Title: Who's Next?
Author: Chris Merritt
Publication Day: Sept 11th 2020
Description:
Stumbling to the ground, he claws at the earth around him, trying to stabilise himself, but his attacker is on him in seconds. As he stares at the lights of the bustling streets on the other side of the park gates, he doesn’t even have time to shout for help before everything goes black.
When the body of wealthy businessman Charles Stott is found dead on Wimbledon Common, covered in bruises just feet away from his luxury home, Detective Dan Lockhart is called to investigate the shocking scene. Examining the sickeningly disfigured body before him, Lockhart knows he’s dealing with a brutal killer. Looking more closely, he notices something on the victim’s neck: a small, crudely drawn symbol in black ink. It seems the murderer has marked his victim, but why? Dan needs to get inside the perpetrator’s mind, so he contacts psychologist Dr Lexi Green.
As the ensuing media circus puts pressure on Dan and Lexi’s investigation, another victim is found and the headlines are quick to report a serial killer is on the loose. The body of a successful lawyer has been discovered in a park with the same bruising and hand-drawn symbol on his neck. Dan fears that more victims will follow.
As the case intensifies, Dan uncovers a new lead on his missing wife, Jess, who disappeared eleven years ago. Determined to follow it up, he must choose between tracking down a serial murderer and finding Jess. Can he make the impossible decision before the killer strikes once more?
Fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Cara Hunter will love this thrilling new series from Chris Merritt. From an explosive start to a heart-stopping finale, you will not want to put this book down!
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Who's Next?' by Chris Merritt
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 11th September 2020
This is the second book that I have read by this author. I enjoyed the other book I read which was called 'Knock Knock' and is the first in the 'Detectives Lockhart and Green' series. This book is the second in that series.
I was originally drawn to this book by its colourful cover and intriguing blurb. I also enjoyed the first book in the series so have been looking forward to this one. I must admit I was also biased due to the author being Chris Merritt and the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! If I needed another reason there is also the fact that it states it is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons who is one of my favourite authors so fingers crossed it lives up to my high expectations!!! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 96 chapters which are short in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Dan Lockhart and Lexi Green. I enjoy books written in third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters
This book is based in in the UK. I love books set in the UK as I live in Wales, UK and sometimes I have been to the places mentioned so I 'see' it more clearly when reading.
Although this book is the second in a series it can be read as a standalone. Any references to previous cases are explained shortly and as needed without repeating too much for those who have read the first book.
What a an absolute non stop action packed page turner!!! Very well written and I was sucked straight into the pages from the beginning to the cliffhanger ending!!!
What can I say? Poor Dan had enough on his plate anyway and it was constantly piled on throughout the book. I felt sorry for Lexi on many occasions when all her hard work seemed to be ignored. Max is a strange one. I really like her at times but at others she can be a bit of a horrible cow!! All the characters are very strong, well defined and have very unique personalities. I loved meeting them again and I'm looking forward to meeting them again in what promises to be a fantastic new novel if this one is anything to go by. All the 'background' characters also have lots of personality and are unique. It has been brilliant to watch how the characters relationships have shaped and grown.
I think Chris's writing skills have definitely strengthened. Although I enjoyed the first book there were parts that seemed to go off on a tangent. However, this book was completely solid, gripping and packed with suspense. The descriptions were great pulling me straight in and making it easy to believe I was on the hunt with the team.
The storyline was unique and I absolutely loved the cliffhanger ending which will leave me thinking about it for a while. This series has definitely kept me intrigued and I am very much looking forward to more of Chris Merritt's books!!!
I really enjoyed that I got to read from both the Killers insight and the victim perspectives. It gives such a bigger picture and helps to identify why they are doing what they do. It would be interesting to see this turned into a movie.
Overall a page turning psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat in the day and awake turning the pages at night.
Genres covered include Police Procedural, Crime and Mystery,
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as ANYONE looking for a page turning read.
449 pages.
This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I loved it!! ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio:
Chris Merritt is a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.
All his novels are set in London, where he lives. He began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. He specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked his interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.
Now he spends most of his time writing novels and drinking coffee while *thinking* about writing novels. When he's not writing, he loves climbing and playing basketball.
Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCJMerritt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17558172.Chris_Merritt
Website: www.cjmerritt.co.uk
BUY LINK:
https://geni.us/B08CH9H7YDSocial
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