I usually like a good true crime thriller. It was too slow and so repetitive. It brought nothing new to the table. A very mediocre read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Unsolved is a well-written and engrossing murder mystery novel. The story follows two cold case missing women stories with one of them very personal to the main character. Cal is a true crime podcast host and his investigation into a missing women from over thirty years ago stirs up painful memories of his own sister's disappearance.

Cal's character was well developed and the storyline had a good cadence. I would read more of his stories if the author makes this into a series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Told from two timescales; that of the missing girl Layla from 1986 and that of Cal, present-day, a true crime, cold case investigator. Mostly set in Aberdeenshire and well described. Cal is still grieving for his missing sister of some decades ago and the repetitious nature of this became tedious after a while. More repetition when Cal discovered something and we returned to Layla for the same story. Generally a dark but ok read but one whose details, I'm afraid, are quickly erased. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

4.75/5 stars! I listen to so many true crime podcasts in real life, so this premise had me pumped. This book did not disappoint. It works both as a mystery story and a crime novel. Cal was 3-dimensional had was healing from the own traumatic loss of his sister by helping others find answers. I haven't spent a great deal of time in Scotland, so the setting lost me at times. But this was a great first entry for the series.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I enjoyed this book greatly , a really intrestring read about a missing girl and her brother who does podcasts about missing people .

Cal Lovett Files #1

In 1986 Layla Mackie goes for a wild ride on Ruby deep into the Aberdeenshire countryside anxious to leave it all behind. Darkness falls, a panicked horse returns but where is Layla?

Fast forward to the present day to the West Midlands and true crime podcaster Cal Lovett has more reason than most to invest in helping others in his investigations. His much older sister Margot vanishes without a trace when he’s nine years old. Against the wishes of his wife he goes to Broadmoor to interview Marc Dubois, the Woodland Killer who seems to hint at knowing something but is this ‘face of evil’ playing with him? When Cal gets a call from Layla’s mother begging for his help to find answers he heads north to Aberdeenshire. Can Cal find answers for this desperate family? Can he lay his own ghosts to rest?

The novel starts really strongly in 1986 and later with the chilling Dubois interview which makes you recoil in revulsion as he aims destructive barbs at Cal. The impact of the ‘disappeared’ on the families is done well as they try to live with a lack of answers and the void left by their loved ones making you feel empathy for them.

Cal as a central character is immensely likeable, he’s a caring father to his struggling daughter but his sadness and frustration over Margot and a mounting crisis in his personal life do weigh him down. His daughter Chrissie is a lovely teenager and Shona, a forensic anthropologist Cal meets in Scotland livens the pages.

This is a well written, easy to read novel with the past and present fusing well so the storyline flows. The plot is constantly changing, it’s very intriguing and packed with emotion. There’s unease, some unravelling, the suspense builds, there’s tension, plenty of plot twists, the pace is good and I like the end where a shape shifter is unmasked. There’s guilt as well as relief but also optimism and I like that it ends on a good note.

Overall, a breeze through entertaining read and I’m already looking forward to number 2 and seeing what happens next to these characters.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Atmospheric Suspense..
Secrets, lies and the pursuit of justice combine in this atmospheric suspense with a twist. Cal Lovett is seeking justice for families of missing persons and his true crime podcast is a perfect platform. Whilst he has been unable to find his own justice, one search may well now open up his own past. Keenly observed and nicely written with much attention to character and atmosphere with a slow and meticulous build of tension. The inclusion of podcast sections works extremely well and makes for a nice edge within a solid and suspenseful mystery.

One of my new favorite subgenres in thrillers is "podcast within the book" and this one is no exception!

This story follows Cal Lovett, a true crime podcaster investigating cold cases. The one case he has yet to solve, however, is the disappearance of his sister over 30 years ago. This great mystery has infiltrated into every aspect of Cal's life: his marriage, his relationship with his daughter, and now, his job. On the verge of losing funding for his podcast, Cal needs to produce content quick, and decides to look into the unsolved disappearance of a teen girl in the 80s.

UNSOLVED takes place in the Scottish country side and I couldn't get enough of it. The atmosphere made the reading experience that much more enjoyable. The story is told from Cal's POV as well as flashbacks to Layla, the missing girl. We also get bits of the podcast episodes throughout the book, which is an element I really loved.

While so much of who Cal is is due to his tragic past, I never felt like the story relied on it. We learned enough that his present-day actions made sense, failing relationship and all. Sometimes it feels like authors rely on the back story to tell the present story but I didn't find Critchlow to be guilty of that.

The mystery Cal was solving was fascinating, and the twist at the end was extremely well done. Part of me was like "how didn't I guess that?!" but I believe it's because Layla's story allowed for many possible avenues, showcasing Critchlow's storytelling abilities.

I had a great time reading this book and am definitely eager to see what cold case Cal takes on in the future.
4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley & Canelo for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To me, this was a three and a half stars. Some parts were very well written and engrossing while others just were too slow for me. The setting was good, and the dialogue not bad. Promising series, with a satisfactory closing in this volume.

I really enjoyed this. It is a good take on the standard premise of journalist sleuth, motivated by a tragedy in his own past, investigates missing persons. I quickly realised the opening chapters were setting up a series and not everything would be resolved. The writer opened a good few strands of backstory and subplot that the reader will be happy to return to in future stories.
Now to the story in hand. In 1986 in Aberdeenshire, wild child Layla abandons her chores at the riding stables where she helps out and gallops off on the best thoroughbred mare. A few hours later the terrified, injured and riderless horse returns. Layla is never seen again. Nearly forty years later, Cal, needing one last chance to resurrect the popularity of his true-crime podcast, heads north at Layla’s parents’ request. Most of those who knew Layla still live nearby including Stephen, her violent on/off boyfriend and chief suspect. But the novel gives us a second timeline where we see things from Layla’s viewpoint and meet a few people that she annoyed and several men with an eye on her. I picked out the culprit from among them and felt suitably smug when my guess was proved right.
A promising start to a new series. With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I love true crime so was excited by the premise but for me, it was just a bit slow and really dragged throughout. It's very character based and I felt it was a bit repetitive. It's quite dark in places aswell and it just didn't all gel for me for some reason. Its readable but the kind of book that'd be put out my mind as soon as I finished it

I wish we could do halves for reviews. I was bouncing between a three and a four, and decided to go with a four as I did find the novel enjoyable overall. I try to write my reviews without spoilers, so will try to avoid that here. Completely unrelated to the novel other than a name, I now have Layla by Eric Clapton stuck on repeat in my head.

Anyone who follows true crime in pretty much any media is well aware of the true crime podcaster. In this novel, we find a true crime podcaster with a lurking true crime of his own overshadowing everything he does trying to get answers for a family whose daughter went missing after a horseback ride years earlier. He’s on a quick turnaround to try and stay relevant and keep ratings while trying to solve a mystery that’s been haunting a small town. The novel touches on the ripple effects Layla’s disappearance has had on those left behind, her parents who have been unable to move on, the suspect boyfriend, other employees and witnesses to events at the hotel who wonder if they had said or did things differently would maybe she have ridden back with her horse that day.

There were a few pieces of writing in the novel that I think could have been tightened up, and some of the book was slightly predictable. I did think the author touched on some themes though that aren’t always discussed. Without a spoiler, what Cal has to navigate later in the novel with his daughter is something that more and more parents have to navigate and there isn’t a handbook. I did like that we had an “imperfect” subject who he was looking for and that attempts were made to bring her to life. Overall I enjoyed the novel. It was a fairly quick read and I was able to get lost in it. I specifically picked this book up over others as it was set in Scotland and I am 100% here for more works set in Scotland.

Please be advised that I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity.

"Unsolved" is an enjoyable crime read, which made it pretty dark and twisted at times. However, I appreciated the different story lines, layers of storytelling and hint of redemption. Recommended or anyone who likes darker crime mysteries. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The book revolves around a podcaster Cal who is very much dedicated towards his crime broadcast and its obsessed with finding justice for families of the missing persons, majorly because is own sister Margaret had disappeared when he was a child. To all his questions, only one man has the answers, The killer himself but he cannot be trusted. He sets out on a journey to find the truth and also to find what had happened to Margaret, but can he face the truth?

I have read quite a few books featuring a crime podcaster obsessed with finding the truth, but this one I would say was a bit different for me, of course different in a good way. Author has very cleverly not only portrayed the crime but also the personal life of the podcaster himself. The book very beautifully presented the turmoil of not only of those who are missing and their families but also of the reporter himself.
I Really really like books with chapters of titles, why I know it is not always possible to title the chapter but I really prefer it when the author does, it is sort of exciting. In this book has exactly what I prefer. The premise of the story is pretty clever I would say. also there are episodes of the podcast itself which makes it bit more interesting.
The author has done of fantastic job in gathering empathy for Cal. The base of story telling is pretty fast and pretty engaging and it becomes difficult for us to put the book down. Characters feel very real and alive with very clever plotting.

Overall highly recommended!!

I think anyone into crime fiction will love this. I am not into podcasts or police investigations so I was not as into it as they would be. It is well written and I loved the twists and turns.
Cal is a true crime podcaster solving mysteries to cope with the loss of his own sister when he was nine and she was a teen. He is good at it and is granted an interview with a serial killed/fan. The man deadnames Cal and this leads Cal to believe he killed his sister. While reeling over the shock he works to solve another case.
It is interesting. I enjoyed the read.
OMG The ending too! The ending is so good.

Cal is a true crime podcaster driven in part by the disappearance of his sister when he was a child. He now searches for clues to solve Layla's disappearance in 1986.
The novel is narrated by alternating parts narrated in podcast with what happened in the past which gives a certain agility to the plot and encourages you to continue reading. If you add to that characters that make you get involved in the story we have a great start for a series.

A new author for me, but I'm already looking forward to the second book in this series. The settings are described so you can imagine them. The characters real and believable. I even didn't mind the past- present jumps, which some books (not this one) make confusing. A book I will be recommending

This book is very predictable and horribly written.
The author tells the reader what is going on repeatedly, instead of showing or leading the reader into what is happening.
More then half of the book is dealing with Cal and his missing sister....going over and over the same details.

The characters were wooden and had no personality. The only character that I liked was Shona....she has potential.

Overall, for a thriller, this book is not.

I really enjoyed this book. The aspect of a true crime podcast throughout the story made the book even more interesting and I love true crime podcasts already! There were multiple different story lines throughout the book but they all were very clear and easy to keep track of. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series!

I was provided a free copy of this book for my honest review by NetGalley.

Unsolved by Heather Critchlow is intriguing first book in the Cal Lovett series.
Cal Lovett is a true crime pod caster who is trying to find the truth about ‘Layla’ who disappeared 35 years ago after riding in to the woods and only her horse Ruby came back. People say that after all this time why bother? But her parents Jean and Tam always wondered what happened to her. Cal is determined to find the truth about Layla as he has his own personal experience. His sister Margot disappeared when he was a young boy and she was never found and the only one that happens to know anything about her disappearance is Matt Dubois but he is in prison for his crimes.
After Cal’s visit to Matt Dubois. He dies suddenly. Cal is distraught. He wonders if her will ever find out the truth about Margot.
Thank you, Canelo, for a copy of Unsolved. Although I found the start of the story to be a bit slow. I found then this to be a gripping read and I virtually read in one sitting with a great twist at the end. I will be very interested to see how this series develops. 4 stars from me.