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No Way To Die – Tony Kent

A deadly threat. A ghost from the past. And time is running out…

When traces of a radioactive material are found alongside a body in Key West, multiple federal agencies suddenly descend on the crime scene. This is not just an isolated murder: a domestic terrorist group is ready to bring the US government to its knees.

The threat hits close to home for Agent Joe Dempsey when he discovers a personal connection to the group. With his new team member, former Secret Service agent Eden Grace, Dempsey joins the race to track down the terrorists’ bomb before it’s too late. But when their mission falls apart, he is forced to turn to the most unlikely of allies: an old enemy he thought he had buried in his past.

Now, with time running out, they must find a way to work together to stop a madman from unleashing horrifying destruction across the country.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the blog tour for No Way To Die.

I am loathe to start a review with a seasonal reference, however, if you’re looking for an action thriller to gift a booklover this Christmas/Holiday season then stop reading now and just buy them a copy of No Way To Die.

Still here? Okay you can still buy it once you’ve finished reading my review. This one is an absolute corker.

All the “initialed” agencies in the US are on high alert when a tip off lands them at a quiet jetty in Key West. An incident at the waterside leaves the dead body of a security guard and lots of traces of chemicals. When the agents on scene watch video footage and see their killer they recognise him as a significant threat to national security who now has means to make a chemical device which, if exploded, could kill and critically injure thousands of innocent people.

The chase is on and returning hero Joe Dempsey is pulled from his planned trip home to assist. Don’t worry if you haven’t met Dempsey before as the author includes details of any key elements you may need to know from the previous books. In fact there are teasers there which will likely make you want to go back to catch up on those earlier books.

Dempsey and his colleagues on the hastily assembled task force will track their chief suspects across country as he flees in a van with his chemical contraband. This task is made easier as he is leaving a series of dead bodies in his wake.

For the reader we don’t just get Dempsey’s view of events we also travel with the terrorists and spending time with this right wing fanatic gives an insight into a side of American attitudes, personally, found discomforting. It’s very well written though.

We also get taken inside a high security prison where the worst of societies criminals are held. What links these captives, the ones who pose a danger to countries rather than individuals, to events unfolding in Key West? To find out I had to keep reading, long into the night as I felt I just had to keep going…the “one more chapter” mantra was strong here.

In short, this is a hugely enjoyable action thriller. Emphasis is firmly on entertainment from Tony Kent and the short, punchy chapters and snappy (often humerous) interchanges between characters keeps events zipping along. You are reading a high stakes, brutal and enthralling adventure story which has the feel of a blockbuster movie.

Make time to read No Way To Die.

No Way To Die is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/no-way-to-die/tony-kent/9781783966059

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November 21

The Guide – Peter Heller

The best-selling author of The River returns with a heart-racing thriller about a young man escaping his own grief and an elite fishing lodge in Colorado hiding a plot of shocking menace

Kingfisher Lodge: a boutique resort surrounded by a mile and a half of the most pristine river water on the planet.

Safe from viruses that have plagued America for years, Kingfisher offers a respite for wealthy clients – and a return to normality for fishing guide Jack, battling the demons of a recent, devastating loss.

But when a human scream pierces the night, Jack soon realises that the idyllic retreat may be merely a cover for a far more sinister operation.

My thanks to Ellen Turner at Orion for my review copy and also for the opportunity to join the blog tour for The Guide.

Jack is starting a new job an an exclusive retreat in Colorado. He is to act as a guide to the elite clientele who pay tens of thousands of dollars for the opportunity to spend a week in the beautiful scenic mountains and fish in the rivers. Jack is to help them fish, teaching them techniques or finding the best spots on the river where their chances of success will be greatest.

It’s clear Jack isn’t taking this new post simply because he wants a new job. As we read The Guide we learn more about Jack and the issues in his past which he appears to be trying to escape, this role is to get away from something or to give him space to clear his head. However, when we first meet him he does appear an amiable character but one who does not warm to the chief Guide who is showing him the ropes. Something appears slightly “off” about this luxury resort and he isn’t accepting it is because the clients want peace and undisturbed quiet.

Maybe it is the neighbouring estates which are making Jack uneasy? As he is being shown the river and the boundaries of the retreat Jack is warned not to go too far upstream as that neighbour is a crazy old fellah who will take pot-shots at anyone who crosses past the warning signs he has posted by the river banks. Seemingly he took a shot at a guest earlier that season and only narrowly missed them. DO NOT GO UPSTREAM is the clear message. Likewise downstream past the end of the estate is also a no go area – that neighbour has dogs that will attack anyone who may stray into their territory. There is plenty of space in the area of his employers estate and copious fish to pursue, no need to stray.

The accommodation is of the highest luxury, though not so much for a staff member, and as well as a bar and restaurant for all guests to relax in and enjoy there are also spa treatment spaces to allow guests to unwind.

There is an unspecified virus loose in the world so precautions are taken on site and daily screening undertaken to keep guests safe. Masks are worn and safe spaces are mentioned. It’s a set of rules we are all familiar with now and one the characters are comfortable to accept but at the retreat it is all about escaping from the world outside.

Jack gets an afternoon to familiarise himself with his new surroundings and to fish – something he clearly loves and an opportunity to lose himself in the activity. I’m no fisher but Peter Heller makes this sound the most relaxing and enjoyable way to pass an afternoon in the sun and great outdoors. For Jack there is an intrusion into his peaceful escape when he spots a security camera watching spots on the river, a safety feature but one which he feels takes away from his solitude.

By the time Jack is introduced to the guest he will be accompanying for the duration of her visit he is comfortable with the river and keen to avoid mingling too much with the elite guests and other staff. Fortunately his guest is also happy with Jack’s company and the two form an easy friendship.

It will turn out Jack’s suspicsions are correct. Something is very wrong at this idylic resort and the more mysterious things Jack sees which he can’t understand the more he will dig for answers. Digging for answers will, in turn, attract unwanted attention towards Jack. When you’re miles from safety and hopelessly outnumbered by powerful, rich people who want their secrets to remain secret your chances of surviving are not high.

The Guide was a deeply satisfying story which layered its secrets cleverly and didn’t show its hand too soon. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Guide is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-guide/peter-heller/9781474623889

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November 13

Murder at the Bailey – Henry Milner

A notorious loan shark is shot dead, in broad daylight, right outside the front doors of the Old Bailey. The killer is arrested at the scene and Adrian Stanford is lined up to take on the toughest defence case of his career. Can he steer his client past the no-nonsense Detective Chief Superintendent ‘Iron-Rod’ Stokes, hell-bent on achieving a murder conviction in his last case before retirement? That’s assuming he can keep his client alive in prison long enough for the trial to go ahead. Can his illustrious defence QC, Patrick ‘The Edge’ Gorman, swerve the case past the acerbic judge known to all as Mack the Knife, whose own resolve is being tested to the limit by an adulterous wife? And why is London underworld numero uno Big Jake Davenport showing such a keen interest in the proceedings?

A wickedly eccentric cast of brilliantly drawn characters populate this daring debut from one of Britain’s top criminal defence lawyers. Dripping with sparkling dialogue and delicious wit, Murder at the Bailey is a masterly picaresque romp through the courtrooms, custody suites and London restaurants graced by the cognoscenti.

My thanks to at Biteback Publishing for my review copy and for inviting me to join the blog tour.

I want to read books which are fun, the escapism, engaging characters and a damn good story to hold my attention. Essentially I want to read books like Murder at the Bailey.

A clever, witty and fascinating “romp” through the English justice system as a high profile murder case runs through the courts. But this is no domestic drama to be played out under the radar, the deceased was a gangster – a notorious loan shark who evaded all all attempts to imprison him by putting the frighteners on any prosecution witnesses. He always and walked free from court to the frustration of the police.

But at the start of our story the loan shark doesn’t walk far. As he leaves the courtroom following his latest “not guilty” verdict a man dressed in court garb confronts him on the court steps and shoots him. Twice.

The shooter is arrested and makes a full confession to the police. Then he calls for one of the top defence lawyers and the process of defending him in court begins.

As readers we are treated to the best seats in the house as we follow all the players in this engaging courtroom drama. The judge who has problems at home, the defence lawyer who is bored and seeking a challenge, the arresting policeman who wants one last big conviction before retirement and badly wants to put the defence lawyer in his place. Then there is the gangster who is delighted to see the loanshark dead and wants to help (anonymously) the accused go free. Naturally the gangster has “contacts” so he tries to ensure he knows what’s happening with the jury…it goes on.

All these characters are masterfully depicted. With so many larger than life egos bustling to command the spotlight there could have been a problem ensuring they get the attention they deserve but this just doesn’t happen. When the stakes are this high there is plenty of room for everyone to shine – fantastic control shown by Henry Milner in keeping his characters firmly in their place.

I cannot recommend this book more highly. Smart courtroom powerplays, acerbic wit, duplicity everywhere you turn and at the heart a killer who wants you to believe he had no other choice but to eliminate a bad man before he was a victim himself. Kill or be killed?

If you enjoy a courtroom thriller you will be hard pressed to find one quite like Murder at the Bailey. I absolutely loved it.

Murder at the Bailey is published by Biteback Publishing and will be available in paperback and digital format from 16 November. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09BTS65NK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 12

The Dark Hours – Michael Connelly

AS NIGHT FALLS, A KILLER COMES TO LIGHT…

On New Year’s Eve at the end of one of the hardest years in history, hundreds of revellers shoot their guns into the air in time-honoured LA tradition. But as the rain of lead comes down, a man is shot dead in the middle of a crowded street party.

Detective Renée Ballard soon connects the bullet to an unsolved cold case last worked by legendary ex-LAPD detective Harry Bosch. As they investigate where the old and new cases connect, a new crime shatters the night shift.

The Midnight Men are a pair of violent predators who stalk the city during the dark hours, and will kill to keep their identities secret.

In a police department shaken to the core by pandemic and protests, both cases have the power to save Ballard’s belief in the job – or take everything from her…

I received a review copy from Orion and was invited to join the blog tour by Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers.

A Ballard and Bosch thriller but The Dark Hours is very much the book in which Renée Ballard gets to shine. I can’t immediately think of a scene in the book where Ballard doesn’t feature and she is a formidable force throughout. Bosch fans need not worry as Harry does get plenty of involvement but this is all about Ballard.

Proceedings open on New Years Eve when all the cops are on the streets for a “time-honoured” tradition of LA residents shooting their guns into the air (and I thought we Scot’s were hardcore revellers on Hogmanay). A call comes through for Ballard – a death to attend after the rain of bullets had fallen on the city.

Although Ballard is not working homicide cases and has been seconded to Sex to assist with a case the police are calling The Midnight Men she attends the scene and has suspicions this death may actually be a murder. Although Ballard should be handing over the case to the detectives that work homicides they are too busy with an “all hands onboard” case which has potential to be high profile and damaging for the reputation of LAPD. Ballard starts to investigate her suspected murder and opens a can of worms.

The murder weapon appears to link to an unsolved murder several years ago, the investigating detective was Harry Bosch. The pair are reunited and Ballard drafts in Bosch to assist so she can try to track a killer before she is told to hand over the case to the homicide detectives. As she starts asking questions she draws attention to herself, there have been other murders down the years and Ballard’s victim is just the latest person who fell foul of a ruthless collective. But with the department seemingly reluctant to lift the lid on historic murders which may make LAPD look bad she is fighting a losing battle to progress her enquiries.

Ballard’s frustration with the politics of policing is very clear in The Dark Hours. Michael Connelly has made his latest novel very relevant to today’s circumstances. He is one of the few authors making lockdown and Covid very much part of the ongoing narrative. There are mentions of George Floyd and the January 6th issues in the Americal capital. Ballard has seen the public perception towards the police shifting and it doesn’t help her doing her job. This brings a fascinating new dynamic to a police story which the author exploits to magnificent effect.

I referenced The Midnight Men – a dual team of predators who have been conducting violent sexual assults on women. Ballard is officially working this case but is saddled with a colleague who Ballard feels has lost her drive and empathy. These scenes in the story will be disturbing and Ballard’s determination to see justice served will drive her to making some questionable decisions to see the perpreatrators caught. Is the result more important than following procedure? Ballard thinks so but she will still need to answer for her actions.

The Dark Hours is easily one of my favourite reads this year. The story feels frantic and unrelenting. Ballard is spinning plates and burning the candle both ends and the reader is caught up with her determination to make good and help the victims in all the crimes she has to investigte. But hunting the worst people makes her a target and Ballard will need to be very careful as not all threats are physical, political pressures may also stop her achieving her goals.

I don’t know how Michael Connelly can consistently deliver such compelling stories but I am in awe that the does.

The Dark Hours is published by Orion and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook copy. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08WPWZ57C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 2

Good Cop Bad Cop – Simon Kernick

BRAVE HERO OR CRIMINAL MASTERMIND?

TONIGHT WE FIND OUT.

Undercover cop Chris Sketty became a hero when he almost died trying to stop the most brutal terror attack in UK history. With the suspects either dead or missing, the real motive remains a mystery.

But someone is convinced Sketty is a liar.
A criminal mastermind.
A murderer.

Blackmailed into revealing the truth, Sketty will share a twisting tale of betrayal, deception and murder…with a revelation so shocking that nothing will be the same again.

My thanks to the publisher for my review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Good Cop Bad Cop blog tour.

I’ve always enjoyed the Simon Kernick books I have read in the past, his name on a book is an early guarantee of a cracking read. I finished Good Cop Bad Cop last night and it has immediately become my favourite of all the Simon Kernick novels. What a rush this book was!

Chris Sketty is a cop. When his story begins in Good Cop Bad Cop he is recently single after splitting with his wife following the death of their young daughter. Sketty has his work and not much more so he throws himself into his job. But Sketty is young and headstrong and he also struggles to control his temper and exercise caution when the red mist descends.

This lack of control is evidenced when he uses excessive force to bring down and subdue a suspect in a domestic abuse incident. Sketty’s prospects look bleak as the investigation into his use of force looks likely to rule he over-reacted which would mean expulsion from the force.

Then comes a chance at salvation. Sketty is invited to go undercover as there is suspicion an officer in another division is part of a secretive criminal gang with wide ranging influence and a remorseless, ruthless destruction agenda. Sketty is to try and get close to the suspect and bring down the network. To Sketty it seems the perfect opportunity to redeem himself but it turns out to be one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Or does it?

Good Cop Bad Cop sees Sketty recounting where his life went wrong. This discussion takes place years after he was asked to go undercover and he is speaking with the widower of a murdered woman who died during a terror incident during which Sketty was himself injured but emerged as a hero for killing some of the instigators.

There is a suspicion Sketty is not the hero he is made out to be and that he got too deep in his undercover role and turned criminal – responsible for countless deaths and horrific violence. Truth will out but who can you trust?

I inhaled Good Cop Bad Cop. Simon Kernick does a magnificent job of blurring the lines around Sketty’s actions and I struggled to convince myself if Sketty was an evil operator or just desperately unlucky and cursed with making poor choices.

This is a book laden with excitement, thrills and tension. By the end you have lived Sketty’s life with him and you will have decided if he is indeed a Good Cop or perhaps a Bad Cop. But I don’t think we will all reach the same conclusion.

This is a must read book for any thriller fan.

Good Cop Bad Cop will be published by Headline on 11 November and will be available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P6VVFTZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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October 27

State of Terror – Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Take a ringside seat in the high-stakes world of international politics . . .

After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in. Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, is determined to do her duty for her country. But she is about to face a horrifying international threat . . .

A young foreign service officer has received a baffling text from an anonymous source. Too late, she realizes it was a hastily coded warning. Then a series of bus bombs devastate Europe, heralding the rise of a new rogue terrorist organization who will stop at nothing in their efforts to develop their own nuclear arsenal.

As Ellen unravels the damaging effects of the former presidency on international politics, she must also contemplate the unthinkable: that the last president of the United States was more than just an ineffectual leader. Was he also a traitor to his country?

State of Terror is a compelling and critically acclaimed international political thriller co-written by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th secretary of state, and Louise Penny, a multiple award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling novelist.

I recieved a review copy of State of Terror from the publishers. My thanks also to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the tour.

Before I say anything else I will cut to the chase…State of Terror is easily one of the most enjoyable reads I have covered on the blog this year. I started reading and I just did not want to stop. It’s the kind of story I love – political dramas, global terror threat, panic on the streets and in the corridors of power in Washington DC the politicians and their staff are trying to keep everyone safe.

On the cover of State of Terror there is an anecdote from Louise Penny which said she asked Hillary about her time as Secretary of State and what had been her worst nightmare. “State of Terror is the answer to that question”. Before I had even opened the book I was desperate to read it.

Terrorists have detonated bombs in London, Paris and Frankfurt. US Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, is responsible for co-ordinating the American response and keeping in touch with her colleagues around the world. Knowledge needs to be shared and each country is looking out for their own interests while also ensuring no further innocent civilians are harmed but there is also a blame game taking place and America and Adams are front and centre here.

An anonymous and coded message was sent to the American state office. It was picked up by a junior communications handler who was not immediately aware of its significance. She showed it to her boss and was told to bin it as junk. But the message gave her hope as she wondered if it may have been sent by a friend so she took a copy before destroying the original. That decision turns out to be hugely significant as, after two bombs have detonated, she understands the message and gets it in front of Adams. Her actions saves lives and a survivor from the third bomb may just hold the answer to the biggest question: Who Did This?

State of Terror is a thriller which plays out on a global scale. The pace is frenetic and the risk of failure too great to contemplate. Ellen Adams is Secretary of State and she was a brilliant lead character. Her position is a surprise to many as she opposed the new President during the elections. The administration is taking over from a disastrous Presidency where America was weakened and lost face on the global stage. It’s political intrigue and backstabbing and had me completely hooked.

State of Terror was a reading State of Bliss for me. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny have penned a cracking thriller and I could read books like this all day long. Top stuff – go get it!

State of Terror is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08X7GL8TG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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October 25

Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurdardóttir translated by Quentin Bates

Áróra returns to Iceland when her estranged sister goes missing, and her search leads to places she could never have imagined. A chilling, tense thriller – FIRST in an addictive, nerve-shattering new series – from one of Iceland’s bestselling authors…

Icelandic sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries and aren‘t on speaking terms, but when their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister. But she soon realizes that her sister isn’t avoiding her … she has disappeared, without trace.

As she confronts Ísafold’s abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend Björn, and begins to probe her sister’s reclusive neighbours – who have their own reasons for staying out of sight – Áróra is led into an ever-darker web of intrigue and manipulation.

Baffled by the conflicting details of her sister’s life, and blinded by the shiveringly bright midnight sun of the Icelandic summer, Áróra enlists the help of police officer Daníel, as she tries to track her sister’s movements, and begins to tail Björn – but she isn’t the only one watching…

Slick, tense, atmospheric and superbly plotted, Cold as Hell marks the start of a riveting, addictive new series from one of Iceland’s bestselling crime writers.

I read my purchased copy of Cold as Hell ahead of my review being shared as part of the blog tour. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Cold as Hell tour.

Áróra and Ísafold are sisters but they do not get on. It’s been several years since the pair spoke, Áróra lives in England, while Ísafold prefers Iceland. But Ísafold has fallen off the grid – she has not been in contact with her mother who is worried about what may have happened. Áróra is called – get to Iceland, find your sister.

The fact Ísafold is missing does not immediately concern Áróra but she takes herself to Iceland and is soon at Ísafold’s house. Her partner is not remotely interested in helping Áróra and doesn’t even care where Ísafold may be – she is not there and that seems enough for him. His dismissive behaviour perplexes Áróra and when she speaks with her mother after this encounter she doesn’t appear to have much of an idea how to track her sister. But mum’s can be full of good ideas and she recommends Áróra seek out an investigator (Daniel) who may be able to lend his support and skills. Giving up is not an option.

So an investigation is unofficially launched with Áróra and Daniel digging deeper and uncovering secrets.

There is a second distraction for Áróra though. She has met a guy in Iceland and while the two are in his hotel room she discovers his father owns the hotel. Áróra also realises she is naked in bed with a man who has just left prison and she has no idea what crime may have been committed to put him there. She flees into the night fearing for her safety but it subsequently transpires her new acquiantance had been charged with financial crime. This is of deep interest to Áróra who wants to know more about this man and the crimes he committed.

I cannot get enough of Financial Crime stories and I love that Lilja Sigurdardóttir features some wickedly clever financial scams in each of her books. The crashing of the global economies in 2008, when financial markets took a hit around the world, was particularly hard on Iceland – seeing the continued manipulation of financial issues in stories set in Iceland does make each of the crimes Lilja Sigurdardóttir writes about seem more cruel than may otherwise have been the case. But I do still love reading them.

I am reading more translated fiction these days than I have ever done at any previous time in my life. This is only possible through the work of all the translators who have a command of language far beyond anything I could ever hope to achive. Their hard work and diligence brings stories like Cold as Hell to my bookshelves and I get to enjoy books which would otherwise be strangers to me. You may note that this review has been titled to include Quentin Bates as translator; going forward I plan to always show the translator when reading a text not originally written in English.

In the case of Cold as Hell I love how Quentin Bates conveys the tone and emotion of the story. Áróra’s initial frustration at her mother’s concern over her sister’s disappearance. Her own bemusement at the reaction she recieves in Iceland from Björn when he does not seem to have any interest in the whereabouts of the woman he lived with for three years. Then the more subtle fascination Áróra has with Daniel as she outlines why she is worred about Ísafold. With those subtle indicators of emotion and intrigue I become more drawn to all the players in this game, they are not binary “good guy, bad guy” characters, there are shades of emotions, subtle deceptions and telling tics and Quentin Bates brings them all through to give the story the nuance I seek.

Cold as Hell builds the layers of mystery and dead end investigations but you are drawn along with the story. Nothing is quite what it seems and Lilja Sigurdardóttir is masterly in her weaving of layers to everyone’s story. Add in the whole financial crime element and I was more than happy to be lost in this story.

Cold as Hell is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08WRJXYGY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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October 19

The Rabbit Factor – Antti Tuomainen

Just one spreadsheet away from chaos…

What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal.

And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.

But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri’s relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets…

Warmly funny, rich with quirky characters and absurd situations, The Rabbit Factor is a triumph of a dark thriller, its tension matched only by its ability to make us rejoice in the beauty and random nature of life.

My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to take part in the blog tour for The Rabbit Factor.

The exciting news about The Rabbit Factor (which I am sure you know already) is that Steve Carell loves the book and will play Henri in a movie adaptation for Amazon Studios. I don’t believe it is possible to know this and NOT picture Carell as Henri – I felt I knew the character from the outset.

But maybe that is because I had a bit of a head start? Henri is an actuary and works in Financial Services. Although I am not smart enough to be an actuary I have certainly worked with a fair few actuaries down the years and could easily identify with Henri and the dilemmas he faced. You see, Henri craves order, precision and mathematics. He knows where he stands with mathematical accuracy – it is CORRECT. It can be qualtified. It does not entertain frivolity or feelings.

So when his employers stop putting their focus behind the calcuations and start synergizing and working in teams to consider how best to drive their corporate missions forward he feels decidedly out of his comfort zone. Things come to a head when his boss lays it out to Henri – embrace the softer, team focused ethos or take a hike. Henri walks, confident he will be snapped up by another firm. But Henri has misjudged the modern workplace – it’s all buzzwords and corporate bullshit these days and he doesn’t find a place as easily as he had expected.

Fate is to intervene though. Henri’s brother, the last of his family has sadly passed away. Henri inherits everything. But everything is a children’s Adventure Park and a whole lot of debt – debt which Henri isn’t used to dealing with as it did not come from the bank but from some unsavoury characters who don’t accept “no” for an answer.

Soon Henri is trying to deal with frustrated artists, ticket collectors with aims to become General Manager, broken machinery, absent staff and planning how best to avoid being killed by a frustrated loanshark. It’s an absolute riot but in Antti Tuomainen’s skilled hands it is also a delight to read.

The Adventure Park (never Amusement Park) becomes Henri’s focus. He can make it work, he can make it profitable and more importantly…he thinks he can use it to keep the moneylenders off his back. However Henri had not considered the possibility someone may just decide that they want him dead – can he survive long enough to outfox the criminals?

The Rabbit Factor delivers fun by the bucketload. Henri and the other Adventure Park staff are hugely engaging and the whole story is quirky and charming – well as quirky and charming as you can get with hitmen, dead bodies and hostile lapdancers.

Don’t sleep on this one.

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October 11

The Lost Boy – Rachel Amphlett

Run. Don’t look back.

When a young teenager is stabbed to death at a busy fairground, Detective Mark Turpin is assigned the task of finding the boy’s killer.

But this was no random murder.

Mark knows the victim, and the man who ordered his death.

As he sifts through the young victim’s final days, he uncovers a powerful crime syndicate that will do anything to protect its interests.

Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly Mark isn’t just trying to solve a murder – he’s fighting for his own survival.

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join this leg of the tour for The Lost Boy. I received a pre-publication review copy of The Lost Boy.

The Lost Boy is all about a police investigation, it is the work, detail, the interviews and chasing down leads. Turpin and his colleagues are driven to find the killer of a young teenager who arrived in town and never had the chance to leave.

The book opens with an instruction…”Run.” Matthew Arkdale is scared, he is alone and he is desperately trying to keep hidden from someone that is chasing him. Matthew is at a fairground, trying to hide in the crowds and escape his pursuer but the man hunting him is relentless and isn’t giving up.

Sadly for young Matthew he is about to run out of options. A brief confrontation, a knife and the teenager becomes a victim of a deadly crime.

It isn’t long before Matthews body is discovered and for DS Mark Turpin, who had been attending the fair with his kids, it is the end of a fun evening and the start of an intense investigation which will see Mark and his loved ones put into terrible danger. You see, Mark recognises Matthew as their paths crossed in the past and he knows who wanted Matthew dead. Somewhere in the background is a ruthless criminal who puts his own interests ahead of everthing else and doesn’t think twice about ending a life to ensure his own ventures can continue.

From the moment Matthew Arkdale dies the story switches to Turpin and the police. It is their book now, the investigation is everything and the officers tasked with finding a murderer are our only focus. The murder of a child is a hugely challenging time for the police and Turpin and his colleagues are shown to struggle with their emotions while they conduct their investigations. It’s handled extremely effectively by Rachel Amphlett and raised my involvement in the story. Can we read too many crime novels (absolutely not) but we can be guilty of forgetting the consequence of each character’s death as we, as readers, become fixated on the lead characters and the solving of the crime. Keeping the emotion about the tragedy of a young life lost as a big issue for the investigative team was paramount to my enjoyment.

In terms of the investigation its-self, I was hooked. We learn every new discovery as the police do. We see interviews, we get new evidence and we even chase up the labs to get blood and chemical reviews back as quickly as possible. Readers get to feel they are part of the team. Total immersion in the invesigation and I loved that.

For Turpin, knowing the victim and the man who ordered Matthews death means he too is at risk. This is the third Mark Turpin book and in previous outings he gained minor celebrity status when journalists featured his involvement in a successful police operation. Now Turpin’s personal details are easily obtainable and when the wrong people know he is a father and can also work out where he lives it isn’t just Mark Turpin who is in danger, his children and his partner are too. The stakes are high and the price of failure even higher.

I flew through The Lost Boy in just a couple of sittings. Rachel Amphlett’s words flowed over me as I became engrossed in this murder story and I experienced that bite of disappointment when I reached the end of the story, knowing I could easily have read more.

The Lost Boy is available now in paperback and digital format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B096SJBTPZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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October 9

One – Peter Schmeichel

‘Why me? How could a boy from a Copenhagen tower block say I want to be a champion with Manchester United and Denmark and make it happen?’

Peter Schmeichel is a giant of football, who won more Premier League titles (five) than any player in his position and captained Manchester United in the incomparable, last-gasp Treble-clinching win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. ‘I don’t believe a better goalkeeper played the game,’ Sir Alex Ferguson said. One: My Autobiography is Schmeichel’s story.

In it, he takes us inside the remarkable, winning environment of a club that transformed football during the 1990s, and on to the pitch on that crazy, breathless night in Barcelona in 1999. From Ferguson’s unique gifts to Eric Cantona’s unique personality, he delivers a close-up and insightful portrait of United’s golden era.

However, One: My Autobiography goes way beyond the pitch.

Schmeichel has an incredible family story to tell, starting with his father, Antoni, a brilliant Polish jazz musician who battled demons and for years kept a momentous secret from those around him. And he explores what he has been able to pass on to his own son, Kasper – himself a Premier League-winning goalkeeper and number one in the Danish national side.

Peter’s life after football, seldom straightforward, is described with astonishing candour. One: My Autobiography is about football, origins, journeys and legacy.

My thanks to Sofia Saghir at Midas PR for the opportunity to join this leg of the #CheltLitFest blog tour and for selecting a terrific book to showcase.

I loves that the opening line of the blurb to One sees Peter Schmeichel asking the question “Why me?” Well natural talent and a fantastic work ethic would appear to be big contributors to the success he enjoyed during an outstanding playing career. Peter is appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival (on Sunday 10th October) and after reading One I would love to be in the audience to hear him speak. This book is crammed with entertaining, funny and inciteful anecdotes which you can only imagine are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to storys which could have been told.

I don’t read biographies on a regular basis but when I do pick up a new book to dig into someone’s life I tend to cateogorise them into one of two reading experiences. First there is the biography about someone I feel I know something about. This is where Peter Schmeichal and One would sit. I watched much of Peter’s playing career as I have been a football fan for virtually all my (nearly 50) years and I saw the growth of a young Manchester United team who rose to win the biggest competitions they entered. Schmeichel was at the heart of that success and a UK household name. I recognised many of the events he writes about so putting those stories into the context I remember was a wonderful trip back down memory lane.

The other type of biography is that where I know the person but they are something of an enigma. I recently read Dr Heather Martin’s utterly absorbing biography of Lee Child and would classify that into this category. I knew Child through his writing but knew nothing about the guy behind the name. So where One told stories around events I knew, The Reacher Guy told a whole new story about someone I really didn’t know.

Back to One. Before the football became all consuming in Peter’s life he also gives the reader a background on his own family. Danish legend Schmeichel first travelled under a Polish passport, his father was Polish and left the East to a new life in Denmark with Peter’s Danish mother. The Polish Government put pressure on Peter’s father to spy for them while he was in a Western country!

When his playing career was just getting underway Schmeichel tells of the frustration he experienced while trying to get a move to Manchester United. His admiration and respect for his old boss shines through as does the strong squad ethic which was built up over those years. Seeing behind the scenes of those wonderful days is a treat for a football fan. Reading One I did feel Schmeichel was giving us insights into how footballers conducted themselves, their friendships beyond the pitch and the amazing support network they put in place for each other. We feel we know these players as they are in our newspapers and magazines, on the news and Match of the Day and always on our football pitches when we pass through the gates of the stadium but there is so much more we don’t get to see.

One is a hugely enjoyable read, accessible in manageable chapters, clearly told and warm and engaging for a reader. As Christmas looms this should be on the gift list for football fans and indeed for anyone who wants to read about a player who strives for success and the self disipline needed to achieve those personal goals.

Peter Schmeichel is appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday 10 October at 10am. Tickets and more information on the event can be found here: https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on/2021/l061-peter-schmeichel/

One is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0915T6GCN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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