First To Die

Riley and Harris #2

by Alex Caan

Bonfire Night and St James's Park is filled with thousands of Anonymous protesters in a stand-off with the police. When a cloaked, Guido Fawkes mask-wearing body is discovered the following morning, Zain Harris and Kate Riley are called in to investigate. The corpse has been eaten away by a potentially lethal and highly contagious virus, resulting in enforced quarantine for anyone who came into contact with the body. The autopsy reveals the victim was a senior civil servant, whose work in international development involved saving lives. There is no obvious reason why anyone would want him dead.

As the research team looking into the origins of the deadly virus narrow down the possibilities, first one, then another pharmacist go missing. Meanwhile, a dark truth starts to emerge about the murder victim: he was an aggressive man, whose bullying behaviour resulted in the suicide attempt of one of his former staff members, and one of his favoured charities is rumoured to be involved in human trafficking. He must have had enemies after all...

The mystery is becoming increasingly complicated and with thirty lives potentially at stake, Kate and Zain have their work cut out for them. Can they find the two missing pharmacists in time, or will they too end up dead?

Genres: Audiobook, Crime

Audio CD

First published June 14, 2018

About the author

For fans of THE FALL, a slick, dark, contemporary THRILLER in the tradition of SARAH HILARY and ROBERT GALBRAITH that grips from the very first page.

What the reviews say:

'Told in an uncompromising way...a different book which is really refreshing.'

‘A very taut crime thriller…The story moves at a face pace, with lots of twists and turns. A dark edgy story for the current times of social media exploitation.’

‘WOW!!!! Blisteringly fabulous dark crime, that is hard to put down!’

'It's a super-twisty police procedural that kept me guessing right until the end!'

‘Not many books can keep me reading until the early hours of the morning but this debut novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let me go!’

‘You're kept moving along and the plot is engaging enough that you keep wanting to turn pages. I loved the plot twists and the character development.’

‘This was a great mystery with much deeper subject matter than I originally thought.’

‘I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book. I didn’t particularly know anything about the world of vlogging, and it sounded like more of a YA book, but I decided to read it and am glad that I did. This is a fast paced thriller that takes you on a ride through the seedier side of vlogging, and political corruption. It is well written, and the characters are intriguing. The plot is good, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.’

‘I am not a big fan of social media but this was a great read and the story kept you turning the page from the very beginning.’

‘Absolutely brilliant book which I consumed in a matter of days and loved every minute of!’

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the plot in Cut To The Bone as it has a bit of everything. I love a good police procedural and this is very good on procedure without being boring. There is misdirection at every turn which really held my attention and kept me in the dark until the end.’

‘Unlike other procedural crime series, this has a darker, angstier edge to it.’

‘A contemporary thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It is a great buy and the author did a brilliant job.’

‘Thoroughly enjoyable with the short chapters making it easy to pick up and hard to put down.’

‘One of the most captivating introductions I have read in a while! Caan's use of short sentences creates tension effectively, gripping the reader and pulling them straight into the dark and frightening situation which sets the tone for the rest of this compelling thriller. This really is a novel for 2016.’


Biography:
Alex Caan has spent over a decade working in Information Systems Security for a number of government organisations, and is currently specialising in Terrorism Studies. A lifetime passion for writing was sparked by the encouraging words of an English Teacher in school, and eventually led to Alex successfully completing an MA in Creative Writing, and write Cut to the Bone. Alex lives in London and Manchester.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley and Harris #2

Bonfire night and St James's Park is filled with thousands od Anonymous protesters in a stand-off with the police. When a cloaked Guido Fawkes mask-wearing body is discovered the following morning, Zain Harris and Kate Riley are called into investigate. The corpse has been eaten away by a potentially lethal and highly contagious virus, resulting in enforced quarantine for anyone who came into contact with the body.

There is some graphic descriptions of victims faces and what flesh eating bugs can do. This will not suit every reader and is definitely not for the squeamish. I like the characters, Riley and Harris, and how they work well together. The book has a steady pace from the beginning to end, with plenty of curve balls thrown in. The author had done a tremendous job researching the subject matter. This is a well written, action packed book that can be read as a standalone, but it's always best to read a series from the beginning.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author Alex Caan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela Marsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not ashamed to admit that I have begged, pleaded and threatened this author and his publisher for an early copy of this book. After reading Alex’s first novel, Cut to the Bone, I fell in love with the partnership of DCI Kate Riley and DS Zain Harris and this second outing cements their place as my favourite crime fighting duo. Both damaged and vulnerable but feisty and fierce too. As with the first book, the author researches his subject matter excellently. I love nothing more than to learn as I read and I found myself hungrily gobbling up the facts in this one. No spoilers on the story but when a body is found ravaged by some kind of unknown toxin the team begins a twisty, turny journey that is full of surprises and leaves no-one unscathed. The writing is compelling, breathtaking, immersive and at times heart stopping. The pace is fast and kept me reading from the second I started until I had devoured the lot. Simply stunning.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read d crime thriller with a deadly virus at its core before. Not a believable one anyway. My goodness Alex Caan you write some dark stuff but I couldn't stop reading. This coming from me who finds an episode of 999What's your emergency a bit too much at times. There's some very graphic descriptions of faces not looking as they should, flesh eating bugs and what they can do...what happens at an autopsy and inside a hospital that looks to treat such diseases.

Kate and Zain are good characters with backgrounds not just based around errant partners and drinking problems which is always refreshing in crime novels. If there's a niggle I had about this novel is that sometimes the science confused me slightly although I was fascinated by it. However another niggle was the seemingly over-use of PCC, DCI etc when writing about the police. With the story using GCHQ, Mi6 and science shorthand, I thought this was overdone and kept jolting me out of the story .

I'm coming back for more though!

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 3 out of 5]

First To Die is Book 2 in the Riley and Harris Series. After a protest in St James Park on Bonfire night a body is found. The body is being eaten away by a virus - bit what is it and how many people are in danger?

This book is very graphic in its descriptions of the virus' and what they are doing to the bodies. Not for the faint hearted.

Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book to read in exchange for my honest opinions

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 star read for me as it didn’t have me gripped as much as I thought it would.
A body is discovered following a protest in the park and Zain and Kate are called in to investigate. The corpse has been eaten away by a potentially lethal and highly contagious virus, resulting in enforced quarantine for anyone who came into contact with the body. This is Kate and Kapoor who was examining the body.
They are closely monitored and soon given the all clear but the experts are puzzled about what the body has been exposed to to cause the death.
This is a good read and has a steady pace from the beginning to end.
Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was one intense book, I feel as though I have learned about far too about the incredibly scary world of biochemistry, and just what horrors could await the world if this was to become a reality. My head feels fried from the amount of information i have taken in, and its already been giving me bad dreams.

Yet I didn't find I was particularly hooked on this thriller, nor did I have any ideas where the investigation would take us.

I was though surprised when I referred back to the blurb after I had read a significant amount of the book and things still hadn't really occurred that were mentioned in it. I thought I was going to be reading a fast paced thriller with a real race against time, but instead it seemed like the majority of the first half of the book was focused on one specific dead body, and that when it started to get more serious and the investigation proceeded, I found myself a bit confused.

This may be because I am realising that I am just not keen on thrillers that involve drugs, drug trials, pharmaceutical companies and all that related industry.

That being said I could easily see that the book was getting under my skin, and I was mildly curious as to how everything would be resolved. The writing is very good, and it was my personal preferences clouding my enjoyment of the book.

This was the second book featuring this police team, and although I read the first book a few years ago, I found I was struggling to remember things even with the reminder tidbits, so I would say these are best read one after the other, and Cut to the Bone is by far the better story to my eyes.

I would though be curious to read more from the author in the future, as I suspect it was the crime that I wasn't engaging with properly, rather than anything else. If you like slow building thrillers with a lot of explanations then this could be the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zaffre for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This edgy thriller is the second in the Riley and Zain series but works well as a stand-alone too.
Examining themes that are really up to date- think Russia and nerve agents on British soil- Alex Caan’s follow up book is every bit as good as the first.
During Bonfire Night in London, a dead body is discovered but it is difficult to work out how the person has died and when it is revealed that the deceased worked for the government it becomes a race against time to find the motive and modus operandi as the body count grows.
Is it a virus or some sort of poison? Is the general public in danger? Zain and Riley must find this out as quickly as possible.
Kate Riley and Zain work well together although Zain’s unorthodox methods do lead him into trouble.
There is also a side plot concerning Kate’s past and this is not really resolved by the end of the book paving the way for a further novel in the series.
This is an enjoyable read although quite complex so it requires a level of concentration to fully understand the plot. It is a compelling and pertinent story and it certainly made me think as it examined several moral issues as part of the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second instalment in the series and it is just as good as the first. I do think it would read just as well without the background of #1 in the series.
This is a gripping biochemical thriller with themes of hatred, chauvinistic behaviour for which some may want vengeance, the power and influence of major corporations, and finally retribution.
The plot has some graphic elements but they work effectively into the development of the pace, which is sustained throughout. The characters range from the likeable to the loathsome and emerge with greater intensity as the tale unfolds.
The themes are believable and as with the first one details are intricate, scientific (and some technical) but enhance the development of both characters & plot, they are necessary.
I would suggest reading this novel in big segments as it would be easy to find the later half a little confusing when multiple characters, all connected & critical to the final revelations, enter the melee. Intriguing, thought-provoking, those with so much power who make life-death decisions based on profit margins, and revenge; all central to a complex, well-woven crime thriller.

[Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the first book with Kate and Zain, I was excited to be approved for an ARC of First to Die. Well this book was even better than the first, it was fast paced with a great story line and lots of twists and turns. I love the two main characters of Kate Reilly and Zain Harris, both and really felt protective towards them, wanting them to overcome their issues and hoping for a bit of romance!. This is one of those books that keeps you up reading it into the small hours.

[Jacob Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

First To Die is a brilliant follow up to Cut to the Bone which I read and really enjoyed last year, so I was excited to see what Alex Caan would come up with next. It covers very topical issues and if you look back at recent news, you can see that the crimes explored here are certainly within the realms of possibility, which is what makes this idea so scary.

The main characters, Kate Riley and Zain Harris are really starting to grow on me; they are both different to each other and they come from very different backgrounds, but they are also two very flawed characters and this is perhaps what attracts them to each other. They make a great team and it has been really interesting watching their working relationship develop in this book.

There is tension from the offset after Kate discovers a body following a protest that took place in St. James’s Park the night before. But it soon becomes apparent that the body has been contaminated by a potentially lethal and highly contagious virus, which means Kate herself may have become infected. And as the investigation deepens it becomes clear that there may be more people at risk.

The mystery in this book is a really chilling one. From the start we can see that we have a killer here who is highly intelligent and may have access to lethal substances. At the beginning of the book I wasn’t sure if the killer was specifically targeting people or whether this would become a national crisis, which is also what the detectives working on the case fear. Alex certainly gets the intrigue going and he kept me turning the pages as we raced towards the conclusion.

The ending of this book has really left me wondering what’s going on in the character’s lives now and how they are all doing. This is a very clever novel and Alex Caan’s writing grips you from the first page. I can’t wait to see where he will take Kate and Zain next.

[Book Bunny 666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing crime book. 

We follow a range of detectives as they get a case where the body they have found has died in a very unusual way. His brain melted out his body. 

After ruling out any contagious diseases they have to find out why and how he died and what melted his brain. 

They soon find our it was a nuerotixin that did this. SO they have to find who has this mutated form of nuerotoxin before anyone else is killed. 

As soon as they think they have found the killer, they either end up dead or evidence takes them out of the frame. 

With more and more people winding up dead, they have to find out how the bodies are linked and who is killing them all. 

This was a fun criminal book, i loved the concept and that it had biochemisrty in. I loved how all the the characters differ. 

We learn about the characters pasts and their lives now, so we can build a more detailed character profile to the main set of characters in this book. 

[Hazel Tyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was going to like this more than I actually did.
I found the story a little boring in places, especially with all the PCC this and DCI that, however there were elements of interest when the story line would pick up and become a little more action packed. There are other story lines running the background which allude to previous books and maybe future ones too. I preferred Zain's character as he seemed to be the more interesting participant, with his terrorist background. I find it hard to believe that someone that went into witness protection would be allowed to go on to being a police detective, such as Kate (or Winter) did. It would have been nice to read more of her story line behind the scenes. I also was a little disappointed because when you start to read this book, it has the beginnings of a zombie/infection outbreak, which I was kinda hoping for. Unfortunately it was just another murder mystery.

[Stephfafahh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurbs of these books honestly really hype them up, and psych you into reading them. The cover on this one is beautiful until you realise that it’s missing a question mark. The science was really the only thing that kept me going to be honest.

[Marjorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more of a 2.5 Stars read but I was so disappointed that I have marked it down as a 2 Star in my notebook of doom (as the other half calls it).

The premise for the story itself is very good - a high ranking civil servant is found dead after a public demonstration in central London and the circumstances are very peculiar indeed. He has clearly been infected with something but will this pose a threat to the general public and can they even find out what caused his brain to melt and his body to erupt in pustules and blisters. The science is a little flimsy but relatively sound and I liked that explanations of Category A Viruses and Neurotoxins was slipped in to the text in a non-patronising way (very often the science bit can be a little insulting).

As more people turn up missing and dead the race is on to find out just what this infection is and why so many disparate people have died in various violent ways. The links between them are tenuous and the detective work to prove the links is dealt with well and does keep you interested; especially as you feel as baffled as the police.

Then it all starts to go very wrong, very fast. It feels as though inspiration left the author and with the deadline looming he had to get some sort of resolution out of this whilst meeting his word count. Certainly not the first author that has given me this impression and I am sure won't be the last.

The real problem lies with the characters in the story and their backstories which heavily populate the book and serve only to slow the action down and distract from the case in hand. The biggest nuisance for this is Kate Riley as we are constantly reminded that her and her mother had been in Witness Protection in the States after they had testified against her father. Now they have a "Watcher" determined to be their undoing - this is not resolved in the book - who pops up in the narrative with startling regularity just when things are getting interesting.

The main player is DS Zain Harris who has a murky past and was "turned" by GCHQ and did some time working for SO15. This we are reminded off ad infinitum and we also get to go on tangents to his insomnia and illegal drug habit. He also takes time to lecture us on internet safety and protecting our identity.

In summary I found this to be a frustrating tale with too many side stories trying to be woven in, leaving the whole ultimately confused and frustrating to read.

I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

[Mary Picken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bio terrorism is certainly a deeply fearful, timely and relevant topic for today and in First To Die, Alex Caan has believably and chillingly created among the most awful of deadly killers I have come across.

It’s Bonfire night and in Westminster thousands of Anonymous supporters have gathered. All dressed in their trademark white Guy Fawkes masks and black cloaks. D.S. Zain Harris is among them, part of an undercover operation trying to spot serious troublemakers, but in truth he’s more on their side than on his bosses’.

Trouble breaks out and Zain is caught in the middle of it, having tried and failed to stop a Molotov cocktail from wreaking havoc on the crowd. After the dust has settled, a dead body is found lying in the park, disguised in a similar fashion to the now dispersed protestors of the previous evening.

But this is no ordinary death. This man’s body is covered in boils, blisters and lesions and as soon as they have seen what is left of his face, both D.C.I. Kate Riley and pathologist Dr Rani Kapoor are carted off to for examination and possible decontamination by the Dept for Communicable Diseases.

Before that happens, though, Rani discovers that the deceased has an identity card on him, belonging to a high ranking official in DFID. Zain is tasked with investigating whilst Kate tries to discover and understand what has caused such a catastrophic meltdown in this once human corpse.

As she explores the scientific world of neurotoxins and Category A viruses, one thing is clear; if there is more of this stuff out in the world, it will have deadly repercussions.

Riley and Harris are up against it as they seek the extremely sparse clues that will lead them to a serial killer. This is police procedure at its best. The team painstakingly examine every angle from the deceased’s private life to his work and social circle, yet they are left without much to go on.

As more dead bodies turn up, it’s hard to see what the links are; yet these are clearly not random killings and each death is horribly violent.

Though this is the second book in the Riley/Harris series, it can be read as a stand-alone as sufficient background is given for the reader to understand the characters’ backstories and relationships – which are extremely interesting.

Impressively plotted and well written this is both a chilling tale and highly enjoyable book. I did, though, find the pace a little bit erratic, especially towards the end when the tension that had been building seemed to slip away a little until the shocking climax arrived.

I think this is because there is a recurring narrative arc involving Riley’s backstory which isn’t resolved in the book but leads you into wanting to read the next one in order to find out more. That’s all well and good, but somewhere in the editing process, it has slowed things down a bit.

Nonetheless, it’s a great story, well told and I will certainly read the next in the series.

Verdict: Great storyline!

[Gemma McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]


I was lucky enough to jump onto the First to Die Blog tour, when I read the book description I knew I wanted to read the book. I even bypassed my normal reading books in order to read this book first.
This is the first time I have read any books by Alex Caan So I thought I would give you little extra information.

Bonefire night in London is a busy night for the police, thousand of anonymous protestor have taken to the streets all the in the same Guy Fawkes costume, causing trouble where ever they go. The next morning a body is found wearing the Guy Fawkes costume is found, DCI Kate Riley and DC Zain Harris are called to investigate  but something is different with this body, as it is disintegrating before the officers. Now the body has to be quarantine as anyone that has been near it. Now Kate and Zain have to investigate a murder without causing mass panic. As they start to look into the victim they realise he might not be so clean-cut as his public image states. As they start to look at the evidence they might be more victims, but why would someone want this seemingly group of victim dead.

I liked the characters of Kate and Zain, they are both very different but driven in solving the case. It interesting reading about character that are dealing with past situation while doing their job. As I had not read the first book (yet) I found the references to what has previously happen make it easy to understand the character, without feeling like I missing out on important information.
Out of the Zain and Kate, I am more interested in Zain just because he lives more in the grey area of life/ work, you never know what is going to happen next with Zain.
The method of murder in First to Die, is gripping and scary considering we had the Salisbury poisoning in March 2018, and the nurse that caught Ebola back in 2014.
The book is a slowly builds, and it pulls you in as you try to figure out who committed the crime and why, I enjoyed the fact that I couldn't guess straight away reason for the crime and the why.
The only thing I would have wanted to no more about is the person that was watching Kate, I hope that this gets cleared up in Book 3.
I will read Cut to the Bone, and I am interested to see what happens next of Kate and Zain, especially Zain considering how the book ended.
I give this book 3.8 out of 5

Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy of the book for a fair and honest review, as well as letting me part of the Blog Tour.
Thanks for reading
Gem x


[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the body of a man is found the morning after a demonstration by a group of protesters known as Anonymous, Kate Riley and Zain Harris from the Police Crime Commissioner's Office are called in to investigate. Discovering that the body is covered in strange pustules, fear strikes when it is revealed that the man could be a victim of a lethal virus; potentially, anyone who has come into contact with the victim could be a carrier. The body is soon identified as that of a senior civil servant with strong government connections. As another person goes missing, the race is on to find an antidote whilst also trying to discover the motive behind the attack.

With recent events in Salisbury, the idea of someone being infected with a potentially lethal virus is very topical, and it was this that drew me towards reading the book. I found the premise a fascinating one and enjoyed reading about the precautions that needed to be taken due to them not knowing what had caused the death. The descriptions of the body are graphic and helped to explain the need to ascertain exactly what happened before the public were informed.

The two lead characters, DCI Kate Riley and DS Zain Harris, are an intriguing pair and I liked how their investigation styles were very different yet complemented each other. I did find, however, that the plot of the book was often slowed down by the references to their back stories. Whereas I often find this useful, especially if you haven't read the previous book in the series, here, I found it distracted me from the main plot. I felt that Kate's back story, whilst obviously a fascinating one, was a bit of a 'red herring' in this book. I found myself wanting to know more about the mysterious character who was watching her, only to find that the story was not resolved in this book.

I did enjoy reading First to Die, but I definitely feel that this is one where I should have read the first in the series prior to reading this one.

With thanks to Zaffre and Readers First for my ARC.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I grew up reading thrillers and crime books, it's a genre I can fly through and 'First to Die' definitely lived up to the expectations I have from this genre. It has twists and turns, great characters, and a deadly virus right at the centre of the story. You learn things as the characters do and it really keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering who is infected and what might happen to the characters that you become attached to.

It's worth noting that this is the second book in the 'Riley and Harris' series, but you do not need to have read the prior book to enjoy this, there are some allusions to things that have happened in the past. Caan cleverly allows you to catch up without just feeding the reader information, it all seamlessly fits in with the story.

I really enjoyed the premise of the story, with the virus. It was something that comes up every now and again in crime thrillers, however the twist that Caan put on it really made it something special. It felt like everything was at stake and that at any moment mass panic would begin, and the tension of this really made the book for me. I kept waiting for it all to go wrong. All of the characters are fleshed out, with intricate backstories and genuine reasoning behind some of their actions. I particularly liked the interaction between Kate and Zain, especially as you got to see both perspectives!

Go and pick this up - I promise you won't be disappointed.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the second book more than the first one. I wasn't able to predict any of the twists, and the plot was interesting. I liked how there was a lot of focus on various sciences (hard and social sciences). Riley and Harris's narration was amusing.

However, I was surprised and also disappointed with a negative depiction of a transgender character near the end of the story. In the 'author's notes' thing at the end the author thanked her editors for reassuring her that she was "not like JK Rowling". Having read "Lethal White" and this book, I can confidently the depiction of a transgender person in this book is much worse than JK Rowling's. The reason being is the villain in "Lethal White" isn't trans yet people shit on the book. In "First to Die" the character in question was trans and was depicted as being seriously unhinged (not because of being transgender, but the gender identity added to the character's stress levels and that they had 'a lot going on'). Wrong pronouns are used after the main characters learn about their gender identity.

The writing quality is good but it is a shame that the author spent so much time researching the science fields in detail (which is part of why the book is so good), yet couldn't spare the time to find a sensitivity reader. This makes me reluctant to recommend the book.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, this book wasn't that great for me. It started off with an interesting plot - a body discovered in a park and a potential virus outbreak - but quickly got bogged down with flat dialogue - the characters seemed a little too interested in repeating their past in ways that felt a little jolting out of the story or just too exposition full. The second half was where it really became too disappointing and winding, where it was hard to see where all these links would go - and then the reveal was a little lackluster for me. A mystery man is watching one character as well, and these sections seemed a little 'ha ha ha I will get revenge!' only for it to pan out into a tiny action.

Then there is the mild comments on [spoiler] our main mystery killer, a man who is transitioning - but one of our MC's Kate continuously refers to them as 'he' and claims that because they haven't really gone far into the transition that this is a good decision, and also seems to disapprove of a colleague referring to them as their chosen pronouns. Personally this felt a little off to me - especially since the character saw themselves as a woman, and that had no bearing upon their decisions. Why the author didn't just stick with the chosen pronouns or make it clear that the killer saw themselves as more pronoun flexible, I don't know - it would have stopped the almost sour twist to the end.

[Victoria Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

First to Die is the sequel to Alex Caan's Cut to the Bone, and you can't get more 'bang up to date' than this. Here you have a police team (and potentially the capital city) in crisis, with fears of a deadly virus on the loose. It's a race against the clock in case the killer strikes again.

Alex Caan has written a gripping, fast-paced crime thriller. He kept me guessing all the way through, as key characters (Kate and Zain) struggled to unravel the truth about who killed this senior civil servant, and why. The plot is complex, steeped in science and politics, with plenty of twists, turns and surprises throughout - and a few 'heart in the mouth' moments too.

Both Kate and Zain have complicated pasts and secrets to hide, with regular 'reveals' about their backgrounds fleshing out their characters and triggering intense emotions in both of them. While they're battling their demons, they're put their own lives in danger, which really ramps up the pace. There are plenty of other larger-than-life characters too, turning this into a fun read despite it's dark undertones.

While First to Die could be read as a standalone, I recommend reading Cut to the Bone first. I'm looking forward to seeing what Alex Caan comes up with next!

[Elite Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why was this man poisoned? And will others follow?

On Guy Fawkes Night, a thousand anonymous protesters are in St. James’ Park in a stand-off with police. The next morning a cloaked man is found with horrendous pustules and his skin has been eaten away. Zain Harris and Kate Riley are called to investigate. A quarantine is set up as it is soon discovered that the man died from a potentially contagious virus.

The victim is a senior civil servant with a formidable reputation for bullying. Soon more people disappear, all pharmacists and all connected in some way.

Who is targeting these people and is there a possibility that they will release the virus on the unexpecting populace?

I enjoyed this book as it was a bit different from the normal murder story. It was well written and well researched, and very topical now. It had me thinking about how easy it would be to unleash a contagious virus. I haven’t read any of the Harris and Riley series which put me at a disadvantage.

My only reason for 4 stars was it went on a bit and slowed down in the middle and speeded up again at the end.

Chester.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Dan Sihota · Rating 2 out of 5]

First to Die was the second of two books I got at the same time by the author Alex Caan whilst looking for a British contemporary thriller to read. If I didn't already have this book, then after reading the first book, Cut to the Bone, I probably wouldn't have been interested in reading First to Die. It took me a lot longer to finish this book than I thought it would, and the simple explanation for this would be that I just lost interest. This isn't to say this is a bad book or badly written, it just seemed a little forced to me.

The story of First to Die picks up soon after Cut to the Bone, and continues with the stories of DI Kate Riley and DS Zain Harris, who are now investigating the release of a potentially lethal and highly contagious virus. For me, the investigation and the various twists and turns encountered either seemed cliché or just forced, the story didn't seem to flow naturally.

However, as this is not the kind of book I would normally read, I'm sure many readers of British contemporary thrillers will think differently, but for me, at best, it was just okay.

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

DCI Kate Riley and DS Zain Harris are investigating a gruesome murder that may be due to a contagious virus. Can they learn the truth before too many others die and does Kate have bigger worries at home.

This is book 2 in the series but don't think you need to read One to understand the story or the dynamics. It does however make me want to read One and of course the following book due to the ending. It does the the story up but leaves a few bits open to entice the reader to want to read the next one. The story was good and the plot was well paced. The ending was good and quite clever. I hadn't figured it all out which is always good.

I liked Kate and clearly she has quite the backstory which I'm hoping was in book 1. Zain is an interesting character with a troubled past but dedicated.

A gripping story leaving me with a need to read more.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

By kirstyk345

I really enjoyed the book! Great story with a plot very different to others I've read of a similar genre.

My one and only negative would be there were a lot of characters who I struggled to keep up with but the chilling storyline more than made up for this.

I had many theories in my head as to how the mysterious death of Mr Leakey may have beenough caused but the ending was not one of them which was good. He's found dead with large bubonic oozing blisters on his body with many people with a motive to killing him or at least wanting him dead.

I was drawn in the most by the idea of it being caused by something airborne that may have already infected others...was slightly disappointed when it was revealed that it wasn't but still the story grabbed me till the end .

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story opens with an Anonymous protest in St James Park on Bonfire night. Most police personnel are on duty dealing with this. The following day a body is discovered dressed in the mask and cloak of Anonymous, Kate and Zain are called to investigate. Kate is dealing with the body with Dr Kapoor and something strange happens and they have to be quarantined until it is deemed uncontagious. Meanwhile Zain and the team are investigating the man who has died. Not all is rosy and it becomes apparent that he has enemies. But are they the right enemies? The investigation takes twists and turns with seemingly unrelated characters being killed in the murderers cause.
In the meantime, shady people from Kate's past are lurking in the background.......a nice juicy tale to get your teeth into.

[Orláith · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first saw the synopsis of First to Die, I immediately thought it sounded like a fantastic story that was somewhat fitting for the time we are living in, a time where biological terrorist threats are a morbid reality.

Sadly, I cannot help but feel that this novel just did not live up to its potential.

I tried reading the first few chapters but the style of writing was just too clinical for me. Clinical in that there was no emotion in the words and it seemed like everything was being spoon fed to me. There was nothing to keep me engaged.

I gave a rating of one star due to the lack of an option for "did not finish". I do want to say that my opinion is just my own and what I didn't enjoy, others may love.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was so suspenseful and very well-written. The storyline is both intriguing and exciting, throughout. I also found there were a good deal of surprises or twists, but not over the top, and they all fit, once you thought about them.

The characters are created exceptionally well, bringing each one to life with their own characteristics and personalities. When you combine that with the world-building details, the book really made you feel like you were right there, part of the story.

The pace flowed nicely, never making it feel rushed, but still giving it a faster pace at parts, whilst combining that with slower moments to let you ponder.

I enjoyed every page and highly recommend this book!

[Jenny L · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different storyline to the usual thriller/murder story, although it did feel as if I should have read Caan's first novel before this one - assuming of course this was a follow on with the same characters. It was certainly written as such, so if not, then that's just plain odd! Certainly a dramatic storyline with a core team of hard-bitten and hard-working police. Maybe a rather sudden end and rather an anti-climax with the reveal. But overall, a good read - a quick read for sure.

[Pat K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in a series. I loved the first book and I liked this one, I will keep reading the series, but this one is a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The the story was complicated and took some back tracking at times to keep up with who was who. I love the characters of Riley and Harris, but I find the eeking out of critical information frustratingly slow. The endings of these books go at a very fast pace.