June 29, 2021 by Tina Williams

REVIEW – Assassins (A Ryker Returns Thriller Book 2), by Rob Sinclair

#Thriller

assassins

Blurb

He’s never going to stop…

Stalking the streets of Prague, James Ryker is on the hunt for justice when he hears a news report of a murder in rural England. Big problem. He knows the victim. Ten years ago, in Qatar, Ryker led a team of assassins to kill him. He thought they had.

So how has a man Ryker thought dead for over a decade suddenly resurfaced?

Travelling across the globe, Ryker sets off on a quest to discover the truth from that fateful night in Qatar. When he realises that his old team members are now under threat from a ruthless female assassin, he knows his problems have only just started.

In a race against time, Ryker must work out who is behind the killings and evade the assassin before he becomes the next victim…

Also available in the Ryker Return Series:

Book 1: Renegade

Goodreads

My Review

Gripping and Heart-Pounding – 5 stars

This is another thrilling read from Rob Sinclair, featuring the former special agent James Ryker as he races around Europe to find the truth about what really happened on a mission he led a decade ago. To the surprise of Ryker and others, the man he thought had been killed by his team survived, only to have been murdered in England, many years after. He soon finds that the murderer, a female assassin, has others in her sights, members of his team and Ryker himself.

Ryker goes all out and uses all the means at his disposal to get to the bottom of what really happened in Qatar ten years ago. There’s plenty of suspense as he realises he is up against an assassin who is sublimely skilled and ruthless – can he get to his team members and discover the truth before she dispatches them? Is Ryker himself safe from her machinations and those of others involved in the web of deceit?

I was entertained by the many twists and turns in this tale and loved the female assassin – the snippets from her own past were a great addition to the text and gave depth to her character. She is a worthy adversary and I got perverse enjoyment out of the varied grisly ways she despatched her targets.

The book can be read as a standalone but also makes a great addition to previous James Ryker (aka Carl Logan) books which the author has also penned.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book ws given to me by the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Purchase Links

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Website

March 30, 2021 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW – Renegade (A Ryker Returns Thriller Book 1)

#Thriller #Spies #SpyThriller

renegade

Blurb

He’s back and better than ever.

James Ryker, a veteran intelligence agent now freelancer, working for the secretive Joint Intelligence agency on an op-by-op basis, finds himself embroiled in a complicated mission that will test him to his limit.

When a simple surveillance mission goes awry and the key target is kidnapped in broad daylight in a busy London square, Ryker knows he has his work cut out.

Ryker is tasked with figuring out what went wrong. But when his good friend Sam Moreno disappears without a trace, the mission becomes more personal than he could have imagined.

Torn between toeing the government line, and finding the answers he needs, Ryker realises there’s only one way to find those responsible and to punish them… His way.

My Review

Action Packed Roller Coaster – 5 Stars

Renegade is packed full of action and has plenty of twists which make it a thoroughly entertaining read. It can be read as a stand alone but it is also part of a number of books featuring the protagonist James Ryker, now a freelance intelligence agent and it is a worthy addition to the collection.

I loved that the read introduces the reader to the action early on, setting the scene for a plot which spans the UK and the European mainland. There are some violent scenes which made be cringe – but nothing out of place in a spy thriller such as this where the moral compass of many of those involved in organised crime is suspect.

True to form Ryker plays by his own sometimes unorthodox rules and he has to employ all of his intelligence skills and physical and mental resilience as he gets closer to achieving his goal. There are a number of secondary characters that feature in the story as Ryker goes renegade in his quest to get to the bottom of who is responsible for the failed mission. I enjoyed these characters and their moral ambiguities and also how the various plot threads were laid out, eventually coming together as the story reaches its resolution.

All in all a great read, with a plenty of twists and turns and a protagonist who is single minded in his quest, especially when it gets personal.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

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July 16, 2019 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ The White Scorpion: A James Ryker Thriller #5, by Rob Sinclair

#spies #spythrilller #thriller

Book Blurb

Rule number one for an agent of the secretive JIA is to follow orders, no matter what.
But James Ryker has never cared much for rules. He only wants to do what is right.

Assigned to join of crew of elite security personnel in Chabon, Africa, Ryker’s mission objective is clouded by politics and obfuscation, and he knows only that to protect British interests in the region, he is to infiltrate the close protection team of the government of Chabon, a country with a dark and violent past.

Arriving in Chabon’s crumbling capital, Kilpassa, Ryker finds a country on the brink of civil war. A growing civilian rebellion threatens peace, with claims of atrocities committed by both sides, including the frail government run by enigmatic President Benyu – a former military general who took control of the country in a violent coup.
Drawn into Benyu’s inner circle, it soon becomes clear to Ryker that in Chabon, the lines between good and bad, and right and wrong, are nearly impossible to identify.

With a crisis of epic proportions unfolding before his eyes, Ryker knows one thing for sure: with or without the backing of his superiors, he must take drastic action, and quickly, or risk putting millions of innocent lives in danger.

My Review ~ 5 stars

Rip-roaring spy thriller

The White Scorpion, the 5th book in the James Ryker series, is another rip-roaring spy thriller from the imagination of Rob Sinclair. I was glued to my Kindle from the first page until the last, fully immersed in the read, which combines politics, espionage and at times some unapologetically bloody and brutal scenes.

Ryker is enticed out of his semi-retirement by his former boss Peter Winters in the Joint Intelligence Agency, and tasked with protecting President Benyu, the leader of an unstable African state to maintain the country’s stability and protect British interests. He is not operating alone, the team he is assigned to comprising others from a military and special services background, all hitherto unknown to each other.

Ryker and his team on the ground find that their very lives are on the line as they are at the mercy of diplomatic power play involving their paymasters in the intelligence services and HM government. They find they have to navigate the internal politics of an African state whose charismatic but volatile leader has his own agenda and whose country is teetering on the brink of rebellion. Who can Ryker and his colleagues trust in this murky world of politics and personal ambition?

Ryker’s character arc has developed over the course of the series and although he is very much a highly skilled spy, assassin and killing machine when needs be, he is now a man with a conscience. He needs to know that his orders are there for a good reason and will not hesitate to seek revenge against those who deserve his wrath. We witness the shift in his moral compass throughout in his dealings with colleagues and those he encounters throughout his mission. I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships Ryker has with the other characters in the novel, particularly Moreno, a member of his team and Peter Winters his boss.

This engaging and well researched read is fast paced, gritty and oftentimes bloody in content and leaves the reader guessing until its denouement. It is recommended to fans of action packed but thoughtful spy thrillers and anyone who relishes a diverting read whatever the genre.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note that an ARC pf this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Connect with the Author

https://www.robsinclairauthor.com/

November 5, 2018 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ The Green Viper, A James Ryker Thriller #4, by Rob Sinclair

#thriller #espionage

Book Blurb

I need your help. Call me.
Ex-intelligence agent James Ryker receives a coded message through a secret drop point, a means of communication known only to him and one other person. The problem is, that other person is his ex-boss, Mackie… and he’s already dead.
But the cry for help is real, and it’s a request Ryker can’t refuse.
Travelling to New York alone and without official sanction, Ryker has a single goal in mind, yet even he couldn’t have bargained for the violent world he’s soon embroiled in. Caught in the middle of a spiralling chaos with the FBI on one side, and two warring underworld bosses on the other, Ryker must put all of his skills to the test in order to come out on top, and keep his word.
In a world full of lies and deceit, loyalty is everything, and it’s time for James Ryker to pay his dues.

My Review

Edge of Seat Thriller – masterfully executed ~5 stars

The Green Viper by Rob Sinclair is a masterfully executed edge of seat thriller, ideal for fans or the genre or those looking to lose themselves in an addictive read.

Although the book is the fourth in the author’s James Ryker series it works perfectly well as a stand-a-lone. Readers who have been following Ryker in this series and in the author’s previous Carl Logan books will however appreciate revisiting the shadowy world Ryker inhabits and witnessing his shifting moral compass.

The book opens with Ryker taking some extended time out from his on/off life of espionage and violence. Whilst visiting London to carry out some personal business he soon becomes embroiled in a mission: the widow of his former mentor Mackie requests that he prevents her son Scott Campbell from getting in over his head with the very worst of organised crime.

For Scott, after losing his respectable London based accountancy job, relocating to New York with his girlfriend Kate seems like a dream come true, offering him the chance to make it big. Henry Green, Kate’s father, is one of the big fish Scott is out to impress – he knows this man’s business interests are not wholly above board but has seen enough to know that this goes with the territory. When Henry seeks his advice Scott finds himself drawn into Henry’s inner circle, swallowing any misgivings he has. When Ryker appears Scott is already in over his head, tormented by a toxic combination of fear, awe, respect and revulsion for Green.

The scene is set for an exhilarating read involving mob bosses, secret services and violence and twists aplenty as a number of other players join the party. I hugely enjoyed the evolving dynamics between Ryker and Scott and Scott and Green. Indeed, the characterisations of the central plot players – Ryker and Scott (whom Ryker has known since he was a boy) and Green are multi layered and believable. Ryker is once again at the top of his game as he gives his all to save his mentor’s son. Some of the scenes necessary to illustrate the world in which Scott has become a part of were downright ugly to read – Green and his ilk are not ones to cross. It is a hallmark of the author that he recounts these scenes necessary to advance the plot, in in a matter of fact, albeit graphic style.

Is Ryker too late to save Scott? Does he want to be saved? What of Henry’s daughter Kate? What impact will the actions of others who have taken an interest on Green’s activities have? I was glued to he read until the end of its electrifying dénouement.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Tina Williams
Please note that an ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Author Links

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8389261.Rob_Sinclair?from_search=true

https://www.robsinclairauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/robsinclairauthor/

Publisher Bloodhound Books

March 1, 2018 by Tina Williams

Tamworth Literary Festival 2018

#tamworth #litfest #booksignings #poetry #storytelling #comedy #music #romance #crime #ThrillerNovels #storytelling #ChildrensBooks #history #steampunk #fantasy

Tamworth LitFest Comes to Town

I am THRILLLED to once again be involved in the Tamworth Literary Festival, which comes to town between Friday 2nd – Saturday 10th March. Over 20 authors, poets and storytellers will be coming to this part of Staffordshire, from a huge variety of genres: history, romance, thriller, crime, fantasy, steampunk, books for children and more. Live poetry, a storytelling evening, a comedy night and music also feature on the programme, as well a film maker and author book signings.

We’d love to welcome you to the town and the festival. There is a charge for some events, but others are free. You can book tickets in advance or pay on the door subject to availablilty.

The opening night ,on March 2nd, St Editha’s Church welcomes Professor Martin Carver from York University. Professor Carver’s talk, entitled ‘Aethelflaed and the Origins of Stafford’ will take place at 7.30pm and it will assess the archaeological evidence for Stafford’s Anglo-Saxon fortifications built at the behest of Aethelflaeda to defend Mercia against the Danes. Tickets priced at £7.50 can be booked through Eventbrite.

The following day, Saturday 3rd March, there is a free drop in Festival Open Day at Tamworth Town Hall featuring authors Jon Hartless, Trish Moran, Anthony Poulton Smith, Carmen Capuano, Sharon Rose, musician and artist Rachel Mayfield and Papercraft Heroes. You will be able to chat to authors and if you wish purchase signed copies of their books.

On Monday 5th March there will be a Poetry Night at Bolehall Manor, compered by Mal Dewhirst, the original Poet Laureate for Staffordshire, who will be welcoming poets from Tamworth and beyond. Entrance for those who would like to read and for audience members is free.

On Tuesday 6th March the Market Vaults will host a Storytelling Night (free entry) and there will be authors and storytellers including local writers, New Street Authors and Solihull Writers, including Lee Benson and Dennis Zaslona .

Wednesday 7th March will see a Romance and Women’s Fiction panel in St Editha’s Church, featuring bestselling authors Christie Barlow and Phillipa Ashley, Erin Green and Dawn Bolton. Tickets are £6 per person and are available on Eventbrite.

The Globe Inn is the venue for a Crime and Thriller panel on Thursday 8th March, featuring bestselling author Rob Sinclair, AA Abbott, Darren Young and Jayne Harris, a presenter and film maker. Tickets are £6 per person and are available on Eventbrite.

On Friday 9th March there will be a Comedy Night with Dudley born poet, humourist and singer Rob Barratt, Tickets £7 or £10 to include fish and chip supper and can be purchased from Eventbrite.

On Saturday March 10th Tamworth library will host storytelling sessions by Karen Argent from Malvern based Letterpress. The drop-in sessions, designed for children aged 7 and under, are free to attend and take place at 11.00am and again at midday.

At 1pm children’s author Lindsey Bailey will be reading an excerpt from her book ‘The Cape of Courage.’ This will be followed by a mini creative writing activity suitable for ages 3-8, after which there will be an opportunity to purchase signed copies of the author’s book. The session is free to attend but please book in advance at Tamworth Library to secure a place.

We also need your help – some of the children’s book characters have escaped their books and are hiding around the library. We need children and their families to help us find them. This will take place between 9am and 4pm on 10th March – find all the book characters and receive a chocolatey piece of treasure.

A Poetry as Therapy Workshop, facilitated by Sharon Rose, will also take place at the library from 11.15am-12.15pm.

Information boards detailing the events and activities available during the Tamworth Literary Festival week will be on display in the library foyer from February 26th. There is also time to enter the LitFest’s Writing Competition, open to applicnts worldwide, which seeks short stories and poems on any theme (closing date 31st March 2018). The competition is open to all ages (free entry for those below school age).

Details of events and the writing competition are available on Tamworth LitFest’s Facebook page and/or website and tickets are available on Eventbrite at the links above or by emailing tamlitfest@gmail.com

About Tamworth LitFest

The Tamworth LitFest was set up in 2015 to provide literary inspired events for the benefit of the public. It promotes local and wider community participation in literary inspired events and activities that aim to be as fully inclusive as possible.

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January 8, 2018 by Tina Williams

Top Reads of 2017

Well I’ve done it! I’ve finally put together a list of my top reads of 2017. I read some fantastic books last year and it was certainly no easy task selecting my top reads. I intended to stick to a ‘Top Ten’ but it was just far too difficult! Here’s the list (16 in total), in no particular order. It contains a mix of genres: romantic suspense (sometimes dark); erotica; thrillers, historical romance; erotic romance; sci-fi; post-apocalyptic; drama; black comedy;horror and humour. What they all have in common is a compulsive plot with characters whose story I became totally invested in.

The Found: A Crow City Novel, by Cole McCade ~ Dark and Deliciously Twisted… the contract killer Priest and Willow his captive, a tale which examines dark and disturbing themes including non consent, violence and sexual assault. …one of the darkest novels that I have read … Both the hero and the heroine are broken before they meet and their coming together is pyschologically intense and explosive… Priest is a dark and tortured anti-hero and throughout the read I was unsure if he could ever redeem himself as he is so damaged. Willow’s fate certainly hung in the balance and the read kept me guessing until the finale.

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Dirty Ugly Toy, by K Webster ~ A Down and Dirty Dark Read. Brax, a wealthy billionaire, has a twisted side – taking girls from the street and transforming them into his ‘toy’ for 6 months before disposing of them… his modus operandi … it is brutal. … when Brax ‘rescues’ Jessica … it soon becomes apparent that she is like no other. She is not just the dirty, drug addicted whore she first appears to be… she also stands up to her tormentor, playing Brax at his own game. I was glued to my Kindle to see if Brax would break his addiction to his ‘toys’ or if Jessica would meet the same fate as the others…

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A Different Kind of Cosplay, by Lucy Felthouse ~ Role Playing Smutfest with a Superhero Twist! … If you have ever wondered what it would be like to get up close and personal with your fave superheroes then here’s your chance to find out in this fast and furious erotic read! Reese is certainly one lucky girl when Zach her estate agent partner, who is not usually an Avengers fan, takes her and her libido completely by surprise, when he proceeds to ravish her in a series of deliciously kinky and lust filled role playing scenes, the likes neither of them has ever encountered before…

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Payback: Viking Bastards MC #2, by Christina Phillips ~ Revenge is sweet… I just love novels with revenge as a theme, especially when combined with a sizzling plot. To Amelia it sounds easy – get a job working the bar in Odin’s, gain the owner Gage’s trust, find evidence of the illegal activities the Viking Bastards MC are involved in and then ensure the authorities know. She can then walk away knowing that payback is hers. Landing the job was easy but once she meets Gage, the owner, all bets are off with the rest of the plan. Not only is he smokin’ hot, but he will not take no for an answer and will break all his rules to have her… The truth is a major deal for them both and it will take a strong relationship to survive. I enjoyed both their verbal and physical sparring and the scorching lovemaking scenes are down and very dirty.

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Reckless: Planet Alpha #15, by Lily Harlem ~ Sizzling Sci-Fi Ménage! … standalone erotic sci-fi romance… Aurora Zenitha… fleeing Earth to save her life and two hot blooded Alphans who are hell bent on making her theirs, even if she is an illegal alien…scorching scenes of ménage, voyeurism, self-pleasure and more… stowing away on an alien ship bound for Planet Alpha is not a safe option, especially when she is travelling with false papers and she has already attracted the attention of the ship’s captain… The stakes are high and the sex is off the Richter scale… Aurora is the lucky recipient of some alien loving from Captain Ciro and Luc! Be sure to have plenty of iced drinks on hand as the read hits the spot again and again.

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The Passage of Desire: French Summer Prequel, by Laurette Long ~ Compelling and Flawlessly written…Juliet, Alexandra’s childhood friend invites her and her daughter Caroline to stay with her in her family home… Alexandra, whose husband is away on business, is going through a low point in her life but soon begins to bloom again and … begins to heal herself. The setting for the story, the wild and untamed Yorkshire moors, where emotions become freed and passions can often come to a head, is a metaphor for the tale itself… It touches on all which makes us human; the different stages of life; family dynamics; intimate relationships and unexpected desire. The book is … written, with insight and sensitivity as the events, which will have life-changing repercussions for some, unfold.

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Zenka, by Alison Brodie ~ Sheer brilliance … and a guarenteed pick me up… I just loved the pairing of the mild mannered and gentle nurse Nicholas and the fiery and unpredictable Zenka, the Hungarian pole dancer and friend of the gangster Jack. The novel contains madcap and side-splitting antics galore, contrasting starkly with a host of gory and violent scenes. The plot explores the very worst of the human condition – greed, deceit, violence and the abuse of trust, and also the very best – love , friendship , honour and loyalty. This dichotomy plays out in a deliciously devilish exposé that sweeps the reader and characters along into a vortex of black comedy and emotionally charged scenes.

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The Silver Wolf: A James Ryler Thriller, by Rob Sinclair ~ … high octane revenge thriller… revenge is the name of the game in this rip-roaring spy thriller… Ryker, a man tormented by his wife Lisa’s disappearance…his determination to make those who hurt her pay the ultimate price. Ryker’s quest for vengeance takes him from Mexico, to London and beyond as he becomes embroiled in a tangled web of illicit criminal activity and the covert work of government operatives, including his old colleagues at the Joint Intelligence Agency… all roads lead to the elusive Silver Wolf who appears to have not only played a pivotal role in Ryker’s recent past but the JIA’s current problems…There are scenes of blood and gore aplenty and a number of plot twists, including one major one which I did not see coming…

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Blair: Dark Romance, by Anita Grey ~Totally Amazing Dark Psychological Read…. an original plot line and in Blaire and Charlie the author has created a truly awesome couple – their relationship is complex and intense and the scenes between them range from deliciously dark to sweet. Blaire is one of the most kick-ass and lethal females I have come across of late yet she is so vulnerable. I wept for her as the plot unfolded and little by little we leared about her history… I ADORED Charlie – just what is his game? What hold does he have over Maskim? Can Charlie protect Blaire or is he just exploiting her too? Will Blaire overcome Maskim’s conditioning or is it too ingrained in her psyche? … I was fascinated with the psychology of the relationships in his book…

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A Scarlet Woman (The Fitzgeralds of Dublin #1), by Lorna Peel ~ Bewitching Victorian Romance… the lives of a fallen woman and an idealistic young doctor become unexpectedly intertwined after they meet in the most inauspicious of settings, a brothel. Their ensuing relationship challenges both their own future and society’s mores… I became totally immersed in Isobel and Will’s lives. Although at times it brought a tear to my eye, the book also contains some humorous scenes. A predominently sweet romance, it has some frank sex scenes (and) explores the double standards between men and women… (and) the differences between the lives of domestic servants and those ‘above stairs.’ I enjoyed how the author explored these themes and also how she delved into the underbelly of Dublin and the sexual preledictions common amongst all classes.

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Commodity, by Shay Savage ~ Brutal and love affirming romantic suspense set in a post-apocalyptic world… only a few women have survived and as such have become little more than a commodity used in the worst possible way by those who covet power and influence. Prior to the apocalypse Hannah… was en route to give evidence in a major people trafficking trial… She had been assigned her own protector, Falk, a bodyguard… even though circumstances have changed and the world is no longer what it was, he is going to protect this woman come hell or high water… how far he will go to protect her and why becomes evident as the story unfolds… Their romance is far from instantaneous. Both characters have complex back stories … there are some horrific scenes of violence in the book (some of it sexual) and a number of twists in the tale, including one huge curveball – Shay Savage style!

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Death and Beauty, by Samantha McLeod ~ Seductive and Spellbinding…beautifully written erotic novella which presents the reader with a highly original twist on one of my favourite tropes – Beauty and the Beast, this time delving deep into Norse mythology. Baldr the Beautiful awakes to find himself in the realm of the dead and is desperate to return to his life… He sets out to petition the terrifying half-skeletal Queen Hel with this in mind. However, the queen is not so easily persuaded and sets him the task of teaching her something new about the living word before she will grant him his wish… I loved the verbal sparing and the growing sexual tension between them as Baldr strives to meet Queen Hel’s task… he has no knowledge to impart that she cannot already know about he embarks on the one thing that may just work – the seduction of Hel, which has unforeseen consequences for them both…

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Disenchanted, by Heide Goody and Iain Grant ~Magic and mayhem collide in riotous fairy tale romp. The premise of the novel – where the heroine very definitely does not want a HEA, despite the meddling of a host of formidable magical creatures … appealed to my sense of the perverse… I found the read to be a real tonic… Magical creatures really exist, although Ella the heroine would much rather they were not quite so fixated on controlling her life… Her efforts to resist the fate her fairy godmother and her associates have planned for her drive the plot forward and the conflict makes for some hilarious scenes as the authors expertly turned the usual HEA fairy tale tropes on their head… Ella veers from one adventure to another in her quest to avoid her prospective suitors at all costs and at the same time unravel issues from her family’s past. ..with an indomitable heroine and a series of larger than life characters, it’s a fast-paced, laugh-a-minute, feel good read, with some excellent one-liners.

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The Angel Alejandro, by Alistair Cross ~ A battle between good and evil in another modern Gothic masterpiece…blurs the lines between paranormal romance, urban fantasy and horror… When a handsome and mysterious stranger saves Madison O’Riley from a fatal fall, little does she realise that her life and that of the inhabitants of the town of Prominence will soon descend into the depths of the Twilight Zone… Madison and others start to realise that the amnesiac who calls himself Alejandro, has powers which defy comprehension… When the strange and compelling Gremory Jones and his associates arrive in town the book gets increasingly darker as Gremory’s intent becomes clear as he begins to ensnare the townspeople in his machinations. Add to the mix a psychic, a local priest, and the new chief of police, who is a recovering alcoholic, and the scene is set for a series of dastardly, dark and depraved scenes…chaos and carnage, with its inhabitants merely collateral damage in a battle between good and evil… the read also contains plenty of scenes of humour and romance giving relief from the ensuing horror.

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Alaska Wild, by Helena Newbury ~ Sexy Romantic Suspense with a whole lot of sass. I LOVED this read…which pairs Kate, a dedicated FBI agent and Mason, a wanted criminal, an ex-Navy SEAL. When their paths literally collide and the plane they are in crashes in the wilderness, Kate finds that her survival depends on this man whose military record has been tainted and who is due to be court marshalled. Can she trust him to return her to the safety of civilization when his return there will lead to his capture and incarceration in prison? Is he innocent or guilty? The attraction between them sizzles off the page…Kate and Mason soon find that they are involved in a desperate fight to survive in the wilderness. Will they survive? Can Kate trust Mason?… the true danger comes from those that are hunting them, men who would prefer that they had not survived the plane crash.There are many superb and thrilling action scenes and vivid descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness. I was totally transported there by the power of the author’s writing.

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Dark Horse (Class 5 #1, by Michelle Diener ~ Superb…works as a standalone read… an original and suspenseful premise and plot… with strong characterisations and world building….Rose has been abducted… and has been held on an alien ship where she has been treated abominably by her over inquisitive alien captors, the Tecran… Sazo, an artificial intelligence has taken steps to prevent it happening again … most of the Tecran crew on her vessel are dead and Rose must escape the ship to survive…but is then taken by the Grih, headed by Captain Dav Jallan….Dav would like to trust this human called Rose but fears that she is not being entirely truthful about her part in the Tecran’s demise…(and risks)…putting the fate of his people and the other races in the alliance in danger? (Rose’s) safety could well be compromised if and when she is compelled to reveal what she knows. The fate of Sazo, the AI is closely linked to the couple’s future and the story develops in an unexpected way. An original read and highly recommended.

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November 17, 2017 by Tina Williams

ARC Review ~ The Silver Wolf: A James Ryker Thriller, by Rob Sinclair

#thriller #spythriller #actionthriller

Book Blurb

A fast paced and unmissable thriller from the international bestselling James Ryker series

Ryker wants blood, and one way or another he’ll get it…

Still tormented by the disappearance of his wife, ex-intelligence agent James Ryker sets out on a personal mission of revenge, prepared to go to any lengths in search of the truth.

The trail takes him from the crystal waters of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, back to a place he thought he would never set foot again – his country of birth, England. But there he discovers more than even he bargained for. Stumbling across a terrorist attack targeted against his old employers – the secretive Joint Intelligence Agency -the faint clues to many events in his recent past are all seemingly linked to one mysterious character; The Silver Wolf.

But just who is the Silver Wolf, and why is he hell bent on punishing not just Ryker, but his closest allies at the JIA too?
Has Ryker finally met his match?

The Silver Wolf is a globe-trotting thriller that sees James Ryker at his hard-nosed best as he fights the ghosts of his past. As skilled as Jason Bourne, as no-nonsense as Jack Reacher, James Ryker delivers in another heart-pounding thriller.

My Review ~ 5 stars

Ryker is back in a high octane revenge thriller.

In The Silver Wolf revenge is the name of the game in this rip-roaring spy thriller, the latest release by Rob Sinclair. The offering is another stunning tour-de-force by this author whose larger than life characters and devilishly clever plots never fail to deliver.

The reader immediately feels for Ryker, a man tormented by his wife Lisa’s disappearance. He needs to employ all the skills learned from his past as a field operative and then some – at times the situations he finds himself in appear to be insurmountable. The reader is left in no doubt however, as to his determination to make those who hurt her pay the ultimate price. Ryker’s quest for vengeance takes him from Mexico, to London and beyond as he becomes embroiled in a tangled web of illicit criminal activity and the covert work of government operatives, including his old colleagues at the Joint Intelligence Agency.

As the plot progresses all roads lead to the elusive Silver Wolf who appears to have not only played a pivotal role in Ryker’s recent past but the JIA’s current problems. Who is he? Will he succeed in his machinations or will Ryker get to him first? How much collateral damage will there be before Ryker achieves his ultimate goal – if indeed he does? There are scenes of blood and gore aplenty and a number of plot twists, including one major one which I did not see coming, before the book reaches its stunning and bloody denouement. As with other books in the series Rob Sinclair does not shy away from some violent and fairly gruesome scenes as befits the book’s genre!

The novel can be read as a standalone, but if you enjoyed this read I thoroughly recommend reading the other novels featuring the main character – Carl Logan/James Ryker.

Highly recommended for lovers of character driven and high action spy thrillers.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note that an ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Connect with the Author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8389261.Rob_Sinclair

http://www.robsinclairauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Rob-Sinclair-746087495413628/

April 4, 2017 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ The Red Cobra, by Rob Sinclair

#crime #spy #thriller

Blurb

Carl Logan dedicated nearly twenty years of his life to the Joint Intelligence Agency. Now living in a secret location, under the new identify of James Ryker, he wants nothing more than to be left alone, the chance to start a new life away from chaos, violence, destruction and deceit.

It’s not long, however, before Ryker’s short-lived idyll is destroyed when he is tracked down by Peter Winter, his ex-boss at the JIA. Winter brings with him news of the murder of a woman in Spain, Kim Walker, whose fingerprints match those of one of Ryker’s former adversaries who’s been missing presumed dead for years – an infamous female assassin known as the Red Cobra.

A cyberattack at the JIA led to the Red Cobra’s profile being compromised, and Winter believes JIA agents may now be at risk too, Ryker included. But Ryker knew the elusive Red Cobra better than anyone, and when he sees the grisly pictures of Kim Walker’s corpse, he has news for Winter – she isn’t the assassin at all …

So just who is the mystery dead woman? And where is the real Red Cobra?

The Red Cobra is a fast-paced thriller filled with twists and turns and intrigue that will appeal to readers of big-hitting thrillers by the likes of Lee Child and David Baldacci, and with echoes in its plotting and breadth of the globe-trotting spy thriller I Am Pilgrim.

My Review ~ Engrossing and Expertly Written Spy Thriller ~ 5 stars TOP READ

This read is another tour de force from bestselling author Rob Sinclair. In his latest Spy Thriller, The Red Cobra, we are reunited with James Ryker (aka Carl Logan from the author’s page-turning Enemy series). Prepare for a white knuckle ride as Ryker goes up against the mafia, intelligence services, bent policeman and a mysterious figure from his past. The read is a standalone but the book’s conclusion lays the ground nicely for the continuation of the series.

Ryker’s life in Spain has become an idyllic one, far removed from his previous life as an employee of the Joint Intelligence Agency. However, he is tempted out of retirement by his former boss, to investigate a vicious murder in Spain. The victim’s fingerprints match those of a notorious female assassin, the Red Cobra, whom Ryker has encountered in his former life as Carl Logan. Ryker knows that the body is not that of his old adversary and it appears that moves are afoot to compromise the identity of fellow agents rendering them at risk. It is a race against time to track down the perpetrators and prevent more lives being lost.

The plot is fast moving and totally engrossing. Much of the action takes place in Spain, although some chapters pan back to the past in the Soviet Union and beyond where we find out about The Red Cobra and her shared history with Ryker. This added a great deal of depth to the story and helped explain their motivations. There are a number of well drawn secondary characters who accompany Ryker on his quest to put the pieces of a complex puzzle together. Aside from the main protaganists, I also enjoyed the character of Eva. Ryker certainly has his work cut out to identify friend from foe, find out the whereabouts of the real Red Cobra and the identity of the murder victim.

I enjoyed how in this read the author has further developed the complex character of Ryker, who I met as Carl Logan in his previous books. Although Ryker still maintains his hard and ruthless persona with his take no prisoners approach, as events unfold we witness how this complex man has now developed his own code of honour and is not simply just a blunt instrument of his employers. I loved the role of the enigmatic Red Cobra in the plot and the part she played in Ryker’s past and thought that the author portrayed her role as a female assassin in expert fashion.

There is plenty of action, suspense and some violent and gory scenes as the plot unravels and Ryker carries out his mission in the sweltering heat of Spain’s Costas. The stakes are high and there are twists aplenty! Indeed, The Red Cobra is a real treat for lovers of Spy Thrillers and is, I feel, the author’s best Carl Logan inspired book yet. I am so looking forward to the next in the series.

Please note that an ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Connect with the Author

http://www.robsinclairauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Rob-Sinclair-746087495413628/

Tweets by RSinclairAuthor

February 23, 2017 by Tina Williams

Tamworth Literary Festival Brings to Life the Written Word

Tamworth LitFest 2017 Celebrates the Written Word

Tamworth’s inaugural Literary Festival (3-11 March 2017), has LOTS to interest fans of all genres and includes theatre, live stand-up and more!

Opening Night

Carol E Wyer, who writes both humorous and thriller fiction, will be opening the festival at 7.00pm on Friday 3rd March at Tamworth Central Methodist Church with her signature stand-up routine alongside Birmingham’s Ministry of Improv (tickets £5 per head). Carol’s recent release, Little Girl Lost, a serial killer novel, reached number 2 in Amazon’s digital download charts.

An Evening with Author Mike Gayle

Meet Romantic Fiction author Mike Gayle on Monday 6th March. Mike, the author of twelve novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and Wish You Were Here, will be at Tamworth Town Hall at 7.00pm (£4 per head). Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend in 1997, which was hailed by The Independent as ‘Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,’ and by The Times as ‘A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic.’

20 Years of Not Being Published…

On Tuesday 7th March local Author Anthony Poulton-Smith presents… 20 Years of Not Being Published. The author of 74 published works, Anthony offers tips and advice based on his mistakes and experiences. The event takes place in Tamworth Central Library at 1.00pm (£3 per ticket).

A Case of Mistaken Identity…

Shoebox Theatre’s performance of the medieval ballad/mummers play King Edward IV and a Tanner of Tamworth, has its own suspected crime scene. Witness how the hapless Tanner mistakes the king for a common thief and has to face the consequences for his error! The performance takes place at 7.00pm on the evening of Wednesday 8th March at the Central Methodist Church in Tamworth. Tickets priced £4 per person.

Author Crime Panel

A Crime Panel, chaired by Gary Hyde a former policeman takes place on Thursday 9th March. The panel comprises:

Crime fiction writer Hugh Fraser (Captain Hastings from Poirot);

Chris Collett, whose latest publication A Good Death continues the compulsive series of books based in Birmingham, featuring DI Tom Mariner;

Stephen Booth, who writes the iconic Cooper and Fry series set in the Peak District, and

True crime author Gordon Lowe, whose most recent publication examines the notorious Black Panther.

The panel will examine the similarities and differences of writing crime fiction and true crime. The event, which takes place in The Globe Inn, Tamworth at 7.00 pm, costs £5 per head.

The Origins and Meanings of Local Pub Names

On Friday 10th March local Author Anthony Poulton-Smith looks at the Origins and Meanings of Local Pub Names. The event takes place in Tamworth Castle (£3 per ticket, payable at the door).

Thriller Panel

A free to attend Thriller Panel takes place at 2.00 pm Saturday 11th March in St Editha’s Church Hall, featuring AA Abbott and Rob Sinclair. AA Abbott writes addictive crime thrillers about murder and mayhem, often set in Birmingham and the City of London. Her latest novel The Vodka Trail is available in e-book and dyslexia-friendly paperback. Rob Sinclair is the author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling Enemy series of espionage thrillers featuring embattled agent Carl Logan. His latest release is the pulsating psychological thriller Dark Fragments.

Free to Attend Book Blasts and More!

J A Heron, author of the Erotic Thriller, 30 Days, and Ian Cawley, author of Gnosis, a Techno/Political Thriller, are just some of the 20+ authors at the festival’s two free Book Blasts in St Editha’s Church Hall on Saturday 4th and Saturday 11th March.

Other authors and genres include: Lucy Felthouse (Erotic Romance), Simon Goodwin (Horror), Pat Spence (Young Adult Paranormal and Romance), Sara Read (Women’s History), Vivian Khan (Cookery and poetry), Heide Goody (humour and paranormal), Sharon Rose (Inspirational and Self-Help) and representatives from New Street Authors (true crime, paranormal, horror, Steam Punk and more).

New Street Authors will also be holding a writing and self and indie publishing session, How Indie Authors Took Over the World, covering how you can turn your ideas into books (March 4th) and a DIY guide to Punk Publishing (11 March). Both sessions are free to attend.

Pop into the Book Blasts anytime between 10am-4.pm to meet authors, publishers and poets for advice and chat. Many books will be on offer and there will be FREE refreshments. To help us plan for the day you can register on our Eventbrite pages:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tamworth-litfest-book-blast-author-signings-more-tickets-31221992821?aff=es2

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tamworth-litfest-book-blast-author-signings-thriller-panel-more-tickets-31409986114?aff=es2

To Book Tickets

To book tickets telephone 07562 653565/07913 686295 or email tamlitfest@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/TamworthLiteraryFestival/

Image of King Edward IV and the Tanner of Tamworth courtesy of Project Gutenberg

November 22, 2016 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ Dark Fragments, by Rob Sinclair

#psychological #crime #thriller

Book Blurb

Dark Fragments: an edge of your seat thriller from the best-selling author of The Enemy Series

Murder. Money. Revenge.

Outwardly, Ben Stephens appears to be a normal, hard-working family man. In reality, his life has been in turmoil since the murder of his wife, Alice, seven years ago. The killer was never caught.

Now re-married – to the woman he was having an affair with while still married to Alice – Ben’s life is once again spiralling out of control, and he’s become heavily indebted to an unscrupulous criminal who is baying for Ben’s blood.

When Ben’s estranged twin sister, a police detective, unexpectedly returns to his life, asking too many questions for comfort, it becomes clear that without action, Ben’s life will soon reach a crisis point from which there will be no return.

In order to avoid falling further into the mire, Ben must examine the past if he is to survive the present – but just how much pressure can one man take before he breaks?

Dark Fragments is a fast-paced thriller with a blend of mystery, suspense and action that will appeal to readers of psychological thrillers, as well as a broad section of crime, thriller and action fans. If you like authors like Mark Edwards, Robert Bryndza and C.L. Taylor you will love this unforgettable thriller.

#psychological #thriller #crime #action

My Review ~ 5 stars

Addictive and Action Packed!

This is a fast-paced psychological crime thriller that sucked me in and left me gob-smacked with its unexpected dénouement. It’s the second book that I’ve read by the author, the first being Hunt for the Enemy (click on the title for my review). Once more it contains a flawlessly constructed and suspenseful plot that kept me guessing throughout.

Ben appears to be just your average hardworking guy with a wife and young family. Yet we soon find out that his first wife Alice was brutally murdered seven years previously, an episode that preys on Ben’s mind, particularly as the murderer has not been found. Ben’s marriage to Gemma, the woman with whom he was having an affair with when Alice was murdered, is far from rosy and his job is in the doldrums. Crucially the reappearance of Callum O’Grady, a crime lord to whom he turned to after Alice’s murder, puts Ben on the defensive and in fear of his safety and that of his family. At the same time Dani, his estranged twin sister, a detective inspector, walks back into his life.

It soon becomes clear that her reappearance is not a coincidence and Ben struggles to cope with current and past events, all of which shape his actions. He is under unimaginable pressure and despite his best intentions his life very quickly spirals out of control until he reaches his breaking point which has implications for all around him.

Once I started to read the novel I was hooked, not only due to the unfolding plot but also to the way it is written. The story is told in short punchy chapters, narrated in the first person point of view, by the protagonist Ben Stephens. Some chapters are written as the main events unfold and others retrospectively, as Ben is encouraged to reflect on what has happened, with a person whose identity we can only guess at. This has the effect of creating a suspenseful read, not only allowing us into Ben’s thought processes, but often foreshadowing events and putting a different perspective on what we have just witnessed.

There are some violent and disturbing scenes in the book but they are integral to the plot. I found myself at first rooting for and then cringing at Ben’s actions in response to events as the tale unfolded.

I will not reveal any more. It is enough to say that I hugely enjoyed this read. The characterisations, particularly that of the volatile Ben, are superb and the plot clever and suspenseful. It left me wondering to what extent we are all victims of fate or whether we ultimately have control over events.

Recommended for fans of crime thrillers, particularly those who like a psychological read.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.