This is a book which had a great premise. I was drawn in from the blurb and I certainly enjoyed the book while I was reading

It's just that as connections between characters became apparent, and more and more links are revealed, I found myself realising just how convoluted everything was, and I think I would have needed to draw a diagram to work out just what was really meant to be happening and why.

Possibly a tad more complicated than I was wanting it to be, and the fact that the majority of the characters were unlikeable, or at least hard to root for didn't help me.

That being said that chapters from Fisher's point of view were interesting, and was interesting to see the way his mind worked. Equally the chapters from Ella's point of view who is the girl who is kidnapped, had me cheering her on to try to survive, as in my eyes she was innocent and none of the events were her fault.

I was invested enough in the story to want to keep reading, but the ending has just left me a bit flat, and possibly still a tad confused.

The writing though was good, and I'd probably be keen to try another book from the author in the future, as I suspect this could have just been wrong book at wrong time syndrome for mee, and perhaps had I read it when I had time to read it in larger chunks, I would have appreciated it more.

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I love a Simon Kernick Novel and this did not disappoint.

as always very fast paced and enjoyable.

Gritty and unputdownable

Loved it

A rollercoaster, a fast ride, a twisty and complex thriller where there's plenty of flawed characters. A book I cannot put down and thoroughly enjoyed
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was gripped by The First 48 hours, starting off with a kidnapping gang called 'The Vanishers' and the policeman investigating the group confessing to the readers within the first chapter that he is the brains behind the group. Then there's the storyline of defence lawyer Becca Barraclough, who is gaining a reputation for defending the worst of society and letting them get away with their crimes.
When the two storylines meet, tensions rise for both Becca and the Vanishers, along with a host of other nefarious characters.
Slickly delivered and well plotted, this is one to recommend.

Having read and loved several Simon Kernick books I was excited to get the chance to read this one.

I did enjoy this as it is cleverly written with twists and turns to keep you guessing.

A slow starter as you’re introduced to the different characters and initially I struggled to see how they linked together.
3 different prospectives bring this story together i wasn’t disappointed

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

An action-packed adventure set over 48 hours. A crime gang known as 'The Vanishers ' kidnap a top lawyer's daughter. Demoted NCA detective Fish is pulled into a desperate race against time. A fast-paced and enthralling thriller.

This is another excellent thriller from a master story teller. I was gripped from the very beginning and with its fast paced and clever twisting plot you don't want to stop reading
I can't compliment the author enough and highly recommend this book

4.5 stars. Another brilliant read by this fantastic author whose books never disappoint. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me hooked from start to finish. It all tied in together nicely at the end. I loved it

I love Simon's books because they're unputdownable. This book was no exception, so fast paced you put your life on pause and keep reading. I liked the fact that it was told from the viewpoint of the baddie.

It's a fast paced kidnapping saga told from multiple character's viewpoints.

The open ending makes me hope there will be a follow up some time in the future.

Simon Kernick is one of my favourite authors and I have never been disappointed with anything written by him ... would this be the first time? Absolutely not!!! The First 48 Hours is another tense and enthralling read that I was totally hooked by from the first page.

Once again, I was treated to an excellent, gritty and gripping plot filled with twists, turns and tension that had me reading way into the night with anticipation as to how it was all going to end. The pacing of the story is perfect with each chapter moving the story on at speed.

As I have come to expect from Mr Kernick's work, the characters, whilst not all particularly likeable, are well developed, each with their own unique personalities and motivations which brought them to life and made it all the easier to invest in them and their fates.

With its relentless pace, well-developed characters, and clever plot twists this is, in my opinion, a must-read for any fan of the crime thriller genre and I must give a huge thanks to the author, Headline and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The First 48 Hours.

My first book by this author and I loved it. A host of terrible characters and somehow I was rapt.

I adore anyone that can make me dislike but keep me tearing through the pages.

I would recommend this to procedural or thriller readers that want something a little bit different.

Fast paced, clever, amazing plot twists- how many more superlatives can I find to describe this book? I’ve been reading thrillers by Simon Kernick's for many years and they’ve always been very readable and compelling. Definitely “The First 48 Hours” shows that this author is still at the top of his game and has many ideas for an excellent and entertaining story.
Fish is a detective who works for the Met investigating kidnaps, particularly a group of kidnappers called the Vanishers who snatch young people for ransoms. However Fish has many secrets of his own and his first person narration leads the reader to suspect that he is not a particularly nice character and certainly knows more about the kidnappers than it first appears.
Becca is a barrister asked to defend killers and seemingly impervious to the fact she might be getting guilty criminals off scot free. When something awful happens to her daughter she is forced to choose between her family and her personal belief in the law- how far will she go to protect her own flesh and blood?
Far be it from me to reveal too much about this book as it will spoil the enjoyment as well as all the wonderful twists. Every time I felt I had worked out what was happening the author threw another spanner in the works! I defy you to figure out who was behind events in the book- there were so many layers to peel away!
This was a great read, well plotted and full of some interesting but rather unsavoury characters. I can’t say I liked any of the main protagonists although I did feel sorry for Becca’s predicament and my sympathy increased as the book progressed. Delfina was particularly nasty and I was really hoping she wouldn’t evade justice!
I highly recommend this thriller- if you’ve read other books by Simon you’ll love this and if you haven’t it’s a perfect one to start with. Five stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for my advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The First 48 Hours by Simon Kernick in return for my honest review.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns, that once you start reading you’ll find it really hard to put down I highly recommend reading.

Simon Kernick never lets you down. His thrillers are always of the highest quality. Brilliant but baffling. Exciting and engrossing. Incredibly fast paced and unputdownable! This involves bent cops, kidnapping, a range of dodgy characters and a tremendous plot. I loved it!

I’m up and down with Simon Kernick’s books and this one was a bit in the middle. A clever plot but I really disliked the characters who seemed to come out of a “select a villain/ police officer/ goodie” bag and I wasn’t convinced.
That said the complex story is thrilling in pace and has a satisfactory ending on the whole just leaving enough questions to keep you wondering.

One of the best plots I’ve ever read! So many layers to this gripping story, with brilliantly developed characters, captivating writing and a flawlessly polished storyline.

The action starts right away and it doesn’t let up. The perfectly planned crime starts to unravel with just one careless little mistake and the impact of that results in so much needing to be done to remedy the problem. But in everyone doing what they can to protect themselves, other people get drawn in to the web and it soon starts to unravel.

As each layer of the plan is revealed, the twists become more and more jaw-dropping - just brilliant!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Simon Kernick and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Simon Kernick at his best. A fast paced thriller with a few I didn't see that coming. New characters that are well defined. I was half expecting Tina Boyd to turn up. Highly recommended. Thanks to Headline and Netgalley for a review copy

Three groups people desperate to find a way to resolve a problem that could change their lives forever.
A cop on the hunt for a group of kidnappers called The Vanishers. But does he know more than he’s letting on?
A Lawyer trying to save her daughter from the kidnappers, but she has her own secrets.
The kidnappers trying to pull off the perfect crime, but do they really trust each other?
This is the longest 48 hours of their lives, but who will live to tell the tale and who will end up dead?
A brilliant book with great twists and turns throughout, an excellent group characters that you love and hate, and an ending that will leave you floored.
This Simon Kernick at the top of his game, I found this to one of his finest books.
It’s totally unique and a joy to read.
I highly recommend it, you won’t be disappointed.

This is a great thriller.
It's an original story that could have been too complicated, but it actually works.
The story revolves around a team of professional kidnappers who take their victims and demand money and no police involvement for the safe return of the person.
Fish is a Detective and we find out early on that he's involved with this group. Becca is a barrister and we hear about her case and then she is pulled into this as her daughter is the next victim.
This is a clever storyline which is fast paced and has some great twists and turns.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is my first introduction to author Simon Kernick. But it certainly won't be my last. As I was hooked from the very start, particularly when that final line of the prologue hit!

And as the story unfolded and I learnt more about the detective at the heart of it I genuinely couldn't get enough.

Then you add in everything else this story has to offer including the couple who believe they are involved in the perfect crime and a mother who is about to defend a killer in order to protect her only child.

And as the three stories interlink at breakneck speed. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how and if they would come together. Desperately trying to work things out. But Mr Kernick was always three steps ahead of me and the whole story would just turn on its head.

Which made it so compelling and thrilling to read and it's why I would genuinely recommend this story to all.

I'm now off to check out Simon's other books. As I can't get enough.