Danny Evans seems to have it all, a wife and two children and then the unthinkable happens. His daughter Callie tries to kill herself, after she becomes the victim of an online predator, leaving her in a coma.

Danny is approached by a P.I. and offered the chance of a lifetime. He is given the option of revenge on the man who victimized his daughter. What he doesn't know is that he has now set off a chain of events in a deadly diabolical game for his life and the lives of those he holds most dear.

This was my first book by Charlie Gallagher and it will not be my last. The story was dark, intense and filled with moments that actually had me at the edge of my seat. It hold your attention from the very first page and doesn't let you go and begs the question, how far would you go to get revenge when you can't get justice?

I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy original, creative and diabolical story lines.

The Friend by Charlie Gallagher is my introduction to the writing of this popular author, and I was unaware that this was the start of a new series. As a fan of Harlan Coben's writing, and hearing comparisons made, I wasn't sure if this would live up to my high expectations, but my concerns were unfounded. This is a dark and compulsive thriller that does not let go,

Callie Evans attempts to take her own life. Her parents, Danny and Sharon, are at a loss to explain how their daughter could have resorted to such desperate measures. When a somewhat dubious stranger approaches Danny suggesting that he has the answers the couple seek, even offering to pursue revenge, Danny finds himself entering into a high stakes game, one that will end with no winner.

DI Joel Norris enters into this terrifying game when he is tasked with solving two seemingly unconnected murders, and knows that his actions might mean the difference between life and death.

This is a tantalizing start to a new series that promises to both intrigue and chill.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC of this title.

I am such a huge fan of Charlie Gallagher now that I read The Friend. The brilliance of this novel sits in how despicably twisted the plot is. The themes that Gallagher covers in the sneaking-ly harmless named novel THE FRIEND are heart wrenching focusing on the extent a person goes to in order to obtain justice for their family and the extent a person would go to to save their family from dismantling in front of their eyes.

Charlie Gallagher does creepy like nobody’s business! Never fails. Go ahead. Get invested & let him creep you out, too😵

Danny and Sharon Evans have been left devastated whilst their teenage daughter lies in a coma. Who was responsible? A stranger comes forward claiming to have the answers, but does the information come at too high a cost?

This was a great read, I was drawn in from the very first chapter.

A gripping page turner of a novel. This is a must read for anyone who loves crime drama.

Thank you to #AvonBooksUK and to #NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I definitely would!!

Charlie Gallagher is an exceptional writer who uses his words to paint a perfect picture of the scenes that are unfolding on the page as the reader makes their way through the story.

I was hooked from the very first page. I could not put this book down, even for a minute and stayed up way too late wanting to finish it.

This is my first Charlie Gallagher book and I have become an instant fan.

I am looking forward to exploring more of what this author has to offer.

How would you cope if your young daughter tried to take her own life? If she felt the only way to escape what had happened was to end it all? Could you move on, make changes, look for ways to protect those closest to you, or would you want revenge?

Danny Evans is a successful lower league professional footballer, mainly with his local club, Dover Athletic, but he reached the heady heights of playing for Gillingham! It was the life he always wanted and with wife Sharon, children Jamie and Callie, and dog Zinedine he thought he had achieved the perfect life. Then Callie tried to kill herself and everything fell apart.

Now Danny lives in a hotel, drinking himself into a stupor most nights, while bemoaning everything that's happened and the incompetence of the local police.  So when someone tells him he knows exactly who caused all his problems, and why the police failed to act, he suddenly sees an end to his suffering, the prospect of getting his family back and of taking his revenge, no strings attached.

DI Joel Norris was the leader of the local Tactical Support Group when the responsibilities got too much for him but he's getting back to a place where he can return to work confident the past is really behind him. Heading up a new department was supposed to be a slow reintegration but that was before Dover was rocked by a horrific killing and he was asked to take charge of the investigation.

This is the first in an explosive new series by Charlie Gallagher and wow! I was hooked from the first page. Joel is a great character with a dry humour which raises a smile even when the situation is dire. His new, reluctant, partner, DS Rose is less easy to read. She is loyal, determined and tight lipped but gives no hint at what she thinks of those around her or her situation unless she has a point to prove.

The new series has to follow the very successful Maddie Ives set of books which are very big boots to fill. Joel Norris absolutely does this and for a large part of this book I had no idea how the police would solve what was a fiendishly clever plot. The way it all came together was eminently satisfying and I have no doubt Joel will give all fans of this author's work another great series to savour.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a brilliant start to a new series and absolutely unputdownable!

The Friend is an action packed police procedural that certain my has no shortage of bodies. Danny and Sharon Evans’ daughter is unconscious in hospital after trying to take her own life. When a stranger approaches Danny saying he knows who is responsible, Danny is tempted to act on this information. He’s offered a chance at revenge but will he be able to walk away? This book is a dark, tense thriller that will have you hooked. It’s the first in a new series and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the arc of The Friend by Charlie Gallagher.

4 Stars- This follows a young girl whom is overdosing in the park... then there is lets call it a month or so time skip into the future, then former footballer is in a bar and then someone random and a stranger approaches him and says he knows who caused her overdose and even why.... then theres another man who lost his wife and then its a huge rollercoaster of events happen but this is all I am going to say... you MUST i mean it MUST read this! you will not be disappointed in fact you'd be immensely shocked and gripped and thrilled at this thriller, recommend to all.

4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE FRIEND - Charlie Gallagher
Avon Books, UK
ISBN-13: 978-0-00844-552-2
2021, April 1
Mystery

Kent, England- The Present

Danny Evans, well-known locally as a football player and coach, is separated from his wife Sharon and son Jamie. His fifteen-year-old daughter Callie is comatose in the hospital due to a drug overdose. A child molester had blackmailed her and four of her friends into taking intimate photos of themselves. He has been drinking too much, and a man who claims he is a private investigator working for another client tells him that Marcus Olsen is the man who abused his daughter. He inveigles Danny into killing the child molester. Soon more bodies are found.
Detective Inspector Joe Norris had been off work for a month. His boss, Superintendent Debbie Marsden, brings him back to begin an investigation of a headless body found on Dover's beach. Then the body of policewoman Hannah Ribbons is found. Detective Sergeant Lucy Rose is assigned to him, but she shows little respect believing he doesn't have the background for such an investigation. Their investigation is also hampered by the dysfunction between police departments. Plus another man, Richard Maddox, whose wife died, has also been deceived into committing murder and becoming another dupe to use by the real murderer.

In THE FRIEND, author Charlie Gallagher, a policeman himself, has written an intricate mystery while sharing viewpoints from both some of the crime perpetrators and from the small investigative team. DI Norris has the mind and talent of an exceptional investigator despite DS Rose's initial skepticism. Even learning the grotesque crimes some characters have committed, the reader will still develop empathy for the problems those characters have faced. The further the reader gets into the story, the more compelled they will be to complete it. If you enjoy crime novels, you need to read this one.

Robin Lee

Absolutely gripping storyline, just when you think you’ve got it the plot takes a twist. Fantastic read couldn’t put it down. Descriptive language takes you right in to the story. Another huge success from Charlie Gallagher.

The Evans family are barely functioning after the attempted suicide of Callie, their teenage daughter. When Danny, her father, is approached by a stranger with answers, we are drawn into a complex mystery where nothing is as it seems.

This book was glacially slow in the beginning and I picked it up and put it down several times, debating if it was worth continuing. It’s roughly half way through when a twist reveal suddenly speeds everything up and the book becomes instantly more interesting. I liked Joel as the police character, but Lucy was rather irritating. The most believable character for me was Richard. I really felt for him and understood why he behaved as he did.

It’s well written in the main, though I found the tone of the banter within the police conversations a little jarring and out of place- it felt falsely jocular. The second half was well paced and cleverly done. It’s a real shame it takes so long to get going!

I’d definitely read more books by this author as the storyline was great. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This book was sent to me free by Netgalley for review. It is a dark story and not my choice of reading. It might suit others who don’t mind the creepy mystery. I could not get into it.

Atmospheric thriller that builds to an edge of your seat roller coaster. Well written with complex character development. Dark and twisted, you'll be guessing to the very end. Engaging and entertaining.

After one in my view slow beginning it became an entertaining fast read. A father tries to find out why his daughter tried to kill herself. Somehow I can see this book being good movie material.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this thriller!

This is the first book I have read by Charlie Gallagher and after reading the book description I knew this storyline was right up my street.
I did enjoy this book. However, I am not as impressed as I thought I would have been. I felt the storyline was great, full of mystery and I had no clue who "The Friend" was but I did feel the story was a bit slow and I truly had to focus to follow the different storylines.
At the end I still had a few unanswered questions about what happened to a few of the characters who had prominent roles in the story. This was a bit frustrating as the majority of the book gave so much detail about the different characters and what was going on with each of them and then at the end it was just "bam" done.
Overall, this was a story full of mystery and I'm glad I read it but I don't feel like I will be recommending it to family or friends unfortunately.
Thank you to Charlie Gallagher, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another great book by Charlie Gallagher. I have read all of his previous books and am never disappointed. This book will keep you up into the small hours. The characters stories are sad and someone takes advantage of that to manipulate them into committing acts that they wouldn’t normally do. I look forward to seeing how the new detectives evolve in what I hope is a new series of books.

I am a huge fan of Charlie Gallagher’s other series, so was excited to try this.

Slower to start than most of the others - I think while we’re being introduced to the new DI Joel Norris.

I didn’t feel particularly attached to any of the characters, but I did enjoy the dynamic between Joel and his reluctant DS Lucy.

As usual full of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting but I did get a little lost at some points. Once it got going it’s a real page turner that have me thinking about it even away from the pages.

If you’re a crime lover then definitely give this a go!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC

Amazing! Loved this book, loved the characters and the plot, A well written dark thriller, I’m hoping this is the start of a new series and look forward to learning more about D.I Joel Norris and D.S Lucy Rose in the subsequent books to follow

The Friend starts with a distressed young girl taking an overdose. The story quickly moves on to several other characters and their storylines. One suited man is a constant in all of their lives. He appears and shares some information that he claims that the police know about but do not want to do anything about. He says he is sharing the information out of the goodness of his heart. These games he is starting will turn out to be deadly and turn others lives upside down. Enter DI Joel Norris who is the senior investing officer on several murders that happen in quick succession. Having been off sick for a month does he have what it takes to solve these murders?
This book I found slow going but good storyline but would have been better if it moved on quicker. Still worth a read though.