Mik lives in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, but travels the length and breadth of the UK as a Project Manager. He's a long-time crime fiction fan, with bookshelves groaning under the weight of signed copies from some of the greats of the genre. He's also a reviewer, and an aspiring crime writer, with hopes of joining his literary heroes on a shelf near you in the not too distant future.
Opening in the English County of Norfolk and a small Village named Horning. Bracken is lying low and trying to stay out of trouble by working in a boating yard and living with an elderly couple named Eric and Dot.
I got the feeling that trouble is never far away from Ben and this was confounded when Dot is murdered. Is this a strange coincidence or is Brackens past catching up with him again? Deciding the latter Bracken decides to remain in Horning and make sure no one else is harmed while seeking revenge for the death of the woman that gave him shelter. I was immediately drawn into the plot with the fast pace that kept me reading long into the night.
Bracken is a great protagonist that fans of Jack Reacher will love. He is an honourable man determined to make up for his shady past but full of guilt and internal turmoil. I really enjoyed Parkers quirky writing style; he has an ability to create an atmosphere that not only transports you straight into the setting but gives you that sense of immediate danger that kept me turning pages. His no-holds barred approach is complimented by the perfect quota of humour.
This is a gripping read, cleverly written and kept me captivated trying to work out how things would unfold.
This is the third book in the Ben Bracken series, despite not having read the preceding books, although there were references to events in previous books, it reads as a standalone. Although this was my first Ben Bracken book it certainly won’t be the last.
