Before She Wakes by Ed James is the third book in the Max Carter series. Marissa's daughter Olivia is missing, and FBI special agent Max Carter is called in to help find her. This book had a lot going on, so much so that it felt like the author was trying to connect several storylines all into one book. It was just too much for me. This was the first book in the series that I have read, so maybe I was missing something. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

A really enjoyable read. Everything I expect from a book written by Ed James. There are great characters and a well thought out and well written plot which is a page turner.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Marissa wakes one morning feeling lethargic and ill. A sick feeling comes over her and she checks on her daughter. She is stunned to find out her 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, is missing. Her room has been ransacked and "never forget" is written on her mirror.

FBI agent Max Carter is in charge. He has to wade through secrets and lies in the family and outside of the family to find out the truth of what happened to Olivia. At the same time, Max has to wade through his troubled childhood and come to grips with lies, secrets and crimes that have been buried for over 30 years.

Before She Wakes is a really good read. The book kept my interest and I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Olivia. Ed James' character, Max Carter, has a complex life and his personal tragedies have set him on course to be an advocate for other victims. This is a serious starring Max and some of his fellow FBI agents. This book can be read as a stand alone.

Before She Wakes is my first book by Ed James, and the third book in the Detective Max Carter series. But it can be read as a stand alone, although it does become clear as the story progresses, there is a continuing thread relating to detective Max Carter's back story.

However, this did not affect my enjoyment nor make it difficult to follow, and with plenty of curveballs it was certainly an engaging and well-written mystery.

Yet, I did find it a little disjointed and slow paced, particularly in the first half. But it certainly picked up later on and was a satisfying read overall.

Would recommend.

**I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

DNF. This book really did not work for me. The beginning of the story was intriguing enough to hold my attention but it was all downhill from there. There were multiple storylines - the original kidnapping of Olivia which I was keen to read about; Ray's daughter requiring a bone marrow donor-which made him a likely suspect; Deacon's drug issues; and Bill, Max Carter's father's child abduction case - which did not gel together and made a total mess of things.

There were parts that made no sense to me - like how everyone claims Deacon is dead but no one has any actual proof of it; where Ray tells Carter that Gregg is a good guy who wants to help but he is still accepting money for his 'help' and Bill meeting a waitress who served him 30years ago who still remembers him - it just doesn't seem logical. I regret to say that at 58%, I gave up on the book.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 1st book I’ve read from this author and is apparently the 3rd FBI agent Max Carter book, that said it works well as a stand-alone and the fact I’ve not read any others did not distract or ruin this book

Max Carter works for the FBI investigating child abductions and in this book is investigating the case of missing teenager Olivia.

The story unfolds as Max uncovers the truth behind Olivia’s disappearance alongside reliving his own abduction as a child as he finds out one of his team are investigating his father for a historical case.

Told from several view points we hear from Marisa, Olivia’s mum, Olivia and Max (past and present). There were times where I felt overwhelmed with information and had to pause to get my head around things and understand what was happening and how it all connected.
I enjoyed reading this and will be looking into reading the past books as well as future ones in this series.

When I requested this one, it was because it sounded interesting and exactly the kind of read I enjoy. I had no idea that it was third in a series. I went back and read the blurb/request page and could not see that detail listed anywhere.

With that being said, the book fell flat for me, it felt very hollow and one dimensional. The characters and the dialogue felt stiff. I felt no real connection to them. I had a really hard time staying focused and invested until the end.

I might go back and give the earlier ones a try before I write off this author.

Thank you as always #bookouture and #netgalley for the eARC.

Before She Wakes is the third book in the Max Carter series by Ed James and it is an excellent book which nicely ties up the main arc but leaves a door open for future books.

Definitely recommended

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Before She Wakes, the third novel to feature Agent Max Carter of the Seattle FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Unit.

Marissa Davis wakes to find her 15 year old daughter, Olivia, missing so Max and the team are deployed to find her. There are several conundrums, who drugged Marissa? What does the message “never forget” scrawled on a mirror mean? Why are there so many suspects and why are they all lying and concealing pertinent facts?

I thoroughly enjoyed Before She Wakes which is an engrossing read with many uncovered secrets and motives. It held my interest throughout and aroused my curiosity as I speculated along with the team although I would never have guessed at some of the developments and they came as a surprise every time. It should be noted that this novel is entertainment so readers looking for realism will be sadly disappointed. As such it works well.

The novel is told from several points of view, chiefly Max and Marissa, but there is a subplot where Max’s colleague, Lori Alves, assists a Met detective in his investigation of Max’s father, Bill. Often I find this approach distracting but in this case it works well, offering the reader a wider perspective on events without actually giving anything away and gradually bringing everything together to make sense. It is well done, mixing the past and the present and what seem like different cases into a stew with different flavours in one dish.

Max Carter is not quite the clichéd troubled protagonist but he does have a backstory whereby his father had him kidnapped and brought to the States from England as a young boy. The Met, with new information, has revived the case and brings new conflict between father and son. It offers an added element to the novel and I found myself getting really invested in the outcome. I hope there’s more of it to come despite plenty of resolution in this novel.

Before She Wakes is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Marissa Bukowski's life hasn't gone exactly as she planned, a divorced single mother she hoped life was finally getting better. Her new boyfriend is attentive, the lovely home she rents from a friend in a nice district of Seattle, and her job good. Then, one morning she walks into her daughter’s bedroom and Olivia is gone.

FBI Special Agent Max Carter knows all about abducted children, born in England he is in the States as, aged six, his father had him kidnapped. He relates to the victims because he was one and now runs the Seattle Field Office Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Unit. Olivia becomes his responsibility and, as he delves into her disappearance, he is also trying not to interfere with another case his department is investigating in partnership with the Metropolitan Police in London. That case involves him, his father, and other children like him who were abducted and taken half way round the world to live an unwanted existence.

Working at speed is a given in Max's line of work but, as nothing seems to quite fit together, his chances of finding Olivia before it’s too late seem to be vanishing into the Seattle rain. Then one of his team finds a clue which sends him in a completely different direction which could make things even more dangerous and complicated for everyone involved.

This is the third book by Ed James based in Seattle and although I thoroughly enjoy all his different series this has definitely become my favourite. There are few authors and characters who I will happily lose sleep for but Ed and Max are right up there. Once again this is a tautly written, believable and ultimately surprising story and what I expected to happen was nowhere near as good as what actually transpired. It also has a brilliant name for Max's dog which made me laugh out loud.

At one point I thought this was going to be the final book in a trilogy especially as a few threads were tied off satisfactorily but no, to my delight there is mention of a fourth book and will absolutely be buying that one too.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I have also purchased this and would urge any fan of Mr James or American detective novels to do the same. I absolutely loved it.

The third book in the series and they keep getting better and better.
Agent Max Carter already received some devastating news in the previous book and now the story continuous, but that’s not the only thing on his mind. He also has to deal with another abduction.
The search for leads can begin but every time he turns a corner he seems to find himself at a dead end. People are lying through their teeth. Others seem to be dead or have disappeared. Max does not give up but he knows the clock is ticking. His goal is to find the child of course, but he wants them found alive. That’s why you have to use everything that is available in order to crack the case wide open. Not everything is what it seems. That is something you should never forget.
Will we find out what happened to Max all those years ago or will we still be kept in the dark?
This book had the FBI running in circles. I enjoyed it a lot. 5 stars

Thank you, Ed James and Bookouture

A fine example of the lies that teenagers tell their parents and the potential consequences... The writer did a good job portraying the circumstances of the young girl’s disappearance, along with the search.

I feel a bit disappointed by this book. The premise is solid, 15-year-old Olivia disappears from bed while her mother is asleep, potentially drugged. The suspects are numerous, it could be her grandfather desperate to find a match for his daughter for a much needed bone marrow transplant. It could be revenge for her missing presumed dead father’s drug debts, or it could be her mum’s new boyfriend. The problem is the book jumps around a bit too much for me to be invested in any of these options. That combined with a very unsubtle info dump of background info on the lead detective was very off putting. I understand it’s hard when the book is the third in a series to strike the balance between repeating key information for new readers or ones who’ve forgotten the previous books, and not dwelling too long on ground which has been fully covered earlier in the series. Unfortunately the approach here is too heavy-handed on background detail which didn't give me time to get to know the characters for myself.

Disappointing.

#BeforeSheWakes #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Bookouture and Ed James for an ARC to review.
The third book in a series which unfortunately I haven't read the previous two. I believe you could follow this book without reading the others but you will miss a couple of references to detective Max's back story.
When Marissa wakes up to an empty room where her daughter was supposed to be sleeping, she feels every parent's worst dream come true. Her daughter was clearly abducted, leaving behind a torn up room and a shattered mirror with a message written on it where she can't understand.
A fast paced engaging whodunit thriller that I enjoyed.

Marissa Bukowski is a single mother to 15 year old Olivia. When she wakes up disorientated one morning she instantly senses something is wrong. She goes into her daughter’s room to discover her fears are not unfounded - her daughter is gone.

Max Carter is an FBI Special Agent who primarily deals with Child Abduction cases. He has first hand knowledge having been abducted as a child - taken from his mother in England and delivered to his father in America.

Can Max find Olivia before she becomes just another statistic? With numerous family secrets, twists and turns along the way it’s not an easy job for Max and his team.

This is the third in a series and I have not read the others. I am not sure if it’s because of that but I found the story very disjointed, it jumped about a lot. While everything kind of came together in the end, I just found it a bit too ‘jumpy’. In saying that, I thought that the actual storyline was a good one and the book did keep me engaged - I am just not sure I would rush out to read another in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Thanks NetGalley Publisher and author for this arc copy.

This was a thrilling read from start to finish.
I had a hard time being present because I had to finish.
Talk about a ride. This had so many crazy parts you wont know which way this story is going.
Absolutely great!

A whodunnit book that will keep you guessing. Marissa wakes up disoriented she can’t remember anything from the night before. She forces her self up to check on her teenaged daughter. Olivia is missing. Marissa calls the police for help which triggers Max Carter from the FBI to be called in.
As Max begins to investigate he quickly learns there is more to the story. Will Max be able to find Olivia?
I really enjoyed the layers of details to this story. Thank you to Netgalley for complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the 3rd book in the Max Carter series and i enjoyed this one as much as the previous ones. Hooked from the first page it drew me in and didn't let go. A fast paced storyline with plenty of twists and turns and likeable characters make for a good solid read. I highly recommend this book /series and author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this was a very good follow on from Gone in seconds. Max Carter investigates the abduction of a teenage girl in the middle of the night. I really liked the plot twists here, there were so many suspects with a motive and just when I thought I knew who did it the author added another twist. I enjoyed reading of the small glimpses into Max’s past and of his difficult relationship with his father. Some of the scenes were written so well I could picture them in my mind as I was reading. Overall I found this to be a fast paced, well written book that kept me guessing and with an ending I didn’t expect. Hope there is another book to follow.

4 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been choking for this book to come out! The Max Carter series has got to be up there in my TOP US Crime thrillers of all time!
Ed James certainly knows how to grab his readers by the throat and pull them straight into the storyline! From his killer hook openings, well drawn characters, storylines that take your breath away and an authentic sense of place, he ticks all of my boxes for sure!
Without giving away any spoilers, Max Carter’ past, in the shape of his father remains pretty much at the forefront of his mind and as further revelations are uncovered, the tension becomes pretty damn taut!
Before She Wakes, focuses on Carter’s investigation into a child abduction but running parallel to this UK police and FBI have joined forces to look further into Max’s father Bill. And let’s just say the tension is ramped up notch after notch as both storylines begin to connect. It’s fast paced but not breakneck speed; lie after lie is uncovered and I found myself not really knowing who I should trust.
Max Carter could easily have become a stereotype; a chiselled type FBI agent, designed to make us all swoon, but through layers and depth, Ed James has taken him and moulded him into a living and breathing individual, a man with faults and flaws, and with each revelation he peels away another layer for the reader. His back story and motivation are superb and gives a real insight into his psyche. Watching his interactions with his colleagues and his family, at times feels so real, that it feels like you are peering into a real life situation. As this series progresses, I really do have a real sense of getting to know the man behind the pages. Added to this, is of course, the sense of place. The books take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of Seattle, bringing them to life in front of your eyes.
A cleverly crafted and tightly knitted plot, razor sharp dialogue and a cast of characters who take you and pull you into their narrative. It took me to the edge more than once, dangled me over, yanked me back up and repeated the process until it left me broken. Broken, but wanting more!
You could read this as a standalone but why would you want to miss out on what really is a cracking series!
Don’t miss it!

Review will be on my blog as part of the blog tour in January