Another hit out of the ballpark for one of my favorite authors. This story starts off like a slow incline up the roller coaster, only to get to the top to start the plummeting ride to the end - complete with fast curves and jaw dropping twists!

Miles is the head of a very successful company and finds he will soon die of an incurable disease. Not having any children of his own, and an estranged relationship with his brother and family, he reveals he donated to a sperm bank years ago. In an attempt to do right by those that may share DNA, Miles wants to let any offspring know of the potential of a future health crisis. And thus begins our story of the discovery of 9 potential recipients and Miles isn't the only one who wants to discover them first.

The author did a great job of connecting characters and linking their stories. I absolutely wanted to know what happened to each and everyone. Using today's technology of DNA analysis and instant ability to find out about ones background, Barclay weaves a very fast paced, interesting and twisted story, not to be missed!!

***Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House for an advanced copy of Find You First for my honest review.

Linwood Barclay’s new release, Find You First, is a thriller where tech billionaire, Miles Cookson, finds out he has Huntington’s disease. After his diagnosis and finding out that HD is hereditary, he admits to those closest to him that many years ago, he donated at a sperm bank. As he wrestles with the moral implications of finding any descendants that might also be carrying the Huntington’s in their DNA, he decides he must find any possible heirs so he can share his fortune with those that may need financial assistance if they do develop HD.. Unfortunately this sets off a chain of events leading to someone else trying to find these possible heirs and wipe their existence away. This is a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Certain authors get read because I read everything they've written and they consistently deliver a fast paced, nuanced story with levels and intertwining plots. This book is no different than Barclay's previous books. He's still a master at the game. There were a lot (almost too many) characters in this book but I appreciated the breadth of story to illustrate how wide the operation had to run, how much power someone with fame and money could wield. THat is the horror story, isn't it ?

I'm very much looking forward to buying/borrowing the audiobook to hear it.

Fast-paced action and thrill — just like the movies!

Wealthy tech magnate Miles Cookson is diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease and he may only have a few years to live. Miles is a bachelor, however, as a young man he donated sperm in order to fund his tech start up. Concerned about having potentially passed on a genetic disease, and in the interests of adding his offspring to his will, Miles sets out to find his 9 biological children only to find out that they are all disappearing. It becomes clear that he is racing against the clock to save his remaining heirs before an mysterious hit team gets there first!

This was a really fun, fast-paced read with plenty of suspense. Although it was extremely predictable, the characters were really well developed and interesting, and I enjoyed watching the storylines come together. This book had a very cinematic quality to it, and would be great for fans of action movies, like Taken.

A huge thanks to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

FIND YOU FIRST has a great opening scene that is not indicative of the rest of the book. The reader is thrown into a crime layered on another crime almost immediately. And then the rest of the story begins; one which packs far fewer thrills. A wealthy sperm donor is diagnosed with a terminal illness and wonders who might be related to him, as a result of his experience at a fertility clinic. There are some predictable twists and turns as the plot progresses. This is a fast read for Linwood Barclays fans. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

4.5 Stars
A fun mystery filled with intrigue and suspense.
Miles is a very wealthy man who has just found he has Huntington's disease, a condition that can be passed genetically from parent to child. Although he doesn't have any children himself, twenty years ago he donated sperm to a fertility clinic for easy cash. Now he has the urgent desire to find any offspring that might have been born with his DNA. He successfully gets a list and sets out to notify those 'children'. The problem is, some of those on the list are mysteriously disappearing, their existence being wiped clean. Will Miles figure out what's happening before any more go missing?
There's is much going on in this intricately woven story with many threads that come together nicely by the end. Very well written and paced, this one grabbed my attention and didn't let go. I enjoyed the characters, especially Chloe's spunkiness and determination. What took the book down a notch for me was the saccharine epilogue, a minor point but it stands out as it came at the very end of the novel. Don't let that stop you from picking this one up as it's another great read from this author.

Miles Cookson has made millions in the tech world and he has just found out he has a terminal illness. Worse yet, any offspring of his has a 50-50 chance of also developing the same disease. But Miles doesn’t know who his children are. Prior to his successful career and with a desperate need for money, he donated his sperm to a fertility clinic. Now he is determined to identify his offspring, inform them of their possible health risks, and make arrangements to provide for them.

This basic premise is the beginning of Linwood Barclay’s newest book, Find You First. What seems to be a fairly simple story quickly escalates into a fast-paced, hang-on-to-your hat action thriller. The story is told from multiple points of view, there is plenty of suspense, and lots of twists along the way. I also really enjoyed the characters – even the bad guys – and there were plenty of those as well. Even though you might have to suspend disbelief just a little, the plot is well-developed and it is definitely a page-turner.

This is the second book I’ve read by Mr Barclay and he’s on my radar. My only question is….when will your next book be available?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This was the first book that I ready by Barclay and it was amazing! Though written from several characters viewpoints, I found the story easy to follow and didn't get confused. It was fast paced and I found myself trying to predict the outcome and being wrong the whole time! This one gets 5 stars from me.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to William Morrow for the advanced copy.

This title starts off quickly and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Miles Cookson is a single, rich, tech executive. He has everything he could need or want but when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he reevaluates his past choices. As a young man in need of money, Miles visited a sperm bank and now has 9 biological children that could inherit this terminal disease. He embarks on a mission to find each of his offspring, inform them of this potential diagnosis and leave them an equal portion of his estate.

One of his children, Chloe Swanson has decided it’s time for her to locate her biological father. Aware that her mother used a donor for conception, she decides to use a DNA testing service to find any family members. When Chloe and Miles meet a string of increasingly strange and mysterious events begin to occur.

Linwood Barclay’s plot with the combination of sperm banks and DNA testing could have been ripped out of today’s headlines. Just when I thought I knew who was behind the terrifying events, a twist would enfold. The result is a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat and up late into the night to finish!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the opportunity to review this book before the release on May 4.

Another one that was just okay. It stared off strong, but ultimately didn't hold my interest. The characters were people I didn't care about what happened to them. The premise was a little too far out there for me as well.

This crime thriller tells the story of Miles Cookson, a tech millionaire, recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. There is a 50 percent chance that his illness would be passed on to his heirs. Years ago he had been a sperm donor, and through unethical means he obtains a list of his nine children to seek them out. At the same time Chloe Swanson, a young documentary filmmaker, searches for her own biological father. They meet and she helps him to search for the other heirs, but they are mysteriously vanishing with no trace that they ever existed. Many other themes are introduced that converge at the end after many twists reveal greed, deception and corruption. If you can suspend disbelief at some of the far-fetched elements, this is a fast-paced intriguing read.

This is a fast moving, intriguing mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next and who was responsible. There were several red herrings that kept you wondering until nearly the end. With a cast of excellent, well developed and likeable characters I found myself cheering them on and holding my breath as things came crashing down on them.

I have only read a couple of this authors books but I will have to start reading them all if they are as fast paced and as intricately woven as this story was. Every chapter of this book had something exciting happening and it was a roller coaster of emotions with Chloe and Miles. A must read novel if you want to get your blood pumping and your mind working on over drive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Barclay has done it again. He is an author whose books I'm sure to read when they come out, because they never disappoint. Find You First is no exception. The thrills just keep coming in this one. I had a baby a few weeks ago, and I actually looked forward to her middle of the night feedings because I could read on my kindle while she drank her bottles. I was able to figure this one out sort of early on, but that didn't stop it from being a great thriller. It might be a bit more gory/bloody than other books by this author, but I don't mind that a bit. Definitely give this one a chance!

This thriller will capture readers attention from the very beginning! When Miles is diagnosed with Huntington's disease, he sets out to find his "children." Since some have unfortunately met their demise, a race to save the other's lives begin. Chloe while trying to document her life becomes part of the race to find her half siblings and also to save herself. As Miles and Chloe team up, every twist and turn in this drama seems to turn up another bad guy. Very enjoyable story, but at times too many characters caused a little confusion. Loved the Miles! All the f bombs are annoying!

If you're looking to read something that feels cinematic (especially at its climax), then Find You First perfectly fills that requirement. We've been lacking some good action-thriller movies this year, so this book felt like a trip back to the theatre in some ways. You get lots of crazy sequences and lots of characters with a pack of dynamite ready to explode at the end.

We very often see the inheritance trope in mystery fiction, and Find You First adds really interesting elements to this classic set up. The family of this story don't actually know each other, because they're all the children of billionaire Miles Cookson who did a sperm donation decades ago. And right when he's looking to reconnect with and inform them with the news of a fatal disease in their bloodline, they end up getting killed off one by one.

Barclay is great at making his writing as tense as possible, the only thing I might've been lacking was a little bit more suspense. Another layer of mystery could have made a twist that much more powerful.

There is something too fun about reading a bunch of billionaires plotting to kill each other, expect pure entertainment! Thanks Netgalley and William Morrow.

Find you First tells the story, first, of Chloe, a young woman who wants to find her biological father, despite the hesitation of her mother. Her mother had gotten pregnant from a sperm donor, and had never wanted Chloe to ask or talk about her biological father. Chloe, like most people, wanted to find out where her roots are, and connected to a half brother on a DNA service. She meets the brother, and although they are very different, they forge a bond in a short time.

Enter Miles, a rich app designer, who finds out he is sick. Really sick. He has been diagnosed with Huntington's disease, and although he is concerned for himself, he is also concerned with the potential off spring that he created, in the year that he donated to the sperm bank to help his financial situation when he was starting out. His offspring has a 50% chance of also having the disease, so Miles wants to find them, let them know their risk, and provide for them financially after he dies of the disease.

Chloe and Miles meet, and begin a cautious father/daughter relationship. They end up going to meet the half brother that Chloe already met, but find his trailer cleaned out. He is missing, and not answering his phone or text. Chloe is worried, and knows that something is not right.

The rest of the story is fast paced, and told from multiple view points. Because of the pace, the story was engaging and kept me wanting to read more and more. I really enjoyed the concept of the story, and thought that it was told very well. I felt like the characters were easy to like (or not like, in come cases) and overall this was an entertaining thriller! Because of the DNA and science aspect of this, it was different from most thriller books, and stood out (in a good way!) compared to the recent books I have read in the same genre.

I would recommend this book to those who like thrillers, but maybe want to see a different twist on these books. It was fast paced and kept my interest. It also was easy to get into, without many lulls, or slow parts to the story.

Thank you to Linwood Barclay, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an early copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review!

Always too busy with work to develop a meaningful relationship and have his own children, Miles Cookson makes donations to a sperm bank instead. Now twenty years later and discovering he has an illness that has a genetic basis to it, Miles sets out to find his progeny. Near the start of this adventure he finds out that one by one the now young adults he fathered are disappearing as if they never existed. How and why is this happening? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

The prologue in Find You First just sucked me right into the story and I was completely hooked. I picked this book up in every spare moment right up until the end. It was fast-paced and exciting and mysterious and full of great characters.

Like a good thriller, I didn’t know who to trust and more than once when I was sure a character was a plant or working for the bad guy so to speak, I found myself wrong.

This book also raises some great points for discussion which I look forward to chatting about in my buddy read group for this book soon.

The only part that lost a few minor points for me was the ending. If you can totally suspend belief and enjoy the type of action endings in many films then you will likely love this one but it was just a bit far-fetched for me. It won’t stop me from recommending it though and looking up other books in @linwoodbarclay’s backlist.

Thanks to the author and @harpercollinsca for the physical arc and to @netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest opinions. Find You First publishes May 4, 2021 in Canada.

This is the first book I've read by Linwood Barclay and it won't be the last.

When Miles Cookson receives news of his terminal illness, and the probability of passing it on, he sets out to find his children. That would be the biological children he fathered via donations to a fertility clinic, as he has never been a father in the traditional sense.

However, it seems someone else is out to find them as well and as Miles begins his search the children are disappearing one by one. This sends him on a chase to track down the children and find out who else is after them.

This book moved at a fairly brisk pace. There is a fair bit of jumping around between characters that can get confusing at first, but eventually settles down. There were a few main characters and I found most of them to be fairly realistic and believable.

However, parts of the story were extremely unrealistic. This didn't necessarily take away from the story, or make me lose interest, but it did leave me shaking my head. Especially near the end.

Because we knew what was happening in the story I didn't find it much of a thriller, but it had enough suspense to keep it moving. It was about half way through when I put most of it together, but I was still invested enough, and interested enough to see how it played out.

All in all, a good read that left me wanting to read more of Linwood Barclay's work.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great read! Highly recommended. This author does not disappoint. Very engaging thriller. Finished it in one day.
What if you were a billionaire who has just been told he will die soon. You go looking for possible children from a sperm donation at a fertility clinic twenty years prior.
Thanks for the advanced copy to enjoy.

I was offered an ARC of this book through The Killer Crime Club (Harper Collins), and I jumped at the opportunity as Linwood Barclay has never let me down. Find You First was no exception. In his usual style, Linwood captured my attention from the first page, and it was very hard to put this one down. I find his writing style easy to read yet full of interesting characters and little twists and turns in the plot that keep me 100% engaged throughout. I also like how he tries to lead my mind in one direction, making me think I have it all figured out, and then it ends up being something totally different. I don't like to talk much about the plot or characters in my reviews, but I will say that I found the theme of "what really makes a parent" very thought provoking in the midst of the main mystery. True rating - 4.5 stars.