This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. .
Knock Knock by Chris MerrittPublished by Bookouture on March 17, 2020
Pages: 416
Amazon UK
Goodreads
Also by this author: Last Witness, Life or Death, Bring Her Back, Last Witness, Life or Death, Bring Her Back, Last Witness , Life or Death, Who's Next?, Lost Souls, The New Home
Natasha Mayston wasn’t expecting anyone to knock on her door so late at night. And she has no idea that the face staring back at her is the last one she’ll ever see…
As Detective Dan Lockhart is called to a wealthy London street to investigate Natasha’s death, he’s startled by the similarity to a previous case. Noticing the cable-tie restraints and the tiny scratches on Natasha’s wedding finger, Dan already knows what he will find if he looks in her mouth – the metal ball which choked her to death. He knows Natasha isn’t the killer’s first victim and is certain that he will strike again.
Months earlier, Kim Hardy was found in the same position in a run-down hotel across the city – an identical silver ball in her throat. But Kim’s murderer was caught and sent to prison – did they arrest the wrong man? And what connects the two victims? Fearing that he’s dealing with a psychopathic serial killer, Dan calls in psychologist Dr Lexi Green to help him to get into the perpetrator’s mind. Tough and smart, Lexi will stop at nothing to hunt down the man responsible for the deaths.
Then, another body is discovered, just as Lexi finds a clue online leading to the killer. Dan’s team aren’t convinced, but in pushing Lexi away from the investigation, they force her to dig further into the case on her own. Convinced that she’s on to something, she puts herself in unthinkable danger… but can Dan piece together the clues and identify the killer before it’s too late?
It is PUBLICATION DAY!!!! I am so excited that I get to share my review of this book as part of my TakeOver too as well as on Publication Day! Happy Days! Have a fab day Chris! I am back with my book buddy Claire at A Knight Reads and FireFlies and Free Kicks
✮ My Review ✮
Ok Woah there! I was not expecting this when I read this book! This has to be the darkest that I have seen Chris go! Freaking hell! What a rollercoaster of a ride! I did not know where it was headed and so many times I changed my mind over who the killer was! He even has a name – The Throat Killer – believe me, it is not nice!
Luckily for us the reader, we only experience the murders once first hand. I for one am delighted by that because it is something out of one of my worst nightmare, along with being pecked to death by a Pterodactyl or a Zombie apocalypse as these can still happen, I have watched the movies! Anyhoo….so these murders, the deaths, are completely and utterly frightening. My teeth are set on edge just thinking of them and I feel like I am gasping for breath like the victims! (Or that could just be the cold I have at the time of writing this). I really do not want to know how Chris came up with this story and I had no warning to what would happen and I am left reeling!
I am intrigued by the introduction of Lockhart and Green, their dynamic swiftly moves from professional to seemingly something brewing in the future, although at the extremely tentative stage. Dan Lockhart getting treatment for his PTSD from being in the military and the sights he has seen. I did love the little phrases from military life, as the soldier boy tells me them and I am definitely going to start using the Julie Andrews one -read the book you will know what I mean! Lexi Green is the therapist he has been seeing and they are finally making headway. Then the case starts and she starts working with him on a professional capacity. On the side, like my favourite Zac Boateng, Lockhart is working on a different and very personal case, one that is haunting him and he can’t let go. I am curious to see where this will go and how long it might be before there is a resolution and a whole big storm coming his way!
Now this book, according to Goodreads, is 416 pages and by 36-42% we already have 3 murders on our laps. I did wonder how we would see the rest of the book and if it would drag. Let me tell you it doesn’t. We watch the team of Lockhart, Khan, Smith and Berry work the clues over a long length of time, it appears to take a few months to solve this. We have very little information and no DNA, the killer obviously didn’t want to be too helpful. Every step of the way we get new evidence and it leads us off down another path but as this was not a rushed job it made the investigation feel so realistic and not a Hollywood 2 day fix. The dead ends and the frustrations were palpable not only for the detectives but us the reader. How could someone be doing this and leave us no clues to their identity! Made my head hurt!
Near the end of the book, I was shouting a lot! Shouting at Lexi, shouting at Dan, shouting at whoever I thought to be the killer. Hands up I didn’t guess it, I was being a copy cat and following the police and their suspects. Wrong wrong wrong. Chris completely bamboozled me!
Not going to lie, I was completely apprehensive reading a new series as I am so invested in Zac and I was not sure how I would get on with the new team. But I jumped in and I must admit I like them. Lockhart in charge for the first time, nervous with whether he can do the job, making mistakes riling his peers but determined to get the job done. Max Smith, living a life with a “deformity”, losing respect for her boss but her anger drives her to do out of hours surveillance. Mo Khan a new recruit, a bit of a player but he completely has your back. Lucy Berry and probably my favourite, shy family woman but she leads the way with her victim strategy and looks at every angle. I look forward to working the next case with them and the naive, sweet but intelligent Lexi Green.
Stepping out of a strong series to write something different was a risk that paid off and well that cameo made me squeal.
Despite all of this, I am walking away from this book rattled. That epilogue left me with more goosebumps than I wanted.
All I will say is that this chapter is not over yet. (Do you feel the goosebumps yet?)
Until next time xxx
I won’t be able to watch this as my lunch breaks don’t start until 1pm, so you will have to watch it for me! Enjoy!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Jules_Writes says
I just downloaded this right now after reading your review! Fantastic review and I feel we should use the word – bamboozled more!
Zoé says
Oh yay! I love this! Can’t wait to hear what you think! I know I love that word lol
Kelly says
Fab review! Afraid of being pecked to death tho?! ??
Zoé says
Yes! Have you not watch Jurassic Park, it happens! I have loads of irrational fears ??