Your daughter is in a coma and someone can tell you why. Your wife has been hit by a car and someone is telling you that you can find who did it. Are you going to that strange meeting to find out "the truth"? Great thriller!
Thank you Netgalley for this book!

This book was ok for me, took awhile to get into the characters. Thank you to NetGalley to let me read this advance copy!

A solid police procedural twisted around a game that was being played by a friend over his victims. It was up to DI Joel to find the lone end of the string that unraveled it.

I was aware of author Charlie Gallagher’s writing, but it was the cover and hints of the game in the blurb that pulled me in. I loved how a man used his powers of conviction to make the victims want to do what they shouldn’t do. Charlie had made that aspect so fun.

The investigation went ahead as in a police procedural. But some parts were too long and dragged. It needed more zest so that I was infused with its energy. I got that investigation was a pain staking work in real life, I wanted the prose to not be so realistic. So some pages had to be skipped.

Overall it was a fun concept, the book coursing over the blurred lines between a psychological thriller and police procedural.

Wow this was a book and then some! Seriously what a great thriller this is and one full of twists and turns you won’t know which way to go, it was quite a dark & disturbing read but that’s how I like them and so for me it was perfect, great author and a fantastic book!

Danny Evans, one time football star, is struggling. His career and marriage may be over but all of that pales in comparison to the fact that his teen daughter is in a coma following a suicide attempt after being blackmailed.

A stranger finds Danny and tell him that he knows who did this to his daughter and Danny finds himself going down a dark path in search of answers.

The premise of the book was great but the execution not so much. It took 50% of the book before what seemed like completely disjointed stories began to intersect. The story was hard to get into and none of the main characters were particularly likeable.

I would have liked the story had it focused on DI Norris, more than Danny and Richard.

This one just wasn’t for me.

A creepy, twisted crime thriller, which is sure to make you dizzy reading it! Well written, intense, fast paced whodunnit, which will keep you on the edge of your seat from the suspense! Highly. Highly recommend this twisted thrilling tale!

What a gripping storyline made more shocking by how it replicates human behaviour within situations. Be careful who you trust

I have read all Charlie Gallagher's books and he never lets you down, This is the first in a new series and this gripping thriller with its twists and turns could be his best yet..
There is a dark side in the writing but all the characters are believable and with suspense and shocking revelations this is true page turner. Brilliant Can't wait for the next one

This was such a fun mystery/crime read. I loved all the twists and turns and the way it all came together in the end. This book was filled with many twists and turns that kept me fully engaged and needing to know more. It was hard to put this one down!

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Their daughter tries to take her own life.
Why did she do it.
You would do anything for your family and that’s what Danny does.
We are also introduced to D.I Joel Norris and D.S Rose.
This is a well written story.
It will have you hooked from the start.
Thanks NetGalley

The Friend is my fourth book by Charlie Gallagher as I've read books two to four from his series featuring Maddie Ives. This thriller has a fantastic plot, fascinating characters, and plenty of drama and twists. It's essentially a police procedural and I believe this is the start of a new series featuring DI Joel Norris.

The story opens with an intriguing first chapter and from this point, I was totally engrossed in the story. This clever, emotive and dark tale crackles with tension and the writing flows effortlessly with a well-structured narrative as it spirals its way towards a satisfying end. I read The Friend with zeal and I recommend it highly. I look forward to reading the sequel/ book two.

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

Another Charlie Gallagher hit. I was sucked in from the first chapter and while reading realized that the characters had become familiar and really wanted to root for the parents whose daughter thought that suicide was her way out. Or was it? Once the new friend is involved the game begins. Will we find out what really happened or is this just another game that will take a life?


Definitely 5 stars

Wow, what a clever and suspenseful read! Loved the idea behind this book and it's something fresh and original. Plenty of twists and turns. This is definitely a classic page turner!

This is the start of a new series from Charlie Gallagher unlike his other books this one begins slowly gradually increasing to a steady pace.
Danny once the toast of his local football team has drifted into alcoholism following his daughter Callies suicide attempt.
She is now in a coma and the shock waves have all but destroyed his family.
Separated, he is now living alone in a hotel and propping up the bar nightly.
One night hes approached by a stranger.
The man, Richard Maddox tells him he knows what happened to Callie, desperate to know the truth he agrees to meet Richard again at a given time and place where all will be revealed.
There he discovers a man trussed up in a chair with a shotgun in his mouth.
Details about his daughter and the man are inside a file Richard has left for him.
All Danny has to do is pull the trigger!
Of course this isn`t the end of the matter.
The meeting with his new "friend" Richard is only the beginning.
The chain of lies unfold, more secrets are revealed resulting in more murders as the "friend " manipulates the characters to act out their parts in his game.
Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one..

Have read other stuff by this author and once again he failed to disappoint. Sadly, a very real topic which made me unsure to start with whether I would enjoy the book but I was gripped and am now thinking 'Hurry up Charlie and write the next one'

This book has so many twists and turns, it made me giddy! I found myself saying out loud "No! Don't do it - it's not worth it!."
It had me crying, gasping and gripped. I couldn't put it down and definitely didn't work out the clever outcome. Great book!

It is a few years since I last read a book by Charlie Gallagher and on the strength of this, I mustn't leave it so long again next time.

It didn't take me long to get drawn into this story. From the intriguing and disturbing prologue. Ostensibly this police procedural narrative is crafted around an attempted teen suicide. In itself this has the potential to be somewhat macabre.

Add into the mix some bizarre coercion, a few elements of revenge....
I won't go into any further detail for fear of spoiling the story.
Suffice to say that there are a few poignant episodes which show elements of Mo Hayderesque writing and what emerges is a novel which builds to a dramatic conclusion.

I wonder if DI Joel Norris and his crime fighting partner may feature in a future story?

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Danny and Sharon Evans are trying to hold things together while their daughter lies in hospital in a coma after attempting to take her own life. Danny meets a stranger who claims to have information about the person who had involved their daughter in an online sexual scandal. He responds and is sucked into a dark psychological coercion. This is a very dark thriller that keeps you guessing.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This was a great book, the twists and turns it took were brilliant and I had no idea how it was going to end, I would definitely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I was on the edge of my seat as the story progressed to it's finale and the end did not disappoint at all.