Cold Echo

Harry Hope #1

by C.J. Carver

Should you trust your best friend with your life?

Harry, Lucas and Guy were best friends when they were kids.  But then they made a terrible mistake and their friendship shattered, forcing them to cut all ties.

Years later, a man’s head is discovered in the woods, skinned and with the tongue cut out.  The police call on Harry, a psychologist, to help with the case, and when it turns out the victim is his childhood friend Guy, old skeletons begin to surface.

Then one of Harry’s clients goes missing. 

Forced into a desperate hunt to save the boy, Harry finds himself closing in on a shocking secret, a secret someone will do anything to keep safe…

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2019

About the author

CJ Carver is a half-English, half-Kiwi author living just outside Bath. Her books have been published in the UK, USA and translated throughout Europe. Her first novel Blood Junction, won the CWA Debut Dagger Award, was shortlisted for the USA Barry Award, and was also voted as one of the best mystery books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Spare Me the Truth, the first book in the Dan Forrester series, was nominated for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. CJ lived in Australia for 10 years before taking up long distance rally driving – she has driven London to Saigon, London to Cape Town and covered 14,000 miles on the Inca Trail.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

COLD ECHO is the first book in the Harry Hope series, a brand- new psychological thriller series by C.J. Carver.

Harry Hope, Lucas Finch and Guy Bowman were best friends when they were nine years old kids. They had been warned to stay off Mr. Evans farm, but like all young boys they didn’t listen. They were in the barn playing with matches, when Mr. Evans catches Lucas. Then Harry and Guy are alarmed by smoke and fire. Mr. Evans goes in to save his cows, but he and one of his cows are killed in the fire. They had made a terrible mistake and now their friendship was shattered, forcing them to cut all ties.

They were friends no more…

Years later, Harry, a psychotherapist, is divorced and the father of three.

Theo McCannon, a Detective Inspector requests the assistance of Harry on a recent case which involved the discovery of a man’s head in the woods, skinned and with the tongue cut out. Harry is shocked to learn that the victim is his childhood friend, Guy, now an MP.

Old memories, “Cold Echoes” come flooding back.

Nick, one of Harry’s patients, who had been working for Guy took the tragic news of the death poorly, and soon disappeared. Harry is being followed by a man…the killer, who is looking for Nick.

Forced into a desperate hunt to save the boy, Harry finds himself closing in in on a shocking secret, a secret someone will do anything to keep safe…

This great read offers a plot full of suspense, believable characters and a book that will grip you from start to finish. Really enjoyed it! I would highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Harry, Lucas, and Guy are childhood friends. They committed a serious crime and their friendships dissolved. They cut all ties with each other and never spoke of what they did again.

It's now 30 years later and Harry, now a psychologist, is asked to assist local law enforcement when a man's head is discovered. His face has been skinned and his tongue cut out. They have yet to find the man's body or an actual crime scene.

Much to Harry's surprise, the man is identified as Harry's childhood friend, Guy. But that's not the only surprise for Harry. Old skeletons seem to be appearing everywhere. He accidentally runs into his old friend, Lucas .... and then the local cop from 30 years ago.

Guy's wife attempts suicide after the death of her husband ... but was it suicide ... or murder?

One of Harry's clients disappears .. a young man who was close to Guy. Has his disappearance to do with Guy's death? Does he know .. or see .. something he shouldn't?

Do these events have anything to do with their childhood crime ... or something much, much worse? As Harry hunts for his client, he tries to put the pieces together. The only thing he knows for sure is that someone is willing to do anything to protect an unspeakable secret.

The ending is unpredictable .. totally surprising ... and explosive.

Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5

Cold Echo by C J Carver was one hell of a ride, and it totally shocked me in more ways than one!

What it's about: Harry, Lucas, and Guy were all best friends as kids until a terrible accident tears them apart and they go their separate ways. Flash forward to present time and Guy's head is found skinned, but his body is missing. The police bring Harry, who is now a psychologist, in to consult on the case when one of his clients goes missing right after Guy's head is found. But the case is about to dig up a large part of their past, and a huge secret that someone is willing to kill to protect.

Cold Echo had me gripped from the start and it's incredibly well-written. The ending also made my mouth drop open which to me is the best thing a book can do! I loved the humor as well, and even though there are darker subject matters, it's not all doom and gloom. That being said, there were also a couple of parts that made me tear up, so this book definitely runs you through a few different emotions which I liked.

Cold Echo was also a pretty quick read and I read it in just over 4 hours, but I bet lots of people could be done sooner. C J Carver is a new-to-me author but someone I will for sure be reading again as soon as I can get my hands on more of her books!

Song/s the book brought to mind: Can't Hold Us Down by Tommee Profitt Feat. Sam Tinnesz.

Final Though: If you are looking for a fast-paced mystery that will keep you on your toes then Cold Echo is the book to read! Since Harry has a cop friend and gets involved in the investigation of his friend's death it also has a nice police procedural vibe even though he is a psychologist and not a cop. Carver has already impressed me with her writing in this book, and I can't wait to read more from her.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished November 24th 2021

‘Promises can be broken,’ he warned. ‘Not necessarily intentionally, but it can happen despite the best of intentions.’

I got a copy of Cold Echo last Christmas with the Bloodhound Books promo and it has been hanging out on my kindle along with a bunch of other titles from the same publisher ever since... I thought it was about time to actually start reading them, and Cold Echo ended up being first as I was intrigued by the blurb. The main character Harry is a psychologist, which gives us a different angle in our crime thriller than the usual detective/killer perspective. Harry is very close to the investigation though, both because he is involved himself and because he is great friends with the detective in charge. But while I do like the premise of the story, I also have to state that the pace during most of the story is quite slow and I never did warm up to the main characters. On top of this, I also guessed most of the final twists quite early on... As a whole, I don't think Cold Echo is a bad thriller, but I can't say the story really stood out for me either.


P.S. Find more of my reviews here.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! I’ve literally spent my day reading this and it’s a cracking read.

Harry, Lucas and Guy were the best of friends until something happened and changed everything. The author brings us back thirty years to tell us what happened then we jump forward to thirty years and the story takes off from then.

I really liked Harry and would have loved to read more of his private life but I’m greedy like that lol

The blurb is enough of a tease for you. If you enjoy thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat then I highly recommend this story.

I’ve not read anything by this author before but I’ll certainly be looking to read more by her in the future.

[Adrian Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings
I was pleased to find this book, which is the start of a series, but after finishing it I feel somewhat ambivalent towards it. Am I glad I discovered it or do I regret reading it?... Well, I'm just about as happy to have found it as I am happy to have read it. Basically, it was an ok read but never got close to raising my pulse. The hero's occupation struggles to maintain the most tenuous connection to the plot, in fact his behaviour is quite often more of a fumbling detective than psychotherapist. His personal life is dreary and didn't add anything to the overall plot. It's not an overly long story but at times it felt a little drawn out with needless complex connections between characters, many of which are unlikable. I felt too many of these characters were already too conveniently and neatly associated with the main protagonist for it to be convincing.
Although there are a few tense moments, I wouldn't describe this book as a page-turner but more of a slow burn. I had issues with credibility but from a whodunit perspective, it's adequate enough for me to move directly to book two, albeit tentatively.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have thoroughly enjoyed by this author, having read Over Your Shoulder earlier this year. Harry, Guy and Lucas were only 9 years old when a prank at a farm turned until an out of control fire and the death of the farmer. They haven't seen each other for thirty years and their lives have taken them in different directions. Harry is now a psychotherapist still living in the Bath area with children and a recently divorced ex-wife when his neighbour and friend DI Theo McCannon comes to him for advice on a new case, that of a severed and skinned head that has been found. When Harry later hears that it belonged to Guy Bowman, his old friend and MP for Bath, he feels compelled to help the police and becomes drawn into the investigation, reliving memories from the past he thought he had buried. However the danger gets very close to home and soon Harry is running for his life as he gets near the truth. Lots of action in a book that is very easy to read and that you won't want to put down until the final secrets are revealed, as Harry struggles to work out just who is telling him the truth and, more importantly, who he can actually trust any more. A very enjoyable mystery thriller I have no problem in recommending.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, not sure it was getting enough to read any more

[C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was I supposed to care about Harry?

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a fatal fire, three 9 year friends all go their separate ways in life. Fast forward 30 years and one of them, Harry - by now a psychologist, is called in by his friend, neighbour and detective Theo to help him with a recently discovered skull. This not only turns out to be a local MP but also Harry's childhood friend. Then a young teenager, Nick, goes on the run too as he has been threatened by the killer and so the plot thickens. When checking out where Nick was helping out, Harry finds the third friend Lucas working there and who is still in contact with the policeman who originally attended the fire.
Great read, well paced and a page turner.Lots of twists and subterfuge going on and the book keeps you guessing right to the end. Would give it 4.5*
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.

[Holly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold Echo is a very well written book, which consistently not only kept me guessing, but also kept providing surprises right the way through.

I enjoyed finding out little snippets of information in each chapter, that helped to piece the story together, but what a surprise ending!

Well worth a read, and I will definitely be reading more by CJ Carver.

[Amanda Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I really like idea of this book, the history of Lucas as a child and then how he disappeared with police office then Harry grew not thinking about him, but then when he turned up Harry was unsure if he was behind the murders and did he keep that mischievous quality? I don’t like Carrigan from the start even if he was a police office, he seemed to be above the law and when he said it am god’ you could tell he felt above the law.
Wish there was more detail of Nick and what he was feeling, and going through.
Eddie I hope got done for under age sex, it’s a big think when he works at children’s charity but that was skirted over.
I loved the ending I’m hoping Lucas did escape, and start anew. I’m looking forward to the next one

[G.J. Minett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still playing catch-up with the mightily impressive CJ Carver and I've trawled back through the archives to reach the first of the Harry Hope series. So pleased I did. This is a typically pacy, engrossing mystery which sends the reader off in several directions with all roads leading to a spectacular climax.

I get hours of pleasure from analysing her skills and admiring the complexity of her plots and have already ordered book 2 in this series.

[i.s. wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the first book in the Dan Forrester series in audio format and really enjoyed it so when I saw this available for free on Amazon I thought that I would give it a try. It certainly didn’t disappoint and was a welcome change from the typical detective novel. I felt that it was really well written and it kept my attention all the way through. I am looking forward to reading and and listening to more from this author.

[Sebastian Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a tangled web we weave!

What an incredible novel that has you wondering what the next twist will be. There is so much going on and it is a job to keep up.
It all starts when Harry Hope and his friends were going children and a farmer accidentally dies. This runs throughout the book when they become adults and all come across each other at different times. I will say no more except this really is a superb read.

[Cazi3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this. Whilst the story has premise with a well thought out plot. The narrator has a pleasant voice and the deliverance was clear and succinct. However I found their voice to be more suitable to a child audience, especially when not in characters. Not enough inflection, urgency or passion throughout. I found their voice to be far to soothing for a tense thriller as this one.

A fair 3⭐️

[Mary Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this (the first book) after number two. It took a long time to get going but when it did, it was good. A complex story of many parts that was overly long but a great foundation for a series. I’m glad I went back and read this and will certainly read more in the series.

[Sydney-Anne Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fits nicely into one of my favourite thriller sub genres that I like to call ‘what men with a low IQ would think would make the next best Hollywood blockbuster. When being super critical, the plot is very basic and outlandish, but I can’t help but love it anyway. The writing style has me hooked and this is the second CJ Carver book I’ve read. Just very easy and fun to read, as long as I try to not read too much into if it’s believable or not lol.

[Bryngel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an author for me, I have tried several of his books and I just don't like them. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is I simply can't get in to them. It was the same with this one. So C.J. it's not you, it's me.

[Barbara Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

A story filled with growing intrigue, twists and turns that started and ended with a 30 year old youthful misstep.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

New author for me. First in a series. Good read Look forward to reading more about Harry and co. Good storyline.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A head is discovered in a wood, that of Lib Den M.P. Guy Bowman. D.I. Theo McCannon approaches friend and psychotherapist, Harry Hope for theories. But Guy was a childhood friend along with Lucas Finch.
An enjoyable and well-written crime story and thriller.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

[Daryl Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced.

A Good quick read with a twist at the end. Not clear on the title of the book...how it applies.

[maria seilius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story with a varied cast of characters with a nice little twist to finish with .

[Linda Gulnac]

Unusual and disturbing.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Nick Pulsford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK. Too many coincidences within the plot. The main one being that the psychologist got involved in the murder of his childhood best mate, and then the third mate turns up.

[Vivianne TM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the mystery tale with the perspective of a psychologist. It was entertaining and fast paced but I didn't connect much with the characters. Still, a quick fun book.

[Dawn Marsanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story. Enjoyed it.