No One Knows

by Jim McGhee

Ten years ago a 13-year-old girl disappeared from her home.
And every single year her mother has begged the police to find her.
Finally she turns to private eye Barney Mains, a man who distrusts the police hierarchy as much as she does.
But then an ex-cop is murdered right after Barney's visit.
Is he being set up?
Is he leading the killer to his next victim, like some unwitting Angel of Death?

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2026

About the author

Jim McGhee’s a former award-winning environmental journalist.

Previously based in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, Scotland, he now resides in Nice in the South of France, main setting for the DI Barney Mains series.

After a full-on career as a campaigning newspaper reporter, he and late wife Jean launched their own recruitment company in central Edinburgh and for twelve fun-packed years worked closely together alongside their brilliant team - without spilling a single drop of blood.

The Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments, on the other hand, have provided a host of dramatic locations just perfect as inspiration for the odd spot of fictional gore.

Locals, blessed with settings which range from unspoilt mountain villages to the classic palms-and-marinas Mediterranean coast, claim that they can be swimming one moment and skiing a little over an hour later. It’s a claim not yet put to the test!

Besides, when not writing or travelling, Jim’s more likely to be off on a hike in the hills with his ever-ready buddy, Jack the Irish Terrier.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the latest novel in the Barney Mains novels. It is a stand-alone but it helps to have read earlier books just to know how Scotsman Barney wound up in France as a private detective. I've read almost every one and really like Barney and the Nice, France setting. Mr. McGhee is excellent at keeping the action going and keeping you guessing about who the perpetrator of the crime is. This is no exception. I won’t go into detail about the plot – you can read the summary elsewhere. Barney takes on a client who wants to find her daughter who disappeared 10 years ago and winds up with a lot more complicated case than he ever expected. He does get to interact with his old Police Nationale partner, Jean-Luc, a little bit but I admit I miss the days when Barney was still police and working day to day with Jean-Luc. As Barney works to solve the case, he finds himself looking across the channel to England as well as wondering if Interpol might be involved – so you can see, it is a complicated plot and one must pay some attention to fully enjoy the intricacies of the novel. The pace is pretty much non-stop so be prepared to read far past when you had planned! Mr. McGhee has a great background for telling stories that involve the police and journalists (and journalists are present in this book) so please read his short bio at the end of the book. FYI this is not a book for youngsters. I can’t say more without spoilers, but I would not recommend this to a reader younger than at least 16 and that should be a mature 16. So be prepared for a wild ride in the latest Barney Mains adventure!

I read a free ARC and I leave this review voluntarily and with pleasure.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner in one of my long time favorite series. Barney has fallen from grace with the French police and is now a PI. Set in the glamorous Riviera I live vicariously as I picture the scenery in my mind. If you haven’t read any of the previous in the series you should! You can certainly enjoy this one as a standalone. Barney is approached by an aloof mother whose daughter disappeared a decade ago. Interpol, Scotland Yard nor the police made any progress on the case. Of course she isn’t exactly forthcoming in facts or the truth. Little does Barney know the mess he’s about to entangle himself in. It’s a dark and twisted investigation into the underbelly of humanity. The overall plot is timely and tugged at my heart. There were sharp turns I didn’t expect and my suspect list kept growing. The suspense is steady and the mystery kept me engaged. I enjoyed the appearance of many characters from previous stories. As cliché as it sounds, I believe this is the author’s best yet and as always eagerly await the next adventure with my favorite Scottish protagonist. Many thanks to BookSirens and publisher Jackamos for the digital Advance Reader Copy of “No One Knows” (DI Barney Mains #7) by Jim McGhee. Publication 02/26/2026. These are always my own personal honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

[Deity World · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to see Barney back and again in trouble but can him and his team solve another challenging case

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Barney Mains is back! Now a PI, Barney gets a visit from the mother of a girl who was kidnapped ten years ago aged thirteen. She is convinced that Lucy is still alive - but where? After a similar case, the French police kept everything out of the media, and even the combined forces of Interpol and Scotland Yard produced no leads. Barney is her last hope, but something’s not right. The code on the police file he receives anonymously sets off a red flag when his old colleague Ffiona McLuskey, now a DI in the Met’s Cyber Crime, looks it up. Almost immediately strange things begin to happen, the sort of events that seem to surround Barney’s cases. One of the four men closest to the original investigation dies a few hours after Barney tried to visit him, and so it dawns on Barney – the confidential police file, the black car following him, the insinuation that he would no longer be a thorn in the police’s side – is a pawn in someone’s plan? Another of the four is horribly murdered and Barney is arrested but when a third dies, he has the best alibi possible – spending a night in the cells. So Barney, Shona and Jack put their heads together. All victims were connected to the case and all were members of the same club. Is the killer taking revenge for something? Are there more lives at risk? With the help of Jean-Luc, Bridget, and journalists Jimmy and Margot from previous stories, all they need to do now is catch the killer, find the girl and so much more too.
Although perfectly enjoyable on its own, I would strongly urge anyone to read the whole brilliant series to get know the history behind Barney’s life and adventures so far. It was great to have many familiar and loyal faces back, such as Barney’s long-suffering partner and fellow Scot tech billionaire Shona Gladstone, Charlie Chaplin impersonator and popular actor Jack Thomson and Barney’s old partner Captain Jean-Luc Verten, in a dark and chilling very topically themed story with plenty of twists and suspicious characters. There’s also much humour in this tale as the incredibly likeable lead character finds himself surrounded by danger and hidden secrets. I think this might just be the best yet!

[Daryl P Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barney finds his feet and some secrets.

Having enjoyed all the previous books in this series, I am au fait with the backstories and significant relationships you will encounter in this text. If this is your first read of Barney Mains, then you will lose some of that richness and may feel it's only worth four stars. Do, please, make your acquaintance with this cast from the start and you will see where this ranks in the cannon. Barney has lost the police liaison (and consequently some protection) role he had and is now a private investigator. He has wealthy clients and is fortunate in still being in a relationship with a billionaire woman who shares his Scots background. There is some humour, but peril builds from several quarters, including the police. A cold case of a disappeared daughter quickly becomes a current, multiple murder one - and Barney is a strong suspect. Twists and turns toy with the reader's perception and suspicions, but there is a satisfying and credible solution. Trigger warning in that it deals with paedophiles and people trafficking, so not completely cosy. I am looking forward to the next instalment.

I received a free advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ulrika Gustafsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must confess, I adore Barney Maines. Since the first book in this series I have been smitten.

There is something about that expat brit, once a cop and now a PI in Nice, that makes me feel like I’m reading about a friend. It’s feelgood, but with a serious tone.

This time it’s especially gruesome as Barney is searching for a missing girl, gone for ten years, and soon discover that the traces points at serious trafficking cleverly disguised.

I mostly have a hard time reading about subjects like this, but somehow it’s easier to read it through Barney, following his actions and reactions.

Jim McGhee is a great storyteller, shifting seamlessly between small details and over all panoramas. He always manages to write about current subjects and this is no exception. It’s aweful, but it needs to be told.

As always the story flows easy and the language is rich and engaging. A solid five stars from me.

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

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Barney Mains and read every book in the series as soon as Jim McGhee makes them available. I think I've given all but one a 5 star rating. This one gets 4.5 rounded up. Some proofreading errors are present, but not so many as to have me drop a star.

Now that Barney is no longer a police officer, he is forced to work on what he calls "civvy street". Working without police authority is a challenge, especially when the local police hate him. They would rather jail him than help him with his investigations. Luckily, he can still reach out to his former partner with the Police Nationale, Jean-Luc.

The story is full of twists. I often thought the title No One Knows was perfect. It seemed that there was much that even Barney did not know. I'd say more but don't want to write any spoilers.

I received a free advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to a fantastic series. Barney is now a PI and is hired by a woman to look into the kidnapping of her daughter ten years ago. He is not sure how he can help when the police and even Interpol failed but soon finds himself in the middle of something that others definitely want to keep hidden.

It's quite a page-turner here with some very interesting characters and I definitely did not know who to trust and what everyone's real agenda was. I was riveted all the way through. Barney is such a likeable character and I love how he manages to weed out the truth in the end. Absolutely brilliant.

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

[Amber Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you BookSirens for the ARC!

What do a 10 year old child abduction case, a miniature railroad train enthusiast group, a network of pedophiles, and a revenge murderer have in common? You'll have to read this book to find out!
This is my first taste of former DI Barney Mains as well as my first book by Jim McGhee, but it definitely won't be my last. I love a good mystery and this one sucked me right in! There were plot twists I didn't see coming, parts I had to reread to make sure I didn't hallucinate the sentence, and two (three? more?) cases to solve in this one short book.
If you like a good psychological thriller, mystery, police procedural that is reminiscent of Midsomer Murders, this is a great pick!

[Kathryn Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is Barney being set up?

Or is his hatred of the local police leading him down the wrong trail?

It's hard to know whether we're dealing with an unreliable narrator, a mistaken PI or truly a hero in this cold kidnap case. But if it's so cold, why do the people associated with the investigation keep dying, just after Barney visits them?

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

This plot had so many twists that I could hardly keep up with the final unravelling.

[Lorelei Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. It was about a private investigator who is hired to locate a child who went missing 10 years before and who the police couldn't successfully locate.

There was lots of suspense and several twists in the story. The author has a concise writing style which keeps the reader focused on the story line. The characters were believable. The plot was easy to follow.

If you like reading suspenseful stories, you may want to read this one.

I received a free advance reader copy of the book. The opinion that I express is my own.

[Audrey]

Ten yrs ago her daughter was kidnapped. The police do nothing to find her. So she hires ex cop PI Barney Mains.
This is a twist and turn book with plenty of interesting characters. It is definitely an original story line! The writing was smooth and cohesive. Beware: there is pedophilia and suicide in this book! I haven’t read any of the previous books but didn’t need to to understand this book. I highly recommend this book and this author.

[Bruce Tamanaha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting case, that is a slow burn. Things move along nicely with plot twists and changes that make you think.

A young girl kidnapped 10 years ago, and now it's Barney Mains time to try and solve it. With the case in his hands, people close to the case are dying. The finger potentially points to Barney, but it's a young blond woman, who takes the lead.

An entertaining mystery.

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

[Visionary Impart · Rating 5 out of 5]

No One Knows by Jim McGhee delivers a gripping, emotionally charged mystery that pulls you in from the first line. The haunting disappearance and a mother’s relentless hope create great tension, while Barney Mains’ dogged pursuit of truth adds depth and urgency. Twisty, atmospheric, and hard to put down, this crime thriller promises another compelling case in a standout series.

[Nancy Fagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting like all McPhee stories. Lots of action, with light romance and humor. I recommend the book.

I received an advance copy of the book for free through Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another ripper read from Jim, loved the novel. I’m still unsure who the actual killer was but I liked the idea of poetic justice. Plenty of twists and turns, with excellent characters. Barney of course takes the investigations into unconventional areas and methods. I couldn’t put it down.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author and to say that I was impressed is an understatement. I will be returning to read more of this authors work. This book was a page turner, well written with enough twist to keep you intrigued!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barney is employed to find out what happened to a young girl that disappeared 10 years ago by her mam that never gave up believing she was still alive.
Lots of twists that keep you suspected till the end.
Thanks to Book Sirens for the ARC and I give my honest review.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Jim McGhee has written another intriguing story with moments of humor to balance the not as enjoyable moments. Barney Mains is now a private investigator in Nice, France. A woman whose daughter has been missing for 10 years hires Barney to look into the case. Like other Mains books, this one is sadly topical (no spoilers).

I enjoyed Barney referring to his PI work as “civvy street”, and his interactions with Jean-Luc, his former Police Nationale colleague. Also, I appreciated the “Hill Street Blues” reference near the end of the book. I’m old, LOL.

Taking off a half-star for one bad typo about midway through the book. Other than that, this is a 5-star book.

I have read each book in the Mains series. This one can be read as a standalone, but it’s better to start at the beginning to learn more about Barney and other characters.

i received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.