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Detective Zac Boateng #1
Bring Her Back
As he watches his daughter turn the corner and out of sight, he hears the shots. He’d know that sound anywhere. He shouts her name. Silence. All he can do is run.
It’s been five years since Zac’s daughter was murdered. Her killer was never found. Now he’s back working as a detective for the Metropolitan Police, and he’s more determined than ever to bring the city’s killers to justice.
When a man is found brutally murdered in a rundown south London shop, all fingers point to the highly intelligent and manipulative Darian Wallace. He’s just been released, and two years ago the victim helped send him to prison.
Still grieving, Zac knows it will take everything he’s got to catch this dangerously clever killer. But just as he feels he’s getting closer, he realises all is not quite as it seems and makes a devastating personal discovery.
Zac has a choice to make – risk letting this killer escape or watch his daughter’s murderer get away again…
An absolutely gripping thriller for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Lee Child. Bring Her Back is one fast-paced thriller you won’t be able to put down.
This book was previously published as The Murder List
It’s been five years since Zac’s daughter was murdered. Her killer was never found. Now he’s back working as a detective for the Metropolitan Police, and he’s more determined than ever to bring the city’s killers to justice.
When a man is found brutally murdered in a rundown south London shop, all fingers point to the highly intelligent and manipulative Darian Wallace. He’s just been released, and two years ago the victim helped send him to prison.
Still grieving, Zac knows it will take everything he’s got to catch this dangerously clever killer. But just as he feels he’s getting closer, he realises all is not quite as it seems and makes a devastating personal discovery.
Zac has a choice to make – risk letting this killer escape or watch his daughter’s murderer get away again…
An absolutely gripping thriller for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Lee Child. Bring Her Back is one fast-paced thriller you won’t be able to put down.
This book was previously published as The Murder List
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2018
270 people are currently reading
423 people want to read
About the author
Chris Merritt
12 books181 followersHello! I'm a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.
All my novels are set in London, where I live. My first trilogy starred Zac Boateng and Kat Jones, two detectives motivated by family, who tackle organised crime and police corruption. LAST WITNESS, the second Boateng and Jones book, reached #13 in the UK Kindle chart in 2019.
My second series features detective Dan Lockhart - an ex-soldier with a missing wife - and psychologist Dr Lexi Green, an American living in London. These novels are darker, more psychological serial-killer cases, with romantic relationships as a central theme.
I began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. I specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked my interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.
Now, I spend most of my time writing novels and drinking coffee while 'thinking' about writing novels. When I'm not writing, I love climbing and playing basketball.
All my novels are set in London, where I live. My first trilogy starred Zac Boateng and Kat Jones, two detectives motivated by family, who tackle organised crime and police corruption. LAST WITNESS, the second Boateng and Jones book, reached #13 in the UK Kindle chart in 2019.
My second series features detective Dan Lockhart - an ex-soldier with a missing wife - and psychologist Dr Lexi Green, an American living in London. These novels are darker, more psychological serial-killer cases, with romantic relationships as a central theme.
I began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. I specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked my interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.
Now, I spend most of my time writing novels and drinking coffee while 'thinking' about writing novels. When I'm not writing, I love climbing and playing basketball.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 28, 2018
EXCERPT: This day will change him forever, though he doesn't know it yet. . .
Tilting her head, for a second she's with him. Then lost again. She draws a long breath.
His hands are soaked, slippery. Leaning over, he turns a cheek to her mouth and looks down her chest. Waits. Counts to ten. No air, no movement.
Puts two fingers on her carotid artery.
No pulse.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: The lifeless body sat, hands bound, silver tape over his mouth. Patches of blood had soaked into the cheap carpet around him. Zac had spent years gaining scientific insight into the mind: human motivation and behaviour. And this scene wasn’t right...
It’s been five years since Detective Zac Boateng’s daughter was murdered and her killer was never found. Now Zac is back working for the Metropolitan Police and is more determined than ever to bring the city’s killers to justice.
When a man is found brutally murdered in a rundown south London shop, all fingers point to the highly intelligent and manipulative Darian Wallace. Two years ago, the victim helped send him to prison. And he’s just been released.
Still grieving, Zac knows it will take everything he's got to catch this dangerously clever killer. But just as he feels he’s getting closer, he realises all is not quite as it seems and he makes a devastating personal discovery.
Zac has a choice to make – risk letting this killer escape or watch his daughter’s murderer get away again…
MY THOUGHTS: There are some books that, the moment you start reading them, you know are going to be an excellent read. The Murder List by Chris Merritt is one such book. I have tweeted as I was reading that I was excited to be in right at the beginning of this great new series, and I am. Usually when I discover a really good series, I pick up on it several books in then have to go back and read the earlier installments, but not this time. This time I am in from the very beginning.
This is no bog-standard detective series. It has a depth to both the characters and plot that is unusual, especially from a first time author, but is perhaps explained by the author's background. Chris Merritt is a Psychologist in the NHS who has worked with both the victims and perpetrators of crime. He has taken what he has learned in his work environment and applied it to his writing with great success.
Merritt has created a detective who runs contrary to the "deeply disturbed loner/renegade" that seems to currently be de riguer in detective fiction. That's not to say he doesn't have issues. No man who has seen his daughter gunned down and die in his arms could escape having issues. But Zac has a strong relationship with both his wife and son, with the occasional hiccup of course as happens in real life, and is both liked and respected by his work colleagues. He doesn't always make the best or wisest decisions, but who does? He is a strong and interesting character, and one whose journey I am committed to following.
The cover of this book promises 'An utterly gripping crime thriller with edge of your seat suspense', and believe me, that's exactly what you get. 4.5 very bright stars
Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Murder List by Chris Merritt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Tilting her head, for a second she's with him. Then lost again. She draws a long breath.
His hands are soaked, slippery. Leaning over, he turns a cheek to her mouth and looks down her chest. Waits. Counts to ten. No air, no movement.
Puts two fingers on her carotid artery.
No pulse.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: The lifeless body sat, hands bound, silver tape over his mouth. Patches of blood had soaked into the cheap carpet around him. Zac had spent years gaining scientific insight into the mind: human motivation and behaviour. And this scene wasn’t right...
It’s been five years since Detective Zac Boateng’s daughter was murdered and her killer was never found. Now Zac is back working for the Metropolitan Police and is more determined than ever to bring the city’s killers to justice.
When a man is found brutally murdered in a rundown south London shop, all fingers point to the highly intelligent and manipulative Darian Wallace. Two years ago, the victim helped send him to prison. And he’s just been released.
Still grieving, Zac knows it will take everything he's got to catch this dangerously clever killer. But just as he feels he’s getting closer, he realises all is not quite as it seems and he makes a devastating personal discovery.
Zac has a choice to make – risk letting this killer escape or watch his daughter’s murderer get away again…
MY THOUGHTS: There are some books that, the moment you start reading them, you know are going to be an excellent read. The Murder List by Chris Merritt is one such book. I have tweeted as I was reading that I was excited to be in right at the beginning of this great new series, and I am. Usually when I discover a really good series, I pick up on it several books in then have to go back and read the earlier installments, but not this time. This time I am in from the very beginning.
This is no bog-standard detective series. It has a depth to both the characters and plot that is unusual, especially from a first time author, but is perhaps explained by the author's background. Chris Merritt is a Psychologist in the NHS who has worked with both the victims and perpetrators of crime. He has taken what he has learned in his work environment and applied it to his writing with great success.
Merritt has created a detective who runs contrary to the "deeply disturbed loner/renegade" that seems to currently be de riguer in detective fiction. That's not to say he doesn't have issues. No man who has seen his daughter gunned down and die in his arms could escape having issues. But Zac has a strong relationship with both his wife and son, with the occasional hiccup of course as happens in real life, and is both liked and respected by his work colleagues. He doesn't always make the best or wisest decisions, but who does? He is a strong and interesting character, and one whose journey I am committed to following.
The cover of this book promises 'An utterly gripping crime thriller with edge of your seat suspense', and believe me, that's exactly what you get. 4.5 very bright stars
Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Murder List by Chris Merritt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
April 7, 2018
3.5 stars (rounded to 4 stars)
The Murder List is a British debut novel and first book of the Detective Zac Boateng series. It’s a very good effort by new author Chris Merritt.
I have to say it took me a while to get into the story; hence, the 3.5 rating. The writing is good, though not as accomplished as that of fellow Bookouture authors Marsons, Bryndza, and Gibney. The plot is multipronged, but not terribly twisty. That’s okay as the characterization is very good. DI Zacharias Boateng, a man of color from Ghana (finally an African British protagonist!), is a complicated guy. He struggles mightily with the concepts of right, wrong, and justified, as he and his team try to track down a murderer while he goes it alone on another mission close to his heart. To see Boateng tipping off the rails while engaging in endeavors that could well boomerang back on him, his job, and his family is intense. We also know the identity of the murderer (Darian Wallace), and we are privy to his thoughts and actions as he is pursued, not only by the police, but also by an ex-Special Ops thug-for-hire. Wallace too has issues; his conflicts revolve about the bad things he does and the repercussions for the victims’ families. I’m actually not sure ruthless killing and empathy aren’t mutually exclusive in a murderer’s mind, but it did lead me to have a twinge (a very tiny twinge) of sympathy for the baddie. DS Pat Jones, DS Patrick Connelly, and Etta Boateng (Zac’s wife) are other cast members whom I would be happy to see again as they are further developed.
As I mentioned, the plot is fairly straightforward, though it was fun to see how Boateng was going to get out of the mess of his own doing relatively unscathed. It was the characters, however, that moved me to round my rating up to 4 stars.
I think this series has potential. I believe Chris Merritt will continue to grow and take things to the next level. I was impressed enough to get on his mailing list in order to find out when book 2 is coming out. I recommend The Murder List to all crime fiction/thriller fans.
Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Mr. Chris Merritt for giving me an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own and are unbiased in any way.
The Murder List is a British debut novel and first book of the Detective Zac Boateng series. It’s a very good effort by new author Chris Merritt.
I have to say it took me a while to get into the story; hence, the 3.5 rating. The writing is good, though not as accomplished as that of fellow Bookouture authors Marsons, Bryndza, and Gibney. The plot is multipronged, but not terribly twisty. That’s okay as the characterization is very good. DI Zacharias Boateng, a man of color from Ghana (finally an African British protagonist!), is a complicated guy. He struggles mightily with the concepts of right, wrong, and justified, as he and his team try to track down a murderer while he goes it alone on another mission close to his heart. To see Boateng tipping off the rails while engaging in endeavors that could well boomerang back on him, his job, and his family is intense. We also know the identity of the murderer (Darian Wallace), and we are privy to his thoughts and actions as he is pursued, not only by the police, but also by an ex-Special Ops thug-for-hire. Wallace too has issues; his conflicts revolve about the bad things he does and the repercussions for the victims’ families. I’m actually not sure ruthless killing and empathy aren’t mutually exclusive in a murderer’s mind, but it did lead me to have a twinge (a very tiny twinge) of sympathy for the baddie. DS Pat Jones, DS Patrick Connelly, and Etta Boateng (Zac’s wife) are other cast members whom I would be happy to see again as they are further developed.
As I mentioned, the plot is fairly straightforward, though it was fun to see how Boateng was going to get out of the mess of his own doing relatively unscathed. It was the characters, however, that moved me to round my rating up to 4 stars.
I think this series has potential. I believe Chris Merritt will continue to grow and take things to the next level. I was impressed enough to get on his mailing list in order to find out when book 2 is coming out. I recommend The Murder List to all crime fiction/thriller fans.
Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Mr. Chris Merritt for giving me an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own and are unbiased in any way.
March 18, 2018
Detective Zac Boateng - Book 1.
The lifeless body sat, hands bound, silver tape over his mouth. Puddles of blood had soaked into the cheap carpet around him. Zac had spent years gaining scientific insight into mind. And this wasn't right......its been five years since Detective Zac Boateng's daughter was murdered and her killer was never found. Now Zac is back working for the Metropolitan Police and is more determined than ever to bring the city's killers to justice.
When Boateng is called to the scene of a violent crime at a local pawnbrokers, the owner has been bludgeoned with an axe which is still embedded in his skull. The trail for the killer seems to be heading back to the death of Amelia, Boateng's daughter. There is plenty twist and turns in this gripping page turner. A fast paced, auctioned packed book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Chris Merritt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The lifeless body sat, hands bound, silver tape over his mouth. Puddles of blood had soaked into the cheap carpet around him. Zac had spent years gaining scientific insight into mind. And this wasn't right......its been five years since Detective Zac Boateng's daughter was murdered and her killer was never found. Now Zac is back working for the Metropolitan Police and is more determined than ever to bring the city's killers to justice.
When Boateng is called to the scene of a violent crime at a local pawnbrokers, the owner has been bludgeoned with an axe which is still embedded in his skull. The trail for the killer seems to be heading back to the death of Amelia, Boateng's daughter. There is plenty twist and turns in this gripping page turner. A fast paced, auctioned packed book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Chris Merritt for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2018
4☆ A Fab first book! Looking forward to next one!
The Murder List is the first book in a new series by Chris Merritt. Featuring Detective Zac Boateng.
It was a nicely paced crime thriller that built up lots of suspense, had juicy twists and kept me guessing.
Zac's daughter was murdered and her killer was never found.
So when Zac ends up back on the force he is determined to rid the street of the scum.
So when Zac gets embroiled in a Serial killer case will his past stop him doing his job.
I thoroughly enjoyed this new crime thriller.
I think Zac is going to be one exciting detective. Definetly one to watch out for.
He is determined, fierce, and will stop and nothing to get what he wants, has a jaded past that only adds to his determination.
I'm excited to see what's next in store for Zac.
I'm never 100% sure when I start reading a new series. But I think Chris has it spot on. He developed his characters well, created the perfect amount of suspense,
Kept me on a knife edge, created a great back story. Left me excited for the next instalment.
If you enjoy discovering new crime series this one is definitely the book for you!
Thank you to Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
The Murder List is the first book in a new series by Chris Merritt. Featuring Detective Zac Boateng.
It was a nicely paced crime thriller that built up lots of suspense, had juicy twists and kept me guessing.
Zac's daughter was murdered and her killer was never found.
So when Zac ends up back on the force he is determined to rid the street of the scum.
So when Zac gets embroiled in a Serial killer case will his past stop him doing his job.
I thoroughly enjoyed this new crime thriller.
I think Zac is going to be one exciting detective. Definetly one to watch out for.
He is determined, fierce, and will stop and nothing to get what he wants, has a jaded past that only adds to his determination.
I'm excited to see what's next in store for Zac.
I'm never 100% sure when I start reading a new series. But I think Chris has it spot on. He developed his characters well, created the perfect amount of suspense,
Kept me on a knife edge, created a great back story. Left me excited for the next instalment.
If you enjoy discovering new crime series this one is definitely the book for you!
Thank you to Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
February 7, 2018
I loved The Murder List and would have had it read much sooner if real life hadn’t got in the way. I am very excited to continue with this series and am already counting down the days till book two.
I have started so many new crime series recently and not all of them have been great. I always look for something that stands out, that makes a series different and not just a standard by the books crime novel. With The Murder List we get a real inside look into the mind of a criminal, what drove him to become one and also the psychology of crime itself. It’s certainly an intriguing read that lends itself well to the profession of its author, Chris Merritt. I would also say that due to the storyline involving an ex-soldier, it goes beyond being just another crime novel and is more like an action-packed thriller at times. There’s a lot going on in The Murder List and I loved it all.
The main character is detective Zac Boateng and the book opens with the accidental murder of his young daughter who inadvertently gets caught up in a shooting. Fast forward five years later and we see Zac heading up the team looking into the murder of a pawn shop owner. I am reluctant to say too much about the plot because the way in which this story unfolds is just brilliant. I loved following along with Wallace, who is a suspect in the murder of the pawn shop owner and enjoyed seeing him trying to evade capture across London. I love books that really utilise a setting to its full effect and Chris has done that here with London, the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of the twists could have felt contrived but I am willing to overlook them because I believed them (and also didn’t work all of them out).
Zac is an intriguing character and is clearly haunted by the murder of his daughter. I enjoyed his home setup and liked the fact that, for the most part, he was a fictional detective holding down a happy marriage with his wife and their young son. Despite a little bit of tension between them, they’re a believable and settled couple but time will tell whether that continues as the series progresses. But, for now at least, Zac is a great character and not a walking cliche. He makes some decisions in this book that I felt probably should have repercussions for him, but at the same time I understood them and it makes you question just how you would act in his situation.
The Murder List was a fantastic and gripping read from start to finish, and I am truly excited to continue with this series to see what Chris Merritt comes up with next. I highly recommend The Murder List, especially to fans of Luke Delaney whose books I thought of frequently whilst reading this.
I have started so many new crime series recently and not all of them have been great. I always look for something that stands out, that makes a series different and not just a standard by the books crime novel. With The Murder List we get a real inside look into the mind of a criminal, what drove him to become one and also the psychology of crime itself. It’s certainly an intriguing read that lends itself well to the profession of its author, Chris Merritt. I would also say that due to the storyline involving an ex-soldier, it goes beyond being just another crime novel and is more like an action-packed thriller at times. There’s a lot going on in The Murder List and I loved it all.
The main character is detective Zac Boateng and the book opens with the accidental murder of his young daughter who inadvertently gets caught up in a shooting. Fast forward five years later and we see Zac heading up the team looking into the murder of a pawn shop owner. I am reluctant to say too much about the plot because the way in which this story unfolds is just brilliant. I loved following along with Wallace, who is a suspect in the murder of the pawn shop owner and enjoyed seeing him trying to evade capture across London. I love books that really utilise a setting to its full effect and Chris has done that here with London, the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of the twists could have felt contrived but I am willing to overlook them because I believed them (and also didn’t work all of them out).
Zac is an intriguing character and is clearly haunted by the murder of his daughter. I enjoyed his home setup and liked the fact that, for the most part, he was a fictional detective holding down a happy marriage with his wife and their young son. Despite a little bit of tension between them, they’re a believable and settled couple but time will tell whether that continues as the series progresses. But, for now at least, Zac is a great character and not a walking cliche. He makes some decisions in this book that I felt probably should have repercussions for him, but at the same time I understood them and it makes you question just how you would act in his situation.
The Murder List was a fantastic and gripping read from start to finish, and I am truly excited to continue with this series to see what Chris Merritt comes up with next. I highly recommend The Murder List, especially to fans of Luke Delaney whose books I thought of frequently whilst reading this.
May 17, 2018
The TITLE OF THIS BOOK IS THE MURDER LIST : don't get why it's different. Detective Zac Boateng Pounced Bow-a-teng five years ago lost his daughter she was shot along with biker in the street the killer was never caught.
Now five years later he has horrible murder to solve of prawn broker tourcher & killed.
But odd one as also get the chief Suspects story too. Darian Wallace who has IQ of 155 who plays the dogs & has just been released from prison.
This black comedy & brutal murder in shadow of London's Gherkin & the shard going to the Dogs
Zac's Origins are that his parents were from Ghana & his wife Etta's are Nigerian so his son Kofi has both sides but he's British.The food in the book is interested as it's mix of UK,Nigerian & Ghanian spicy fun.
The biggest fault with this book is you know from the start who the murder is but does not spoil it. The first of series that I am sure will improve as he created it .
I am looking forward to the next one
Zac is very interesting it is not often you get black hero in the police with food angle twist it's made it **** not three .
Now five years later he has horrible murder to solve of prawn broker tourcher & killed.
But odd one as also get the chief Suspects story too. Darian Wallace who has IQ of 155 who plays the dogs & has just been released from prison.
This black comedy & brutal murder in shadow of London's Gherkin & the shard going to the Dogs
Zac's Origins are that his parents were from Ghana & his wife Etta's are Nigerian so his son Kofi has both sides but he's British.The food in the book is interested as it's mix of UK,Nigerian & Ghanian spicy fun.
The biggest fault with this book is you know from the start who the murder is but does not spoil it. The first of series that I am sure will improve as he created it .
I am looking forward to the next one
Zac is very interesting it is not often you get black hero in the police with food angle twist it's made it **** not three .
March 22, 2018
I have said it in many a review, I am a reader for characters, and Zac Boateng is definitely a memorable one. His past makes him both tragic and sympathetic, and I liked the balance between the serious side of him and his relationship with his wife, which felt quite real. The story itself moved at a goof pace almost from the start and the writing is polished. Zac has a background in psychology and this gives him an added edge, analyzing the mind of a criminal. The murder is quite grim, but I liked that Zac and his team are clever about it. A lot of times, I find the detectives are a bit oblivious, but maybe that because I read way too much crime fiction! Anyway . . . the story moves along quickly, and when it got to the shocking discovery of the killer of Zac's daughter, I was totally hooked. I did feel everything wrapped up a bit too neatly, but then it might have been dissatisfying if there had been more loose strings.
This is the first book in a planned series, and I will definitely be picking up the sequel. Zac is a strong, multi-dimensional character, and I am eager to see how his story continues.
Many thanks to Noelle Holten at Bookouture and Netgalley for supplying a copy of The Murder List in exchange for an honest review!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
This is the first book in a planned series, and I will definitely be picking up the sequel. Zac is a strong, multi-dimensional character, and I am eager to see how his story continues.
Many thanks to Noelle Holten at Bookouture and Netgalley for supplying a copy of The Murder List in exchange for an honest review!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
March 21, 2018
The first in a series featuring Detective Zac Boateng, this one took me a little while to get into but I once I did I thoroughly enjoyed.
Zac is a Detective for the metropolitan police. We join him 5 years after his daughter was murdered in front of him. The perpetrator was never found and it has eaten away at Zach ever since. He works hard to put away as many criminals as possible but the anger has never left him that his daughters killer hasn’t been brought to justice.
A man is found brutally murdered in a shop. All the evidence points to a career criminal Darian Wallace. The deceased helped send Darian to prison two years previously and Darian has just been released and is the number 1 suspect. As Zach and his team investigate the case and Darian Wallace he soon discovers that all is not what it seems and the case leads him into a web of secrets, cover ups and crimes that may lead all the way into government. Can he unravel all the secrets while simultaneously running and investigating the murder case and will his family survive his ever increasing obsession with the case?
This one was a little bit of a slow burner for me. Reading it in short bursts didn’t help I’m sure but life managed to get in the way. Anyway once I felt comfortable with the tone and pacing of the book I began to really enjoy it. Zach is a decent enough main character as are the rest of his team and his home life added a nice dynamic to the storyline.
Darian is probably the most interesting of the characters and, although a psychopath, probably the most well rounded and written of the characters. Highly intelligent with the odd bit of self doubt and remorse but brutal and totally unforgiving in an instant.
The story has a few threads to it that tie altogether in the end, and half way through I thought it may be overreaching and trying to be a bit of everything with too much going on, but I’m glad to say that it all ties nicely together and is more straight forward than may originally appear.
The one character that I didn’t care for at all and I felt was badly written was an SAS guy, who for most of the book seemed to be the most incompetent soldier ever. He’s there for a purpose for sure and important to the story but his incompetence helped moved the story along more than once and felt a bit clunky.
Overall I really enjoyed this one though. A very promising start for the author and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future Zac Boateng novels and look forward to reading them.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Chris Merritt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Zac is a Detective for the metropolitan police. We join him 5 years after his daughter was murdered in front of him. The perpetrator was never found and it has eaten away at Zach ever since. He works hard to put away as many criminals as possible but the anger has never left him that his daughters killer hasn’t been brought to justice.
A man is found brutally murdered in a shop. All the evidence points to a career criminal Darian Wallace. The deceased helped send Darian to prison two years previously and Darian has just been released and is the number 1 suspect. As Zach and his team investigate the case and Darian Wallace he soon discovers that all is not what it seems and the case leads him into a web of secrets, cover ups and crimes that may lead all the way into government. Can he unravel all the secrets while simultaneously running and investigating the murder case and will his family survive his ever increasing obsession with the case?
This one was a little bit of a slow burner for me. Reading it in short bursts didn’t help I’m sure but life managed to get in the way. Anyway once I felt comfortable with the tone and pacing of the book I began to really enjoy it. Zach is a decent enough main character as are the rest of his team and his home life added a nice dynamic to the storyline.
Darian is probably the most interesting of the characters and, although a psychopath, probably the most well rounded and written of the characters. Highly intelligent with the odd bit of self doubt and remorse but brutal and totally unforgiving in an instant.
The story has a few threads to it that tie altogether in the end, and half way through I thought it may be overreaching and trying to be a bit of everything with too much going on, but I’m glad to say that it all ties nicely together and is more straight forward than may originally appear.
The one character that I didn’t care for at all and I felt was badly written was an SAS guy, who for most of the book seemed to be the most incompetent soldier ever. He’s there for a purpose for sure and important to the story but his incompetence helped moved the story along more than once and felt a bit clunky.
Overall I really enjoyed this one though. A very promising start for the author and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future Zac Boateng novels and look forward to reading them.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Chris Merritt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2018
What a great start to a new series - I loved it!
Detective Zac Boateng is left reeling after his daughter is killed but somehow manages to move forward with his life, until he starts to look into what really happened and his work and home life then become tangled.
Zac and his team are investigating some murders which seem to be linked to a jewellery theft several years earlier and they are soon on the heels of the main suspect. However this guy is very clever and seems to always be one step ahead of the Police.
There’s also someone else looking for an item that was stolen in the theft and she asks a contact to get it back, by any means necessary.
There’s certainly lots going on in this book and it was a real page turner.
This is a gripping read and I can’t wait to read more of this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Detective Zac Boateng is left reeling after his daughter is killed but somehow manages to move forward with his life, until he starts to look into what really happened and his work and home life then become tangled.
Zac and his team are investigating some murders which seem to be linked to a jewellery theft several years earlier and they are soon on the heels of the main suspect. However this guy is very clever and seems to always be one step ahead of the Police.
There’s also someone else looking for an item that was stolen in the theft and she asks a contact to get it back, by any means necessary.
There’s certainly lots going on in this book and it was a real page turner.
This is a gripping read and I can’t wait to read more of this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
June 5, 2018
I started listening to “The Murder List” right after I had surgery for a fractured ankle. I am sure the book is good, but I just could not get into it. It started off slow so that might also have been a factor.
The story was about a British police officer whose young daughter was killed in a convenience store shooting five year before. He is on the hunt for the killer. This is book one of a new series about Zac Boateng. In the future I might try to next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine and a half hours. Damian Lynch does a good job narrating the book.
The story was about a British police officer whose young daughter was killed in a convenience store shooting five year before. He is on the hunt for the killer. This is book one of a new series about Zac Boateng. In the future I might try to next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine and a half hours. Damian Lynch does a good job narrating the book.
February 11, 2018
The beginning of "The Murder List" is particularly poignant. Detective Zac Boateng is enjoying an early morning run with his daughter Amelia. At some point during the exercise he loses sight of Amelia and is shocked when a number of gun shots are clearly heard. The unthinkable has happened his beautiful Amelia is now lying before him fatally wounded finally succumbing to the gunshots and dying in the arms of her father.
We fast forward 5 years and Detective Boateng together with work colleagues Nasim Malik, Pat Connelly and DS Kat Jones is called to the scene of a violent crime The location is a pawnbrokers shop where the owner Ivor Harris has been bludgeoned with an axe left embedded in his skull. What follows is a detailed, intricate, tangled story that will test the ability and patience of Zac to the limit. Whilst attempting to discover and apprehend the pawn shop killer there appears to be a trail going all the way back to that fateful day in 2012 and Amelia's death. As evidence mounts, a culprit is identified who must not only contend with the wrath of Zachariah Boateng but it in addition a lone sniper, ex military who has been hired to execute him for reasons soon made clear.
Although the plot of this book is good it is the character and flaws of Boateng that set The Murder List above the average thriller. He is consumed by his inability to protect Amelia and is tortured each and every day that he did or could not save her.."Never give up. You owe it to that person you loved. To the memory you still love, that no one can take away"... So will the ending of this fast paced thriller give our lone detective some inner peace and the courage to be a good father to his son Kofi and wife Etta? You dear reader of my review will have to discover that for yourself but rest assured the journey will be exciting full of doubt and yes some hope....Many thanks to the good people of netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for a gratis copy of this excellent thriller in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.
We fast forward 5 years and Detective Boateng together with work colleagues Nasim Malik, Pat Connelly and DS Kat Jones is called to the scene of a violent crime The location is a pawnbrokers shop where the owner Ivor Harris has been bludgeoned with an axe left embedded in his skull. What follows is a detailed, intricate, tangled story that will test the ability and patience of Zac to the limit. Whilst attempting to discover and apprehend the pawn shop killer there appears to be a trail going all the way back to that fateful day in 2012 and Amelia's death. As evidence mounts, a culprit is identified who must not only contend with the wrath of Zachariah Boateng but it in addition a lone sniper, ex military who has been hired to execute him for reasons soon made clear.
Although the plot of this book is good it is the character and flaws of Boateng that set The Murder List above the average thriller. He is consumed by his inability to protect Amelia and is tortured each and every day that he did or could not save her.."Never give up. You owe it to that person you loved. To the memory you still love, that no one can take away"... So will the ending of this fast paced thriller give our lone detective some inner peace and the courage to be a good father to his son Kofi and wife Etta? You dear reader of my review will have to discover that for yourself but rest assured the journey will be exciting full of doubt and yes some hope....Many thanks to the good people of netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for a gratis copy of this excellent thriller in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.
August 9, 2018
What an opening to a story! We start off with events surrounding Zac's daughter's death. My heart was literally in my mouth and I couldn't wait to turn those pages to see what was going to happen next.
I love how we get to see quite a bit of Zac's home life. I mean how do you get over the loss of a child? You don't obviously but it was good to see how not only it has affected him, but his wife and his son also. They are all trying to come to terms with it in their own way, some better than others. What I really loved is how solid his marriage is. Yes Zac has his demons but he is lucky to have a supportive wife of which isn't always the case in detective novels.
It's hard to say too much about this story without giving to much of the plot away. I liked how the case Zac works on takes a corner that makes for a tense and emotional read for not only Zac, but the reader also.
Bring Her Back is a brilliant start to a new crime series. The story literally hits the ground running and the tension and pace didn't let up until the end. Only problem is, it has left me desperate for the next one. Luckily for me as it is already out, I don't have to wait too long before I read it. An addictive, page turner of a read.
I love how we get to see quite a bit of Zac's home life. I mean how do you get over the loss of a child? You don't obviously but it was good to see how not only it has affected him, but his wife and his son also. They are all trying to come to terms with it in their own way, some better than others. What I really loved is how solid his marriage is. Yes Zac has his demons but he is lucky to have a supportive wife of which isn't always the case in detective novels.
It's hard to say too much about this story without giving to much of the plot away. I liked how the case Zac works on takes a corner that makes for a tense and emotional read for not only Zac, but the reader also.
Bring Her Back is a brilliant start to a new crime series. The story literally hits the ground running and the tension and pace didn't let up until the end. Only problem is, it has left me desperate for the next one. Luckily for me as it is already out, I don't have to wait too long before I read it. An addictive, page turner of a read.
March 4, 2022
I love a detective with a moral dilemma!
The first gripping instalment of a trilogy. An authentic feel to the setting, crimes and characters, and a fast-paced plot make it a great read. But it is the back story and family attached to Boateng that fuels this read. I really enjoy a genuine moral dilemma that positions the reader to consider what they would do in a similar situation.
A well-narrated audiobook.
The first gripping instalment of a trilogy. An authentic feel to the setting, crimes and characters, and a fast-paced plot make it a great read. But it is the back story and family attached to Boateng that fuels this read. I really enjoy a genuine moral dilemma that positions the reader to consider what they would do in a similar situation.
A well-narrated audiobook.
March 21, 2018
THE MURDER LIST by Chris Merritt is the first book in this new crime fiction series and I cannot wait for the next instalment!
Detective Zac Boateng is back working after losing his beloved daughter when she was shot in front of him five years ago, by a killer who was never brought to justice. Trying to get back into some sort of life, he is determined to bring murderer's to justice in his city So when he finds himself on the case of a brutal killer, Boating throws himself fully into the case, but as he begins to piece it all together, the past will come hurtling into the present and choices will have to be made ...
THE MURDER LIST by Chris Merritt is fresh and compelling but it is the strength and flaws of its characters that really make it such a great read. Boateng is consumed by the loss of his daughter and is crippled with guilt for letting her down and this drives him relentlessly forward to bring justice to other families.
Well-paced, energetic, and brimming with intense emotions, THE MURDER LIST by Chris Merritt is an excellent story and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley
Detective Zac Boateng is back working after losing his beloved daughter when she was shot in front of him five years ago, by a killer who was never brought to justice. Trying to get back into some sort of life, he is determined to bring murderer's to justice in his city So when he finds himself on the case of a brutal killer, Boating throws himself fully into the case, but as he begins to piece it all together, the past will come hurtling into the present and choices will have to be made ...
THE MURDER LIST by Chris Merritt is fresh and compelling but it is the strength and flaws of its characters that really make it such a great read. Boateng is consumed by the loss of his daughter and is crippled with guilt for letting her down and this drives him relentlessly forward to bring justice to other families.
Well-paced, energetic, and brimming with intense emotions, THE MURDER LIST by Chris Merritt is an excellent story and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley
June 4, 2021
The first book in the Detective Zac Boateng series. Gripping crime thriller.
May 5, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Previously titled The Murder List
Set in London, the reader begins on a journey where grief, loss, retribution, a need for closure, the drive for justice, corruption, mistrust and blurred lines are just a few of the paths crossed.
🚨 Debut author alert 🚨 Well holy bejesus! The prologue takes us back to 2012 when our protagonist – Zac Boateng relives the moment his life changed forever – and it was emotive, intriguing and absolutely had that #killerhook that made me desperate for more! The story-line was well developed and for me, it felt like this book was more plot driven than character driven. However, we get glimpses of character development, hinting that there is more to come…and I for one can’t wait! The story was pretty on point in terms of procedure, so it was clear that the author pays attention to detail as well as doing his research. It was not overdone, which is always a risk and something that can turn a great story into a manual. Not in this case! This is a tense, page-turning, action packed read that really had me gunning for the bad guys and cheering the “by any means necessary” chant for the hero! #MyBad
A fabulously diverse mix of characters are presented with a relatable and believable narrative. Rather than go into each and every one of them, I just want to highlight a few of the characters who had me turning the pages! I know, I know …makes a change, eh? I usually drone on about characters 🤣
The main character, Zac Boateng is a DI who is living with a tragedy he just can’t escape from and this drives his desire for justice. Unfortunately, this drive often sees his wife and son paying for the time away from home. I’ve seen many people compare this book/character to Luther and in some sense, I can understand why, however Boateng is unique in his own right and I think this should be the focus because it is clear he has so much to offer! Tenacious, somewhat stubborn and a hell of a risk-taker, his intelligence is a weapon that is no match for feeble offenders! Seriously cannot wait to see how Mr Merritt develops this character further in the next book!
Darian Wallace was another fabulous character – I won’t go into too much detail, except to say that his cunning way of avoiding a breach of his tag made me laugh as I’m an ex Probation Officer and have come across a few people who tried … and failed that same trick 🤣 He is devious, twisted and mistakes fear for respect – a huge downfall for so-called criminal masterminds!
I also loved Kate Jones, who leaves the cyber crime unit to get into the thick of things. I think that she worked well with Boateng and hope that we see more interaction between this pair, in the professional sense, in the next book!
Would I recommend this read? You bet your sweet arse I would! A stellar debut filled with every element of crime fiction I love, Bring Her Back has placed Mr Merritt on this #crimebookjunkie’s radar! And guess what, peeps! #ZacIsBack in LAST WITNESS this July! #Bonus
Set in London, the reader begins on a journey where grief, loss, retribution, a need for closure, the drive for justice, corruption, mistrust and blurred lines are just a few of the paths crossed.
🚨 Debut author alert 🚨 Well holy bejesus! The prologue takes us back to 2012 when our protagonist – Zac Boateng relives the moment his life changed forever – and it was emotive, intriguing and absolutely had that #killerhook that made me desperate for more! The story-line was well developed and for me, it felt like this book was more plot driven than character driven. However, we get glimpses of character development, hinting that there is more to come…and I for one can’t wait! The story was pretty on point in terms of procedure, so it was clear that the author pays attention to detail as well as doing his research. It was not overdone, which is always a risk and something that can turn a great story into a manual. Not in this case! This is a tense, page-turning, action packed read that really had me gunning for the bad guys and cheering the “by any means necessary” chant for the hero! #MyBad
A fabulously diverse mix of characters are presented with a relatable and believable narrative. Rather than go into each and every one of them, I just want to highlight a few of the characters who had me turning the pages! I know, I know …makes a change, eh? I usually drone on about characters 🤣
The main character, Zac Boateng is a DI who is living with a tragedy he just can’t escape from and this drives his desire for justice. Unfortunately, this drive often sees his wife and son paying for the time away from home. I’ve seen many people compare this book/character to Luther and in some sense, I can understand why, however Boateng is unique in his own right and I think this should be the focus because it is clear he has so much to offer! Tenacious, somewhat stubborn and a hell of a risk-taker, his intelligence is a weapon that is no match for feeble offenders! Seriously cannot wait to see how Mr Merritt develops this character further in the next book!
Darian Wallace was another fabulous character – I won’t go into too much detail, except to say that his cunning way of avoiding a breach of his tag made me laugh as I’m an ex Probation Officer and have come across a few people who tried … and failed that same trick 🤣 He is devious, twisted and mistakes fear for respect – a huge downfall for so-called criminal masterminds!
I also loved Kate Jones, who leaves the cyber crime unit to get into the thick of things. I think that she worked well with Boateng and hope that we see more interaction between this pair, in the professional sense, in the next book!
Would I recommend this read? You bet your sweet arse I would! A stellar debut filled with every element of crime fiction I love, Bring Her Back has placed Mr Merritt on this #crimebookjunkie’s radar! And guess what, peeps! #ZacIsBack in LAST WITNESS this July! #Bonus
February 12, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Murder List, the first novel in a projected series to feature DI Zac Boateng of the Met's Lewisham MIT.
Zac and his team are called out to a grisly murder scene where pawnbroker Ivor Harris has been tortured and killed by a hammer in his head. It doesn't take long to identify a suspect, Darian Wallace, and a motive, revenge but locating him proves extremely difficult, perhaps because Zac is not devoting his full attention to the case. While investigating Ivor Harris he gets the opportunity to delve into the case files on his daughter, Amelia, who was collateral damage in a drive by shooting 5 years previously and what he finds there sets him off on his own, unofficial investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Murder List which is an exciting read with plenty of twists and turns. The novel is told from both Zac and Darian's points of view so the reader is fully informed of their thoughts and mindsets. Normally I'm not interested in sharing the criminal's point of view but it works well in this novel, mostly, I think, because Mr Merritt does not spend too much time on self pity and concentrates more on his actions and efforts to evade capture. Darian is a highly intelligent man so some of his evasion tactics are masterful but his downfall will always be his rage and need for respect. He is well drawn and very believable.
Zac Boateng is an interesting character. He is a dogged detective with a happy marriage despite the loss of his daughter. His quest to avenge her leaves him slightly unhinged and desperate as he tears up the rule book and threatens everything he holds dear. It is a credible picture of a desperate man but it seems out of character for a man who is normally cool and laid back. It would be good to see him without this baggage to be able to judge him better.
I like nothing better than a good police procedural so I loved those aspects of the novel where the search for Darian marries modern policing with instinct and experience. They don't always get it right but it makes for fascinating reading as it seems a very realistic portrayal of modern policing.
The Murder List is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Zac and his team are called out to a grisly murder scene where pawnbroker Ivor Harris has been tortured and killed by a hammer in his head. It doesn't take long to identify a suspect, Darian Wallace, and a motive, revenge but locating him proves extremely difficult, perhaps because Zac is not devoting his full attention to the case. While investigating Ivor Harris he gets the opportunity to delve into the case files on his daughter, Amelia, who was collateral damage in a drive by shooting 5 years previously and what he finds there sets him off on his own, unofficial investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Murder List which is an exciting read with plenty of twists and turns. The novel is told from both Zac and Darian's points of view so the reader is fully informed of their thoughts and mindsets. Normally I'm not interested in sharing the criminal's point of view but it works well in this novel, mostly, I think, because Mr Merritt does not spend too much time on self pity and concentrates more on his actions and efforts to evade capture. Darian is a highly intelligent man so some of his evasion tactics are masterful but his downfall will always be his rage and need for respect. He is well drawn and very believable.
Zac Boateng is an interesting character. He is a dogged detective with a happy marriage despite the loss of his daughter. His quest to avenge her leaves him slightly unhinged and desperate as he tears up the rule book and threatens everything he holds dear. It is a credible picture of a desperate man but it seems out of character for a man who is normally cool and laid back. It would be good to see him without this baggage to be able to judge him better.
I like nothing better than a good police procedural so I loved those aspects of the novel where the search for Darian marries modern policing with instinct and experience. They don't always get it right but it makes for fascinating reading as it seems a very realistic portrayal of modern policing.
The Murder List is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
February 19, 2018
Amazing! It is hard these days for a book to stand out in the highly competitive crime genre but this book does and how! Gripping from start to finish, with spectacular writing, pacy and tense, this book is nothing short of a masterpiece, carefully crafted to transport and mesmerise. The story takes you over and you care for the characters and detectives alike. Absolutely brilliant. A sublime story from one of the best new crime writers of today.
Read
April 2, 2018"Never give up. You owe it to that person you loved. To the memory you still love, that no one can take away."
Fast-paced police procedural with the theme of revenge. DI Zac Boateng’s 9-year-old daughter, Amelia, was a victim of a stray bullet when they were going on an errand to the local newsagent one morning 5 years ago. The killer was never identified or apprehended. Zac, his wife, and surviving son have not passed a day without remembering Amelia. But Zac wants much more -- he wants the killer behind bars -- or dead. He moonlights on a solo investigation to track down the killer's identity and bring him to justice and meanwhile puts himself in danger because others are looking for the same man for different reasons.
Darian Wallace spent time in prison but is now out. He wants to recover the stolen items that resulted in his imprisonment, but more than that, he wants to punish those who ratted him out after the robbery. The reader sees a glimpse into his twisted psyche as he attempts to rationalize his behavior and life of crime. He can't leave London until he's taken care of business...
An ex-military man named Spike is also looking for Darian Wallace at the behest of Susanna Pym, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health. She has her own reasons for finding Wallace. Seems he stole something very valuable from her in the robbery that landed him in prison.
A complicated manhunt as Wallace is determined to complete his tasks and Spike is mission with Zac Boateng right on their heels. The writing is good, the characters well-drawn, and the action almost non-stop. Very enjoyable. I'll definitely want to read the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.
Fast-paced police procedural with the theme of revenge. DI Zac Boateng’s 9-year-old daughter, Amelia, was a victim of a stray bullet when they were going on an errand to the local newsagent one morning 5 years ago. The killer was never identified or apprehended. Zac, his wife, and surviving son have not passed a day without remembering Amelia. But Zac wants much more -- he wants the killer behind bars -- or dead. He moonlights on a solo investigation to track down the killer's identity and bring him to justice and meanwhile puts himself in danger because others are looking for the same man for different reasons.
Darian Wallace spent time in prison but is now out. He wants to recover the stolen items that resulted in his imprisonment, but more than that, he wants to punish those who ratted him out after the robbery. The reader sees a glimpse into his twisted psyche as he attempts to rationalize his behavior and life of crime. He can't leave London until he's taken care of business...
An ex-military man named Spike is also looking for Darian Wallace at the behest of Susanna Pym, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health. She has her own reasons for finding Wallace. Seems he stole something very valuable from her in the robbery that landed him in prison.
A complicated manhunt as Wallace is determined to complete his tasks and Spike is mission with Zac Boateng right on their heels. The writing is good, the characters well-drawn, and the action almost non-stop. Very enjoyable. I'll definitely want to read the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.
March 5, 2018
The first book in a new series, The Murder list is a fast-paced, action packed and exciting novel. The split narrative allows the reader insight into the minds of both Detective Zac Boateng and that of newly released criminal, Darrain Wallace.
Zac is a very good detective, and his inherent skills are enhanced by his desire to uncover the truth about what happened to his daughter, so his narration was really interesting to read about and this added determination spurs him on in this latest case.
Without spoiling any of the plot I’d simply say if you like Tania Carver, Stuart MacBride or Jane Casey then you must read this!
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Zac is a very good detective, and his inherent skills are enhanced by his desire to uncover the truth about what happened to his daughter, so his narration was really interesting to read about and this added determination spurs him on in this latest case.
Without spoiling any of the plot I’d simply say if you like Tania Carver, Stuart MacBride or Jane Casey then you must read this!
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
March 20, 2018
I actually finished this book a few days ago and it’s only now that I can write the review. ‘The Murder List’ is a brilliant start to a brand new series and it blew me away. I absolutely loved it but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of DI Zac Boateng. He is a dedicated police officer and also a dedicated family man. The book opens with a prologue which sees him going to the shop with his little girl but all of a sudden, shots ring out and his daughter is sadly killed. I can’t begin to imagine how it must feel to lose a child and especially in such tragic circumstances. Boateng feels a tremendous amount of guilt because he was supposed to be caring for his daughter, because she ran ahead and because he couldn’t protect his baby girl. I so wanted to jump into the pages to give him and his wife a hug. Nobody should have to bury their child. The story then jumps ahead five years and sees Boateng faced with a challenging murder case, where the victim is a badly beaten and tortured man. Boateng is a dedicated police officer and is in charge of a small team. They all work well as a team and they have each others backs. Each member of the team brings a different skill set to the table and it isn’t too long until they have identified a chief suspect. They chase the suspect and Boateng has to pit his wits against a very clever killer. It isn’t long until Boateng realises that all is not as it seems. At the same time the murder of his daughter is also on his mind and he becomes determined to find out who killed her. I could totally understand his desperation and my heart did ache for him. If I could have jumped inside the pages to help with the investigation to find his daughter’s killer then I would have done. Zac works on both investigations and it isn’t long until he faces an agonising choice- does he run the risk of letting the recent killer escape or does he run the risk of watching his daughter’s killer escape justice again? That’s certainly one decision that I wouldn’t like to face. What does DI Zac Boateng decide to do? Well for the answer to that question and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
To say that ‘The Murder List’ is addictive reading has to be the understatement of the month, no make that the year. I had a real problem believing that ‘The Murder List’ was a debut novel as the story is so tight, cleverly plotted, well written and the story flows really well. In fact reading ‘The Murder List’ was the book equivalent of watching a crime drama on the television, in that you can’t tear your eyes away from the screen (book) because you don’t want to miss a single thing, you really do feel as though you are part of the story & part of the investigation and you invest so much in the realistic characters that you can’t help taking to some characters and rooting for them and that you can’t help but hate some. Once I picked the book up I couldn’t put it down and the page numbers flew past in a blur, as did the time I spent reading the book. I was totally gripped. Reading ‘The Murder List’ was like riding on a very unpredictable and scary rollercoaster ride, with lots of twists, turns and moments where something so unexpected happens that you feel your heart rate increase, you hold your breath because you can’t believe what has just happened and you feel stunned. There were also moments where I almost had to read through my fingers because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next.
‘The Murder List’ absolutely blew me away and it has to be one of my top reads of 2018. Chris Merritt is right up there on my list of favourite and must read authors. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, this author and this series to anybody and everybody. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5* although that score seems too low. I so wish I could have awarded it a higher rating because I really did enjoy it that much.
I absolutely loved the character of DI Zac Boateng. He is a dedicated police officer and also a dedicated family man. The book opens with a prologue which sees him going to the shop with his little girl but all of a sudden, shots ring out and his daughter is sadly killed. I can’t begin to imagine how it must feel to lose a child and especially in such tragic circumstances. Boateng feels a tremendous amount of guilt because he was supposed to be caring for his daughter, because she ran ahead and because he couldn’t protect his baby girl. I so wanted to jump into the pages to give him and his wife a hug. Nobody should have to bury their child. The story then jumps ahead five years and sees Boateng faced with a challenging murder case, where the victim is a badly beaten and tortured man. Boateng is a dedicated police officer and is in charge of a small team. They all work well as a team and they have each others backs. Each member of the team brings a different skill set to the table and it isn’t too long until they have identified a chief suspect. They chase the suspect and Boateng has to pit his wits against a very clever killer. It isn’t long until Boateng realises that all is not as it seems. At the same time the murder of his daughter is also on his mind and he becomes determined to find out who killed her. I could totally understand his desperation and my heart did ache for him. If I could have jumped inside the pages to help with the investigation to find his daughter’s killer then I would have done. Zac works on both investigations and it isn’t long until he faces an agonising choice- does he run the risk of letting the recent killer escape or does he run the risk of watching his daughter’s killer escape justice again? That’s certainly one decision that I wouldn’t like to face. What does DI Zac Boateng decide to do? Well for the answer to that question and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
To say that ‘The Murder List’ is addictive reading has to be the understatement of the month, no make that the year. I had a real problem believing that ‘The Murder List’ was a debut novel as the story is so tight, cleverly plotted, well written and the story flows really well. In fact reading ‘The Murder List’ was the book equivalent of watching a crime drama on the television, in that you can’t tear your eyes away from the screen (book) because you don’t want to miss a single thing, you really do feel as though you are part of the story & part of the investigation and you invest so much in the realistic characters that you can’t help taking to some characters and rooting for them and that you can’t help but hate some. Once I picked the book up I couldn’t put it down and the page numbers flew past in a blur, as did the time I spent reading the book. I was totally gripped. Reading ‘The Murder List’ was like riding on a very unpredictable and scary rollercoaster ride, with lots of twists, turns and moments where something so unexpected happens that you feel your heart rate increase, you hold your breath because you can’t believe what has just happened and you feel stunned. There were also moments where I almost had to read through my fingers because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next.
‘The Murder List’ absolutely blew me away and it has to be one of my top reads of 2018. Chris Merritt is right up there on my list of favourite and must read authors. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, this author and this series to anybody and everybody. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5* although that score seems too low. I so wish I could have awarded it a higher rating because I really did enjoy it that much.
March 6, 2018
This is the best crime thriller that I have read in a long while. The Murder List is a gripping, intelligent and extremely well written novel.
Too often when I read this genre of book the good guys are "too good" and the bad guys are almost caricatures in their villainy. In The Murder List the author has managed to humanise the characters very effectively. While Detective Zac Boateng is clearly a good person, his personal history has affected him in such a way that he is willing to overstep boundaries in the pursuit of his goals. On the flip side, Wallace's upbringing and his life choices went a long way to making him a somewhat more sympathetic character. While it is not enough to stop Wallace from committing murder there is a semblance of remorse in his character. I love that there is nothing black and white about the characters.
The way the author writes about and refers to women was also particularly refreshing. Both Jones and Etta are cast as strong women without falling into any cliches. I think this may be one of the first novels I've read for a while where the main female character is lauded not for her stunning good looks but for her brains and impressive ability to do her job. More of this please!
I also loved the way there was a sub plot written behind the main action that has left me thinking and wondering what is going to happen with all of these characters. There is massive scope for something big to happen and I can't wait to read the second book in the series!!
Too often when I read this genre of book the good guys are "too good" and the bad guys are almost caricatures in their villainy. In The Murder List the author has managed to humanise the characters very effectively. While Detective Zac Boateng is clearly a good person, his personal history has affected him in such a way that he is willing to overstep boundaries in the pursuit of his goals. On the flip side, Wallace's upbringing and his life choices went a long way to making him a somewhat more sympathetic character. While it is not enough to stop Wallace from committing murder there is a semblance of remorse in his character. I love that there is nothing black and white about the characters.
The way the author writes about and refers to women was also particularly refreshing. Both Jones and Etta are cast as strong women without falling into any cliches. I think this may be one of the first novels I've read for a while where the main female character is lauded not for her stunning good looks but for her brains and impressive ability to do her job. More of this please!
I also loved the way there was a sub plot written behind the main action that has left me thinking and wondering what is going to happen with all of these characters. There is massive scope for something big to happen and I can't wait to read the second book in the series!!
April 24, 2018
3.5 Stars
I wanted to read this book after i saw many interesting reviews from Goodreads friends and i was not disappointed.
The story was interesting enough, Detective Zac Boateng was investigating some rather gruesome murders, the murderer was no mystery since the beginning, which made the chase the focus point of the story. It would have been simple if it was only about these murders, but it turned out there was somebody else after that criminal and at the same time Boateng was doing some private investigation on who murdered his daughter five years earlier, bringing back the whole story to the beginning point.
I enjoyed reading it, and Zac and his team were rather interesting but all the near miss with the killer were too much and at some point it felt a bit tiresome. However, i liked how the story developped and the end which was not exactly a cliff hanger but more of a something to look forward to in the next book of the series.
One small note about the title, i liked it better when it was "The Murder List".
I just have a bit of criticism to make; i read many of the books published by Bookouture and i really enjoyed most of them, i just don't like so much the type of cover used for the various authors, almost always a silhouette walking away. In my humble opinion that is so imporsonal and does not really reflect what to expect in a book, and usually the cover is the first things that draws me to a book.
Thank you NetGalley, The Author and Publisher for this copy in exchange of an honest review.
I wanted to read this book after i saw many interesting reviews from Goodreads friends and i was not disappointed.
The story was interesting enough, Detective Zac Boateng was investigating some rather gruesome murders, the murderer was no mystery since the beginning, which made the chase the focus point of the story. It would have been simple if it was only about these murders, but it turned out there was somebody else after that criminal and at the same time Boateng was doing some private investigation on who murdered his daughter five years earlier, bringing back the whole story to the beginning point.
I enjoyed reading it, and Zac and his team were rather interesting but all the near miss with the killer were too much and at some point it felt a bit tiresome. However, i liked how the story developped and the end which was not exactly a cliff hanger but more of a something to look forward to in the next book of the series.
One small note about the title, i liked it better when it was "The Murder List".
I just have a bit of criticism to make; i read many of the books published by Bookouture and i really enjoyed most of them, i just don't like so much the type of cover used for the various authors, almost always a silhouette walking away. In my humble opinion that is so imporsonal and does not really reflect what to expect in a book, and usually the cover is the first things that draws me to a book.
Thank you NetGalley, The Author and Publisher for this copy in exchange of an honest review.
March 21, 2018
From the off, this book reminded me of Luther. Not Lex Luthor, arch enemy of Superman; no, Luther, the BBC crime drama starring the delicious Idris Elba and I don’t know about you but I love Luther but that’s enough about me. Zac Boateng is a tenacious detective, like a dog with a bone, wanting to bring justice to his community. He’s driven, driven by grief. A grief that we find out about at the start of the book; I’ll warn you now, it’s a heart-breaking opener – even I shed a tear.
In The Murder List, we see a very dark side to our lead character. You might think this is not an unusual trait for a crime thriller. But Zac Boateng is running a double investigation; one above board with his team of detectives and one under the radar with his own personal agenda. Will he have to choose between the two?
The supporting cast are well crafted. Darian Wallace, our antagonist, is a horrible evil man. He uses fear to rule with an iron fist, he’s a bully and a dangerous one at that. I have to say I winced a few times when he was dishing out punishment – if you’re squeamish, you have been warned! Kate Jones, Boetang’s right hand woman, is brilliant – I really liked the way she joined the team and hit the ground running after being stuck behind a desk in the cyber crime department.
This fast paced debut left me wanting more, more Boetang, more Jones….Come on Dr Merritt you’ve written your debut now, you need to follow it up as you’ve whet my appetite.
February 19, 2018
Detective Zac Boateng has really had it tough in the previous five years when his daughter Amelia was gunned down by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her killer was never caught and it is something that Zac must live with every day.
This was certainly a very gripping book indeed and there are a heap of twists and turns in this story. It also addresses issues such ethics and morals, which I found very interesting. I very much enjoyed the relationship that Zac had with his wife and I found myself wanting to try West African cooking as well. These were the light parts of the book to go with the shade, and there was a LOT of shade.
I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out and give this book a solid 4.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
This was certainly a very gripping book indeed and there are a heap of twists and turns in this story. It also addresses issues such ethics and morals, which I found very interesting. I very much enjoyed the relationship that Zac had with his wife and I found myself wanting to try West African cooking as well. These were the light parts of the book to go with the shade, and there was a LOT of shade.
I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out and give this book a solid 4.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
March 24, 2018
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I love reading books from new authors to me and after reading the blurb for this book I was keen to get stuck in - and the cover is great!
I really enjoyed the plot, it had me guessing and I liked the pace and the suspense it created. The characters are great and I really enjoyed reading about Zac and his background and I thought he had great depth to his character and I found myself wanting to know more about him.
It was tense where it needed to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it - four stars from me - highly recommended!!
I love reading books from new authors to me and after reading the blurb for this book I was keen to get stuck in - and the cover is great!
I really enjoyed the plot, it had me guessing and I liked the pace and the suspense it created. The characters are great and I really enjoyed reading about Zac and his background and I thought he had great depth to his character and I found myself wanting to know more about him.
It was tense where it needed to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it - four stars from me - highly recommended!!
March 3, 2018
I can't recommend this book highly enough! I was gripped from the first page (no spoilers) and couldn't put it down. The pace and excitement come from many intertwining plot lines that finally draw together at the climax of the book. Zac Boateng is such a fascinating character: he's a detective who's studied psychology, so he really understands criminal motivation, and his vividly described personal life - listening to jazz, cooking West African food with his wife - is a brilliant counterpoint to the brutal events of the book. I'm already excited for the next Zac Boateng novel!
May 15, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
It took quite a few chapters for me to warm up to this book but I am glad I persevered. A promising beginning to a series by this author.
It took quite a few chapters for me to warm up to this book but I am glad I persevered. A promising beginning to a series by this author.
September 17, 2019
I have now finally read the first book in the series and it was amazing! Although I have one small complaint; because I knew what was going to happen in the book as I have read book two and three; I did not expect that in the opening chapter of the book to be bawling like a baby! Jeez! I was a wreck, I mean the blow had been softened as I knew what was coming but I still not expect that, my heart is broken completely. It is such a powerful way to open the book and it is a sucker punch in the gut but it gets you hooked straight away to Zac and his life.
I thought I had seen Zac at his lowest, however, this is the start of his low point. The scenes with Etta and Kofi made me smile, the home life is the strong point for Zac and the love for his family, his roots, all power us through. The only downside to Zac, well he goes a bit off the books and keeps his team in the dark. Zac is crippled with guilt and the feeling of letting everyone down. The depression is crushing and sometimes it the grief is so overwhelming you wonder how Zac is going to function, he has a new lease of life following a lead to close down his past. It leads him in the darker world of gangs, recognising he is getting too deep but unable to escape until it is too late.
It was fab to meet Darian Wallace in this book and this man has an amazing brain, I must admit it is a brain I am slightly jealous of! The man not so much! Watching him on a mission to reclaim the stolen years as he is on release from prison. He is cold and calculating and I was intrigued to see how everything would end especially as I have read the later books.
It is so hard to discuss the book without ruining the plot, and that is something I do not do! We have two different storylines running parallel throughout and when you see Zac mixed up in the fold, well the world may as have collapsed around me with the shocks and turns. I did have an inkling to where either of the stories might go and it really did not disappoint me.
I kept forgetting that this is a debut as I have read them in the wrong order, so it was awesome to see how the story all began. I wish I had read them in order but I think I am glad I read them in the order I did. I had the chance to truly appreciate how far his writing has come and to see how far the characters have come too. I have always loved Zac and this has just made him a firm favourite character of mine, I need another book in this series!!
Bring Her Back, formerly The Murder List, is one intense rollercoaster of a ride. I did find I was enthralled by what was going on with Darian and Zac. Zac’s homelife was at the forefront a lot, the innocence of Kofi all of which just amplified the intensity of the murders and the hunt for the killer. We meet Kat Jones who is also in the next two books and this is her introduction to Zac and the team and to us. She is tenacious and she wants to do what is right and to support Zac and her new team, and what an introduction it is!!
Chris has written characters that you care about, you hold your breath, you champion them on to the end and you might shout a little bit with all the secrets that are kept. However, when it comes to Zac and his family it seems that he always keeps secrets, as it seems the same behaviour can be seen in Life or Death, I do hope he learns soon that Kat and Etta can be trusted.
The book is at times can be dark and intense, brutal murders and so many times you will find your heart in your throat but I loved it!! It kept me on my toes and if I had not been moving house I would have devoured this book a lot quicker than I did. All I wanted to do was get back to the book, it was on my mind, I had to know who was acting out the murders? Would Zac be ok? How is Kat going to fit in the team? Don’t worry all is revealed in the book! Phew!!
This series shows us a Detective in the rawest form, his home life is prominent and he is a Detective with passion, tenacity and a lot of flaws! I love this series and I do not want it to end…please don’t let it end!
I thought I had seen Zac at his lowest, however, this is the start of his low point. The scenes with Etta and Kofi made me smile, the home life is the strong point for Zac and the love for his family, his roots, all power us through. The only downside to Zac, well he goes a bit off the books and keeps his team in the dark. Zac is crippled with guilt and the feeling of letting everyone down. The depression is crushing and sometimes it the grief is so overwhelming you wonder how Zac is going to function, he has a new lease of life following a lead to close down his past. It leads him in the darker world of gangs, recognising he is getting too deep but unable to escape until it is too late.
It was fab to meet Darian Wallace in this book and this man has an amazing brain, I must admit it is a brain I am slightly jealous of! The man not so much! Watching him on a mission to reclaim the stolen years as he is on release from prison. He is cold and calculating and I was intrigued to see how everything would end especially as I have read the later books.
It is so hard to discuss the book without ruining the plot, and that is something I do not do! We have two different storylines running parallel throughout and when you see Zac mixed up in the fold, well the world may as have collapsed around me with the shocks and turns. I did have an inkling to where either of the stories might go and it really did not disappoint me.
I kept forgetting that this is a debut as I have read them in the wrong order, so it was awesome to see how the story all began. I wish I had read them in order but I think I am glad I read them in the order I did. I had the chance to truly appreciate how far his writing has come and to see how far the characters have come too. I have always loved Zac and this has just made him a firm favourite character of mine, I need another book in this series!!
Bring Her Back, formerly The Murder List, is one intense rollercoaster of a ride. I did find I was enthralled by what was going on with Darian and Zac. Zac’s homelife was at the forefront a lot, the innocence of Kofi all of which just amplified the intensity of the murders and the hunt for the killer. We meet Kat Jones who is also in the next two books and this is her introduction to Zac and the team and to us. She is tenacious and she wants to do what is right and to support Zac and her new team, and what an introduction it is!!
Chris has written characters that you care about, you hold your breath, you champion them on to the end and you might shout a little bit with all the secrets that are kept. However, when it comes to Zac and his family it seems that he always keeps secrets, as it seems the same behaviour can be seen in Life or Death, I do hope he learns soon that Kat and Etta can be trusted.
The book is at times can be dark and intense, brutal murders and so many times you will find your heart in your throat but I loved it!! It kept me on my toes and if I had not been moving house I would have devoured this book a lot quicker than I did. All I wanted to do was get back to the book, it was on my mind, I had to know who was acting out the murders? Would Zac be ok? How is Kat going to fit in the team? Don’t worry all is revealed in the book! Phew!!
This series shows us a Detective in the rawest form, his home life is prominent and he is a Detective with passion, tenacity and a lot of flaws! I love this series and I do not want it to end…please don’t let it end!
March 22, 2018
Wow. What a great start to a new upcoming series. What a brilliant debut. A fast paced, captivating thriller that will have you hooked throughout. What an opening to this story! Poor Zac! But it did its job and made me keep reading, kept me intrigued.
Zac has a lot going on, with his work life, home life and all while trying to catch his daughters killer without being caught! Phew. A determined character who doesn’t know when to stop. The Murder List does contain dark parts throughout and has a well written plot that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
I awarded a well deserved four stars and would highly recommend this story to you all! I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.
Zac has a lot going on, with his work life, home life and all while trying to catch his daughters killer without being caught! Phew. A determined character who doesn’t know when to stop. The Murder List does contain dark parts throughout and has a well written plot that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
I awarded a well deserved four stars and would highly recommend this story to you all! I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.
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