of this sick game, and finds he must work very fast in order to prevent more murders from happening.

Anyone who has read Jeffery Deaver knows that he is an excellent storyteller – one of the best in modern fiction - and is able to weave plenty of white-knuckle suspense into his novels. Readers will not want to put this one down, and will be introduced to the cut-throat video game industry, as well as things happening in Silicon Valley. Colter Shaw is a likeable character, and Deaver does a good job of developing his character so that readers will want to read about his adventures in subsequent novels. The other characters, unique to this particular novel, are believable and are perfect in their supporting roles.

Although readers may think they are close to solving the mysteries and whodunits in The Never Game , Deaver surprises with unexpected turns and new twists that make the novel both unpredictable and unputdownable. In fact, there are actually three surprise endings in this novel.

Highly recommended, this is a novel that may be fiction, but is one that is laced with factual information on subjects that will fascinate non-gamers and other readers who may not be familiar with the high tech world of Silicon Valley. Jeffery Deaver does not disappoint, and definitely earns his nickname, The Master of Suspense. Another winner.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

The Never Game is a great book for readers who may also be interested in the gaming industry. This book is filled with plenty of plot twists and thrills. Jeffrey Denver even throws in a little romance.

iews > The Never Game
The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver
The Never Game (Colter Shaw #1)
by Jeffery Deaver (Goodreads Author)
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Lou Jacobs's review Apr 28, 2019 · edit
really liked it

Wonderful first book in a new series by Jeffery Deaver ... features a multi-faceted protagonist, Colter Shaw ... a deeper and more complex "jack Reacher". Colter was raised by highly intelligent parents ... basically off the grid with attention paid to skills necessary for a survivalist. His father, Ashton was an academic specializing not only in history, humanities, and political science, but also being an outdoorsman he imparted survivalist skills to his three children. His mother, Mary Dove Shaw was a psychiatrist and medical researcher. Colter's upbringing provided him the skillset to make a living collecting rewards for finding missing persons and solving mysteries.
He is seeking a 10,000 reward from the distraught father of missing teenager, Sophie Mulliner.
The Quick Byte internet cafe is the last place she was seen ... he starts his investigation there and encounters an array of colorful and interesting characters. Quickly he is initiated into the cutthroat billion dollar world of video gaming and is thrust into the dark arena of the tech world. Another victim goes missing while he is pursuing his leads. Suddenly Colter realized that the kidnapper is mimicking the program levels of a computerized immersion game: " The Whispering Man" .... whose underling theme is "escape or die" The First Level of this game is termed: "The Abandoned Factory" ... which is the site where he finds her ... he discovers she was provided 5 objects that could possibly be used to escape. His investigations put him in contact and at times at odds with Detectives Wiley and Standash from the Joint Major Crimes Task Force in Santa Clara, CA.
The nature and character of Colter Shaw is richly developed over the course of this action, thriller. His outlook on life is best described ... "Not dying isn't the same as being alive. You're only alive when your're surviving. And you only survive when there's a risk there's something you can loose. The more you risk losing, the more you're alive"
Deaver provides a riveting narrative that is both fast paced and filled with unexpected twists and ratchets up the tension to almost an unbearable level before an unusual and satisfying denouement.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to further exploits of Colter Shaw after experiencing my first immersion into his psyche.

The Never Game – Jeffrey Deaver

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Colter Shaw is a bit of a loner. Raised by survivalist parents, and being an expert tracker, he spends his time driving around the country in his Winnebago RV and seeking out rewards for missing individuals as ‘work’. This time his friends have alerted him to a missing teenager, and a reward for $10,000 in Silicon Valley. Meanwhile Shaw is also looking for answers to a 15-year-old mystery. His Dad had left the family compound 15 years ago with gun in hand and was found dead at the base of a cliff. This storyline weaves itself around the main theme of the book, as you learn about Shaw’s past in bits and pieces.

Shaw thinks in percentages. As he stops by the Quick Byte internet café, he has calculated the odds at finding Sophie Mulliner alive at 40%. The café was the last place she was seen, and it is here that Shaw meets some pretty interesting people and learns all about the gaming world. A quick chat with the waitress on duty gives Shaw some clues and leads him to the area where he thinks Sophie was abducted.

As Shaw searches for Sophie, it appears as though her kidnapper is mimicking the levels of a popular computerized immersion game. As a second person goes missing and is later found dead, Shaw realizes that the theme of the game is ‘escape or die’ and that nothing is as it seems. Meanwhile, shades of the past are here in the present and Shaw finds himself in the sights of a different enemy, this one much closer to home…

I LOVE everything that Jeffrey Deaver writes, and this is no exception! Colter Shaw is a unique character - reminds me of Jack Reacher with a healthier ego – and the book sets us up for a pretty interesting series, with a lot of threads available for pulling in later novels. I can’t wait for the next installment! A fabulous debut for Colter Shaw!

I really enjoyed this new character, Colter Shaw. His back story is fascinating and leaves it wide open for more interesting tidbits. The character's current career, although on the surface seems purely for money/reward...it's far from it. I'm super excited for future Colter Shaw novels. More please, Mr. Jeffrey Deaver!

Jeffery Deaver's character Colter Shaw is outstanding. He brings so much to this book - his past, adventure, mystery, and romance. The Never Game is a fast paced book that's hard to put down.

Colter Shaw is the protagonist in this new series by beloved mystery writer Jeffrey Deaver. This much younger hero was raised as a survivalist by his highly educated parents. This upbringing gives him the skills he needs to make a living collecting rewards for solving crimes. The Never Game is a most promising beginning to what will, most likely, be another highly regarded series. This reader, however, hopes that Mr. Deaver will continue with the lincoln Rhyme books!!

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver was a great book filled with everything. It was filled with action that had my heart beating extra fast. 

Jeffrey Deaver's writing is on point in The Never Game. The characters are amazingly written and the plot is filled with twists and turns!

I look forward to reading all and everything that Jeffery Deaver writes!

What an interesting book! Part action, part thriller, part adrenalin spike. This one seems aimed at a younger audience than Mr. Deaver's older novels and should bring him some new fans. His new hero, Shaw Colter is very likeable - a taciturn, highly capable rescuer. Although I'm not at all interested in gaming, I'm giving this book a solid 4-stars.

Jeffery Deaver is a incredible author that gets better with every book. His books are always a thrilling twisty story that pull you right into them.

Fast paced and riveting from beginning to end! With the first book in an exciting new series. Jeffery Deaver takes us into the heart of the Silicon Valley tech industry when a mad man starts bringing a pulse pounding video game to life. Tracker Colter Shaw is brought in to help find a kidnapped young woman, but as days pass, more people start to go missing as the reign of terror begins to unravel. The characters are well-developed with colorful back stories that open additional mystery that will hopefully continue to play out as the series continues. Enjoyed it and will look forward to more to come!