DS Lynda Hagen of Traffic Division is called in when a car is found after coming off a busy road into woodland. The car is crushed against a tree and the occupants are barely alive.
Lynda initially believes it’s an accident but the occupants are carrying no ID, the car has false plates and they were carrying a lot of cash. A lack of skid marks on the road shows they didn’t attempt to break when the car went out of control.
Lynda is determined to get to the bottom of what happened but unable to question the car’s driver and passenger she has to look in other places for her answers, This will take her into a dark world she barely knew existed and could well cost her everything.
I am a massive fan of the Paul Finch Heckenburg books so I was excited to read this standalone book. It was brilliant! Great plot, great characters, Just what a good book should be.Can’t recommend it highly enough!

I am a bit of a fan of this author and his series books. This is either a stand alone (which it is billed as) or the start of a new series (fingers crossed), either way, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We meet the strange animal that is DS Lynda Hagen. She's an accident investigation officer and is called to the scene of a crash. A car containing two barely alive occupants, fake plates, and a bunch of cash. We then slide back in time to a couple of weeks before the crash and witness the events that led up to that fateful day, all the time switching back to the investigation in the present. This happens seamlessly and the dual timelines complement each other perfectly. It seems that there is much much more to what happened than just a crash as Lynda finds out as she investigates further. Her pleas however do fall a bit on deaf ears so she takes a lot upon herself to progress things.
I took to Lynda right from the off, which really helps me connect with the book in general. She's mostly happily married to a former serious crimes cop and has a family. She made the switch to traffic, and the 9-5 it mostly affords her, for the sake of said family but she still hankers for a juicy case. Which I guess is why sometimes her musings fall on deaf ears. But this time... well, let's just say you're in for a wild ride!
The story is great. Lots to get into, twists and turns aplenty and very action packed. It really does get on with itself with little superfluous waffle or padding. Enough to set scenes and flesh out characters but nothing to distract. It weaves around and about itself, and time, ramping up towards the end to deliver a shocking and fitting ending which left me wholly satisfied.
I wonder if this will remain a stand alone. I feel that Lynda has more to give. Hopefully a follow up might be in the offing or maybe she could crossover into one of the other series... Either way...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a standalone from the ever-dependable Paul Finch and it is a great read. The lead cop is involved principally in traffic but she becomes involved in organised crime, gangland culture and miscreant family. The case involves identifying the victims of a car crash and investigating their involvement in theft, violent crime and murder. A fast-paced and exciting thriller, this novel grips from first to last. Excellent!

I was really intrigued when I noticed that Paul Finch had a standalone novel coming out. I’m a huge fan of his DS Mark Heckenburg and DC Lucy Clayburn series, so I jumped at the chance to read One Eye Open. The thing which sparked my interest for me very early on in this book is that it is set fairly local to me. I travel down the A12 near enough every day. It came as a surprise to me when this became the setting of the crime scene. The star of Paul Finch’s new series, DS Lynda Hagen, responds to a horrific accident that has taken place on this road. The people involved in the accident are close to death but are rushed to hospital. As the investigation into what happened to them heats up, it becomes clear to Lynda and her team that this is part of something far more complex.

Paul Finch takes a different approach with this book. As the investigation begins, Paul Finch takes us back in time as he explores the lead up to the devastating crash. We begin to understand who the victims are and why they ended up in this state. This is what made this book really intriguing for me. We can begin to see the motives that are at play here.

I really liked DS Lynda Hagen. To me, she seemed like a breath of fresh air. She gave up working in the police force many years ago to raise a family, and when she met her husband, also a police officer, they both transferred to different forces. Lynda is now working with the traffic team. But as it becomes clear that there is something far darker at play here, she begins to reminisce about the old days, and she pushes herself further than is needed. This doesn’t go down too well with her bosses, especially when Scotland Yard is called in to help deal with the case.

Paul Finch also explored Lynda’s relationship with her husband really well. Like Lynda, he was also a police officer, but his career is now over, and he is trying to make it as a true-crime writer. Although frustrations are boiling over for him when it seems that there is little interest from editors in the book he has written.
There are some tense action scenes throughout the book, which is something I’ve come to expect from a novel by Paul Finch. It’s what always makes his book really exciting for me and he keeps me utterly gripped. He never gives his characters an easy ride.

I’d highly recommend One Eye Open. If I could, I would easily give it more than five stars; I’m sure it’ll be in my top ten reads at the end of the year. I hope that Paul Finch returns to Lynda Hagen in the future. If you’re a fan of this author, then you definitely need to check this book out!

This is an unbiased review of One Eye Open by Paul Finch. I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of One Eye Open.

Wow I absolutely loved this stand alone masterpiece. It's a slight change of style by Paul; I enjoyed the different perspectives of past and present and found myself really rooting for the 'criminals'.
No spoilers here, just read it and enjoy, you won't regret reading it, or any other Finch books.

Oh I do love a good Paul Finch novel and this is an excellent Paul FInch novel. Although billed as a standalone, I can't help wishing that it could be turned into a series, or that we could meet the characters again as I loved this book and really got behind the dynamic new lead character of Lynda Hagen. Who knew life as. Traffic Cop could be so damned perilous?

Lynda is a Detective Sergeant with the traffic team. Her husband is a former Detective Inspector trying to make it as a true crime writer, whose own backstory is dominated by one tragic investigation that has led to a case of career ending PTSD. Along the way to this point Lynda's own career took a kind of diversion (every pun intended) and now there is that sense of the need 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. Or, more accurately, off the edge of the A12 ... 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.

The story is full of more twists and turns that the Suffolk streets and farmland on which the action takes place and is full of threat and tension. Running alongside the present day investigation as readers we are treated to scenes before the accident, filling in the gaps in our knowledge of what happened in the weeks leading up to this dark and potentially deadly night. It is an investigation that brings Lynda up close and personal with the Organised Crime team, and it is very clear that the police are not the only people who want to speak to the two victims. With fast paced action, dramatic shoot outs and an overwhelming sense of threat against not only the couple who were in the car but also Lynda as the investigating officer who won't ignore her own instincts no matter what her commanding officers might say, this book had me completely hooked from the very start.

I love this kind of book and it is something that Paul Finch, with his own experience and understanding as a backdrop to his writing, excels at. You get brilliant characters who are diverse and yet authentic, who vary from the determined and feisty copper to the thuggish and menacing bad guy, but all of whom keep you fixed on the page. The sense of place and the creation of setting is superb and the author has a way of describing things that put you at the heart of the action without lingering on it so long that the tension runs cold. And then there is the pitch perfect pace, be it the scene where one of the characters demonstrates his skill as a getaway driver, where you feel every bump in the road and every hand break turn, or the high stakes showdown in which Lynda finally comes face to face with the true enemy. I could feel my pulse racing and instinctively developed the 'showdown lean' where I find myself sitting forward and closer to the page as I read. And without fail, I am always left wanting more.

Hey - there are loads of Traffic Cops shows on TV. They're really popular. Who says it couldn't work in books too? HInt hint ...

Definitely recommended to fill that devastating gap for heck fans and a perfect introduction to the author's writing for those not yet acquainted.

DS Lynda Hagen, a Serious Crime Collision Unit officer, is called to the scene of a high-speed crash.
The victims, who are in critical condition, have no IDs, their car has fake plates, and there was a lot of money lying around.
Lynda is ordered to wrap the case up quickly, but she is determined to get to the truth.

Having previously read two of the author's other novels ( the DS Heckenburg series ), I was really curious about this one.
The story follows Lynda in the present and is interspersed with the victims' perspectives, explaining the events that led to the crash.
It was a good entertaining read. It was gripping and certainly never boring, but I found that it didn't stand out enough to warrant more than 3 stars.
If you're looking for a story full of action, then this book is for you.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of One Eye Open, a stand-alone thriller featuring DS Lynda Hagen of the Essex Police.

Lynda is called out to a high speed car crash where the occupants are clinging to life. They have no identification on them, the car has fake number plates and there is a large amount of cash. She isn’t sure what to think but she’s definitely going to investigate.

I thoroughly enjoyed One Eye Open which is a high octane thriller with plenty of twists and turns. It starts with the crash and Lynda’s investigation then jumps back 23 days to the start of the driver’s story. These two narratives alternate until they come together at the end of the novel. I’m not always a fan of this approach, but after a bit of a slow start and some accustomisation on my part both narratives become compulsive. It’s all go go go in terms of action and developments. In fact there’s so much double crossing going on I found it hard to keep up with all the motives and agendas, not that it’s hard to follow, just complicated. I think the plotting is clever with an exciting storyline, enough twists to keep the reader involved and slightly unsure and a mystery that has a lovely, ironic conclusion. It’s exhilarating entertainment.

I’m sad that this is billed as a stand-alone as I really like DS Lynda Hagen who is a woman for our times. She’s smart and effective but stuck in a 9-5 job in Traffic so that she still has time with her kids. She is continually underrated both by her husband, a former Major Crimes detective and her boss but she showed them here what she can do. You go girl.

One Eye Open is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is a rich police thriller from an author who always gives a great insight to the world of criminals and the police who go after them. One Eye Open refreshingly has a strong female lead who manages to carry the story with an assortment of supporting players.

A tale of gangs, informers, ex racing drivers, involved cops and a time hopping narrative never gets slow and the story has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing on how it is all going to end.

a love this authors work and yet again a story done well so recommend this author he always writes a very gripping book

Exciting, fast paced, gripping from start to finish. Loved it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review honestly.

I have just finished reading this book and feel I can now breath.......
Very fast paced but with a good detective storyline that keeps you guessing until the end.

It’s always a great sign when I agree with “ 2020’s must-read standalone from the Sunday Times bestseller!”.

This really is a must-read! One Eye Open is the first book I’ve read by Paul Finch but I promise it won’t be the last! Breathtaking, shocking and dark! All the things I love most from the fiction world! I won’t give too much away about the plot but if you don’t read One Eye Open then you’re really missing out!

I have tried to avoid any spoilers in this review, which is my first on NetGalley. Apologies if this is not up to the standard of more experienced reviewers on this platform.

This is not the first of Paul Finch's books that I have read, and it definitely won't be the last.

I have to confess I was expecting an addition to either the Heck or Lucy Clayburn range, but One Eye Open introduces a new lead character in DS Lynda Hagen following her marriage to a fellow police officer (now no longer in the job). Lynda's career has not perhaps been as stellar as she might have liked, and her husband could be more supportive.

An armed robbery and its aftermath offer Lynda an unexpected opportunity to get her teeth into a much meatier case than her role in the Traffic division normally allows her when a car leaves the road in suspicious circumstances.

Elliott Wade is a former Formula One driver whose life has taken a difficult path over the past few years, during which he has made some poor life choices, however he very much loves his wife.

I enjoyed this book - the author's writing seems to improve with each new publication. There is some violence which would not be unexpected to Paul Finch's readers, but within the context of the plot it all makes sense - if you're reading this type of book, you will presumably be expecting it anyway.

On the negative side, there are one or two minor plot holes and loose ends which could do with tying up, but nothing that is likely to spoil the reader's enjoyment.

The book is either a stand-alone novel or, I hope, the first of a new series. As such, it would be a great introduction to Paul Finch if you've not read anything by him previously, but also equally enjoyable for his existing readers.

Personally, I would like to read more about Lynda Hagen and her husband - and find out what, if anything, happens with regard to his new career - albeit not at the expense of losing Heck or Lucy Clayburn. There is definitely scope for a series here.

Overall, I am happy to give a whole-hearted recommendation of this book and pleased that my first NetGalley review is deserving of a five-star rating - not something I often give in my Amazon reviews.

I have made it no secret that I am a fan of Paul Finch ... how could you not be with characters from his previous books like DS Mark "Heck" Heckenburg and PC Lucy Clayborn? Well here we have another memorable character ... DS Lynda Hagan.

This is a stand-alone book which follows the investigation into a seemingly straight forward car crash involving an ex-Formula 1 driver (Wade) and his wife Harriet (Harri) but it is anything but and we are soon taken on a non-stop ride full of action, suspense and intrigue involving gangs, grasses/snitches and one relentless and determined copper.

Told from Lynda's perspective in the present and Wade's timeline from the weeks leading up to the crash, with a great plot and a break-neck pace with twists and breath-holding moments, this is a great crime thriller. I wonder if there are going to more books featuring DS Hagan, I would quite like to get to know her a bit more because I think we only scratched the surface in this and I think there is more to her than meets the eye! If so, I will be the first in the queue.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

One Eye Open is a well plotted, action packed thriller by Paul Finch.

Starting off with a car crash this quickly escalates in something much much more and ends up with a brilliant finale.

The main characters are well drawn an easily identifiable which helps to keep the pages turning

Definitely recommended

Having read all Paul’s crime books over the years, this I have to say is exceptional. It is everything a crime novel should be, gripping, nail biting and scary. Once again, you really don’t know who to trust.

When Lynda is called out to an RTA nothing is as it appears, two passengers, injured, with no names and no ID, no registration details for the car, it’s as if the people and the car don’t exist.

What follows is one of the exciting thrillers I’ve ever read.

I’m not sure if I was that keen on Lynda and her husband, but I quite liked Elliot and Harri and you could see they weren’t really rotten crims, but fate had dealt them a tough blow. They’d got mixed up in the underworld if heinous criminals and there seemed to be no escape.

Lynda was like a dog with a bone, I had to admire her tenacity, she never gave up, despite the odds being against her. She was like a one man band, oblivious to rank or seniority, she kept going until she got to the truth. Her husband was a little too self absorbed for me, he should have pulled his finger out and got on with his life.

I was reading this until the early hours, I just had to find out the ending, and as always there was a nice twist. It is fast paced and heart thumping thriller, and yes, if I was Elliot and Harri I would keep on eye open, I’d be sleeping in shifts. You never know who’s watching!

My thanks to Paul, the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

3+

A totalled car with cloned plates found in woodland off the A12 near Colchester with two seriously injured passengers and a large amount of cash sparks what leads to a dangerous investigation for DS Lynda Hagen of the Serious Crimes Collision Unit. The crash victims are Jill Brooks and husband ex racing driver Elliot Wade. What events led up to the crash and why are they in an expertly chopped stolen car? The story is told from the perspective of Lynda in the present and backtracks to Elliot about three weeks before the crash.

This is what I’d describe as a visual thriller, in fact, I think it would make a better movie than a book. There’s a lot of car chasing, shootings, gang violence, double dealing and general mayhem and it’s certainly high octane. For me, there is too much going on, there’s barely a pause for breath but it can’t be denied it’s exciting. The gritty plot has plenty of twists and turns which at times makes it hard to keep up with the pace. The backtracking is confusing initially but as the two timelines catch up with each other it becomes easier to follow. I can’t say I especially warmed to Lynda Hagen but she’s certainly dogged and persistent. Some of the dialogue doesn’t ring quite true and made me wince from time to time.

Overall, however, it is a hundred mile an hour thriller with barely a pause between incidents and if that’s how you like your thrillers then this one is for you. The ending is good and is a fitting end to the dramatic events.

With thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the ARC

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Paul Finch is one of my favourite thriller writers and this was an absolutely roller coaster of a read. Great storyline, great twist and really liked the characters.

This is my first book by Paul Finch and what a fabulous read it was a fast paced, well crafted read I thoroughly enjoyed. The character of DS Lynda Hagen was excellent as she was both totally annoying and likeable at the same time which really gave this book an edge. We start with the discovery of a wrecked car with two passengers barely alive found by a dog walker, the occupants have no ID, the car has false number plates and a large amount of cash is also found and this starts a thrill a minute ride with gangsters, connections to the underworld it’s all going on and its a page turner of a read to discover what has happened.
The story is told from two different points of view and timelines and this really adds to the excitement of the story, it’s a well thought out plot that has some good twists, a book that kept me reading as I was keen to know the outcome.
A read I can recommend as I found it different with a very good ending and I shall read more from Paul Finch in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.