Cover Image: Knock Knock (Detectives Lockhart and Green Book 1)

Knock Knock (Detectives Lockhart and Green Book 1)

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Member Reviews

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Priapus - the alias of the serial killer
Dental gag
Steel balls
Engagement ring
Taser
These are the tools used by the serial killer to carry out his actions methodically, carefully and with patience.

This was a gripping read from the moment I started reading it. This book revealed a lot of social issues that women face when it comes to patriarchy, misogyny and the need for men to dominate women.

The main character Detective Daniel Lockhart is new in the MIT scene, dealing with some PTSD after coming back from the army and losing his wife, he's placed in charge of his first case that involves "the Throat Ripper" with location in London.

He enlists the help of Dr. Lexi Green, who is his therapist and a psychologist to profile the killer.

A few twists and turns, outbursts and fights and the killer is uncovered.

Many issues were addressed, there were lots of speculations as well as theories to catch the killer, it showed a look into the world of misogynists who want nothing more than to dominate women when their problems stem from childhood trauma or personal experiences which leads to a generalisation that all women are the same.

The killer wasn't who I expected, I played detective as well as psychologist too and tried to profile and analyse the characters and those who were "persons of interest" but it wasn't who I expected and I think Chris Merritt did a good job in writing this book and keeping the reader engaged.

I hope to read more in the Detective Lockhart and Lexi Green series.

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Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I love a crime procedural and after taking part in the cover reveal for this book I just had to read it!

This is a brand new series and let me tell you it looks to be a great one. The main character is Dan Lockhart. Dan is quite new to MIT and it's clear this is a new team that is finding its feet. The team are learning to work together, learning what makes each other tick. The team has a good cohort of side characters in Max Smith, Mo Kahn and Lucy Berry. I can't wait to learn more about these guys.

During the course of the case, Dan enlists psychologist Lexi Green. Lexi and Dan make a really good team when they actually listen to each other. Lexi is new to psychological profiling but she sure knows her stuff.

This book has a slow start but the second half, oh I could not put it down! Tensions were running high and I was hooked! One thing I will say is if you are a bit squeamish you might struggle with some parts of this book. The descriptions of the murders are very detailed and at times I wanted to read through my hands horror movie style.

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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this first book in a new series

phallic objects
metal balls
jaw opener

these are a few of the items used by this killer

as one victim after another is found can the police find him before he picks another victim

lexi a psychologist is drawn into the investigation to bring in insight into the killer but most of the unit arent impressed with what she says and its only dan the lead investigator that keeps her there, but as more bodies pile up what she has said does bring highlights that lead them to look in other directions

for a new series this one has a certain appeal to it and the working relationship between lexi and dan is fun to read...looking forward to the next one in this series

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This is the first book featuring London based Detective Lockart.

I haven’t read previous books from the author but this boon left me curious about his writing.

The first chapter really got me intrigued and I couldn’t stop reading.

The story focused more on Detective Lockart and the psychologist helping him, Dr Green with some points of view from the killer.
I would have liked a bit more insight on the killers perspective but in all honesty, the killer was quite scary and horrible so it might have been for the best that the narration wasn’t as focused on this perspective.

This book is chilling and I found it a bit scary. The pace to me was perfect and I really needed to keep reading it because I was too curious to see what would happen.

It was interesting to see the interaction of the DI and the Dr throughout the book. It felt that they didn’t connect very well but it made me interested in understanding if they will develop more together in future books.

The book’s plot was really good and the writing is well placed and really interesting. I wasn’t as surprised by the ending as I was expecting but overall the book is really interesting and a great read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this fantastic book before its publishing date in exchange for an honest review.

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A strong start to a new series. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the slightly predictable climax to the plot, not the culprit reveal, the way the finished in the last couple of chapters. The cliffhanger in the epilogue though, that is brilliant.
My review is in the attached link.

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I thought Knock Knock was reasonably entertaining, though it did take a while for the story to pique my interest. 

This book covers uncomfortable topics, which is worth bearing in mind. I am thinking particularly here of passages of narration from the point of view of a serial killer who defends and justifies violence, murder, and sexual abuse. These parts didn't put me off, but I did find them quite ... difficult to read at times. You've been warned.

Something I especially liked about Knock Knock was the way Merritt set up a variety of characters as possible, plausible culprits for the murders. This kept me guessing and I struggled to work out what the truth was and what the red herrings were.

Something I did not like about Knock Knock was Merritt's characterisation. Every character, upon entering the room, was introduced to the reader with their age,  appearance, personality traits, and background story. This was an information overload and, quite frankly, it was dull. I am never going to remember the details about every character of a book if I'm given them all at once. Consequently, I forgot most of these details almost instantaneously and so they could have just been omitted, in my opinion. 

However, I enjoyed the actual narrative of Knock Knock; it was interesting and exciting, whilst gruesome!

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This is a good read, as a police procedural crime story! It is not a fast paced thriller. The story centers around hunky DI with the MET, and their Major Incident Team, Daniel Lockhart, his team, his elderly Mother, and his missing wife.
The other character is Lexi Greene, a psychologist, her flatmates, and her patients. She is called in by Lockhart to profile a killer in London, going after feminist, only they don't call it that, I do. To me, all male serial killers hate women, period! We all know all rapists feel power over women, which is why they do it. In other words this is that type of book, why is this guy doing this? Find the reasons, you find the murderer. I look forward to the next Lockhart and Green episode!
I recommend! Thank you #Bookcouture #Netgalley #Knock#Knock

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Knock Knock was for me intriguing..... a very well thought out plan and executed really well.....complex and sometimes quite subtle but the elements for a good read were in there.......
It linked the two people who became the main characters in the search for the Throat Ripper, and how they became involved together on the hunt for the serial killer.........
Clever psychological interpretation and good grounding in detective work, gave Dan and Lexi the necessary skill sets to use to find the evasive killer..
a lot of ideas of how one would kill a person and the perverse reasoning behind it all is for me is unique.... as i have never heard of this type of use for the plot....
There was a sense of fear as i read this book as he restrains them and leaves them totally vulnerable to whatever he wanted to do to them
and i could almost find myself in an inner struggle to get away...... but the link to the mentality of why this is done, is for me a great insight in to psychology.... I loved it ... as it is always that there is a reason behind our actions and the way we do them.......even the ring was significant

The detail and the online research which Lexi did was also eye opening and it goes without saying that there is hope that our children are never able to access any of this material that is out there on the web........ but it is there, and it is also very scary that there could be people that we know would be dealing with any of this

Dan and Lexi seem to have the two elements to crime solving wrapped up......... and it would be nice to read another book from the author based on these two characters.

The detail of Dan's background also gave a great understanding of this man and how he operated and what motivated him .....he seemed to be a person that would be strong and gives a sense of being there for his own and people he liked.....
Lexi gave the impression of being young and still finding her niche in life and building on it ....but also finding love in her life..... but i would say that these two have the ingredients for a successful career in crime detection and possibly love.....

Thank you for a great read... i loved it and it did keep me guessing right up to the end...... and i have to say. how it was connected in all the different ways had me thinking and guessing...... a very good and in depth crime thriller...............slow in the beginning as the two start to come together and begin a joint effort to catch this killer .....but well worth the wait

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I did enjoy this book, I liked the main 2 characters, but I found the pace of the book to be too slow for me, and I think if it had been sharper and faster it would have held my interest more.I was also confused by the American references for instance they referred to The Subway instead of The Tube ,and they threw their litter into a trash can instead of a bin maybe i am being picky but it seemed odd to me. I do wish the book had been sharper and faster in pace, I kept reading because I wanted to find out who the killer was and I hadn't got a clue, so I guess that was good.I would like to see the two main characters again so would probably read the next book in the series, and I did think this one had good points as well as things I wasn't keen on. .

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I was thrilled when I saw this book. I have read some of this authors other work and got a little giddy when I noticed this was the start of a new series. I feel this introduction to Detective Dan Lockhart and Dr Green was brilliant. I love getting to know new characters. These are 2 characters I can really see building through futer books. I think they have a lot to offer us readers and I cant wait to see what Chris Merritt decideds for them.
I found that i needed to keep reading that I wanted to know the who, why etc. A few times I thought I had the answers, but clearly I didn't which was a great way of putting those twists in there, making you feel you know what s coming. You don't so you then have to continue.
It was interesting getting to know our new characters as I said, Dan Lockhart is a married man, but his wife went missing and he hasn't seen her since. This is always at the back of his mind when he's going about his work and everyday life, it will be interesting to see how that part of the story develops, i'm just hoping it's not something that is going to go on forever like another crime authors books.
I do feel this was certainly a well written book with a story to keep you hooked, and I really do look forward to what will come in future books.
Now is the time to treat yourself and order this book, start a new series and enjoy your reading

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Oh wow. Psychological thriller is right. This book kept me interested and guessing the whole time, I honestly couldn’t put it down.

The book does have a lot of narrators and at the beginning which I wasn’t a fan of, just a lot of people to keep up with. However, as you get closer to the end of the book the multiple narrators is key with keeping the suspense up. I was on the edge of my seat and needed to finish the book.

Definitely recommend and have added his previous books to my TBR. Can to wait for another one in this series.

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Arrrrgggh... I was so looking forward to this one. You know that book that you wait to read because you have ot in your head that it's going to consume you? Yep, well this is it... AND IT DIDN'T!

This is the first in the new Detectives Lockhart & Green series... Right from the start I struggled. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and it was just so slow going.

I found myself skimming through so much which isnt a good thing at all.

I'm still giving 2 stars because despite my negativity the book is well written and the author has obviously done his research but it's just not for me.

2*

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

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This is the first book a new series featuring detective Lockhart and Dr Green. I was really looking forward to reading this but from the outset I found it difficult to get into. I couldn't connect with the characters, and found the book quite slow going in places. As another reviewer mentioned you can't help but draw comparisons with Lockhart's missing wife and the Roy Grace series of books (Roy's wife also went missing).

The book was well written but a little bit too long. Not sure yet whether this series is going to be my cup of tea but will definitely give it a chance and will read the next book in the series to see how the characters develop.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Knock Knock is the chilling start to a new series by Chris Merritt featuring Detective Dan Lockhart and psychologist Lexie Green. There are dark psychological aspects to this novel which I found really fascinating as Chris Merritt explores the mind of the killer. The killer is a terrifying individual who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. And the worst thing for Dan Lockhart is that this is a killer who is just getting started.

I enjoyed Chris Merrit’s debut when I read it a couple of years ago, but unfortunately, I haven’t yet got round to reading the next two books in that series. When I heard he was releasing a new one I knew I had to read it as soon as possible.

I must admit it did take me a bit of time to get into this one. It started with a bang, and I found Dan Lockhart and his own personal story intriguing. Dan’s wife went missing a few years ago, and he has never been able to move on from her disappearance. Even her family have sadly come to the conclusion that she must be dead, but Dan won’t believe that until he has firm evidence. I also really liked his growing relationship with his psychologist, Lexi Green. Chris Merritt hints from quite early on that perhaps there is something a bit more happening here, and it has made me wonder how this will pan out later on in the series, particularly with the bombshell revelation at the end. The only slight problem I did have with the book was the middle section, and I felt that perhaps it was just slightly too long. But that’s just my opinion. I think I would have liked for there to have been a bit more urgency as I did feel that it lacked in this a little bit.

I thought Smith and Khan were a brilliant duo and I would really like to see more of them as the series progresses. I think it was the wit in their dialogue which really drew me into them; I think Dan is a much more serious character who focuses primarily on getting the job done. Often Dan feels guilty about having even the slightest bit of fun because his wife is missing. Khan comes from a Muslim heritage, and much to his parent’s dismay, he shows more of an interest in bodybuilding than he does with their religion or with their idea of him settling down in an arranged marriage. There is still some room for Smith’s character to grow, but I really like her, and I would hate to see her and Khan split up or to be put on separate teams. I definitely think that the scenes were they were featured were some of the strongest of this book and they were the ones I enjoyed reading the most.

There are some spine chilling scenes in this book that will have you sitting rigid in your seat. As the novel reached its conclusion, the pace really picked up, and I flew through the last few chapters. Overall, I did enjoy it, and I thought it was a good introduction to a new series. I think this is one I will be sticking with.

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I was very impressed with this novel from Chris Merritt. I am excited to read more from him! This one was a great start to the series and can’t wait to read the next one. The characters will definitely draw you in!

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KNOCK KNOCK by Chris Merritt is the first book in the Detective Lockhart and Green police procedural series. It is also my first book by this author. Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart is a member of a Major Investigation Team (MIT) in London that focuses on murder investigations. On his person time, he is also seeing a psychologist, Dr. Lexi Green to help him deal with several issues including the disappearance of his wife and PTSD related to his military time. When he gets his first assignment as Senior Investigation Officer, the death seems very similar to a case three months ago. As the deaths mount up, Dan brings in Lexi to consult on the case.

Not only do Dan and Lexi’s characters feel compelling, you understand their distinct flaws and virtues. While both have clear and similar goals, the path there is not the same and provides both internal and external conflicts. Their motivations seem believable. Key secondary characters are also well-rounded and enhanced the story. The plot twists and turns keep the reader guessing and there are plenty of suspects.

The title was intriguing and a meaningful representation to the storyline. The prose was well-written, absorbing, and steadily paced. The plot was engrossing, interesting, well-researched, shocking, and ominous.
Overall, this was a well-written British police procedural. I was immediately drawn into the story and the ending was dramatic. I am looking forward to this author’s next book in this series and I also want to read his Detective Zac Boateng series.

Thanks to Bookouture and Chris Merritt for an ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

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DI Dan Lockhart is suffering from PTSD caused whilst in the Army, and has been counselled by psychologist Dr Lexi Green. Dan is working in the Murder Incident Team, and is catches a murder which has similarities to the that of a witness he had been dealing with. Before long there are further murders with no real suspects to check out. He decides that he needs his killer profiling and invites Lexi help. As well as PTSD, his wife Jess disappeared 10 years ago, and Dan hasn’t gotten over her loss, in fact as well as investigating the murders, he is also trying to track down his wife.

This is a well written book, the characters are very believable and likeable. The author has obviously done his research well but for me, there is one twist too many with his missing wife. It’s too reminiscent of the Roy Grace series by Peter James. However, saying that, I quite enjoyed the book and would like to see how the characters of Dan and Lexi develop.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

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The first chapter was gripping and I thought oh this is going to be good!!!! Unfortunately that’s the most excitement...... too slow for me. I really wanted to keep going and push through but I found I was skimming so much that I finally just gave up.

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Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mr. Merritt has written an absolutely gripping and fantastic read that was incredibly hard for me to put down. I just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen. I thought I had the story figured out a few times but in the end it was a shock to see where the book ended up going.

Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart works in the Major Investigation Team (MIT) or the 'murder squad' as some would call it. He's been seeing psychologist Dr. Lexi Green to help him deal with a Prolonged Grief Disorder that he's been dealing with since the disappearance of his wife Jess. Now with a serial killer on the loose he has asked her to assist the police with some profiling.

What do Kim Hardy - a meth addicted, sex worker; Natasha Mayston - a high-flying business woman and philanthropist; Sophie Wright - a legal aid barrister who specializes in domestic abuse and gender based violence; Elena Fernandez - head of the Hermanas charity; Colette (Coco) Adams - an online influencer; what do that they all have in common? They come from different socio-economic backgrounds, they live in different areas, they were killed in the very same way but in different locations - a hotel, at home, in their office.....

There is no shortage of suspects in the case. The one thing that DI Lockhart is sure of is that the wrong man is in prison for the murder of Kim Hardy. He knows there is a link between all these women he just has to find it before there is another killing closer to home.

I'm very excited about this series and I can't wait for book #2! Definitely a book worth more than the 5 stars available.

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