A fantastic start to a gripping new series. Intriguing characters and plot twists about in this exciting story. Hope the following books are just as good because this will be one incredible ride!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Really good engrossing book. Jeffery Denver has a way of really getting you to engage with his characters and this book is no different. Great plot. Colt has his own story and answers he trying to find but in the meantime along the way helps others find answers even if it is closure

Jeffery Deaver is a brilliant and successful writer, and has no need of my poor reviews of his writings. I really enjoyed the approach to this book and the story development. Colter Shaw, our hero is a man of mystery and his history is drip fed throughout the story of this investigation, including the fact that he has a hidden secret. This writing "trick" does several things, first and foremost provides an on going hook, a second story line, a slow burner that intrigues the reader as the principle story is followed. Then as Mr. Deaver needs and extra skill for his hero, the undisclosed back story can be further developed to explain why the hero can do whatever is required. That also provides the potential for another plot, to develop a story around how the skill or friend was acquired.
The main point however, is that we we are encouraged to be curious about Colter Shaw and will therefore be ready to take the next book to find out more. Well Jeffery, with me you have been successful, I will be awaiting the next publication, I want to know more about Colter Shaw.
Deftly written, evenly paced, interesting set of Silicon Valley characters and stereotypes, and oddballs. He is still on his game.

It's fitting that the debut novel for Jeffery Deaver's new character, Colter Shaw, should be set in the world of video games because The Never Game is, in essence, "Lincoln Rhyme DLC". Same engine, mechanics and graphics, different backstory and skill tree. Deaver even found a way to fit in a version of Rhyme's whiteboard summations of the evidence as Shaw is an obsessive note-taker.

None of this is a bad thing. Jeffery Deaver is, as ever, brilliant at what he does. Writing taut, thematic mysteries with enough twists to give a corkscrew a run for its money. But, other than flavouring, there's nothing new here. If you're a fan of Deaver (I am), you'll enjoy The Never Game, if you're not, there's nothing here that will change your mind.

I would recommend The Never Game to anyone looking for something to read until the next Lincoln Rhyme book is released. Anyone new to Jeffery Deaver, would be better served reading The Bone Collector

I really enjoyed this book,, a good strong introduction to Colter Shaw. Jeffery Deaver has always been an excellent writer and this book is no exception.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review, I will put this review on Amazon too.

I’ve had too many mysteries let me down recently, so I took a break. I thought it was time to get back to the genre.

The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver was a welcoming return.

Although he has written a lot, The Never Game is my first by Deaver and I was curious what his style and story-telling were like. I didn’t have high expectations (too many mystery disappointments) but I enjoyed the book.

There have been several occasions where a mystery hasn’t worked because the main character is hard to connect with. Colter Shaw, however, is a great protagonist. He collects rewards for a living, but has morals, a conscience and a heart, never once making you feel he just does it for the money.


The story starts at the end, with Shaw attempting to rescue the final victim. From the first chapter, you get a feel of what sort of man he is: one who will not give up, regardless of the cost. He’s stubborn and determined and while he initially seems emotionally detached, other characters get through his defences and you witness a more vulnerable side to him.

Shaw is a survivalist, having been brought up in the middle of nowhere. While his family come across as eccentric, they are not dysfunctional. Glimpses into Shaw’s childhood not only provide the underlying mystery, other than the kidnappings he’s attempting to solve, but also a bigger picture: something happened to his father and Shaw wants to know what.

There’s not character development per se, but you do get to know him as the book progresses, seeing his flaws and strengths. He’s an easily likeable character and you’re on his side.

The plot itself is engaging: there are multiple moments of misdirection – several times I thought I had it figured out, only to be wrong. The crimes – three kidnappings and one murder – send Shaw in various directions and introduce him to a number of people.

The crimes have strong links back to gaming. Knowing nothing about gaming meant I was dubious, but you get the feel of how important it is to these characters, understanding some of the terminology but never feeling overwhelmed by a topic that is motive rather than anything else.

You get the sense throughout this is the first book in what will be a longer series. The job Shaw takes on in this book comes to a neat end rather than an ambiguous cliff-hanger, but also introduces the bigger danger in a way that wants you to keep reading.

I liked that this particular crime is solved within one book. There are, however, some great secondary characters introduced, especially Detective Standish, a female officer who dreams big and wins Shaw’s respect. There’s the beginning of a friendship there and the start of a partnership. I hope some of these secondary characters continue into the next book rather than a reset every time.

An engaging and strong book. I’ll definitely be looking for more of the series.

Unfortunately I read this book a while ago and seem to have missed it when writing reviews. - sadly I cant remember enough detail to give a full review.
However, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC :-)

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver.
Rating 5/5
Jeffery Deaver is at the top of his game in introducing his new character, Colter Shaw. Shaw finds missing people by working out the clues to their whereabouts by giving the scenarios percentages.
A fascinating character, Shaw’s unusual childhood has shaped the man.
Many twists and turns in this well thought out, gripping plot with numerous. enthralling characters. Although the background is based on video games, of which I am not a fan, it was easy to understand and never boring.
Really forward to reading more of the Colter Shaw series. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Jeffery Deaver, NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read The Never Game for which I have written an unbiased and honest review.

This book is very different in the crime genre. Jeffrey Deaver is a master of character development. His new Colter Shaw novel has all the excitement and thrills of a good crime story but with a unique new character exhibiting unique skills; A very enjoyable read. There are certain to be more adventures of Colter Shaw. I look forward to them.

Loved it, loved the premise and the blurb and the characters and storyline and everything about it, another fantastic book for Mr Deaver and one you cannot miss, hopefully there will be more in this series to come as this was brilliant start and left me wanting more.

This is the first book by this Author I have read and I was impressed.
I have to say the main character is totally engaging and I was left wanting to learn more about him.
A really good thriller.

This has the promise to be a great series.
What I particularly liked was the depth of the story and the history of the main character Colter Shaw.
On the face of it, Shaw is a maverick hunter who goes after rewards to help solve missing person cases or find fugitives from the law.
In The Never Game this takes him to Silicon Valley to find a missing girl for whom her Father struggles to reconcile her disappearance and offers a small reward for help to understand where she had gone and hopefully bring her home.
It is a complex but clever story that quickly escalated into a hunt for a serial killer and throws up many links with this part of the USA and its connection with computers and the world of gaming.
The way the author allows a confusing sub plot to run and draws out the peculiarities of Shaw’s upbringing makes for an intense read. You are compelled to read on as it is both a crime mystery as well as a thriller.
The sense of conspiracy perfumes each chapter and political intrigue seems to pass in and out of focus.
This is an unusual starting point to introduce this new protagonist but in Shaw, Deaver has created a fresh approach to investigations while blurring the plot with mystery and unexpected thrills.
A sure winner to add to the collection of works by this fine author.

I do keep trying Jeffrey Deaver but this one with the elements of gaming etc just failed to capture my interest. I am in the minority I’m sure but that’s ok.

I have always wanted to read Deaver and this is a professional job he has accomplished ... but the story lacks focus ..it takes nearly 30% of the book before kidnapping story begins to make any impact ,, it is a way to examine relarions among cops and people which seem formulaic until the bounty 'hunter' comes on, when it all picks up. So I'm not massively impressed! But I was intrigued and read through to the end, so something rang true!

I have read all of Deavers oevre. Had I not known he was the author of this book I would not have identified the author. That is why Deaver is so worth reading. He has varied protagonists and scenarios. Here he has a new hero.
I did not like the fact that the ending clearly indicates there will be another. I prefer clear endings.

Jeffrey Deaver has done it again, a new character but not a police officer, not a private investigator but something a little different. Maybe a type of bounty hunter, but he has scruples, he doesn’t just take on any case that offers a reward, he looks at the people offering the reward as well before deciding.

His parents had gone off the grid leaving a survivalists life, which taught Colter Shaw some valuable lessons, but not all his knowledge came from his parents he went to college and then went on to study Law, going back into mainstream living. The story does tell of things as Shaw was growing up some things good, some not so good. He does have a unique way of tracking people though.

In this investigation he goes to Silicon Valley where what seems like unrelated kidnappings are happening within the technical world of computer gaming. Shaw uses his tracking skills to try and find the missing people..

I loved the pace of the writing, and the plot, there are the usual twists and turns that keep you guessing, overall this is a great start to a new series. I look forward to getting to see more of Colter Shaw.

Thank you to #netgalley and # HarperCollins for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I started. I really enjoy the Lincoln Rhymes books and this was different. But it drew me in such that I was no longer sitting on my sofa but in a forest, in a gaming room etc. I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the next one already

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Strong start to a series.
Colter Shaw is a strong main character with an edge of mystery and intrigue to him.
Enough back story given to pique the interest and keep you keen to know more in future stories.
The story itself was good. Different to most thriller/police procedure books I have read recently.
All round a good book that I would recommend a read of!

I have read most of the books written by Jeffrey Deaver and in this novel he successfully introduces a new character. This excellently crafted thriller, concerning missing persons, is well written, as always. A definite ‘must read’ for all Deaver fans and also those who love to read thrillers.

I'm a massive fan of Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series so was keen to see if I would like this new character, Colter Shaw, and I did! Great character description and a great storyline kept me up until the early hours to finish this book. Looking forward to reading more of this series. Jeffery Deaver has done it again!