This will be the first book I’ve read by the number one bestselling thriller and suspense writer Linwood Barclay. Having seen many rave reviews about his previous books, I was really excited to read his latest release Find You First.
This book starts with the Tech billionaire, Miles Cookson finding out he has an incurable disease and he wants to get his estate in order.
The writer briefly returns to a young Miles as a struggling entrepreneur who needed cash to buy a new computer. This is when Miles decides the quickest and easiest way to get the money quickly was to donate his sperm to a fertility clinic in return for payment.
Then the story continues by returning to the present day with the now very rich but unwell Miles Cookson searching for any progeny from his sperm donations.
His conscience tells him he needs to warn these children that they may have the same terminal illness as him. He also wants to share his considerable wealth as a way to make amends if they do have Huntington’s disease and believes his money would help them take care of themselves.
I found this book a bit long winded at the start and having read the synopsis was a bit underwhelmed by the storyline. However, I persevered and was glad that I did because as I progressed through the book, the story became full of suspense and intrigue with many twists and turns along the way.
Just as I thought I knew what was happening, the writer threw in a curve ball and I realised I was being sent down a blind alley. This is something I love when reading any thriller or crime book, as I really hate guessing the outcome early on. This most certainly was not the case during Find You First!
Only as I was nearing the end, did all the pieces start falling into place and I finally got the gist of the story. I understood why there had been so many characters featured in this storyline.
I was really hoping for an amazingly gripping end to this book, but I did find some of the last few chapters a bit too far-fetched. However, I do believe if this book were ever turned into a film, the runaway RV storyline would most definitely be an exciting scene to watch.
Personally for me the only downside to this book was the many different characters involved, which was a bit confusing at times, but saying that I did enjoy the way Linwood Barclay brought them all together.
I especially loved the connection between Miles and Chloe, although all of the characters were believable and relatable, even the despicable Jeremy Pritkin.
This is my first book by Linwood Barclay, and it won’t be my last. Although I thought it had a somewhat slow start, I can see now I’ve read the whole book, why it was so important to involve the many characters, as they all played a part in the conclusion of the story.
All in all I enjoyed reading Find You First as it was really well written and an entertaining read. I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an ebook copy and HQ Stories publishers for letting me review this great thriller.
