Excellent fast paced police procedural with many twists that keep you reading right up until the end.
Lethal Game is apparently the second novel by Gallagher using the characters of DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose, but it is not necessary to have read the first (always appreciated as I often pick up a book without realising it is part of a series). In this novel they are pitted against a game player who is always one step ahead of them.
Joel and Lucy are both police officers with flawed backgrounds - in Lucy's case it is personal and in Joel's case it is professional. However, they work together well, filling in the gaps for each other, rather like a jigsaw pattern. When a young woman is discovered murdered, brutally, in a phone box and wearing a dress that doesn't look right and with bare feet, they are scratching their heads looking for explanations, until reports come in of another young woman, wearing similar clothing who was exhausted, dirty and hungry and boarded a bus early one morning into town.
Tracking down this young woman leads them into a game of strategy, but a game that appears to have been planned out in advance so they have no way of winning.
The book is fast paced, but well paced, gripping and a real pager turner. I very much enjoyed it and will look out for more books by this author.
With many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I was hooked from the first page and struggled to put it down, as it was a unique storyline that was clearly incredibly well researched and thought out.

Inspector Joel Norris and Sergeant Lucy Rose are called out when the body of a young woman is found with horrific, multiple injuries. As they continue their investigations, they discover that the perpetrator has set up a twisted game and the officers are in a race against time themselves to catch the killer.

Lots of twists, turns, and nail-biting moments will keep you gripped to the very end. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

What an apt title! Probably one of the most exciting novels I have read in a while. From the first page it is gripping and the suspense builds right up to the thrilling conclusion. It is both a thriller and a police procedural and very well done. The plot is complex and with nothing forensically it seems impossible to solve. The three main characters have a strong bond and although this is the second in the series, I didn’t feel I was missing out. I have no hesitation in recommending it as a ‘stay up late to finish it’ book!
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a fantastic read! From the minute the story opens giving the reader a real sense of the panic of the young woman playing the ‘lethal game’ to the grim end I was hooked. This is a gripping police procedural with likeable but inevitably flawed characters. It was skilfully written to persuade the reader to believe the perpetrator and follow the police along his misdirections. I’d read more from this author.
Thank you netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant storyline, almost too unbelievable to believe but that's fiction for you. It's very entertaining and full of suspense, you need your wits about you to keep up with the fast pace and to unravel the twists and turns. It is the first book that I have read by this author but it won't be the last.

5⭐️ gore score 2/5

#2 in the DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose series
I read and loved the first book ( a rare 5⭐️) so was keen to read this one. It had lots to live up to.

It’s a fusion between crime thriller with psychological aspects and police procedural. It works really well. I am finding that I’m tiring of the straight police procedurals as they are samey. This is more weighted to the police procedure than the first book.
Bit of intro from the blurb -If you don’t play the game those you love will die, he knows where to find your family. You you don’t win you will die.

It gets off to a great start. That prologue certainly gets you in a tight grip.
It’s emotionally loaded. The anguish is palpable. It’s so tense! My brain was whirring trying to work out the possibilities of what’s going on.

The characters of Joel and Lucy have really grown on me during this book, both are very likeable, and very committed to their work and really gelling as friends.

It has a full on action hero movie style ending.

There are a couple of acronyms that are not given an explanation for. PSD and CAD

Down to the verdict as to whether it lived up to my high expectations… it sure does! with cowbells on! There were even a few tears too.
You really need to read this book!!

I would love to see an adult strategic board game launched in conjunction with this book. I think it would be an excellent cross over between fact and fiction for crime readers.

This book was a fantastic read , I have read all of Charlie Gallagher’s books which are all brilliant and such good twists and turns in all his books and this one definitely did not disappoint, is one of the best so far and such a great story from start to finish , it amazes me what really good thrillers he writes one after the other with such great stories. I would so highly recommend this book and all his others he has wrote.

Great fast paced and twisted story line. Really grabs you right from the start.
Looking forward to more from Charlie Gallagher

Fans of Charlie Gallagher will be pleased to learn he has done it again with another page turning thriller that includes some brutally violent scenes.
In the second book of this series we see the small team of DI Joel Norris, DC Lucy Rose and their clerical assistant Eileen begin to forge a good working relationship as they investigate the brutal murder of a young woman.
It soon becomes apparent that someone is bringing to life a board game of survival, but who is "The Captor", and why is he intent on luring The Police into his murderous game?
This fast paced novel races to a suspenseful climax and a race against a rising tide.
In his usual style, the author cleverly draws us into the background of the main characters and drip feeds us a little more about what makes them tick, hopefully meaning more to come in this series.

What a thrilling & sinister read! It starts off with a bang - a life or death race - and never really lets up. There's a few twists that keep you on the edge of your seat, and the fast pace of the story keeps you hooked. I thought DI Joel Norris & DS Lucy Rose were great characters- this is book two in the series, and based on this, it's going to be fantastic.

Two young women that have never met are pitted against each other in a terrifying race to freedom; only one can survive. DI Joel Norris and RD Lucy Rose return and are drawn into the investigation of a deadly and terrifying game that seems initially as though the victims are random strangers targeted by a cunning and ruthless game master.

I have not read the first of this series but was able to enjoy this thriller. DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose are called to investigate the death of a young woman found brutally murdered in a quiet country lane. They find themselves part of a strategy game with real live participants - pawns in the killer’s twisted contest.

I read this is one sitting determined to know who, how and why!

I also liked the development of the team and the main characters - Lucy and Joel. It was good to find out about their backstories.

I shall lookout for more from this author.

Holy Smokes!! Evil = Lethal Game’s villain! After reading the prologue alone, my pulse rose and my heart just about jumped right out my chest! Needless to say, the story that followed was a fast-paced, action based thriller featuring an exceptional game of cat and mice (with the mice being victims (or potential victims) at the hands of one of the sickest serial killers imaginable!)

I don’t think the hard time is figuring out “the who”; (I did that early on) the hard part for me was going to be “the how” that would be revealed, and how and IF this monster with a mastermind for maximum terror would be caught.

Hold on to your shorts folks - this is one thriller of a ride!

4.5 Stars

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose are caught up in a murder case like no other....

The victims are real chess pieces in the most twisted game imaginable.

And as for rules.....

Joel and Lucy need to beat the killer before another round begins and more innocent people die....

Lethal Game by Charlie Gallagher
I give this book 4.5 stars

This killer uses his victims like chess pieces in a life-sized contest, with the highest stakes imaginable.
Now DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose are pawns at the mercy of a twisted rulebook.
Can they beat him at his own game before the next round begins and more innocent lives are taken?

The first book I’ve read by this author and ……….wow what a great start!
Book 2 can be read as a standalone (l did)
The dark storyline reeled me straight in and l was immediately hooked.A tense race against time has you frantically turning the pages.Joel and Lucy are a great duo.Go grab your copy of this pacy non stop action thriller….. you won’t be disappointed!
With thanks to Netgalley,Charlie Gallagher and Avon Books for my chance to read and review this book

Someone’s playing a board game called “Escape” only with real people as the pieces. Two women kidnapped and then set free to take part in a race for their lives. Their families are threatened so that they don’t inform the police. DI Joel Norris and his DS Lucy Rose have the case ably assisted by their analyst Eileen. Every move the killer makes is linked to the game and when things don’t go to plan with one stage he manages to involve the police in a killing.

Absolutely loved this book. A total page turner from the start with loads of twists and turns - couldn’t put it down.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books and Charlie Gallagher for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Lethal Game, the second novel to feature DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose of Kent Police.

When the body of a young woman is found murdered on a country Lane Joel and Lucy get their first case in months. Unfortunately for them the killer appears to be playing games and manipulating them is one of his main games, even more unfortunately it becomes apparent that he has no intention of stopping.

I enjoyed Lethal Game, which is another high octane read with plenty of twists from Mr Gallagher. I must admit that I didn’t find it as compulsive as some of his previous offerings, but I have distractions in my life just now so it may just be my mood.

The novel is told from various points of view, notably Joel, Lucy and the victims, so there is still plenty of room to guess the killer’s identity and motive. I think the novel is really clever and I loved the way the author constructs it. It is all smoke and mirrors, hiding a really petty motive. In fact the grandiosity of the crime tells you all you need to know about the perpetrator’s narcissism. I freely admit to being clueless until about two thirds of the way in when the killer is arrested and interviewed, except he’s not, just a man with enough limited knowledge to bring the reader up to speed. And the hunt continues to a tense and dangerous finale. The novel oozes tension and frustration, along with some pretty creative murders and these keep the reader turning the pages, itching for resolution.

I like Joel and Lucy, who are both still new to murder investigations. They have built a strong bond making them an effective, if unorthodox investigative team. He is a happily married man, although that might not last if he keeps up the long hours. She is more of an enigma, although this novel fleshes out many of the missing pieces, making her more approachable and easier to understand.

Lethal Game is a good read that I can recommend.

Lethal Game is the second book in the Norris & Rose series by Charlie Gallagher and it is a very entertaining read which builds on the promise of the first book.

In Lethal Game both main characters grow without distracting from the main storyline which is fast moving and keeps the pages turning.

My favourite scene was the first main interview scene which definitely has a twist or two and brings out the author’s experience from his previous job!!!

Overall a definite recommendation

I received this book from Avon & the author via Netgalley for a review. A great book. Charlie Gallagher is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Well written, fast paced with good characters, loved it.

ethal Game by Charlie Gallagher is shocking, suspenseful, and heartbreaking. It has aspects of both a crime thriller and a police procedural. Detective Inspector Joel Norris and Detective Sergeant Lucy Rose are assigned the case investigating the death of a young woman murdered in a rural area in England. The killer is playing a game with people’s lives. Can Norris and Rose catch him before more innocent people die?

Joel and Lucy along with analyst Eileen Holmans are likeable characters that are easy to connect with quickly. Joel and Lucy have more depth and are featured more in the novel. Readers get insight into their personal lives as well as their professional lives without detracting from the investigation. They seem to balance each other professionally. Joel is more headstrong and fiery and Lucy is more controlled most of the time. Both have flaws and strengths that affect their interactions and lend believability to the story. The secondary characters are a good mix and provide the needed professional and personal conflict or support. How will the new Detective Chief Inspector Jim Kemp affect the team dynamics? The antagonist is crafty and evil, reveling in anticipation of the victims’ fears and struggles.

What a prologue! Will you guess what happens next? It hooked this reader immediately. This author knows how to pull readers into a story and keep them turning the pages. The plot is well developed, the pace fast, and the story line is action-packed. The twists and turns take readers on the journey with Joel and Lucy. Will you guess who the killer is and what his motivations are or will you go down the wrong path? Everyone in the novel experiences a variety of emotions from frustration, disdain, fear, and anger to hope, excitement, and glee. Readers may be surprised by who is experiencing which emotion and why.

This book is exactly what you would expect from a well-written crime thriller. It’s dark, clever, and gripping with great good and evil characters as well as a tense and twisted story line. Readers should be aware that there are some gruesome details and some chilling and emotional scenes. The author’s experience as a U.K. police officer lends realism to this novel.

Overall, this book was suspenseful, intense, riveting, fast-paced, action-oriented, and entertaining. If you enjoy crime thrillers and police procedurals that have both strong male and female characters, then this may be the novel for you. While this is the first book I have read by this author, it is the second book featuring DI Norris and DS Rose. I can’t wait to read the first one and continue with the series.

Avon Books UK - Avon and Charlie Gallagher provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 11, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.