Long Time Lost

by Chris Ewan

A specialist in hiding people and providing them with new identities, the protagonist of this thriller helps a woman in witness protection and finds his secret network of clients across Europe coming under threat from a menacing foe.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Crime

464 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

Writing as C.M. Ewan, my latest thriller is A WINDOW BREAKS.

I'm also the author of the popular GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO ... series of mysteries about globetrotting crime writer and thief-for-hire, Charlie Howard. The series has been praised as "crime writing at its best" (Sydney Morning Herald) and a "delightful series" (The Seattle Times) and comprises THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM (winner of the Long Barn Books First Novel Award), THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO PARIS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VEGAS, THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO VENICE and THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO BERLIN.

To download your FREE copy of THE GOOD THIEF'S GUIDE TO MURDER, simply visit my website www.chrisewan.com and enter your email details.

I love to hear from readers and always respond to every email I receive.
You can contact me via:
my website www.chrisewan.com
on Twitter @chrisewan
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chrisewanauthor

My critically acclaimed standalone thrillers include the major bestseller SAFE HOUSE (which has sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK and was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award), DEAD LINE, DARK TIDES (an Observer "Thriller of the Month") and LONG TIME LOST (a "masterful thriller" The Independent). I'm also the author of the Kindle Single story SCARLETT POINT which, like many of my thrillers, is set on the Isle of Man.

I was born in Taunton in 1976 and graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in American Studies with a minor in Canadian Literature, then later trained as a lawyer. After an eleven-year spell living on the Isle of Man, I now live in Somerset, England with my wife and two children, where I write full time.

Reviews

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having quickly established himself as one of my particular favourites Ewan brings us, Long Time Lost, which takes us on a chilling adventure throughout Britain and Europe, focusing on the work of a small team on a personal mission to protect individuals under witness protection. From its suspenseful opening to a beautifully weighted unfolding of a dark and dangerous tale, this book totally justifies the label of ‘unputdownable’. What struck me as I was reading was the sheer cleverness of plotting that Ewan demonstrates throughout, fortified by a band of characters that range from emotionally damaged, to quirky, to downright dastardly. The two main protagonists of Nick and Kate are incredibly appealing, and with both having more layers than a proverbial onion, Ewan slowly draws back the curtain on the tumultuous events in their lives that have shaped Nick’s role as a protector, and how Kate’s character evolves as she finds herself increasingly under threat as a valuable witness. Ewan uses feints and red herrings to great effect, wrong footing our perceptions of certain characters as the story progresses. By slickly moving from country to country there is a wonderful momentum and sense of movement so just as you adjust yourself to the mortal danger our protagonists face, you are speedily transported to another setting where more tension awaits you. This also makes it incredibly difficult to know when to stop reading, as there is a real sense of you wanting to see what’s around the next corner. It’s thrilling, unpredictable and engrossing. Highly recommended.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long Time Lost – Another Brilliant Ewan Thriller

Chris Ewan is rapidly becoming one of the must read thriller writers who brings bags of energy while crafting a stunning story. Chris Ewan is becoming a master storyteller who is on fire, creating story after story that grips you and sticks with you after you have finished.

Long Time Lost is the latest thriller from Chris Ewan whose hero leads where others my fear to tread taking the tough challenges rather than an easy life. Long Time Lost is a fast paced thriller that takes you from the Isle of Man via mainland Europe to the banks of Lake Windermere. Bodies, blood and bullets are to be expected in a tale of good versus evil, with a little police corruption thrown in for good measure. From Long Time Lost it is easy to see why Chris Ewan is an award winning writer and he will continue to win awards.

Nick Miller has created a team of people who offer a highly unique and illegal service, relocating people at risk of being killed by various villains. His service offers those who use it unique identities and new lives in Europe well away from the threat of British criminals. Hiding them in plain sight, the oldest trick of all, in attempt to keep them safe and one step ahead of those hunting them.

Nick Miller excels at offering this service, one of the reasons being that he has had to spend years living a lie to survive any attempt to find and kill him. When Nick prevents the murder of a witness in the police protection scheme there is a knock on effect he had not counted on. Devastating consequences occur for those who are already his clients, especially when one contacts a common enemy of Miller and Kate Sutherland.

So begins a chain reaction of events that place everyone in danger while at the same releasing secrets that are best left in the dark rather than out in the open. Connor Lane will not stop at anything in his hunt for Miller and will kill anyone who gets in his way. This leads to a few chases across European cities and a rising body county while attempting to avoid the police and anyone else who may give them up.

One thing is clear throughout this book, the bad guys are not just bad they are absolutely evil and have no moral compulsion whatsoever at attaining their goals. At the same time Miller will stop at nothing to protect his clients and does so even if the way he goes around things are illegal, but effective.

A great thriller and it is easy to see why Chris Ewan is a rising star in the thriller genre, as he takes time to research and plan his stories. Then through his prose he is able to draw in and engage the reader in an excellent and pulsating thriller which will leave them breathless at the end.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a convoluted, consistent cast of bad guys and corrupt police workers. Even the good guys appear mostly bad. I never knew what to expect from one minute to the next, right from the start.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Simon Vance. A fine performance, as always.

[Plopsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

A 'meh' read, Long Time Lost has the plot of an action movie and the cat-and-mouse chase we'd expect to encounter, but the amount of enjoyment and thrill that is also expected is sadly absent.

Plot - The plot had me in-and-out of boredom, providing twists here and there that didn't have me gasping at all. It's oh so predictable and once I finished the book, I knew I wasn't going to ever pick it up again. Honestly, I liked the last 100 pages or so because I couldn't wait for the ending to get nearer and nearer and to find out the ultimate outcome.

The pace was quite fast throughout the story, even though this book is over 400 pages, and I felt I couldn't quite keep up, so it was a relief when I was on the last pages as they were paced better and much more easier so I could understand everything that was going on and keep up with the action.

Characters - Oh my gosh. These characters...were just so predictable. One of them was called Nick Miller, and he's just what you'd find from an action movie. Big guy with a sad story that has led him to become what he is. And as for another character called Kate...I hated her. She was like a demanding toddler who couldn't hold back her damn feelings and was just a liability. I wish she wasn't a part of the story, but sadly she was.

Overall it was a quite bland and mediocre story, and I think it could be better if it was up on the big screen with some MAJOR rewrites to what happens and who's in it. It's not worth the read unless you're a major fan of the action genre, and I am a fan (I LOVE Sin City) but sadly this book was a disappointment.

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book and I thought the storyline was going to be really exciting and I'd read through it so quickly because I was really into it. Unfortunately, the book was too long and had so much in it that it was almost exhausting to follow and keep up with. I wish it was better written and more to the point because the suspense was good, but the outside stuff was just too much and too long for my taste.

[Lee Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

So how did Miller fund his crew now that his meal ticket was dead? I kept waiting for some reveal, but it never came.

Overall, the book was not suspenseful, and I didn’t care for Kate’s character.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was compulsive reading, to the point where I had to get up in the middle of the night to finish it.

Nick Miller was originally part of a task force in the Manchester City Police that ran the witness protection programme. Until his own family was in need of protection and the system failed. Then he went on the run, and set up his own protective system. All his clients have a single starting point, they are witness to crimes committed by Connor Lane.

Nick requires his clients to walk away from their old lives, from their families, and to establish a new identity outside the UK. They change their appearance, get new work, and wait to be called to provide evidence in a trial. They live on a knife edge, waiting for the phone call that tells them they must go on the run again. When they need him, Nick will be there.

For the most part this is a thriller, but there are unexpected twists at the end.

[Jim Coughenour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually I'm not thrilled by thrillers – my favorite genre is cerebral, slightly-dull procedurals, like those by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö or Henning Mankell – but I was diverted by the desperate circumstances of Ewan's Nick Miller & team, who are refreshingly inept at being the exceptional cartoon characters they first seem to be. I won't say a word about the plot because anyone who dives into this book deserves to enjoy its twists and turns.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an action packed thriller that moves along at a fast pace. It has a
good plot that keeps you reading until the end. Nick Miller and his team
hide people and relocate them across Europe with new identities and new
lives. Here he tries to prevent a murder while looking for the people who
Killed his wife and daughter. Kate Sutherland is the woman he is trying to
save and a character you will root for. I enjoyed this book and look forward
to his next .

[Katie OF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read! Gripping and an interesting story. Different to other crime books I’ve read. Pleasantly surprised as it was a random find!

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is in hiding under a police witness protection scheme. When those she is hiding from arrive to kill her, Miller offers to take over Kate’s protection using his own private protection scheme. However his terms are that if she wants to live she must give up every part of her previous life – and that may be too much to ask.

Then, unexpectedly, Miller finds himself in a race against time to save the clients he has hidden away all across Europe. His clients are not always as grateful and obliging as he would hope, and, as his is an illegal protection scheme, he can’t look to any law enforcement agencies for help. Who is Miller? Can Kate trust him? Who is he protecting, and from what?

The first page of this thriller is exciting and dramatic, and the action and drama continues throughout the book, alongside a great story. Miller’s team are people you get to know through the book and are an interesting group. Their roles certainly made me stop and think about what hiding and protecting people might involve in real life.

The book travels through many European locations starting in the Isle of Man and Manchester, then travelling to Hamburg, Rome, Arles in France, Prague and Brienz in Switzerland …. Life is very hectic during these visits, so mostly the reader only gets a quick glimpse, often at a running pace, but enough is shown of some of these settings to give the reader a flavour of their character.

The themes of starting a new life afresh and hiding one’s past are interesting in themselves, as are the logistics of keeping track of these people and keeping them safe – particularly with all the positives and negatives of technology if you are trying to stay hidden.

Quite apart from the thrilling pace of the book, and the action, there are some great background stories going on, which give the characters life and interest. Most of the book is involved with only a few main characters, though there are quite a number of peripheral characters and sometimes I found I had lost track of exactly what had happened to them. However the writing was so good that I did not need to go back and check it out, the author clarified things quickly as the story progressed.

There is so much going on in this book that it is not a quick read but is easy to follow. My guess is that most readers will rush through it, but the writing style also makes it perfect for short stints of reading. Perfect for a holiday, long flight, or if you just want to escape into a great book.

Overall a great, and exciting thriller. I hope to read more of Chris Ewan soon.

Over on our blog we chat to the author: http://www.tripfiction.com/thriller-s...

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

After being placed under police protection, the last thing Kate expects is to find someone breaking into her apartment to warn her that she's not safe. However, she is soon under the wing of Miller, a stranger who promises to keep her safe and hidden from murderous danger. But after Kate is under Miller's wing, his team who have worked for years to protect several clients soon notice cracks beginning to firm, their system isn't safe at all - and there is someone quite deadly after them all...

After reading A Window Breaks, I was interested to see what other titles Chris Ewan had. I purchased Long Time Lost on Boxing day of 2019 and have had it sitting on my shelf, waiting for its moment since. Now that I have read it, I can't help but feel a little meh about it.

The idea of a secret service protecting those from a cruel killer is the sort of plot that would normally grip me, yet Long Time Lost really didn't keep me hooked as much as I had hoped it would. With a relatively large cast, there's no doubt that Long Time Lost has a fast-paced action-packed plot, but the writing style almost made it exhausting to read. There was a simplicity to Chris's writing that made the plot falter heavily, in my opinion.

I struggled to like any of the characters and found some of the moments extremely cliched and predictable. I grew pretty bored of Long Time Lost and vowed to not give up on it. Thankfully, in around 300 pages in, there are some twists that made me forgive the previous chapters a little, but not enough to make me recommend this book to others.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a third of the way through this I found myself wondering whether there ought to be some sort of prescribed limit on cliff-hangers, because, for my taste, (but obviously not, judging from the comments, for many others), the endless rat-tat-tat of these were relentless. At the expense of character and believable dialogue.

I bought this for my husband, on the strength of the Isle of Man being mentioned as location (it was, but fleetingly) and I did read nearly all of it, but somewhere past page 400 I gave up, unable to care any more. About any of them.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bang on thriller, proper page turner, brilliantly written and top notch. My favourite from this author so far. By about a mile. And you know I QUITE liked the others.

Long Time Lost is what a proper thriller looks like.

Full review on 5th May for publication. Plus something a little extra.

Highly Recommended!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK thriller. Not great but adequate. But one major plot point really bothered me. The hero leaves his backpack with his I pad at the luggage storage at the train station in Rome and it is stolen. Really? Anyone with an ounce of sense would never ever ever leave an electronic device with top secret info in such a place. This really diminished the hero in my eyes.

[Cactus · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4, sometimes a 4.5-5.

Why was I reminded of the movie title ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’?
Maybe because these various transport modes in this story were used by the goodies to traverse European countries and towns. It seemed to escalate in transportation suspense when being hunted down and trying to keep just ahead of the baddies.

Or in the line of fire. This plot had all the essential ingredients of an adventurous crime thriller that you’d see on a TV series/movie. It got me in immediately!

I liked the fact that the book was aptly divided into nine parts, each being a different geographical setting in Europe. It made for easy sittings and it was easy to follow so that when you returned you knew it was launching into the next sub-plot and adventure for the main protagonists, Nick and Kate.

It takes the reader from the Isle of Man (Part 1) & Weston Super-Mare (Part 2) in the UK where the settings, events and main characters are first introduced, and ends back in the UK, at Lake Windermere (Part 8)….after we’ve travelled to Hamburg, Germany (Part 3), Rome, Italy (Part 4), Arles, France (Part 5), Prague, Czech Republic (Part 6) and Brienz, Switzerland (Part 7).

But there’s an Epilogue, Part 9, that’s well sewn up and conclusive…but a tad too convenient. Predictable yet with a timely twist that puts the lid on the coffin for the antagonist at last.

These various geographical settings and characters, from the very beginning, thus determine the sequence of further events to come. Nick and Kate (btw, the names sound good, quick to say, easy to recall) are there throughout each Part which ties each country’s sub-plot and new character/s into the main plot rather neatly…though somewhat complex and exhausting!

We meet Nick ‘Miller’ on page 1, his alias to his real identity, Nick Adams. Instantly the action begins when he gets a call from Kate Sutherland who is being hunted down, even though she’s in hiding on the Isle of Man. Miller has to convince her that she’s unsafe and to go with him for protection, into his illegal program. She has her doubts but he tells her to phone him when in need, and she does. It’s the first gripping paragraph opener to the plot.

However, when the killer found Kate, she was prepared…very prepared and with a deadly skill. This of course starts the life and death adventure saga, a real roller-coaster ride, page after page; perhaps a tad drawn out at times. But we get hooked up in the web of the hunter, an evil and unethical man, one Connor Lane…is he the antagonist?

Nick knows it’s him…the torturous pursuer. He convinces Kate that it’s Lane who is sending his henchman to kill her. As it turns out, she was an Olympic standard athlete and a shooter! Such unbelievably convenient skills in this plot!

Thus Conner, a rich man of power and position, whose brother Russell was to go on trial for murder (Kate is an important witness against Russell in last seeing him with the dead woman), is very, very aggravated we learn. He’s a typical evil baddie with a privileged and charitable facade… but there’s a mystery underlying it all.

We learn that Lane’s parents died when the boys were young and his father’s close right-hand man, Renner, is still working for Connor but has a close relationship with Russell, like a son. Renner is a key character, as everything he does for Connor Lane is to protect his brother Russell. He's quite a likeable baddie as far as baddie's go!

There’s another henchman, Wade, who 'works' with the older Renner, but this younger baddie, we soon discover, stops at nothing to kill and seriously injure, especially giving his victims an upside-down perspective in their last moments. Wow, this hideous character certainly took the plot to dizzying heights? But have I seen this before in a movie? Maybe a little too much of a template.

Lane seems to get away with much, of course, and Nick knows it…but has to prove it. It’s his incentive and focus. Lane was directly involved with Nick’s own terrible family trauma but the police have Nick on their books instead…obviously framed we observe. Something seems wrong in the police department we wonder…

And Nick was once working for them too...in their Witness Protection Program. Transferable skills indeed! Thus he is now in hiding himself, from the very employer he worked for. Nick’s also working behind-the-scenes to protect people like Kate…from people like Lane. As well as others.

But the author hooks us in further as the mystery intensifies and the pace hastens. In the ‘nick’ of time (lol, couldn’t resist the pun), Kate was saved on the Isle but she is definitely not over the threat.

This new phase of the plot reveals a new level of interest for the reader…the process of protecting clients. It’s another dimension of secrecy and ID change, to escape the villains, the police, and any connection to their former identity; turning away from one's previous life totally. It’s fascinating.

Kate is instantly transformed in an artistic & behavioural make-over by new characters, part of Nick’s new team….and his new ‘family’…an eclectic pair. Not quite the FBI but it had a bit of a Dragon Tattoo feel to it, re the very clever techno-computer nerd, Hansen, who gives Kate a new passport and identity, Kate Ryan. There is one large and loud (too much at times) former actress, Becca.

Together they are a comedic and quick-witted pair, bantering always, yet are quite affable, trustworthy and committed to Nick we soon discover, like family. Replacing his former one, they watch over him. And it works well amidst the drama. These two entice romance between Kate and Nick at all times, even when under duress. Perhaps a bit over-the-top by Becca though. She began to annoy me.

And of course it served to impress upon the reader that there is actually chemistry between the two protagonists which kept the embers burning throughout the plot…but it wasn’t quite alluring enough for me. I’m still not quite sure about Kate’s character…there’s something about her.

I even had her pinned as being on Lane’s team, part of a set-up in order to track down Nick. Perhaps it was for the author initially but as it came towards the end, I sensed that it wouldn’t work as much as their chemistry…he needed love and she needed support to find her long-lost abandoned brother too. Yet I had that niggling feeling still.

Kate’s character wasn’t really appealing but I can’t effectively describe why, other than she seemed to have secrets or an alternative motive. At one stage I thought she was, in fact, working for someone else or even independently? And we can assume that Kate wasn’t expecting Hansen to track down her brother, or falling in love with Nick but, oh my, there was quite an amount of cajoling on Hansen and Becca’s part…without which, one wonder’s, whether it would have occurred naturally though? And goodness knows what his appeal was, especially during all this life and death drama?

Nick’s a big, heavy guy who is ravenous for donuts, six boxes of six at a time; it’s enough to put you off! How he climbs & races around, even clambering up on a cathedral to rescue someone he’s protecting, is a tad too ridiculous…he’s no nimble or elite athlete…he needed Kate here!

But the author has created Nick’s character to be a rather nice guy with more than an interest in Kate but also with a deep grief which seems to gain our empathy. The plot evolves, and gradually informs us, around what happened in Nick’s past, four years earlier. His wife Sarah, who ran the shelter for runaways, & their teenage daughter Melanie, were killed, their bodies and house burnt afterwards, along with evidence.

Though when we learn that Melanie’s friend, a young runaway, Anna Brooks, claimed that Russell Lane had raped her, the plot thickened. It did put Russell, who we don't actually meet, into the limelight through accusation. However, another important character, Detective Jennifer Lloyd, introduced at the start, and whose quest is to find Nick Adams, arrest him and close his family’s newly-opened case thereafter, is discovering more about the whole Adams-Lane accusations, including Russell Lane himself.

This investigative character is a key, appearing simultaneously and in parallel to the main plot, with new snippets of information to whet our appetite further and maintain suspense. For example, Lloyd discovers, when she interviews Anna’s parents, that Anna had epilepsy….a DNA key in the plot later. Good idea!

Suspicions also rise, as does the suspense, about the character of Connor Lane but evidence is needed…Lloyd still can’t get past Nick being the killer of his family but alas, albeit slowly, soon realises it just may not be. Sarah’s sister Fiona was also, conveniently, a neighbour to Sarah and Nick. Lloyd makes some observations that click into place later…clues for the reader too. The postcard on the fridge is a nice one.

Indeed, when Lloyd informs her colleagues, Young and Foster particularly, that she begins to smell a rat…internally…suspense heightens further. Ah, the old ‘inside-job’! Lloyd herself eventually checks their computers; of course she knows their passwords! Antagonists abound...Lloyd is now on the hunt. The pace jumps along with that of the angst that the protagonists are enduring in Europe.

This investigation by Lloyd is split into, and in between, the hectic travel schedule chapters with Kate and Nick, Becca and Hansen. It works well. These action-packed chapters are focussed upon the people Nick has put into hiding and who have all been connected to Lane we soon learn. Lloyd is also coming to the same conclusion…it’s been well-researched and planned by the author. Freight trains all heading to Lane’s station…with some collisions along the way.

In particular, we meet Clive, who, in his desperation and loneliness, spoke to another hidden and desperate girl in Rome it seems…his untimely demise sent the plot spiralling. The girl, with her drug addiction in tow, had to escape immediately, as did the others in hiding. Nick, of course, arrives in time, always! He learns from his mistakes with poor Clive. The worry for him is peaking; he eats more junk-food! Lane’s henchmen on his tail. Suspense and drama escalating. It's got me in.

But there is just enough time for some love…a reprieve for us, Nick and Kate. But oh gosh, after a plane trip, and all that stress and sweat, Kate, at least, had her shower, wrapped herself in a robe and sat on the bed…but not Nick! A large guy like him? Sorry, no appeal! And it seemed almost mandatory for them, to please Becca. It’s dealt with quickly and we move onto the next dramatic action scenes and heart-warming characters.

In Arles, we meet Peter (?) and his cute 4 yr old daughter Emily, whose mother, a hostess for a private airline, had been killed too. It added to the familial atmosphere in the plot and the reason behind Nick’s intent in hiding these people all over Europe. He’s a really good guy, desperate to save people, especially families, after failing to save his own…it spurs him forward along with the tension in the plot. He’s exhausted beyond words…we feel it.

Though some scenes were quite overdone or was it a necessity on this high roller-coaster ride? The bull raging event during the great escape in France, on foot, with Kate carrying Emily, was most intense but how extraordinary that Kate was once an athlete, quicker than a bull and able to hoist herself over that fence, shoving Emily up first? It’s about having the right characters with the right skills at the right moment, facing the right threats!

It also adds to the depth and dimension of the plot’s suspense. And there’s plenty of twists and turns, shocks and upside-down moments to keep you reading onwards. With some love going in new directions, there are some surprises near the end, with new and important characters to assist Nick, especially in Brienz, that take the plot’s action, storyline and geographical settings to new heights! And there's a sign of hope for Nick and his resurrected past...and that was appealing.

But it’s the news, in Part 8’s beautiful Lake Windermere, that specifically brings it to an effective conclusion, with secrets having been buried, along with some bodies, that are finally exposed…a boathouse truth not known and a love that evaded even the terrorist of a huntsman.

It was convenient and too timely that Lloyd showed up to confront Connor Lane, seeing the torchlights…at the right moment again…characters, events, skills, truth all coming to the fore. Thus all the evidence of the past is discovered at last…too neatly…with Lane spilling the beans and his henchman holding the gun. Just desserts!

The Epilogue, several months later, also concludes, rather aptly, with Kate meeting her long-lost brother…via Hansen’s handy skills….another right moment! The team is now like a family…Becca is happy that Nick seems to have found a new mate to move forward with in his life, putting the past behind him…new horizons.

While they are all relaxed and sitting together under the sun in Europe, asking Kate to join their working family, how could she refuse when a brother is spied at last…tears in her eyes? I’m wondering if another book might take-over now?

It was an exhausting, tiring adventure, a rather complicated plot which was dealt with methodically and with organisation in order for the reader to follow. I was quite satisfied as it was an easy read too. I was able to follow it and keep up the pace, if not rather breathlessly! I learnt quite a bit about protection programs too.

Though it’s not quite up there with others I’ve read I think that’s partly because it was too lengthy. It could have been reduced; the first 150 pages in particular. And the title is not memorable at all, nor the cover appropriate…just got lost on me. I even have to look it up now to remember it! Not a good sign…editors need to think this through carefully before publication!

Overall, it was well set out in Parts and had enough suspense to keep you from watching the CV 19 drama on TV! I was exhausted after reading it…how did they survive? Quite a frightening crime tale.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable, fast-paced thriller, chasing all around Europe.

Kate Sutherland is set to testify against a rich and powerful foe, so the police hide her on the Isle of Man. There she is confronted by a stranger, Nick Miller, who tells her that her life's in danger and that he can help her escape and hide. Ignoring Nick, she ends up barely escaping a hitman before she realizes that she needs Nick's help.

And off we go. Nick and friends help Kate escape, but Nick's other escapees are being hunted down and tortured, leading to a cat and mouse game throughout Germany, France, Czech Republic, and others before a deadly confrontation in Switzerland. But who's chasing whom and why? And what are the secrets that Nick is keeping? Will the UK police finally expose Nick's history? Can Kate's life ever return back to normal?

Great action, fun villains, and a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. The romance initially feels a bit forced and clunky, but it gets going in the end. Hopefully we'll hear more from Nick.

[L.A. Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Jack Reacher, a savvy, enthralling thriller.
The premise of Long Time Lost is a clever one: Nick Miller helps people disappear, setting them up with a new life and identity, because witness protection just doesn’t cut it when it comes to criminals like Connor Lane, who can find almost anyone. Kate Sutherland is the focus of Miller’s efforts throughout the story, and his relationship with her makes the thriller more than an intriguing crime-spy thriller, which it most certainly is. It makes it personal, as we watch them deal with their worlds implode and the dance of trust and doubt they both experience. Renner has to be one of my favourite henchmen of all time. Old school. Loyal. Saddled with a Mancunian psychopath, a killer with no scruples, a new type of assassin. I heartily recommend this book!

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great writing once more and a complex plot line but somehow not quite up to the standard of Safe House. Maybe because I had to work a bit harder with this one. It wasn't that easy to follow and I found myself confused occasionally as to who exactly was who. Like I say, possibly my own fault. But the story line is sound and the action is exceptional. The jeopardy couldn't be better handled and the twists were totally unpredictable. One particular one that I didn't see coming at all even though it was hinted at. It moves around Europe quite a lot which I like and the baddies are proper baddies. They're just as difficult to deal with as bindweed or Herpes: relentless. The ending worked well even if it was a little bit happy. Not entirely, but not quite as bleak as Safe House. Still a great read though.

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so good. Too good to be true. I got about halfway through the book and, despite what I’m about to say, I tried so hard to tolerate Kate’s character. And then I couldn’t anymore. Especially after her whole “stepping out of the shower with only a small towel wrapped around her” gig, I was done. There was nothing that led me to believe that there was chemistry between her and Nick. But the story was otherwise so good. I loved Nick and Becca and Hanson. It’s just a shame I couldn’t finish it.

[Liane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got started with this I found it hard to put down!
It was a little bit clichéd in places but over all I really enjoyed it.
I would have given it five stars but I felt that the ending let it down, it just wasn't quite as strong as the rest of the book, still a great read but I felt it could have had a more dramatic and realistic ending considering how the rest of the story had gone.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Nick Miller helps people hide from a very bad man, a man who killed his wife and daughter. When he goes to help Kate, a witness who agrees to testify against this same man is marked to be killed. Nick gets involved and gets her out and then all goes to hell. He has five other people also hiding. They are all targets now.
Great suspense as things unravel.

[Nena Gluchacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read and the plot line had huge potential, but the writing came off very amateur. Lots of unnecessary detail and cardboard characters. The attraction and relationship between Miller and Kate seemed to happen out of nowhere and was not very believable.

[linda hewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isle of Man mention

Having read two other books by Chris Ewan I was excited to read this latest novel. It didn't disappoint. I particularly liked the way the author wrote about the different locations

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly thrilling thriller, with bullets, bodies and blood. I do question my appetite for such books, answering that it is the skill of the writer that keeps me hooked. Chris Ewan, you are a skilled writer and this was a good read.

[Mary Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I listened to this and I honestly only have a vague recollection. I do remember that at times I felt like I had to suspend all my disbelief. It was an ok time filler....something to listen to while I knit or walk.

[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you decide to read this one just make sure you have a comfortable place to read in. It is a turn pager that I could not put down......

[Raymond Rusinak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an intriguing and enjoyable page turner. Highly recommended for your summer reading list.

[Mary Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and about a subject I did not know too much about.

[Brian Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.