Holiday Reads: No Time To Cry and The Long Drop

The pouring rain outside and the fact it is my birthday week mean that Summer is over. I have been able to get a few relaxing days away from the day job and this quiet time has allowed me opportunity to blitz my TBR backlog. So I now have a few reviews to write and I am keen to do some catching up – double review time again.

No Time To Cry – James Oswald

Undercover ops are always dangerous, but DC Constance Fairchild never expected things to go this wrong.

Returning to their base of operations, an anonymous office in a shabby neighbourhood, she finds the bloodied body of her boss, and friend, DI Pete Copperthwaite. He’s been executed – a single shot to the head.

In the aftermath, it seems someone in the Met is determined to make sure that blame for the wrecked operation falls squarely on Con’s shoulders. She is cut loose and cast out, angry and alone with her grief… right until the moment someone also tries to put a bullet through her head.

There’s no place to hide, and no time to cry.

First published back in July 2018, No Time To Cry was the first in a new series from James Oswald. Book 2 (Nothing to Hide) has been released and I understand the third book will be released before the end of this year. Which means I have a couple of months to read Nothing to Hide so I can roll straight into the third book – I absolutely loved No Time To Cry and I know know I don’t want to miss out on the Constance Fairchild novels.

Constance (Con) Fairchild finds her boss Pete Copperthawite murdered in the rooms the police had been using to run an undercover operation. As the most recent visitor to the rooms her colleagues question whether Constance was sufficiently careful to ensure she had not been followed thus blowing Pete’s cover. Pressure mounts on Con and to ensure her safety she takes herself away from work and heads back to her childhoom home.

Not that Con has missed home, she has had a complicated upbringing and her career choice is not one her family could understand. However, a childhood friend has asked Con to help find her younger sister who seems to have disappeared and hasn’t been in contact with her family. As Con digs deeper into the missing girl’s background she uncovers troubling evidence to suggest there is very good reason behind her absence. But this is not information which powerful people will allow to come to light and Con finds herself in even more danger than before.

Fans of James Oswald know he writes a great thriller and No Time To Cry is no exception. I flew through this one in a couple of days and had a huge grin on my face when a cameo appearance from a character in the Inspector McLean books suddenly popped up in Constance’s world.

Annoyed at myself for not reading this book sooner – terrific fun, I need more Constance Fairchild on my shelves.

The Long Drop – Denise Mina

Glasgow, 1957. It is a December night and William Watt is desperate. His family has been murdered and he needs to find out who killed them.

He arrives at a bar to meet Peter Manuel, who claims he can get hold of the gun that was used. But Watt soon realises that this infamous criminal will not give up information easily.

Inspired by true events, The Long Drop follows Watt and Manuel along back streets and into smoky pubs, and on to the courtroom where the murder trial takes place. Can Manuel really be trusted to tell the truth? And how far will Watt go to get what he wants?

This is utterly compelling reading. The Long Drop takes the real events which surround the Peter Manuel case and Denise Mina weaves her story around it to recount a dark period from Glasgow’s past.

In the late 1950’s Glasgow was a dark and dangerous place, Denise Mina depicts the life of the city, the atmosphere and its citizens astonishingly well – you feel yourself drawn into the book and the world around you fades away as masterly storytelling builds a new environment around you.

Peter Manuel is known as one of the most notorious serial killers. He hanged for his crimes but it seems there was always the belief he committed more murders than he faced trial for. In this book we see Manuel up close, the story addresses what he may have been like to those around him and the lengths he would go to to convince the world of his innocence. We also get focus on William Watt, his family have been murdered and he will do anything to find who was responsible.

It is a story of an obsession for the truth. The writing is so tight, not a word seems wasted as this short but powerful story drills down into the men at the heart of a dark, dark incident. Not a crime thriller which you would read for “fun” and the subject matter dictates this is a disturbing tale too. But it is a fascinating read and one I couldn’t stop reading once I had started it.

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September 21

How The Wired Weep – Ian Patrick

The Wire crosses the pond.

Ed is a detective who handles informants. He recruits Ben, a young man, who is treading a dangerous path into the criminal underworld.
Ben’s unsure of where his loyalties lie. They have to find a way to work together despite their differences.

Both men are drawn into the world of Troy, a ruthless and brutal leader of an Organised Criminal Network.

Ben is torn between two worlds as he tries to walk the impossible line between criminality and helping Ed combat crime.
He lives in fear of discovery.

When your life is thrown upside down who do you turn to in order to survive?

Set against the backdrop of the 2012 Olympic Games, How the Wired Weep is a fast paced urban thriller where time is against both men as they attempt to serve their own agendas.

My thanks to Emma at Damppebbles Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the tour for How The Wired Weep. I purchased this book prior to accepting the invitation to join the tour.

I don’t really know where to start with this review – I loved this book and I am not sure how to convey some of the emotions I had while reading.

How The Wired Weep is an intense story, small core characters living on the front line of police and gang divide. The story is told from both viewpoints. Ed is our police detective. He has a contact within a gang who is feeding him important information. He receives tip offs about where drugs are stashed, guns are moved around and other activities which the police will try to clamp down on.

Ed’s source is Ben (not his real name). Recently out of prison and keen not to return. He is an excellent driver and used by Troy (head of one of the London criminal networks) to run errands and pick up and deliver drugs and weapons. Ben seems to be moving up in Troy’s trust as he gets more important tasks to complete. But the greater the task the greater the risk.

Ben drips info to Ed but is ever aware that to be caught means certain retribution. Ed knows Ben is unreliable. He is a drug user and a criminal so it is a fine line the police need to tread to keep their source on the street while not digging too deep into what Ben may not be telling them about his daily activities.

Readers see Ed trying to keep Ben on yhe right side of the law where he can. We also see Ben’s reactions to Ed’s good intentions. It is a fascinating dynamic and both men are deeply entrenched in the life of the other – even if they may not always see it as such.

Away from their interactions with each other Ian Patrick shows the intensity of Eds job against his home life. Ed and his wife are trying fertility treatment but the demands of work always seem to stop Ed having conversations with his wife. It is quite distressing to see her desperately trying to get their family together but Eds job getting in the way. Making this worse is that we also see how close Ed is to his colleagues and the trust and reliance they need to have in each other. In terms of character development and authenticity everyone in this story feels solid and real – the life experiences we are seeing them handle make them so believable.

I can’t recommend this story enough. It is the police trying to manage the street but the street is too big and chaotic. It’s compelling and so vividly told that you will be hooked. Read this!

How The Wired Weep is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08B64GXK1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

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February 2

Going Rogue – Neil Lancaster

Tom Novak is back.

When a spate of deadly terrorist attacks hit the streets of London, Tom finds himself thrust into the middle of a fight for the survival of all he holds dear.

When the attackers hit closer to home than he could ever imagine, Tom is forced to make a choice between his duty or his conscience. In doing so, he enters a series of increasingly dangerous worlds, in the darkest corners of humanity.

Can Tom and his colleagues get to the bottom of a plot which threatens the very fabric of society?

Will they stop the terrorists before it’s too late?

When faced with the ultimate choice, which way will Tom go?

After all, as Cameron always says: “Always do right, boy…”

My thanks to Emma at Damppebbles Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the blog tour and for ensuring I received a review copy of the book.

Over the last few weeks I have been mainly reading police procedurals or books which tell “life stories” pulling plot threads together into a surprise reveal rewarding the reader for engaging with the lead character and their predicament. This is not a complaint as these are very much the type of stories I enjoy. However, I also like a tale which gives a bit of high tempo/adrenaline filled action – one that keeps the pages turning themselves as the chapter flies by…one like Going Rogue!

The book opens with readers watching an act of domestic terrorism unfolding. We are with the instigator and we see him placing and priming the explosives which will target his victims. A direct attack on Muslims as they went to prayer, targeted only because their religion was not that of their murderer.

The aftermath of the tragedy sees Tom Novak called into action, he is a member of the Covert Policing Advice Unit and a highly effective member of the team. Novak is skilled in armed and unarmed combat, has tactical knowledge, is fluent in several languages and is prepared to work undercover to bring down the bad guys. In this case the bad guys he needs to speak with is in prison so Novak needs an alter-ego, a convincing back story and he also needs to get himself arrested.

I am reluctant to give too much detail about what happens in Gone Rogue as this is a brilliant action adventure which I’d strongly recommend you read. Novak manages to infiltrate the group which planned the bombing but he discovers this was just the first in a series of planned events. Now the challenge is not just to bring down the perpetrators but ensure no further bombings can be allowed to take place – in this he will have mixed success and the increased pressure on all those involved becomes increasingly clear. There comes a tipping point in the investigation when Novak’s inclusion in the team becomes an issue – he hasn’t shared one vital piece of information which he should have disclosed (but in doing so he may have missed the chance to be involved in any form). As a consequence of his failure to reveal key information Novak is removed from the investigation.

Novak will not accept being benched – particularly as he knows where to go to get to the head of the organization which planned the bombing. Left with only one option Novak and his colleague, Buster, are Going Rogue and heading to Eastern Europe to take down the culprits themselves. A move full of danger and one which will not go smoothly.

As I indicated at the start of my review, this is a full on action adventure and a terrific read. If you have enjoyed the Scott Mariani (Ben Hope) thrillers or Matthew Reilly’s Scarecrow books then I know you would enjoy Neil Lancaster’s Tom Novak books. Novak is more human and less bullet-proof than Reilly or Mariani’s heroes but his adventures are just as compelling.

Going Rogue is published in Digital and paperback format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YVLMKR2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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January 13

Black 13 – Adam Hamdy

It has been too long since I last had the opportunity to welcome a guest to my blog so I am utterly delighted to be joined today by Adam Hamdy, Co-Founder of the Capital Crime festival and author of the terrific Pendulum series.

There is a review of Black 13, Adam’s new thriller, further down this post. Before we get there I wanted to share this short Q&A, when you see which books and authors Adam makes reference to when contemplating his influences it may give you an indication why I was totally hooked on Black 13.

I would be keen to hear the novels which you feel shaped your own writing.

The authors who influenced me most growing up were John Wyndham, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Alexander Dumas, Michael Crichton and Thomas Harris. More recently I’ve learned a great deal from the works of Anthony Horowitz, Mari Hannah, Deon Meyer, Kate Rhodes, Michael Connelly, Candice Fox, Peter James, David Mitchell and James Patterson. Individual novels that really stand out for me are The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, The Stand by Stephen King, Crimson Lake by Candice Fox, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, and Black Sunday by Thomas Harris.

What is it about each of those particular books which makes them memorable. Is it a plot device, the twist, a character journey?

The Count of Monte Cristo is a brilliant tale of revenge. Neuroscience is unlocking the secrets of our brains, and it seems that humans are born with an intrinsic sense of right and wrong. Studies carried out on groups of babies show they have a strong sense of justice. The righting of wrongs appeals to some ancient part of our minds and it may be why there is such a strong appetite for revenge stories in literature and on screen. The Count of Monte Cristo is a vengeance epic, packed with twists, turns and adventure. The scale and scope of The Stand was simply mind-blowing when I first read it as a teenager. It redefined what a book could be for me. I love Crimson Lake by Candice Fox. The story centres on two misfit investigators and the characterisations and their journeys were brilliantly executed. Cloud Atlas is a work of immense ambition. The plot device of multiple timelines all linked by an idea of past lives repeating the same journeys resonated because of the way David Mitchell brought the characters to life. Epic and imaginative, it’s one of my all-time favourites. Black Sunday was another book I read as a teenager. It’s a brilliant study of a man who perceives himself to have been wronged and the devastating consequences of his misguided quest for vengeance. Thomas Harris handles the ticking clock and the action brilliantly.

Which recurring characters do you look forward to reuniting with?

I’m currently working on the next book in the Private series with James Patterson, so I’m somewhat biased towards Jack Morgan, the main protagonist of the series. I’m also a big fan of Roy Grace, Peter James’ wonderful detective and I love Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch.

“What If” time…You receive a panicked telephone call from the director of a large book festival – travel carnage has meant all the guests for one panel will not make the event. You need to step in and discuss the works of one author – is there one body of work you could wax lyrical about to save the day?

I’d do a pretty good job with the Private series by James Patterson. I also have a good grasp of most of the authors I’ve mentioned above, but if I had to pick one, it would be Tom Clancy. Clancy’s American editor recently posted on Twitter challenging people to spot a mistake in the blurb of the most recent continuation novel, and I got it immediately. I devoured Clancy’s books as a teenager and have uber-nerd level knowledge of his work.

Many thanks to Adam for taking time to answer my questions.

The timing of Adam’s guest appearance today is not entirely coincidental as his new book, Black 13, is due to release next week. Publication date is 23 January. Thanks to the kindness of his publishers I received a review copy and I share my thoughts below.

Black 13 – Adam Hamdy

Black 13 is the brilliant first novel in the Scott Pearce series from Adam Hamdy. In this addictive and fast-paced thriller, ex-MI6 officer Pearce is about to show us that in a world where there is no loyalty to the nation state, it’s time to burn the espionage rule book.

An exiled agent. A growing threat. A clandestine war.

The world is changing beyond recognition.
Radical extremists are rising and seek to enforce their ideology globally.
Governments, the military and intelligence agencies are being outmanoeuvred at every step. Borders are breaking down. Those in power are puppets.
The old rules are obsolete. To fight this war a new doctrine is needed.
In a world where nothing is at it seems, where trust is gone, one man will make the difference.
Meet Ex-MI6 agent and man in exile, Scott Pearce.
It’s time to burn the espionage rule book.
Watch Pearce light the fire.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy of Black 13 and to Tracy Fenton a Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the Black 13 blog tour.

As we waved goodbye to 2019 and ushered in 2020 I was reading a very entertaining crime thriller. Just to be clear – I wasn’t reading as the bells chimed the New Year – the book I was enjoying was started on Hogmanay and I was about a quarter of the way through it. Well, one week later I was STILL a quarter of the way through that book as on New Year’s Day I picked up Black 13 by Adam Hamdy and I got hooked. Every opportunity I had to sit down with my book it was Black 13 I was seeking out – what a start to 2020’s reading!

Black 13 is an action packed adventure, the kind of tale which zips from action sequence to action sequence and you never feel the lead characters are safe. It is such a refreshing change of pace when I have been on a run of reading police procedurals and whodunnit murder tales. Suddenly I am caught up in a book where mid-conversation of the two parties may whip out a concealed blade and try to wipe out the other…this never seemed to happen to Inspector Morse. The unpredictability was very welcome.

Black 13 kicks off with an undercover operative trying to infiltrate a secure site. He is after information for his employers and as a highly skilled former operative he is confident in his abilities. However all does not go to plan and things do not end well. New talent is required and that is were Scott Pearce comes in.

Pearce has been working undercover for months but his work is undone in a matter of moments when a British lawyer tracks him down to the remote tourist spot in the southern hemisphere. The lawyer has been followed and led some very dangerous people to Scott’s door. Fortunately for Pearce is is also a “very dangerous” person and is able to escape and place some distance between his unknown pursuers and himself. But now Pearce needs answers and the lawyer is the only person who can provide them, can he get her safely back to the UK? That’s what it is going to take as until he sees her home in one piece the lawyer isn’t prepared to risk losing her new asset.

What follows is a relentless chase, a deadly game of cat and mouse where Pearce and his trusted colleagues must take on unknown enemies who have a reach and resources far beyond what a few lone operatives can muster. But Pearce is the best at what he does and he takes on everything that they throw at him.

As I mentioned, Black 13 was the first book I read this year and it was a real page turner. A summer blockbuster in the waiting, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys a thrilling action packed adventure.

Black 13 is published on 23 January 2020 by Macmillan and can be ordered in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order your copy through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Scott-Pearce-Adam-Hamdy-ebook/dp/B07TGJQTJY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1578872770&sr=1-2

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November 20

Stoned Love – Ian Patrick

Detective Sergeant Sam Batford has been lying low at a remote safe house in the highlands of Scotland. He’s doing his best not to attract the attention of the enemies he made, on both sides of the law, during his last under-cover operation but Batford knows he’s just killing time.

Inevitably the sharks begin to circle and as Batford is called back to front-line action in London he’s thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse where it seems everyone is out to get him.

After having to endure a frustrating resolution to their previous undercover operation together DCI Klara Winter from the National Crime Agency is determined to prove that Batford has crossed the line into criminality and finally bring him to face justice.

All Sam Batford wants is to outwit his enemies long enough to stay alive and come out ahead of the game.

My thanks to Kelly at Love Books Group for the chance to join the blog tour.

After an outstanding debut appearance in Rubicon, Sam Batford returns for another outing in Ian Patrick’s Stoned Love. Another ripper lies ahead.

Batford has been hiding out in the Scottish Highlands, a terrific place to keep off radar. Events in Rubicon have made life tricky for Batford – he needs to lay low and shift some of the drugs he stole when we last met him. But his escape to the country will be short lived as he is summoned back to London to take on a new assignment.

We are thrust straight into the action. As Sam makes his way South he realises he is being followed and a pursuit through Edinbugh ensues. Ian Patrick writes a good chase scene and I felt the tension of Sam’s plight as I followed his dodging and weaving through the city.

On eventual arrival in London we see Batford being thrown back onto the front line. A new undercover assignment awaits and the chance for another profitable venture if he can pull it off. However there are dangers awaiting. A contract on his life for crossing a drug dealer. His own police force have suspicion Sam is not being entirely honest with them. Plus Sam is haunted by ghosts from his past.

Keeping one step ahead of everyone around him will be a huge strain on Sam. Reading about Sam trying to keep one step ahead of everyone is extremely entertaining. Once again Ian Patrick delivers an edge of your seat adventure – this is a terrific story and I highly recommend it to anyone that has ever enjoyed an action adventure tale.

More stories like this would be most welcome, this is a good’un.

Stoned Love is published by Fahrenheit Press and is available in paperback and digital format here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_stoned_love.html

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May 30

Rubicon – Ian Patrick

Two cops, both on different sides of the law – both with the same gangland boss in their sights.

Sam Batford is an undercover officer with the Metropolitan Police who will stop at nothing to get his hands on fearsome crime-lord Vincenzo Guardino’s drug supply.

DCI Klara Winter runs a team on the National Crime Agency, she’s also chasing down Guardino, but unlike Sam Batford she’s determined to bring the gangster to justice and get his drugs off the streets.

Set in a time of austerity and police cuts where opportunities for corruption are rife, Rubicon is a tense, dark thriller that is definitely not for the faint hearted.

My thanks to Fahrenheit Press for my review copy and to Emma Welton (Damppebbles) for the chance to join the Rubicon blog tour

On rare (but happy) occasions I sit down to write a review and cannot think of any way to convey just how much I loved the book I have just finished. Going forward I may refer to this predicament as The Rubicon Dilemma.

Rubicon is utterly brilliant and you should make sure you read this book as soon as possible.

Not sure what else I can add…

…

Okay some information about the book may help. Sam Batford is working undercover for the Metropolitan Police, he is a wonderfully complex character who will do whatever it takes to complete his mission. But Sam is serving many masters and his motives and methods keep you guessing and you are never quite sure how he will behave next.

Sam is the main focus but we also keep track on DCI Winter – she wants drugs removed from the streets of London and will let nothing get in her way. With the two leads operating in very different ways it is inevitable that Rubicon will deliver some delightfully twisted and tense situations for readers to enjoy.

Reading about Sam spinning so many plates and keeping up the facade of confident bravado is engrossing. Yet the readers also get sneak peeks at the pressures it brings on him when he is alone and his guard lowered.

There always seems to be something happening in Rubicon. Some books will see the story ebb and flow but with this story there never seemed a good point to put the book to the side (even when I *really* needed coffee). If you want a story which delivers dark, twisty entertainment then I cannot think of many finer examples. Ian Patrick delivers a wonderfully crafted tale of tension and intrigue and I just did not want to stop reading.

Top, top read. The purchase link is below – use it.

Rubicon is published by Fahrenheit Press and you can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_rubicon.html

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September 21

Strangers – Paul Finch

Unknown, alone, and fearing for your life.

As PC Lucy Clayburn is about to find out, going undercover is the most dangerous work there is.

But, on the trail of a prolific female serial killer, there’s no other option – and these murders are as brutal as they come.

Lucy must step into the line of fire – a stranger in a criminal underworld that butchers anyone who crosses the line.

And, unknown to Lucy, she’s already treading it…

My thanks to Helena at Avon Books for my review copy and the opportunity to be the first leg on the Strangers blog tour

I suspect that one observation shall crop up quite frequently when Strangers is reviewed…No Heck. But what is it that makes Heck so good? Well it’s Paul Finch of course! So when I heard that Lucy Clayburn would be the lead character in Strangers I was actually really pleased. New characters means new opportunities, new adventures and a blank canvas for an author to take a very different approach – one that would not work for the characters we may already associate with that author.

As it turns out that is exactly what we get as Lucy Clayburn is going undercover on the streets to pose as a working girl. No matter how good Heck may be I just cannot see him pulling off that role!

The good news (not that it comes as a surprise) is that PC Lucy Clayburn is a fabulous character. There are so many spoilers to avoid but I can say she has a dubious reputation in her role which has put a blight on her career to date. Lucy has a wonderfully “punky” attitude which I immediately warmed to and when she is driven to do the best in her role and prove her worth to her colleagues she is a force to be reckoned with.

As we have come to expect from Paul Finch’s books the streets are full of some really nasty bad guys and in Strangers I am delighted that this theme continued. A female serial killer is murdering and mutilating men and the police have very little to work on. Lucy is recruited to join a team of undercover officers who will pose as prostitutes in a bid to win the confidence of other street girls who may give some clues towards the possible identity of the killer.

But for Lucy a different opportunity arises when she is given some information which could bring the police closer to closing down the activities of some of the worst members of the North West’s criminal underworld. Lucy is desperate to redeem herself in the eyes of her bosses and agrees to put herself right into the heart of the gangster operations.

What she finds, and the consequences of her actions, make for a 5 star thrill-fest. One of those stories which you just do not want to end and one where you feel that no characters are absolutely guaranteed to still be alive come the last page. The best kind of story!

Paul Finch writes books I want to read. If you like crime fiction of the highest calibre then look no further.

Strangers is published by Avon and is available now in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strangers-Paul-Finch/dp/0007551312/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474496962&sr=1-1&keywords=strangers+paul+finch

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