Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

I love J M Hewitt’s books, the first Exclusion Zone was in my top books read in 2016. I am also working my way through the audio book of this I LOVED it so much.

Then followed The Hunger Within it’s review can be found here.

J M Hewitt writes what I would call victim centred books, they don’t come with pages of police procedure like some crime book do. She focuses on the people that the crime has affected.

Someone is pushing people into the canal’s of Manchester, but they are not just pushing anyone they are targeting the homosexual community and also those who are operating in criminal circles.

Though the police have been trying to keep a lid on the drowning our lead detective Carrie Flinn is on to something. She is beginning to think that the pusher is two different people but she is keeping this to herself as she separates the files on her kitchen table. Carrie lives next to the canal and spends most night trying to spot someone.

Carrie has a partner Ben but there seems to be something between these two, whether he is careful of Carrie because of her past, or for some other reason I am sure we will find out in future novels.

While our detectives are trying to find who The Pusher is….

We meet the mother Emma whose son Jordan has disappeared and is thought to have possibly been pushed into the canal. But there is no body... Emma lives next door to Jade and her daughter Nia. There is a very strange set up and relationship between these two.

Through the book this set up is explained to us in a series of flash backs, everyone has their secrets and things that they don’t want the other person to know. Which leads to a complicated web of secrets. Plus what has the nosy neighbour over the road got to do with it all.

I really enjoyed this book and breif introduction to some new characters which we will hopefully follow in future. Now being published with Bookature J M Hewitt is at last being firmly pushed into the lime light she deserves.

#TheNightCaller #NetGalley I am always excited to be in at the beginning of a new crime series, add to that it is set in my home town of Manchester (and knowing the reputation of The Pusher!) I was doubly excited to start this book.
But, I'm afraid I really struggled with it. First of all I couldn't relate to any of the characters, none of them were particularly nice (which in itself is the not the end of the world), but Carrie, as the main character, did not inspire me in the slightest. Her role seemed on the edge of the book, with Emma and Jade being the main characters. I would have liked to see much more of Carrie and to get a better insight into her character. There were teasers into her background but I would have expected more of her background to come through in the first of the series. I also found the pace rather slow, which is why it took me a while to finish it. Having said all that, the story line was a good one - topical and different and a good ending. Would I read the next in the series? Yes - in the hope that I can grow to love Carrie Flynn

An young girl is kidnapped, her sister grows up to be a policewoman. A serial killer is on the loose and has just struck again., These are familiar topics in mystery/thriller books. Those are the only familiar topics in this book. It quickly becomes a much heavier story of how your past affects your present and influences your actions. J M Hewitt built a cast of flawed characters who must join together to stop a killer and solve a mystery. They will keep you turning pages to see if you can figure out who the killer is and why. A good, quick read that left me checking to see when the next book will come out.

When I initially started this book, it seemed to be a clear cut story of another person of the night turning to murderous antics and being pursued by the U.K.’s finest, in this case Carrie Flynn. This story ended up bending into something else completely. Which isn’t a bad thing. The story is intriguing as it is told from the viewpoints of the sociopathic murderer, and those that knew him best. It is definitely a tale of buried secrets if ever there was one, as everyone involved seems to have at least one possibly world shattering secret. The plot twists are subtly weaved into the plot, and there are no earth shattering revelations at the end of the line. It is a fun and different story that we follow and is a strong beginning in the this series for Carrie Flynn. I look forward to following the series, and would recommend the read to all that are willing.

Fantastic story with a thrilling crime plot. Would highly recommend to others. Look forward to reading more by J M Hewitt in the future.

Overall, the story wasn’t bad. But there were so many characters that had their own POVs...and I didn’t care about any of them. I struggled to get through this book.

What a perfect and brilliant start to a great new series!

This type of novel is right up my street - a tense psychological thriller about relationships and hidden feelings, as well as overcoming frustrations and those dark and negative thoughts. With a side of police procedural to savour, the plot was well thought-out and I very much appreciated JM Hewitt's superb and varied characterisation, even though some of the realistic and believable characters weren't particularly personable.

Gripping until the very end, I can't wait to read more of Detective Carrie Flynn!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Night Caller, book one of J. M. Hewitt’s Detective Carrie Flynn Crime Thriller series, is a great psychological thriller.

Detective Carrie Flynn is haunted by memories of the younger sister who was kidnapped when they were children and was never seen again. She’s doubly troubled because she saw the kidnapper. Now she’s chasing a serial killer being called the Pusher, because he’s murdering men by pushing them into the canals around Manchester. The killings have been happening for six years, but the higher ups in the police ranks don’t want to admit they have a serial killer on their hands. Carrie has her own theories but won’t share them for fear that she’ll be ridiculed.

The latest victim of the Pusher is Jordan Robinson. Detective Flynn and her partner Detective Paul Harper interview Jordan’s mother, Emma, and their neighbor Jade, but neither one is able to give any clues as to why Jordan might be a target of the killer. Something is off with this victim and Carrie thinks his secrets hold the clue to solving the entire case.

J. M. Hewitt has done a great job with this thriller. The canals surrounding Manchester are suitably eerie and create the isolated, lonely atmosphere needed for the solitary murders and Emma’s solo wanderings. The characters were given adequate backstories. The plot was predictable in part, but there were still some good unexpected twists. Overall, I enjoyed The Night Caller and rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

I thought that this was an good start to a new police procedural
I liked the family back story and it kept my interest piqued.
Thought that The Pusher was name that could have been more exciting, knowing how the press sensationalise these murderers in real life.

I would look out for the next one in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley, JM Hewitt and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Pushing men into freezing black water is The Pusher's MO, Detective Carrie has been after him fruitlessly for years. Tortured by the loss of her sister years ago and the thought that she let the killer through her fingers, Carrie is driven to find the bad guy.
The story is less about her than about the other characters and the secrets they hide. It dragged a bit in some places but over all a nice, if dark, mystery.

This is the first in a new series to feature Detective Carrie Flynn. Set in Manchester and featuring a serial killer called The Pusher, who kills his victims by pushing them into the canal. This is not just about a serial killer, but also about family bonds and keeping secrets. I would have liked more background on Carrie, the lead character but this is a very promising start to what looks like becoming a very good series. I would recommend this book. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Detective Carrie Flynn has tracked the Pusher for six years— a serial killer who tosses immobilized victims into Manchester’s canals. Careful and inconspicuous, the Pusher has always avoided attention until Carrie catches sight of him near the water while investigating another drowning. All she can make out is a unique tattoo on his arm, but it might be enough. However, after yet another death, she slips into a tangled web of lies and secrets all centered on a victim with a hidden life that might crack the case wide open.

Some books move slowly, chugging along strong and steady. Others open with a bang and remain unrelenting. In her first book in a new series, author J.M. Hewitt expertly combines the best of both worlds. She lets the tension simmer, gradually building and layering the beginning before delivering a pulse-pounding second half.

Part of this success stems from Hewitt’s ability to blend police procedural with family drama. Carrie is such a compelling detective, focused on solving cases as self-imposed penance for her younger sister’s abduction when the two were children. Guarded yet unwavering, her forced determination to unmask the Pusher is palpable on the page.

But the case ensnares Emma, whose son, Jordan, is allegedly the most recent victim to drop into the canal. Heartbroken, she struggles accepting this news— which is further complicated as she discovers a mother doesn’t always know her child. Hewitt places a lot of focus on this relationship and Emma’s gradual exploration of the case, and it works. It’s quickly apparent that everyone around Emma, from Jordan to her best friend and neighbor, Jade, have secrets. But do they relate to the murders? Hewitt teases, slowly dropping hints and clues before everything crashes together in an utterly explosive ending.

Packed with plenty of twists and an absorbing collective of characters, The Night Caller is a solid start to a new series.

The Night Caller by J.M. Hewitt was a Brilliant start to a new Detective Carrie Flynn. This book was Brilliant, it a good psychological thriller and I enjoyed getting to know Detective Carrie Flynn.

Carrie Flynn became a detective after her own sister Hattie was kidnapped, and never found. Carrie was with Hattie on that hot summer day and she saw Hattie's her sister’s abductor, but she was just a little girl herself, and remembers nothing. She will never forgive herself for letting Hattie down. So twenty years later, the only way Carrie can think of making things better is helping other families deal with the grief and loss of a loved one.

Over the last six years, there's been a serial killer on the loose in the City of Manchester. Young men have been found floating dead in the local canal. This serial killer does not leave any clues however, he or she preys on a specific type of person. They prey on males who are walking by the canal and is nicknamed "The Pusher"

A young local man called Jordan goes missing. Detective Carrie Flynn and her partner Paul have to work quickly to find his killer before they strike again.

Can they catch the killer in time? and solve the mystery who is The Pusher killer?

Carrie and her partner Paul have to solve this case but need to get close to the victims and see if there's a connection between them all.

Highly Recommend this Book and Looking forward to read more in this new Detective Carrie Flynn series.

I loved it!

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and J.M. Hewitt for allowing me to read an advanced copy The Night Caller.

The first in a new series, THE NIGHT CALLER is a debut thriller by J.M. Hewitt featuring DS Carrie Flynn. The synopsis for the book is a little misleading, however, as it refers to the disappearance of Carrie's own sister some twenty years prior which, while giving the impression that it was to feature heavily, was merely only highlighted as a part of Carrie's backstory. It did, though, offer some promise of a future revisit to the her sister's case in the closing pages.

I was quite excited to begin this new series as I do love to get to know the main players as they develop over the course of a few books. But if I was expecting it to be like any other police procedural I would be disappointed. And I was, on that point. And even after finishing it yesterday, I'm still unsure how I feel about it. It was part police procedural, part thriller, but part something else. And yet I am still undecided.

A serial killer is roaming the canals in Manchester with twelve victims - all male - in the past 6 years. Dubbed 'The Pusher' for his particular MO (modus operandi) of pushing his victims into the freezing black waters of the canal, DS Carrie Flynn has been tasked with the job of catching him. Throughout the investigation, Carrie is haunted by the image of a man she caught a glimpse of at one of the scenes the previous year and believes that he is the man they are after. The memory of a distinctive tattoo he bore and his self-assured smile torments her knowing that he had been so close.

Emma Robinson is at home pondering what time her son Jordan will be home when she catches sight of a scene of a story unfolding on the late night news. Behind the reporter is an item, a scarf, left hanging on a rail by the canal...distinctive to those know it for its bright lime green thread stitched down its centre. Jordan's scarf. Four year old Nia from next door had stitched it as a surprise for Jordan, unaware she was ruining an expensive Armani item. Emma's blood ran cold. Just hours before she had warned Jordan to be careful as The Pusher was still out there, his hunting ground - the canals. But Jordan had brushed her off stating he only went for gay men...and he certainly wasn't that! Now it looks as if Jordan was The Pusher's latest victim, as Emma grabbed her coat and raced down to the canal to see for herself.

Jade is Emma's neighbour and probably her best friend. She had first arrived as a 15 year old pregnant schoolgirl, moving in with her Nan who lived in the terrace next door to Emma. As Emma herself had been 16 when falling pregnant with Jordan, she and Jade soon became friends with a mutual bond and understanding of their shared predicaments...despite their 10 year age gap. Then tragedy struck when Jade fell from the roof and lost the baby. Her parents, who had banished her for the duration of her 'confinement', now saw that the problem had resolved itself and Jade was to return home. But Jade didn't want to go back home. She enjoyed living with Nan and her time with Emma and Jordan. So when Nan had a fall and broke her leg, it was agreed that Jade would stay on and help out. Then when Nan died suddenly, Jade - now 22 - was distraught with grief but found solace in the unlikely of places. But that was short-lived when she discovered she was, once again, pregnant. With the threat of having to leave her home that had been in her Nan's name, the council then agreed to transfer the tenancy over to Jade with the prospect of her becoming a single mum. And then Nia was born.

From her living room window, Jade watches Emma come and go next door, and with Jordan missing, believed to have been The Pusher's lates victim, she is unsure with what to say to her friend. Emma, who is in denial that her son could be dead, spends most of her time trawling the areas surrounding the canals in the hope that she can find Jordan.

Then throw in Jordan's father Martin, who has never met him, with questions as to why was he never told about him; a young man called Lee who for all intents and purposes appears to be the only person to know anything about Jordan; and a nosy curtain-twitching neighbour who sees more than she lets on, and who has secrets of her own. Each character has their own important part to play in this very different thriller.

We do also get a glimpse from The Pusher's POV as well throughout with the odd chapter. He has his own story to tell...and where he fits into it all.

While the narrative is written in the third person throughout, it is The Pusher's that is the only one in the first - giving it that more personal perspective and a connection to him. Everyone has their own perspectives in this story but it's The Pusher's we see inside of.

One of the problems I think I had with this book was with Carrie. She is meant to be the main character but instead she was more of a peripheral one. It was too difficult to connect with her because we don't get a whole lot of insight into her - just a sprinkling here and there. The synopsis dangled the promise of the disappearance of Carrie's sister but that had nothing to do with anything here. We didn't even see a lot of detective work either. And although Carrie Flynn is meant to be the prime protagonist, the story features primarily around Emma and Jade - with them being the main characters in this story. It did give it a different angle and edge to it, but I hope in future books featuring Carrie she is given the main lead. After all, it IS meant to be her show.

But probably my biggest issue was the glacial speed in which everything seemed to move. For a thriller, it was incredibly slow and somewhat convoluted in parts. I enjoyed some of it but not all of it. There was far too much going on at times. And I feel terrible when I don't enjoy a book as much as I had hoped I would because I know that the author has put so much work into writing it and reviewing it will be difficult. I didn't NOT enjoy it, but I didn't love it either. As this is the first in the series, I am hoping we get to see more of Carrie in the future and the characters featured in her cases are the peripheral characters. It was an interesting perspective to take but it made it difficult to connect with Carrie because we just didn't see enough of her to really know her.

Psychological in nature, THE NIGHT CALLER is filled with twists that, although I guessed at about 10% into the story, made for an incredibly interesting read once it got going. Two major reveals I guessed at such an early stage with a third about halfway through. Despite my own hunches as to what the revelations would be being correct, this never ruins it or dissuades my enjoyment of the story.

I must say that Jeanette did a wonderful job in her vivid descriptions of the canals. I found myself looking deep into the black waters and seeing nothing but blackness. There was a real eeriness about those canals and she brought that to life in vivid array. Her ability to make that aspect come to life with just a few paragraphs brings more to the story than if pages and pages were written to describe the one scene. I am not a fan of overt description, which can put me to sleep if there is too much of it...like a documentary. I like dialogue, interaction, backstory rather than a whole chapter devoted to the description of an empty warehouse.

Although I saw it coming long before it happened, I enjoyed the ending, as heartbreaking as it was, but it was fitting. This would have to be the first book in which the reader feels empathy for the killer. There is also a lesson to be learnt in the dysfunctionality of some families in the mistakes Emma made bringing up her son as well as Carrie's obvious strained relationship with her own mother.

If I was asked about its genre I would have to say that THE NIGHT CALLER is one part police procedural and two parts thriller. It's certainly different. A chilling story that will bring out a range of emotions as you watch everything unfold.

Do I recommend this book? Yes, I think so. While I found it very slow in parts, the story does have promise...as does the series with this being its introduction. I recommend you go into it with an open mind. You may enjoy it more than I did...and I really wish I did enjoy it more than I did. There were parts I really enjoyed while others I just felt moved too slowly. Even now, I am still unsure how I feel about this book in its entirety. But don't take my word for it. Grab yourself a copy and check it out! You may be surprised!

I would like to thank #JMHewitt, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheNightCaller in exchange for an honest review.

In the town of Manchester, a serial killer who is referred to as The Pusher remains at large. The Pusher is so affectionately named this since this person pushes its victims to their death into the canal. Over the last six years, The Pusher has claimed at least a dozen victims without leaving a trace of evidence to confirm his or her identity.

Detective Carrie Flynn has been assigned to the case, and she refuses to give up. One thing becomes evident is that the killer’s motives have changed. Previously the killer targeted victims who were homosexual whereas now it seems the killer is going after those that are deemed the “bad boys” of society.

I really enjoyed watching the secrets unfold between Emma, the grieving mother who lost her son to The Pusher, and Jade, her best friend that lives next door. There were so many twists and turns that keep me on my toes.

For a debut thriller, I definitely think the author does a fantastic job of telling this unputdownable page turner. However, I’m dying to know the answers to all of the unanswered questions about DS Flynn (such as the disappearance of her sister Hattie). Since the series is supposed to focus on her, I would have loved for her to be the focal point of the story and investigation, whereas she does take a back seat to the story in favor of Emma and Jade. Regardless, I’m still excited to see what’s next in store for DS Flynn’s story.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

I love discovering new authors and J. M. Hewitt is certainly an author, whose work I have never read before. That said, I have heard lots of good things about her work from respected crime fiction bloggers, so I instinctively knew that I was going to really enjoy 'The Night Caller'. I was to be proved right. I really enjoyed reading 'The Night Caller' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to the character of Detective Carrie Flynn from the first time I met her. She is a dedicated police officer with a tragic past behind her. Her sister went missing and hasn't been heard or seen since her abduction some twenty years prior to the main body of the story. Carrie was older than her sister and she has never forgiven herself for what she perceives as her failure to maintain the safety of her kid sister. Flynn never fails to keep reminding herself of her failure. I can't even begin to imagine how the disappearance of your kid sister might haunt you for a long, long time even though there is probably nothing that you could have done to prevent the abduction. To atone for her perceived failure, Flynn joins the police force to ensure that nobody grows up alone and in the hope of preventing any other families from going through the heartache that Flynn and her family went through. Flynn also hopes that somewhere along the line she will find the answer as to what happened to her sister following her abduction. Flynn is determined, tenacious, hard working, stubborn, compassionate, sensitive and well you get the picture.
It took me a little while to get into 'The Night Caller' but I think that has more to do with getting used to a new author's writing style than it does with the quality of the story. Once I got into the story, I became addicted to reading this book. I couldn't binge read the book over the course of a day but I still only took a couple of days to read it, which is still pretty good going for me. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. The story had a few little sub plots which demanded my complete concentration. I seemed to race through the latter half of the book as my desperation to find out how the story concluded, steadily grew and grew. At one point I was turning the pages so quickly that it was almost as if the pages are turning themselves.
'The Night Caller' is well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and she draws you into the story. By introducing some great characters with some complex issues, the author ensures that she keeps your attention all the way through the book.
Reading 'The Night Caller' was much like being on a scary and an at times unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that you had fathomed out who was who and who had done what, then the author would send you another curveball to send you off in another direction entirely.
In short, 'The Night Caller' is a great read and I would recommend it to other readers. I can't wait to read what J. M. Hewitt comes up with next. Here's hoping that we don't have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

I enjoyed reading the book. The novel puts light on the lives of the people who are so different from us but have their own stories to tell. The relationship between the mother and the son was strained, and it was properly stated throughout the novel.
The atmosphere, setting and characterisation of the novel was on point. What I couldn't understand about the novel was that even though the highlight should be Detective Carrie Flynn, she didn't have much role to play in the novel. The major sections of the novel were about the mother of the victim, Emma and their neighbour, Jade. When Jordan Robinson goes missing, it seems the serial killer has had a shift in his choice of victims. That's when things get interesting.
Overall, this novel was a slow read. I don't know whether I would like to recommend this novel or not. But I have to mention that the author, J.M.Hewitt, has an amazing storytelling quality. For being the first book in the series, this novel is appreciated.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, Bookouture for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Carrie Flynn and her partner are investigating a murderer who is pushing young men into the canals of Manchester but his MO has changed and Carrie thinks there is a copycat. When a young man, jordan, goes missing his mother, Emma and her neighbour, Jade, are pulled into the investigation and secrets are going to come out.

I devoured this book and it was such a thrilling read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review. Can’t wait for book 2:

# The Night Called #
Have you ever had a feeling that you have read this book before well rather strangely this was one of those times.
Why. Who knows the answer to this strange phenomenon.
I can only assume it's because as much as I enjoyed the book it was one journey I had been on. Before or similar. What ever the reason it's definitely a journey that I would enjoy ago and again. It really is a journey. Of fear revenge and love. When carried old nemesis comes back to haunt her. It's got more twist than a twisted branch off a tree. The knots grow tight in your stomach because you can almost feel his marathon the back of your neck. Yet theirs no one their......... Or is there........your do close but still you don't see him. It's a rollercoaster of a ride..which emotions running high. Yes you do want to read this book even if you may have read it before. The sensation of the think too have read this book before Actuly sets your heart on a fast pace you will want to read again and agsin . Now you understand why you think you have read this before.