It's just so satisfying when you read a book by a long-time favorite author and it's one of his best yet! This standalone thriller will take you on a roller coaster ride and keep you glued to the pages until the wild and crazy conclusion.

Miles Cookson is a millionaire, but that doesn't protect him from developing a truly devastating neurodegenerative disease -- Huntington's. It's a death sentence and Miles is trying to navigate his limited future when he discovers that he may have fathered as many as 9 biological children through his sperm donation many years prior. He is determined to track each one down to warn them about their chances of developing HD and also to give them some of his vast fortune. As he begins to research those children and to attempt a connection, something strange starts happening. Some of them have vanished, without a trace left behind. Is this the work of a jealous colleague or other relative who doesn't want to share Miles's money? Well, it's actually much more complicated than that. NO SPOILERS.

I really liked this book (except perhaps for the sort of ridiculous activities featuring Chloe and Nicky) and appreciate how all the loose ends were wrapped up at the end. There's lots of action and the narrative moves at a fast pace so it's an easy one to read over a couple of hours in a single sitting. Lots of fabulous characters, some more well-drawn than others, and Miles endeared himself quite quickly. Most of Barclay's novels feature a "good guy" and this was no different. The mystery kept me guessing for awhile, but I still enjoyed seeing it all play out as expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I've read most of the books written by Barclay and can't wait for the next.

With this being his 20th book, Linwood Barclay certainly has the suspense thriller genre down pat. Especially with an opening line if 'You're dying'.

The story takes you on a ride as, Miles, a multi-millionaire tech guru tries to find these possible offspring he may have fathered back when he was in college but they seem to be dissapearing before he can get to them.

I found it have a little Game of Thrones feel just with so many people's perspective and trying to figure out how these people where connected since they seemed to have very drastically different lives.

While not a big fan of there being so many POV, the story line over all kept me interestsd and curious as to why all these people where being erased.

Crazy antics by different characters you would almost this it was possible for all this to happen in real life and there be people who thought it was okay that they would get away with it.

Linwood Barclay always manages to keep things so real that it makes you wonder if the stories are true.

Thank you to @harpercollinsca and @netgalley for the opportunity to read one of my favourite mystery authors new book.

4 action-packed stars

This one is a mile-a-minute thriller with a lot to keep track of while reading, escapism at its best!

We start with ultra-wealthy Miles Cookson, he’s the founder of an app company that is wildly successful. Not so lucky for Miles is his recent health diagnosis. He realizes that he could have passed along this disease to his children. How many children does he have you might ask? Well, he has to consult the fertility clinic to find out . . . Turns out there are 9 children out there that he feels compelled to track down.

Someone else has the same list and it’s a frantic countdown to figure out who is after the kids and why! Is it all about Miles’ money? Revenge? This one had some great red herrings and I was not on the right track at all!

There are some interesting characters in this one. I really liked Chloe, one of the “list of 9” people and Miles has a great driver Charise with a mysterious past and some unexpected skills! There are some dastardly villains as well, but I don’t want to give away their identities!

This was my second read by this author and I would definitely read some of his other books! If you like a shot of adrenalin in your books, this one is for you!

FIND YOU FIRST is a contemporary Thriller that is both electrifying and thought-provoking, twisted as only Linwood Barclay can. Miles Cookson, mild-mannered Tech magnate, receives a terminal diagnosis, and decides, rather thoughtfully, to bequeath to charity, put his brother on a financial leash....and provide for any and all possible offspring, each of whom will be at risk (at least 50%) of incurring the same dreaded diagnosis. But someone has a different idea....

I received this advanced copy thanks to Harper Collins & NetGalley. This was a fast paced thriller with multiple twists and turns. Each time I thought I had it figured out, I was hit with something that sent me in a totally different direction. It had me guessing until the end. I will definitely be checking out more of Barclay’s work!

FIND YOU FIRST
Linwood Barclay
HarperCollins Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-0062678317
Hardcover
Thriller/Mystery

I am not here to tell you that FIND YOU FIRST is the best book of Linwood Barclay’s long and illustrious career. That statement has already been made repeatedly by a number of well-known and best-selling authors. What I do wish to tell you is that such statements are true. This is a book that you will neither be able to read quickly enough nor recommend to too many of your friends

The premise of FIND YOU FIRST alone makes it worth your while to pick up this volume. We meet Miles Cookson early on in FIND YOU FIRST after an intriguing Prologue that sinks the reading hook. Cookson is a tech million/billionaire who, when introduced, is informed that he is dying of a particularly insidious disease that has no hope of being cured. Cookson, as we come to learn, has been particularly gifted with his ability to develop and market apps that people need and more importantly want. That aptitude has not transferred to forming meaningful relationships. That does not mean that Cookson’s bloodline will end with his passing. A couple of decades in the past Cookson, in desperate need of funding for a new computer, made a sperm donation to an artificial insemination clinic. While the records of the donees, if you will, are extremely confidential, Cookson has the funds to break down the wall of silence. He learns from the clinic files that he has nine children scattered across the United States. Cookson wants to contact them for two reasons. The first is that his disease is hereditary and has a fifty percent chance of developing in his children. The second is that he wants to divide his fortune among his children. This is disconcerting to a number of people, including his older brother and a personal assistant who has worked with him for years. In the meantime, a young woman named Chloe Swanson with high hopes and low possibilities of being a filmmaker is embarking on a quest of her own. Chloe’s mother used a sperm bank over two decades before and conceived her as a result. Her research and Cookson’s lead each of them to the other. As Cookson continues the process of locating his potential heirs, however, he makes the horrifying discovery that each one of them is disappearing under mysterious circumstances, with all physical traces of their existence being wiped out. A half-brother who Chloe succeeded in locating and meeting, and who is on Cookson’s list, is included among them. The narrative of FIND YOU FIRST pingpongs among, Chloe, Cookson, a pair of mysterious assassins with an edgy relationship, and a flamboyant billionaire with a penchant for excess who is trying to vanish the people that Cookson is trying to find. The question is why. The answer may cost Cookson, and Chloe, their lives.

There are a lot of twists and turns in FIND YOU FIRST that are nicely balanced with suspense, action, character development, and a plot that demands that you read the story from start to finish with no pauses or excuses. Barclay, who has demonstrated with a long and impressive bibliography that he is incapable of writing badly, has at this late date written the book of his, or anyone’s career. The cinematic narrative makes FIND YOU FIRST perfect for video adaptation, but don’t wait for the movie or the series. They can’t be any better than what Barclay has given us in the here and now. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

I was fortunate enough to have both the ARC and the audiobook of this novel. More on this later.

First off prepare yourself for a slew of characters, some of which you will only know for a short time. There is so much going on and from different viewpoints that it’s best to start this when you can read it for long periods of time.

Miles is a self made millionaire in his 40’s who has just found out that he has Huntington’s which is a genetic disease. He has never married BUT he did visit a sperm bank when he was young and struggling. He becomes determined to track down any biological children he has. He has decided to leave his fortune to them when he dies, completely cutting out his only sibling, his brother Gilbert.

But wait just a minute, suddenly there are others who are beginning to track down these same 9 children that are related to Miles. One by one they are disappearing before Miles can reach them.

There was a lot going on in this book and truthfully it was frustrating for the first part of the book keeping track of everyone and what was going on. Once things get going there is never a slow moment.

My favorite character was definitely Chloe, a young woman who was in the midst of making a documentary about her family tree. Miles identifies her as one of his “children” and they form a quick bond.She plays a huge role in this novel.She is kind, caring and clever.

My least favorite of the bunch was definitely Jeremy, another millionaire, but he cares only for himself and his very sick and twisted desire for very young women. I could have done without this pedophile and wish the author had given him faults that weren’t as disgusting as this. A lot of what Jeremy does is pretty hard to believe but I suppose being a millionaire can make things go your way!

So this is twisty, up and down, race to the finish thriller which I ended up enjoying.

If you decide this one's for you I would personally recommend the audiobook. The narration was great and definitely added to my enjoyment of the book.

I received the ARC and audiobook from the publisher, through NetGalley and Harper Audio.

This is the first book that I have read by Linwood Barclay and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. Thank you to the people at NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this ebook. I loved the twists in the storyline as it kept me guessing. I will be looking for other books by this fine author. So, thank you again to everyone at NetGalley.

I can always count on Linwood Barclay to write stories that draw me in immediately and keep me so desperate to see the outcome that I am turning the pages late into the night. “Find You First” is exactly the unputdownable book I was hoping for and have come to expect-the fast pace, the unpredictable twists, the characters I love and root for, and the characters I absolutely hate. In this one the side of the hated is someone who seems very much based on a real-life public figure. You will recognize him and his female helper immediately, and you will despise them from the depths of your soul. There are few people as despicable as this appalling duo, both in real-life and in the story.

Their storyline runs parallel to the one about the characters you will cheer for-Miles and Chloe. This thread centers around a sperm bank donation made years ago by Miles-now wealthy and dying-and his quest to find those children in the present. Weird and tragic things seem to be happening to his offspring and the hunt is on to find out how and why they are being killed and erased one by one. Is it a fight for a bigger piece of the inheritance pie or is something else going on?

There are so many twists in this story and so many nefarious side characters in Miles’ life that any of them could conceivably be responsible for the deaths. From his sister-in-law to his brother, to his beloved assistant., everyone seems to be up to something shady and it all revolves around the money. In this case more money really does bring more problems.

“Find You First” was a wild ride that hooked me from the start and never let up on the tension until the end (the last line of the book is a heartwarming tearjerker-don’t peek!) This was effortless reading and what J.D. Barker calls “literary popcorn.” Just like popcorn it goes down easy, and you can’t stop until you hit the bottom of the bag and it is over. I devoured this book! Sometimes I just want an escape that commands my attention and keeps me from stressing over *waves hand at everything* This is a book you can fall into, hang on and enjoy the ride, and it leaves you satisfied and content. It is about leaving the world behind for one where the good guys always win, and the bad guys always face justice. In a romance novel we would call this a HEA or Happy Ever After. We don’t always get it in real life but thank the gods for books during this crazy time!

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

I have read many books by this author and this book is definitely my favorite! I really enjoyed this fast paced story with all of the twists and surprises. A joy to read from beginning to end.

Miles Cookson receives some terrible news from his doctor. He has a terminal disease. The doctor makes one comment meant to be on the bright side. What Miles has is genetic and encourages Miles to have his brother tested while saying that at least Miles doesn't have to worry about his children because he doesn't have any....or does he?

Twenty years ago, in desperate need of money, Miles became a sperm donor which is coming back to haunt him. Miles is now a millionaire, although now he needs to get things in order, the first finding his children. He feels obligated to include any in his will.

Miles begins his quest, but the visit with the clinic and doctor doesn't go very well. Miles goes to plan B, after overhearing the receptionist's, Julie Harkin, conversation. He decided to put his money to use and sends his investigator to make a proposal. All the receptionist has to do is pull up information in exchange for monetary payment. Miles receives a list and gets his staff to locate those on the list.

Chloe Swanson took a DNA test and discovered that she has a half-brother. The two connect and meet. She is doing a documentary on finding out who she is. Her mother is not on board. Little does Chloe know, but she's going to be the first stop on Miles's list, and since she's connected to a half-brother, can introduce Miles to Todd Cox.

Attempts to reach Todd fail, so Chloe takes Miles to where Todd lives with Miles chauffeur following. When they reach Todd's home, Chloe is recording the moment for her documentary but all of Todd's belongings are cleared out and his trailer is spotless. His only belong left was his phone that neither could unlock and after a commotion, it was left on the bed only to disappear when they went to retrieve it. Making Miles feel uneasy. They decide to go to see Todd's mother, and it is here that Miles and Chloe view a disturbing image from the video taken while at Todd's home.

Dorian, Miles's assistant, calls with news about two people on Miles's list. This news leaves Miles reeling, no one knows about the list and suddenly three people on it are missing. Chloe thinks she has the answer, someone on the list is knocking the others out for the money. Chloe has decided that Miles is going to be stuck with her, and goes home with him. Miles decides to pay Dr. Martin Gold another visit and brings Chloe along for help.

Before Miles confronts Dr. Gold, Dorian informs Miles of some good news along with bad that will impact his plan. Following a quarrel, Chloe leaves the limo, and Miles heads home. Miles speaks with an FBI agent but doesn't have enough evidence to bring a case. Miles decides his quest to locate the next person on his list will continue, and meeting Travis stumbles across an entirely new situation that makes him rethink Chloe's conclusion.

It's much bigger and much worse than Miles knows and now Chloe is in danger.

This was a fast-paced book! I enjoyed all the twists that kept me guessing. I really like Miles and Chloe's relationship. Miles's character came through that although he didn't raise any children, he still felt responsible that he may have passed on a terrible disease. Chloe was very much her own person, and despite struggling financially and driving a car on its last legs, I respected her for telling Miles that she didn't want his money. The ending showed the bond that the two formed. Great read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via William Morrow and Custom House and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

This is the first Linwood Barclay novel I've read and it won't be my last. I loved this book. The premise of this novel grabbed me immediately, and I just knew it was going to be a fast-paced thriller. Not only was the plot fantastic and complex, I thought all of the characters (even the secondary ones) were so well-developed. None of them felt like caricatures or disingenuous. If all of Linwood Barclay's novels are this interesting and tightly paced, he's found a reader for life.

Barclay came out guns blazing with this one! It was such an addictive page turner that was packed with so much suspense!

I was fully immersed from start to finish and I found the characters to be extremely enjoyable! I also thought the general plot was quite clever and very intriguing!

While I’m still slightly ambivalent about the ending, I definitely did not see it coming!

This was my first Linwood Barclay book and now I’m excited to read even more of his work!

While I usually shy away from books surrounding a serious medical diagnosis, I really enjoyed this book. Miles finds out he has Huntington’s and all the money he’s made can’t change what’s to come. He’s the Bill Gates of the app world and he has no one to leave his fortune to. When he was getting started in the tech world, he donated sperm to get a little much needed cash and since Huntington’s is hereditary he wonders if he passed this gene to any of his offspring.

While there was much promised suspense and thrills, I liked that the book delved into a much deeper issue. Is Miles anything to the children born from his sperm? While there are some unethical acts from the mainly good guys in the book, I was able to set that aside and go along for the ride. As Miles tries to find and track down these children and try and convince them to be tested to see if they have the gene, there is someone working against him.

While Miles is the typical rich bachelor, he is a very relatable character and the first offspring he tracks down is a no nonsense, tell how you see it spitfire. You can’t help but root for her. The plot moves along at a good pace and while I figured out a bit of the plot, there were still surprises.

I think this will appeal to all those thriller lovers who want a little depth and a lot of suspense.

I have read and enjoyed several of Linwood Barclay’s books, so I was anticipating a fun read as I settled into a comfy chair on my vacation to start his latest, Find You First.

Miles, whose fortune came from developing apps, has just been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. Facing his mortality, he decides any children that he fathered (via sperm donated when he was young) need to know that they have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the condition. He also decides he should leave the bulk of his considerable fortune to these children rather than to his brother, Gilbert, whose wife he dislikes and distrusts. He connects with Chloe, one of the children on the list he obtains (illicitly) from the fertility clinic, and they travel together to find the others—and warn them once they discover that Miles’ potential heirs are disappearing. Along the way, there are various assassins, a Jeffrey Epstein-like character, and multiple plot lines including an affair, human trafficking, a DNA home test site, the fertility clinic. And there is a lot of murder.

The book kept me reading but I had to put it aside and read it in small doses. As the (many) bodies piled up, I thought about not finishing it but I wanted to see how things turned out. I didn’t like most of the characters—I was primarily rooting for Gilbert and a girl named Nicky—and I thought there were too many coincidences. Also, at one point, the book gives the weight of a character described as “a large woman,” which pulled me out of the story and really bothered me—why do we need a number? I will check out the author’s next book, but I hope it will be less complicated.

I received an advance copy from William Morrow and NetGalley. My opinion is my own.

3.5 stars, rounded up
Barclay never fails to entertain me with a mile-a-minute thriller. I have to admit, I thought I knew where this was going midway through and that the main characters were a bit naïve to not consider what I was thinking. But I was wrong. I had things partway right, but the rest was a pleasant surprise.
I liked Miles and Chloe as characters and fell in with the breakneck rhythm of the story. It's twisty in the best way--it could have been confusing because there are many points of view and things happening, but Barclay keeps the chapters short and the plot moving briskly forward.
There are some things that occur that will require some suspension of disbelief, but for the most part, it's just an entertaining thriller that this author is known for creating.

This book was great. First time reading Linwood Barclay, and after reading, not sure how I've missed him. Will definitely be finding and reading more. This book had a great premise, with multiple strings, that were all brought together in a very satisfying manner. Also had great characters that you felt for and great pacing as you moved through the book. #FindYouFirst #NetGalley

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

This is my first book by Linwood Barclay and now that I've read this one, I'm going to go back and look at his other work. Find You First is a wild ride of deception, greed, depravity, and for wealthy Miles Cookson, a time for quick reflection before his untimely death. As he makes efforts to make his final arrangements, someone else is getting there first. 

Miles, in his early 40's, has just learned he has Huntingdon's Disease, a disease that will be passed on to 50% of his offspring. Twenty years ago, Miles was a sperm donor and now that Miles knows his diagnosis, he's in a race against time to find his offspring, warn them of their chances of Huntingdon's Disease and spread his money amongst the nine young people, so they can make use of it, even before he dies. But just as Miles is attempting to make contact with these nine, several of them disappear under similar disturbing circumstances. 

Miles first makes contact with his daughter Chloe and Miles and Chloe make a smart, funny, and ready to make up for lost time, father/daughter team. At the same time that we are following Miles and Chloe, we are also following the assassins that have been hired to kill all nine of Miles' children. There are only a few people who know of Mile's interest in these nine young adults and possibly there is a leak from inside his company. 

There are some heidous characters in this story and so many horrible things take place or have taken place. But there is humor too and I found some favorite characters in a few of the bit players, especially Mile's limo driver Charice. We all need a Charice in our lives, to have our back, and to give our enemies a good thumping. 

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for this ARC.

Find You First is the latest by Linwood Barclay. I’ve been a fan of Barclay ever since I read No Time for Goodbye several years ago. You know when you pick up a book by Barclay, you are going to be entertained. This book has the suspense and plot twists those familiar with Barclay expect and new readers will quickly come to love. There are three different things going on in this book which eventually come together. First, Millionaire Miles Cookson receives a devastating medical diagnosis and decides to track down any biological children he may have fathered through his long ago “donations” to a fertility clinic. Chloe Swanson, who has always wondered about her biological father, sends a DNA sample to an ancestry website and finds a half-brother she never knew about. Another young woman named Nicky thinks a job with a rich, powerful man in New York City is the answer to her prayers, but it appears she has made a deal with the devil. As Miles begins trying to locate his children, he learns he’s not the only one searching and things get even more complicated than he imagined.

My favorite characters in the book are Miles and Chloe. Miles isn’t perfect, but is trying to do the right thing. Chloe is hardworking and independent, and has a way of bringing out the best in the people she befriends. When they’re together, the scenes are fantastic - sometimes funny and sometimes touching. There are many moments of humor throughout the book that help balance out the violence. The dark storyline involving Nicky seems to be ripped from the headlines which makes it even harder to read the descriptions of things she has experienced. However, as a whole, Find You First is a fast-paced and engaging story. The ending is scary, exciting, and dramatic. I really like the epilogue. It’s short, but wraps up everything nicely, telling you everything you want to know about the fate of the most important characters in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

When tech millionaire Miles Cookson is diagnosed with a terminal illness it throws his world into turmoil. He never married and his closest relative is his brother Gideon, who works for Miles’ company. Before his success, however, he was struggling financially and donated to a sperm bank to make money. Now there are young adults out there who have a fifty per cent chance of developing the same health problems. He feels an obligation to find them and share his wealth to cover any future expenses they may face. He discovers that there were nine successful pregnancies and after obtaining their names the search begins.

Chloe Swanson always wanted to know who her father was. After sending a DNA sample she finds Todd, a half-brother. When Miles finds Chloe she offers to introduce him to Todd, but when they reach Todd’s trailer he has disappeared. His clothes and personal effects are gone and the trailer has been cleaned with bleach. In Paris another person on Miles’ list has also disappeared. Travis Ruben never thought that any girl would be interested in him. Now that he finally has a girlfriend, life is good until an attempt is made on his life. He is also on Miles’ list. Someone is hunting everyone on his list and he is hoping to find answers at the clinic where it all started. What he discovers turns his plans into a rescue effort.

Chloe has been working as a waitress and has dreams of filming documentaries. While she does not have the money for school, the opportunity to know her father is more important than money. Miles puts his plans and business first. While he employs his brother, his money will go to nine strangers and charities, fostering resentment in the family. When he finally meets Chloe and the two bond over the search for his heirs, he finally learns to care about the people around him, making him a more likable character. Linwood Barclay keeps the reader in suspense until a final twist that you will not see coming. For a truly exciting read, Barclay comes highly recommended. I would like to thank NetGalley, William Morrow/Custom House Publishing and Scene of the Crime for providing this book for my review.