Knock Knock is the first book in Detective Lockhart and Green series written by Chris Merritt.

This is a solid police procedural revolving around detectives' hunt for a serial killer. When a woman is found murdered in her home, tied to a chair and with a metal ball in her mouth leading detective immediately realizes that things are much graver than they seem. Similar murder had occurred only months before and the guilty man is currently serving sentence for it. Has there been a mistake?

Although pretty slow moving still an interesting read for those who like police procedurals. I found it quite hard to get into the story but later gained interest.
Very surprising finish and not at all expected.

Enjoyed this police procedural/thriller - I am always a fan of double act with some chemistry.

Look forward to reading more in this series, would recommend!

This is the first novel I have read from Chris Merritt but it definitely wont be the last, Knock Knock had me gripped from the start featuring his new characters Detective Dan Lockheart & Dr Lexi Green, Detective Dan is slightly flawed he's suffering from PTSD and trying to cope with the fact that his wife went missing whilst he was serving in the army ( this was the only distracting thing I found whilst reading as it has similarities to Peter James' detetective Roy Grace) and no one has seen her since (this was the only distracting thing I found whilst reading as it has similarities to Peter James' detetective Roy Grace in the I want you series of books)
Dan starts seeing Lexi as his therapist but when he get made SIO on a random killing, he enlists her help in finding the perpetrator. The storyline kept me guessing right to the dramatic end and I look forward to the next one.

This is the first in a series featuring London Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart and psychologist Dr. Lexi Green, and while I enjoyed it (the serial killer's modus operandi is unique and wonderfully gruesome), I have to say I never felt a real "connection" between the lead characters. Of course, they're just getting started - and both have baggage from their past lives that weigh down the chances for successful relationships with anyone else. And near the end they both showed a little more emotion, so I do think there's hope for a solid friendship if not romance in future editions.

The two actually met when Dan, whose wife disappeared but so far hasn't been found, began counseling sessions with Lexi. Not knowing whether she's alive or dead has turned Dan into an alcoholic druggie of sorts, although he's able to slog through work when needed. But then, he's called to investigate the murder of a wealthy woman, and the similarities to an earlier murder are almost identical: choked by a metal ball, both women's ring fingers were oddly scratched. Not everyone on Dan's team, including his boss, are convinced that a serial killer is at work, so Dan decides to ask Lexi for professional input as to an overall profile and motive.

Lexi goes to work, coming up with a theory that's linked to an online community of women-hating men. At first, she's paid; but when no one, including Dan, take her work seriously, she decides to show them the error of their thoughts by continuing her work on her own because she's convinced the killer is lurking in the shadows of the Internet "mansphere." Even if neither she nor Dan foresee any danger in that going off the deep end approach (as professionals, it's a mystery to me why neither of them did), readers can see right away where the story is headed.

Meantime, interspersed with the investigation are glimpses into the killer's mind - and the awareness of from whence his inspiration comes. The action leans toward frenetic near the end, which brings a near end to at least one character (nope, not gonna tell). All told, it's a solid start to a new series. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-publication copy for review.

A tremendous start to a new series from Chris Merritt! Dan Lockhart is a cop with the Met and Lexi Green is the psychologist who is treating him for PTSD. When a series of women are murdered in a particularly gruesome and unusual way, Dan calls in Lexi, to the surprise and scepticism of his colleagues. At first it seems a waste of time and money, but gradually a profile is established and the case progresses in an intriguing manner. I look forward to further additions to this promising series.

The first book in a new police procedural series. It’s started very well, straight into the plot about a serial killer. The plot was well researched and well written. The characters are likeable however I think the connection between Lexi and Dan may take me a while to believe. The book itself was a little slow going for me and a bit long. It’s a great story that could of been shorter. I look forward to reading the next book.

I was kinda sorry for writing a negative review but I'm just being honest. And hey, it's just me. We all have different kind of views in every book that we read so here's mine. .

I've read a number of Mystery/Thriller focusing on police procedural, investigative type but this book, has the slowest turn of events. I found myself skimming for the most part of the book.

It has a very promising blurb, though I didn't really get the hang of it. I feel like the relationship between Lockhart and Lexi was forced. And with all the books about serial killers, this has the most boring character I've ever encountered.

WOW. I absolutely loved this book! This is just my genre and I was not able to put it down from the moment I started it, so much so that I devoured it in just two days.
This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Merritt, but it definitely won’t be the last and I’m really glad to have been given the chance to discover this author.
Detective Lockhart is assigned his first case as SIO and it’s a horrid serial killer that kills his victims by suffocating them inserting metal balls in their throats. Once you get past the chilling murders the book hooks you into the investigation by Lockhart, Smith and Khan as the police officers and by Dr Lexi Green, Lockhart’s psychologist that he invites as a profiler on the case. Lexi has never profiled before, but she quickly gets involved and seems to make more progress than the rest of the team.
Detective Lockhart and Lexi Green are two very likeable characters and the reader is soon drawn into their lives as well as the police investigation. There are plenty of aspects of their lives that are left open for further developments in future books in the series.
The book is very fast paced and I found myself switching suspects every five minutes and of course never worked out who the killer actually was!
The ending is brilliant and full of suspense and the Epilogue just left me wanting to read more. I can’t wait to read the second book!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to review this book and discover this exciting new author and detective series!

A decent whodunnit that kept me guessing.

I’m not a great fan of police procedurals, but, this has an interesting lead detective with issues of his own and it definitely keeps you guessing until the surprise ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Knock Knock is a very good first book in Detective Lockhart and Dr Green series. Chris Merritt is a new author for me, so I was excited to see how this pans out.
Detective Lockhart has experienced a lot so far in his life. He used to be a Military man and now a Police officer. So, you have thought he would be used to see dead bodies. But when he has been called to a murder of Natasha Mayston. The victim being tied to a chair and gagged with a metal ball in her mouth. He wonders if the police have caught the wrong man as a body was discovered months ago and the person was caught and is awaiting trial.
Dan Lockhart also suffers from PTSD after being in the military, so he visits psychologist Dr Lexi Green beknown to the police force. But will her expertise Dan think that Dr Green will be a big help to find out how the killer thinks, what is behind his killings and to find out who the real killer is. So, he asks her for help with the investigation. In his spare time, he keeps looking for his wife that has disappeared years previously.
Knock Knock is excellent start in a new thriller/police procedural. This has everything you want in it, it’s fast paced, addictive, likable characters, especially Lockhart. Maybe I am a little picky, but I found it just a little bit too long. But that didn’t spoil it because I will look forward to the next instalment.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Hopefully this will be a new series with Dan Lockhart and Dr Lexi Green. this was a fast paced thriller that will have you hooked to the end. Highly recommend.

Dan Lockhart is a detective who has already experienced more in his short life so far than many whole families. Most of it has left deep scars and he is a study in keeping it together with great difficulty. When his regular, increasingly rewarding, therapy session with Dr Lexi Green is interrupted by notification of a killing he finds his progress halted as he leads his first murder investigation.

As his team begin their investigation they are in no doubt the killer will strike again and Dan brings Lexi in to help draw up an offender profile. Working in her own time as well as part of the main investigation Dr Green sees things from a different perspective and feeling a lack of inclusion begins to investigate on what could be a dangerous tangent.

This is the first in the DI Lockhart series but there is no gentle introduction and the tension mounts throughout. The two main protagonists are likeable for totally different reasons but I was immediately rooting for them both. They are complex and although I imagine they will develop more as the series continues neither of them feel unfinished in any way.

The investigation was detailed, intriguing and obviously extensively researched, it worked from all perspectives and the actual cause of death was original and horrifically specific. Very rarely does a first book grab me the way this one did. My heart was in my mouth because of the specific nature of the killings, the number of people it could have been, who I didn't guess, and the way one of the good guys was hurtling towards what could only be a nail-biting end. I was desperate to find out what happened but equally didn't want it to end, I loved it.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys police procedural novels which are a bit different, is looking for a brilliant new series to get immersed in or wants a strong, character driven read, this delivers all that and more. There is a second book out in the summer which I will definitely be pre-ordering as soon as it is available.

This was a pretty good book! Lots of police procedural and plenty to keep you guessing . I thought I had it figured out but of course I was wrong. Will definitely be watching for the next in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for the early copy

I enjoy reading detective thrillers and detective fictions in general and so I was happy to receive a copy of this book to review. I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who also enjoys reading detective thrillers. I really liked the main character of Dan Lockhart and I also enjoyed the way he was moulded into a more rounded character through the use of his backstory. The plot in general was very captivating and the ending is one which I did not see coming. This is the first is a new series and so I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. *4 stars*

Oh wow, this was another book by this author that is finger-licking good! I am a huge fan of his work and I am always a very happy camper when I see he has finished a new story.

Although he has created a new team with a new DI as main character, it was nice to see that he did not forget his other Detective :)

In this story you feel like you are strapped to your chair. You just can not let it go. You have no other choice than to keep on reading. The author serves us a whole platter of suspects to chose from, but who is the right one?

I decided to put my suspects in catergories : too obvious, too kind, too not smart enough, right amount of cockiness, fits perfectly, ... I had three names in mind that were my first choices, but alas ... wrong again, as usual. They always say it's often the one you least expect. Well, let me tell you, I did not take him to account at all.

These are books that I like, that I love! Keep me guessing and hit me with an outcome that I did not see coming in the slightest.

Great characters, great story. This book is just great, greater, the greatest! 5 stars

Thank you, Chris Merritt and Bookouture.

Knock Knock- Chris Merritt

Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart has seen his fair share of dead bodies in his life, as both a military man and as a police officer, so seeing the body of Natasha Mayston should not be all too surprising. Except Dan has seen this exact MO before, months prior the body of a sex worker is found in a one-star motel. However, that killer was caught and is being held awaiting trial. Dan believes they’ve caught the wrong man and that the real killer is only just getting started. He turns to psychologist Dr Lexi Green to help get inside the mind of the murderer and find a connection between these two women from different walks of life. When another body is found and Lexi fails to convince Dan’s team of her profile, she takes the hunt into her own hands, determined to prevent another murder no matter the risks involved.
Dan Lockhart is your quintessential leading man, a current Detective Inspector in London but with a tortured soul, searching for his wife who went missing without a trace a decade ago and nightmares from his time in the military. He is big, strong and reasonably attractive, as well as being a doting son. While in the military, his wife Jess goes missing one day and no one has seen or heard from her in ten years. Despite her family believing her to be deceased, Dan holds hope that she is out there somewhere and cannot bring himself to give up on her. Dan seeks out a private psychologist in an attempt to work through his trauma and builds a solid bond with Dr Green, eventually letting her in and trusting her- something he does not do easily.
Dr Lexi Green was born in Britain, however moved all around the United States with her military father. She relocates to her place of birth, working as a psychologist with the NHS in addition to seeing patients privately. She shares a flat with two other people and generally struggles to make ends meet. After a few weeks of working with Dan on his own issues, she is surprised when he calls on her help to try and build a profile on the person who has committed such violent murders. She is smart, tenacious and despite feeling out of her depth, Lexi continues to try and find clues she can follow to catch the killer and help Dan.
The relationship between Dan and Lexi was well portrayed, realistic and natural. Dan enjoys Lexi’s company, misses her when they have gone without contact and feels protective of her. He struggles with his developing feelings for Lexi, mainly guilt due to his missing wife. Lexi, in return, is unsure of her feelings as she desperately wants to help Dan and spend time with him but her position as his personal psychologist makes her question the validity of what she feels. The slow burn of their relationship moving from patient/client to colleagues and friends feels organic, there are no big declarations or romantic tropes. Just the natural progression of two people trying to navigate an evolving relationship.
Author Chris Merritt is a master of storytelling and suspense, slowly building you to the point of obsession as you try and work out who the murderer is. The murders themselves are detailed enough that they’re realistic without being over the top gruesome and stand out compared to like written novels for originality. The motive is interesting and believable for everything you learn about the killer over the course of the book. It is so well crafted, switching smoothly and easily between points of view, making for a well-rounded narrative that keeps you guessing and second guessing yourself. While longer than a lot of thriller books these days, it never once felt long or like it needed to be over with, each page keeps you entranced and engaged. With modern day London as the backdrop, the stage is already well set, and Merritt builds on existing locations while not overwhelming those of us who have never been there. The characters, main and background, are all fleshed out with enough details to make you believe these people are actually walking around London not merely existing on the pages of a book. Merritt ties this story up perfectly and satisfyingly while teasing at future novels, leaving the reader eager for the next installment of Lockhart and Green. I know I will absolutely be waiting for the next one

This is an excellent and original version of a police procedural investigating a serial killer. The pace was brilliant and it definitely kept me reading! I was determined to try and work out who the killer was before the reveal but it was not who I thought it was, which is always a good sign in a book.
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The characters of Dan, Lexie, Smith, Khan and Berry were all well formed and interesting. I liked Lexie and it was interesting to see her as a young woman making her way in London and never having attempted to profile an active case before.
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I feel there is a lot of mileage in these characters for a future series - one I will be looking forward to read.
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Yes men killing women is nothing new but Chris has brought the ideology behind it bang up to date. It’s chilling seeing a side of the world I wasn’t aware of and the epilogue makes me think a future book might be set in America?!

Tense chilling with so many twists and turns.I was drawn in fro the first pages found it hard to put down to do my errands.A new author for me a new series both I will be following,#netgalley#bookoutture

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter, I literally haven't been able to put it down.

This is my first read by this author but it definitely will not be the last. This is a book which has gripped my attention from chapter one.

I have been so desperate to find out what happens in this book, I haven't been able to put it down. This is a book I have devoured in just a few hours.

This has an unusual method of murder- metal balls in the throat. I have found the characters extremely realistic and likeable.

This is the first of what is looking likely to be an exciting series. I can't wait to read the next instalment, I will definitely be first in line for that one.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Knock, Knock, the first novel in a projected series to feature DI Dan Lockhart of the Putney MITand psychologist Dr Lexi Green.

When Natasha Mayston is found dead in her home, cabled tied to a chair and a silver ball in her throat Dan is sure it is the same man who killed prostitute Kim Hardy a few months previously. Nobody else thinks so as another man has been charged with Kim’s murder so he asks Lexi for help.

I enjoyed Knock, Knock which is a well constructed procedural with several good twists. It is told from various points of view, notably Dan, Lexi and the unnamed killer. This latter is an Incel (involuntary celibate) which is apparently a thing nowadays with several chat forums devoted to their misogyny. Needless to say the celibacy is all to do with women and nothing to do with their characters, as the killer explains frequently. To be frank the (over)dwelling on this hateful point of view put me off the novel a bit. TMI.

Otherwise the plot is well done with several suspects, all with viable motives and opportunities. I would never have guessed his identity. The novel, however, is quite long and the middle mostly consists of the detectives chasing their tails. It does not paint them in a very good light as they appear disorganised and half cocked much of the time. The finale is high octane, tense and exciting.

I liked the friction between Lexi, who is on the right track, and Dan, who dismisses her theories. I’m not sure it’s wholly believable that a struggling investigation wouldn’t at least look at what she has to say but it makes for good reading.

Knock, Knock is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.