It’s amazing to think that this novel was first written fifteen years ago, and overlooked by publishers who thought it was too ‘unrealistic’. A lot of the content - a London caught in a lockdown from a global pandemic, where everyone wears a facemask and is guarded by the army to ensure total compliance, hits a little too close to home in the current climate, which I feel only adds to its overall appeal. Add a murder mystery to that pandemic backdrop, told over a fast paced 24 hour period, and you have a very interesting premise.

Our hero is the enigmatic D.I. Jack MacNeil, called in to investigate the case after the discovery of a bag of bones, presumably belonging to a child, on a building site for a temporary hospital. MacNeil feels very much like your stereotypical police porocedural protagonist – he’s brooding and ‘deep’, with marital issues and a bit of a God complex. He isn’t particularly likeable, and also a bit predictable. There’s nothing unique about him, and his personality is very one dimensional and bland. He’s living in a society where people have been dying in their droves, where he’s become desensitised to the concept of death – violent or otherwise, and he’s very down about the whole investigation at the beginning. However, as he becomes more embroiled in the case and conspiracy theories begin to be uncovered, we do see a little more of his personality. Just not enough for me to really care.

I did enjoy the secondary characters of Amy and Dr. Castelli, who provide a small amount of light relief from Jack’s oppressive nature, however I don’t think they were utilised enough to be able to bring the story out of its heavy tone. There are a number of incredibly dark and gritty scenes that heavily feature violence and ggression that all became a little bit too much.

I will say that this was very fast paced, and a quickly became hooked by the storyline and mystery elements – I just don’t think Jack is a likeable enough character for me to connect with him. And the backdrop hits a little too close to home for me.

Written over 15 years ago, this is an eerily prescient novel from Peter May.

Detective Jack MacNeil investigates the murder of a child in a dystopian London which is in lockdown due to a pandemic.

As expected from May, it is a well-written, edge of your seat thriller with well developed and intriguing characters.

Due to current circumstances, it may not be at the top of everyones reading list, but I found it to be a highly enjoyable read. 4 stars due to rather predictable and far fetched ending.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book tells the story of London in full lockdown due to a previously unknown flu strain that has mutated and become a pandemic, killing millions. A police officer has to try and discover how a little girl died when her bones are found. The story twists and turns to find her killers and how she died and how it relates to the pandemic. It's a dark tale considering the current covid-19 pandemic and restrictions but is well written and links everything together well. It makes for an interesting read and I shall seek out more work from this author

Lockdown was written by Peter May fifteen years ago. Yet, reading it, I found myself thinking ‘this could be here and now’ Not in an anxiety-inducing way. I was simply acutely aware of details that I might have glossed over without our current situation. The death toll didn’t simply appear as stats. I felt the heavy weight of so many losses to an invisible hand. The fear, the streets you know that suddenly look greyer, sadder, devoid of what made it a street. I know many people are wary about reading about a pandemic at the moment, and I totally understand. However, I must let you know that instead of feeding my own fears, Lockdown helped me take a step back. Weird, isn’t it? Well, not so much if you’re familiar with the author’s work. Peter May’s writing is engrossing and always, always offers multiple layers to satisfy the reader on every level.

So yes, London is at the center of a global pandemic. The city has lost its colors and many of its inhabitants. Checkpoints have appeared, the whole place is standing still, barely breathing. To meet the needs, a temporary hospital is being built by a small team allowed to be outside. All work stops when someone notices a bag containing bones on the construction site. With so many rules forbidding people to wander around, how did this bag end up there? Whose bones have been -messily- hidden? You see, in the middle of this sanitary crisis, what is frighteningly seen as normal still happens. A murder, pushing the pandemic into the background… at least at the beginning.

This blend of the new normal and the old kind of case grabbed me really fast. I wanted answers on both sides. What had turned London into a Martial prison with dead bodies all over the place. Who had killed someone and left their bones on a construction site?

Despite the desolate situation, DI Jack McNeil has a job to do. It is soon revealed that the bones belong to a child. That’s when my stomach actually hurt. Then the police and forensics machines began working and the whole thing gathered momentum…

Jack McNeil is drowning in murky waters. His marriage is over, his career only has a few more hours to live. So Jack puts everything he has in this investigation, until he gets caught up by the threatening cloud of the pandemic.

The balance between the case and the crisis is key to really appreciate Lockdown (I can’t use the word ‘enjoy’ but I am sure Peter May won’t mind) It was easy to warm to the characters and hope for the best, whatever the best would look like during such days.

My only niggle was about Pinkie. You’ll meet him when you read the novel. I had to suspend my disbelief when the smoke appeared. I know this paragraph won’t make sense to you, so go grab a copy, you curious mind!

Lockdown is an intense novel, almost prophetic at times, but most of all, a very interesting and chilling thriller.

Frighteningly realistic. In a strange way I both enjoyed this book and was repulsed by some of the descriptions. This is another excellent novel by Peter May, I hope the events in the latter half of the book do not turn out to be as prophetic as the rest of it.
Thank you Peter May, Quercus Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read "Lockdown" and give my honest opinion

Set in the time of a virus lockdown, London is not a safe place to be. A perfect time for murder., but those who think they’ve got away with it didn’t count on the relentless detective MacNeil.
Peter May has produced a scary realistic story that will chill you to the bone.
A rollercoaster of a novel that will have you gripped from the first page until the dramatic end.
A brilliant page turner which I’d highly recommend. I couldn’t put it down.

Great read. I found it hard to get through in the current situation with Covid 19 raging as it mirrored so well what is happening now. The characters of Jack, Amy and the others were well drawn and realistic and the descriptions of London were very evocative. This would make a great movie if anyone would want to see it once the current pandemic is over! It is well researched from the science side. Hard to believe that the author wrote this in 2005. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Just too eerie this book considering the current pandemic. Peter May is an excellent writer and this book is no exception.

We are in the middle of a global pandemic and, like a lot of people, I was struggling to concentrate on reading. And then I heard about this book. Written 15 years ago and left in a drawer as it was too "fantastic" to publish, the author has resurrected it as fiction has sadly become fact. As far as my reading is concerned, it was going to go one of two ways... either it would be too close to home, too much with what is actually going on in my life, or... well, obviously from my 5* rating, I actually blooming loved it. I think probably because I like to connect to something in a book to make it a good read. Well, there's plenty to connect to here! It was actually one of the easiest books I have read, weird huh!? And, to go forward, it actually resurrected my ability to read other genres too...!
The story hit the ground running for me and I pretty much read straight through - well, that's not hard these days as I have no work to go to and only allowed to escape the house for food shopping and exercise so I was pretty much a captive audience. We follow DI Jack MacNeil who is in the final hours of his police career as he is sent to investigate remains found on a building site. He's a troubled soul and his life gets worse during the book but his grit and tenacity throughout shines through as he races to discover the identity of the remains. At the same time, there are those who are determined to prevent him from doing so and the why of that is astonishing!
If you are debating reading this book, I would heartily recommend that you employ the wonderful system most book retailers have and download and try the sample first. It's not going to be easy reading for some but you never know, you might surprise yourself.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I'm not sure how advisable it is for someone to read about a global pandemic when you're in lockdown from a global pandemic. Alas, Netgalley needed my review!
Thankfully, the pandemic parts of the novel were brief yet really informative, and helped me to understand the reality of the world's plight.
Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.

My thanks to Quercus Books/riverrun for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Lockdown’ by Peter May in exchange for an honest review. It was published on 2nd April as an ebook and will be published in paperback on 30 April.

Peter May wrote this novel in 2005 though its premise of a London in lockdown in the midst of a global pandemic was dismissed by publishers as ‘unrealistic’ and rejected. Today this dystopian thriller seems prescient given the current world situation.

I note that May, now a successful author, has donated his advance for ‘Lockdown’ to “various charitable organisations involved with supporting health workers, victims, and others suffering as a result of Covid-19.”

In ‘Lockdown’ it is a variation of avian flu, with a mortality rate of nearly 80%, that is devastating the world. There is treatment in the form of a drug named FluKill; while it is not a cure it increases the likelihood of surviving.

May portrays a grim world with society essentially broken down. Everyone wears face masks and there are strict curfews enforced with armed checkpoints. The novel takes place over a tight 24-hour period and opens with the discovery on a building site for a temporary hospital of a bag containing rendered bones. These are quickly revealed to be those of a murdered child.

D.I. Jack MacNeil is on his last day with the Met and his final assignment is to investigate this distressing murder. Yet sinister forces are tracking his every move. What is their interest in this case?

MacNeil is a bit of a mess, his marriage is over and he is dealing with a devastating death from the disease. He is still determined to uncover the identity of the murdered child and the all important motive.

The bones are examined by Amy Wu, a forensic odontologist, who is also a close friend of MacNeil. Amy has her own tragic backstory and is confined to a wheelchair following a car accident. She finds herself caught up in this increasingly dangerous investigation.

Aside from following MacNeil and Amy, we also have some sections from the perspective of Pinkie, a ruthless London gangster. He is the one following MacNeil on behalf of a shadowy figure clearly behind the murder.

This was a full-on action conspiracy thriller combined with a police procedural. Given its theme it’s a dark and gritty story and be warned that there are a few gruesome scenes. While clearly different from what we are facing with Covid-19, its images of a society in lockdown did resonate.

Once started, I couldn’t put it down and read it in a single day.

Lockdown by Peter May
4/5

It still blows my mind that every major UK publisher refused to release May's amazing book 'The Blackhouse' until it found success in France and went on to sell over one million copies in the UK. This month sees the release of another excellent book that was rejected by publishers because it was deemed 'too unrealistic'. Yep, for 15 years Lockdown - an exciting crime thriller set in London during a Pandemic sat gathering dust.

Then came 2020 and suddenly the events of Lockdown seem very realistic leading to it's rush release this month. Some might see this as a cash in. Sure it will sell more copies because of it's subject matter but let me tell you readers won't be disappointed!

Told over the course of a 24 hour period, Lockdown tells the story of DI Jack McNeil who is sent to investigate the discovery of a bag of bones on the building site of an energency hospital. It soon emerges that a killer is eliminating all the winesses of a deep conspiracy and McNeil is on a mission to get to the bottom of it before it's too late.

There's much to love in this story - Firstly - the setting - it's eerie, isolated and at times brutal but it's also a reminder of how things could get much worse if we don't stay home! As expected from May the writing is superb. It's fast paced and the action scenes are exciting yet this is a thriller with a lot of grief allowing you to really connect with characters on an emotional level.

There is also so much mystery in here to keep you guessing, especially around the killer - just who is his enigmatic taskmaster Mr. Smith?! I won't say too much about the supporting characters but they are an absolute joy. Each one quirkier than the next.

It really boggles my mind that this book sat in storage for so long, would have been a real tragedy for such a well written thriller never to meet an audience!

Thanks @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the arc. Lockdown is out in digital format now and paperback on 30th April

They say fact is stranger than fiction , I don’t know who coined that phrase but boy were they wrong. This book is a perfect accompaniment to the world that we live i right now , its also a stark view of how the world could be if we don’t take are of it. The investigation into the bones found during the excavations to build a new centre during the lockdown become pivotal in the the fight for the truth. The truth that men are willing to kill to keep quiet. The pace is fast as it works in real time to the book, the lead detective has only hours to solve the crime. Hampered by the lockdown and the risks of getting the virus he does his best. His best gets better when life changing event for him occurs after all he now has nothing to lose and all to gain in finding the truth. Brilliantly written , taut, claustrophobic and an all engrossing read one you will to want to put down.

The lockdown was very well portrayed and the author was certainly prescient, but it loses a star for its portrayal of the wheelchair using woman as those sections didn't ring true for me

I'm afraid this one was not for me: less because of the principal subject matter (flu virus) and more because of the surrounding narrative. It felt like it was plucked out of a series, with the characters not being rounded out, and a lot of motivations assumed. The [SPOILER] death of the protagonist's son was just... dropped, and we never saw his ex-wife again, or heard anything about it. The physical requirements of the assassin after he is injured were just draw-droppingly implausible, but also the plot depended on them. I understand from interviews and press that the publication is timely, and that the author had had difficulties with placing the book before the current outbreak due to it being implausible; I'm afraid I felt this quite acutely, but not due to the pandemic treatment. Very grateful for the ability to read an early copy, but just too much for me, I'm afraid.

An excellent book and one whose story hits close to home given the current virus situation. There are many parallels between Peter Mays fiction and current fact - chilling similarities in fact.

This book was very well written and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. Highly recommended.

I know this book was written more than 10 years ago but it seems to talk about our current times.
It's fast paced, action packed and kept me on the edge till the end.
I loved the characters, the so realistic background and the great plot that flows.
It's an excellent read and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Can you believe that this is the first novel of Peter May's that I have ever read? Madness, I know! But, going by how much I enjoyed this book, I can assure you it won't be long until I'm reading another of May's books, because this was very, very difficult to put down, and I am overjoyed by the fact that there is a substantial backlist for me to now rifle through.

I'll be honest, I felt a little bit strange, reading 'Lockdown', due to the fact that what goes down in this book is strikingly similar to what is going down in the real world right now. It blows my mind that, when May first wrote this novel, it was deemed 'unrealistic', yet here we are... Some of the things that May writes about in this novel are the very things I've seen in the media over the last month or so, everything from the temporary hospitals being built to provide more space for the sick, from the streets being deserted, silent like ghost-towns. It felt bizarre, to be placing myself in this story, when outside, the very same thing is happening, so really, I didn't need to place myself anywhere at all. I'm already here. I'm living it, and that's crazy, no?

'Illness has reduced staffing by nearly thirty per cent. Health workers were at greatest risk, and suffering the highest casualties. In spite of FluKill. Nobody went to work any more. Only a handful of shops were open for a few hours a day. There was no public transport. The airports had been closed indefinitely. The economy of the capital was in freefall, and the rest of the world was ready to do anything it could to help the city contain its sickness.'

'Lockdown' is set in London, England. A place, as I'm sure you know, which is usually bustling and heaving with the masses, but a place now silenced by the threat of the same thing we, as a society, are facing today. A invisible killer, eliminating people with a tickle of the throat, a cough not veiled by a hand. As the virus sweeps through, down the alleyways and streets, something else is unfolding, something sinister. And now, it's not just one killer they're up against.

I love May's writing style. It's punchy, it's sharp, it doesn't mess around. It's 'in-your-face' and it doesn't hold back, yet it draws you in, with its edge and bluntness, powerful in its approach. And because it's brand-new to me, I can see why this author has such a massive following, because it is wholly addictive, and it has you flying through the pages at break-neck speed, barely pausing for breath, barely pausing at all. I had this book at-hand throughout my day, ready and waiting for me to return to at any given chance. And perhaps it was a strange curiosity for me, to see real life within the book I was reading, perhaps I wanted to see what else would ring true, if anything else matched up, comparing 'Lockdown' to what was outside my own front door.

I found the characters in 'Lockdown' so easy to familiarise myself with. May writes simply yet gives so much away in just a few sentences, with no need for over-descriptive paragraphs or long-winded prose. D.I. Jack MacNeil was such a complex and interesting man, one whom I experienced a multitude of emotions for as the plot progressed. He certainly doesn't have an easy ride in this novel, and throughout his investigation, I couldn't help but to feel in awe of everything that he uncovered. I was rooting for him right until the very last page, and hoped against hope, as time raced on, that he'd crack the mystery that had befallen him. He was determined, thorough, and really didn't stop despite the hardships he faced, and I felt nothing but respect for him by the end of it, fictional character or not. MacNeil, alongside the numerous other characters in this novel, were fantastically-crafted and handled, and their personalities shone right off the page, leaving me feeling as though I'd just spent time with the team myself.

Overall, 'Lockdown' by Peter May was an excellent piece of fiction, despite the similarities between this particular piece of fiction, and reality, being so bang-on right now. This was an epic, terrifyingly realistic novel, with a harrowing killer at its helm, that I absolutely did not want to put down. I cared for the characters, I cared for the world within the pages, and I really hope there's a chance I'll see more of D.I. MacNeil in the future, although who knows...

The Book Babe is awarding Lockdown by Peter May with a rating of five out of five. I won't be forgetting this book for a long, long time. How could I? I'd like to thank riverrun for the advanced reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on my providing a fair and honest review. You can purchase your copy here.

When I heard about Peter May's book, Lockdown, a thriller written 15 years ago, a book set during a flu pandemic, a book just being published for the first time in April 2020, I was intrigued, given COVID-19 and the current state of the world. But, for that same reason, this book was at times hard to read: the empty streets, the shattered economy, the overflowing hospitals, the makeshift morgues, so much death so close to home. It was a view of what we hope our country won't have to deal with.

On the other hand, the plot itself is great and the action is non-stop right from the start. A bag of bones is found, and DI Jack MacNeil is called in to investigate. There is never a slow moment as MacNeil and his team try to identify the victim and determine why she was killed...and what she could possibly have to do with the pandemic.

A warning: there are two appallingly grotesque, horrifying scenes. In the author's defense, MacNeil shares the readers' disgust; MacNeil really is a good guy, and if you can stick with him through the bad times, this book really does come together nicely.

At about the 75% mark of the book, we are introduced to a new character, Dr. Castelli. She is the best addition to the cast of characters! She brings much-needed comic relief and really lightens up what is still a very heavy book, and at just the right time. In fact, her character is such a relief, she makes the final three-quarters of the book feel totally different from the rest of the book. Oh, and that ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Peter May, and publisher Quercus Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hilarious that this book was rejected by publishers as too outlandish and now they can't get it out quick enough! I would encourage everyone to buy this and read it now. Except for bams - we really don't want them getting any ideas. Peter May is frighteningly on the money with his predictions (albeit they're well grounded in research). Apart from the fact that "Lockdown" is an eerily accurate portrayal of our current situation, the plot is fast-paced and thrilling. I found it to be a compulsive read.