What a brilliant read! I have found another new favourite author with an impressive back catalogue to read.

Tech millionaire Miles gets some shocking health news that he has Huntington’s disease which is inherited. He has a brother, who works in his company as an accountant, and decides to secretly get a sample of his DNA to test before he breaks the news.

Back when he was young and broke he got paid for depositing sperm at a fertility clinic. He could have children out there who unknowingly may develop this disease. After a lot of soul searching he decides he will find out if his sperm was used and track down his children to make them aware of the fact they could be carrying the gene, and also to leave them a huge sum in his will.

After bribing the secretary at the clinic to get the names and addresses, he finds his daughter Chloe who is working as a waitress in a diner. She joins him in tracking down the other 8.

Shockingly the others are beginning to disappear without trace. What is happening to them? Who knows about this list?

This book had me totally gripped from the first page and did not let me go until the heart in your mouth ending. I loved Chloe who is a tough cookie with a wicked sense of humour.

Very highly recommend this book which is due for publication 4/2/21

Thank you very much indeed to HQ for an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

Miles is rich but he's dying and has no children to leave his fortune too. Years ago he donated to a fertility clinic so he may have children, children who may end up with the same disease thats killing him so he decides to find them, warn them and leave them money to live a good life. However someone seems intent on killing them all but who could be behind such an evil plot?

I'm a big fan of Linwood Barclay so was already looking forward to this before I even started it. The story did not disappoint either. Its well written, detailed and creepy. The plot is steady but building to a cleverly, dramatic ending. There are some brilliant twists along the way, some I guessed and some I didn't. Chloe was my favourite character along with Charise, she was brilliant. Gotta love a strong female character who can kick butt. A brilliant thriller.

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has everything a man could desire, fast car, beautiful home, incredible business, only he’s just found out he’s got Huntingtons . This terminal disease has a long slow debilitating impact and Miles begins to put his affairs in order. Never been married and although his brother works for him, he decides that he cannot risk his fortune being passed to him. Gilbert, his brother, is married to Caroline and Miles has already had to deal with his sister-in-law’s attempts to get a hold of his money. When Miles first started out he didn’t have enough money to buy his first computer, so went along to a fertility clinic and donated his sperm. Now with the prospect of his possible offspring having a more than 50% chance of also developing this deadly disease, he sets out find his children so he can share out his fortune and allow them the opportunity to discover if they too are likely to have the disease. When Miles returns to the fertility clinic and asks for access to his files, Dr Gold, who runs the clinic, refuses , claiming patient confidentiality. With the help of his own in house investigator Miles obtains the information, setting of a chain of events he never expected.
Linwood Barclay writes fast paced, thrilling novels that keeping you hanging on the edge of your seat. Find you first is an incredible read with the story unfolding in ways I never expected, but have come to expect from this author.

This was an amazing rollercoaster of a novel.
Miles is the owner of a tech company and worth millions, he finds out he has Hodgkinsons disease and will inevitably die from it but no one knows how long he has. Years before this he needed some money and decided to go and donate sperm to raise the cash to start his business. Now with his impending death grants to find out if he had children and were so they can be prepared and see if they have it, he would also let them have some money. He gets a list of names and addresses and it sets off a whole chain of events with people getting killed. It's a race against time to see who is going to find the people in the list first, Miles or someone else with different motives?
Thank you net galley for letting me read this and to Linwood Barclay for writing it. Loved this read and would love a follow up to see what happens next!

2.5⭐
I cannot begin to tell you how upset I am about giving a Linwood Barclay book a 2.5 star rating.

I have been with Linwood Barclay since No Time For Goodbye and I've always felt that every story he wrote was absolute perfection. With this one however, I felt that it was just a bog standard thriller, but more of a suspense as I didn't feel any moments were 'thrilling'

I thought the story was fine and interesting but the twists were so obvious, I knew exactly what was going on around 30% in, and I was only shocked by 1 twist (which really had no impact on the overall story.)

I've always class Linwood Barclays one of my favourite authors but this one just completely missed the Mark and I feel as though his recent stories of really been missing the unique quality that his earlier work such as no Time For Goodbye and too close to home had.

The story itself wasn't bad, I just felt some plot points were a bit overly dramatic, and based on what I've come to expect from this author I was incredibly disappointed

There’s no doubting that Linwood Barclay is an experienced writer and his detailing and descriptions of characters and places are fantastic however this story line was so far fetched I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I still didn’t take long to read it but so much of it was predictable and unbelievable.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this advance copy in return for my honest review.

This is a fast paced and entertaining read from Linwood Barclay, although it's not one of my favourites. It started off with a bang but there were too many characters, it was a bit far fetched and by the end of the book, I had lost the will to figure out all the strands woven throughout. Just an ok read if nothing else is available. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Find You First by Linwood Barclay was a delight to read. Interesting concept with wealthy, terminally ill Miles seeking out any possible progeny from his long-ago sperm donations. Miles comes across as a decent, caring self-made man but there are many others who have competing agendas and want to get to his potential heirs first for varying reasons! Linwood is very skilful in developing great characters and building tension and pace as the race develops to try to save nine young people spread across the country. The book hooked me right away and kept me reading and rooting for the “good guys”. I can easily see this translate to the screen as a fab mini-series. Another great, action packed adventure with a dramatic climax. A four star read for me.

My first book by Lingwood Barclay. I have definitely being missing out if the rest of his books are as good as this one. Totally twisty tale but full of believable scenarios. Got totally invested in the two main characters.
Looking for another of his books now.

‘Moves at a fast pace’ is a cliché, but in this case it is a fair description. ‘Moves at an accelerating pace’ would be even more accurate. Linwood Barclay is an experienced writer and it shows, particularly, in the skilful way he describes action sequences. His plotting, although complex, is original and, again, skilfully handled. Combining these two aspects provides the reader with a huge task in trying to solve the mystery.
As to the plot, Miles Cookson is the multimillionaire creator and owner of an IT company; a man who has everything. And now he has Hodgkin’s Disease, a slow developing, untreatable, hereditary condition which is slowly killing him. Everything he has should be inherited by his, disease free, brother, Gilbert, and his venal, devious, money grubbing, wife, because he has no other family. Except … when he was young and short of cash he had been a (one-shot) sperm donor, meaning he could have children out there, each with a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. He decides to contact all of them, explain the situation and leave them a share of his estate. Apart from a trust fund left to his brother, each share would be an equal portion. Gilbert’s wife is incensed at the loss of this anticipated fortune so, once Mile’s gets the details about the children (money can bribe you anything), she gets hold of a copy and sets in motion a plan to subvert Miles’ intentions.
Teaming up with Chloe, the first child he meets, Miles sets off to find the others. And then, one by one, the children start to disappear, without trace. Racing to puzzle out the situation Miles and Chloe each has to face dangers which they had not anticipated and for which they are ill-prepared. The reader is carried along with the flow until the final, satisfactory, conclusion.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Linwood Barclay does not disappoint with his latest book. There are many twists and turns in this fast paced read, keeping you gripped from the first page right through to the last. Chloe is a great character, and I never forgot who anyone was, as can happen in a book with many main protagonists. I highly recommend this book.

Find You First by Linwood Barclay
I have long been a fan of Linwood Barclay and thoroughly enjoyed his clever twisty novels like No Time for Goodbye and A Tap on the Window so I was really looking forward to this novel and I was not disappointed. The book hooks you immediately from its dramatic opening describing the clinical removal of a character by two professional killers.
You are then introduced to the main character, Miles Cookson, a self-made tech millionaire who has just been given the devastating news that he has Huntington’s disease. Knowing the potential problems for any offspring he begins to track down the products of his sperm donation but is someone else is on their trail? The novel deals with large scale corruption, professional hitmen, criminality and those driven entirely by greed and malice.
There are also sympathetic characters such as Miles and Chloe, the first of his potential offspring with whom he makes contact. There are innumerable twists and turns along the way and you are left almost breathless by the pace of the novel. The ending is jaw dropping and provided you allow yourself to suspend disbelief in places it is a very entertaining and satisfying thriller. I will definitely be recommending this novel to my various book groups. A highly entertaining novel!
I would like to say a huge thank you to the author, the publishers, Harper Collins, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Another masterful thriller from Linwood Barclay. Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, especially as he has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. In his younger, less financially secure, days he supplemented his income by making a sperm donation. He now wants to track down any children he may have fathered, with a view to including them in his will.

Chloe Swanson is a waitress with ambitions to become a film make. She has just met a half brother, Todd, that she knew nothing about. Chloe is also Miles' daughter. Miles and Chloe meet but when she takes him to meet Todd, he has vanished. As Miles and Chloe begin to identify more of his children they too begin to disappear.

This is a compulsive read. It is well plotted and slickly delivered. It contains everything from deception, corruption and avarice to murder and malice. The characters are very well drawn. I had a lot of sympathy for, good guy, Miles and Chloe is smart and sassy. Other characters, including Miles' sister in law, Caroline and the egotistical businessman Jeremy are immensely dislikable.

Find You First held my attention throughout. It is fast paced with plenty of twists and a touching ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an ARC in return for an honest review.

An unsatisfactory read which left me feeling disappointed. I had previously enjoyed other titles from Barclay’s backlist so was intrigued by his latest book. However, I found it a chore to finish which I wasn’t expecting. The ebb and flow of the drama seemed several steps too far into the outlandish and overlapping twists that seemed unworthy of a writer of his calibre. In spite of this, it certainly won’t put off of reading any other titles from Barclay as think he’s an intelligent & entertaining writer, this book just wasn’t for me.

What a thrill ride,

This book is well written and funny as you’d expect and the ending makes it stand out.

If you like thrillers you’ll love this.

Another great book by Linwood Barclay who manages to pull you in from the very first page. Although I did think it was rather far fetched at times I really enjoyed reading it.

Another page turning winner from Linwood Barclay. I'm always amazed at this author's imagination and ability to examine contemporary issues rooted in a thriller
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

What a great storyteller Linwood Barclay is, he reels in the reader from the very first pages and takes you on a rollercoaster ride of thrills, fear and twists galore. Miles, a very rich tech company owner, is dying and needs to get his affairs in order. Who can he leave his vast estate to? His brother? Charity? Or to the children he has never met? The consequences of something he did over twenty years previously catch up with him and he sets out to put things right, not knowing that someone else is doing exactly the same but with very different reasons. After meeting his daughter Chloe, Miles sets out to meet the others but soon realises he has seemingly opened a can of worms that threatens the lives of these children he has never even met. A terrifying race against time and with threats coming from more than one direction, Miles desperately attempts to put right the wrongs of the past. Another brilliant book from Linwood Barclay, such a treat to read his cleverly constructed stories that are impossible to put down. I can’t wait for the next one.

Find You First by Linwood Barclay is an absolutely thrilling contemporary crime suspense that will have your heart racing and your mind spinning. It is a fabulous roller coaster of a read. Linwood Barclay is the master of the suspense novel.
The plotline is complex and well thought out. There are red herrings to pick up along the way as Linwood Barclay cleverly controls the directions your suspicions go until the very end. I failed once more to predict the outcome. My jaw literally dropped at the conclusion.
A quest for wealth and power lures people to do despicable acts. The reader witnesses the lows to which some will stoop. In contrast there are kind and pure hearts that look out for others and are always motivated to do the right thing.
Family is important. Family is more than mere blood ties. Family is pure hearts connecting with love.
The characters were well drawn and realistic, eliciting a variety of emotional responses from the reader. Some were unbelievably despicable. Others evoked a feeling of kindness as good hearts were glimpsed.
Find You First was a truly thrilling read. I read with my heart in my mouth as I was propelled towards the end. It was really marvellous.
I would like to leave you with my favourite quote that really impacted me:
“They’ve all got stories. You think they’re these old people sitting around waiting to die, but they’ve done things.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book but the reason for the list being tracked down and disposed of just wasn’t logical. You blame an admin error, you don’t go on an unnecessary killing spree. Still worth reading!