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The 3rd Woman – Jonathan Freedland

Journalist Madison Webb is obsessed with exposing lies and corruption. But she never thought she would be investigating her own sister’s murder.

SHE CAN’T TRUST THE POLICE

Madison refuses to accept the official line that Abigail’s death was an isolated crime. She uncovers evidence that suggests Abi was the third victim in a series of killings hushed up as part of a major conspiracy.

SHE CAN EXPOSE THE TRUTH

In a United States that now bows to the People’s Republic of China, corruption is rife – the government dictates what the ‘truth’ is. With her life on the line, Madison must give up her quest for justice, or face the consequences…

Day Three of The Third Woman blog tour and we are getting ever closer to publication on 2^nd July.

Sometimes you can read a book and you know from quite early on that you are going to enjoy it. You get caught up in the story from the off: the lead character is engaging, the drama unfolding is gripping and in the background there is a (seemingly) unconnected plot which you KNOW will become very relevant. That was my experience with The Third Woman…hooked, drawn in and captivated.

There was a real sense of scale in reading The 3rd Woman, it reads like a Hollywood blockbuster movie. The lead character works for one of the biggest newspapers in America, the LA Times. There is an international tension building between the United States and the all-powerful People’s Republic of China (who now maintain a presence on US soil). Also, the apparent suicide of a school teacher is catching the attention of the mayor of California, why is he feeding false information to the press about the dead girl?

Well the dead girl in question is the ‘baby’ sister of investigative journalist Maddison Webb. Maddison is not satisfied with the official explanation of suicide and seeks answers to help her deal with her grief. It should probably come as no surprise to learn that suicide is quickly ruled out and our story becomes a personal mission to track down a murderer.

There are different threads to The 3^rd Woman which all interweave in a delightfully twisty way. Maddison’s investigations cross with the local election campaign that the mayor is contesting. Maddy uses her position at The LA Times to expose her suspicions but this leads to conflicts at the paper and when she starts to rely on her contacts within the police we see how the Authorities try to shut down her renegade investigations. The ominous presence hanging over the whole story is that of the Chinese. In The 3^rd Woman the Chinese are very clearly the enemy of the American people who resent their presence on their territory.

Jonathan Freedland has created a believable environment in which to base this story. Maddison uses Social Media outlet ‘Weibo’ to communicate with her followers. The Americans have a tense diplomatic relationship with the People’s Republic of China who now seem to carry more authority/influence in California than the mayor. It adds a delightful political undercurrent to all the conflicts and actions of the press and politicians.

I am quite certain that The 3^rd Woman is going to be big. It is a powerful story, well told and has a brilliant roller-coaster of thrills and twists. Definitely a book to look out for this summer – perfect airport pickup!

The 3rd Woman is published by Harper Collins on 2 July 2015. You can pre-order the book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-3rd-Woman-Jonathan-Freedland/dp/0007413688/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1435242557&sr=8-1

Jonathan Freedland is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Freedland

Follow the Tour join in on Twitter through #The3rdWoman

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May 3

The Jackdaw – Luke Delaney

Guilty or not guilty?

A lone vigilante is abducting wealthy Londoners and putting their fate in the hands of the public. Within hours of disappearing, the victims appear on the internet, bound to a chair in a white room.

Revenge or mercy?

Their crimes of greed and incompetence are broadcast to the watching thousands who make up the jury. Once the verdict is cast, the man who calls himself ‘The Jackdaw’ will be judge and executioner.

Live or die?

DI Sean Corrigan and his Special Investigations Unit are under pressure to solve this case fast. But as The Jackdaw’s popularity grows, Corrigan realizes he’s hunting a dangerously clever and elusive adversary – one who won’t stop until his mission is complete.

Thanks to Harper Collins for my Netgalley review copy

It is nice to have an easy review to write. I have nothing but good things to say about The Jackdaw, it is a clever and well-structured thriller and I was gutted when it ended.

This is the fourth book which features central character DI Sean Corrigan. I have not read the first three novels (I shall) but the story picks up and references past events so there are potential spoilers. I do need to make it clear that not having read the earlier stories in no way ruined my enjoyment of The Jackdaw, everything I needed to know was covered simply and seamlessly blended into the plot.

I loved the plot of The Jackdaw, a masked man is abducting workers from The City. He is placing them on public trial over the internet and inviting people to vote on their fate – their crimes centre around making personal gain during the financial crisis. An emotive topic and the author does set up the ‘crimes’ in such a way that the reader will find that they too will form their own judgement as to whether the masked man is making a valid case for judging his targets.

Corrigan is forced to form an uneasy alliance with a journalist which provided an entertaining side story – I really enjoyed that we get to see how both parties to the agreement are playing off each other to achieve their own goals. As the narrative switches between the police, the masked man and the journalist we get to see how the investigation is progressing and but also learn that there is a plan being followed and that more ‘judgements’ are to follow.

My first introduction to Luke Delaney’s books and I am regretting waiting so long to start reading them. Corrigan is a complex character and the supporting cast are well utilised in showing how his approach and methods are unorthodox. The Jackdaw has been a stand out read for me this year – easily scooping a review score of 5/5.

The Jackdaw is published by Harper Collins and is available in Hardback and Digital Editions.

Luke Delaney is on Twitter: @lukedelaneyuk

Also online at http://www.luke-delaney.com/

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