The Friend

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.

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!

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.

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.