The writing – amazing! The pace – amazing! The structure – amazing! The characters – amazing! The twists and turns – amazing! The final reveal – amazing! The intelligence behind writing this book – AMAZING! Characters - Gordon, our hospital patient and bereft parent; Lenny, our PI; a kindly nurse; Gordon's ex-wife, ex-business partner and a couple of dodgy former business associates; Lenny's wife, a couple of taxi drivers, Gordon's doctor, an investigative journalist, a retired police officer involved in the original investigation into Betsy's disappearance, a man named Dod and a significant other. He certainly knows how to nail a crime thriller and get readers on the edge of their seats. I swallow his books in one sitting" - author Sharon Thompson I really enjoyed the fact that apart from the child in the story none of the characters were likeable people especially our protagonist Gordon. This I think is a truer reflection of real life, people are complex and not necessarily likeable and you see this really reflected in the story. Irish author David B. Lyons was raised in Dublin where his 2019 mystery, Whatever Happened to Betsy Blake, takes place. A little girl named Betsy had been kidnapped 17 years before at age 4 and has been missing ever since.

I couldn’t fathom the fact that David just wrote another mind blowing book! I was on the edge the whole time, reading and thinking and trying to piece it together but I failed so miserably and I AM HAPPY ABOUT IT! Every chapter is charged with tension, and the last sentences of each of them are such great read-on prompts. I was glued to my kindle for two complete days. I couldn’t help myself but continue reading it. If your daughter went missing, how many years would it take for you to admit she’s never coming home? David B. Lyons novels are for those who are fans of KL Slater, Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins and Mark Edwards. But surely rookie PI Lenny Moon – who has little or no experience in such high-profile investigating – doesn't have what it takes to make a breakthrough in this case before Gordon is put to sleep.Seventeen years ago, four year old Betsy Blake disappeared. She was never found. Now, her father Gordon is in hospital awaiting surgery. His odds of surviving aren’t exactly great. Gordon’s biggest fear is dying on the operating table, not knowing what happened to his daughter. So he hires a private investigator, Lenny Moon, who has exactly five hours to find out whatever happened to Betsy Blake. Can Lenny achieve what police have failed to do? But surely rookie PI Lenny Moon – who has little or no experience in such high-profile investigating – doesn’t have what it takes to make a breakthrough in this case before Gordon is put to sleep But surely rookie PI Lenny Moon – who has little or no experience in such high-profile investigating – doesn’t have what it takes to make a breakthrough in this case before Gordon is put to sleep. Well worth the time invested in reading it. I'd be curious to hear other seasoned crime-mystery-thriller readers' reactions, to see if they caught what I missed. First book review posted to my blog in quite a while, but what a book to start off with. I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. David Lyons is a new author to me, but one that I will definitely be reading more from. David is signed to Bloodhound books and Whatever happened to Betsy Blake is his second novel.

Overall, quite a clever book (or an ordinary book with a stupid reader), a fast read, never less than interesting, a few irritating/annoying characters - the sort of people I deal with every day at work, so nothing I couldn't handle - or more accurately ok characters who irritated at times. Plot - interesting. A dying man - maybe - it's 50-50 that he survives an urgent heart operation wants answers in five hours regarding the disappearance of his young daughter 17 years ago. A naive PI is hired, with the promise of a big pay-off - one which will improve his family's prospects considerably if he can bring something new to the table in the short period of time allowed. When he is informed he must undergo major heart surgery that he only has a fifty percent chance of surviving, Gordon Blake hires a local PI to give the investigation one last try.

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Lyons is an outstanding craftsman in the thriller genre. A gifted storyteller with a natural ability to thrill" – No. 1 Bestselling author Andrew Barrett Setting - Dublin - my hometown birthplace, albeit half a century ago..... car journeys, taxi rides, home visits for interviews, a hospital ward and a cellar or two. I took to Lenny. He had a simplicity about him that was endearing. Ok he was after the reward but he also had Gordon’s best interest at heart. Gordon you felt for being in such a predicament but he had had seventeen years to do this. The Nurse Elaine doing her utmost to try and keep Gordon’s heart suitable for surgery whilst all the time the search is ongoing. I won’t give anything away other than to say prepare for the unexpected. I should have seen that coming!! Clever, brilliant, gripping. 5* all the way.