Sharon and Danny Evans are destroyed that their only daughter, Callie, has attempted to commit suicide and is now in a coma in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. Her life hangs in the balance. One night, a stranger speaks to Danny while Danny is intoxicated, which is daily since what happened to Callie. He promises revenge for Callie, and while Sandra thinks it’s a hoax, Danny listens to what he has to say. Enter Joel Norris, DI. Not only has he been handed his first murder case, he suddenly has another, seemingly unrelated murder to investigate: a police officer. The body count doesn’t stop there…

What a phenomenal work—explicit, well-written, great descriptive prose, definitely a book you cannot put down. The twists and turns throughout the book made it completely addictive; the characters were well-drawn and completely believable. I didn’t read as much as devoured it, and will look to read more from Charlie Gallagher who writes from his own experience in many facets of protecting the law as an officer himself. I simply cannot recommend “The Friend” highly enough.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Charlie Gallagher, and Avon/Harper Collins Books for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a few reviews saying that it was a slow burn, but I did not think it was. I thought it was excellently paced and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I loved the characters and felt that the story was just the right amount of police procedural.

3.75 Stars

This book left me with mixed emotions. Fifteen year old Callie is in a coma following a suicide attempt. Unbeknownst to her parents, Callie had been groomed and then blackmailed. Her father struggles with this and copes with excessive drinking. A stranger approached Danny claiming that he knows the person behind all of this and where this person can be found. All Danny has to do is show up at a designated location.

The story is fast paced, best suited for those who were fans of "The Stranger" by Harlan Corben. The storyline also reminded me quite a bit of the "Saw" movies - similar premise. All in all, a good read. Dark, but good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC!

3 Stars

This one started off a bit slow for me and then quickly picked up speed! I will not ruin any of the twists, but I will say that anyone that can't handle gore and child abuse, should probably avoid this one.

The police procedural in this is great, the author was a UK police officer for 13 years and it shows. I loved DI Joel Norris and DS Rose. They have a great working relationship and I look forward to reading more of their stories in this series.

The villain in the story, you love to hate. I appreciated his attention to detail and how well he was pulling things off. I did however feel like some of his motives were not explained enough. I still have some lingering questions and would love to know more about his crazy thoughts.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360, and Charlie Gallagher for providing me with an ARC.

There is a young girl in a coma after being groomed for intimate images that involved not only herself but five of her friends. A woman is dead after being ran off the road while walking her dog. When a private investigator approaches the loved ones of the dead with answers and the opportunity to provide justice and revenge all hell breaks loose. DI Joel Norris is fresh back in the office following a leave of absence when he is assigned to this case. If given the opportunity for revenge and justice, what would you choose? Will DI Joel Norris and his team crack the case in time?
Charlie Gallagher is a new-to-me author. This book was fast paced and kept me up late turning the pages until the very end. There were many twists with links to each crime that involved murder and revenge. I am one to judge a book by the cover and felt this to be fairly generic. However, this book did not disappoint. This exciting read was definitely not generic, it kept me wanting to read more up until the very end which was tied up nicely. Highly recommend this book to all mystery, thriller lovers.

Danny and Sharon are devastated with their daughter attempted to take her own life. She had always seemed to happy. Her parents just don't understand why she would do something like this...

A stranger approaches Danny telling him he knows who to blame. Their new friend offers them a chance of revenge. Danny is all for it but Sharon has some reluctance.

But Danny really know who this new friend is. The friend has his own agenda. and it just might be more dangerous than he thinks.

DI Joel Norris is called on to investigate when 2 murders are committed within days of each other. Seemingly unrelated.. but there is doubt. And Norris is known for following his gut, no matter the danger.

The Friend is suspense beginning with the very first page. This may not be for everyone, as it explores child cruelty. Some scenes are a bit on the graphic side.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Friend
Charlie Gallagher
March 29, 2022


This English mystery is Gallagher’s latest thriller. Callie Evans is a fifteen year old teen who wants to belong. She was happy among friends but when they invited her to participate in their evil game, she felt a need to carry on. Oh she knew this was wrong but what could be the harm of trying it once. With that she took the bottle of water and swallowed the handful of pills.
Danny Evans is a washed up footballer who in his day was the talk of this small town. Now he helps out with the team but his job is less than necessary. He drinks most of his time off at the local tavern. He and wife Sharon regret not staying close enough to Callie and who she hung out with. Callie never recovered from the drugs, she now resides in a local healthcare facility. She’s in a coma with her mother close by her side.
It was closing and Danny sat in the pub drinking the last of his pint. A man from the back started questioning him. It was as if he should have known him but he had no memory of the meeting. This stranger came to be a menace turning up when Danny would least expect it. His thoughts were why? In his alcohol infused mind, that intruder became a friend.
Gallagher’s The Friend will be released on March 29, by Avon of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. I appreciate them allowing me to read and review this heinous suspense novel via NetGalley. True this one was creepy and frightening. To me it took a bit to get into his web but there is always the need to find out what and why. For those who enjoy a dark tale, this one is it. I am not a fan of too much chill in a book, hence this is my own opinion. Should you be a fan of such by all means get a copy.

"The Friend" by Charlie Gallagher, is a complex mind-bending thriller! I loved it! Does that mean everyone will enjoy it? No! Sadly, for some it will be a miss. This book has a large cast of characters and a extremely complicated storyline. Readers must follow along very close not to miss important twists. Many people want a quick easy read and this is not it. If you like procedural detective novels, you will be entertained by Charlie Gallagher's writing style. It is definately worth the time to read!

Synopsis:
15-year-old Callie Evans, has been in a coma for a month after trying to end her own life. Callie has always been a likeable happy teen. Her parents Danny and Sharon, are struggling to understand the "why's" of the situation.

Everything changes when an outsider approaches Danny. The stranger tells Danny that he knows the truth behind why Callie took drastic steps to end her life. What is the reason? Was Callie being influenced by someone close to her? Can her parents figure it out? Can YOU figure it out??

"The Friend" will be published March 29, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360, for allowing me the privilege of reviewing this riveting e-book. I enjoyed it very much.

If you know the author's DS Maddie book series, then this may at first seem the total opposite, and not for you. But give it time, stay with the alternating point of view, and you'll have a suspenseful thriller of a mystery that will have you clued to the text. The author's prior training obviously has given him the experience to write realistic novels, and this one is no different- almost noir-ish in feel, with a modern very sick twist. Once you stumble to it, you won't want to stop reading this dark rabbit hole of a tale, so be prepared for an all-day/night read!

Thank you #Netgalley and Harper 360, Avon for allowing me to read this ARC of The Friend by Charlie Gallagher. I loved the description of this book! I enjoyed Danny’s storyline and sympathized with him. Then the book took a turn and it got strange, and less and less compelling and more police procedural. The description mentioned a “game” so huh? The writing was good and the basic story was good, but it turned out to not be what I expected. I think other people would enjoy this if they like detective-centric stories and are not as concerned with characters.

I was given the chance to read #TheFriend by #CharlieGallagher from #AvonBooksUK and #NetGalley. The opinions expressed below are mine and mine alone.

The plot for this book was an excellent idea. However, for me, the relay of the story fell a little short. We are introduced to several characters at a time and to me it just kept jumping around every time I started a new chapter. Maybe a chapter heading would have been helpful so you didn't have to go through the first couple of pages each chapter to figure out who I was reading about.

On the other side of that, the storyline was fresh and an excellent choice. The story opens with teenager Callie Evans in a coma in the hospital. Her parents, Danny and Sandy Evans are dealing with the aftermath of the trauma their daughter has been through. They are no longer living together and Danny has taken to drinking heavily. So, when a "private detective" shows up out of the blue and insists he has answers for them and knows who is responsible for Callie's overdose. You can use your imagination and see all kinds of places this can go. BUT, there's a huge twist coming and I didn't see it!

Can you see it? Can you figure this one out? If you can, you're a better detective than me. If you haven't read this one yet please put it in your TBR pile! #HappyReading

395 pages

4 stars

Danny is a former football star whose playing days are past him. But he has problems. Separated from his wife and son, with his daughter lying in a coma, he is bereft. He lives in a rundown hotel and spends most of his time in the bar - drinking. His agent has a possible coaching job for him, but Danny doesn’t want to hear it.

Danny is approached by a man who says he is a private investigator and that he has an offer for him. Danny is reluctant, but curiosity gets the best of him and he takes the man’s offer. He is horrified by the results. The man won’t leave him alone and soon comes up with another little chore. Danny is in a tailspin.

Meanwhile, DI Joel Norris is returning from leave from “stress.” He is very nervous. He immediately gets assigned to the murder of a man found on the beach who has been decapitated. The investigation begins with very few police officers to help. He is introduced to his new DS Lucy Rose.

More murders occur. This time, one is a woman who has been shot. To make matters worse, the woman was a police officer who was working in Child Protection. Another female victim is found in the living room. Also shot. What is going on? Joel and his little team begin to feel the pressure.

The “private investigator” approaches another man named Richard. He lost his family in a car crash. The reader feels a pattern coming on here.

The overriding suspicion that Joel and DS Rose have is that someone up top is setting them up to fail.

The book starts out fairly slowly, but picks up speed. The last third of the book is a tension-filled drama. It is well written and plotted. Mr. Gallagher keeps improving with his writing. This book is a little dark. I had some problems staying with it in spots. I liked DI Joel and DS Rose. They eventually made a good, strong pair. They developed a friendship. I liked their “us” against “them” mentality. Go guys!! I really liked the forensic detail that Mr. Gallagher included in this book. It was fascinating. Oh, yes, I watch all those forensic shows, but this description really is intricate and interesting.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper 360/Avon for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.