A proper police procedural, tense but not gory.
I enjoyed the story with all its twists and turns, and although some parts are a little predictable, I was ever only one step ahead at most.
I did feel a little as if I was playing catch up as I have not read the others and so was trying to work out relationships from hints along the way.
Nevertheless, a good solid mystery.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This is a very dark eerie police procedural novel. Having not read the previous titles i did a times feel i was at a disadvantage not knowing background stories, however having said that I enjoyed this novel and would recommend.

It’s the ultimate nightmare. Young women are disappearing and detective Ian Bradshaw is desperately trying to find them before it’s too late. Help came too late for the one woman they did find, but at least now the police believe have some idea how they might save the others. But they are wrong and they will have to fight a killer more twisted than they could ever have imagined. A nail biting roller coaster ride that you need to read with the lights on!

‘The Chosen Ones’ by Howard Linskey published by Penguin UK and Out Now

Hey, well any book that starts
‘Eva woke in a large metal box, she had no idea who had taken her and no way out’ ....../
is certain to grab your attention, and it did....
This is the 4th book in the D.I. Bradshaw crime series ( set in the North East ) and although that means you met the main players without knowing their back story in this books case IMO it didnt matter as you quickly get to know them and are told ( without fuss or pages and pages of it ) bits of the history and it falls into place quickly ( works well as a stand alone or as part of the series )
I liked the characters and the setting and the ‘easy’ narrative telling of the story, it is set in the 1990’s so the Police procedural is less complex ( obvs ) than nowadays and more straight forward to understand and get to grips with
The story itself kept my attention 100% of the time and the many sub stories and plots in the book were not distracting and added to the whole story
Its difficult not to give anything away re the story but I wont 😃 except to say it is dark, scary in places and unlike some books very believable that it could happen!
Its the kind of book you look forward to reading more of and you feel comfortable with it and tbh it was a really enjoyable read
The ending has some shocks and then leaves you wanting to read the next book and carry on following what happens to the main characters
A really good, solid book that you can get ‘stuck into’ and feel satisfied at the end that you have spent some great reading time on
9/10 5 stars

Having not read the other books in this series I have stopped a third of the way through to read the others and will then come back to this. The backstory I think us needed although this would work well as a stand alone. I will come back to this review shortly but for now and because I loved the plotting and the writing -I'm still, giving it 4 stars
Thank you for my advance copy NetGalley and the publisher

This is a really good read! I do sometimes have reservations about knowing too soon who does the murdering but that is not a problem here. The characters are believable and work well in the text. The story is a clever idea,effectively carried out,with several story lines adding to the depth of the book. Revenge is sweet and here the baddies get done very satisfactorily! This is a riveting read and the next one can't come too soon.

This is a story about a man working for the government in the Cold War and the impact of his obsessions in the present day. It is a good read although I found the jumps in time confusing at times. The main characters are likeable and as the reader I found I was wishing them to succeed. The details of the situation that the missing women are in are unusual but the glimpse back in time explains where they are being kept. The search for the missing seems fairly typical of many crime novels but certainly kept my interest.
As I moved into the story I really enjoyed it and recommend it to any crime reader.

The Chosen Ones by Howard Linskey is a dark, scary police procedural story.
Young women are disappearing and DI Bradshaw has to investigate if they have gone of their own accord or been taken or kidnapped.
This is the fourth book in the series and I felt that I was missing the background of the professionals involved and I think this spoilt my enjoyment of the book a little.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for inviting me to read this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The Chosen Ones by Howard Linskey is the 4th book in his crime series based in the North East and it is another excellent addition to the collection.

The writing is excellent and keeps you turning the pages as the story motors along.

The author also manages to juggle having three main characters without it feeling forced or contrived.

Overall this is an excellent book and one that is thoroughly recommended

Before I started reading this book I was worried that it might be too harrowing as the blurb said it was about young women being kept captive. In fact it was almost the opposite: this is a police procedural with a strong thread of hulour running through it. I have read others in this series but it works equally well as a stand alone book. The three main characters work well together. There are the usual moments when I wanted to yell 'wait for back up!' But overall this is a great read and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

Loved this book. Given the vast number of police/serial killer/'twist' type books available, you wonder how anyone can come up with something new. The threesome investigating seems a little far-fetched given it is one police sergeant and two journalists, but it does actually work very well. The pace is good and you are never quite certain what will happen and how the 20 year time span fits together. I am really looking forward to the next book out in 2019. Didn't quite get 5 stars because it missed, for me, the 'wow didn't expect that in the book'. Nevertheless well worth reading

The Chosen Ones by Howard Linskey a five-star read that will trap you. This is the forth book in the series focusing on DC Ian Bradshaw and I can confirm that it can be read as stand-alone, I haven’t read the other three books, but I do plan on going back to read them, I picked the book up as I was told by someone that I would like the setting as its where I a from, and I loved reading about places that I used to visit and know well. This book had me up all night, I had read it and my brain wouldn’t turn off. The dynamics between the characters set the page alight, and my brain aflame. Eva has a story that will play on your mind, have you ever dreamt of being trapped? Imagine that again but worse. What an imaginative and fascinating read, I cant wait to go back and read the other books.

This was completely my cup of tea - seriously, if the amazing and rather creepy cover and the enticing synopsis don't pique your interest then it ain't for you. Having not read the previous books in the series I cannot comment on those but I do think this works well as a standalone - of course, you are not privy to the backstory and relationship building that went on in those but the story here is self-contained.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Detective Ian Bradshaw and journalist, Tom Clancy. They worked together like a well-oiled machine and I look forward to starting from book one and getting to know the characters pasts.

Eve Dunbar wakes in a metal box that has been buried underground and seems to have no way to escape the dark, cramped conditions. She is not the first to go missing but the police have precious little to go on. That is, until they find a body which they hope will at least point them in the direction of the kidnapper and help them to deliver justice. But it apppears that nothing is what it seems.

The story flows really well and I found the prose to be easy-to-read and follow. There is the use of misdirection and the finale is excellent. It is written in short sharp chapters that make it even more difficult to put down, the pace is quick but not overly so and I liked that it was told from multiple POV as it let's us see proceedings from various different perspectives.

One last point - I appreciated the setting - Durham - as it is close to where i live and I know it quite well.

Many thanks to Penguin - Michael Joseph for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I have not read any of the previous books in this series but The Chosen Ones is a great stand-alone book.It is an exciting mix of police procedural and psychological thriller.I enjoyed the pairing of DI Bradshaw and journalist Tom Carney.Girls are being taken and held underground with seemingly no hope of escape.Just imagine how that must feel like? Bradshaw and Carney and his partner Helen investigate and the story zips along,weaving it's way down a few wrong turnings but ending in a breathtaking climax.
Many thanks to the Publisher,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review.

This is a well written book, I believe it to be number 4 in a series. However, I hadn't read the previous books and still enjoyed the writing, characters and flow. There is particular history between two of the characters that makes for interesting reading and all characters are well rounded.

Although the main storyline is scary, it's not gruesome and the focus is as much on the characters in the police force and what they have to contend with, as it is on the victim.

It's based in Durham and is well researched and written.

A solid thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin books for the opportunity to preview this book.

DC Ian Bradshaw #4

Eva Dunbar wakes up in a large metal box. She has no idea how she got there or who had taken her. Eva is not the first person to disappear. Detective Ian Bradshaw has no leads.

When a body is found, the police hope the discovery will at least provide a clue that will help them find the kidnapper. This book features Detective Ian Bradshaw and journalist Tom Clancy. Bradshaw seems to get the jobs no one else wants to do. This is a fast paced, tense, gripping roller coaster of a read with many twists thrown in. With multiple points of view, we are always finding out something new. I have not read any of this authors work before, and this is the fourth book in the series. I do think this book can be read as a standalone, but have I missed out on something by not reading the rear of the books in this series? I will have to read the rest of the books in the series to find out.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Howard Linskey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This being the fourth in the series, usual series rules apply. Although the main story is self-contained, one of the big things about this series in my opinion is the dynamic between the three main characters and so, to get the best from them and their interconnected backstories, it would be better to start from book one and read in order.
Well, king of the unsolvable case, Ian Bradshaw, is once again called upon to take up the reins of the stalled investigation into missing women. Again, as usual, he is not given anyone from the force to help him so he call upon investigative journalist duo Tom and Helen to assist him. With lots of background to sift through, it soon becomes evident why the case had stalled.
Meanwhile, we here from Eva who wakes up in a large metal box with little idea of where she is or what happened, let along who took her. We follow her as she tries to come to terms with her situation and watch as she tries her best to escape.
And then a body turns up which, when identified, throws a big spanner into everything.
Oh my! I absolutely love this series. The author has managed to write a police procedural series incorporating a very decent psychological bent. Two of my favourite things in books. In incorporating journalists into assisting with a live case, he has created a great dynamic, one which really works. But the best thing about these books is that there is not just one case to be solved. As with real life, nobody really focuses on just the one ongoing thing to be investigated. Here we have a couple of really juicy sub and side plots. This is quite an achievement in itself as it is somewhat of a skill to keep the main plot going in amongst the offshoots but here, the minor storylines complement the main investigation very well, neither distraction from or overshadowing it. And the way that everything is brought together satisfactorily at the end left me wholly satisfied.
The characters are also developing very nicely, the dynamic between them flows well over the series. They work well together personally and professionally, remaining true to life with their bickering and the odd argument along the way.
With no superfluous padding and short punchy chapters from multiply viewpoints, this book zips along at a merry pace, the action ramping up towards the brilliant finale. A finale that left me wondering what's next for our terrible trio. Can't wait to find out!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

There’s a lot to get your teeth in to with this book. Detective Ian Bradshaw and the journalist Tom Carney are a good duo and they always seem to do the unexpected which I really enjoy. The things that get thrown at them! Ian Bradshaw is a good cop as he’s nor one of the group and does things his own way. I like that and he and Tom work together very well indeed.

This case - a girl trapped in a steel box under ground. There’s a lot of fear and claustrophobia throughout the book and it’s chillingly good. Why would someone kidnap girls like this? You get a really chilling insight when the girl at the start of the book who’s been kidnapped thinks back as to how she got into this situation.

There’s subplots and subplots all around. Makes you realise what the police are faced with at times. Brutal.

A note on the setting - I do like the fact these books are set in and around Durham. Proper up north you might say. You can really imagine these policeman walking around the Durham streets. Maybe they do...