I do love a Paul Finch book. Always guaranteed to entertain and be packed with mystery, tension and unforgettable characters. Never Seen Again did not disappoint, ticking all of those boxes and more. The book centres around journalist David Kelman, a man who had a pretty dramatic fall from grace when his unethical approach to getting a scoop led to a very tragic escalation of an already tense situation. Mistakes were made, and the consequences were deadly. Six years on and David gets the chance to right that wrong, even if it is too late for some, and solve the one mystery that has plagued his career and his conscience - was this really a kidnapping gone wrong and what really happened to Jodie Martindale ... ?

From the very beginning of this book you get a sense of where this book is leading. It may feel pedestrian, especially in those first few pages, but knowing this is a Paul Finch story, it's almost impossible to settle or feel at ease. I was drawn in straight away, if only because I wanted to know what the catch was going to be. It's crime fiction - there is always going to be a catch. And boy was there. Poor Freddie Martindale. Who'd have thought playing gooseberry on your sister's date night would take such a drastic turn. I love how the author manages to turn that quiet opening completely on its head by the end of the chapter, with pulse pounding tension and a real undercurrent of fear permeating each page. It races to a shocking conclusion, really leaving you on the edge of your seat. And that's just the prologue ...

David Kelman is a pretty complex character. I couldn't help liking him, even though there are many aspects of his character that are less than desirable. In many ways he is the worst of the tabloid ghouls, and certainly his most recent career is based on scandal and gossip, ruining the lives of others in order to earn a crust. Yet there is something about him that draws you in. That feeling that, in spite of all he's done, he really does have a conscience and wants to do the right thing by the Martindale family, even if it is a touch too little too late. But he's also a determined reporter who has gotten the whiff of an unbelievable story, and is going to follow the lead no matter how dangerous it proves to be. And believe me it gets hairy.

Alongside David you have his former colleagues, Nushka and Norm, their careers both impacted by what David did all those years ago and yet finding themselves drawn into his world once again. They act as a kind of moral compass and sanity check to David's more impetuous and impulsive nature, even if they don't always manage to keep him under control. The three of them make a brilliant team, with a brilliant blend of banter and journalistic instinct filling each scene they are in. In spite of themselves, David manages to relay a story so packed with intrigue that they cannot resist getting involved, Nushka perhaps a little more readily than Norm ...

The story is paced perfectly, the underlying mystery so carefully threaded throughout the book that it kept me completely engrossed in the story. It's one of those one more chapter kinds of reads that just keeps you powering onward, the tension slowly building up again after that break neck speed ending to the prologue. There are times when we dip back into the past, get shown David's fall from grace and how he managed to derail his and his colleagues careers, but it is the here and now that really captures the inquiring mind. There is a constant sense of threat, as well as a real point of conflict between David and, not only the Martindale family, but the police as well. Brokering scandal was not David's only legacy as a journalist, and he has many enemies in many places, some more obvious than others.

As this is a Paul Finch novel, you are safe to expect some quite intense moments, scenes where the threat is high and the action full on. This is most definitely the case this time around, and from just beyond the halfway point the pace, the tension, and the action, really picks up. It can get quite intense, and with few allies, its set to get pretty hairy for David and his friends. It's violent, but not gratuitously so, but if you've read any of the author's other work then you know not to expect the bad guys to simply hold their hands out and say 'it's a fair cop, Gov'. These are the scenes where the characters may surprise you, and the ones that had me smiling the most. The reasons I love reading books by this author.

Fast paced, full of mystery, action and intensity, it's another winner for me. Definitely recommended.

One of the best thrillers I have read in a long time and in my opinion the best book I have read by this author. A couple are kidnapped and held for an astronomic ransom. Then a body of a male one of the couple is found dumped. The female Jodie has never been found. Her teenage brother is the only witness and barely escapes. Now go forward in time the brother has been searching for his sister and one day he takes his own life. Or did he? An investigative journalist who is down on his luck now takes of the mantle.
This is a tour de force of a suspense packed crime thriller and I found this book impossible to put down, hence I finally turned the last page at 2.am, this book is that good. I loved the characters, the story was fast paced and thoroughly gripping. So highly recommended and in my opinion a MUST READ!!!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Jodie Martindale and her boyfriend were kidnapped a decade ago. Her boyfriend was found dead the next week. Jodie was never seen again. Journalist David Kelman, once a hotshot but now washed up, illegally comes into the possession of Jodie's brothers old phone. And on that phone is an unheard voicemail from two years ago. The voice is unmistakably that of Jodie Martindale.

The plotline has been cleverly crafted, it's complex and fast paced. The characters are well developed and believable. The twists kept coming so it was hard to predict what would happen next. I do like reading about cold cases and how they eventually get resolved after so many years have passed. This book had me constantly on the edge of my seat. I like the authors writing style, he manages to grab your attention from the first chapter. I think this is the best book that I've read by Paul Finch.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #PaulFinch for my ARC of #NeverSeenAgain in exchange for an honest review.

OH MY GOSH without a doubt one of the best thrillers that I have read this year. It was gripping and compelling with an engaging storyline and explosive characters that were so well developed. The plot had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, it was mysterious and unpredictable with twists that had me gasping out loud and not knowing what to believe. I loved it.

In typical Paul Finch style this is another brilliant read! A clever concept with engaging characters and a complex plot set at breakneck speed. It's highly overdramatic, adrenaline feuled and with a smidgen of humour. A perfect, escapist read.

Never Seen Again by Paul Finch


A brilliant book . Not my first by this author and hopefully will not be my last .
A cold case , of a missing women and an ex journalist , full of suspense and twists. Fast paced . Couldn't put it down .

A great read. Lots of twists along the way, plenty of action and some hair raising moments.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Another excellent thriller from the dark mind of Paul Finch, an excellent and divisive main protagonist and a cleverly twisty mystery.

A cold case, a missing woman and one ex journalist searches for redemption in this pacy and addictive story.

Really loved it. Can highly recommend along with this authors other novels.