Not my favourite deaver book but it was an ok read. The gaming side of things was a different slant to things but I just couldn’t get into this one properly

Colter Shaw is no two-dimensional action hero, nor is he a reincarnation of Lincoln Rhyme. What he is is an enigma whose backstory slowly unfolds throughout this book, while the action develops simultaneously. On the face of it this book could just be a reworking of the Jigsaw film series but ignore any synopsis that suggests that’s all it is.
I’m not into gaming really, but that doesn’t matter as neither is Colter and he has no choice but to learn the basics and the dark underbelly of the world in order to solve the kidnappings and murders that are happening.
It’s tough, it’s gritty, it makes no apology for stopping to delve a bit deeper into characters before bolting off on an action sequence that is the very definition of Page Turning.

Original & Highly Readable -
In "The Never Game", Jeffery Deaver introduces the reader to an investigator with a difference: Colter Shaw. Colter earns his living in an unusual way: claiming Reward Money offered by the public to help find missing persons and solve crimes.
When a young student is kidnapped, her father calls on Colter to help find her. It is not long after that another victim is kidnapped: the hallmarks of the same perpetrator. Colter is not your run of the mill P.I. but rather one who is suitably mentally equipped to solve even the most baffling of mysteries. Even so, this case will test Colter's powers to the utmost.
He uncovers a link in the crimes to a Video Game, "The Whispering Man". In that game players survive by using 5 random objects. It seems the killer is bringing the game to real life. But why?
A topical thriller which is well plotted and highly readable, The Never Game is a very promising first novel in a new series. Well worth reading.

Reward seeker and investigator Copter Shaw is looking for missing nineteen year old Sophie in return for $10,000. Soon he is drawn into a series of abductions, where a suspected avid gamer obsessed with playing survivalist virtual game 'The Whispering Man' may be trying to dangerously imitate it in real life. Hero Shaw assesses risk by attributing percentages to each hurdle he comes across. So enjoyment risk factor 100% in this page-turning adventure thriller.

Thank you to netgalley the publishers and the author for this ARC in exchanged for an unbiased review

you can never and i mean never not enjoy this authors work, his charters and stories are just gripping and this was no different, great concept and a thrilling read

Not my favourite Jefferey Deaver novel. I was not interested in the technology/gaming aspect intrinsic to the story but can appreciate that this would possibly appeal to,others.

Colter Shaw is a reward seeker. Travelling across America finding missing loved ones and helping the police solve crimes. When he is hired to locate a missing girl, Colter is drawn into a case more complicated than it first appears.

It’s been many years since I read a Jeffery Deaver book so when I saw this on NetGalley I thought, why not? I’m so glad I requested it. A great murder mystery that had me guessing right up to the end.

I enjoyed Shaw’s internal dialogue and the way he worked out a problem. He’s a good guy with a good heart, that’s had an unusual upbringing. I can’t say I was massive fan of the hunting and gun references but they did make sense for the character.

Standish was a fantastic secondary character and a nice surprise. The ending set it up well for the next book. Overall a good start to a new series!


Thank you to Harper Fiction and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

As with anything by Jeffery Deaver this was another page turner. When I find time I want to read many more of this authors back catalog

It may surprise you to learn that The Never Game is my first Deaver book. I was intrigued by this new series and felt that it would be a good place to start my education in all things Deaver.

The concept of a "reward hunter" was new to me, but it intrigued me, as did Colter Shaw himself. In The Never Game, Deaver takes the reader on regular journeys into Shaw's background, particularly his childhood where we have a glimpse into the way that he was raised. I enjoyed his ability to work with others and his relationships with Standish and Maggie gave his character a more emotional edge that was a joy to read. I look forward to learning more about him as the series continues. 

When Jeffery Deaver spoke at Harrogate Crime Festival, he described how he liked his writing to create a puzzle for the reader  He certainly does this in The Never Game. The plotting is wonderfully intelligent and I enjoyed putting the pieces together to work out what had happened. This is enhanced by the gaming theme. The technical aspects of the investigation did go over my head slightly, but I felt it was very relevant to the modern world which made it very relatable and engaging. 

The ending of the novel sets the reader up well for the sequel and I can't wait to read it.

I love Deaver at his best - unfortunately, this was not him at his best. Still enjoyable, but must admit to being sadly disappointed in the read overall. Will continue to seek out his books and like the idea of the new hero but couldn't get on board with the plot here.

A stimulating and compulsive read and the first in a brand new series from international best-selling author Jeffery Deaver.

When his daughter suddenly disappears, her father offers a reward. Enter Colter Shaw, a man who searches for missing people where there is potentially a monetary gain. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker among other things.

Colter Shaw is a protagonist like no other I've come across before. With his unconventional upbringing and unusual character, he has a unique personal history. Shaw is a multi-faceted character and a man who needs to live on the edge and although I feel as if I know him better than when I first opened this book, I definitely get the impression that there is a great deal more to come.

The Never Game isn't a novel about one missing person as there is so much more to this riveting thriller. Just when I thought I knew where it was all going there was another twist, thereby moving in an entirely different direction. This is a superbly crafted book by Jeffery Deaver and a phenomenal, unpredictable read full of uncertainties and revelations.

I have no doubt that Colter Shaw and this new series will prove to be extremely popular with crime fiction and thriller fans. It will be a must-not-miss series and I'll be watching out for the second book. A very worthy and well earned five stars.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from HarperCollins UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion. Thank you also to Jeffery Deaver and Pigeonhole for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I have read most of Deaver’s books about Lincoln Rhymes
which I enjoyed and I felt it did not fall into the same league. I thought it took a long time to get into this new character and as with all new characters it takes time and will improve when new books are written. The character Colter Shaw is an excellent tracker and marksman and he uses these talents to find lost people - dead and alive. He travels around in an old RV and is informed of possible jobs by a mysterious lady whose details are not provided. The book is set in the Silicon Valley and Colter becomes involved in tech companies and the gaming industry which is big business these days in our world. I found the plot to be a little far fetched but overall enjoyed reading it and will look out for the next one to see how Deaver develops this new character

Thanks Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This is the first book in the new Colter Shaw series and the first Jeffery Deaver I have read, so had no idea of what to expect from this author

I was pleasantly surprised and it was a really good read with interesting characters in this thriller. I liked the main character Colter Shaw, who was a reward hunter, an unusual job for an unusual character. I also liked his background history and other characters and look forward to reading more books by this author and any other books he writes for this series.

I also enjoyed the theme of the gaming industry, (not something I've really ever read about, but was a great insight into what it could be like. Colter Shaw is a mysterious man who collects rewards from finding missing people or helping to solve crimes. He is not a private investigator or a detective. Colter has gone to the San Fran to help find a missing girl. Her father has offered a reward .

I found the book to be very fast-paced and had a great plot and would encourage any Baldacci and Grisham fans who haven't read a Deaver book before to give this one a try, as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I believe this is the beginning of a really good series

I'm a Jeffrey Deaver fan, he's one of my favourite authors and I've read all the Lincoln Rhyme books. So when a new series kicked off and the opportunity to read it came from NetGalley I jumped straight on board. First I read the short story - Captivated - which introduced the new character Colter Shaw. That whet the appetite and then up next was this one - The Never Game.
Colter is a seeker, he helps locate missing people for the associated reward money.
This story is set around a serial kidnapper and has a computer games theme running through it. Along with gaming other hot current topics are also thrown into the mix such as big data/data mining, virtual reality, corporate espionage etc. that give it an up to date feel in what otherwise feels like a classic crime fiction plot.
It was a really enjoyable read with some good twists and turns and I'll be looking out for the next book in the series.
Many thanks for the preview copy on NetGalley.

This was an excellent read. Not something I would usually pick up but It had me hooked from the outset and throughout. Will be keeping an eye out for more in the future.

Colter Shaw is not a police officer, a private investigator or a bounty hunter. But he does help people offering a reward to find their missing relatives. When he visits a man who offers a reward to find his missing daughter and the police are doing nothing to help, Colter becomes involved in the search for a kidnapper who offers his victims a chance to escape, with an unknown motive. At the same time, Colter has his own personal mystery to solve.

Colter is a deep character. He learned from his father to be a tracker, and this has helped him find missing people, but he also had a difficult childhood. Parts of his childhood and past are revealed throughout the book. The story revolves around the protagonist and he really makes it a good story. I like the fact that his is kind, but never smiles.

The plot is twisty and very well thought out, not surprisingly from Mr Deaver. It is very well written both in terms of story and character development, and kept me guessing until the last minute. I loved the premise being based around video games, it was something a little different in this setting as this is not an edgy contemporary novel, it's more like a good old fashioned mystery with a modern twist.

This was a really good read and I hope the author writes more books set around Colter Shaw in the future.

This one just didn't do it for me - I couldn't get in to it, which is a shame given I generally like books by Jeffrey Deaver.

I have not read a Jeffery Deaver book in a long time and now I am so annoyed at myself. I need to get stuck into the ones I have missed. Really enjoyed this book, the start of a new series following Colter Shaw, a likeable and hard to read character. I liked his non smiling ways as someone who is not quick to smile, I liked that side of him. Loved the character of LaDonna and hope she pops up in future books. I cant wait to read the next book in the series which am hoping is the story of the young boy. Will be recommending this book, very highly.

This is Jeffrey Deaver’s new series with a brand new character and as always it’s a great read with lots of promise to come.
An exciting and animatic character with a plot that keeps you page turning until the end
I thoroughly enjoyed this book

Such an interesting concept for a story. Thrilling and absorbing with loads of twists and turns. Crime, survivalist, missing people and computer games all make an exciting story.