Murder

I liked this one. Picked it up because it was promoted as "if you like Lee Child, you'll like this one." I did like it but I did not get as much of a feeling of who Steve Vail was as I do with Jack Reacher. It was a fast read and good complicated mystery plot. Occasionally, I felt the hero benefited from some convenient coincidences to solve the mystery. And seriously there wasn't near enough fisticuffs to be similar to Jack Reacher. :-) Still I enjoyed it and am willing to give the next one a try. ( )

Let me first say that the banter between the two protagonists, Steve Vail and Kate Bannon, was actually quite funny. For that alone, the book was worth the read. But the whole book was enjoyable, suspenseful, and kept the guesswork piling up as you say to yourself, "What the heck is going on!" All is truly not what it seems. ( )

A blackmailer is holding the FBI to ransom. Unless they delivery his ever growing demands for cash people will die. They stall and the body count grows. At every turn they are outwitted by the gang who seems to be able to predict the FBI’s every move and the specific demands for dropping the money seem to be designed to eliminate the agent too.

Kate Bannon, Deputy Assistant Director is stuck. Pressure is building to get this solved, and the government would like its money back as well. The only agent that may be able to help, Steve Vail, is now an ex-agent; fired for disobedience, he is a maverick who knows that getting to the bottom of this will require unconventional means.

Vail’s first task is to drop the next payment to the gang; but what seems straightforward is suddenly revealed as being very deadly. He realises what he is up against, and knows that to win, or at the very least stay alive means that all the rules are off. Leaving the official FBI investigation to carry on, and give the effect that they are kowtowing to every demand, Vail steps away from that and starts to push, hoping to find the cracks in the gang, and hopefully their weakness, before anyone else dies at their hand.

Not a bad thriller overall, it is full of elaborate traps that the main character has to try and get round with out killing himself or anyone else. Reasonable tension in the story makes it a good page turner too; it only took a day to read. There are a number of good twists and turns too. Characterisation is not particularly deep, but it is a thriller, so I kind of expect that. Gave it 3 stars, but 2.5 is fair I think. ( )

Unconventional ex-FBI agent contracted to find serial extortionist/blackmailer/murderer.
Basis for the extortions becomes a bit muddy - or maybe my reading before sleep muddles my memory
Enjoyable read for total diversion
Sorry there will be no more with the author's death. ( )