THE NEW HOME

4 stars out of 5

If there's any character in any book who personifies the old maxim, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you," it's Freya Northcott, the main character in this book. But honestly, knowing that didn't decrease my urge to throttle her most of the way through the story. In fact, when other characters urged her to take anxiety-relieving drugs, I kept hoping they'd ignore her refusals, tie her down and get 'em in her one way or another.

But paranoia also can make for a don't-want-to put-down adventure, and this tale qualifies. Freya and her fiance Jack have moved to a fixer-upper home in the London suburb of Waybridge, which is closer to the hospital where he works as a cardiology consultant. Freya is a developer/producer of video documentaries, but she has no projects in the works at present, in part because the pandemic has put the brakes on most parts of the economy. She also has a vivid imagination, which can be helpful in her professional endeavors. In her private life? Maybe yes, maybe no.

When she and Jack first meet Emily and Michael, the couple next door, for instance, Freya gleans a hint that Jack and Emily aren't strangers. When they meet the elderly Cathy, the neighbor on the other side of the house, Freya intuits that life isn't all roses for Emily and Michael. When Emily and her young daughter Thea go missing, then, it's an easy leap for Freya's ever-suspicious mind to conclude that Michael is the culprit.

Something else that happens to Freya sends her paranoid genes into overdrive; after that, she vows not to stop until she's found Emily and Thea even though logic tells her they're dead. From that point on, she pretty much goes bonkers - going places and doing things that "normal" people - including the police and her fiance - consider both illogical and downright illegal. All the while, she rationalizes that she's doing it in the best interests of her close friend Emily (whom she's known for all of a few days total).

Needless to say, at least some of Freya's illusions may be real; as readers learn along the way, several characters aren't exactly who they claim to be (i.e., they have secrets they'd rather not be revealed). So how does Freya sort out truth from fiction (maybe more to the point, how can readers know who's who and what's what)? By the somewhat surprising end - in fact, even after it - I'm not totally sure any of us has a good answer. But getting there certainly was an engaging adventure - as expected from this talented author - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The New Home by Chris Merritt (Bookouture, September 2021); 302 pp.

KNOCK KNOCK

4 stars out of 5

This is the first in a series featuring London Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart and psychologist Dr. Lexi Green, and while I enjoyed it (the serial killer's modus operandi is unique and wonderfully gruesome), I have to say I never felt a real "connection" between the lead characters. Of course, they're just getting started - and both have baggage from their past lives that weigh down the chances for successful relationships with anyone else. And near the end they both showed a little more emotion, so I do think there's hope for a solid friendship if not romance in future editions.

The two actually met when Dan, whose wife disappeared but so far hasn't been found, began counseling sessions with Lexi. Not knowing whether she's alive or dead has turned Dan into an alcoholic druggie of sorts, although he's able to slog through work when needed. But then, he's called to investigate the murder of a wealthy woman, and the similarities to an earlier murder are almost identical: choked by a metal ball, both women's ring fingers were oddly scratched. Not everyone on Dan's team, including his boss, are convinced that a serial killer is at work, so Dan decides to ask Lexi for professional input as to an overall profile and motive.

Lexi goes to work, coming up with a theory that's linked to an online community of women-hating men. At first, she's paid; but when no one, including Dan, take her work seriously, she decides to show them the error of their thoughts by continuing her work on her own because she's convinced the killer is lurking in the shadows of the Internet "mansphere." Even if neither she nor Dan foresee any danger in that going off the deep end approach (as professionals, it's a mystery to me why neither of them did), readers can see right away where the story is headed.

Meantime, interspersed with the investigation are glimpses into the killer's mind - and the awareness of from whence his inspiration comes. The action leans toward frenetic near the end, which brings a near end to at least one character (nope, not gonna tell). All told, it's a solid start to a new series. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-publication copy for review.

Knock Knock by Chris Merritt (Bookouture, March 2020); 416 pp.

LAST WITNESS

4 stars out of 5


Engrossing, fast-paced story - and maybe better still, a character who's a highly capable cop tinged with vulnerability (in fact, he and his wife remind me a bit of another favorite couple of mine, James Patterson's Alex Cross and his wife, Bree Stone). I missed the first book in this series, but trust me, I'll be at the head of the line when the next one comes out (reportedly in early 2019).

Detective Inspector Zachariah Boateng, who is South African, works for the Lewisham Major Investigative Team (U.K.) and is married to Etta, an attorney. Their young daughter Amelia was shot and killed five years ago (I presume that was detailed in the first book). Responding to an invitation from old friend and police colleague Troy McEwen to come talk about "back then," Zac walks in to find Troy dead - an apparent suicide. Zac thinks otherwise, believing that Troy's death is connected to some mistakes that happened during a case they worked some 20 years earlier that they buried under the paperwork.

If Zac is correct about Troy's death being a murder, he believes he could be a target as well - as could others involved in that long-ago incident. When a another one turns up dead, Zac is certain he's on the hit list as well. Problem is, he can't conduct an official investigation of Troy's death without revealing everything he knows about what really happened back then - details he's never shared with anyone, including Etta; putting the spotlight on them could, in all likelihood, cost him his career and his marriage. So amid his other duties, Zac tries to work in surreptitious investigation of Troy's death, with the assumption that there's a single killer with the singular purpose of evening up the score. But can he find that killer before the killer gets to him?

The path toward that end is filled with speed bumps, misdirections and dead ends as expected - and the ending leaves the door a little bit open for future stories (also as expected with a series). The ride at times seemed a bit choppy and disconnected, but my overall take is that I enjoyed it - in no small part because the driver is such an interesting character that I want to read more about him. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the advance review copy. Good job!

Last Witness by Chris Merritt (Bookouture, July 2018); 325 pp.