Tag: Thriller

Three-Inch Teeth by C. J. Box

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller6 Comments

Three-Inch Teeth Cover

Publisher: Head of Zeus (ebook – 27 February 2024)

Series: Joe Pickett – Book 24

Length: 378 pages

My Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a fantastic and over-the-top thriller that makes great use of an American wilderness setting? Then look no further than the latest awesome novel from bestselling author C. J. Box, Three-Inch Teeth.

Ever since I started getting more involved with the crime fiction genre, I have been slowly working my way through some well-established mystery and thriller authors who I was previously unfamiliar with.  As such, I just had the pleasure of reading my first book from veteran thriller author C. J. Box, Three-Inch Teeth, which I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of.  Box is an outstanding author who has been writing for over 20 years.  While he has written several stand-alone novels, as well as his Cody Hoyt/Cassie Dewell series, Box is best known for his Joe Pickett books.  Following a game warden in the mountains of Wyoming who gets involved with various murders and other criminal activities, the Joe Pickett books are an amazing series, and I wish I had gotten into them sooner.  Starting with Box’s debut novel, Open Season, back in 2001, this series has featured some interesting stories behind it, which I might have to come back and read at some point.  The latest book, Three-Inch Teeth, is the 24th novel in the series, and it presents the reader with a unique and captivating story about nature, revenge and tragedy.

As a new hunting season begins in the wilderness of Wyoming, game warden Joe Pickett prepares for a busy period of monitoring the excited hunters coming into his domain.  However, he is unprepared for the savagery set to befall those closest to him as he encounters two very different killers.  The first is a wild animal, a massive rogue grizzly bear that goes on a rampage, killing several people, including the prospective fiancé of Joe’s daughter.  Desperate to stop the bear before it kills again, Joe and a team of expert hunters engage in an exhaustive hunt for it, which leaves Joe unprepared for a danger from his past to re-emerge.

Former champion rodeo star Dallas Cates has been released from prison.  Filled with anger over everything he lost, including his land, his family and his stardom, Cates plots his revenge against the people he blames for ruining his life, including Joe, Joe’s best friend Nate Romanowski, the local judge, prosecutor and more.  Spotting the chaos being caused by the enraged grizzly, Cates seeks a way to unleash similar attacks on those targets he wants dead.

Teaming up with a mechanical genius and another ghost from Joe’s past, Cates begins his deadly revenge plot, and soon all of Wyoming is in turmoil at the sudden upsurge in bear attacks.  With the incidents hitting closer and closer to home, Joe works to find the apparent rogue bear before its too late.  But is he ready to face Cates and his cohorts, or will his enemies finally get the best of him?  Whatever the case, tragedy and death await all those who enter the bear-infested wilderness.

This was an extremely fun and exciting read from Box, who pulls together an epic and memorable novel.  Three-Inch Teeth has a brilliant and addictive story behind it, and you will swiftly get drawn into this over-the-top book.  It’s an amazing read that I really could not put down.

I loved the epic story in Three-Inch Teeth, as Box comes up with an electrifying, intense and over-the-top thriller narrative that you can really sink your teeth into (pun intended).  Starting off with the first brutal bear attack, Box does a great job setting the scene for the reader as the protagonist, Joe Pickett finds himself leading the hunt for the culprit.  This proves to be a brilliant start to the book, and it serves as a good introduction/reintroduction to the protagonist, the setting, and the general vibe of the series.  While this is interesting, Box amps the plot up even further when he brings in main antagonist Dallas Cates, who has previously appeared in other Joe Pickett books.  Cates had a great balance of anger, patience and intelligence in him as a villain, as he seeks revenge against those that wronged him.  Teaming up with an interesting crew of accomplices, including another recurring Joe Pickett villain, Cates comes up with an igneous idea that allows him to capitalise on the bear attacks and kill those who wronged him without arising suspicion.

While I won’t go into too much detail about how Cates and his cohorts kill their targets, I will say it was extremely entertaining and very over-the-top, which I deeply enjoyed.  The resulting murder spree creates an intense plot as Joe tries to work out why a bear is killing several people close to him, and what the strange attacks could mean.  Box keeps the plot moving along at a quick pace once the killings begin, and I really enjoyed the switches in focus amongst the various characters.  The one exception to this is probably the storyline which focused on Pickett’s daughter, Sheridan, which honestly felt a little disconnected, and its payoff didn’t really add a whole lot to the overall plot (the falconry was cool though).  Still, I had a lot of fun with the story, and you really get drawn in to the book, especially once the protagonist gets closer to the truth.  The final leg of Three-Inch Teeth had me hooked the entire way through, as the antagonists gear up for their final confrontation with Joe and his friends and family.  The big finale is just as intense and deadly as you would expect, and long-term readers of this book will be shocked at some of the events that occur.  I loved how Box ended everything on a dark note, especially regarding a key side character, and there are some interesting hints about the future of the series.  I honestly had such a great time with this amazing story, and while it does get a bit outrageous at times, that is part of its rugged and exciting charm.

I really enjoyed how Box showcased his over-the-top story in Three-Inch Teeth, especially as it provided me with all the action, carnage and revenge that I was hoping for.  Featuring a very fast pace designed to lure you in, Three-Inch Teeth honestly never slowed down from the first brutal bear attack, and the author ensured that the excitement levels stayed extremely high.  I liked how Box set his story out in a typical thriller fashion of showcasing multiple character perspectives, which I think helped to showcase the story even better.  The constant shift between the scheming antagonists and the mystified, but increasingly suspicious, protagonists really enlivened the plot, and it was great to see both sides of the crazy scenario that emerged.  I personally also appreciated how accessible Box made Three-Inch Teeth to new readers.  I must admit that I was initially a little worried about coming into the Joe Pickett series at book 24, however, my fears quickly left me once I got stuck into the story.  While the plot of Three-Inch Teeth does rely heavily on elements from the previous novels, especially when it comes to the returning antagonists, you really don’t need any prior knowledge to get stuck into the story.  Box does a great job of recapping the key events of the previous novel as the book continues, and you quickly understand the grudge that the antagonists bear.  While long-term readers will probably get a lot more out of Three-Inch Teeth, especially when it comes to some of the character development, surprise deaths and continuation of existing storylines, any thriller fan can easily start the series here and have a wonderful time with this book.

One of the things that really stood out to me about Three-Inch Teeth was the outstanding background setting that much of the story is based in.  Box really works to feature his beloved Wyoming wilderness in his novel, and I loved the great depictions of the beautiful landscape, isolated towns and interesting locals.  This mountain area makes a great background for a lot of the book, including in some tense hunting scenes, and you can see that Box has a great appreciation for the location and the creatures within it.  As such, quite a lot of attention is paid to some of the local animals in these mountains, with the grizzly bear getting quite a look at in Three-Inch Teeth.  Due to the bear’s importance to the plot, Box goes out of his way to explore the habits, behaviour and biology of the grizzly throughout the plot, which adds a fascinating edge to the book, and understanding how a bear acts ended up being a key plot point.

In addition, Box also tries to capture the personality and feel of the inhabitants of Wyoming, especially those living in the mountain communities, and this is where Three-Inch Teeth might become a little less appealing to some readers.  While the protagonist and his family generally try to stay away from politics, pretty much everyone they meet is very right-wing in their political ideology, and they generally all have something to say about it one way or another.  Having never had the pleasure of visiting Wyoming, I can’t really comment on the accuracy of this, but the huge number of conservative locals does come across as a little strong.  While I am sure this was done for realism, it does get a little much as the book continues, especially when politics is worked into all manner of unrelated conversations.  While it didn’t dramatically ruin my reading experience of Three-Inch Teeth, I could see it alienating some readers who are looking for a little escapism from the current political climate, and it might prove to be rather tiring for those readers interested in chain-reading this series.  Still, this is a minor complaint and I think most people can just have fun with Three-Inch Teeth’s over-the-top action.

I loved the range of eccentric and compelling characters featured throughout Three-Inch Teeth, and I deeply appreciated how each of them was rather easy to follow as Box expertly reintroduces each of them.  The protagonists, particularly Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski, are very sympathetic figures, and Box ensures you quickly get across their relevant character aspects and enjoy watching them try to solve the unique crime coming their way.  However, I felt that the antagonists carried the day in Three-Inch Teeth.  Box features several great villains in this novel, including two recurring antagonists from the prior Joe Pickett books, and it was a lot of fun seeing them attempt their outrageous revenge mission.  The author does a good job of diving back into the two main antagonists’ backstory, especially as its pretty vital to the plot, and you quickly understand their obsession with revenge and the deadly relationships they have with the protagonists.  These exceptional antagonists were so much fun, and I love the future storylines that Box sets up through one of them, that hints of even more carnage to come.  Each of these great characters added so much to the plot, and I am excited to see what happens to them in the future.

C. J. Box easily wooed me with this wonderful and impressively exciting addition to this long-running series. Three-Inch Teeth was a great introduction to the Joe Pickett books, and I loved the thrilling story that he came up with. A very fun and intense read, I will probably dive back into this series in the future, especially if Box comes up with another captivating and awesome plot like Three-Inch Teeth had.

Three-Inch Teeth Cover 2

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The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller15 Comments

The Murder Inn Cover

Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 13 February 2024)

Series: The Inn – Book Two

Length: 307 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The superstar writing team of James Patterson and Candice Fox produce another wildly entertaining and captivating read with the impressive and over-the-top thriller, The Murder Inn.

As one of the world’s best-known authors, James Patterson needs very little introduction, especially with a huge range of exciting thrillers and gripping murder mysteries to his name.  Patterson has been particularly prolific in recent years, as he has been writing collaboratively with talented authors to create a range of unique reads.  I have had a wonderful time reading some of the more recent Patterson collaborative books, including Blow Back with Brendan DuBoise, The Perfect Assassin with Brian Sitts, Lost with James O. Born, Death of the Black Widow with J. D. Barker (one of my favourite books of 2022) and the short story collection 3 Days to Live (featuring three additional authors).

One of my favourite authors that Patterson regularly collaborates with is Australian writer Candice Fox.  Fox is one of Australia’s best thriller authors with some great books to her name, including the excellent Crimson Lake series, and impressive standalone thrillers like Fire With Fire, Gathering Dark and The Chase.  Patterson and Fox have written several books together in the past, including the highly addictive read, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, which saw two mismatched women forced to investigate a brutal crime after finding out they’re sisters.  I really enjoyed the intriguing story this fantastic writing team cooked up and I have been keen to read more from this pairing for a while.  I finally got my chance this week as I just got my hands on an early copy of the upcoming thriller by Patterson and Fox, The Murder Inn.  The sequel to their previous novel, The Inn, The Murder Inn was a particularly fun and enjoyable book that I powered through in no time at all.

Former Boston police officer Bill Robinson has found his life getting increasingly complicated ever since he set up his little coast-side guesthouse.  Known as The Inn by the Sea, the picturesque dwelling in Gloucester, Massachusetts, has become something of a safe house for several unusual long-term boarders, including his former FBI agent girlfriend, the town’s sheriff, disturbed veteran Nick Jones, an elderly former gangster, and other mysterious or outrageous residents.  However, trouble always seems to find the occupants of the Inn, especially when secrets from their complex pasts resurface.

Bill Robinson once again finds himself on the receiving end of this trouble after attending a funeral for former police colleague Mark Bulger.  While Robison has fond memories of his dead friend, Bulger was a particularly crooked cop, whose secret stash of stolen evidence could put many dangerous people away, including notorious drug lord Norman Driver.  When Driver’s thugs come looking for it, the Bulger widow, Shauna, finds herself caught in the crossfire, but she quickly proves that she isn’t the frail old lady everyone thinks she is.

As Shauna embarks on a one-woman crusade against Norman Driver, Robinson tries to help, but his actions only put him and the Inn in the crosshairs of the crime lord.  At the same time, he also finds himself trying to uncover the secrets surrounding his best friend, Nick Jones.  Nick has been receiving threatening messages regarding his former squad in Afghanistan, whose dark deeds might soon come to light.  Caught between criminals, dangerous vigilantes, and a dark killer stalking Nick, the Inn soon finds itself under siege, and not everyone will survive the night.

This was an extremely awesome and compelling read from Patterson and Fox that had me hooked the entire way through.  Featuring a great story, loaded with action, intrigue and fun characters, The Murder Inn was an outstanding novel and one that proves near impossible to put down.

The wonderful team of Patterson and Fox came up with an excellent narrative for The Murder Inn that really draws you in quickly.  Initially starting with background on side-character Nick Jones, The Murder Inn soon introduces several intriguing storylines as protagonist Bill Robinson finds himself drawn into the various troubles of his residents and friends.  What starts as a funeral for a friend soon sees Robinson drawn into a war against a crime lord, as his friend’s widow, the wildly entertaining Shauna Bulger, finds a stash of evidence and then goes to war in the name of justice.  At the same time, Robinson finds himself drawn into Jones’s military past, as the consequences of a deadly massacre come to light.  Throw in a mysterious guest, personal dramas surrounding the various characters, and other dark secrets emerging, and this proves to be a full and compelling story.  This explosive mixture of storylines comes together extremely well as the book continues, and I loved how each of the major characters are expertly explored, especially Shauna and Nick, which allows you to get really drawn into their personal histories and demons.  Thanks to a series of betrayals and dark secrets, you are never quite sure who is going to survive this dangerous story, and the constant threat and brushes with death upped the ante in a huge way.  I loved some of the great twists and turns that emerged, and Patterson and Fox ensured that parts of the story got wonderfully over-the-top in all the right ways, especially when it comes to key character deaths.  This was such a fun and exciting story to read, and I managed to blow through it so damn quickly.

Unsurprisingly, The Murder Inn utilised Patterson’s typical writing style, which I think worked extremely well for this impressive and enjoyable story.  The use of a huge number of short, sharp chapters really draws the reader in and sets an incredibly fast pace for the story.  Due to how quick these chapters are, and the exciting and constantly evolving story that accompanies it, you honestly have a hard time putting this book down; especially as it is so tempting to read a couple more pages just to see what is going to happen next.  This frenetic pace really increases the impact of the story in places, and I loved how well the authors continued to transition between multiple point-of-view characters.  The intriguing range of perspectives increased the complexity of the plot, especially as you get to see events through the eyes of all the affected characters, including the villains, and I loved the amazing storylines that emerged as a result.  Thanks to this, it proves very hard to stop reading The Murder Inn once you start, and the authors reward you with a ton of great action and some joyfully over-the-top moments.  Despite being a sequel, The Murder Inn is essentially a standalone novel, and no knowledge of the previous book is needed to enjoy it.  This was such a great story, and the team of Patterson and Fox made sure to display in the best way possible.

Patterson and Fox came up with some great characters for The Murder Inn, and there are some amazingly likeable protagonists showcased throughout the plot.  A lot of this focus revolves around protagonist Bill Robinson, the proprietor of The Inn by the Sea and a former cop who is trying to find redemption after a questionable police career.  Bill is a great straight man for much of the chaos going on in this book, and his dedication to helping his friends no matter what, made him a very likeable figure.  I liked how Robinson’s chapters were the only ones told from the first-person perspective, especially as it gave those chapters some additional importance, and the change of pacing surrounding that was quite fun.  It also allowed the reader to get a better look at the nice romance arc surrounding the protagonist, and it was great to see him finally get some happiness, if only temporarily.  Robinson’s friend, Nick Jones, also gets a lot of focus in The Murder Inn, as one of the primary storylines revolves around him.  Jones, an army veteran, is deeply traumatised by his time in Afghanistan, especially after a dark mission made him question everything.  Already damaged by his time in the war and the paranoia that followed, Nick finds himself coming to terms with his past in a big way here, and his battle for redemption is a powerful part of the book.

Probably my favourite character in The Murder Inn was new character Shauna Bulger.  The widow of a dirty cop, Shauna finds herself in a dark situation when criminals break into her house, searching for her husband’s secrets.  Rather than lying down for them, Shauna fights back and this awakens something primal in her that sees her wage war on the local criminals.  Shauna proves to be a hilariously badass vigilante, and it was interesting to see how she finally processed years of trauma into such a violent and over-the-top response.  Her counterpart, the crime lord Norman Driver, proves to be an outstanding villain for the story, and I loved how despite being a dangerous man with a dark history, even he was overwhelmed by the unusual inhabitants of the Inn and the other deadly people coming for him.  Throw in the other great residence of the Inn, many of whom have interesting history and stories that will no doubt get explored in future books in the series, and you have an amazing cast you can’t help but fall in love with.

Overall, The Murder Inn was an exciting, awesome and captivating read that was everything I hoped it would be and more.  James Patterson and Candice Fox once again from to be an effective writing team, and I loved the impressively insane and compelling story they came up with here that I absolutely absorbed.  A wonderfully entertaining novel that any thriller fan will have an amazing time with, The Murder Inn is really worth reading.

The Murder Inn Cover 2

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Quick Review – The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, Quick Review, ThrillerLeave a comment

The Holy Terrors Cover

Publisher: Severn House (ebook – 6 February 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 214 pages

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Established thriller author Simon R. Green produces a fun and compelling read with The Holy Terrors, a cool book with an interesting plot idea behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

Six people locked in a haunted hall . . . Cameras watching their every move . . . And then someone dies . . . This first in a spine-tingling new paranormal mystery series from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green will make you doubt your judgement – and believe in ghosts!

Welcome to Spooky Time, the hit TV ghost-hunting show where the horror is scripted . . . and the ratings are declining rapidly. What better way to up the stakes – and boost the viewership – than by locking a select group of Z-list celebrities up for the night in The Most Haunted Hall in England (TM) and live-streaming the ‘terrifying’ results?

Soon Alistair, a newly appointed Bishop, actress Diana, medium Leslie, comedian Toby and celebrity chef Indira are trapped inside Stonehaven town hall, along with June, the host and producer of the show. The group tries to settle in and put on a good show, but then strange things start happening in their hall of horrors.

What is it about this place – and why is the TV crew outside not responding? Are they even on air?

Logical Alistair attempts to keep the group’s fears at bay and rationalise the odd events, but there are things that just can’t be explained within reason . . . Can he stop a cold-blooded would-be killer – even if it’s come from beyond the grave?

This locked-room mystery with a paranormal twist is classic Simon R. Green, featuring his trademark humour and imagination, irresistible characters, and thoroughly entertaining plotting.


The Holy Terrors was an intriguing book from Simon R. Green that I had a fun time getting through.  Short and very sweet, The Holy Terrors made good use of its compelling plot idea, which saw a bishop, a diva, a comedian, a celebrity chef, a psychic and a TV producer become trapped in a haunted town hall.  While that sounds like the set up to an elaborate joke, it produces a great plot background for an entertaining novel that you can quickly power through.

I loved the author’s idea of simultaneously parodying ghost shows and the reality television crowd, while also presenting the reader with a unique locked-room mystery scenario that might or might not be caused by supernatural forces.  Thanks to these ideas, I think the overall story was pretty good and proved to be quite exciting.  Green sets everything up nicely, and you are quickly drawn into the plot, especially as you know that there is something bad on the horizon.  After a few early scare elements, you are led nicely to the centre of the story, where one of the characters dies and the rest are left scrambling to figure out who or what is trying to kill them.  This proves to be a great backbone for much of the story, and the initial range of characters are fun.

While I enjoyed how the book was set up, I think that it slightly fell apart in the second half.  The story gets a bit silly in places, and it is easy to predict what the subsequent order of death was going to be.  I did enjoy how Green tried to keep the reader guessing about whether this was a horror novel or a murder mystery, especially as there are some great psychic inclusions, apparitions, and other mysterious occurrences.  However, despite the included misdirection, the answer to this question proved to be a bit obvious.  The eventual culprit reveal was predictable, as it was literally the most obvious suspect there, and Green’s method reveal was pretty unsubtle.  Still, the final confrontation was nicely written, and I liked the cool conclusion to the plot.  in the end, The Holy Terrors proves to be quite an easy book to get through quickly, and I manage to finish it off in two sessions.

While Green proved adept at creating a chilling atmosphere and utilising it well in his story, I did have certain issues when it came to the characters.  The author does come up with six interesting main figures for the story, each of which is a celebrity reality star archetype, and there are some fascinating dives into their backstories, especially during an emotional sequence near the climax.  However, for the most part I felt these characters were underdeveloped, and Green could have showcased them a little better.  Certain relationships between some of the characters were a bit forced, and quite a few interactions felt unusual.  I also found some of the dialogue to be a bit stilted and weak in places, and it could have come across as a bit more natural.  These elements let down The Holy Terrors’ promising plot to a degree, although I still managed to have fun getting through it.

Overall, The Holy Terrors was an interesting read from Simon Green that you can have an entertaining time with.  The author’s intriguing scenario does prove quite compelling, and while certain elements of the book were not as strong as I would have hoped, you can easily power through this book in no time at all.  As such, The Holy Terrors is a great book for anyone looking for a quick and efficient novel that tries to blur the line between horror and murder mystery.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday4 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an awesome upcoming thriller, Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart.

Assassins Anonymous Cover

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Over the last few years, I think I have shown that I have a lot of love for unusual, clever or outrageous thrillers.  I’m eager to sink my teeth into any thriller with a distinctive and ultra-fun plot behind it, and usually that works out for pretty well for me.  As such, I am always on the lookout for my next unique thriller experience, and at the moment that looks to be the epic sounding Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart.

Set for release in June 2024, Assassins Anonymous is an outstanding and impressive upcoming book that I am deeply excited for.  Following a former assassin who attempts to get clean from his unfortunate addiction to killing people by joining a support group of former hitmen, Assassins Anonymous sounds pretty damn awesome and I love the fantastic plot synopsis.  I think this book has incredible potential and I look forward to diving into this amazing story in a few month’s time.

Plot Synopsis:

In this thriller full of action, humor, and charm, the world’s most lethal assassin has left the violent life behind and joined a 12-step group for recovering killers. But when he’s attacked and barely survives, he must figure out who’s after him and why—without breaking his pledge never to kill again.

Mark is the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. His nickname—the Pale Horse—breathes fear into the cold heart of every rival who hears it. But after learning the hard way that this life has made him more monster than man, Mark has left all of that behind. With the help of his sponsor, Kenji, he has joined a group of former assassins who meet in secret for support in recovery.

Then he’s viciously attacked by an unknown assailant. Thrust back into the shadowy world of betrayal and assassination, injured and on the run from New York to Singapore to London, Mark must solve the mystery of who’s coming for him and why. Has the Agency decided he knows too much and must be taken out? Has a rival decided to attack now that he’s laid his weapons down? Has one of the thousands of people who might want revenge finally come for it? And how will he survive the onslaught without killing anyone? For an assassin, Mark learns, non-violence is a real hassle.

Quick Review – Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Hollywood Hustle Cover

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (ebook – 6 February 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 261 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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I was recently lucky enough to receive an early copy of the intriguing thriller debut, Hollywood Hustle.  Written by actor Jon Lindstrom, who has appeared in quite a few crime fiction shows and films himself, Hollywood Hustle had a cool story about the price of fame and the dark side of Hollywood which I really liked the sound of.

Plot Synopsis:

Winston Greene, a has-been film star, wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedside—traumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video proof that her mother, Win’s troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his “movie money” for her safe return. But what they don’t know is…his movie money is long gone.

Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friends—a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective.

There’s no easy way out for Winston or his daughter—the gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money they’re after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, he’ll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.

This propulsive and tense thriller will transport readers to the seedier side of LA, depicted in bold prose by a Hollywood insider.


Hollywood Hustle ended up being a fun first book from Lindstrom, which takes the reader on an exiting and fast-paced adventure through a dark Hollywood kidnapping.  Lindstrom starts things off quickly, with the readers given an effective introduction to the main character, fading actor Winston Greene, and the unthinkable scenario he finds himself in.  After an initial focus on Greene, the author branches out the focus of the story, splitting the perspective between various characters, including Greene, his two loyal friends, the kidnappers, and more, to create a wonderful and highly entertaining narrative.

Much of the story follows Greene, as he is forced to try and raise cash he doesn’t have to secure his daughter’s release.  While he goes about that, you get to see what the kidnappers are up to, as their botched operation quickly comes undone in several different ways.  At the same time, one of Greene’s friends begins an investigation into the case, while a nosey tabloid journalist tries to scoop up dirt on the troubled actor.  These various storylines all come crashing together, and I liked how well Lindstrom was able to tell a cohesive tale while also focusing on his characters.  I did find that some of the dialogue was a little weak in places, and the story did get a little derivative at times, but this was mostly a great read.  I especially enjoyed how Lindstrom took the plot in some surprising and unpredictable directions, and several over-the-top deaths really spiced things up.  While I didn’t love one plot twist at the end that relied on an overused writing cliché, I ended up having a lot of fun with this cool story, and I managed to finish it off in only a couple of days.

I really enjoyed Hollywood Hustles’ great story, and there were some excellent writing elements that helped it stand out.  Lindstrom set a great pace for the entire book, and I appreciated how he got right down to business.  I felt the entire story flowed efficiently and effectively, and he didn’t make the story overstay its welcome, finishing it off at just the right time.  Splitting the perspective chapters between the various characters involved in the plot also worked well, as you quickly get multiple eyes on the dangerous unfolding situation.  I liked the great mixture of distinctive character perspectives that emerged, and the slow-burn introduction of the three kidnappers was pretty awesome, especially as they all have compelling individual backstories, and it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are natural team players.  Honestly these three antagonists proved to be a major highlight of the entire story, and their dysfunctional relationship, over-the-top actions, and well-crafted pasts that examine interesting, failed takes on the American dream increased my enjoyment of the entire book.

However, most of Lindstrom’s character work revolves around protagonist Winston Greene, who serves as the heart and soul of the book.  A formerly famous actor who has reached has-been status and now only works bit gigs, Greene is a character with many parallels in real life, which makes his story even more relatable.  Initially shown to be a flawed but caring man, Lindstrom slowly reveals several of his darker demons, including the price he paid for fame, his battle with alcoholism, his struggles being a father and husband, and the guilt he harbours for his past mistakes.  Lindstrom builds in a very good narrative about Greene trying to redeem himself throughout the course of Hollywood Hustle, especially when it comes to his daughter and granddaughter, and you really find yourself pulling for him as a result.  The author also uses Greene’s character to help highlight the many negatives involved with a Hollywood career, which adds an interesting and personal edge to much of the plot.  The protagonist’s cynical views of the acting scene, especially after a complicated and currently expired movie career, make for a great inclusion, and I personally loved the fun fictional movie quotes attributed to Greene that are scattered throughout the novel.  Greene really felt like a character that Lindstrom was pouring himself into, and I deeply appreciated how compelling and powerful his story got at times.

Overall, I quite liked Hollywood Hustle, and I felt that it was a good, solid debut from this interesting author.  While Jon Lindstrom has some growing to do as a writer, this was an excellent first effort, especially when it comes to creating great characters, and I hope we see some more entertaining books from Lindstrom in the future.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Thriller6 Comments

Ripper Cover

Publisher: Hachette Australian (Trade Paperback – 30 August 2023)

Series: PI Lane Holland – Book Two

Length: 344 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Impressive rising Australian crime fiction star Shelley Burr follows up her amazing debut with the complex and addictive rural murder mystery, Ripper.

In 2022 I had the very great pleasure of reading Shelley Burr’s debut novel, Wake.  An awesome book that followed two compelling protagonists as they investigated an infamous missing persons case in a small Australian town, Wake really had me hooked from the get go.  Wake ended up being one of my favourite debuts and favourite pieces of Australian fiction in 2022, and I have been eager to see how Burr would follow that up for a while.  Burr did not disappoint, as she recently released an intriguing sequel, Ripper (also released as Murder Town).

Seventeen years ago, the small town of Rainier was rocked by a series of brutal killings that saw three people murdered and the infamous killer captured in a heroic effort by the police.  Thanks to these tragic events, Rainier is now known as an infamous murder town, with people far more interested in checking out the site of the Rainier Ripper’s trial of destruction rather than the town’s quaint charm and bush location.

Now, after years of neglect and changing economic times, Rainier is starting to financially fail.  The town’s only hope might be a dark tourism company that is eager to exploit Rainier’s infamous name.  However, when the tour operator is brutally killed in the same location as one of the Ripper’s victims, it opens old wounds and forces the locals, long traumatised by the events of that massacre, to uncover long buried secrets.

Gemma Guillory knows everything about the Rainier Ripper, especially as her teashop was the location of the original Ripper’s final killing.  When the new murder occurs, Gemma is brought back to her painful past and is determined to discover whether this new crime was done by a copycat or if the real Rainier Ripper escaped justice years before.  Receiving unlikely help from incarcerated investigator Lane Holland, Gemma begins to chip away at years of secrets and lies she didn’t even know surrounded her.  But is Gemma truly ready for the truth, especially as a dangerous killer is still hiding in town, waiting to kill again?

I really enjoyed Ripper and felt that it was a fantastic follow-up to Burr’s first novel.  I deeply appreciated the complex, moving and character driven murder mystery storyline at Ripper’s centre, especially as it forced its complex protagonist to simultaneously look at events in the past and current concerns.

The book starts off very strong, with a flashback to the original killings, followed by a good recap of the events that made Rainier infamous, and some excellent set up around the current day town, including the proposal to start a dark tourism company and some of the personal problems impacting the key locals.  Naturally, things get dark quickly, as a new body is found in the same location of one of the Rainier Ripper’s victims, and the population of Rainier, especially primary protagonist Gemma Guillory, is dragged back into their complex history.  The following story is very powerful, as the protagonist begins to dive back into her towns past to try and find the killer, which also forces her to look at those closest to her in a new light.  At the same time, the returning protagonist from Wake, imprisoned investigator Lane Holland, is tasked by his prison warden to interrogate the Rainier Ripper to determine if he has any additional information about the case.

Burr moves Ripper’s intriguing plot along at a quick pace, and I liked how complex and intricate the mystery soon became.  Solving the crime involves a great mixture of current intuitions about the key characters, memories of the past, and interrogations by Holland in prison.  The mystery branches off into some interesting places, and the protagonists need to do some emotionally charged digging to find out what really happened.  The resulting solutions to the mystery are very clever, and Burr did a wonderful job laying down subtle but effective clues throughout the main body of the book.  I really enjoyed how there wasn’t just one solution, but multiple secrets and reveals that had to come to light for the full truth to be revealed, and there was an outstanding domino effect of revelations and twists.  I cannot emphasise enough just how impressive this full range of reveals was, and Burr did a great job weaving together the solutions into one moving and complex narrative.

I think Burr hit the right blend of mystery, excitement and character storylines in Ripper, and the author ensured that everything moved along at an exciting and enjoyable clip.  I really enjoyed how much of the story relied on diving into the complex lives of the key Rainier residences, and the author balanced some interesting character storylines in both the present day and in the past.  This was especially true of main character Gemma Guillory, and her return to the past, coupled with revelations around the lies of her loved ones, added some powerful emotion to the story.  If I had one complaint, it would probably be that Burr worked a little too hard to insert Lane Holland into the plot.  While I do appreciate that Burr is trying to set up an ongoing series with Lane Holland as the connecting character, the plot of Ripper might have been a bit sleeker without him.  Still, it was fun getting a sequel to Wake and I’m very keen to see what exciting mysteries Burr cooks up in the future.

Ripper by Shelley Burr was another outstanding and compelling read from a talented, rising Australian author.  This second rural Australian murder mystery from Burr was extremely compelling and featured an intense narrative, loaded with great twists and complicated characters.  I had a brilliant time getting through Ripper and it was one of the top pieces of Australian crime fiction I read last year.

Murder Town (alternate Ripper) Cover

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Argylle by Elly Conway

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller2 Comments

Argylle Cover

Publisher: Bantam (Trade Paperback – 3 January 2024)

Series: Argylle – Book One

Length: 368 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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One of the year’s most intriguing thrillers, Argylle by Elly Conway, proves to be a fantastic and highly entertaining book that I had a wonderful time exploring at the start of 2024.

Vasily Federov, a powerful Russian billionaire, is making a bid to become the new president of Russia.  If he succeeds, his ambition, drive, and absolute lack of humanity, could lead to chaos, especially as he seeks to bring together the dangerous right-wing factions of Europe to form a destructive new empire.  Determined to secure victory and the absolute loyalty of the Russian people, Federov promises the impossible: finding and restoring a beloved national treasure infamously looted and lost during World War II, the Amber Room.

Recognising what a dangerous threat Federov poses to the world, CIA Chief Operating Officer Frances Coffey is determined to stop him winning the election.  To that end, she pulls together an elite team of agents with the goal of locating the hidden Amber Room first and keeping it from Federov’s grasp.  However, Coffey believes that her team needs a unique edge, a new member with a different set of skills and outlook on life then her current operatives.  To that end, she recruits a complete unknown, Aubrey Argylle.

The son of two international drug dealers, Argylle has been lost since the death of his parents, hiding out in the jungles of Thailand.  Argylle attracts Coffey’s attention when he risks his own life to help a team of American agents in need.  Drafted to the CIA, Argylle works to prove himself to his new team as they work to stop Federov.  As Argylle starts to adapt to the life as a secret agent, his team makes headway in discovering the location of the Amber Room, which leads them on a desperate chase across Europe.  However, the closer they get to recovering their target, the more apparent it is that someone on their team is a traitor, and they now have Argylle in their sights.

Before I go into too much detail about what I thought about Argylle, I should probably address the interesting possibilities regarding the authorship of this book.  The identity of Argylle’s author has the potential to be one of the biggest literary reveals of the year, and the internet is already buzzing with the possibilities surrounding it.  That is because Elly Conway is a pseudonym of a new author, the identity of whom is being kept secret until the upcoming film of the same name is released.  While authors writing under pseudonyms is nothing new, certain facts about this particular case, including the large amount of money spent obtaining the film rights from a first-time writer, the insane secrecy surrounding the author’s identity, and the massive cast of famous actors in the adaptation indicate that someone special might be behind the pen.  There are several theories currently circulating, including it being written by AI, by the film’s creative team, or it being a massive marketing campaign to raise interest in the film.  However, the theory that seems to be getting the most attention is that it was authored by one of the world’s most influential singers, and there are a lot of apparent hints and easter eggs surrounding that theory.

The Argylle novel only came to my attention a few weeks ago; mainly because I had seen the cool film trailer, which features some of my favourite actors, and I figured it might be worth grabbing this related book.  It was only when I subsequently dug into the underlying material surrounding the book, including the theories about the author, that I became really curious.  I am not going to lie, that very much caught my attention, and it was a major reason why I got a copy of Argylle.  If it turns out to have been merely a marketing stunt, at least it was an effective one!  I would actually love it if someone surprising wrote this book, and I look forward to seeing how this comes into play with the upcoming film, which really looks quite hilarious.  However, I’m not going to let my curiosity about who might have written it impact my review for this book, and I have tried to make a balanced analysis of this intriguing debut thriller.

With that in mind, I am going to come right out that bat and say I quite liked Argylle, and it proved to be a fun and exciting read, with a fantastic plot and a compelling main character.  Featuring a fast-paced story, enjoyable writing, and a ton of entertaining action, Argylle was an awesome book that I managed to knock it off in only a few days.

From what I understand, the upcoming film will be set around the planned fourth book in this series and will feature the fictional adventures of Elly Conway when she releases it.  Argylle is the first book in this in-universe series, so it serves as an introductory novel, featuring the origins of the titular protagonist as well as some of his supporting cast members.  Conway initiates a strong start to Argylle, as you are given compelling visions of the disturbing main villain, as well as a great introduction to protagonist Aubrey Argylle, who risks everything to save several lives in an intense and sudden sequence, before he is recruited into a secretive team of CIA agents.  The initial training montages with the new team serve as a good introduction to the spy lifestyle for the protagonist, although it does reveal an early weakness of the book that never really went away, in that there are way too many characters.  With fourteen members in this main team, many of whom get cycled around each mission, the reader has a hard time remembering each of them, and with the exception of a couple who are pushed to the front early on, you never really connect to them.  The author’s initially rough writing style also takes a bit to get used to, with certain phrases, pieces of dialogue and more feeling a little unnatural.  Despite that, I was still really enjoying the story, and these initial introductory scenes slide nicely into the main part of the book.

This central plot of Argylle involves the protagonist’s team zipping around Europe, following hidden historical clues to uncover the location of the Amber Room before their Russian opponents.  The search for historical treasures is always an awesome thriller storyline, and I think that the author did a good job of diving into the history of the Amber Room, exploring why it is so significant, and then bringing together a fun and clever hunt for the prize that combines the official historical record with some intriguing conspiracies.  This results in a fun story, as the team are required to pull off a series of intricate heists, with the Russians close on their tail.  There are some glorious set pieces here, and I loved the fun locations and over-the-top scenarios the protagonists found themselves in.  Conway also works in a great spy thriller plot about a double agent in the team, as information about their missions keeps getting leaked to the Russians, with disastrous results.  The character arcs surrounding several of the characters develop quite nicely, and it was great to see Argylle get closer to some of the other cast, while also coming out of his shell.

Everything leads up to a pretty big and violent conclusion, as the protagonists battle it out against the Russians for the prize.  Most of this was very cool, although the issue I raised before about the large team did come to fruition at the end.  In particular, the deaths of some character really were not that impactful, because you had barely gotten to know them, while the potential identity of the traitor was a lot more obvious, as it had to be one of the characters who was prominently featured.  Still, the ending was epic and memorable, and I particularly enjoyed how the traitor storyline came full circle in an excellent and moving way.  Readers come away from Argylle very satisfied, and there are some fun hints about the planned sequels that I would be quite interested to explore.

While I have noted a few writing issues that I had with Argylle, for the most part I liked how this novel came together.  The author maintains a great pace throughout the book while also keeping the readers attached to the story.  The jump between several different characters, including the villain, gives the novel some excellent layers, and it is always great to see the antagonist’s schemes in action.  I also enjoyed the unique locations the author set the story in, including the jungles of Thailand, an isolated Greek island, and deep in the European wilderness.  All these settings, including a few intriguing historical sites, are described in exceptional detail, and you can really imagine the characters walking through these wildernesses and getting up to their shenanigans.  Throw in some excellent and high-octane action sequences, as well as some fun humour based around the unconventional protagonist, and I had a great time getting through Argylle.

Another excellent element that I enjoyed about Argylle was the fantastic central character, Aubrey Argylle.  I was actually a little surprised by how he was portrayed here as, in the movie trailer, he is played by Henry Cavill in a particularly suave James Bond-esque way.  However, the author flips the script around in this book, showing Argylle to be a much more rugged individual with a complex past.  The child of two murdered drug smugglers, Argylle had a unique childhood and spends much of the book trying to reconcile his past with his current actions with the CIA.  While the author potentially over-endowed him with natural spy abilities, it was not too noticeable, and indeed I quite enjoyed seeing the character’s early uncertainties as he grows into the agent he needs to be.

The book also features several great supporting characters.  While much of the protagonist’s support team is not effectively utilised, I quite enjoyed his main friends, Woody Wyatt and Keira Carter, who get a lot of attention throughout the book, and you quickly enjoy the fun trio that forms.  I especially liked the character of Wyatt, the cocky muscle of the team who initially serves as Argylle’s main rival.  The scene when the two characters meet and Argylle gets the drop on him is one of the funniest in the book, and I really enjoyed the entertaining dynamic that formed between them.  On top of them, Frances Coffey, serves as a complicated spymaster character for most of the plot, torn between the needs of the mission and her growing attachment to her agents.  The shadowy figure of Glenn Dabrowski has one of the most intriguing storylines in the entire book, and I loved seeing his alternate view of events.  Finally, the villain, Vasily Federov, adds a great deal of deadly menace to the plot, and I really enjoyed the fun way he was portrayed.  While I still had some issues regarding the extensive cast, I think for the most part his book had an excellent group of characters, which helped added to the emotional impact and enjoy ability of Argylle.

Overall, I really enjoyed Argylle and I thought that it was a great debut novel.  While the author has some room for improvement when it comes to their writing, I felt that this was a really good first outing, especially when it came to the fantastic story, intense action and entertaining characters.  No matter who actually wrote Argylle, I personally think it was a solid, fun and highly enjoyable thriller, and I would love to get a sequel at some point.  As such, I am even more excited for the upcoming Argylle film, and I look forward to seeing what twists it contains regarding the potential author.  If some of the suspicions regarding the author are correct, I might re-upload this review again under their real name, but until then, let us leave this one credited to Elly Conway, whose first book is pretty damn wonderful.

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Quick Review – Deadly Game by Michael Caine

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller1 Comment

Deadly Game Cover

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (Trade Paperback – 28 November 2023)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Legendary actor Sir Michael Caine presents his debut novel, the fun and ultra-exciting thriller, Deadly Game, which follows a maverick cop investigating a case with world-changing implications.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who was surprised when they saw that Michael Caine was releasing a novel in late 2023.  While I absolutely love Michael Caine as an actor, I didn’t realise he had any aspirations as an author, so Deadly Game was easily one of the more interesting releases of last year.  As I am a fan of unusual thrillers, I naturally had to get my hands on a copy of this book, especially as it had an interesting plot behind it.  While I was mainly intrigued by its author, Deadly Game proved to be a wonderful and compelling book that I had a great time reading.

Plot synopsis:

DCI Harry Taylor has no respect for red tape or political reputations – but he’s great at catching criminals.

And all his unorthodox skills will be needed as an extraordinary situation unfolds on his a metal box of radioactive material is found at a dump in Stepney, East London, but before the police can arrive it is stolen in a violent raid.

With security agencies across the world on red alert, it’s Harry and his unconventional team from the Met who must hit the streets in search of a lead. They soon have two wildly different suspects, aristocratic art dealer Julian Smythe in London and oligarch Vladimir Voldrev in Barbados. But the pressure is on. How much time does Harry have, and how many more players will join the action, before the missing uranium is lighting up the sky?

Caine had an interesting story idea for Deadly Game that I think worked quite well.  The mysterious and violently taken radioactive material amps the stakes of the book right off the bat, and it perfectly sets up the story about DCI Harry Taylor’s team being let off the leash to hunt down the material without any oversight or restrictions.  The early goings of this story are a lot of fun, and I liked the build-up of different villains who might be involved in the theft.  The book got particularly fun when Caine introduced the two rival crime lords, Julian Smythe and Vladimir Voldrev, who come in as major suspects to the crime.  Due to their connections, it is likely that at least one has the material or knows where it is, and their extreme hatred for each other means that they are willing to trade stories about their rival to the police.  I loved the fantastic way that Caine portrayed both these over-the-top villains, and their introductory scenes with the protagonist, as well as some of the fun background that went into them, were highly entertaining, especially as they both played off the serious protagonist extremely well.

The second half of Deadly Game is where the fun really begins, as Taylor and his team get close to finding the material, only for their various opponents to get the drop on them in several ways.  There are some great scenes here, and I liked the efficient way in which Taylor and his team deal with the neo-Nazis for example.  However, things take a pretty major turn near the end, and it was a bit surprising just how far Ciane took this part of the story.  I loved the sudden darker tone that resulted, and it made for quite an intense final third of the book.  Everything leads up to the big confrontation with the hidden antagonist of the novel, and I really loved the fun, well-planned out and utterly over-the-top twist that resulted here.  It was somehow simultaneously smart and ridiculous, and I loved everything about it.  The story wraps up quite nicely from there, and there are hints that Caine might have some sequels in the works, which I personally wouldn’t mind, as I had a lot of fun with the outrageous narrative in Deadly Game.

Deadly Game had a quite a unique feel to it that revels in its roughness and over-the-top nature.  Something about how the characters talked and acted felt very cockney, and it honestly reminded me a lot of some of the author’s tough-guy roles in film.  While certain elements of this writing style aren’t going to appeal to everyone, I had a fun with it, and particularly enjoyed the amazing action scenes, the intriguing characters, and the elaborate and fun scenarios that emerged.  While some of the characters, both protagonist and antagonist, are a little silly and weird in places, they still proved to be a fantastic group of people to follow, and the resulting chaos from their actions makes for an excellent story.  The main character’s portrayal as a cop who hates politics and red tape and just wants to get the job done wasn’t amazingly original, but it worked for the story being told, and Caine did try to make him somewhat nuanced.  I think that Caine got the right balance of intrigue, mystery, suspense and action throughout the course of Deadly Game, and I was very interested in finding out who was behind the events and how things unfolded.  There was something cinematic in a lot of the resulting scenes, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Caine had a film adaptation in mind whilst writing it. Indeed, a Guy Ritchie directed version of Deadly Game could be pretty fun, especially if they got Hugh Grant in to play either of rival gangsters.

Overall, I had a great time with Deadly Game, and it proved to be an awesome and interesting debut from the legendary Michael Caine.  While not everyone is going to love this novel, I felt it was really entertaining, and it was great to dive into its outrageous plot, especially with some of the big moments and twists towards the end.  As such, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something exciting, and if the idea of a thriller written by Michael Caine appeals to you, then you’ll probably enjoy Deadly Game.  It will be interesting to see what happens to this in the future, and I personally wouldn’t mind some sort of adaptation or sequel at some point.

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Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller4 Comments

Dark Arena Cover

Publisher: Allen & Unwin (ebook – 3 January 2024)

Series: The Frenchman – Book Two

Length: 456 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5

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Former French spy Jack Beaumont presents a powerful and captivating sequel to his awesome debut with Dark Arena, a gripping read with a compelling look at European espionage.

Back in 2021 I was lucky enough to receive a copy of an outstanding debut spy thriller, The Frenchman.  Written by Jack Beaumont, the pseudonym of a former operative in France’s foreign secret service, The Frenchman was an incredible read that followed a French spy who attempts to stop an elaborate terrorist plot.  Featuring some amazing authenticity and a great story, The Frenchman was an exceptional read and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2021.  I have been eager for Beaumont to follow up The Frenchman for some time, and I was extremely excited when I received an advanced copy of this long-awaited sequel, Dark Arena, especially as it quoted one of my Canberra Weekly reviews up front.  The first new novel I read in 2024, Dark Arena was another outstanding read from Beaumont that combined a powerful, character-driven narrative, with a complex look at recent European events and the potential underlying intrigue surrounding it.

When a member of the DGSE, France’s foreign secret service, is brutally murdered in front of his family by a team of Russian agents, Alec de Payns is brought in to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his attack.  De Payns soon discovers that this bloody operation is related to a recent piece of intelligence the DGSE recovered, which identifies hostile actions the Kremlin is authorising throughout Europe.

Infiltrating a secret meeting of businessmen, terrorists and Russian mercenaries aboard a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean, Alec discovers details about a mysterious assassination plot that could tip the balance of power in Europe.  Determined to intervene for France’s advantage, de Payns and his team attempt to uncover the target of the assassination, as well as the underlying reasons for the death sentence.  But the more they dig, the more they begin to suspect that someone is manipulating the DGSE into a confrontation with the Russians.

Closing in on their targets, de Payns soon discover the full extent of their opponent’s plans, and the DGSE are soon left with hard decisions, especially as intervening could impact France’s energy security.  Caught between dangerous superpowers and with a war on the horizon, can de Payns and his team make the right choice, or will doing the right thing cost their country terribly?

This was a superb and extremely clever spy thriller sequel from Jack Beaumont, who expertly follows on from his debut with another outstanding novel.  Dark Arena is an incredible read, which I think I enjoyed even more than The Frenchman, due to its excellent twists and compelling examinations of European politics and espionage.

Dark Arena proved to be quite a thrilling read that got more intense the further you get into it.  Starting off with a shocking but important introduction that shows a French agent killed for the information he recovered, Dark Arena quickly moves onto the main plain, as Beaumont’s protagonist, Alec de Payns, is reintroduced and set to investigate.  The initial chapters of the book are a little slow as Beaumont reasserts his steady and methodical pace, but there are some vital and fascinating story elements introduced here, especially around the conspiracy the DGSE are hoping to unravel and the protagonist’s fraught personal life.  I enjoyed the slow build-up that Beaumont showcased here, mainly because it added the authenticity of the plot.  The story really starts to kick into high gear once de Payns begins his infiltration of a luxury yacht, and the scenes set aboard there are loaded with risk, threat, cunny tradecraft and realistic depictions of information gathering.

Dark Arena’s plot speeds up a lot more in the second half as de Payns and his colleagues begin to investigate several different angles and potential enemy agents.  The reveal that the Russians are planning an assassination is quite intriguing, especially as Beaumont ties it into the invasion of Ukraine, and it adds a certain layer of extra realism and intensity to the overall plot.  While I won’t go into too much detail about this here, I felt that Beaumont did an outstanding job working his complex narrative into these major real-world events, and it was fascinating to his take on some of the events leading up to the invasion and the world politics that ensured it happened.  There are also some great reveals surrounding the origin of the information that the DGSE and other European intelligence agencies have been working off, especially as it appears they are being manipulated by outside sources.  The protagonist’s personal life also gets thrown front and centre in the narrative, and while I wasn’t the biggest fan of the many coincidences that brought together his family with his mission, it was compelling to see him balance the two.  The full discovery of the various plots being orchestrated around Europe proves to be quite clever, and the resulting chaos as the DGSE tries to intervene despite a dangerous political situation results in some captivating moments.  There are some intricate action sequences, encounters between rival spies, and some big reveals, including finally getting a payoff regarding a character introduction from The Frenchman.  This ended up being a fantastic and awesome story, and I hope that we get some form of sequel to it soon.

I deeply enjoyed how Dark Arena was showcased as Beaumont has a very distinctive writing style, that relies heavily on detail and authenticity to enhance his compelling spy thriller storyline.  The focus on tradecraft and the multiple complex aspects of real-life espionage and intelligence work is so damn fascinating, and the author does such a good job of making all these elements seem so realistic.  Nearly every action the characters makes is loaded with intricate detail as Beaumont explains the reality of the intelligence officer’s life, and you will be enthralled by the various intricate ways that the characters attempt to outwit and avoid their opponents.  While references to these actions might seem a bit repetitive at times, I thought it was a great way of hammering home just how careful these characters need to be, especially after the shocking opening scene.  I really loved how much detail Beaumont shoved into every page of Dark Arena, and it made the resulting plot pop as you absolutely believed this was the sort of thing real spies would go through.  This already elaborate narrative is further enhanced by the multiple layers Beaumont added to the plot as he follows various members of the DGSE as they attempt to unwind the multiple mysteries presented to them throughout the book.  While I did occasionally feel that Beaumont was using too many characters, the various betrayals, secrets, and complicated loyalties that emerge from the various perspectives, including from a few antagonists, helps to create a powerful espionage tapestry, and I loved how well this amazing story came about.  While Dark Arena is a sequel to The Frenchman, most readers should be able to dive straight into this second novel, as Beaumont makes the plot of this book quite accessible and any necessary details from The Frenchman are covered again here.  Everything about this book is so well written, and I have a lot of love for Beaumont’s meticulous and distinctive style.

While there are several great characters in Dark Arena, the one who gets most of the focus is protagonist Alec de Payne.  A dedicated DGSE field agent, de Payne is a fascinating figure who serves as the heart and soul of the series.  His depiction as an agent is always very fascinating as Beaumont channels most of the espionage authenticity through his scenes.  However, the most compelling aspect of de Payne’s character lies within the struggles he has balancing his secretive profession with his life as a husband and parent.  Already away for long periods of time and constantly forced to lie to his friends and family, de Payne finds himself struggling more than ever in Dark Arena, especially when it comes to his relationship with his stressed wife.  Thanks to the events of The Frenchman, which saw his family temporarily kidnapped, De Payne finds himself pushed even further to the brink as his is suffering from paranoia and anger following the threat to his loved ones.  This really impacts his personal life, and the conflicts he experiences at home provide a powerful layer of drama to the plot, which I felt contrasted nicely with the intrigue and espionage of the rest of the book.  While elements of de Payne’s personal life do blend into his professional career, it is mostly kept separate, and I loved seeing the dichotomy between a stressed family man and an accomplished spy.  De Payne was such an incredible protagonist to follows as a result, and I felt his amazing story was a major highlight of this exceptional read.

Jack Beaumont provides an outstanding follow up to his epic debut with Dark Arena.  Once again featuring his ultra-authentic take on spies and international espionage, Dark Arena has a captivating and realistic plot that takes his excellent and complex characters into the heart of a recent history.  Intense, addictive, and so damn intricate, Dark Arena was an exceptional read from a rising star in the spy thriller game.

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