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Panic Room – Robert Goddard

Another evening of fun looms with the First Monday Crime team. For May 2018’s gathering they are meeting on Monday 30th April – so not in May at all. This follows on from the April Meeting which actually took place on the SECOND Monday in April. Despite their dubious decision to call the evening First Monday I am reliably assured that these gatherings in London are great fun and give readers the chance to hear some top authors discuss their work and I am sure book signing opportunities exist too.

For details on First Monday Crime visit their website HERE

One of the guests at May’s meeting is the legend that is Robert Goddard – his latest thriller Panic Room is a terrific read so lets take a closer look….

Sometimes the danger is on the inside . . .

High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion. Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of dubious background, secretive and alone, currently acting as housesitter.

The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable – and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn’t know it’s there. She’s too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she’s escaped.

But her remote existence is going to be invaded when people come looking for the house’s owner, missing rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness. Suddenly the whole world wants to know where his money has gone. Soon people are going to come knocking on the door, people with motives and secrets of their own, who will be asking Blake the sort of questions she can’t – or won’t – want to answer.

And will the panic room ever give up its secrets?

My thanks to Patsy at Transworld for my review copy.

Panic Room is a book riddled with mysteries, the biggest being why would someone need a panic room in their house?

Jack Harkness is in a whole lot of trouble, his business and reputation are in tatters and the vultures are circling for his cash and assets. His luxury Cornish home is held in the name of his wife (who is no longer on the scene) and she has decided to sell it. The book opens with estate agent Don Challenor being asked to travel from London to Cornwall to appraise the house for sale – time is of the essence and Don is offered a healthy sum to do the job quickly and efficiently.

On arrival in Cornwall he finds the house and an unexpected resident – a young woman called Blake who was working as housekeeper. Don is instructed to make sure that Blake leaves the property immediately. Blake has other ideas.

While Don is checking the house he discovers an anomaly in the Master Bedrooom – the dimensions of the room seem to be off. Further investigation reveals the titular Panic Room, a puzzle which Don has to solve as the room is closed over. Is it malfunctioning or could there be someone inside?

As the story unfolds the puzzles and mysteries build up – Blake and Don will attempt to locate a missing girl, fall afoul of a witch and will have to keep one step ahead of a couple of “heavies” who are very interested to learn of the existence of the Panic Room.

You read Panic Room, you get instantly caught up in the problem facing Don and before you know it 100 pages have flown by and you have more questions than answers.

I really enjoyed this book – it draws you in and you want to keep reading. Exactly what a good story should do!

Panic Room is published by Bantam Press and is available in Hardback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panic-Room-Robert-Goddard-ebook/dp/B01I0RU1O4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525015964&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+goddard

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April 29

The Girl Who Got Revenge – Marnie Riches

Revenge is a dish best served deadly…

A twelve-year-old girl is found dead at the Amsterdam port. An old man dies mysteriously in a doctors’ waiting room. Two seemingly unconnected cases, but Inspector Van den Bergen doesn’t think so…

Criminologist George McKenzie is called in to help crack the case before it’s too late. But the truth is far more deadly than anyone can imagine… Can George get justice for the dead before she ends up six-feet under too?

My thanks to Sabah at Avon for the chance to join the blog tour

Returning visitors to Grab This Book will know that I am a huge fan of the George McKenzie The Girl Who books by Marnie Riches. For once I found that I was following a series from the first release of the first book and then impatiently waiting for the next book to be written. Then the next. Then the next. Now The Girl Who Got Revenge has arrived and I am delighted.

Before I get to the actual story the housekeeping…it is the fifth book in a sequence. There are not any major spoilers relating to events in the first four books and you do not have to have read all the earlier titles to enjoy The Girl Who Got Revenge. This may also be a great time to highlight that until now The Girl Who titles were only available in digital format for your Kindle/Kobo/E-Reader. The good news is that all 5 books will be available in paperback which I hope means they will find their way to new readers

The Girl Who Got Revenge was another storming page turner. George and Van den Bergen are back at their very best even though the hypochondriac, Van den Bergen, is ever more determined he is rushing towards diagnosis of a terminal illness. It places his relationship with George on rocky ground again, yet when he watches an old man die right in front of his eyes it will shake the policeman to his core.

The old man’s death appears a tragic case of someone reaching the end of their days, however, at the autopsy a surprising discovery links his death to that of a second person – could there be more to his death than first thought?

Elsewhere, the police are required to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a young girl who was being smuggled through The Netherlands in the back of a truck with dozens of other refugees. The situation is highly emotive and once again Marnie Riches takes a topical plight and builds a compelling story.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about The Girl Who Got Revenge (or indeed about ALL the books in this series). These are fantastic stories, which enthrall, entertain and captivate me in equal measure. George McKenzie is the feisty lead character that I love reading about and as soon as I finish one book I start longing for her return.

Five star thrills and pure reading enjoyment.

The Girl Who Got Revenge is published by Avon and is available in digital and paperback format. You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Who-Got-Revenge-addictive-ebook/dp/B076P22L95/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1524952013&sr=1-1&keywords=marnie+riches

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April 29

The Family At Number 13 – S.D. Monaghan

The most perfect lives can hide the darkest secrets…

Mary has everything. Beautiful and rich, she lives on an exclusive street in the heart of the city, in a house with gorgeous views and an immaculately maintained garden. Her life looks perfect.

But behind closed doors the truth is very different. Her husband Andrew barely speaks to her, spending his days down in the basement alone. Her teenage nephew is full of rage, lashing out with no warning. Her carefully constructed life is beginning to fall apart.

And then someone starts sending Mary anonymous notes, threatening her and her family…

Everyone has secrets. But is someone at number 13 hiding something that could put the whole family in danger?

My thanks to the Bookouture team for my review copy and the chance to join the blog blitz

This is a tricky wee review to write as the need to avoid spoilers is at a premium…such is the way with twisty and unpredictable stories. What also makes it tricky is that there are several characters in the book who get to take the lead narrative and I didn’t warm to any of them very much. But that’s not a complaint, it is what drives the story onward.

As the story begins to hit its stride we meet Connor. He is a psychiatrist and is not having the best of days, he has just tried to move on one of his patients having reached a point where he felt he could no longer offer the support the patient needed. Unfortunately the patient is not happy with Connor’s decision and the suggestion to end their sessions ends badly. The patient is a rich and influential man his threats to ruin Connor for abandoning him do not make Connor feel any better about his decision.

But things start to look up for Connor – an unexpected opportunity to relocate to a new property in a seemingly idyllic neighbourhood almost seems too good to be true. He can move his practice to one of the rooms in the large house and work from home – saving on office rent and making his workplace more appealing for prospective clients. It should possibly not come as too much of a surprise to learn that the move does not work out well for Connor and soon he finds he has made a terrible decision.

The interaction between the majority of characters in The Family At Number 13 will treat readers to a series of fractious encounters. Tensions run high throughout and if you enjoy the uncertainty of not knowing what the author will throw at us next then this is the perfect read for you. I was kept on my toes keeping up with some of the twists and turns in this story.

Not one for the cozy crime readers – lots of unpleasantness going on in The Family At Number 13. A dark thriller indeed.

The Family At Number 13 is published by Bookouture and is available in paperback and digital formats and can also be ordered as an audiobook. You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Number-13-absolutely-psychological-ebook/dp/B07B6BPHLV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524949225&sr=8-1&keywords=the+family+at+no+13

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April 22

Presumed Dead – Mason Cross

‘What do you know about the Devil Mountain Killer?’

THEN

Adeline Connor was the Devil Mountain Killer’s final victim. After she was gunned down, the murderer disappeared and the killing spree ended.

NOW

Carter Blake has been hired to do what he does best: to find someone. But this time he’s hunting a dead girl – Adeline Connor’s brother is convinced she’s still alive.

But this town doesn’t want an outsider digging up old business. And as Blake gets deeper into the case, it starts to become clear that the murders didn’t just stop fifteen years ago.

The killer is on the hunt again.

My thanks to Lauren at Orion for my review copy

Presumed Dead is the fifth Carter Blake novel by Mason Cross. It is also the Carter Blake novel I have enjoyed the most – no slight on the previous four books (this is a series I love) but Presumed Dead gave me everything I want from my thrillers and I virtually inhaled it.

Housekeeping first: don’t be put off by the fact it is the fifth title in the series, other than knowing it features the return of the lead character Presumed Dead can very much be enjoyed without reading the earlier books. And you *will* enjoy it, it is a cracking read!

Blake is back doing what he does best, finding someone who is missing. However, history shows that the girl he is asked to track was the last victim of a serial killer, a killer that was never caught. Adeline Connor is presumed dead, the crime scene at which the Devil Mountain Killer abruptly ended his murderous spree was soaked in her blood. Police recreated the murder scene and likely sequence of events and there was no realistic way that Adeline could have survived, yet her brother maintains that more than 10 years later he has seen his sister alive and well. Blake is asked to find her.

The challenge for Blake is to work out who is telling him the truth. If the police are sure a murder took place they will not welcome someone trying to prove they made a mistake. Is the victim’s brother a reliable witness? Does the desire for his sister to be found cloud his common sense and judgment. The residents of the town where events unfolded do not want to dwell on those past events and they certainly don’t want to consider the killer may still be around – this would be a problem should a dead body (or two) turn up after Blake starts asking questions…

Did I mention how much I loved reading Presumed Dead? Brilliant, brilliant story telling from Mason Cross. If you have not yet discovered the Carter Blake books then this is the perfect opportunity to find out why readers look forward to each new release.

Presumed Dead is published by Orion and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Presumed-Dead-Carter-Blake-Book-ebook/dp/B076PS8BSJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524388910&sr=1-1&keywords=presumed+dead+mason+cross

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April 15

The Fear – CL Taylor

Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…

When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.

Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.

But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…

My thanks to Sabah at Avon for the chance to join the blog tour

My first CL Taylor thriller and I had high expectations as I have been very aware of the praise my fellow bloggers shower upon her books. I was not disappointed, The Fear is a very readable, fast flowing story which takes on an unsettling subject matter and makes it a compulsive reading experience.

Fronting the story is Lou Wandsworth, when she was a schoolgirl she fell for one of her teachers – he made her feel special and understood the problems she faced when it seems nobody else was paying attention to her. The reader sees Lou’s infatuation with her teacher growing but we also see that the teacher has singled out Lou for his attentions and we know exactly what his intentions are. It makes for unsettling reading.

The relationship develops and Lou runs away to France with her teacher. Only when they reach the continent does Lou begin to realise that she may have made a terrible mistake.

Now, almost 20 years later Lou becomes aware that the first man she loved, who has cast a shadow over her life ever since that trip to France, may not have changed his ways and is still showing too much interest in young schoolgirls. But will she be able to make the police understand her concerns? If not then is there anything which Lou can do to protect young Chloe Meadows from making all the same mistakes that Lou made? Not if Chloe does not want to be helped.

As I was reading The Fear I was struck by the different perceptions I had about a number of the characters. It is hard to explain why without straying into “spoiler territory” but characters who have been victims in the past will take proactive action around new events and you wonder if their decisions are justified. I had thought that this would make a brilliant book for a reading group or book club – turns out I am not alone in that thought as there are discussion questions included at the end of the story…nice touch!

While the subject matter may be unsettling for some readers, I thoroughly enjoyed The Fear. It takes on a harrowing topic and CL Taylor delivers a twisty and unsettling story. However, it also contains that crucial and magical “one more chapter” element which ensures you want to keep reading – you will feel you must find out what happens to the characters.

The Fear is published by Avon Books and is available in digital, paperback and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-sensational-thriller-Sunday-bestseller-ebook/dp/B07566QWH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523783169&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fear+cl+taylor

Follow the tour:

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April 4

Pond Scum – Michael Lilly

My name is Jeremy Thorn, and I’m a serial killer.

Jeremy ‘Remy’ Thorn is a detective from a small town in Oregon. He does his job well and keeps to himself. A past of trauma and abuse, and a compulsive need for balance have shaped him into the person he is today: a decisive, effective killer. His routine is simple but trustworthy. Step one: Find two targets. The first, an abomination of a human being whose only contribution to the world is as fertilizer. The second, a detriment to society, perhaps a sidekick or accessory. Step two: Kill the first. Frame the second. Easy.

After his latest, and most personal kill, all seems to be going well. He makes it home by morning and continues with his plan as normal, with each perfectly timed maneuver all mapped out. But to his horror, he finds that the man he was trying to frame—a hotshot detective from a major nearby city—has been called in to work the case. And what’s worse … he’s privy to the truth.

My thanks to Sarah at Vulpine Press for my review copy

Remy is a serial killer. He selects his victims carefully, identify a bad guy…kill him. Then plan evidence which will implicate a second bad guy – two birds with one stone and this leaves Remy free to repeat the process in future. Being a cop means Remy knows what the investigators will be looking for and it helps him keep one step ahead of trouble.

As we join events in Pond Scum Remy has just killed his latest victim. However, this time it has been a very personal murder as Remy has killed his own father.

The murder appears totally justified as Remy’s father subjected him to years of abuse and his crimes were not restricted to the torment of Remy. Remy’s father shared and distributed child pornography over a long number of years and was instrumental in the prolonged abuse of many innocents.

Remy frames another cop who was aiding his father, however, Remy’s plans are about to come unstuck as the cop he is trying to frame is put in charge of finding who murdered Remy’s father. It is also very apparent to Remy that he knows full well who is responsible for the murder. A high-stakes game is about to begin and neither man can afford to lose.

Pond Scum is gripping reading. Remy should not be a likeable character given his secret hobby, however, readers cannot help but root for the killer on this occasion and Michael Lilly does a brilliant job of balancing the potential ethical dilemma, we want the least bad bad guy to win. Unfortunately Remy is not going to get everything all his own way.

In a tense drama I always enjoy a few lighter scenes to lift the tension. Happily Pond Scum has the perfect sparring partner for Remy – his partner Beth…a cop who takes no nonsense and will keep Remy “honest”as he struggles to keep himself safe from unknown enemies.

Nice twist to the serial killer/cop story and Pond Scum is definitely one to look out for.

Pond Scum is published by Vulpine Press and can be ordered in paperback or digital format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pond-Scum-Darkthorn-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0784XWXCC/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522531696&sr=1-2

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March 20

Crook’s Hollow – Robert Parker

In the quiet village of Crook’s Hollow, almost exactly between Manchester and Liverpool, land and pride are king.

And now someone has just tried to kill Thor Loxley – but Thor has no clue as to why. As the estranged youngest of the omnipresent Loxley farming dynasty, all of whom view him as a traitorous turncoat, in a village where everybody knows everybody else’s business, life is hard enough.

But here, farmers do things the old way. You deal with problems on your own terms. You keep everything in house where possible. You avoid involving the authorities. With nobody to turn to, Thor sets out to uncover who wronged him. But with corrupt land developers circling, the rival Crook family seeking to unsettle the Loxley’s at every turn, his own family despising him, and jealous old acquaintances lurking, the mystery plunges ever deeper – and up floats more greed, betrayal, secrecy and blood than Thor could possibly imagine.

My thanks to Linda MacFadyen for my review copy

I jumped the gun on Crook’s Hollow and read it too early. It was sitting beside me and calling out to be read and I *knew* it was still 2 months until publication date and that I should really wait so I could review it “fresh” from finishing it…but I am weak dear reader, weak. I raced through Crook’s Hollow in two sittings and have had to sit on my hands for a few weeks and not share how much I enjoyed it until publication date loomed large.

Crook’s Hollow releases on 29 March 2018 and I recommend getting it ordered as soon as you can.

I have mentioned more than once that I love a small town story. Usually there are secrets to be uncovered but sometimes there are small town rivalries and feuding families and the town becomes a powder keg with the reader waiting for someone to light the fuse…that’s Crook’s Hollow.

There are secrets too. The biggest secret as far as Thor Loxley is concerned is that someone is trying to kill him and he has no idea who that someone may be. Now…had he given this problem any prior consideration I don’t believe that Thor would have said ANYONE would want to kill him, however, someone tried and now everyone in Crook’s Hollow is a suspect. Finding the responsible party is not going to be easy though. Thor cannot rely upon his family for help as he has alienated himself from their loving embrace. His best friend is a suspect so there is no help available there and as for his girlfriend, well they have to keep their relationship hush-hush…one of those secrets I spoke of earlier.

I really enjoyed following Thor’s story, the book had a claustrophobic feel and thinking back to when I read it I have a memory of dark rooms, shady places and the prevailing feeling of sinister overtones. It felt like I’d been drawn in to a tale spun by a story-teller as the listeners sat around a campfire on a dark night. This may sound a bit odd but Crook’s Hollow drew me in and the fondest memory I have of reading it is of a sinister darkness.

While Crook’s Hollow may not be the longest story you will read this month, there is a lot of story packed into this tale and Thor will face more than a couple of moments of peril to keep readers highly entertained. Robert Parker held my attention from page one and while my TBR pile is threatening to rage out of control it is not easy to command my full attention the way that Crook’s Hollow did.

Crooks Hollow is published by Black Rose Writing on 29 March 2018 and will be available in digital and paperback format – order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crooks-Hollow-Robert-Parker-ebook/dp/B078WDQV4X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518650638&sr=8-1&keywords=crook%27s+hollow

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March 18

Scared to Death – Rachel Amphlett

“If you want to see your daughter alive again, listen carefully.”

When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong.

But Detective Kay Hunter isn’t convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession.

When a second schoolgirl is taken, Kay’s worst fears are realised.

With her career in jeopardy and desperate to conceal a disturbing secret, Kay’s hunt for the killer becomes a race against time before he claims another life.

For the killer, the game has only just begun…

Rachel Amphlett has just released the 5th Kay Hunter book (Call to Arms) and I have already seen some cracking reviews for it already from my fellow bloggers. Expect to see a review here in due course too as this is a series I really enjoy.

But what if you don’t want to jump into a series at book 5? Many readers (myself included) prefer to join a series at the first book and watch the characters develop. So I am jumping back in the Kay Hunter timeline to review Scared to Death, the first book and where the fun begins.

Not that there is much fun to be found for Kay as we start Scared to Death. A kidnapped girl, two distressed parents who have paid the ransom and not told the Police of the family plight and the shadow of an incident at work which Kay is trying to move on from. That’s just her work life – at home there has been a significant incident which Kay cannot just brush off and it is fascinating watching how she reconciles work pressure with home anxieties.

Unfortunately the recovery of the kidnapped girl ends in tragedy – it seems the kidnapper (now a killer) had no intention of letting the girl survive and she was held in a perilous location from which she could not have expected to be saved. The motivation behind this cruel stunt becomes clear as the story unfolds and it made for an intriguing twist for the reader, making it clear that Kay and her colleagues would have their work cut out.

Having read several of Rachel Amphlett’s books I knew that Scared to Death would be a story I enjoyed – I was not disappointed. What lifted the enjoyment was the fact I “read” it as an audiobook – so technically Alison Campbell read Scared to Death and I just got to listen in. The narration was brilliantly done – some audiobooks I will pass on when I don’t enjoy the narrators style – but Alison Campbell nailed this for me and I will now likely join her again for Call to Arms (book 5) rather than read it myself again.

In short, if you have yet to read Rachel’s brilliant Kay Hunter series then you are missing out. Scared to Death is the easy starting point but all the books can be read as stand alone. If you like an audiobook then you can’t go wrong with this offering, great story, terrific reader and more of the same to follow.

Scared to Death is available in digital, paperback and audiobook. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scared-Death-Detective-detective-thriller-ebook/dp/B01N9DS5NG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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March 10

Anaconda Vice – James Stansfield

When Lucas Winter, a retired professional wrestler, runs out of gas on a dark and desolate road, his only thoughts are on getting to the lights of the small town up ahead, getting some gas, and getting out of there…only things aren’t quite what they seem in the tiny town of Anaconda.

Before he has a chance to solve his transport problem, Lucas finds himself in trouble with the law after a local man picks a fight with him…and then ends up dead. Innocent, Lucas fights to clear his name, tangling with the local law enforcement and the family of the dead man, who seem set on taking their revenge. Can Lucas get out alive? And just what is it that the residents of Anaconda are hiding….

My thanks to Liz at Manatee Books for my review copy

I’m going to start with my wrap-up then roll backwards into the story overview.

I loved Anaconda Vice. It was extremely readable, great fun, had a lead character that I got totally behind (probably the safest place when he is around) and the story was suitably twisty so it kept me guessing. Just what a bookworm wants.

Anaconda is small-town USA and it is not ready for retired wrestler Lucas Winter. Winter’s car grinds to a halt just outside Anaconda, he manages to get to the town and starts looking for assistance but it is nighttime and there are not many folk looking to help a weary traveler. After a long night Lucas manages to get the local mechanic to agree to recover his car – it takes a couple of attempts as the mechanic is not the sharpest tool in the box and Lucas seems to suffer from “smart-mouth” and doesn’t always know when it may be best not to speak. This smart mouth causes a number of problems throughout Anaconda Vice (but it makes for fun reading).

While the car is being rescued Lucas is guided to a local diner for breakfast. His peace is shattered by a local trying to score cheap points at Lucas’s expense. Not one to back down from a challenge Lucas soon finds himself pitted against the local and fists soon fly. The diner suffers damage and Lucas is invited to leave…pronto. Seeking refuge in the local hotel Lucas plans to catch up on some shut-eye. But his peace is not to last as 4 cops burst into his room, guns out, and Lucas allows himself to be arrested.

Accused of a crime he did not commit Lucas has to convince the local police of his innocence. The only problem he will face is that the sheriff appears to defer to the local big businessman. The guy who runs the successful large factory in Anaconda and who holds the most sway over the residents. The businessman is extremely unhappy with Lucas as it transpires Lucas was arrested for murdering the businessman’s son – he wants Lucas dead and expects the police to hand him over so that “justice” can be served.

While the “stranger vs small town bullies” is not a new phenomenon there is a reason why these tales are told – we root for the outsider/the underdog and we want to see the bullies get put in their place. Anaconda Vice ticked all the right boxes for me – James Stansfield tells a great story and the pacing and excitement are pitched to perfection. Oh and one scene really upset me. Generally I like when a book shocks me but this one was brutal *shakes an angry fist*

And we are back at the point in the review where we first came in…Anaconda Vice. Damned good story. Buy it.

Anaconda Vice is published by Manatee Books and is available to order here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anaconda-Vice-smart-paced-thriller-ebook/dp/B079P4TDX3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520546598&sr=8-1&keywords=anaconda+vice

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March 6

Hellbent – Gregg Hurwitz

To some he is Orphan X. Others know him as the Nowhere Man. But to veteran spymaster Jack Johns he will always be a boy named Evan Smoak.

Taken from an orphanage, Evan was raised inside a top secret programme designed to turn him into a deadly weapon. Jack became his instructor, mentor, teacher and guardian. Because for all the dangerous skills he instilled in his young charge, he also cared for Evan like a son. And now Jack needs Evan’s help.

The Orphan programme hid dark secrets. Now those with blood on their hands want every trace of it gone. And they will stop at nothing to make sure that Jack and Evan go with it.

With little time remaining, Jack gives Evan his last assignment: to find and protect the programme’s last recruit. And to stay alive long enough to uncover the shocking truth …

My thanks to the publishers for a review copy which I received through Netgalley

Last year I was tearing through audiobooks and I happened upon a brilliant action adventure thriller called The Nowhere Man. It was the second book by Gregg Hurwitz which featured Evan Smoak – a former Government operative codenamed Orphan X.

Smoak had been taken into Government service as a child. Recruited from an orphanage and raised by a mentor who turned the child into a deadly assassin who could live and work deep under cover and (most importantly) was totally expendable to the US Government who could deny the existence of Orphan X should he fail in his mission.

There were other Orphan’s recruited other than Smoak and through the three books in the series (Orphan X, The Nowhere Man and now Hellbent) Evan will cross paths with some deadly former colleagues. This is not a good thing for Evan – Orphan Y now heads up the Orphan programme and his primary focus is to end Evan’s life. With almost unlimited resources at his disposal Orphan Y is gunning for Evan Smoak and in Hellbent he shall gain new leverage…a showdown may be inevitable.

Hellbent sees Evan going directly up against the Orphan programme but his mentor, Jack Johns, asks Evan to protect the last Orphan who had been recruited. She is a young girl, alone and unsure where to turn – she has had training which makes her dangerous but lacks the survival skills of more experienced agents. Nor has she the benefit of a healthy bank account which the Orphans accrue through successful completion of missions.

Seeing Evan trying to keep one step ahead of his foes, whilst juggling the care of a teenager and trying to maintain a semblance of a “normal” life was hugely entertaining. Gregg Hurwitz writes gripping thrillers and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in the Orphan X series. There is a wonderful balance of action, tension, humour and adventure in Hellbent. Evan Smoak is a dangerous character but he is a wonderful creation and if you have not yet discovered the Orphan X books you are missing out on some brilliant reads.

Hellbent is published by Michael Joseph and is available now in Hardback, audiobook and Digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hellbent-Orphan-Thriller-Gregg-Hurwitz/dp/0718185463/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520374051&sr=8-1

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