DEVIL TO PAY

Devil to Pay is the first fiction novel by actor and documentary maker, Ross Kemp based round ex-special forces soldier Nick Kane. Having heard that his best friend has committed suicide, Nick doesn’t believe it and the story spans his investigation into the death, taking him from London to Afghanistan on a roller coaster of action that is both enjoyable and believable.

Whilst this is not a work of great literary art, it is well written and very topical. The in depth knowledge of Afghanistan, its politics, the people, the soldiers and the contractors helped the story unfold in a credible way that some such adventure type books lack. I wondered whether it was actually fiction in some places as there are obviously correlations to what is actually happening – and if you have ever seen a Ross Kemp documentary you know that he has actually been in these places and spent time with the people.

The story unfurls via a narrative style, reflective of what you would expect from an individual like Nick Kane, that for me made it feel as if I were listening to an interview of an after the fact experience told in a person’s own way. It added explanations on why some weapons didn’t work that well in fighting, what the real people of Afghanistan really thought and how the military operated that added something you don’t often get in such books.

For those of you who like the more adventure style novel and have an interest in modern day politics outside the UK or just want an enjoyable and easy read, this book is for you.