Better than Baldacci, Connelly & Child.

I must admit I have never read a Tim Weaver novel before. I can not remember how I came to find Tim Weaver's books. I loved how the novel moved swiftly into action with a dead body been found in a cove near a bay. The second crime entres quickly with Emily going to her sisters house. As Emily enters Carrie's house the cars are in the driveway, the dinner is cooking, the youngest daughter Liv her toys are scattered all over the floor, the TV is on Paul carrie's husbands computer is on in his study and the dog is walking all around the house but their is no sign of the family.David Raker is a missing persons investigator who is trying to find Emily's missing family. I enjoyed reading this story so much that I now have Vanished by Tim Weaver to read. I have lots of book reviews on ireadnovels.wordpress com I would like to wish all readers a very happy reading day what ever you are reading.

I had never read a Tim Weaver book before and after reading this I will certainly be reading more of them. This is so well written, the plot is very complicated with lots of twists at the end but it stays credibility all the way through and although violent at times I never felt it was just for the sake of it. The story is about the disappearance of a family and takes you from Devon to Las Vegas. Emily Kane arrives at her sister Carrie's house to find the front door unlocked, and no one home. Dinner is cooking, the television is on, and milk is leaking from a bottle on the floor in front of an open fridge but the family has gone. The disappearance is so well written that it is as if they have dropped of the edge of the world. David Raker, a private investigator who specialises in missing persons and a family friend (with many demons of his own), takes on the case to track down the family. Although I found the story took a little while to get going and the changes in location and times a little frustrating, it was so worth it and after a very short time I was totally gripped and unable to put it down. Make sure you have several hours to spare when you sit down to read this. You won’t regret picking this book up – the tension is superbly written and some of the violence chilling but all in all story telling at its very best!

'Never Coming Back' is a brilliant thriller which is a true page turner in every way. From the moment I started reading this novel, I couldn't put it down. The novel is set in Devon, where private detective David Raker is recovering from a near death experience. But when he is contacted by an old friend to help locate her missing family, he is compelled to help. But the disappearance is odd - the family look like they have been whisked away in a heartbeat. But Raker has no idea just how strange the circumstances surrounding their disappearance are, and just how much danger he will find himself in in locating them. So the plot - this is what I liked most about this book. It's not your average thriller with a murder at the start and police detective bending the rules to find the killer. Raker has no rules and Weaver takes full advantage of this when developing the methods Raker will use to find the family. There is a lot of imagination gone into the story, and there are twist and turns throughout, right up to the last line of text. The novel flips between past and present, not too much so that it confuses the story, but enough to provide context and keep the reader guessing as to how the snippet of the past will be relevant. There are also historical events entwined in this novel which are really interesting, and what I loved most about these was that Weaver doesn't go into too much detail and over-egg the events, he simply mentions the pertinent points and assumes that the reader knows enough to fill in the gaps. There is so much in this novel, but at no point did the plot become over complex or feel like there were too many twists as some novels can. Weaver has executed his plot twists perfectly to create a really cracking story that had me gripped. Next the characters. Having not read any of the David Raker thrillers before, I was a little worried that there would be elements that were lost on me, but that was not the case at all. Although it is clear that the characters have a history, it is not so intrinsic to the plot that not knowing affects your enjoyment of the novel. The key things are mentioned, but again not over-egged, so the reader is never confused by the past. The characters were also very well constructed. Raker is shown as a really genuine caring guy who has nothing to gain and lots to loose from his job, but carries on regardless because of the help it provides to others. Cornell is really dark and sinister. We get few descriptions of him, him always lurking on the edges, but this is a great way of making him the baddie in the novel. And the others that Raker meets in his search are equally intriguing and all add to the mystery of the novel. Interestingly, those who I felt the least for where the family who were missing and who the whole plat revolved around. Who they were barely mattered to me, it was all about Raker and his investigation. I'm always a fan of thriller books, but this was unlike many I have read before and I really enjoyed it from the off. The combination of great characters, an ever developing plot and some really clever writing make this a great read that, should you have the time, you could easily read in one sitting without even noticing you had done it. I defy anyone to pick this up and not be drawn in and will the answers to come as you can't stand the suspense any longer!

This is the first Tim Weaver book that I have read but not my first thriller – however, this is poles apart from any other thriller that I’ve ever read – this book is in the top tier of a whole league of its own - this, people, is a THRILLER!!! It should come with an advisory notice on the front cover warning potential readers of the effects on their daily routines if they open this book – of the unanswered telephone calls, the unnoticed text messages, the unwashed dishes, families being left to fend for themselves at mealtimes… all because you will not be able to put this book down! The tenacious and quick-witted investigator of missing people, David Raker, is the central character of this book. The story, set in both Devon and Las Vegas, revolves around the complete disappearance without trace of Paul and Carrie Ling, and their two daughters. The fact that they literally drop right off the radar is the intriguing hook that grabs the reader right from the very start, before long the plot deeply immerses you inside the mystery and drama as it unfolds and it won’t let you up for air! This well written story never relinquishes its tension or its complexity until the very last full stop – its plot, violent at times, is extremely convoluted and with multiple twists at the end but never loses its credibility or believability. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it!! Pick this book up – you won’t regret it! Story telling at its very best!