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DI Ray Drake #1
Ich Vergebe Nicht
DI Ray Drake investigates a spate of murders targeting former residents of a children's home in the dark, original and addictive debut thriller from M.K. Hill.
One detective. One killer. One shared secret.
Connor Laird frightens people: he's intense, he's fearless, and he seems to be willing to do anything to protect himself and those he loves. When he arrives in the Longacre Children's Home, seemingly from nowhere, he instantly becomes hero and villain to every other child there.
But thirty years later, someone is killing all of those who grew up in the Longacre with Connor. Each of them has secrets, not least investigating cop DI Ray Drake. One by one, the mysteries of the past are revealed, and Drake finds himself in a race against time before the killer gets to him.
Who would kill to hide their secrets?
One detective. One killer. One shared secret.
Connor Laird frightens people: he's intense, he's fearless, and he seems to be willing to do anything to protect himself and those he loves. When he arrives in the Longacre Children's Home, seemingly from nowhere, he instantly becomes hero and villain to every other child there.
But thirty years later, someone is killing all of those who grew up in the Longacre with Connor. Each of them has secrets, not least investigating cop DI Ray Drake. One by one, the mysteries of the past are revealed, and Drake finds himself in a race against time before the killer gets to him.
Who would kill to hide their secrets?
481 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2016
40 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hill
6 books65 followersLibrarian Note: Also writes as M.K. Hill
I've been a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer.
But I write now, which is just as well, because I love writing. It's my dream job.
It's nice to see you here, thanks for clicking.
If you enjoyed His First Lie or It Was Her, do get in touch. There are oh-so-many ways to do it!
Contact me via my website: mkhill.uk
But wait, before you do any of that, make sure you buy my book. :)
I've been a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer.
But I write now, which is just as well, because I love writing. It's my dream job.
It's nice to see you here, thanks for clicking.
If you enjoyed His First Lie or It Was Her, do get in touch. There are oh-so-many ways to do it!
Contact me via my website: mkhill.uk
But wait, before you do any of that, make sure you buy my book. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
October 22, 2016
*Thank you to Netgalley & Sphere/Little, Brown Book Group for my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
Wow! I've just discovered another contender for my favourite book of the year.
There are some very cold and calculating characters in this book, but the question also presents itself "Are any of them wholly evil" ? Well, Mark Hill made me believe that there was a shade of good in all of them. How on earth did he manage that? The story veers between 1984 and the present - the earlier years centred around a children's home. Oh boy! This story dragged me along at an impossible pace and left me both breathless, and excited. The characters though, are what makes this one stand out, although let's not take anything away from the plot because it was extremely clever. There were times when I thought I had this story sussed out, and yes, sometimes I was right, but with twist after twist, followed by the mother of all twists, I guess I wasn't so smart after all!
This was, without question a humdinger of a crime novel - the characterisation was superb, as was the plot. I didn't want it to end, but all good things MUST come to an end, but I feel really lucky to have received an ARC of 'The Two O'clock Boy'. Wow again.
Wow! I've just discovered another contender for my favourite book of the year.
There are some very cold and calculating characters in this book, but the question also presents itself "Are any of them wholly evil" ? Well, Mark Hill made me believe that there was a shade of good in all of them. How on earth did he manage that? The story veers between 1984 and the present - the earlier years centred around a children's home. Oh boy! This story dragged me along at an impossible pace and left me both breathless, and excited. The characters though, are what makes this one stand out, although let's not take anything away from the plot because it was extremely clever. There were times when I thought I had this story sussed out, and yes, sometimes I was right, but with twist after twist, followed by the mother of all twists, I guess I wasn't so smart after all!
This was, without question a humdinger of a crime novel - the characterisation was superb, as was the plot. I didn't want it to end, but all good things MUST come to an end, but I feel really lucky to have received an ARC of 'The Two O'clock Boy'. Wow again.
November 14, 2016
This is dark, violent, and compelling crime fiction from this debut author. Mark Hill knows how to weave a story that grabs you by the throat and never lets go. The ramshackle Longacre Children's Home in 1984 is run by the criminal and abusive Gordon Tallis. He terrorises the children, and uses them for his criminal enterprises, making their lives absolute hell. The events that occur in the home are set to have devastating repercussions through the years. Set in London, there are two timelines, that from 1984 and one in the present that begins with murders that have wiped out Kenny Overton and his entire family. DS Flick Crowley has been recently promoted with the support of DI Ray Drake, her mentor. She has been appointed lead investigator on this gruesome case.
From the very beginning Flick finds herself being hindered by Ray, and she assumes that this is because she is new to the job and she needs to do it better. Ray has lost his wife to cancer and is struggling to maintain any kind of relationship with his daughter. It soon becomes clear from his behaviour that he has some connection with the Children's Home that he is desperate to keep buried. This is despite the fact that it soon becomes clear that he and his daughter are in danger. A serial killer calling himself the Two O'Clock Boy, is stalking him. Flick finds the inner strength to challenge her perception of herself as someone who thinks and acts inside the box. Nothing is going to stop her getting to the truth. Not even Ray. There are lies, secrets, and deception galore and the twists come from every direction. And it becomes clear the body count is higher than it could ever be imagined.
This is a smart, intricately plotted tale with a tense suspense driven narrative. There are no black and white characters, everyone is differing shades of grey. Underpinning the damaged characters is a past that would test anyone. It is why you find that you cannot help but feel for those that have been so sinned against. Even when they do such horrific things. It is this complex characterisation that holds the reader enthralled with the story. Not many writers can pull this off, Mark Hill certainly can. Cannot wait to read his next book, he has set the bar high. Highly recommended. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
From the very beginning Flick finds herself being hindered by Ray, and she assumes that this is because she is new to the job and she needs to do it better. Ray has lost his wife to cancer and is struggling to maintain any kind of relationship with his daughter. It soon becomes clear from his behaviour that he has some connection with the Children's Home that he is desperate to keep buried. This is despite the fact that it soon becomes clear that he and his daughter are in danger. A serial killer calling himself the Two O'Clock Boy, is stalking him. Flick finds the inner strength to challenge her perception of herself as someone who thinks and acts inside the box. Nothing is going to stop her getting to the truth. Not even Ray. There are lies, secrets, and deception galore and the twists come from every direction. And it becomes clear the body count is higher than it could ever be imagined.
This is a smart, intricately plotted tale with a tense suspense driven narrative. There are no black and white characters, everyone is differing shades of grey. Underpinning the damaged characters is a past that would test anyone. It is why you find that you cannot help but feel for those that have been so sinned against. Even when they do such horrific things. It is this complex characterisation that holds the reader enthralled with the story. Not many writers can pull this off, Mark Hill certainly can. Cannot wait to read his next book, he has set the bar high. Highly recommended. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
September 22, 2016
Oh this is a good one. Without doubt the 'one became a detective, one became a killer' hook demands attention. Yet within the pages, the line between good and bad isn't quite so clear cut, it's difficult to know who to trust. I love it in fiction when there's that moment you think 'hang on, am I supposed to be throwing my support behind this person?? Are they lying to me???' It's that kind of story and it's brilliantly surprising because of it. I felt super proud of myself for guessing parts of it, only to be blind sighted by others. The plot is pacey, dark, and flicks back and forth between the past and present, but for me it's the characters that hold you till the end. The moment I put the book down (after reading it in one sitting), I checked to see what would come next.... because THAT ENDING!! Anyway, i'll say no more.
Except that this should be on every crime lover's TBR. Engrossingly suspenseful crime fiction at it's best and without doubt will be one of the hits of this year.
Many thanks to Mark Hill, Sphere/Little, Brown Book Group, and Netgalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Except that this should be on every crime lover's TBR. Engrossingly suspenseful crime fiction at it's best and without doubt will be one of the hits of this year.
Many thanks to Mark Hill, Sphere/Little, Brown Book Group, and Netgalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2016
Have you ever started a book and struggled to get into it, well that happened to me with this one. I was about 20% into it and not really connecting when all of a sudden things started to click. This book completely changed for me, I was preempting maybe a 3 star rating but by the end of it it was an easy 5 stars. This book is full of fascinating characters and so many twists, turns and complete surprises that it will have your jaw dropping open at times.
The novel goes from present day where DI Ray Drake investigates several murders with a common link that they were all at Longacre Children's Home during the the 1980's and tells the story during that time at the home. DI Ray Drake was recently widowed and is struggling in his relationship with his daughter and he is also hiding a dark secret.
Telling the story from the 1980s, we are told of the residents of the Longacre Children's Home and staff who rule with fear and abuse. What is the link between this home and the present day murders.
I found this novel a great read and it never stopped surprising me, I am so glad I carried on reading it.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
The novel goes from present day where DI Ray Drake investigates several murders with a common link that they were all at Longacre Children's Home during the the 1980's and tells the story during that time at the home. DI Ray Drake was recently widowed and is struggling in his relationship with his daughter and he is also hiding a dark secret.
Telling the story from the 1980s, we are told of the residents of the Longacre Children's Home and staff who rule with fear and abuse. What is the link between this home and the present day murders.
I found this novel a great read and it never stopped surprising me, I am so glad I carried on reading it.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
October 3, 2016
The idea behind this novel is not particularly unique – a violent murder case leads back to events in the past. However, saying that, it is a good start to what, I hope, will become a series and has an interesting, ambiguous feel to characters and plot. Detective Inspector Ray Drake is widowed when we meet him and having a difficult relationship with daughter, April. He has pushed for the promotion of Flick Crowley to Detective Sergeant, but he may regret her being lead in a case which he is heavily involved in…
When a man, and his family, are found murdered, the case leads back to events at the Longacre Children’s Home in the 1980’s. The murdered man was working on a book about his life and, amongst his notes, Flick comes across a list of names. Some of the people the victim knew are dead and the others may be in danger. As Flick gets closer to the truth, Drake attempts to lead her down another path, or close down the investigation.
This is a novel about lies and secrets, blurred morals and of how the past affects the present. Both Drake and Crowley are people who are very much rounded. They do not just go to work; they have backgrounds, families, problems and concerns. The murders are really quite ingenious and shocking and, if you enjoy your crime novels dark and violent, then you will probably find this a good read. I would certainly like to read on and see Drake investigating a crime that was less close to home. However, this is a good start to what promises to be a good series.
When a man, and his family, are found murdered, the case leads back to events at the Longacre Children’s Home in the 1980’s. The murdered man was working on a book about his life and, amongst his notes, Flick comes across a list of names. Some of the people the victim knew are dead and the others may be in danger. As Flick gets closer to the truth, Drake attempts to lead her down another path, or close down the investigation.
This is a novel about lies and secrets, blurred morals and of how the past affects the present. Both Drake and Crowley are people who are very much rounded. They do not just go to work; they have backgrounds, families, problems and concerns. The murders are really quite ingenious and shocking and, if you enjoy your crime novels dark and violent, then you will probably find this a good read. I would certainly like to read on and see Drake investigating a crime that was less close to home. However, this is a good start to what promises to be a good series.
February 7, 2017
Two childhood friends. One becomes a Detective the other becomes a killer.
DI Ray Drake investigates several murders that all have a common link, they were all at Longacre Children's Home in the 1980's. The children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the homes manager. When Connor Laird arrived he quickly becomes Tallis's favourite criminal helper. Now someone is killing everyone who lived there.
I was quickly drawn into this book and throughly enjoyed it. It's well written with believable characters.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group Uk and the author Mark Hill for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
DI Ray Drake investigates several murders that all have a common link, they were all at Longacre Children's Home in the 1980's. The children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the homes manager. When Connor Laird arrived he quickly becomes Tallis's favourite criminal helper. Now someone is killing everyone who lived there.
I was quickly drawn into this book and throughly enjoyed it. It's well written with believable characters.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group Uk and the author Mark Hill for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2018
What an excellent thriller! Kept me on the edge of my seat. After the murder of a family, DI Drake and a newly appointed investigator, Flick, come to a horrific crime scene. Flick is the main investigator on this crime but Drake can’t help but stick around because he realizes that he knows the male victim. He hasn’t seen him since he was a child but something about the murder gets under his skin. There will be flashbacks to when Drake was a child. Showing us a horrific situation at a children’s home, run by a despicable man. Drake, however, doesn’t want Flick to investigate to where her inquiries lead to this children’s home......for good reason! But Flick is tenacious and won’t leave things alone. There will be twists and turns, leading to an explosive ending. Who’s good and who’s bad? Hmmmmmm.....🤔 I cannot wait to read the next book Mark writes!!!
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2019
I read this when it was called The two O’clock boy
I even have the proof lol
But my reviews lost 😳
I even have the proof lol
But my reviews lost 😳
September 26, 2016
There was a certain amount of angst involved in my reading of The Two O’Clock Boy – due to the fact that Mark is indeed a good friend of mine (well I say that anyway he may beg to differ and hide under a table when he sees me coming) and also a lovely chap so the thought that I might not like it kept me up at night. I can’t lie about the books. Doesnt matter how much I love you…
Then I started reading The Two O’Clock Boy and instead THAT kept me up at night. Because I couldnt put the blinking thing down and it was entirely brilliant. I can say in all honesty that it was banging good – insanely addictive – as dark as you like (and I like it dark) with a main protagonist you might literally die for if you reside within the pages. Add in a twisted, compelling storyline with some relevant and thought provoking themes and you have a magnificent read that will stay with you for ages. And ages. Then keep you up at night some more…
ANYWAY on the due diligence front, if you love tv shows like Luther and you like the good guys to be not quite as good as all that then you’ll love Ray Drake even though he’ll possibly terrify you too. But hey I always liked the bad boys. And to be fair he’s going after a killer who is pretty terrifying too. If you like a thriller that has great depth of character, enough twists in the tail to satisfy a rattlesnake, a fantastic supporting cast and the ability to make you keep turning the pages as if they were a drug habit you just can’t quite quit then this book is for you.
Basically this book is probably for you. More if you are a crime fan. Even MORE if you just like bloody good writing which tells a bloody good story and then leaves you just wanting more. More more more. With a hugely rebel yell…
Go on. You know you want to. Just don’t blame ME for the lack of sleep and the need for much caffeine to get you through the next working day.
Then I started reading The Two O’Clock Boy and instead THAT kept me up at night. Because I couldnt put the blinking thing down and it was entirely brilliant. I can say in all honesty that it was banging good – insanely addictive – as dark as you like (and I like it dark) with a main protagonist you might literally die for if you reside within the pages. Add in a twisted, compelling storyline with some relevant and thought provoking themes and you have a magnificent read that will stay with you for ages. And ages. Then keep you up at night some more…
ANYWAY on the due diligence front, if you love tv shows like Luther and you like the good guys to be not quite as good as all that then you’ll love Ray Drake even though he’ll possibly terrify you too. But hey I always liked the bad boys. And to be fair he’s going after a killer who is pretty terrifying too. If you like a thriller that has great depth of character, enough twists in the tail to satisfy a rattlesnake, a fantastic supporting cast and the ability to make you keep turning the pages as if they were a drug habit you just can’t quite quit then this book is for you.
Basically this book is probably for you. More if you are a crime fan. Even MORE if you just like bloody good writing which tells a bloody good story and then leaves you just wanting more. More more more. With a hugely rebel yell…
Go on. You know you want to. Just don’t blame ME for the lack of sleep and the need for much caffeine to get you through the next working day.
October 11, 2016
Kenny Overton is a petty criminal trying to go straight. Working the night shift in a supermarket he is trying his best to do the right thing, to make up for a life of mistakes, a life which began in a dismal and deprived children’s home many years ago. But someone doesn’t want to give Kenny that second chance. Someone has been watching him, waiting for the right time to make Kenny pay for his past, to deny him his happy ending. And that time is now.
When DI Ray Drake and newly promoted DS Flick Crowley are called out to the scene of a vicious multiple murder, they sense that this is not going to be a straightforward case. Three members of one family slain, the fourth escaping only by virtue of having left his phone at home. But who would want to kill them all, and in such a personal and heinous way?
Drake knows instinctively that this is a message. That secrets which have laid buried for years are about to be exposed. Secrets which link back to the Longacre Children’s home, its manager, Gordon Tallis and one of the former residents, Connor Laird – a boy who harboured such anger and intensity within, that he terrified anyone he ever met.
With Drake fearing for his family’s safety and with the knowledge that so much depends on keeping the truth hidden, he knows he needs to find a way to prevent Crowley from following her instincts and investigating the children’s home with its ill-fated history and residents. But the killer, the ‘Two O’Clock Boy’, begins to taunt Drake, reminding him that no matter how much he denies it, their pasts, and their futures, are inextricably linked. The killer wants their secrets exposed and the question Drake has to ask himself is simply this – how far is he willing go to stop the murders, protect his daughter and cover up the truth?
…
‘The Two O’Clock Boy’ is a stunning offering from author Mark Hill. Moving between the present day investigations and the weeks in 1984 after Connor Laird first went to Longacre, Hill offers the reader a thrill ride full of twists, shocks and complete moral ambiguity. Are the characters simply victims of their past, driven to poor life choices by a difficult and abusive start, or is this merely an excuse to justify their crimes? What is it that creates a criminal? A killer? Nature or nurture?
Hill’s eponymous killer, the ‘Two O’Clock Boy’ is an emotionally complex character. As his past is slowly revealed to the reader, you are put in a strange position of feeling a little sympathy for him as much as for all of those he targets. What happens at the home is something which will make victims of them all, emotionally and, ultimately, physically. Whether as a result you can forgive his actions – well for me the jury is still out. Is he a killer? Undoubtedly. But the truth is far more complicated than that and it’s not that easy to simply condemn. In some way, Hil’s writing toyed with my emotions such that I couldn’t truly hate him, no matter what, and yet could still fear the clinical execution of his plans.
With Ray Drake, you have an almost impossible character. An anti-hero. He is driven by a love for his family, a need to keep them safe, which you have to respect, and yet his methods leave a lot to be desired. I can honestly say that I didn’t know how to feel about him. I liked his character at first, but then as the story went on I found myself wondering how far he was involved and what it was that the killer had over him. I didn’t trust him, and as the past was unveiled, scene by scene, he became that little bit more complicated. My feelings mirrored those of DS Crowley; confused by Drake’s change in character, his determination to avoid the obvious truth and to derail the investigation. He shocked me and made me go gah! in frustration. But I still liked him. A lot. I wanted to hate him but found myself rooting for him instead. Good boy gone bad or simply a father placed in an impossible situation? You’ll have to read to decide for yourself.
Flick Crowley is a well written, well rounded, character. With her own demons to battle, a poor relationship with her estranged father and an over reliance upon her sister, she is a very likeable character. Tenacious and determined, she carries on with her investigations, in spite of Drake and l can see her being a character with so much to give. She is certainly no pushover and acts on instinct. You can’t help but like her.
The writing is pacey, the tension gradually building to the final dramatic crescendo, as, chapter by chapter, more of the past and motivations are revealed. The twists in the story, the duplicity, the deception, are so well hidden that I didn’t see most of them coming until they were staring me in the face. I thought I knew … but I was so very wrong. I love it when that happens. The thrill of the chase, the developing sense of jeopardy and threat, all driven by a truly tight narrative, make this a literal page turner. And then that ending … wow. Just … more gah and then a sense of foreboding and … Oh heck. Loved it.
The murders are grizzly, the perpetrator without remorse and the protagonist divisive. But I was compelled to keep reading. I wanted to learn all of their secrets. To understand why the killer was so hell bent on such a vicious revenge. I want to know what the heck happens next for Drake and Crowley. What they have been though is definitely going to make for an interesting and complex dynamic in future books. I can hardly wait.
A brilliantly crafted, fabulously dark and vengeful 5 stars from me.
My thanks to NetGalley and publishers Little Brown Book Group UK for the copy of ‘The Two O’clock Boy’ in exchange for my review.
When DI Ray Drake and newly promoted DS Flick Crowley are called out to the scene of a vicious multiple murder, they sense that this is not going to be a straightforward case. Three members of one family slain, the fourth escaping only by virtue of having left his phone at home. But who would want to kill them all, and in such a personal and heinous way?
Drake knows instinctively that this is a message. That secrets which have laid buried for years are about to be exposed. Secrets which link back to the Longacre Children’s home, its manager, Gordon Tallis and one of the former residents, Connor Laird – a boy who harboured such anger and intensity within, that he terrified anyone he ever met.
With Drake fearing for his family’s safety and with the knowledge that so much depends on keeping the truth hidden, he knows he needs to find a way to prevent Crowley from following her instincts and investigating the children’s home with its ill-fated history and residents. But the killer, the ‘Two O’Clock Boy’, begins to taunt Drake, reminding him that no matter how much he denies it, their pasts, and their futures, are inextricably linked. The killer wants their secrets exposed and the question Drake has to ask himself is simply this – how far is he willing go to stop the murders, protect his daughter and cover up the truth?
…
‘The Two O’Clock Boy’ is a stunning offering from author Mark Hill. Moving between the present day investigations and the weeks in 1984 after Connor Laird first went to Longacre, Hill offers the reader a thrill ride full of twists, shocks and complete moral ambiguity. Are the characters simply victims of their past, driven to poor life choices by a difficult and abusive start, or is this merely an excuse to justify their crimes? What is it that creates a criminal? A killer? Nature or nurture?
Hill’s eponymous killer, the ‘Two O’Clock Boy’ is an emotionally complex character. As his past is slowly revealed to the reader, you are put in a strange position of feeling a little sympathy for him as much as for all of those he targets. What happens at the home is something which will make victims of them all, emotionally and, ultimately, physically. Whether as a result you can forgive his actions – well for me the jury is still out. Is he a killer? Undoubtedly. But the truth is far more complicated than that and it’s not that easy to simply condemn. In some way, Hil’s writing toyed with my emotions such that I couldn’t truly hate him, no matter what, and yet could still fear the clinical execution of his plans.
With Ray Drake, you have an almost impossible character. An anti-hero. He is driven by a love for his family, a need to keep them safe, which you have to respect, and yet his methods leave a lot to be desired. I can honestly say that I didn’t know how to feel about him. I liked his character at first, but then as the story went on I found myself wondering how far he was involved and what it was that the killer had over him. I didn’t trust him, and as the past was unveiled, scene by scene, he became that little bit more complicated. My feelings mirrored those of DS Crowley; confused by Drake’s change in character, his determination to avoid the obvious truth and to derail the investigation. He shocked me and made me go gah! in frustration. But I still liked him. A lot. I wanted to hate him but found myself rooting for him instead. Good boy gone bad or simply a father placed in an impossible situation? You’ll have to read to decide for yourself.
Flick Crowley is a well written, well rounded, character. With her own demons to battle, a poor relationship with her estranged father and an over reliance upon her sister, she is a very likeable character. Tenacious and determined, she carries on with her investigations, in spite of Drake and l can see her being a character with so much to give. She is certainly no pushover and acts on instinct. You can’t help but like her.
The writing is pacey, the tension gradually building to the final dramatic crescendo, as, chapter by chapter, more of the past and motivations are revealed. The twists in the story, the duplicity, the deception, are so well hidden that I didn’t see most of them coming until they were staring me in the face. I thought I knew … but I was so very wrong. I love it when that happens. The thrill of the chase, the developing sense of jeopardy and threat, all driven by a truly tight narrative, make this a literal page turner. And then that ending … wow. Just … more gah and then a sense of foreboding and … Oh heck. Loved it.
The murders are grizzly, the perpetrator without remorse and the protagonist divisive. But I was compelled to keep reading. I wanted to learn all of their secrets. To understand why the killer was so hell bent on such a vicious revenge. I want to know what the heck happens next for Drake and Crowley. What they have been though is definitely going to make for an interesting and complex dynamic in future books. I can hardly wait.
A brilliantly crafted, fabulously dark and vengeful 5 stars from me.
My thanks to NetGalley and publishers Little Brown Book Group UK for the copy of ‘The Two O’clock Boy’ in exchange for my review.
April 6, 2018
The English Channel 1986 . The boy loved his parents more than anything on this Earth. And so he had to kill them. You can picture the lovely family scene with a house rented in north London by a middle-aged couple Kenny and Barbara Overton with two twin sons Philip and Ryan. But an ugly slaughter has developed that made my stomach churn. . Kenneth and Barbara Overton. aged forty-eight and fifty two, and their son Philip Overton, aged twenty-seven were found bound to chairs and stabbed repeatedly in the chest and stomach. With no valuables stolen and there was no sign of forced entry and the door always unlocked, the police will have to accelerate to find out who committed this wicked slaughter. The first part of this story found disturbing and sad, but brilliantly a fast paced story, one that I could quite easy imagine happening in real life.
April 13, 2017
This book opens with a cracking chapter which is both gripping and disturbing in equal measures. Then we meet DI Ray Drake who has a very dodgy past and a questionable policing attitude . Now chasing a mysterious killer who is targeting families from Ray's past.
I struggled throughout this book, mainly because there were so many characters I found it hard to remember who was who. I was also left with so many unanswered questions at the end but hopefully those will be addressed in the sequel. 3.5 stars from me.
I struggled throughout this book, mainly because there were so many characters I found it hard to remember who was who. I was also left with so many unanswered questions at the end but hopefully those will be addressed in the sequel. 3.5 stars from me.
January 25, 2025
3⭐️ = Average Read.
Now, I actually think that I might have been better reading this as a physical book rather than an audio. There was quite a lot going on and I thought that the writing style and the characters were actually quite good. It was just the storyline that I wasn’t invested in. I’ll definitely try another of MH’s books though.
Now, I actually think that I might have been better reading this as a physical book rather than an audio. There was quite a lot going on and I thought that the writing style and the characters were actually quite good. It was just the storyline that I wasn’t invested in. I’ll definitely try another of MH’s books though.
October 21, 2016
I have to admit that when I first started reading this book, I nearly put it down. I read so many crime books that I have pretty high standards nowadays and if a story doesn't grab me straight away then I do sometimes walk away. But this one slowly started to intrigued me so I kept going...and then going some more....until I physically couldn't put it down! Honestly, the more I read the more I had to read! And it was pretty much going to be a 4* review but that last quarter of the book just blew me away!! How many twists and turns could one writer throw at me in one book?! Plenty it seemed as I raced to the end!
I'm assuming that as this book is being marketed as Ray Drake #1 this will hopefully be the start of a new series and I for one will be preordering the next book as soon as I can! I just loved Ray Drake! He was dark, unconventional and with a depths so hidden I doubt we will get to the bottom of them in book #2 either! His relationship with his daughter especially, gave new meaning to the word intense but I loved his brooding personality and found myself practically hypnotised by him whenever he was on the page. His colleague Flick was also a character that I found myself taking to far more than I had expected from meeting her in the first few pages. Her personal life gave her a likeability that Drake didn't appear to have so it was interesting that my preconceptions had changed quite a lot by the end of the book!
This is a twisty, addictive crime read with some absolutely brilliant characterisations that lifted it to levels I hadn't expected. I like to be surprised and The Two O'Clock Boy definitely did that. An impressive debut that comes highly recommended by me!
I received a review copy of this book via netgalley.
I'm assuming that as this book is being marketed as Ray Drake #1 this will hopefully be the start of a new series and I for one will be preordering the next book as soon as I can! I just loved Ray Drake! He was dark, unconventional and with a depths so hidden I doubt we will get to the bottom of them in book #2 either! His relationship with his daughter especially, gave new meaning to the word intense but I loved his brooding personality and found myself practically hypnotised by him whenever he was on the page. His colleague Flick was also a character that I found myself taking to far more than I had expected from meeting her in the first few pages. Her personal life gave her a likeability that Drake didn't appear to have so it was interesting that my preconceptions had changed quite a lot by the end of the book!
This is a twisty, addictive crime read with some absolutely brilliant characterisations that lifted it to levels I hadn't expected. I like to be surprised and The Two O'Clock Boy definitely did that. An impressive debut that comes highly recommended by me!
I received a review copy of this book via netgalley.
April 9, 2017
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Well, this was an explosive and impressive start to what promises to be a great new crime series!
The Two O'Clock Boy features an intricate, interesting and fast-paced plot which kept my intrigued - and guessing - until the end. The main character, DI Drake, is a bit of a maverick and is certainly different in many ways to the usual high-up Detective, though I won't say how, and the rest of the team have their own quirks and personality traits which make them an interesting team to read about. I really liked Flick, too, although at times she didn't really help herself in being liked by others! Described as being a great book for fans of Luther, I'd have to agree - it's got a real edge to it and I always love reading crime series set in the UK (this series being set in London).
In this book people are not who they seem to be, and those who should be helping others don't always set up to the mark. No one is perfect, nothing is too clear cut - some people have good parts and bad parts to them, but it doesn't make them good or bad, just human. It also poses the question: can people really change? The characters in this novel really make it such a gripping, impressive read - they're complex and full of surprises.
The story twists and turns with plenty of action and grit. The narrative focuses on two main timeframes - the present day, as Drake and his team set about furiously trying to solve the case, and back in the 80's at a horrible children's home. Some parts are quite hard to read about, particularly those set in the past narrative, with the poor kids stuck at Longacre Children's home, but it all adds to the shocking feel of the book.
Dark, deep and deliciously twisted... I raced through The Two O'Clock Boy and am already looking forward to number 2 in the series!
Many thanks to Sphere for providing a copy of this novel, on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
Well, this was an explosive and impressive start to what promises to be a great new crime series!
The Two O'Clock Boy features an intricate, interesting and fast-paced plot which kept my intrigued - and guessing - until the end. The main character, DI Drake, is a bit of a maverick and is certainly different in many ways to the usual high-up Detective, though I won't say how, and the rest of the team have their own quirks and personality traits which make them an interesting team to read about. I really liked Flick, too, although at times she didn't really help herself in being liked by others! Described as being a great book for fans of Luther, I'd have to agree - it's got a real edge to it and I always love reading crime series set in the UK (this series being set in London).
In this book people are not who they seem to be, and those who should be helping others don't always set up to the mark. No one is perfect, nothing is too clear cut - some people have good parts and bad parts to them, but it doesn't make them good or bad, just human. It also poses the question: can people really change? The characters in this novel really make it such a gripping, impressive read - they're complex and full of surprises.
The story twists and turns with plenty of action and grit. The narrative focuses on two main timeframes - the present day, as Drake and his team set about furiously trying to solve the case, and back in the 80's at a horrible children's home. Some parts are quite hard to read about, particularly those set in the past narrative, with the poor kids stuck at Longacre Children's home, but it all adds to the shocking feel of the book.
Dark, deep and deliciously twisted... I raced through The Two O'Clock Boy and am already looking forward to number 2 in the series!
Many thanks to Sphere for providing a copy of this novel, on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
September 29, 2016
The Two O’Clock Boy is a story that swaps between present day where DI Ray Drake is trying to find out who is behind the deaths of people that grew up all in the same children’s home, as well as to a specific year in the past when the victims were children in the home.
Connor was a character who grabbed my interest straight away. There was lots about him that I was intrigued about. The way he just turned up and how he basically became top dog in the home straight away. There was so much about this boy’s past that I wanted to know. You could tell there is good in there some where, yet there was a certain coldness that sent chills down my spine.
I also took to Drake in the story. Drake is certainly not your typical DI that you will find in crime novels. He has recently lost his wife and his relationship with his daughter is fragile to say the least. All is not what it seems where Drake is concerned and I absolutely loved his character.
There is so much I want to say about this novel but if I do it will give major spoilers away for anyone who hasn’t read it. It’s one of those stories that leaves you wanting to tell the whole world about it just so you can talk about it.
The Two O’Clock Boy is a tense and chilling read. There are some great surprises in store and I thought the whole story line was an absolute cracker. It has left me very excited as to the possibilities of where the author is going to take me on this series and I can not wait for more.
My thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Connor was a character who grabbed my interest straight away. There was lots about him that I was intrigued about. The way he just turned up and how he basically became top dog in the home straight away. There was so much about this boy’s past that I wanted to know. You could tell there is good in there some where, yet there was a certain coldness that sent chills down my spine.
I also took to Drake in the story. Drake is certainly not your typical DI that you will find in crime novels. He has recently lost his wife and his relationship with his daughter is fragile to say the least. All is not what it seems where Drake is concerned and I absolutely loved his character.
There is so much I want to say about this novel but if I do it will give major spoilers away for anyone who hasn’t read it. It’s one of those stories that leaves you wanting to tell the whole world about it just so you can talk about it.
The Two O’Clock Boy is a tense and chilling read. There are some great surprises in store and I thought the whole story line was an absolute cracker. It has left me very excited as to the possibilities of where the author is going to take me on this series and I can not wait for more.
My thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2017
Sometimes it really baffles me how lesser novels will grab all the attention while superior novels, like The Two O'Clock Boy, lags far behind in notice. Though, maybe it's too early and the raves are just around the corner......
The Two O'Clock Boy is one helluva police procedural. It has a compelling story, good character development and all kinds of twists and turns.
It's a violent book, but one where the violence is not gratuitous (one aspect of terrible violence involving a despicable character named Gordon is effectively danced around; the reader should be able to pick up on what is not needlessly described in detail, which, to me, was a strength in the novel).
The story of the novel involves the investigation of a series of murders. The story is told in alternating points of view and flashbacks.
Recently promoted Flick Crowley is tasked as the lead investigator of the murders, with oversight by Ray Drake. Crowley quickly determines the path the investigation should take and must also wonder if Drake is purposely trying to derail the investigation and if so, why.
This is one of those books where revealing too much would be considered spoilers.
The last fifty pages or so was like driving on a pitch black, hair pin curving road.
Highly recommended for those that like gritty crime thrillers.
The Two O'Clock Boy is one helluva police procedural. It has a compelling story, good character development and all kinds of twists and turns.
It's a violent book, but one where the violence is not gratuitous (one aspect of terrible violence involving a despicable character named Gordon is effectively danced around; the reader should be able to pick up on what is not needlessly described in detail, which, to me, was a strength in the novel).
The story of the novel involves the investigation of a series of murders. The story is told in alternating points of view and flashbacks.
Recently promoted Flick Crowley is tasked as the lead investigator of the murders, with oversight by Ray Drake. Crowley quickly determines the path the investigation should take and must also wonder if Drake is purposely trying to derail the investigation and if so, why.
This is one of those books where revealing too much would be considered spoilers.
The last fifty pages or so was like driving on a pitch black, hair pin curving road.
Highly recommended for those that like gritty crime thrillers.
December 29, 2016
I'm afraid I can't agree with the enthusiastic reviews for The Two O'Clock Boy. I didn't think it was very good at all.
The book is a sort of police procedural, in that it involves a police investigation of a series of murders, but there's precious little procedure really, and lots of Maverick Cop, This-Time-It's-Personal, Threatened Investigator stuff. Both central police officers have Family Issues, one has a Dark Secret In His Past Which Could Ruin Him…you get the idea. The plot – who would have thought it? – centres around an abusive children's home in the 1980s, and frankly, it all felt rather unoriginal and well-worn.
The narrative is quite well structured at the start so I found myself carried along reasonably well for the first couple of hundred pages. However, lazy cliché marred the prose too often: "he clung on for dear life", "she dragged them kicking and screaming", "the life and soul" and plenty of others, and the occasional solecism added to the sense of slightly careless writing. It all seemed a bit stale and crudely done to me; I found that the story became more laboured and the implausibilities and rather unconvincing "thrills" mounted up. Characters who had earlier been carefully introduced and given rather pointless little conflicts of their own which added nothing to the story were apparently forgotten. I lost count of the number of times a phone rang or something else interrupted *just* as something dreadful was about to happen…and so on.
The book became a bit of a slog, and then just silly – including a vicious mass murderer who said things like "I harbour a lifetime's resentment against your family," at which point I said out loud "oh, for heavens' sake!" (I paraphrase). I got to the eye-rolling stage as the lead investigator was taken off the case, wondering whether any cliché was to be left out, and passed well beyond it as the plot and behaviour of central characters became simply ridiculous. I finished the book out of a sense of duty and then wondered why I had bothered with what became simply ludicrous nonsense.
So, this wasn't for me. The reasonably good first half meant I gave it two stars rather than one, but only just. This is the start of a series, apparently, but it's certainly not a series I shall be bothering with.
(I received an ARC via Netgalley.)
The book is a sort of police procedural, in that it involves a police investigation of a series of murders, but there's precious little procedure really, and lots of Maverick Cop, This-Time-It's-Personal, Threatened Investigator stuff. Both central police officers have Family Issues, one has a Dark Secret In His Past Which Could Ruin Him…you get the idea. The plot – who would have thought it? – centres around an abusive children's home in the 1980s, and frankly, it all felt rather unoriginal and well-worn.
The narrative is quite well structured at the start so I found myself carried along reasonably well for the first couple of hundred pages. However, lazy cliché marred the prose too often: "he clung on for dear life", "she dragged them kicking and screaming", "the life and soul" and plenty of others, and the occasional solecism added to the sense of slightly careless writing. It all seemed a bit stale and crudely done to me; I found that the story became more laboured and the implausibilities and rather unconvincing "thrills" mounted up. Characters who had earlier been carefully introduced and given rather pointless little conflicts of their own which added nothing to the story were apparently forgotten. I lost count of the number of times a phone rang or something else interrupted *just* as something dreadful was about to happen…and so on.
The book became a bit of a slog, and then just silly – including a vicious mass murderer who said things like "I harbour a lifetime's resentment against your family," at which point I said out loud "oh, for heavens' sake!" (I paraphrase). I got to the eye-rolling stage as the lead investigator was taken off the case, wondering whether any cliché was to be left out, and passed well beyond it as the plot and behaviour of central characters became simply ridiculous. I finished the book out of a sense of duty and then wondered why I had bothered with what became simply ludicrous nonsense.
So, this wasn't for me. The reasonably good first half meant I gave it two stars rather than one, but only just. This is the start of a series, apparently, but it's certainly not a series I shall be bothering with.
(I received an ARC via Netgalley.)
September 25, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of The Two O'Clock Boy, the debut novel from Mark Hill.
Newly promoted DS Flick Crowley gets her first case, the sadistic murder of Kenny Overton and his family. Although Kenny has been in prison for low level crime he has been going straight for the past few years so the motive for his murder is elusive until Flick finds some notes relating to Kenny's stay at Longacre children's home and a number of ex residents' deaths. Flick's boss DI Ray Drake is keen to move her away from this angle as he has secrets to keep about his association with Longacre.
The Two O'Clock Boy is a very visual novel with a fair amount of violence and set pieces. I found it fairly easy to guess the perpetrator quite early on and had most of the rest of it by 70% in. I gather Mr Hill is a screenwriter which would explain it, but what works well on the screen seems a bit contrived in a novel. The plot is exciting, however, well written and carefully planned.
I did not take to DI Drake and found his treatment of Flick quite disturbing, verging on abusive. The lengths he would go to to hide his secrets is also disturbing. It has taken me longer than usual to read this novel as I found myself reluctant to enter his world.
I have had a visceral reaction to this novel so I'm maybe not as objective in this review as I am in others, but I do think that Mr Hill has done a brilliant job with his characterisation to produce such a reaction. Normally I just look on characters as part of the plot.
I will definitely read the follow-up to this novel as I want to see Ray Drake without the secrets. Only then will I know whether to continue or stop.
Newly promoted DS Flick Crowley gets her first case, the sadistic murder of Kenny Overton and his family. Although Kenny has been in prison for low level crime he has been going straight for the past few years so the motive for his murder is elusive until Flick finds some notes relating to Kenny's stay at Longacre children's home and a number of ex residents' deaths. Flick's boss DI Ray Drake is keen to move her away from this angle as he has secrets to keep about his association with Longacre.
The Two O'Clock Boy is a very visual novel with a fair amount of violence and set pieces. I found it fairly easy to guess the perpetrator quite early on and had most of the rest of it by 70% in. I gather Mr Hill is a screenwriter which would explain it, but what works well on the screen seems a bit contrived in a novel. The plot is exciting, however, well written and carefully planned.
I did not take to DI Drake and found his treatment of Flick quite disturbing, verging on abusive. The lengths he would go to to hide his secrets is also disturbing. It has taken me longer than usual to read this novel as I found myself reluctant to enter his world.
I have had a visceral reaction to this novel so I'm maybe not as objective in this review as I am in others, but I do think that Mr Hill has done a brilliant job with his characterisation to produce such a reaction. Normally I just look on characters as part of the plot.
I will definitely read the follow-up to this novel as I want to see Ray Drake without the secrets. Only then will I know whether to continue or stop.
June 14, 2018
Now Longacre Children’s home didn’t really conjure up a happy home image to give support and love to a group of already dysfunctional problem children. In fact it would have been a walk over winner against the cruelest of work houses. The crunch of lunch time cockroach mash is still making my teeth tingle, with my gag reflux not far behind. But for the last group of children there, it was all they had and of course the secrets.
Oh my giddy aunt this is some read as it literally dashed and jumped back and forth on two-time lines, one set 30 years ago in Longacres and present day where a series of murders were wiping out whole families. Neither time line made happy reading but hell it was compelling. DI Ray Drake is a bit of an odd ball really but the more that he sort of hid about himself the more I wanted to know, I was such a frustrated woman with this bloke! But when he makes a promise to newly promoted DS Flick Cowley about heading the next murder case they get in, he gets a bit of a wake up call that brings nightmares to present day.
What you really need to do before starting this book is clear your day and if possible read with no distractions cause boy you really need to concentrate on the characters and who they are because there are quite a lot of them. Please don’t be put off because this is one beaut story that once read you just won’t forget, really you won’t. It is cruel and twisted and makes you want to pull the pages apart and climb in to do something. Then it’s like that car ride where there is that constant “Are we there yet” for the end, because it is a belter, but no there is more and more and each bit just takes your breath until you are totally winded but boy is it worth it!
A brilliant debut. Note to self, MUST read book two!
Oh my giddy aunt this is some read as it literally dashed and jumped back and forth on two-time lines, one set 30 years ago in Longacres and present day where a series of murders were wiping out whole families. Neither time line made happy reading but hell it was compelling. DI Ray Drake is a bit of an odd ball really but the more that he sort of hid about himself the more I wanted to know, I was such a frustrated woman with this bloke! But when he makes a promise to newly promoted DS Flick Cowley about heading the next murder case they get in, he gets a bit of a wake up call that brings nightmares to present day.
What you really need to do before starting this book is clear your day and if possible read with no distractions cause boy you really need to concentrate on the characters and who they are because there are quite a lot of them. Please don’t be put off because this is one beaut story that once read you just won’t forget, really you won’t. It is cruel and twisted and makes you want to pull the pages apart and climb in to do something. Then it’s like that car ride where there is that constant “Are we there yet” for the end, because it is a belter, but no there is more and more and each bit just takes your breath until you are totally winded but boy is it worth it!
A brilliant debut. Note to self, MUST read book two!
February 22, 2023
2,5 Sterne. Das Buch war spannend, hat mir aber nicht besonders gefallen. Am Ende waren es mir zu viele Plot twists und die Motivation einiger Figuren für ihr Handeln erschließt sich mir nicht so ganz.
October 7, 2024
This was a surprise. Decent story line, wonderful pacing.
🍞&🧈
This falls into the category (bread and butter) I will always pick up, (specially British versions) of detective/cat chasing the killer/mouse. However, it’s a 4 ⭐️ because I’ve found a couple of this trope that WOWed me and since I read it so much. I will forget this book because it didn’t stand out, but during the read, I loved it.
🍞&🧈
This falls into the category (bread and butter) I will always pick up, (specially British versions) of detective/cat chasing the killer/mouse. However, it’s a 4 ⭐️ because I’ve found a couple of this trope that WOWed me and since I read it so much. I will forget this book because it didn’t stand out, but during the read, I loved it.
December 16, 2016
When I first heard about this book, I knew that I had to read it. Not only is the author, Mark Hill, a brilliant book blogger (well, once upon a time before he wrote a cracking novel!) but oh my gosh, THAT blurb! That blurb feels like it was written for me. There was also a fabulous .gif doing the rounds, which caught my eye too (I do love a .gif). I felt this book was destined for my TBR.
DI Ray Drake’s past is coming back to haunt him. People he knew as a child are being horrifically killed along with their partners and children. It can’t be something to do with Ray though, can it? Whilst investigating the murder of ex-associate, Kenny, it comes to light that he was in the process of writing his memoirs, an exposé of his time at the ill fated Longacre children’s home. DI Drake is only supervising the case though, newly promoted DS Flick Crowley is in charge and Ray is determined that his secret will never see the light of day. And he’s prepared to do whatever it takes…
From the opening chapters you feel that there is something….amiss about DI Ray Drake. There is no reason to dislike this man but you can feel he has deeply buried secrets and boy, you want to know what they are! He gets under your skin. Then he starts to behave inappropriately for a DI and your brain goes into overdrive; ‘what is going on with this fella?’ you find yourself asking. He is a brilliantly written character and I take my hat off to Mark Hill. I became quite obsessed with trying to work out what was going on with Ray, what his thing was and maybe even a little obsessed with Ray, himself!
DS Flick Crowley didn’t have the same draw as DI Drake did for me. I liked her, and I can see her being a favourite of many other readers, but I think I was so totally smitten with DI Drake that Flick wasn’t really on my radar. I hope there is a second book as she may be one of those characters that, for me, needs time to grow and develop. There were two other characters in The Two O’Clock Boy who won my heart; Elliot and Connor. Connor is a complete enigma, the cool kid at the home who beats up the bullies but stands up and says I was wrong, when the moment requires. And the bully turned family man, Elliot. How I absolutely loved Elliot.
The plot is very clever. This book felt fresh to me; something different that I haven’t encountered before. There’s not a lot else I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers but just let me say that it’s quite an intricate storyline. I’m afraid I managed to work out who the killer was but it’s a habit of mine now to look for the killer (I really need to stop doing this and just enjoy the book!). It didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the rest of the book and to be honest, there are much bigger twists than the reveal of the killer for the reader to concentrate on.
Would I recommend this book? I most definitely would. In fact, this is a book that all crime fiction fans should read as it’s quite different to other detective novels. Not only do you have a cracking whodunit story but you also have a cast of brilliantly written characters that make reading this book a joy. I was so captivated with what Ray’s secret could be and oh my, it’s a corker! And to think this a debut – I can’t wait to see what else Mark Hill has in store for us.
Four and a half stars out of five.
I chose to read and review an ARC of The Two O’Clock Boy.
DI Ray Drake’s past is coming back to haunt him. People he knew as a child are being horrifically killed along with their partners and children. It can’t be something to do with Ray though, can it? Whilst investigating the murder of ex-associate, Kenny, it comes to light that he was in the process of writing his memoirs, an exposé of his time at the ill fated Longacre children’s home. DI Drake is only supervising the case though, newly promoted DS Flick Crowley is in charge and Ray is determined that his secret will never see the light of day. And he’s prepared to do whatever it takes…
From the opening chapters you feel that there is something….amiss about DI Ray Drake. There is no reason to dislike this man but you can feel he has deeply buried secrets and boy, you want to know what they are! He gets under your skin. Then he starts to behave inappropriately for a DI and your brain goes into overdrive; ‘what is going on with this fella?’ you find yourself asking. He is a brilliantly written character and I take my hat off to Mark Hill. I became quite obsessed with trying to work out what was going on with Ray, what his thing was and maybe even a little obsessed with Ray, himself!
DS Flick Crowley didn’t have the same draw as DI Drake did for me. I liked her, and I can see her being a favourite of many other readers, but I think I was so totally smitten with DI Drake that Flick wasn’t really on my radar. I hope there is a second book as she may be one of those characters that, for me, needs time to grow and develop. There were two other characters in The Two O’Clock Boy who won my heart; Elliot and Connor. Connor is a complete enigma, the cool kid at the home who beats up the bullies but stands up and says I was wrong, when the moment requires. And the bully turned family man, Elliot. How I absolutely loved Elliot.
The plot is very clever. This book felt fresh to me; something different that I haven’t encountered before. There’s not a lot else I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers but just let me say that it’s quite an intricate storyline. I’m afraid I managed to work out who the killer was but it’s a habit of mine now to look for the killer (I really need to stop doing this and just enjoy the book!). It didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the rest of the book and to be honest, there are much bigger twists than the reveal of the killer for the reader to concentrate on.
Would I recommend this book? I most definitely would. In fact, this is a book that all crime fiction fans should read as it’s quite different to other detective novels. Not only do you have a cracking whodunit story but you also have a cast of brilliantly written characters that make reading this book a joy. I was so captivated with what Ray’s secret could be and oh my, it’s a corker! And to think this a debut – I can’t wait to see what else Mark Hill has in store for us.
Four and a half stars out of five.
I chose to read and review an ARC of The Two O’Clock Boy.
November 27, 2016
Casting aside his nom de plume of Crime Thriller Fella, former blogger, Mark Hill marches stridently onto the crime fiction scene with a debut that is compelling and intriguing, and perhaps more importantly a damn good read. With one of the most ominous and chilling openings that I have encountered this year, as the story draws you in, you would be forgiven for thinking that this would then appear to be a pretty standard London set police procedural. But you’d be wrong. Oh yes, and here’s why…
There is a pernicious killer at work in old London town with the self-styled monicker of The Two O’Clock Boy, the reasons for which are gradually unfurled in a real smoke and mirrors tale of childhood abuse, combined with slick police procedural. With its intertwining timelines, depicting the less than savoury goings on at a children’s home some years previously, and the spotlight on DI Ray Drake and his team to solve the current murders, the links between the past and Drake’s own personal history are neatly threaded together. With some degree of frustration, this is one of those books that thwarts the reviewer at every turn, without stepping in a big pile of spoilers, but suffice to say Drake proves an interesting and damaged conduit between past and present, and his character is never less than intriguing and utterly instrumental to this reader’s enjoyment of the book. The plotting is consistently superb, tinged with a real darkness that unsettles and disturbs throughout, and the pacing and balance between the two gradually revealed interconnected time periods is beautifully weighted.
Likewise, the characterisation of both the police protagonists, and the characters connected to the children’s home, both in the past and present is assuredly done. Hill captures not only the naivety, false bravery, and emotional fragility of the children’s personalities, but how this shapes and moulds them and their experiences on reaching adulthood. It’s sensitively and realistically handled, despite the darkness of his central plot, and I guarantee that when certain truths are revealed about this period in some of the protagonist’s lives, your sense of empathy will be roundly manipulated. As I have alluded to, the character of Drake is of tantamount importance to the whole plot, as is the multi-faceted nature of his personality that he presents to the world. I also liked his sidekick, DS Flick Crowley, whose exasperation with Drake, and some personal issues of her own, provide a bit more colour to the whole affair, and provide a strong partnership for future investigations.
So, pleased to report that The Two O’clock Boy delivers on so many levels, with emotional depth, strong characters, and an effective and suspense-building use of contrasting timelines, to carry the plot along at a pleasing pace. The Raven recommends. Highly.
There is a pernicious killer at work in old London town with the self-styled monicker of The Two O’Clock Boy, the reasons for which are gradually unfurled in a real smoke and mirrors tale of childhood abuse, combined with slick police procedural. With its intertwining timelines, depicting the less than savoury goings on at a children’s home some years previously, and the spotlight on DI Ray Drake and his team to solve the current murders, the links between the past and Drake’s own personal history are neatly threaded together. With some degree of frustration, this is one of those books that thwarts the reviewer at every turn, without stepping in a big pile of spoilers, but suffice to say Drake proves an interesting and damaged conduit between past and present, and his character is never less than intriguing and utterly instrumental to this reader’s enjoyment of the book. The plotting is consistently superb, tinged with a real darkness that unsettles and disturbs throughout, and the pacing and balance between the two gradually revealed interconnected time periods is beautifully weighted.
Likewise, the characterisation of both the police protagonists, and the characters connected to the children’s home, both in the past and present is assuredly done. Hill captures not only the naivety, false bravery, and emotional fragility of the children’s personalities, but how this shapes and moulds them and their experiences on reaching adulthood. It’s sensitively and realistically handled, despite the darkness of his central plot, and I guarantee that when certain truths are revealed about this period in some of the protagonist’s lives, your sense of empathy will be roundly manipulated. As I have alluded to, the character of Drake is of tantamount importance to the whole plot, as is the multi-faceted nature of his personality that he presents to the world. I also liked his sidekick, DS Flick Crowley, whose exasperation with Drake, and some personal issues of her own, provide a bit more colour to the whole affair, and provide a strong partnership for future investigations.
So, pleased to report that The Two O’clock Boy delivers on so many levels, with emotional depth, strong characters, and an effective and suspense-building use of contrasting timelines, to carry the plot along at a pleasing pace. The Raven recommends. Highly.
October 17, 2016
Tense, incredibly well written, surprising and very very clever; that's The Two O Clock Boy, the first novel from Mark Hill and what a cracker of a debut it is.
The story begins in 1986, aboard a small boat in the English Channel and the reader hears the thoughts of an unknown boy. Those thoughts are full of rage and anger, there's an underlying menace that chills, the words are perfect and the scene is set.
We are taken forwards to the present day, and back again to the 1980s all the way through this gripping and quite compelling story. Mark Hill introduces us to the police team who are investigating a series of gruesome and seemingly unrelated murders. DI Ray Drake is in charge; a mysterious, quite cold character. He's recently been widowed, he's struggling in his relationship with his daughter, and there's something about these murders that touch a nerve. Long buried memories are being uncovered every day and Drake is determined that his past will not be uncovered, even if that means the investigation is compromised.
Back in the 1980s, we meet the residents of the Longacre Children's Home and the staff who rule the institution with fear and abuse. It soon becomes clear that those names, from that long burnt-down house are somehow linked to the Two O Clock Boy murder case.
Mark Hill has written an explosive and carefully constructed crime story with a lead character who is flawed but intriguing. This is top-class, intelligent writing that makes the reader do some work too. Reading this story constantly throws up questions for the reader, it is impeccably timed and I certainly had no inkling of what was to be revealed during the final chapters.
The Two O Clock Boy is an excellent start to what I anticipate to be a very successful crime thriller series. I look forward to finding out more about Ray Drake, there's lots to learn about him and I really hope that Mark Hill will allow his readers to find out more about what makes the guy tick.
An excellent debut. Very impressive writing and highly recommended from me.
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The story begins in 1986, aboard a small boat in the English Channel and the reader hears the thoughts of an unknown boy. Those thoughts are full of rage and anger, there's an underlying menace that chills, the words are perfect and the scene is set.
We are taken forwards to the present day, and back again to the 1980s all the way through this gripping and quite compelling story. Mark Hill introduces us to the police team who are investigating a series of gruesome and seemingly unrelated murders. DI Ray Drake is in charge; a mysterious, quite cold character. He's recently been widowed, he's struggling in his relationship with his daughter, and there's something about these murders that touch a nerve. Long buried memories are being uncovered every day and Drake is determined that his past will not be uncovered, even if that means the investigation is compromised.
Back in the 1980s, we meet the residents of the Longacre Children's Home and the staff who rule the institution with fear and abuse. It soon becomes clear that those names, from that long burnt-down house are somehow linked to the Two O Clock Boy murder case.
Mark Hill has written an explosive and carefully constructed crime story with a lead character who is flawed but intriguing. This is top-class, intelligent writing that makes the reader do some work too. Reading this story constantly throws up questions for the reader, it is impeccably timed and I certainly had no inkling of what was to be revealed during the final chapters.
The Two O Clock Boy is an excellent start to what I anticipate to be a very successful crime thriller series. I look forward to finding out more about Ray Drake, there's lots to learn about him and I really hope that Mark Hill will allow his readers to find out more about what makes the guy tick.
An excellent debut. Very impressive writing and highly recommended from me.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
March 9, 2018
So, for most of this book I was in kind of a middle ground.
Didn’t hate it.
Didn’t love it.
Was just curious enough about it to keep reading.
And then suddenly, you get to the last few chapters and OMG DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? And then: AND DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? And, finally: WHERE’S BOOK 2???
Sorry for all the caps, but emotionally, the end of this book is a series of all cap moments. And, yes, I want book 2.
Don’t get me wrong, you won’t like most of the characters. The story is full of flashbacks and it gets all kinds of complex. Character motivations make no sense…until suddenly they do.
I still have to give the book 3 stars. You can’t 4 or 5 star a book on the basis of the last few chapters. But when I think of this as a set up for what will be an engrossing dark series, then I’m good with this one.
Book 2 now, please!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
Didn’t hate it.
Didn’t love it.
Was just curious enough about it to keep reading.
And then suddenly, you get to the last few chapters and OMG DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? And then: AND DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? And, finally: WHERE’S BOOK 2???
Sorry for all the caps, but emotionally, the end of this book is a series of all cap moments. And, yes, I want book 2.
Don’t get me wrong, you won’t like most of the characters. The story is full of flashbacks and it gets all kinds of complex. Character motivations make no sense…until suddenly they do.
I still have to give the book 3 stars. You can’t 4 or 5 star a book on the basis of the last few chapters. But when I think of this as a set up for what will be an engrossing dark series, then I’m good with this one.
Book 2 now, please!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
September 14, 2016
As first lines go, this is a killer.
"The boy loved his parents more than anything on this Earth. And so he had to kill them."
I was instantly hooked. And with each line, the writing just got better and better.
"Perched on the edge of his bunk, he listened to them now. The squeak of their soles on the deck above as they threw recriminations back and forth in voices as vicious as the screeching seagulls wheeling in the sky. He heard the crack of the sail in the wind, the smack of the water against the hull inches from his head...Slap....slap....slap...."
The threat of menace is so darkly palpable through Hill's description of the boat; the words "slap, vicious, crack" and "smack" all instantly implying violence, aggression and murder. I loved the line "His love for them was untethering, drifting away on a fierce tide.....Slap...slap....slap.." The metaphorical power of such a simple phrase is so effective and not at all the kind of lyrical phrases I was expecting when picking up this new debut crime thriller.
By the end of the first page, there was nothing drifting or untethering about my attention - it was well and truly caught.
This anonymous character whose voice opens the story - and who we know only to be a boy - is utterly chilling. He is filled with corrosion and bitterness; fury and rage:
"Already he felt anger swelling like a storm where his love had been."
As the novel continued, I was determined to enjoy Hill's descriptions and clever use of language despite the speed at which the story races along. I liked his image of "clots of people gathered in the sweep of the cherry lights to watch the proceedings from the outer cordon..." for a crime scene. The subtle choices of colour and words absolutely brimming with connotation and help creating suspense and tension. Hill has written a gritty, contemporary novel that doesn't shy away from hard hitting scenes but with the more unexpected brush of lyrical description. It bodes for an interesting and original voice.
As well as an ability to convey scene and atmosphere with such assurance, Hill also creates convincing characters. His description of Kenny here illustrates the more gritty tone of the novel:
"Kenny hated going straight. Loathed it. He'd been a good boy for three years now - three years, eight months and fourteen days to be exact - and every single minute of every single hour had been excruciating."
Continuing with the grit, DI Ray Drake is our man for solving this crime and he has all the ingredients for an engaging character that readers will want to invest in and follow on further adventures. Suitably haunted by a past and a a secret, suitably admired and referred by his colleagues he is a great creation. Again, I could quote much here but have already used up precious word count tantalising you with the opening and don't want to give anything else away for those of you that want to meet this new detective on the block yourselves. I must confess also that I became too absorbed in the plot to remember to keep highlighting good quotes!
What I will say is that so far critics have draw similarities between "The Two O'Clock Boy" and the TV series "Luther" and I'm hard pushed to better that. This comparison captures the essence of this original detective book.
Hill is a journalist and a script writer and I think this is evident in his writing. It is very visual, it is very polished and it is very authentic and compelling. Although this is his debut novel, it is clear that he is a talented writer and confident in his ability to thrill, shock and keep you up until the early hours of the morning turning the final pages.
But don't just take my word for it. The endorsements from other authors is overwhelming. David Young ("Stasi Child") says it is "unsettling and powerful.....shocking edge of the seat twists and a heart stopping finale." Several others use the word "talented".
This must surely be the start of a hard hitting crime series that will be devoured by those who like to discover dark, fresh writing.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in return for a fair review.
"The boy loved his parents more than anything on this Earth. And so he had to kill them."
I was instantly hooked. And with each line, the writing just got better and better.
"Perched on the edge of his bunk, he listened to them now. The squeak of their soles on the deck above as they threw recriminations back and forth in voices as vicious as the screeching seagulls wheeling in the sky. He heard the crack of the sail in the wind, the smack of the water against the hull inches from his head...Slap....slap....slap...."
The threat of menace is so darkly palpable through Hill's description of the boat; the words "slap, vicious, crack" and "smack" all instantly implying violence, aggression and murder. I loved the line "His love for them was untethering, drifting away on a fierce tide.....Slap...slap....slap.." The metaphorical power of such a simple phrase is so effective and not at all the kind of lyrical phrases I was expecting when picking up this new debut crime thriller.
By the end of the first page, there was nothing drifting or untethering about my attention - it was well and truly caught.
This anonymous character whose voice opens the story - and who we know only to be a boy - is utterly chilling. He is filled with corrosion and bitterness; fury and rage:
"Already he felt anger swelling like a storm where his love had been."
As the novel continued, I was determined to enjoy Hill's descriptions and clever use of language despite the speed at which the story races along. I liked his image of "clots of people gathered in the sweep of the cherry lights to watch the proceedings from the outer cordon..." for a crime scene. The subtle choices of colour and words absolutely brimming with connotation and help creating suspense and tension. Hill has written a gritty, contemporary novel that doesn't shy away from hard hitting scenes but with the more unexpected brush of lyrical description. It bodes for an interesting and original voice.
As well as an ability to convey scene and atmosphere with such assurance, Hill also creates convincing characters. His description of Kenny here illustrates the more gritty tone of the novel:
"Kenny hated going straight. Loathed it. He'd been a good boy for three years now - three years, eight months and fourteen days to be exact - and every single minute of every single hour had been excruciating."
Continuing with the grit, DI Ray Drake is our man for solving this crime and he has all the ingredients for an engaging character that readers will want to invest in and follow on further adventures. Suitably haunted by a past and a a secret, suitably admired and referred by his colleagues he is a great creation. Again, I could quote much here but have already used up precious word count tantalising you with the opening and don't want to give anything else away for those of you that want to meet this new detective on the block yourselves. I must confess also that I became too absorbed in the plot to remember to keep highlighting good quotes!
What I will say is that so far critics have draw similarities between "The Two O'Clock Boy" and the TV series "Luther" and I'm hard pushed to better that. This comparison captures the essence of this original detective book.
Hill is a journalist and a script writer and I think this is evident in his writing. It is very visual, it is very polished and it is very authentic and compelling. Although this is his debut novel, it is clear that he is a talented writer and confident in his ability to thrill, shock and keep you up until the early hours of the morning turning the final pages.
But don't just take my word for it. The endorsements from other authors is overwhelming. David Young ("Stasi Child") says it is "unsettling and powerful.....shocking edge of the seat twists and a heart stopping finale." Several others use the word "talented".
This must surely be the start of a hard hitting crime series that will be devoured by those who like to discover dark, fresh writing.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in return for a fair review.
September 21, 2016
Review is also on The Coffee and Kindle Book Review Blog
Kindle Edition
Cost: Netgalley
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Release date: 22/09/16
The Blurb
TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS... ONE BECAME A DETECTIVE... ONE BECAME A KILLER...
One night changed their lives
Thirty years ago, the Longacre Children's Home stood on a London street where once-grand Victorian homes lay derelict. There its children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the home's manager.
Cries in the fire and smoke
Then Connor Laird arrived: a frighteningly intense boy who quickly became Tallis' favourite criminal helper. Soon after, destruction befell the Longacre, and the facts of that night have lain buried . . . until today.
A truth both must hide
Now, a mysterious figure, the Two O'Clock Boy, is killing all who grew up there, one by one. DI Ray Drake will do whatever it take to stop the murders - but he will go even further to cover up the truth.
.
My Thoughts
Another Cop, Another morally corrupt kid’s home, Another Killer knocking off individuals and their families. How is this book any different from the rest of the books published in this overcrowded genre?
It may seem to be another story full of cliques from the How to Write Crime Thrillers tutorial on YouTube but Mark Hills writing takes this book to a different level, way above a lot of the books I have read. I was kept captivated by the writing style and descriptive narrative; I could feel the tension and panic that DI Ray Drake felt as he tried to keep his family and his secret safe. The relationships with other characters were realistic with the interaction between them and the language used was captivating. I really wanted to know which way the story was going, the book is a genuine page turner and I didn’t guess the ending until I had read around 78% of the book, even so the ending is great and leaves the story open for, I hope, more DI Ray Drake books.
Mark Hill has created an unusual and interesting character in DI Ray Drake which sets this book apart from many and if this is just the beginning of the Ray Drake story, who knows where he could end up.
Kindle Edition
Cost: Netgalley
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Release date: 22/09/16
The Blurb
TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS... ONE BECAME A DETECTIVE... ONE BECAME A KILLER...
One night changed their lives
Thirty years ago, the Longacre Children's Home stood on a London street where once-grand Victorian homes lay derelict. There its children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the home's manager.
Cries in the fire and smoke
Then Connor Laird arrived: a frighteningly intense boy who quickly became Tallis' favourite criminal helper. Soon after, destruction befell the Longacre, and the facts of that night have lain buried . . . until today.
A truth both must hide
Now, a mysterious figure, the Two O'Clock Boy, is killing all who grew up there, one by one. DI Ray Drake will do whatever it take to stop the murders - but he will go even further to cover up the truth.
.
My Thoughts
Another Cop, Another morally corrupt kid’s home, Another Killer knocking off individuals and their families. How is this book any different from the rest of the books published in this overcrowded genre?
It may seem to be another story full of cliques from the How to Write Crime Thrillers tutorial on YouTube but Mark Hills writing takes this book to a different level, way above a lot of the books I have read. I was kept captivated by the writing style and descriptive narrative; I could feel the tension and panic that DI Ray Drake felt as he tried to keep his family and his secret safe. The relationships with other characters were realistic with the interaction between them and the language used was captivating. I really wanted to know which way the story was going, the book is a genuine page turner and I didn’t guess the ending until I had read around 78% of the book, even so the ending is great and leaves the story open for, I hope, more DI Ray Drake books.
Mark Hill has created an unusual and interesting character in DI Ray Drake which sets this book apart from many and if this is just the beginning of the Ray Drake story, who knows where he could end up.
September 25, 2016
Well what a cracker of an opening chapter! You read this and you know that you are going to be in for a rollercoaster from hell read and you are indeed! This is a fast paced and twisted thriller that switches between the present time with the suspicious deaths of families with no apparent link and the past in the hellhole of a children's home in the 1980s and you soon realise that there is something evil which binds it all together. It did take me a wee while to get into the swing of the time switches and at the beginning I was becoming confused with so many names and characters being bandied around, but this didn't last for long and I was soon hooked!
DI Ray Drake is certainly a man with a past - one that he wants to remain well hidden but will the events unfolding let him keep his past under wraps? He certainly is a bit of a dark horse with a questionable moral compass! I am really keen to find out more about him! I loved DS Flick Cowley and boy am I keen to see how her relationship with Drake now pans out! These two could be an explosive combination in crime fiction!
The Two O'Clock boy is certainly a fast paced and thrilling read, twists and turns throughout the book and your head will be reeling by the time you are finished! Cracking start to what shapes up to be an intriguing series...can't wait to see where Mark Hill takes this one!
My review is 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review
February 24, 2018
This is crime fiction at its best! I was reading this well into the night as the story was so compelling and the characterisation superb!
Called on to investigate the dreadful murder of three family members, newly promoted D.S. Flick Crowley begins finding links to previous murders and discovers the victims were all resident at The Longacre Children's Home in the 1980's. Her supervisor and mentor, D.I. Drake seems set on hampering the investigation though, constantly telling Crowley that she is following the wrong leads. As her enquiries progress, she becomes convinced Drake knows more than he is letting on about the murders. What was his connection to Longacre and what dark secrets from his past is he hiding?
The characters in this story were especially well crafted; even the bit players felt realistic. Events in the children's home were chillingly portrayed and I honestly couldn't put the book down as the plot was so involving. Fast-paced and thrilling with some super twists, this was an excellent debut and I really look forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommended!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*This book was originally published under the title 'The Two O'Clock Boy.'
Called on to investigate the dreadful murder of three family members, newly promoted D.S. Flick Crowley begins finding links to previous murders and discovers the victims were all resident at The Longacre Children's Home in the 1980's. Her supervisor and mentor, D.I. Drake seems set on hampering the investigation though, constantly telling Crowley that she is following the wrong leads. As her enquiries progress, she becomes convinced Drake knows more than he is letting on about the murders. What was his connection to Longacre and what dark secrets from his past is he hiding?
The characters in this story were especially well crafted; even the bit players felt realistic. Events in the children's home were chillingly portrayed and I honestly couldn't put the book down as the plot was so involving. Fast-paced and thrilling with some super twists, this was an excellent debut and I really look forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommended!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*This book was originally published under the title 'The Two O'Clock Boy.'
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