The second instalment in this action-packed crime series sees DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose working together once again and with a new team member this time..

A woman is found murdered near a red telephone box in the middle of nowhere. At the same time another woman catches a bus nearby, apparently fleeing an attack and wearing the same strange attire.

It soon emerges that they are not the only people caught up in this sick game and DI Norris faces a race against time to prevent more deaths.

The second in the DI Joel Norris series. A love this author, especially the Detective Maddie Ives series. A great addition to this series, gripping from start to finish, storyline was a little far fetched but entertaining !

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.

Your life is at stake and your family’s too if you don’t play the game. Will DI Norris and DS Rose crack the code before the next round of the game? I devoured this suspense a minute twisted dark thriller, it was clever, creepy and unbelievably well executed. I was greedy for more and could not sleep until I finished, the suspense was electric !

A really unique premise and very dark but very gripping too. I am a big fan of the author and always find the plots thrilling and gripping.

My Husband and I have both read this and thoroughly enjoyed it. Such a gripping fast paced read. Both excited to discover this great author. A fantastic Read!

Wow ! What an amazing book !! Be prepared to be on the edge of your seat through this fast paced, intense, crime thriller. It is clever, suspenseful and not to be missed. Charlie Gallagher is an ex police officer and you can tell. This is the first book I have read from this author but it is the second book in the series.. I had no problem reading it as a stand alone but will be definitely checking out the author's first book


Thank you so much to Avon Publishing for a copy of Lethal Game by Charlie Gallagher in return for an honest review. I loved it !!

I love Charlie Gallagher’s books. As a resident of the Folkestone area I’m familiar with a lot of the locations that he uses in his writing. This is the second in the Joel Norris series of books and introduces my favourite character - Eileen - an analyst with a collection of slippers that she wears in the office.

What an incredibly interesting take on a classic crime procedural. It was thrilling g, exciting and really quite complex. I thought the characters were well written and rounded - both the goodies & baddies. Highly recommended.

This book was addictive. Even though its number 2 in the series, it can be easily read as a standalone. Its very fast paced and it will have you being pulled one way and then another. It held my attention the whole way through.

This is the first book of Charlie Gallagher I have read and certainly won't be the last. From the very first page, his writing draws you into your worst nightmare.

Joel Norris and Lucy Rose are detectives called to the murder of a young woman in the middle of a country lane. They know there was somebody else present but have no ideas or clues as to who that person was, where they are now or even if they are the murderer or another victim.

After days of little progress, they finally get a break which results in them getting pulled into the killers game of cat and mouse. They need to learn the rules of the game quickly to stop the next round starting - or ending with more deaths.

A gripping story that will keep you holding your breath to the very last page.

A Master Storyteller and a gripping, page-turning plot. One of the best thrillers I've read for a while. The killer and the detective are formed to grate against each other with a chilling plot and good, but also awful, descriptions that make this a real winner.

A brilliant psychological thriller
This book will have you hooked from the first page
With plenty of twists
Thanks NetGalley

Firstly, I enjoyed reading a book where I knew of the locations. As a local to Maidstone and the Medway towns, I could really visualise the setting.

A murderer is on the loose playing a vicious game, two contestants must face each other in battle and there can only be one survivor. It is down to DI Joel Norris and his team to stop the killer before any more horrific murders take place.

A great paced thriller and kept me on a hook the whole way through.

This is a great read as usual by Charlie Gallagher.
Well written plot and story line that had me hooked from the start.
Great characters and the suspense kept me second guessing throughout.

Would recommend as a great read.

Whislt this book can be read as a standalone, like all books that form part of a series you would definitely benefit from having read the first one. I really enjoyed this one so I am definitely going to back and reead the first one in the hope this series will continue!

Our main characters, DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose are called in to investigate the death of a young woman who has found brutally murdered on a quiet country lane, The killer makes his own rules, using victims like chess pieces of a life-sized match of strategy and escape, with the highest stakes imaginable - it reeled me in and took me on the ride in a fast page turning style thriller.

A thoroughly enjoyable and complex read and one I highly recommend whether you have read the first book or not. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exhange for the honest review.

A girls body is found in a telephone kiosk , badly mutilated and with shotgun wounds , on the same morning a girl dressed similarly but in a different coloured dress is seen in a distressed state getting on a bus . Is there any connection , and if so what . DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose have to work this out . More deaths follow and it appears the killings are based on a game called " Escape" ,with different environments as a background for 2 people to play against each other after having been held as prisoners and pitted against each other the loser losing their life . The captor knows everything about his victim's families so anybody who escapes is unable to report their experience to the police. More people go missing and it appears the police are being toyed with as they carry out their work. A gripping story with an exciting ending but many many twists along the way.

This is a crime thriller that gives the detectives heartaches…who did it? Where is the culprit? Although the story moves slowly at times, the characters are likable…the main characters…this book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…enjoy…

A dark roller-coaster of a crime novel, with a truly horrifying theme of treating people as real life pawns in a boardgame - leading inexorably to either a haunted life or a terrifying death for the victims of this twisted killer.

The story begins with two women racing against each other to save their lives knowing only one can win. An opening narrative that hooked me in immediately. When the police find the body and trace the surviving female they quickly realise it's a race against time to prevent further deaths taking place. Even more horrifying is when they realise the deaths are linked to the format of a game which means even more grisly deaths are on the cards. A brilliantly woven take that had me reading into the early hours. A definite winner