"20/20" by Carl Goodman introduces readers to DI Eva Harris, a complex protagonist entangled in a web of crime and corruption. The novel promises an intelligent, multi-layered crime series, featuring a vicious killer, a potential traitor within the team, and a past haunting the protagonist. While the premise is intriguing and the tension palpable, the execution falls somewhat short of its potential.

One of the strengths of the book lies in its intricate plot, with a killer who gruesomely removes victims' eyes, leaving a chilling trail. The initial crime scene is vividly described, setting the stage for a gripping mystery. Goodman weaves a tale of suspense, and the narrative keeps readers guessing about the true identity of the perpetrator until the end.

DI Eva Harris is a compelling character, struggling not only with solving the case but also with a personal mission to uncover corruption within the police force. The complexity of her character adds depth to the story, and the exploration of her dark past adds an intriguing layer to the plot.

However, the narrative tends to get bogged down by excessive detail, slowing the pacing and making it challenging to stay fully engaged. The balance between the crime investigation and the internal police corruption plotline could have been better managed, as at times it feels like two separate stories competing for attention.

While the premise hints at a gripping exploration of trust and betrayal within the police force, the character dynamics fall somewhat flat. The development of supporting characters is limited, and the potential traitor subplot lacks the nuance needed to make it truly impactful.

"20/20" is a commendable start to a crime series, but it struggles to fully deliver on the promise of an intelligent and multi-layered narrative. Despite its flaws, fans of crime fiction may find moments of satisfaction in the unraveling mystery and DI Eva Harris's complex character. The novel sets the stage for improvement in subsequent installments, offering hope that the series will find its footing and reach its full potential.

A fast-paced crime thriller guaranteed to keep readers absolutely riveted to the page, Carl Goodman’s 20/20 is a shocking, hard-hitting and absorbing novel I couldn’t read fast enough.

It’s the first day of her brand new job and D.I. Eva Harris is thrown in at the deep end when she is called to the scene of a brutal murder. Surrey society will simply never be the same ever again with a dangerous killer on the loose who isn’t merely content with just killing his victims, but has also made away with the prey’s eyes! Why did the killer escape with his victim’s eyes? Is it some kind of dark and blood-thirsty ritual? Or is something going on here that is even more sinister and twisted than Eva imagined?

With the body drained of blood there is no evidence left at the scene, leaving Eva chasing one dead end after another. Desperate to find any leads that will lead her to trapping the killer, Eva can feel the pressure mounting and weighing heavily on her shoulders – and to make matters a thousand times worse, police corruption leaves her with nobody on her team she can actually trust. Can Eva actually solve this case? Will she ever manage to put behind bars this ruthless psychopath?

With time not on her side, Eva is running out of options – until she realizes that the clue to finding the killer might be hidden in the most unlikely and unexpected of quarters: her own dreadful history…

A creepy chiller, Carl Goodman’s 20/20 packs plenty of punch and will leave readers floored and desperate to find out what is going to happen next. Carl Goodman certainly knows how to hook his readers from the off and keep them eagerly turning the pages and in 20/20, he has penned a sharp, clever and compulsively readable thriller fans of the genre will not want to miss.

Carl Goodman is a writer to watch out for and after devouring 20/20, I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us next.

In this book nothing is as it seems, or what you see. Or don't see, because this specific killer likes his victims' eyes. This makes for tintillating reading from beginning to end!

I expected to love this book, and at first I did enjoy it ... but then the excessive technical terms distracted me from the story. I realise some background to the eye condition was necessary but it was too much for me and it affected the pacing - and my interest - considerably becoming more textbook-like than fiction.
Eva is a strong and determined character who has few qualms in doing whatever is necessary to achieve a goal, and she seems to have a wide knowledge of almost anything, from art to film to string theory. She's also incredibly "busy" - in this book alone there are many mysteries and crimes to be solved - two serial killers and several "mob" gangs that ultimately amount to at least four cases to crack. She is constantly under pressure and the tension is paramount, the pacing does increase substantially and the final scene is good but maybe not what I expected or felt was worthy of Eva's story.
Fans of gritty and disturbing murder mysteries will enjoy this.

Took me a while to finish as I just couldn't get into the story or characters. Was quite disappointed and in all honesty it's quite a forgettable book... I cant actually remember what happened now.

This dark crime thriler full of twists and turns is usually a recipe for successs for me but this one just fell a litte bit short. There is a lot going on and a lot of technical terms and descriptions which are a bit distracting. Eva is your usual badass female cop who feels like she needs to prove herself and then goes off on her own. I thought one of the twists and the motive was pretty predictable but it seemed to take forever for the police to catch on.

That being said it is still a good read with gory murders and loads of twists and turns to keep yyou reading. I enjoyed Eva's character and I felt the tension of whether she could trust her new team or not. I would definitely read more in the series.

20/20 is an amazing thriller! I couldn't read this fast enough, I was completely gripped! I definitely recommend this to people who are a fan of this genre

This was an utterly fantastic book. I found myself captivated by the storyline. I would highly recommend.

20/20
Carl Goodman
At 2%, I could see the vision for this book. By 5%, I was completely hooked, and by 6%, I was screaming…”Is this a standalone? It cant be a standalone!!” It's not, by the way; it’s the first book in a series. And I'm reading all of them!

This author has a very unique writing technique. I think that’s the first thing I should mention. It's what he does after segments of dialogue. Usually, without us knowing it, we read the dialogue, and then the dialogue, either internal or external, is explained. Usually, it's to catch you up, reframe something with context, or tell you why the character is thinking or saying it. This is mostly what we're missing in movies. It’s the characters thoughts often leading to motives.

Carl's explanations are stand-outs. For most of us, the surmization is useless. Quick readers often skim this section because it's often a re-interpretation of what we just read/ I wish I had permission to include an excerpt. By writing this way, he allowed me into the characters mind in different ways. He also made the main character so strong in her constitution. She leaped off the page. I want to journey with her through different cases and see how her mind works. She is just so interesting.

The book itself reminds me of Tess Gerritsen's topics of choice. There is some medical jargon and talks with a pathologist, which I always enjoy reading in books. Eva, the MC, as I've already said, is stellar. When I picture her, I think of the main character in COP TOWN by Karin Slaughter and Rizzoli of the Rizzoli and Isles series. She is rough and unforgiving. She is pinned and jaded and caught up in a situation she never wanted or intended to be in.

I love characters like this, written to be forgiven. Written to allow you to forgive yourself.

Four Stars

"What’s the opposite of a psychopath?"

Killing for fun vs killing for a reason. Two killers feeding off each other. Suspects ranging from eye surgeons, transcendentalists, and orgies by the rich. And a DI bent on revenge for a death of a friend as well as being blackmailed to find a snitch who might be one of her new colleagues. I couldn’t put this fast-paced whodunit down.

D.I. Eva Harris is not supposed to be here. She was supposed to be in cybercrime. She’s not a real D.I. She doesn’t have the experience or the background. Someone is trying to kill her, she’s being blackmailed, she has secrets, and she has inherited two serial murder cases to solve. Who can she trust?

Eva is very intelligent, tenacious, and has more lives than a cat. Her analytical mind gives her savvy computer skills and the perfect mindset to become a good DI. The way she breaks down the case by using her early training and natural instinct is fun to watch the closer she comes to solving the cases. She has a rough go of it both personally and professionally, but she perseveres and earns her team’s respect.

There’s a lot of shady and psychotic characters in this fantastic whodunit. And Eva has a great team of detectives who work well together. It was very interesting how the author created more than one killer and even better, more than one plot to the story. It definitely kept me on my toes. I look forward to reading more about D.I. Eva Harris and her team.

I highly recommend this superb debut police procedural with a razor-sharp plot and intelligent and complex characters.

Thank you to Mr. Goodman for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

A cracking debut novel that will keep the readers interest throughout. The pace was perfect for me, it never lost its rhythm and i flew through the pages. The main character is one that the reader can root for from the sidelines . A complex character whose background and mindset is revealed as the plot unfolds. Eva is a determined, tenacious person weighed down by the secrets she has to keep, will this investigation help her reconcile to what she has to do. This is a chilling psychological thriller with gruesome scenes that will make you shudder yet keep you wanting to know the next move by all concerned. As the story moves towards its conclusion you will not be able to put the book down as the pace quickens and the tension becomes almost unbearable. A great introduction to a feisty, gritty new lead character of which i hope to reward more of in the future.

You definitely have to possess a strong constitution to read parts of this book. I don't like anybody messing around near my eyes and I'm already having nightmares about cataract surgery even though I don't have cataracts yet so there's no way I could read this right before bed. Such an unusual premise for a book but it was very intelligent and well-written. I really liked the character of DI Eva Harris and I hope there are other books featuring her in the future. There is some science/technology and cyber-speak in the book but there's also lots of action and character conflicts, a couple of seemingly unsolvable mysteries and some great characters besides Eva. In Chapter 27 there's a description of a fresco being painted by an artist in a former church which sounded fantastic and I wished there was a picture of it. Very high octane and highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hera Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this excellent novel.

Publication Date: June 16,2021

This is a great read and the author has created something special with DI Eva Harris.

Her background is in cyber crime so finding herself with a gruesome dead body is not what she is expecting on her first day. She has to hit the ground running though and finds herself involved in a very dark case. Her knowledge of technology is vital to the case and the research the author must have done into this subject is evident.

I know it is a cliche but it really is a page turner, I found myself whizzing through the book not only to see the case resolved but to understand Eva more.

Excellent debut, highly recommended.

20/20 by Carl Goodman is a stunning crime thriller! I was so happy when Sarah Hardy of Books On The Bright Side invited me to be a part of the tour. I had heard good things of this book. My expectations where pretty high...good job it smashed them out of the park.
DI Eva Harris is working for Surrey police and is on ber first day of running her own team so when she is called out to a brutal murder, it's definitely what could be called 'a trial by fire'. We see the case expand as Eva comes to relalise that it isn't one case...it is two with similar MO's that they are investigating. Along with her case that is bigger than she thought she has also been given an undercover role on top of it all! This is to attempt to weed out corrupt coppers who are passing information on to a major Ukranian Drugs Baron who goes by the name of Semion Rezin.
Eva is a totally different sort of detective. Her background is as a computer-analyst and she was being fast tracked to be a DI in Cyber Crime. She was aware of the rotational system of training but it soon becomes pretty clear someone is pulling strings so she can dance to their tune. As the story unfolds we find out exactly why Eva is in the postion she is, which also tells us exactly why she behaves as she does too.
Loving this new series! We have a really complex Eva who has a painful past and is determined that she will see justice done...no matter how long it takes her. She also doesn't care how she gets a result, with unconventional methods that occasionally veer over the line. I couldn't wait to find out more so I didn't get up and away from my kindle for hours!
It is a story that grabs you immediately and if you are a bit fainthearted, it may not be for you. That is all I am prepared to say
A story that is multi layered and Carl Goodman has cleverly pulled all the different strands and layers together to create a dark, captivating and very intelligent thriller.
Thanks to Hera Books for my copy of 20/20 to bring you my thoughts.

I enjoyed this thriller and was happy to be part of the blog tour. I liked Eva and wanted her to survive and succeed, I thought the main murders were interesting and a good mystery, and I liked the addition of the previoius killer. I would read something else by Carl

Maybe it’s for a fiction crime audience, but it’s not for me. The beginning was too slow paced and I felt like it was dragging. It didn’t reel me in at the beginning to give me the NEED to know more. I may try it again on a slow day but not when I’m craving a gut wrenching thriller.

Wowowow. Sign me up for more from this author asap.
I absolutely loved this thriller and I finished it two days. Loved all the characters, found the pace fantastic and a really well developed and enjoyable plot.

DI Eva Harris is starting her new job. It’s the first day in her promoted role and before she can even get to her desk she is called out to a murder scene. A nasty murder scene and one which Eva’s background has not really prepared her for as she had spent much of her formative time in her career working with computers and cyber crime, dead bodies are not quite the same when they are pixels and binary constructs.

Eva more than holds her own and with her dependable sargeant by her side she navigates the crime scene, befriends the medical examiner and manages to find a significant clue which puts her face to face with the killer – a balaclava obscures their face and a fight ensues to make sure capture is avoided.

It’s a terrific opening to the book and the grim manner in which the victim has been killed makes for a fascninating read. I always think there is always something more primal and disturbing whena victim’s eyes are attacked (or in this case, removed). Back at the police station Eva finally meets her team, she is shaken from the start to her day and the encounter with the killer but the reader cannot help but note that Eva seems to know quite a lot about her team before she even meets them. All soon becomes clear, however, as it emerges Eva has been placed into her new role to help identify a bent copper who operates out of her new station.

Carl Goodman is treating readers to a thriller which is focused on several angles. The police corruption, a cracking police investigative story, Eva’s own backstory is extremely enjoyable and her relationship with the officer who is controlling the corruption investigation is not one of mutual respect and there is a cold case from a few years previous which shares similar traits to the current murders. With many elements to focus on I was a very happy reader and found myself enjoying 20/20 immensly.

I found 20/20 to be an intelligent and engaging read, the motive behind the killer’s actions was perfectly in keeping with the story which I had been enjoying and I loved the progression of Eva’s investigation and the hurdles she had to overcome during the course of the book. Pacing and tone of 20/20 were spot on for me, there was always something which kept me reading and when the book came to a close I knew I wanted more books featuring DI Eva Harris – that’s a sure sign of a good book.

I have a little confession to make. I have actually had ‘20/20’ on my ever increasing ‘to be read’ mountain, I haven’t got around to reading it……………..until now that is. Having just finished reading ‘20/20’, I am now rather cross with myself that I left it this long to discover how flipping good this book is. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘20/20’ but more about that in a bit.
‘20/20’ is the first book in the series featuring newly promoted Detective Inspector Eva Harris and what a start to a series it is. I was drawn into this book by the synopsis alone and when I started to read the story itself, that was it. I knew that I would be reading for the rest of the afternoon because I just could not put this book down. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. The murders intrigued me and I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I found ‘20/20’ to be a gripping, but slightly scary read, which kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘20/20’ is extremely well written. I love the way in which Carl starts the story with a bang and then reels the reader in similar to how a fisherman reels in a catch. For me, ‘20/20’ hits the ground running and maintains a fast pace throughout. I did like Eva’s character but I got the impression that she was keeping things hidden. Reading ‘20/20’ was much lie being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to gather your thoughts, take a breather and let your stomach settle then off the action would go again. I felt as though I was part of the story and that’s thanks to Carl’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘20/20’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Carl’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Thank you NetGalley, author Carl Goodman, and Hera Books publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
Newly hired D.I. Eva Harris is assigned to the scene of a brutal murder. The victim was drained completely of all blood as well as having their eyes removed. Left with no forensic evidence which connects to the killer, Eva is sent down the path of the killer, but also is leading to corruption at the very heart of the police. Can Eve find the killer before her past comes to consume her?
This book was such a roller coaster ride! There were such raw gruesome scenes of the killer's handy work. The characters were well developed and multilayered. Each character held my interest and kept me wondering who had the most to gain from the death of the victims. While many might expect one killer, there were two very meticulous and skilled that gave the police a run for their money. The writing and the pacing was well done. The book held my interest until the very end, which meant I needed to finish this book in one sitting. The author did a wonderful job building up to the terrific conclusion. This was my first book by author Carl Goodman and it will not be my last. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a gritty, non-stop action-packed, thriller.