Book Review: - A double Jeffery Deaver whammy. The Never Game and The Goodbye Man (Colter Shaw series)

 

I was introduced to The Never Game last Year and was really excited to find out what the hero from The Never Game - Colter Shaw - was up to in The Goodbye Man. I was not disappointed.

The Never Game Blurb

Available Here 

Three people are kidnapped across California.

Sophie is locked inside a derelict warehouse.
Henry is abandoned in remote woodland.
Elizabeth is trapped inside a sinking ship.

They are alive, but don’t have much time to live…

Only one man can save them: unique investigator Colter Shaw. He’s an expert tracker with a forensic mind, but this will be a test even for him.

Because this killer isn’t following the rules; he’s changing them. One murder at a time…

My Thoughts

I think one of the reasons The Never Game appealed to me so much was that it was so different from my usual go to police procedurals. Colter Shaw isn't a traditional detective . He's a Bounty Hunter or Missing Persons investigator with a bit of a difference; rather than out for the money. Shaw is out to make a difference. I was intrigued by his Prepper style upbringing and the mystery surrounding his family, in particular his father. He's a tough cookie and The Never Game was filled from beginning to end with action, drama and intrigue. I loved it. 

Available Here

The Goodbye Man Blurb

Say goodbye to your problems
In pursuit of two armed fugitives in the wilderness of Washington State, unique investigator Colter Shaw witnesses a shocking suicide. This leads him to the Foundation – a cult that promises to transform people’s lives. But is there more to it than meets the eye?
 
Say goodbye to your freedom
Shaw goes undercover to expose the Foundation’s real purpose. Before long he meets the charismatic leader Master Eli, a man who commands terrifying loyalty from his followers.
 
Say goodbye to your life
Something truly dark is going on beneath the surface of the idyllic community. And as Shaw peels back the layers of truth, he begins to see there is only one way to escape the Foundation … and the price for that freedom might well be your very life.

My Thoughts

I was delighted to reconnect with Colter Shaw, not least because we were left on a bit of a cliffhanger concerning Shaw's father. The Goodbye Man takes up soon after The Never Game and takes us into the heart of a cult. Shaw doesn't need to investigate  this cult, but his natural suspicions and his moral code makes it his duty to get to the bottom of the cult. So with the 'intrigue' surrounding his father's death on a back burner, Shaw infiltrates The Cult and makes both friends and enemies. 

I found this to be a chilling indictment of the horror and manipulation of cults and the leaders mind. Deaver handles the vulnerability of the followers sensitively, but doesn't shy away from exposing some of the lengths these fanatic leaders will go to. Really enjoyed this book.