This was one of my most eagerly anticipated books of 2020 and it did not disappoint! A bit of a change of genre from the Zac Boateng series. This is a police procedural with a serial killer thriller twist.
From the opening chapter I was gripped. I loved the characters of Lockhart and Green. They work well together and I am looking forward to following the rest of the series to see how their relationship grows both professionally and personally.
They are on the hunt for a truly sadistic killer who likes to play games with them. I found the killers motives truly fascinating and Chris Merritt obviously did his research on the subject.
Knock Knock is a gripping, page turner with an excellent plot, great characters and dare I say a great killer. Chris Merritt has excelled himself with this novel and I am excited to see in what direction the series goes.

Dan Lockhart is a detective who has already experienced more in his short life so far than many whole families. Most of it has left deep scars and he is a study in keeping it together with great difficulty. When his regular, increasingly rewarding, therapy session with Dr Lexi Green is interrupted by notification of a killing he finds his progress halted as he leads his first murder investigation.

As his team begin their investigation they are in no doubt the killer will strike again and Dan brings Lexi in to help draw up an offender profile. Working in her own time as well as part of the main investigation Dr Green sees things from a different perspective and feeling a lack of inclusion begins to investigate on what could be a dangerous tangent.

This is the first in the DI Lockhart series but there is no gentle introduction and the tension mounts throughout. The two main protagonists are likeable for totally different reasons but I was immediately rooting for them both. They are complex and although I imagine they will develop more as the series continues neither of them feel unfinished in any way.

The investigation was detailed, intriguing and obviously extensively researched, it worked from all perspectives and the actual cause of death was original and horrifically specific. Very rarely does a first book grab me the way this one did. My heart was in my mouth because of the specific nature of the killings, the number of people it could have been, who I didn't guess, and the way one of the good guys was hurtling towards what could only be a nail-biting end. I was desperate to find out what happened but equally didn't want it to end, I loved it.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys police procedural novels which are a bit different, is looking for a brilliant new series to get immersed in or wants a strong, character driven read, this delivers all that and more. There is a second book out in the summer which I will definitely be pre-ordering as soon as it is available.

This was a pretty good book! Lots of police procedural and plenty to keep you guessing . I thought I had it figured out but of course I was wrong. Will definitely be watching for the next in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for the early copy

I enjoy reading detective thrillers and detective fictions in general and so I was happy to receive a copy of this book to review. I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who also enjoys reading detective thrillers. I really liked the main character of Dan Lockhart and I also enjoyed the way he was moulded into a more rounded character through the use of his backstory. The plot in general was very captivating and the ending is one which I did not see coming. This is the first is a new series and so I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. *4 stars*

Oh wow, this was another book by this author that is finger-licking good! I am a huge fan of his work and I am always a very happy camper when I see he has finished a new story.

Although he has created a new team with a new DI as main character, it was nice to see that he did not forget his other Detective :)

In this story you feel like you are strapped to your chair. You just can not let it go. You have no other choice than to keep on reading. The author serves us a whole platter of suspects to chose from, but who is the right one?

I decided to put my suspects in catergories : too obvious, too kind, too not smart enough, right amount of cockiness, fits perfectly, ... I had three names in mind that were my first choices, but alas ... wrong again, as usual. They always say it's often the one you least expect. Well, let me tell you, I did not take him to account at all.

These are books that I like, that I love! Keep me guessing and hit me with an outcome that I did not see coming in the slightest.

Great characters, great story. This book is just great, greater, the greatest! 5 stars

Thank you, Chris Merritt and Bookouture.

Knock Knock- Chris Merritt

Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart has seen his fair share of dead bodies in his life, as both a military man and as a police officer, so seeing the body of Natasha Mayston should not be all too surprising. Except Dan has seen this exact MO before, months prior the body of a sex worker is found in a one-star motel. However, that killer was caught and is being held awaiting trial. Dan believes they’ve caught the wrong man and that the real killer is only just getting started. He turns to psychologist Dr Lexi Green to help get inside the mind of the murderer and find a connection between these two women from different walks of life. When another body is found and Lexi fails to convince Dan’s team of her profile, she takes the hunt into her own hands, determined to prevent another murder no matter the risks involved.
Dan Lockhart is your quintessential leading man, a current Detective Inspector in London but with a tortured soul, searching for his wife who went missing without a trace a decade ago and nightmares from his time in the military. He is big, strong and reasonably attractive, as well as being a doting son. While in the military, his wife Jess goes missing one day and no one has seen or heard from her in ten years. Despite her family believing her to be deceased, Dan holds hope that she is out there somewhere and cannot bring himself to give up on her. Dan seeks out a private psychologist in an attempt to work through his trauma and builds a solid bond with Dr Green, eventually letting her in and trusting her- something he does not do easily.
Dr Lexi Green was born in Britain, however moved all around the United States with her military father. She relocates to her place of birth, working as a psychologist with the NHS in addition to seeing patients privately. She shares a flat with two other people and generally struggles to make ends meet. After a few weeks of working with Dan on his own issues, she is surprised when he calls on her help to try and build a profile on the person who has committed such violent murders. She is smart, tenacious and despite feeling out of her depth, Lexi continues to try and find clues she can follow to catch the killer and help Dan.
The relationship between Dan and Lexi was well portrayed, realistic and natural. Dan enjoys Lexi’s company, misses her when they have gone without contact and feels protective of her. He struggles with his developing feelings for Lexi, mainly guilt due to his missing wife. Lexi, in return, is unsure of her feelings as she desperately wants to help Dan and spend time with him but her position as his personal psychologist makes her question the validity of what she feels. The slow burn of their relationship moving from patient/client to colleagues and friends feels organic, there are no big declarations or romantic tropes. Just the natural progression of two people trying to navigate an evolving relationship.
Author Chris Merritt is a master of storytelling and suspense, slowly building you to the point of obsession as you try and work out who the murderer is. The murders themselves are detailed enough that they’re realistic without being over the top gruesome and stand out compared to like written novels for originality. The motive is interesting and believable for everything you learn about the killer over the course of the book. It is so well crafted, switching smoothly and easily between points of view, making for a well-rounded narrative that keeps you guessing and second guessing yourself. While longer than a lot of thriller books these days, it never once felt long or like it needed to be over with, each page keeps you entranced and engaged. With modern day London as the backdrop, the stage is already well set, and Merritt builds on existing locations while not overwhelming those of us who have never been there. The characters, main and background, are all fleshed out with enough details to make you believe these people are actually walking around London not merely existing on the pages of a book. Merritt ties this story up perfectly and satisfyingly while teasing at future novels, leaving the reader eager for the next installment of Lockhart and Green. I know I will absolutely be waiting for the next one

This is an excellent and original version of a police procedural investigating a serial killer. The pace was brilliant and it definitely kept me reading! I was determined to try and work out who the killer was before the reveal but it was not who I thought it was, which is always a good sign in a book.
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The characters of Dan, Lexie, Smith, Khan and Berry were all well formed and interesting. I liked Lexie and it was interesting to see her as a young woman making her way in London and never having attempted to profile an active case before.
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I feel there is a lot of mileage in these characters for a future series - one I will be looking forward to read.
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Yes men killing women is nothing new but Chris has brought the ideology behind it bang up to date. It’s chilling seeing a side of the world I wasn’t aware of and the epilogue makes me think a future book might be set in America?!

Tense chilling with so many twists and turns.I was drawn in fro the first pages found it hard to put down to do my errands.A new author for me a new series both I will be following,#netgalley#bookoutture

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter, I literally haven't been able to put it down.

This is my first read by this author but it definitely will not be the last. This is a book which has gripped my attention from chapter one.

I have been so desperate to find out what happens in this book, I haven't been able to put it down. This is a book I have devoured in just a few hours.

This has an unusual method of murder- metal balls in the throat. I have found the characters extremely realistic and likeable.

This is the first of what is looking likely to be an exciting series. I can't wait to read the next instalment, I will definitely be first in line for that one.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Knock, Knock, the first novel in a projected series to feature DI Dan Lockhart of the Putney MITand psychologist Dr Lexi Green.

When Natasha Mayston is found dead in her home, cabled tied to a chair and a silver ball in her throat Dan is sure it is the same man who killed prostitute Kim Hardy a few months previously. Nobody else thinks so as another man has been charged with Kim’s murder so he asks Lexi for help.

I enjoyed Knock, Knock which is a well constructed procedural with several good twists. It is told from various points of view, notably Dan, Lexi and the unnamed killer. This latter is an Incel (involuntary celibate) which is apparently a thing nowadays with several chat forums devoted to their misogyny. Needless to say the celibacy is all to do with women and nothing to do with their characters, as the killer explains frequently. To be frank the (over)dwelling on this hateful point of view put me off the novel a bit. TMI.

Otherwise the plot is well done with several suspects, all with viable motives and opportunities. I would never have guessed his identity. The novel, however, is quite long and the middle mostly consists of the detectives chasing their tails. It does not paint them in a very good light as they appear disorganised and half cocked much of the time. The finale is high octane, tense and exciting.

I liked the friction between Lexi, who is on the right track, and Dan, who dismisses her theories. I’m not sure it’s wholly believable that a struggling investigation wouldn’t at least look at what she has to say but it makes for good reading.

Knock, Knock is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A fast paced thriller with a jaw dropping finale. The psychological aspect was well researched and practical. The suspense could not be guessed. There are a few loose ends which maybe the author is planning to conclude in the sequel. Looking forward to it. Must read for the fans of who dunnit.

Move over, the book boyfriends of Bookouture. Dan Lockhart is here!! The new heartthrob... Or should I say Chris Merritt is here!! Well, it is my first Chris book.

A woman found dead with a metal ball deep in her mouth, choking her. Slow excruciating death. DI Dan Lockhart was called in along with his team. And he pulled in his psychologist and forensic expert Dr. Lexi Green.

At 416 pages, the book was a wee bit long and detailed. Or maybe I just wanted to get to the killer faster. The author's writing was fascinating as I got to know both sides of the spectrum. The cops and the killer, especially the Guru of the killer who thought men were superior. I was ready to karate chop that man, only the fact that my kindle would pay the price stopped me. Oh yeah, my blood boiled while reading the killer sections. He was completely revolting, and I loved to hate him.

Dan and his team had a newness to them, they got comfortable with each other slowly down the pages. There were skirmishes, some went in different directions. I liked how the author kept the prose authentic as it did take a team time (or a book) to become cohesive.

Dan found his footing slowly, the latter half had me turning the pages faster to get to the killer. I played the Detective but lost to the author, as the identity was a shocker. But then I blame my illness. I will do better in the next book.

Overall, a gripping read which kept my brain occupied for a few hours. I would love to see what Dan and his author Chris bring to the next book

Well written, fast paced novel with a contemporary plot combined with well developed characters and enough false flags to really keep you guessing and a cliffhanger conclusion

Being a huge fan of the authors Detective Zac Boateng crime series, I was very excited to see that not only did he have a new novel coming out but it was the first in another crime series. This time featuring Detective Dan Lockhart and psychologist Dr Lexi Green.

Dan comes across as being a genuinely nice guy. His personal life isn’t without issues though, of which I am very keen to learn more about. Same goes for Lexi. I loved her strength and her role ties in very nicely with Dan and the case he soon starts working on.

The killer in the book is sadistic and how they murder their victims, well let’s just say my hand was pretty much resting on my throat at the thought it all. I am praying I don’t have nightmares after reading it!

The majority of the story focuses on Dan and Lexi rather than the killer. I have to say with how horrible the killer is, I am actually quite grateful for this. It sets the new series up well, getting a real feel for the two main characters of which has left me excited for more.

Knock Knock is a spine chilling read that had me squirming in my seat more than a few times. It is steadily paced with a turbo injection that sent me hurtling towards the end to see how it was all going to pan out. I think I may have actually forgot to breath at some points and even hours after finishing it, my heart was still racing. An adrenaline, page turner of a read.

Thank you to Netgallery for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

Knock Knock By Chris Merritt is the first book in a series that follow Detective Lockhart and Dr. Green. While I felt the book was a bit long at over 400 pages, Merritt did an excellent job establishing characters and creating a good background. Fast paced and kept me guessing. I am normally good at guessing the person responsible for the murders, but not this time. Looking forward to the second installment of Lockhart and Green.

Amazon review to come once published.

Knock Knock is the first book in a new series by author Chris Merritt, featuring DI Lockhart and Green. It’s a British police procedural.

At 416 pages, it’s longer than usual crime series books. The extra page count is used by the author to fully develop an ensemble cast of compelling characters. The story may be subtitled Lockhart and Green but, written in the third person, it switches between the narrative of each member of the investigative team.

DI Lockhart is a mid thirties DI in London Putney’s Major Investigation Team. A veteran, he’s seeing a therapist, not about PTSD from the war (although he’s not immune), but about the mysterious disappearance of his wife while he was deployed ten years prior. The series title is misleading, as we could assume Green is also a detective. She is not. Lexi Green is the therapist, and Lockhart is going to bring her to consult on his first case as SIO. A possible serial offender.

This serial killer is an extremist from a fringe group those roaming social media unfortunately know all to well, the incels. Fueled by his hate towards women, and galvanized, radicalized even, by an academic « guru » and his despicable peers on the Internet, he’s killing to fight his self loathing, and make a statement.

For those fortunate enough to not know anything about incels, learning (as the author states in his afterword), than everything about it in the novel is true will probably be quite a shock.

The killer is particularly cautious, and the investigation is difficult, going nowhere for quite a while. Several characters, such as Lockhart, Green, DS Smith and her partner Khan actually follow different lines of investigation, and sometimes even openly disagree about steps taken. All those characters have qualities and faults, and the narrative exploring and following each of them is remindful of Ed McBain’s works.

The author has done his research about the world he brings us in, and the police procedural aspects also feel quite authentic, making Knock Knock a thriller difficult to put down.

By the end of the book, we’ve learned to know and appreciate each member of Putney’s MIT, including the obligatory grumpy and political DCI, and it’ll be a pleasure to join them on another investigation (already planned to be released summer 2020).

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the genre and can't wait for rest of this series. Definitely would recommend to other readers.

A woman is murdered in her own home, tied to a chair, and choked on a metal ball. The atrocious murder is soon followed by another one, and it quickly becomes apparent that what the police have on their hands is a serial killer.

The story follows detective Dan Lockhart and psychologist Dr. Lexi Green and is interspersed with the killer's perspective.
I enjoyed this book. It had me switching my suspicion from person to person, and in the end, the culprit turned out to be someone I didn't put my bet on. The twist at the end was also an added bonus.
But the downside is that the whole story was slow going and it didn't paint a good picture of the police. I thought that they weren't doing enough to catch the killer and having read quite a few police procedurals, I'm aware of things that could have been done.
Overall it was an enjoyable read, and if you're into stories centered around the chase for a serial killer then this is the book for you.
I give it 3 stars.

Dan Lockhart has one of the most important cases of his career when a young woman is murdered. His MIT team are at a loss and using his the personal doctor , Lexi Green, To help profile the murderer, she makes headway into the psychology of a killer. Soon more women are being murdered and his team face a frantic fight to save a woman.

This has the bones to be a great series. The characters are very likeable with their own back stories but I just found it a bit slow to start. By the end I was racing through it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh this was good, very very good and it’s the first in a new series so I will be first in line for the next instalment!!
This is a new author for me and I was totally blown away at just how brilliantly written the book is and it’s one hell of a good thriller. We start with the first murder and it’s a pretty gruesome one in fact this is a very nasty serial killer who seems to have a deep hatred for women. Detective Dan Lockhart is brought in as SIO on the case and he is a complex character with problems of his own but also a real nice guy !! After another murder Dan seeks the help of Lexi Green who is a psychologist to try and get into the sick mind of this sadistic killer and from there we are on a roller coaster of ride and was suspecting just about everyone and still got it wrong !!!
I loved the book and am thrilled we shall see more from Lockhart and Green, fabulous plot and so brilliantly plotted one I can highly recommend.
My thanks to Chris Merritt, NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.