Having thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Men, which began this series, I was interested to see whether Will Shindler could maintain the standard; I needn't have worried as this is even better. The premise of the novel is brilliant; a killer presents his targets with a choice of whom he should kill. DI Alex Finn, a deeply troubled cop following the death of his wife, must work out what links all the targets while trying to deal with his own demons. Clever, riveting and a wonderful read!

Don't be fooled by the opening paragraphs of this book. It may seem quite pedestrian, quite every day, but by the end of that first chapter readers are faced with a story full of tension, mystery and emotion as one by one a series of victims are faced with an impossible choice, one. that proves to be very, very deadly. This is a story that makes you think long and hard about how you would react in a similar situation - when faced with a question of saving your own life or that of a loved one - what would you choose.

It is a quite a dramatic opener for what turns out to be an emotional rollercoaster of a read. With the absolute misery and guilt of those who are left behind playing out so clearly on the page, I found myself completely drawn into the story and intrigued as to what would drive a killer to act in such a seemingly random way. How did they choose their victims? What made them so determined to cause such utter misery. That is answered in an almost stealthy way as the clues are drip fed to readers throughout the investigation. When it came down to it, I had guessed the why correctly, but the who remained a mystery until nearly the end of the book, which kept the suspense at just the right level for the nature of the story.

I really do like. the characters of Alex Finn and Mattie Paulsen. They are like chalk and cheese, but work well together, playing off each other's strengths and covering for each other's weaknesses. And they do have weaknesses, the author making them ultimately very human. watching them both navigate some very difficult emotional times in their personal life took the tension out of the story just enough but helped to amplify the emotional impact of the scenes where the victims families were involved. Finn really is struggling this time around, hiding behind his job, and avoiding his grief more than is sensible, but it serves to make his character and his reactions feel very authentic. Watching Paulsen navigate a slightly new role as family liaison was intriguing, her confidence and surety taking a back seat. She is far from the most sociable or likable character and faced with a victim who doesn't want her help. It leaves her with a real sense of guilt for how things play out, second guessing herself and her judgment, even if only for a brief moment. In terms of the other characters, the victims, the families, I couldn't always feel entirely sympathetic towards them for reasons that will be apparent as you read the book, but I was still invested in their story, keen to understand what drove them to their choices and actions every bit as much as the killer.

This is a story driven by family, loss, revenge and impossible choices. Tension and pacing are just right, the urgency that can be felt in terms of trying to prevent any further murders, tempered by the fact that the motives of the killer and connections between the victims are far from clear. There is a good balance between the investigative process and the personal side of the cases and those connected to them that kept me engaged from start to finish. The killings in this book are cruel, but perhaps not as gruesome as its predecessor, and yet the impact of them is just as compelling to read. I will be interested to see where the author takes this series next. Recommended.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I really enjoyed it. It had a great storyline that was fast paced and had lots of different threads all needing to be tied up at the end, well written would definitely recommend.

This is the second in the series featuring DI Alex Finn and sidekick DC Mattie Paulson so you could do well reading The Burning Man first for background and character development reasons. It's a cracker too so, why not!?
When we reconnect with Finn he is still in a bi of a mess. Still grieving his wife, still in denial about that and still refusing all help. His team do their best to nudge him towards help but their pleas fall on deaf ears. Something will have to give eventually but in the mean time, they are there for him. Even his late wife's best friend's endeavours prove futile. Meanwhile he still has a job to do and the crime he is set to investigate turns out to be a doozy. A man meets his daughter at a park. They are approached by someone wearing a mask and wielding a knife. He is told to choose. Leave and he will rape his daughter but they will both live, or stay and they will both die. Urged on by his daughter, the man leaves to find help only to hear his daughter scream as she is stabbed to death.
And so begins a rather interesting case that has our duo pitting their wits against some very strange goings on as this incident proves only to be the tip of the iceberg and goes on to have some very nasty repercussions.
Meanwhile Mattie is tested in her new role as FLO and can't help but feel she is being judged but this could be connected with some personal troubles regarding her father's health.
Oh my... this book hit the ground running, held me captive throughout, spitting me out at the end completely satisfied - and exhausted. It was extremely well plotted and executed and contained all the twists and turns you'd expect from a book of this genre. Pacing is perfect and follows the narrative every step of the way. It's fast paced and the story gets on with itself very well, aided by the fact that there are no wasted words, no superfluous padding or waffle. A refreshing change!
All in all, a cracking follow up to a brilliant series opener, can't wait to see what the author has in store for book three. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Book Title: The Killing Choice
Author: Will Shindler
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Release Date: 04/02/2021

The Killing Choice by Will Shindler is the 2nd book in the DI Alex Finn Series, and a cracking follow up to the fantastic ‘The Burning Men’.

As the title suggests this story follows a killer who gives their victims a choice, choose which loved one to kill, if not you die.

We all know what we think we would do in such a situation but until placed under that indescribable pressure who knows and that’s what Will Shindler absolutely nails in tightly plotted and suspense filled thriller.

With an intriguing protagonist in DI Finn, and an equally important side kick in DC Mattie Paulsen, Shindler has created a compelling duo, who’s back stories are being filled out and becoming an integral and interesting part of this burgeoning new series.

This story is paced perfectly as Will Shindler ratchets up the tension in this taut and brilliantly written tale.

Destined to be huge in 2021, this is up there with any of the best thrillers I’ve read this year, and Will Shindler is an author soon to be sitting at the top table of crime thriller writers.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and Net Galley for my Review ARC

One evening, in a park near Chrystal Palace in London, Karl Suleman and his daughter Leah are on their way for an Indian when they’re stopped by a masked figure. He gives them the choice: they die both or he rapes the daughter. Lea begs her dad to run but things go awry and Leah is killed. The press jumps onto this story and Karl is not only eaten by guilt and haunted by the press, but he receives taunting and threatening messages from the killer as well. On the surface, this looks like a random killing, but DI Alex Finn feels that something doesn’t quite fit. Was it the father who was targeted, or was it his daughter? Then, a second killing where the victim has to choose between her mother and her partner happens. At first sight, there’s no connection between the people involved. Parallel with those cases runs a third story about a reluctant drug-dealer who has a broken relationship with his dad.

Although this book is part of a series it works well as a standalone. It did pique my interest to read more though. It’s a police procedural of high quality but counts as a psychological thriller as well. I requested it because so many of my GR friends were really positive about it and I’m very glad that I did. So, thank you all.
There’s one main theme in this book and that’s grief and bereavement. How it affects people and how everybody mourns their own way. The amount of love you have for a person cannot be measured by the length or the intensity of your mourning, regardless of what some people think. Alex still grieves for his wife, the two victims/survivors are riddled by guilt from their choice as well as survivors guilt and in the end, even the killer’s motive lies in that corner. Finn has a hard time since his wife died nearly a year ago and spends more time in his office than is physically advisable and hardly any sleeping in his bed. He has good people around him that try to pull him back into the real world, but that’s not always appreciated by him.
The Alzheimer of DC Mattie Paulsen’s father also features prominently. I don’t know if this is a trend but over the last year, I’ve come repeatedly across this difficult issue.
The premise of a killer giving his victims a choice is very original and interesting. Nobody can say what they would do in such a situation until it presents itself. Everybody can be a bigmouth and claim such and such but truth is that you can’t know what you’ll do. Flight or fight? And what if that fight turns out to lead to an even worse fate?
As happens in reality, the police investigation leads in several directions that later turn out to be false and they make costly mistakes in the assessment of situations. They’re not portrayed as flawless superheroes but as human beings with their strong and weak points alike.
There was a whole fishmarket of red herrings but I figured out the end game not long before the cops and was really taken by the twist. What a little b*** the killer turned out to be.
I thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free ARC they provided and this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

A gripping thriller that kept me hooked from the first page right to the end. I haven't read the first book in the series but found this worked as a stand alone novel.

This is the second book in the brilliant DI Alex Finn series and although I really loved he first book I think this one is even better. The story is mainly about choices we make and I have to say the victims in this thriller are only part of the story in my option it’s the ones who have to make the choice that are the real victims and to say more would spoil the book so i’m not even going to try just take the leap and throw yourselves right in !!
It’s such an excellently thought out story it had me guessing right to the big reveal and I think that’s what sets Will Shindler apart from other writers his ability to keep you guessing knows no bounds.
The other thing I loved about the book is the characterisation of Alex Finn and the rest of the team my favourite after Alex being Mattie Paulsen she is a wonderful character but then in all fairness so are others and it will be great to find out more about them as this series progresses as I feel there is much more to come.
So a superb five star police procedural with a whip sharp plot and a book that draws you in right from the start and never lets up ... what more could you ask for, well for me just the next book in the series please !!
Many thanks to Will Shindler , NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

*4.5 stars *

What could be more natural, than a father and daughter meeting up for a little bonding time, and heading for one of their favourite Indian curry houses after work?

Karl Suleman and his daughter Leah take a short cut through Crystal Palace Dinosaur Park, London, looking forward to their meal, when they’re suddenly ambushed by someone wearing a mirrored mask. The knife wielding stranger gives Karl a choice - walk away and leave Leah to be raped, and they will both survive, or stay and Karl will die. Leah urges her father to leave, that way they will both survive. But Leah doesn’t survive. Karl hears her scream and immediately runs back, but she’s already dead, and her killer gone. Karl now has to deal with the consequences of his decision, and sadly, this won’t be the last time this monster strikes, putting others in this unbearable position.

DI Alex Finn and his team are in charge of the investigation. For DI Finn, facing life without his wife Karin a year earlier, is a huge loss, and the resulting grief and its repercussions that this investigation generates will affect him badly. DC Mattie Paulsen has events in her own past, that weigh her down, and won’t allow her to connect with anyone else in her work, and only barely in her private life. However, the whole team pulls together to resolve these horrendous attacks on seemingly unconnected victims, looking for the link that somehow ties them all together, ultimately leading to the the killer.

This is a whip sharp police procedural, the second in the series, following the brilliant ‘The Burning Men’, though it can be read as a stand-alone. The vivid characterisations are hugely insightful, it’s extremely tense, and full of twists, and it’s definitely a story that will draw you in. Some emotional, yet gripping scenes, are written with great sensitivity, and make this one a must read.

Really good read. A proper whodunnit. Enjoyed the characters and the uncovering of the plot was well told storytelling. Would recommend.

With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC.

A great second instalment of the DI Alex Finn series.

Full review to follow...

When a rapist makes the girls father choose, either walk away and you'll both live or resist and you'll both die, what should he do? Before long there are more victims being forced to make terrible choices that mean they will have to live with the consequences. This is a brilliantly menacing police procedural featuring DI Alex Finn and a believable team of detectives, none of whom are without their own problems. This is the second novel in the series but you don't need to have read the earlier book, I haven't, although I will definitely now be seeking it out.

Great to read a book that makes you wonder what you would do if you were faced with the same choice the victims faced. A strong premise realised through an intriguing plot line and underpinned by tragedies that define the main characters. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

Will Shindler follows up his brilliant The Burning Men, featuring DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen, with this terrific addition to the London based crime series. Finn is still deeply mired in grief for his dead wife, Karin, and refusing to seek help despite the problems arising at work. Everyone else can see what he will not acknowledge and are feeling the effects, he is burying himself in work, he is the first person in at work at Cedar House and the last to leave. To his astonishment, a friend of his wife's gets in touch, someone he was not that keen on, Cally Hunter, she had received a letter from Karin 11 months after her death, and knowing Alex and his shortcomings, Karin wanted Cally to provide the support she knows he will need. Alex is about to found himself in a complex and challenging murder case that is going to demand all of his attention, despite becoming acutely self aware that he really does need help.

Karl Suleman meets his daughter, Leah, at the Crystal Palace Dinosaur Park, on their way to have dinner at a Indian restaurant, when they are ambushed by a mirrored mask wearing young man wielding a zombie knife. To their consternation, the stranger offers Karl a choice, leave and allow Leah to be raped, and both he and his daughter will survive. Urged on by Leah, Karl makes the fateful decision to leave, only to shortly hear her screams as she is murdered. Life as he knew it goes down the pan for Karl, he is a mass of grief and guilt, and to exacerbate matters, his wife is an emotional wreck of a woman who will not forgive him leaving Leah in her moment of need. Furthermore, he finds himself in the eye of a media storm, slap bang in the middle of the court of public opinion and being harshly judged. The fiendish killer continues to murder as others find themselves at the harrowing end of a killing choice and what is the connection with the Hope Estate and Hayden Simms, with a younger brother, Michael, estranged from his father after the loss of his mother?

This is a twisted and well plotted crime story from Shindler, there is oodles of suspense and tension, and it had me glued to the pages until the terrifying and thrilling finale. One of the best things I like about this series is the attention to detail given to the characters and what is happening in their personal lives, such as Mattie's father, Christer, approaching close to the point where his dementia will need the family to come together and decide what their response should be. Mattie finds herself challenged when she takes on the role of Family Liaison Officer and what happens when she chases a drug dealer has her questioning herself. This is a wonderful crime series that is both entertaining and engaging, and I look forward to the next in the series. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

WOW, this is one of those books you cannot put down until you finish it. With fantastic characterisation, whether that be the police officers, or characters that become big parts of the unravelling story. This is a novel that really keeps you guessing, the killer leaves no clues, no trace of who it is. The detectives on the case are struggling to find out if the victims are linked or whether the killings are just totally random. It takes some hard work and deep investigating to get to the bottom of what is going on.

This is the second novel with DI Alex Finn and his team, it can be read as a stand-alone novel, but personally I like to see the characters grow and this series is a perfect example of seeing how the characters come to life. Finn is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife Karin, this is clear as he hears her voice at times as if she is watching over him, asking him what he is doing, clearly not happy he isn’t moving on. But not only is Finn struggling in this one but D.C. Mattie Paulson is also struggling as she learns some devastating news about her father.

The plot line is a brilliant premise, as Karl Suleman and his daughter Leah meet after work at Crystal Palace where they are going for a meal but as they are walking along they are accosted by a zombie mask wearing, knife wielding person, Karl is given a choice which he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t, the choice is to leave his daughter with this person and they both get to live or stay and they both die. But his decision leads to the death of his daughter.

Karl is devastated, but he doesn’t just have to deal with his own feelings of guilt, it’s the judgement of everyone else he has to deal with as well, the media dubb him a coward for leaving his daughter, his wife can’t bear to look at him. His survivors guilt is difficult to live with.

It’s up to Finn and the team to try and catch this killer but it’s a tough case with very little to go on. Until it happens a second time, slightly different circumstances but a choice is given to another person, leading to another death. But how do these cases link together? Or do they?. The team look into every aspectof these people’s lives to see if their paths have crossed at any stage.

Both crimes happen very close to the Hope estate, a place known for gang culture and drug dealing, it hasn’t been long before these murders that a big drug bust had stopped some of the activity but now a couple of rival gangs are vying to take over the dealing. This is where we meet reluctant drug dealer Hayden Sims, he becomes a central character and the story is told through him as well as the police investigation. Hayden has a bad relationship with his father in that they don’t speak and haven’t since the death of Hayden’s mum who had kept the family together again grief is a big part of the falling out. But Hayden wants to protect his little brother Mikey and his girlfriend, His dealing stems from his longtime friend who wants them to take over where the last lot left, but Hayden’s heart really isn’t in it. It’s not what he wants for his long term future but it means he can make money, so he is torn.

The way the author deals with the repercussions from Karl Suleman’s decision is very well written with sensitivity and emotion, how do you make that choice he had to make? How do you deal with the guilt afterwards? He feels if he gives the media an interview to put his side forward it will make them see him differently, but he is judged despite having been put in a difficult situation with seconds to decide. Ending in tragic consequences in more ways than one.

There are a lot of possibilities as to who is doing this but it is not an easy one to guess, I had no clue at any stage whatsoever who the killer was, the plot is so tight. Despite Finn struggling with his grief, his lack of sleep and constantly working, basically running himself into the ground it still comes down to his instincts in the end.

This is a great character driven novel, and those characters are all relatable, believable and three dimensional. I really cannot wait for book three in this series. A brilliant police procedural/thriller.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #Hodder&Stoughton for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest fair and unbiased review.

DI Alex Finn and DC Mattie Paulsen join forces to hunt for a killer in this second in series. Fantastic nail biting story, an outstanding thriller will lots of intrigue and suspense. Looking forward to the next book by Will Shindler.

The Killing Choice

I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for my copy of the ARC. I typically do book reviews where I have 3 sections, covering Summary, What I Loved and What could have been better. For this book however, I am skipping the last section altogether as this genuinely was one of those books where it is hard work to actually find a fault.

Summary

The book opens in London with Karl Suleman walking with his daughter at dusk through a park, on a mostly empty lane, when they encounter a deathly figure in a faceless mask. Presented with a life or death choice, Karl struggles with the repercussions of what he has to do and very soon, we find many other innocent people across London offered with a similar ‘Live or Die’ choice.

DI Alex Finn, along with this trusted crew, must race against time to link together all these seemingly unconnected events and find the killer before the unthinkable happens. This time however, smart as he is, Alex might be playing with fire himself.

Review

Will Shindler weaves a gripping story with his fast-paced narrative that keeps you on the edge. Set mainly in south east London, the book is very authentic in creating the London vibe and it is obvious that the author has done his research. The plot is neat, does not waffle and the attention to detail is beyond excellent.

I especially like how Will Shindler did not lay all the cards on the table and kept me on the edge of my seat right until the very end.

I’d also like to take a moment to highlight that the characters – all of them – were very well etched out. The author goes into just enough depth into each of their background without wandering away from the plot.

Final Words

With ‘The Killing Choice’ Will Shindler has presented us with gripping, fast paced thriller, that will have you hooked from the first page, right until the very end. I’d definitely be looking to read more of Alex Finn!

This is the first time I have read Will Shindler and although this book is the second in the series, you can easily read it as a standalone.

Gripping, complicated and totally engrossing, you keep turning the pages to try to unravel this twisted plot. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me an advanced digital copy to read and review honestly.

This is an exciting, complicated and enjoyable crime thriller.
Leah and her father meet at Crystal Palace park to go for dinner and are accosted by a masked person with a knife who offers them a terrible choice, hence the title of the book but which one does her father take and can he trust him.
Following Leah’s murder DI Alex Finn and his team are tasked with apprehending the vicious murderer before there are more victims.
I particularly like the way the characters are written, their back stories and their interactions.
Skilfully written police thriller.
Highly recommended.
5 Stars ⭐️.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.

This is my first book by Will Shindler and even thought this is the second instalment of this series I was able to read it as a stand-alone without struggling.

The book does have everything: it’s gripping, puzzling, mysterious, dark! It is well written and the plot is really interesting and the only reason why it doesn’t have a roaring 10/10 is only because it focus on some of the characters grief and it personally made me a bit overwhelmed due to personal circumstances.

The characters are all really well developed and I loved DI Paulsen in particular. Their history is really compelling and they are amazon find characterised.

Perfectly paced and mostly unpredictable, the whole plot was really gripping and I tried to keep guessing what was going to happen next.

There is so much unpredictability and I really enjoyed this book. Although some of the themes made me a bit uncomfortable this book was overall really fantastic and I will highly recommend it to fans of thriller and crime /suspense books.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review