The Light Remains by Rhys Dylan

April 4, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Light Remains by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The games people play…

When a revered sports legend falls victim to a brutal home invasion, a nation is shaken to its core. Outrage swells and the press and powers that be demand answers.

DCI Evan Warlow, fresh from a well-earned vacation, is thrown into the cauldron to lead the investigation. But the victim, despite his iconic status, has secrets of his own.

Amidst the chaos of jealousy and rivalry that swirls around the case, a darker underbelly emerges. The pursuit of truth transforms into a gripping hunt, but whose truth is the team hunting?

Something else lurks in the labyrinth of deception. Something vile and twisted that could strike again at any moment… unless it’s found.

A nationally loved retired sports hero is brutally hurt during a home invasion. When he dies from those wounds the aggregated burglary case is turned over to homicide – and DCI Warlow and his team. Pressured from the public as well as their own managers, Warlow and his team do their best as they do for every case. Can they unravel all the threads and find out who could do such a seemingly senseless crime?

I have been greatly enjoying this Welsh based police procedural series. I feel this book can absolutely be read alone – though the team has quite a strong history together now and readers who prefer to read their stories in order might want to go back and start at the beginning. Everything is very well explained in this book I feel, and certainly I think the crime and plotline is very well encapsulated here and no prior reading is strictly necessary.

While many of the books in this series have a slightly gritter feel to them I do feel this book is more about the smaller towns in Wales and the tight knit communities. I enjoyed how there was a few different threads in this plotline, and they were all given a good weight and for quite some time I found myself piecing everything together along with the team. Any one of these threads could have borne fruit and been part of the murder mystery so I feel the author did a really good job of juggling a number of balls in the air but also making them all quite realistic and very well balanced together.

A strong police procedural style of murder mystery, made even better to my mind for being based in Wales which I still find quite an interesting and different setting, making this a standout read.

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Headcase by Jack Heath

March 31, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Headcase by Jack Heath
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A Chinese astronaut is found dead in a NASA training environment in Houston, Texas. No one can explain how he got there. Amid fears of a diplomatic catastrophe, the CIA dispatches Timothy ‘Hangman’ Blake to investigate a convicted kidnapper who works in the facility – someone Blake put away seven years ago.

Blake is deeply insane, afflicted by terrible urges he can barely control – but he’s also brilliant. Zara, his beautiful and deadly CIA handler, suspects a secret Chinese spacecraft is surveilling the United States, but Blake can see something much more sinister is going on. Something connected to the kidnapping seven years ago, to the technologies being developed at NASA, and to the serial killer known as the Texas Reaper.

Will Blake survive long enough to uncover the truth? And if he does, will anyone even believe him?

When a Chinese astronaut is found dead at a NASA training environment no one understands how he got there. When it’s found a convicted kidnapper works at the facility the CIA decide to send in Timothy Blake to investigate – since Timothy was the one who caught the kidnapper years ago during his work for the FBI. The case quickly gets more complicated as it becomes clear a number of different sinister factors are at work inside the NASA facility. Can Timothy uncover what’s really going on?

I was lucky enough to stumble on the first book in this series shortly after it was published. I have been hooked ever since. While the first three stories are very closely linked and really should be read in order, I was pleased to find this fourth (and so far, seemingly last) book stands a bit better by itself. If possible, I’d still recommend reading these books in order – but if any of the books were picked up by itself, I’d suggest this would be the one to grab as I think it might be possible to read this without the others and still be thoroughly enjoyed.

Timothy is somewhat of an anti-hero character. He has a few (fairly serious) quirks and within those quirks he’s quite happy to try and do the right thing, but he’s by no means a hero or usual positive protagonist. I find him different and refreshing and really interesting to read. I was also quite impressed by the multi facets of the plotline of this book. There were three or four subplots all interlinked together and when you then add in the main characters, Timothy, his CIA handler Zara and his ex-FBI partner Thistle there is a whole lot going on within this story and I found it more than enough to maintain my interest.

I also enjoyed that for this book (unlike the others in the series) there are three main time periods the story jumps between, the present, a few weeks ago and a few months ago, so it’s quite clear from the first page that a few different things are going on and while I usually don’t like jumping forward and backwards throughout a story for this case it actually worked really well and helped me understand and link together the whole picture a lot more easily than I would have had it just started at the beginning and worked forward. Once I had a good idea of how the story was unfolding, I thought it was an excellent choice on the author’s behalf, and I completely agree with how the story is set up despite my usual resistance to jumping back and forth.

Readers who enjoy a layered plot and slightly complicated characters should really enjoy this mystery/suspense story. I can highly recommend the entire series and feel readers who are looking for something a little different and slightly offbeat should absolutely give this author and this series a try. A series well worth the investment.

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Simply Lies by David Baldacci

March 26, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Simply Lies by David Baldacci
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective, leads a hectic life similar to that of many moms: juggling the demands of her two small children with the tasks of her job working remotely for ProEye, a global investigation company that hunts down wealthy tax and credit cheats.

When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled. That is, until she arrives at the mansion and discovers a dead body in a secret room—and nothing is as it seems.

Not only does the arms dealer not exist, but the murder victim turns out to be Harry Langhorne, a man with mob ties who used to be in Witness Protection. What’s more, no one named Arlene Robinson works at ProEye.

In the blink of an eye, Gibson has become a prime suspect in a murder investigation—and now her job is on the line until she proves that she was set up. Before long, Gibson is locked in a battle of wits with a brilliant woman with no name, a hidden past, and unknown motives—whose end game is as mysterious as it is deadly.

Former detective Mickey Gibson now works from home for a global investigations company. While she misses the field and action of her former police days, her two young children usually make up for the lack of action in her days now. When a colleague calls with a simple task for Mickey she doesn’t think twice about heading out to check over a house. Discovering a dead body inside, Mickey’s life is immediately turned upside down and she finds herself unwillingly drawn into a dangerous and fast paced world.

I’ve always enjoyed David Baldacci’s books, and this standalone novel didn’t disappoint. I found Mickey to be a modern, relatable and thoroughly enjoyable character. Much of her character and situation should strike a chord with many people and I thought she was an excellent hook into the story. I also thought Baldacci did an excellent job keeping the pace of the story fast but not so quick that I couldn’t keep up. There is a lot going on in this book and quite a few plots and sub-plots interweaving together and this could have easily turned into a mess where there was just too much going on. I feel Baldacci really is exceptional (in this and others of his works) with keeping that balance.

I thought the villain was also an excellent character, though I do admit the different layers and complications of the plot got quite a bit at times. I found I did need to suspend a little bit of my disbelief – there were just so many layers and twists I found myself at a few points pausing to wonder if this really was believable. Baldacci’s skill, however, had me so caught up in the plot and action that overall I did find it logical and while upon reflection I’m not certain that parts are realistic, there is ample evidence with enough planning and foresight everything is potentially possible and I did find myself caught up in the book and pacing it was quite easy to suspend a little disbelief and keep going with the action. I’m not sure all readers will feel this way – but if you enjoy Baldacci’s style and other works then this is absolutely along a similar vein and is admittedly very well thought out.

With a complicated plot, plenty of moving parts and a very solid pace readers should find this action orientated murder mystery a good read. I’m happy with this book and at the moment it stands alone so there’s no history or prior books in the series that need reading. I’d also pick up a second book about this character and read another one of her adventures.

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A Team Of Three by Brad Lee

March 25, 2025 By Leave a Comment


A Team Of Three by Brad Lee
Publisher: Simply Sensible Entertainment
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Freedom isn’t free.

America’s newest enemy launches an audacious plan to incapacitate the country. A never-before-seen danger is about to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public. And the world faces a crisis unlike any before.
Can intelligence analyst Haley put the puzzle together in time from the safety of her office – or is she meant to risk it all as a field asset?

Is Axe, a former Navy SEAL, capable of overcoming a foe with nothing to lose?
The clues are cleverly hidden. The threats are terrifying.

And the stakes have never been higher. For the USA, the world, Axe, and Haley.
They are on their own, in deep, and desperate.

All they have is each other, their dedication, and their skills… but will that be enough to prevent death and destruction?
Join them for their most dangerous mission yet.

It was meant to be a fairly simple – albeit covert – missions. Axe would break into a Mexican cartel’s mansion, rescue the American nurse being held kidnapped there and with Kelton driving the getaway boat the three of them would return to America, safe and undiscovered. As Axe and Hayley know all too well – the only easy day was yesterday.

I have absolutely loved the first two books in this series – A Team Of One and A Team Of Two – and so I had very high expectations for this third book. I was not disappointed. This is quickly growing to be both my new favourite author and series.

While I do feel this book can be read by itself, I admit to having a stronger and quicker emotional connection to the team members and small cast of characters because of the previous installments. I don’t feel they would be necessary to read to thoroughly enjoy this book, though I can see sooner or later the weight of these life altering situations and the shared history will mean readers will need some of the background knowledge and not simply be able to pick up anywhere in the series. We’re not there yet – but I can see that might occur sometime soon.

Similarly to the previous two books I loved that this is a fast paced, action oriented adventure and mystery story. There is a giant plot going on overhead, with a number of working parts and links. I was pleased this time – unlike in the second book – we learn more about the big picture as Haley and Axe do and I think this helped give the plot and momentum of the story a more linear feel to it. I admit I prefer this style of storytelling and while the back and forth of the second novel is still good, my preference is the style shown in this and the first book.

The characters are believable and relatable. While Hayley is almost preternaturally smart and Axe unbelievably brave and focused, I could relax and just go with the flow on these points when really I don’t necessarily need a real-life type of person in my adventure and espionage style stories. We want our heroes to be larger than life. Axe was certainly in dangerous situations and Hayley had to work hard to analyse her data and put the puzzle together, but we do want them to get there in the end before the bad guy wins.

I feel readers who are happy with action paced, fast moving and addictive stories where it’s clear from the beginning that the good guy will win – they’ll just need to work for it – then this should be a book right up your alley. With plenty of action and adventure, a solid plot that grows and expands and some very memorable characters this was a brilliant read and one I will happily be adding to my keeper shelf. I can’t wait for more of this series and author. Recommended.

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The Boy In The Headlights by Samuel Bjork

March 19, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Boy In The Headlights by Samuel Bjork
Publisher: Penguin, Random House
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Mindless killer? Or do they know exactly what they’re doing?

Winter 1996. An old man is driving home when his headlights catch an animal on the empty road up ahead. He stamps hard on the brakes. But it is not an animal at all. It is a young boy, frightened and alone, with a set of deer antlers strapped firmly to his head.

Fourteen years later, a body is found in a mountain lake. Within weeks, three people have died. Each time, the killer has left a clue, inviting Special Investigations Detectives Munch and Krüger to play a deadly game – a game they cannot possibly win. Against the most dangerous and terrifying kind of serial killer. One who chooses their victims completely at random.

To find the killer they must look deep within their own dark pasts, but how can you stop a murderer when you cannot begin to predict their next move?

Once again the Special Investigations team has been disbanded – only to be called together when three young people are murdered all in quick succession. Munch and Kruger are reunited again to solve the hardest cases Norway has to offer. The victims are random, baffling the team, and when they realise all sorts of distractions and misleading clues are being peppered throughout the series of cases they all struggle to figure out what is helpful and what is part of this killers game. A game the team isn’t sure they can win.

I have greatly enjoyed the other two books in this Scandinavian Noir series and this book is absolutely no exception. Slightly darker and grittier than many British and other police murder mysteries I really love how complicated and interwoven the plot is. With plenty of short, sharp chapters this author draws all sorts of characters and seemingly random scenes and skillfully weaves them into one giant plotline that all comes together at the end. Plenty of these scenes truly appear random – or potentially meaningless distractions – but I know from previous experience that it will all slot together somehow, I just can’t possibly see how until it’s all revealed.

While the tone and setting is certainly darker than many other books that I read, this story is not gory and nor does it use violence or the crimes as titillation. This is solidly a suspenseful murder mystery, but the feel and tone of the book is darker and grittier than plenty of others out there. Readers who like a bit more edge in their mysteries should find this style very appealing. I also really enjoy the fact that the police team really do work well together – but unlike many British police procedurals each character works quite solidly alone and not just as a cohesive part of the full team. I found that quite different to many other books where the style is more each character is a fully integrated part of a whole, whereas in this style of book many of the members work quite independently of each other, though they do all collaborate and freely share details and seek help from each other when needed.

There were quite a few sub-plots going on as well, Mia and her baggage from her dead twin sister, Munch and his daughter’s recovery, and I especially liked getting to know Curry a bit better in this book – his plotline was very well handled as well.

Readers who enjoy a slightly darker and stronger murder mystery should definitely give this a try. I have greatly enjoyed the two previous books in this series by this author and am eager to try the next one along.

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The Scorpion’s Tail by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

March 13, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Scorpion’s Tail by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Publisher: Head Of Zeus Ltd
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A mummified corpse, over half a century old, is found in the cellar of an abandoned building in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Corrie is assigned what seems to her a throwaway case: to ID the body and determine cause of death. She brings archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body and lend her expertise to the investigation, and together they uncover something unexpected and shocking: the deceased apparently died in agony, in a fetal position, skin coming off in sheets, with a rictus of horror frozen on his face.

Hidden on the corpse lies a 16th century Spanish gold cross of immense value.

When they at last identify the body — and the bizarre cause of death — Corrie and Nora open a door into a terrifying, secret world of ancient treasure and modern obsession: a world centered on arguably the most defining, frightening, and transformative moment in American history.

FBI rookie agent Corrie Swanston finds herself under investigation when an unexpected shoot out has Corrie using her gun and a senior agent finding himself hurt in the fire fight. Despite her supervisor assuring her the investigation is standard and it’s not her fault, Corrie feels an incredible amount of guilt. When she’s given a new case – that if a mummified corpse discovered at a remove ghost town it’s hard for Corrie to not feel as if she’s being punished. Yet slowly the case leads on to other things, including a breathtaking priceless artifact and a number of excavations where she requires the help of Dr Nora Kelly once again. Can Nora and Corrie work together to solve yet another serious crime?

I have been a massive fan of Preston and Child for many years and greatly enjoyed their earlier book featuring both Corrie and Nora. I found myself really pleased with this book and I got sucked into the whole thing really quickly. Readers who haven’t read the previous book – or indeed readers even new entirely to Preston and Child – are absolutely in for a treat. No prior knowledge of the two main characters is needed to thoroughly enjoy this story and while there are a few links thrown in for readers who know all the back story these references are fleeting and small so I really feel someone can just pick this book up cold and enjoy it virtually as much as I did.

As with most of Preston and Child’s stories this had a lovely multi-layered plot. Nothing was quite as simple as it first appeared, and I really enjoyed going along on the journey with Corrie and Nora as they unearthed everything. There was a fair bit of archaeological stuff which was where Nora obviously shone best and plenty of mystery/thriller action which was Corrie’s forte. Indeed, I really commend the balance the authors made between the two and at no point did I feel like one character outshone the other. I found the pacing and plot of the book was really well handled and very balanced and this was a big part of the reason I felt the story flowed so well and I as the reader got so caught up in everything.

Readers looking for a well moving plot with plenty of layers and a good chunk of history/archaeology and mystery solving should find this book gripping and a pleasure to read. With two strong female leads I really loved this aspect to it and some strong and really well written men as secondary characters who equally were vital to the plot going on.

An excellent book and a brilliant addition to my shelf of keeper stories by this pair of authors. Recommended.

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The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

March 7, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Ruth’s partner in crime, DCI Nelson, has been receiving threatening letters. They are anonymous, yet reminiscent of ones he has received in the past, from the person who drew him into a case that’s haunted him for years. At the same time, Ruth receives a letter purporting to be from that very same person—her former mentor, and the reason she first started working with Nelson. But the author of those letters is dead. Or is he? The past is reaching out for Ruth and Nelson, and its grip is deadly.

DCI Nelson has received a few anonymous letters that are eerily similar to those he received during his first case with Dr. Ruth Galloway and a Bronze Age girl buried at a local henge. He’s uneasy, but resolves to ignore them as the original author of the letters is long dead now. But then Ruth calls to say she’s found what she thinks are somewhat recent bones of a young girl she finds when excavating at a new location right near that original henge, a recently discovered stone circle. Ruth and Nelson are finding their past is becoming ominously part of their present.

I’ve been a big fan of this series for a while now and even though I admit Nelson and Ruth’s off/on relationship drives me mental sometimes, I really enjoyed this book a lot. There is what I felt to be a satisfying amount of progress (of sorts) between Nelson’s family and Ruth/Kate. I loved that Cathbad was once again a solid and prolific character and part of this story. I even really enjoyed the amount of time spent with Judy and Cloughie this time around. I thought there really was a good amount of progress and time spent with all these main characters and the plot revolving around the missing girl whose bones were discovered. Overall, I found the balance in this story – for myself personally – was excellent. I do admit though that people who prefer the archaeology aspect to these books and the time spent focused on the dig and field work and more historical aspects might find this book a little light on for them and they might not be as satisfied as I am.

I particularly enjoyed how a good amount of the first quarter or so of this book really seemed to hark back to the first in this series (The Crossing Places) and even though it’s been quite some time since I’ve read that book, I enjoyed the parallels between the two. I wondered at times if the author was trying a sort of soft reset with the storylines – but I can’t decide if it’s my imagination and I’m reading too much into the parallels or not.

Readers who enjoy British police procedural books – especially those with strong ties to history and archaeology – should definitely find this series as a whole suits their tastes. With a strong cast of secondary characters and a well woven plotline that has a number of red herrings to keep most mystery readers guessing this was an enjoyable book and is a series I greatly enjoy. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

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Hideout by Jack Heath

March 5, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Hideout by Jack Heath
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A tense, unputdownable thriller from the author of Hangman.

Timothy Blake has nothing to lose. He’s headed to an isolated house in rural Texas with a hammer in his pocket and murder on his mind. His target is Fred, the ringleader of a criminal empire on the dark web. Once Fred is gone, Blake can disappear for good.

But it turns out that Fred isn’t alone. Five other psychopaths live in the house. They work together and call themselves the Guards. Torture, extortion and death are their business. Blake manages to convince them that he’s one of their online associates. Soon they think he’s a monster, like them. They’re not wrong.

Blake decides to pick them off one by one. But when a Guard is found with a bullet in his skull, Blake realises that someone else in the house may have the same idea – and he might be their next target.

Meanwhile, who are the desperate people chained up in the building behind the house? One of them will change everything . . .

Timothy Blake no longer works as a civilian consultant for the FBI, but after deciding to tackle one last loose end from his previous case he finds himself in much deeper waters than expected. Faking his way into a house full of serial killers, he’s trying to work out how to extract himself when he discovers there are a number of civilian captives being held – and tortured – on site. Blake finds himself getting sucked deeper and deeper into the situation and what started as a quick in and out soon spirals out of control.

This is the third book by this author revolving around Timothy Blake and while I need to be in the right frame of mind to read and enjoy this series – it’s a little gory and gruesome – overall this is a really well written anti-hero thriller/horror series and one I just can’t help but enjoy. This third book picks up literally seconds after the second finishes. Readers who dislike reading their series out of order should absolutely read these four books in order as they very closely link up together into one much longer story and while there’s plenty of hints and explanations of what has occurred previously this is one of the few series where I really think reading the books in order is a sensible plan and will absolutely help make everything fit into place a bit better.

While there is no titillation in the horror aspects to this book this absolutely isn’t a series or book for the faint of heart. This particular book is about a group of serial killers with live victims and their very own slaughterhouse. Most of the gruesome aspects occur off scene but the author doesn’t pretty anything up and these are killers who do have some teeth. Readers should definitely be aware of that going in.

That said, I really do enjoy Blake’s character. He is there for his own reasons and while he is far from innocent and in many ways, he isn’t even trying to do “the right thing” he has his own reasons and driving force and in that way under those parameters he is doing what he can. I don’t think this will sit well with all readers, but I find it interesting and engrossing enough I read the book fairly quickly, definitely eager to see what occurs next.

Readers who want something different should find that here in this book. This is the only series I’ve ever read with a main character (even an anti-hero) like Blake and his unusual circumstances and personal drives, that alone is worth giving the series a shot to my mind. Readers who enjoy a twisty plot and don’t mind a bit of gore or serial killers should absolutely go back to Hangman and the beginning and give this series a try. I’ve never read anything like this series and while it’s not a comfortable read, it is different, interesting and absolutely a complicated plotline with multiple moving parts all woven together by the author in an astonishingly interesting manner.

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Murder At The University by Faith Martin

February 27, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Murder At The University by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books, London
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A pretty French student is found dead in her room at an exclusive Oxford college. Everyone thinks it is another tragic case of accidental drug overdose.

But Detective Hillary Greene has a nose for the truth. She quickly discovers that the student was involved in some very unusual activities.

With a shocking cause of death found, the case becomes a high-profile murder investigation.

Adding to the pressure, Hillary’s nemesis is transferred to work with her at the station.

Can Hillary keep her cool and get justice for the unfortunate student?

This is the second book in the series featuring DI Hillary Greene and I really enjoyed it. With a layered and interesting murder mystery plot and a number of realistic and complicated characters in the police team I found there was plenty in this British police procedural book to keep my interest keen.

While at a first glance the murder appeared straightforward, I was pleased when a number of twists were uncovered and the mystery quickly deepened to be far more than first expected. I also like how the author kept a good balance with the plot and characters remaining realistic and believable but never simple – there were enough twists to keep me guessing and hold my attention firm.

I also really appreciated how Hillary is not a young woman (somewhere in her forties) and not a novice when it comes to her police work and investigations. That is still quite a refreshing change to me, and I love the series for that difference alone.

Readers looking for a well-paced British police procedural story with an intricate plot and solid characters should check this series out.

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A Quiet Man by Tom Wood

February 26, 2025 By Leave a Comment


A Quiet Man by Tom Wood
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

One day a man arrives in town. Unassuming. Quiet.

The assassin known as Victor is hiding out in a small motel in Canada after a job across the border. A few days laying low and he’ll be gone and leave no trace behind.

He doesn’t count on getting to know a mother and her boy who reminds him of his own troubled childhood. When both vanish, only Victor seems to notice.

Once he starts looking for them, he finds himself at odds with the criminals who own the town. They want him gone. Only Victor’s going nowhere until he discovers the truth and to them he’s just a quiet man asking the wrong questions.

But that quiet man is a dangerous man.

Spending only a day or two across the border laying low after the successful completion of a job, Victor finds himself making a simple – though highly unusual – promise to a young boy. Agreeing to meet again at dawn to show the young man how to fish, Victor is perturbed when neither the boy nor his mother arrive. Curious, Victor looks for them in the small, quiet little border town. What should have proved very straight-forward quickly turns complicated and soon is extremely messy. Can Victor extract himself safely?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series but found this book in particular to be even more exceptional than I had been expecting. Unlike many series, these books all very much stand alone – Victor usually severing all ties before quickly moving on and almost never leaving anyone behind him. So these books can absolutely be read out of order if a reader wants to. What I found particularly pleasing and different about this book was the fact the job Victor was hired to do was pretty much over and finished before the book really even began. This book is all about happenstance and the decisions we make after the main event and so that is quite different to the other books of this author’s that I’ve read.

Something else I really enjoyed was most of the characters and plots in this book are around fairly normal level criminals. They’re people we can see and relate to and understand. They’re not really of Victor’s usual caliber of enemy. That said, there are a large number of different people, circling around in different plots, all currently focused on Victor for varying reasons. So with enough people coming from enough different angles even though by themselves they might not be a threat, Victor is definitely kept on his toes and it made for a highly gripping read to me.

Readers should be aware this isn’t a cosy mystery or a simple read. While definitely not horror or overly gory, neither does the author shy away from the multiple fight scenes nor the ramifications of these altercations. Readers who prefer police procedural style of mysteries or more puzzle/thinking style of plots might find this a little too action orientated and a little too visceral at times for their tastes.

With a definite anti-hero in Victor and a slightly different take on the “assassin tries to do a good thing” style of plotline, this was a great read and one I shall absolutely enjoy re-reading again in the future. Recommended.

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