Child X

by Mick Lee

Does a child that kills with no remorse deserve a second chance? What if another child did nothing to prevent the death, and is offered a chance of redemption? It is 1999 and the glorious Millennium is approaching. Ray is a struggling private investigator and compulsive gambler whose debt has spiralled out of control. His violent creditors have run out of patience. A retired gangster offers to square his debt if he tracks a man down. His target is hiding in a cult that masquerades as a telemarketing company. He has changed his identity several times and becomes embroiled in a death that promises to make him more visible. As Ray homes in on his prey, he discovers a dark secret about the man he has been tasked with finding. A secret that links to his own guilty past, when he could have prevented another child’s death. Will he do the decent thing and hand over a child killer? Or try to understand what drove a twelve-year-old boy to kill?

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2020

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty years ago, while two young boys watched in secret, another 12-year-old purposely killed a boy of the same age. The two watchers never told anyone what they had seen that day.

It's now 1999 and Ray is a struggling private investigator who is addicted to gambling. He bets on anything and everything .. and it's cost him big time. He owes a tremendous amount of money to a violent creditor.

A retired gangster pays off Ray's debt and in return for finding a certain man, he will mark the debt as paid in full ... giving Ray the chance of a new start.

BOOK BLURB: His target is hiding in a cult that masquerades as a telemarketing company. He has changed his identity several times and becomes embroiled in a death that promises to make him more visible.

Ray discovers a secret about the man ... a secret that may link their lives together... a secret from Ray's past and now he is confronted with a dilemma.....

Does he hand over a child killer to a gangster?

This was a bit of a slow starter for me. Seems like everyone involved has numerous aliases, depending on where they are and what they're doing. Throw in a woman who goes undercover at the telemarketing company for some reason and it can get real confusing. And going back and forth in time without any names at all makes it more so. As the author is a former private investigator, I was expecting a bit more credibility written with cleaner lines. The ending was unexpected but satisfactory.

Many thanks to the author / Troubador Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY wanted to love this book. But I just didn't. That being said it wasnt bad but it wasnt everything I wanted either. It was my last read of the year and I told myself if I didnt finish it before midnight... I would just let this one go.

Anyways full review coming soon.

[the overstuffed bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Matador for this copy of Child X by Mick Lee.

Child X tells the story of two men struggling to keep their lives on track. One, with a serious gambling addiction and the other hiding from the boy he used to be. Ray Mercer is a private investigator and gambling addict tasked with finding someone who doesn't want to be found by a man whose intentions are unclear. Ray struggles with his moral obligations and his inability to stay out of the local bookies. Is Ray looking for Child X or some other poor soul? You'll have to read Child X by Mick Lee to find out.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. I was a little confused by some of the place names, as an American, but that was a minor detail in an otherwise very enjoyable read. The ending was very surprising and rewarding, depending on how you feel about some of the characters.

For anyone looking for a twisty-turny thriller to keep them guessing, look no further.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where is Child X

Ray is a private investigator hired by a Mob boss to find a child killer named Child X. He has to take the job to clear debts owed from his gambling habit.

The book is about Ray, a private detective with a gambling addiction. He is hiding a secret from his past that eats away at him. When he finds the man he is searching for he cannot turn him over and tells him that he is in danger.

The story is about murder, secrets, more murder and cover ups. It is about strange twists in life and how the person you see may not be who you think they are. It's about what life was, what it could have been and what it never will be.

The book is a good detective story, however, it changed people and time periods so often that I was lost a bit of the time. There was a good twist at the end.

Thanks to Mick Lee, Troubador Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy for an honest review.

[Julie Kendrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another promising book that just didn’t live up to expectations. The story is told from the POV of two main characters who don’t know each other but their stories intertwine. The first half of the book set the story out quite nicely, dropping hints here and there and building the tension. But the last quarter really dragged and repeated itself somewhat. Also, without giving anything away there are quite a few different names used by the characters and by the very end it all got too confusing and distracting and the “twist” lost its impact.

2 and a half stars rounded up to 3

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd for the arc of this book.

This was a great read and follows two people - one in whom has a gambling addiction and the other whom is hiding from the boy in which he used to be... it has a lot of twist and turns to make you guess right up to the end of the book! it was a compelling and intriguing read.

4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Mark Carrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me guessing from the start - fast pace, and the mystery of where the young killer who has become an adult unfolds well - I felt for the private detective searching for the grown up killer and some nasty people on his tail ... really liked the ending, unexpected and great finish

[MR David J Millett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chandleresque

For those who like a Chandleresque page turner. The plot centres around a flawed private detective. However things are not as they seem as the main character seeks to unravel a mystery, whilst staying alive himself.

[THRILLED to read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story but several of the main characters had aliases. I counted 3 main characters using numerous different names. If you can get past that, I enjoyed the story- but I LOVED the ending.

[Phoebe Allen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was awful. It sucked. Incredibly boring. Lack of information. I wanted depth about the phycological reasons behind the murder and the story of it and i didn’t get that. very dissatisfied.