I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more by this author. Realistic police procedure and a tense read which is just the way I like them!

Wow this book was fast-paced and brilliant. I was drawn into the story right from the start and finished it in two days. Chris Merritt is one of my new favourite authors and can't wait to read more of his books. A big fat 5 stars

This was a very different book than I had anticipated. Usually, when a story has so many diversions and takes this much time to get to its point, I give up. Surprisingly enough, there was something about this story that kept me going, albeit much slower than I usually read. 

The villain is given a voice quite frequently, but our path is littered with so many possible suspects that it is almost impossible to pinpoint with any accuracy what the turn of events could be. We have a police team, each with their own backstory who all have their own pet solutions. Each dissects their individual suspect, our primary focus is on Lexi the shrink and Lockhart the chief detective. The number of false leads was almost dizzying since I kept thinking something else would happen each time a twist occurred. This involves murdered women, an icky crowd of men venting their frustration online and personal vendettas. There are a lot more explanations than I usually get and sometimes it helped. 

I recommend it to those who like police procedural, where we get a complete view of all procedures and internal bickering. 

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Knock Knock has all the ingredients of a top crime thriller: superbly drawn main characters, married with a scary, toe-curling killer, a brilliant plot and plenty of suspects I didn't guess the murderer! Absolutely loved it. will be checking out some more of Chris Merritts books.

A solid start to a new crime series, which lacked character development but still it was a solid mystery.

5 stars! This is absolutely one of my favorite reads this year!
The first thing I did after I've finished reading, is looking for when the sequel will be out.
Then I pulled white night and went through the rabbit hole of incels.

The story is about Dan Lockhart is a detective inspector and ex-army located in London. His wife has been missing presumed dead, and for this, he's been seeing Dr. Lexi Green, a psychologist to help him deal with all the "stress" that comes with his life. When he's called to investigate the death of Natasha Mayston, Lockhart is struck by two things: the eccentric modus operandi used by the killer (asphyxiation by shoving a metal ball into the victim's trachea)and the similarities with a closed previous case.
despite all his superiors' insistence to consider it as an isolated case, Lockhart was resilient that he was dealing with a dangerous serial killer. He then calls Dr. Green to help him profiling the murderer.

You know that warm feeling in your chest when you read or watch a good thriller this is what you get when you read this book!
I genuinely loved everything about this novel, the story, the characters, and the narrative, the beautiful cover, and the British setting.

I think it's kind of hard to write a thriller about a serial killer at the present time with all that has been done before. But I have to say, this is one really got all my attention! I really can't wait to read what's next!

I think it got everything to be a successful serie: the fascinating characters, the terrific narrative, and all the intriguing backstories.
My favorite character is Lexi she is tough, smart and will back at nothing. Although it's an obvious thriller the hopeless romantic in me was rooting for her and Dan to get together.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing my digital copy, to read and give an honest opinion.

After reading the previous series of books by this author, I was wondering how I would like this one - just as much as the other one! And Zac Boateng makes a cameo appearance in this one too :)

Dan Lockhart is investigating a series of murders which have striking similarities. Lexi Green is a psychologist who is trying to help him, both personally and professionally, but Dan's team are not convinced that what she knows is going to be valuable to them. I found Dan's attitude towards her a bit puzzling at times myself. At times, I thought they had a connection, and then at other times he is quite dismissive of her. The murky online world that Lexi investigates gave me the creeps, it has to be said, and that that is actually a real one is very disturbing indeed.

Anyway, this book is full of red herrings and I genuinely didn't spot the murderer until the author revealed him! Which is how it should be.

The storyline is strong and the characters are all ones in which you can become emotionally invested in, one way or another. The author did a good job with his storytelling, I thought.

4.5 stars from me. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read, and my apologies for the lateness of my review.

I loved Chris Merritt’s debut trilogy featuring the hard nosed detective, Zac Boeteng so when I heard he’d started on a new series, I was rather excited. But I was a little nervous too; would I enjoy it as much?! But my fears were alleviated within the first few chapters….

Boom! What a MO! The full extent of this killer’s technique is not known until the post mortem. That’s got to be such a horrific way to go! It has me grasping my throat for breath as Natasha Mayston’s unfortunate demise is laid out on the mortuary slab. Bejeezus!!! *Shudder*

I really took to Lockhart. He’s a detective with focus. “He wouldn’t stop until he’d found the guy who’d done this. Whatever it took” and oh the rapport that is built with Lexi. The levels of trust between that pairing is brilliant, so much more than a therapist/patient relationship. Normally great pairings are the normal police partnerships but for me this brought something different to the table!

The pace at which the story progresses is addictive. I couldn’t unglue my eyes from my kindle. Starting a new series has not been detrimental to Dr Merritt’s writing in the slightest. In fact it’s enhanced it!! Merritt’s created a fabulous new series with a brilliant starring lead characters. I’m looking forward to getting to know Lockhart and Green a lot better over the series and seeing what Merritt throws at them!!

Knock Knock is the first book in the Detectives Lockhart and Green series by Chris Merritt. Merrit is a new to me author and I must say I am now certainly a fan! This is another serial killer story I am adding to my collection.

While investigating a new murder scene, Detective Inspecter, Dan Lockhart, is shocked to see similarities to that of another previous murder, but the offender was already caught and awaiting trial. Has the wrong man been arrested and is there a serial killer running loose killing women? Dan brings in Psychologist Lexi green, hoping she can give some insight to the killer before he strikes again. But, as Lexi digs deeper into the murders she finds herself directly in the crosshairs of a killer.

I must admit the title of this book really gave me goosebumps because I always have this fear that late at night someone is going to knock on my window or my door and scare the living daylights out of me. Hey, it can happen! So, when women are starting to be killed after answering a knock at their door, I found myself listening to every freakin sound in my apartment. Talk about a total meltdown every time my cats made a huge noise or a bang while reading this story had me practically jumping out of my chair. I am such a wuss!

I really loved Dan Lockhart and how determined he was to catch a killer while dealing with his own personal issues and family life. Nothing stood in his way and he went through all the evidence stacking up with a fine tooth comb trying to prevent another murder. He brings in Lexi Green as a forensic consultant to deliver a profile on the killer. But when her offer of help and profile on the killer goes unnoticed by the detectives working the case, Lexi takes matters into her own hands to find the person responsible. I liked Lexi, but found her to be a bit naive as well as making a few rookie mistakes in her quest to catch a killer. I do love the dynamic between Dan and Lexi though and I think they make quite a team, if only Dan takes her more seriously next time.

This is a pretty long book at over 400 pages, but I found the story to be moving and never really lagged in the action. There are many twists and turns as well as quite a few people I liked for the killer. Although I did try my best, I never really figured out who it was until the big reveal. I was pretty immersed in this story throughout and found I was unable to put the book down, which meant I had a long night ahead of me reading. I should know better by now NOT to start reading a book after 11PM!

Knock Knock is a gripping crime thriller and will certainly make you think twice when you hear a knock on your door late at night! This is a great start to a new series and one I am certainly going to be following. Oh man, that ending too, what a way to keep me invested in anticipating the next book!

Great book which kept you guessing right to the end. Lockharts wife had gone missing without warning and he had spent much of his time looking for leads to where she had gone. He was made lead on a murder case where he found similarities to a previous case which already had someone in prison for. Lockhart and his team with the help of his counsellor manage to find to the correct person in the end.
Great book, looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

Knock Knock by Chris Merritt is the first in a new exciting Detectives Lockhart and Green series. It's a new British police procedural series, which is placed in London. I just loved it, I was hooked within the first few pages and so wanted more. It's gripping throughout, and Loved the two main characters.

So looking forward to Chris's next book on this fantastic new series.

I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture. the author Chris Merritt for my advanced copy of Knock Knock, in exchange for an honest review.

Love a police procedural - love a serial - what’s not to love about this!
It lost a star as it was a bit repetitive at times but I really liked Lexi and I would happily read the next one! Gained a star cos I was totally blindsided at the end! One to watch out for

I struggled with this one. Parts of it were just slow and longwinded which made it hard to keep my brain engaged. I really liked Dan and Lexi’s characters but I found their chemistry a bit forced. Also how many times do you have to mention that Dan likes drinking Stella?

On the plus side the murders were gruesome and piqued my interest. I was constantly kept guessing and spent a lot of time trying to work out who the red herrings were. I didn’t guess the murderer but I was a bit underwhelmed at the reveal. It felt like there hadn’t really been much to make us consider that person. At least it was a surprise though. I also found the motive behind the murders pretty scary. The whole misogyny and toxic masculinity adds a very real element to it and the chat room parts just cemented that for me.

I would definitely read the next instalment as I would love to know more about Dan and Lexi.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Knock Knock by Chris Merritt is the first novel that I've read from this author, and a promising introduction to a new series focused on DI Dan Lockhart and psychologist Lexi Green. This is a compelling police procedural but, I must admit, it was a little slow to pull me in. Once it did, though, I was hooked for the duration. Partly told from the chilling perspective of the killer, I had goosebumps each time a potential victim received the dreaded knock on the door. While I did enjoy the development of the characters and the story arc as a whole, I am on the fence about whether or not this will become a series that I will pursue going forward.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First one in the new Knock Knock series is no joke😄. It’s a great police procedural with many compelling characters I will grow to love and hate as the series develops (shoutout to Lexi) Written from the perspective of the killer, I was completely wrong who it was.

Loved, loved, loved this book. Dan Lockhart and Lexi Green are great characters that I really took to. I can tell their mutual attraction, coupled with the emotional baggage they carry with them, is going to make for a brilliant thread through their upcoming stories. The murders were excruciatingly painful and it's a very warped mind that comes up with such an unusual and unique way to kill someone. I can only thank all my gods that Chris Merritt chose to write about it rather than act upon such a barbaric idea! Tightly woven with great dialogue and pithy prose, this story will keep you up way past your bedtime, needing to read just one more chapter. Can't wait to get my teeth into book 2. A definitely 5 star, highly recommended from me.

I didn't know what to expect with this book, and wow, was I pleasantly surprised. The book gripped from the very first page, and doesn't let go until the very very last word. I love that this is a new series, which tells me I will spend several more hours in my life enjoying this talented author's work. Recommended.

This is the first book in a series about Detective Lockhart and Dr Green. It is also the first book I’ve read by Chris Merritt. Detective Lockhart is suffering from PTSD from his army days and he’s struggling with the disappearance of his wife too who he doesn’t know if she’s alive or dead. With all this going on he’s been seeing Dr Green when he gets put in charge of a murder with MIT. He decides to ask Dr Green for some input into the murderer’s thinking. There are lots of twists and turns as suspects take them down a lot of different roads until they finally work out who is doing these terrible murders. A gripping read.

The first in a new series called Lockhart and Green, I thought it may have been more appropriate being called Lockhart with a side of Green or even Lockhart and Smith!

Detective Dan Lockhart is our main character here. Ex army, wife missing presumed dead by all except himself and his mother. Dr Lexi Green is his psychologist. He is seeing her before work on his own time.
When he investigates a couple of gruesome murders of women with the exact same methodology, he is one of the first convinced they have a serial killer on their hands even though the women have nothing in common at all.
He calls in Dr Green to try and help profile the killer(even though she has not experience or expertise in this field!)

This one for me is just ok. Interesting enough premise but a few bits to annoy to stop it scoring higher. Firstly Greens decision to act as a consultant on one of her clients cases just seemed a bit of an unrealistic scenario. She also makes some pretty stupid decisions, especially towards the end of the book which seemed totally illogical. Their whole sexual chemistry thing also felt quite clumsy and a excuse to throw them together in a professional capacity which just didn’t seem realistic at all.

Also this is titled as a Lockhart and Green book but to be honest it isn’t. It’s a Lockhart book. Green is very much a secondary character, one of numerous in the book. Lockharts female colleague Smith features at least as much if not more than Green.

While the premise for the story is sound, the book does feel overlong for what it is. It dragged a bit for me and felt a lot longer than it needed to be. Too much padding and pontificating for me to hold a real interest or build any real tension.

It’s not a bad book per say but too many irritants for me to enjoy to any great degree.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Chris Merritt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT: If she'd known it was to be her last night alive, he wondered, how would she have spent it? Gossiping in an over-priced bar with her friends and dancing until the early hours? Or hooking up with one of those square-jawed randoms she seemed to collect on Tinder? Perhaps she'd get sentimental, gathering her relatives privately for a solemn, tearful goodbye. Knowing her though, his guess was hosting an obscenely expensive, self-aggrandising charity bash with champagne and fireworks. She certainly wouldn't have chosen to sit alone like this, tapping away her final hours at a computer.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Natasha Mayston wasn’t expecting anyone to knock on her door so late at night. And she has no idea that the face staring back at her is the last one she’ll ever see…

As Detective Dan Lockhart is called to a wealthy London street to investigate Natasha’s death, he’s startled by the similarity to a previous case. Noticing the cable-tie restraints and the tiny scratches on Natasha’s wedding finger, Dan already knows what he will find if he looks in her mouth – the metal ball which choked her to death. He knows Natasha isn’t the killer’s first victim and is certain that he will strike again.

Months earlier, Kim Hardy was found in the same position in a run-down hotel across the city – an identical silver ball in her throat. But Kim’s murderer was caught and sent to prison – did they arrest the wrong man? And what connects the two victims? Fearing that he’s dealing with a psychopathic serial killer, Dan calls in psychologist Dr Lexi Green to help him to get into the perpetrator’s mind. Tough and smart, Lexi will stop at nothing to hunt down the man responsible for the deaths.

Then, another body is discovered, just as Lexi finds a clue online leading to the killer. Dan’s team aren’t convinced, but in pushing Lexi away from the investigation, they force her to dig further into the case on her own. Convinced that she’s on to something, she puts herself in unthinkable danger… but can Dan piece together the clues and identify the killer before it’s too late?

MY THOUGHTS: I started this book with great excitement. I love this author's Zac Boateng series, and I was looking forward to more of the same. WRONG. Knock Knock is very different. Where I found the Zac Boateng series to be fast paced, suspenseful and thrilling, Knock Knock seems to be drawn out and, to be quite honest, I found myself skimming passages where the author seemed to be pontificating/procrastinating. Don't get me wrong - this is not a bad read, and I will give this series a second chance, but it needs to be tightened up, to be not quite so bogged down in repetitive psychological analysis.

I liked the characters: Dan, Detective Lockhart whose wife has disappeared without trace; Maxine Smith, a strong character inclined to follow her instincts; Lexi Green, psychologist, who also has trauma in her past. Even the lesser characters, the supporting cast, are an interesting bunch. The chapters written from the POV of the murderer were mostly interesting, but a little repetitive.

The basic plot is sound, and there are a few interesting twists and misdirections. I did have fun trying to guess the killer - I didn't even come close.

I hope this does develop into a good series. I know Merritt has the talent.

Love the cover. *:)

👮‍♂️🎭🚔

#KnockKnock #Netgalley

THE AUTHOR: Hello! I'm a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.

All my novels are set in London, where I live. My first trilogy starred Zac Boateng and Kat Jones, two detectives motivated by family, who tackle organised crime and police corruption. LAST WITNESS, the second Boateng and Jones book, reached #13 in the UK Kindle chart in 2019.

My second series features detective Dan Lockhart - an ex-soldier with a missing wife - and psychologist Dr Lexi Green, an American living in London. These novels are darker, more psychological serial-killer cases, with romantic relationships as a central theme.

I began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. I specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked my interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.

Now, I spend most of my time writing novels and drinking coffee while 'thinking' about writing novels. When I'm not writing, I love climbing and playing basketball.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Knock Knock by Chris Merritt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...