This book is billed as a fast-paced thriller so I expected to enjoy it. I haven’t read anything from this author before so wasn’t sure what to expect.

The story starts with a member of the public finding two people unconscious and badly injured following a car accident. Lynda is the DS on the case and expects there’s more to what happened than meets the eye, the crash scene doesn’t fit with the accident. Wads of money are also found at the scene. What unfolds involves rival gangs and organised crime, all desperate to get their hands on a mysterious ‘red book’.

There is so much going on in the story and I found it was far too much. I never felt gripped by the story as it jumps around all over the place and there are so many characters it’s quite difficult to remember who’s who. I felt the characters were very superficial and you don’t really get to know them. I didn’t connect to any of the characters and didn’t really care about what was going on. I’m not sure if the book is part of a series or if it’s a standalone. If it’s part of a series maybe you would have more information about the main characters.

I thought the word “conflab” was overused and I didn’t see the need to mention the type of every single car. I can understand mentioning the high end vehicles for some impact as a getaway car but I didn’t care that the DS drove a Qashqai!

For me, the book just went on and on and it was such a drag. The author has a lot going on but I didn’t find that it made for a gripping story at all. I think if they had focused more on a few aspects of the plot it could have made for a more engaging story. Parts of it were a bit far fetched for me and unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it at all.

2.5 rounded to 2 stars.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

An edge of your seat read which slowly reveals the circumstances behind the crash and the danger lurking. Really enjoyed it and it never lets up in pace or tension.

Thank you Netgalley and Paul Finch for writing an absolutely amazing thriller.
I was on the edge of my seat with this one and would definitely like to read other books by Paul.

Starts off quite slowly but I liked the writing style and the way the characters built up. A great read especially for those who enjoy police and mystery stories.

Good story of crime and corruption which starts with a car crash. It has taken me ages to read but during lockdown I have been doing other things. It may indicate the story is not strong enough or I was just not allocating enough time for reading. It is about how the dedicated individual can win win through in the end as long as you stick with it. I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
This is another fast paced and well plotted book from Paul Finch, a little “Americanised” in places but nothing to detract from an excellent storyline.

Lynda is a Detective Sergeant with the traffic team and her husband is a former Detective Inspector.She is trying to make it as a true crime writer, who has been involved in one tragic investigation that has led to a case of ptsd that ended her career.Along the way to this point Lynda feels she needs to find that one career defining case, the one investigation that is more than just a routine road traffic collision and that case has just fallen into her lap.In the edge of the A12 there is one car, two passengers, no identification and no clear reason as to why they would have crashed. Until Lynda tracks down a large quantity of cash and bullets embedded in a tree at the crash site. Not your average crash then.
We get to read about scenes that have happened in the weeks leading up to this dark and potentially deadly night. This investigation brings Lynda up close and personal with the Organised Crime team, and it soon becomes very clear that the police are not the only people who want to speak to the two victims. You will read about dramatic shoot outs and also you will feel an overwhelming sense of threat against not only for the couple who were in the car but also for Lynda who realises that she must trust her own instincts and follow this case through to the end.

Tense, suspenseful and fast paced. This book had everything you could want from a crime thriller.
The storyline was captivating and the characters were unique and equally fascinating, and when you add all of that together you get a wonderful read.

This was soo good! It was a tense, gripping and thrilling police crime thriller that i simply adored.
The first few chapters i must admit i was unsure, i wasnt sure what was going to happen. We start off discovering a car crash, a car has come off the road, their is two people in the car and they are barely alive. The car has fake plates and neither of the people have I.D, there is something that isn't quite right about this, not one bit. Ds Lynda Hagen certainly thinks so and even though her job is with road traffic incidents - she is adamant there is more to this and it needs investigating futher.

She is focused and working this one out and her passion is soon reignited and she becomes a woman obsessed as she ignores orders and starts to work this one out. She certainly was right and it really isnt all as it seems. Told from different perspectives we initially travel back to the lead up to the car crash and we discover more about those inside the car, but we also discover how Lynda is working it out in the present day, we then ultimately work back towards the crash and then the aftermath.

This was honestly so gripping, like i said - when it first started unfolding i didnt think it was for me but then as it played out i was hooked. Its the sort of thing i would watch on TV. There was lots of drama, secrets and tensions. There was danger and worry around every corner for nearly every single person in the book. I loved getting to know Lynda, i felt for her - she was so passionate in her belief of this case and for the longest time time it felt like no one was listening. She was persistent and it certainly paid off, in some ways at least.

But who can you really trust, because Lynda was soon discovering that as were those involved in the near fatal crash. What a great read.

I was gifted my copy for the blog tour. It has not impacted my review

Great as always, fast paced from the beginning with a great story line and all came together to a satisfactory conclusion

Once I got used to the time line changing I didn’t mind it but because it was a little too choppy I don’t think it added to the tale much. Linda Hogan wasn’t a particularly likeable character and nor was her husband who I know I should have felt more sympathy for. The action scenes of which there are many are graphic and detailed to within an inch of their lives to the point of overkill at times.
Good neat ending with all your questions answered I think so overall a good three stars.

One eye open is a crime thriller that is centred around Linda, Elliot and Harriet. Linda is a traffic cop and when she arrives at the scene of a RTA she feels there's more to the story than a car thats lost control. With both Elliot and Harriet unconscious in the car, Linda isn't willing to write this one off. However the more she investigates the more danger she finds herself in.

The book goes over a period of a few weeks but the main investigation is over 5 days. We go back to learn about how Elliot and Harriet end up in the car and why their lives are infact in danger. Harriet doesn't have much depth to her as a character I often forgot who she was. Elliot was my favourite character and I almost wanted to know alot more about his past as a race car driver. The idea these two end up in this major crime organisation id ridiculous to say the least and I couldn't get to grips with it.

Linda is a police officer who appears to be constantly breaking protocol. In reality her actions would hinder any chance of prosecution. I didn’t like her character her motive for putting herself in danger seemed to be to get back at her husband it was just silly. She is our leading lady but to be honest I just couldn't get to grips with her.

I love crime thrillers it's my favourite genre but I found this book to be very slow to get to the excitement. Even with the first few chapters around the RTA I just wasn't hooked. It's such a shame because this book has such great potential I just feel like alot of information is thrown at you and alot of names and not all are relevant and adds confusion. I know fiction often isn't realistic but this book just stepped to far away from reality in terms of acceptable police work that I just couldn't commit. Further there are things that happen which we get no explanation for and just have to accept.

But I must say the last quarter of the book was fantastic. High in drama and suspense it had me on the edge of my seat as by this point I truly had no idea what was going on so it was great to see it all play out. The last part of the book really makes up for the rest of it. I wish that there wasn't as much build up and more of this action packed drama. There were several twist that came to play and I only managed to predict one of them the rest blew my mind.

This is why I rate this book 2 stars because it got much better nearer the end and really brought everything together I just wished there was more of that from the start. Quite an easy read for those new to the genre although some blood and guts described throughout so if screamish may not be for you. This book is enjoyable I would just say don't get caught up in all the names. I look forward to following Lindas career if there are anymore books follow her journey



Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my fair and honest review

A gritty cops and robbers crime caper. DS Lynda Hagen, a 9-to-5 traffic collision detective is called to an RTA with two critically injured passengers with no ID, fake number plates and a bundle of cash.
A tense, action-packed and fast-paced read.

This was my first book by Paul Finch. I liked it but didn't love it. I liked the idea of the story but I found that it would be better as a movie then it was a book. It was very visual and descriptive - car crashes, shootings, robbery's etc. I did enjoy the book but for me it was too much at times and too much going on.

Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author Paul Finch for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

A good bit of police thriller escapism.

Let this book take you along for the ride and you will not regret it.

It’s packed full of action and barely pauses for breath.

The way the author uses timeline changes helps to keep you guessing.

While investigating a serious car crash, DS Lynda Hagen suspects there’s more to it than a simple lapse in concentration. As more details emerge, her suspicions are confirmed, but others seem determined to stop her solving the case, including the victims themselves. Can she get to the bottom of the events?

I enjoyed reading One Eye Open. It’s an interesting plot, with the buildup to the accident gradually revealed, at the same time as the investigation moves forward. There were times when it dragged a little, and there were bits at the end that didn’t quite seem to work, but overall it’s a good story. Lynda’s character develops well, even if her husband is rather annoying, which is probably the point.

A good book, worth a read.

Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'One Eye Open' is pure adrenaline from the get-go. So, if you like your thrillers fast-paced and action packed, then this is the book for you. Paul Finch certainly knows how to hook his readers from the very first page and as such, you will certainly want to keep reading and reading... Well, you get the picture. It begins with a high-speed crash, and as you already may suspect, this is just the beginning of a twisty, intriguing tale. With well described scenes of car chases and other dramatic events, which are far from sparse in this book, 'One Eye Open' has all the necessary ingredients of a Hollywood action movie. Make no mistake, however, there is substance as well as style in this book, which gets more intriguing as the plot unfolds and we begin to uncover the motivations of the main protagonists of the novel. With its heady mix of gangsters, violence, betrayal and blackmail, this is a refreshingly original police procedural with some explosive twists. 'One Eye Open' can only be described as the Molotov cocktail of thrillers.

# One Eye Open # Netgalley

This is my first book by this author but I assure you it will not be my last. Wow wow wow. A car crash and in one of the cars bags of money. Who’s is it. You are in for the ride of your life with this fast paced rollercoaster of a ride. Talk about sitting on the edge of your seat. You will be with this high octane thriller. It’s bloody fantastic you do not want to miss reading this one. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Paul Finch. Brilliant just damnd well brilliant

DS Lynda Hagen - an ambitious, tenacious traffic cop who wants more out of her career. She's bored of routine stops and minor collisions, so when a mysterious crash appears in the middle of the forest, her intuition tells her that this is the big case that could make or break her career, but is it worth the price it comes with?

Elliot Wade - an ex racing driver, caught up with the wrong people at the wrong time, not able to escape the criminal hole he's got himself into, further dragging himself deeper, but is it to the point of no return? Or will his quick thinking (and quick driving) help him get away?

Switching between both Elliot and Lynda's POV, the reader is thrown from one fast-paced scene to another, with graphic descriptions of car chases, fight scenes and gangland warfare. If this gets made into a movie or an episode of the Bill I truly wouldn't be surprised! The characters aren't very likeable, so at points it's hard to fully invest into the storyline, which is why at points I felt myself switching off from the narrative and having to force myself to pick the book back up to finish it. There wasn't anything that stood out too much compared to any other cop crime novel, and I felt myself waiting for the moment when I would be shocked by a twist or surprised by the direction the narrative chose to go in. However, the speed of the action and the multitude of different characters really gave a lot of body to the writing, so much so, that you felt transported into the criminal underworld and the struggle between the law and lawlessness along with the other characters.

I felt the end of the book tied up all loose ends and didn't leave the reader with unanswered questions or confusion - which I loved. Paul Finch writes with expertise and experience, and this definitely has potential to become a series with either the police team or the gangs within the narrative at the forefront of any future investigations. If you love cop novels and are addicted to high speed drama - this is definitely a book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for my advanced reader copy! 💕