I read so many crime thrillers by American authors, it was rather refreshing to find that this was set on home soil.

Parsons is a new-to-me author, and I'll be honest, I had a few misgivings, as I made the mistake of reading the unfavourable reviews. Yes, it's gritty, it's violent and features criminals who should never have left their mothers' wombs, but it's no worse than any of those TV programmes preceded by 'this programme contains bad language and scenes some viewers might find upsetting'. It's a policeman's world, it goes without saying.

This is the second in the DI Max Wolfe series, and he has to get to the bottom of the killing of four members of a family. The fifth member, a young child is missing. The crime and the weapon used smack of the work of The Slaughter Man…released from prison after doing his time, but now dying. Surely, he didn't do it again? And why pick on a perfect, happy family? But…was it the perfect family?

This is a fast-paced, gripping thriller. Having not read the first Wolfe book, I didn't know why he had an ex wife and, unusually, custody of his daughter. It didn't matter. He's certainly a hard-nosed policeman, but his five-year-old princess is the centre of his world. Parsons parallels these two worlds very adeptly. Oh, and at last, someone who explains all those acronyms used in the force…how enlightening!

I'm diving straight into #4 of the series (my Kindle is missing #3!).

Spot on. 4 stars all day long. Tony Parsons is an author I follow and the Max Wolfe series is only part of the reason.

Read it from book one onwards as the characters develop nicely.

Much better than the other book inn this series, a more coherent main character, Max and his solid team, trying to find a missing boy and solve a multiple murder. Engaging and fast paced, a real winner

This is the best book by far this year.

New Year’s Day starts off for DC Max Wolfe, and his colleagues on a call-out because a man has decided to wipe out his family. A young police officer is also shot before armed response can take him down. The day gets worse, when a family, living in a gated community in Highgate London, are found massacred, except for the little boy (Bradley) who has been kidnapped. This isn’t just any family, the wife Mary Wood, was part of the 1994 Winter Olympics held in Norway. It was while taking part there, that she met her husband, Brad Wood, now a sports agent. Mary’s father, had made his money in property. The team are perplexed by the method used by the killer; a stun gun normally used on cattle before slaughter.

The murder inquiry takes some bizarre twists and turns especially when another four year old goes missing and the team are made aware of a house used by a ring of paedophiles. Bradley is not among the children they rescue.

This is the second book featuring DC Max Wolfe. The first book was outstanding but this is even better. Tony Parsons has a way with words that is electrifying. There were sentences that made me gasp out loud because of the impact they made. I was with Max and the team as they waded through evidence trying to solve the murder. They find a suspect early on, but you know just from Max’s reaction that something just doesn’t make sense. I put my life “on hold” while I was reading because I couldn’t tear myself away for too long until I reached the final page. This is definitely my favourite book for 2015 and I’m waiting with bated breath for the next in the series. Congratulations Tony Parsons!

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I am one of those readers who likes to read in bed, and I was that engrossed by The Slaughter Man, that I ended up staying up all night just to finish it.

The book is a fast paced mixture of gory violence and a loving relationship between a father and his daughter. Fast paced, but gives the reader sufficient time to digest what is happening before throwing in the next twist in the tale! The plot evolves in a way that the reader might not expect, and the whole story ends up being more than just a typical murder crime thriller.

It is really well written and set in contemporary London with a new cop hero by the name of Max Wolfe, a nard as nails detective and single father of a young daughter called Scout. The relationship between father and daughter bring another level to the story and is a breath of fresh air, needed at times. There are some fairly graphic violence and I like the excessive goriness tbh! It is also a really great touch adding the explanations of the science behind the gruesome stuff.  It's good to have an explanation as to why most gun shot wounds to the gut are fatal for example.

 A wealthy family are murdered on New Year's Eve and their youngest son vanishes. Max has to find the killer and hopefully locate the missing boy.

The crime resembles one which happened years ago, for which a man was imprisoned and now has been released.

Wolfe and the team have to work out whether the same man could be responsible for these deaths.

It seems Max has miraculous healing powers as he is stabbed, buried, ripped apart, knocked out and drugged and still has only one overnight hospital stay. There was definitely some disbelief that needed suspending throughout! He makes James Bond seem soft and that man should be dead years ago! But, I loved this guy long may he continue! :-)

I'd worked out quite early on "who done it" but what I hadn't worked out was why and there were plenty of surprises.

I will be looking forward to the next book from Tony Parsons and eagerly awaiting the return of Max Wolfe! 

Highly Recommended Reading!

A thrilling addition to the Max Wolfe series. Keeps readers on tenterhooks as Wolfe investigates the disappearance of a child and the murder of a family. A great blend of Wolfe's determination and perseverance alongside his compassion and ultimate fears as a father himself make this a brilliant read. Pacy and thrilling I really enjoyed it.

I never start a series anywhere except the first book so I read book one first and enjoyed it. The thing about the Max Wolfe series is they just get progressively better (also progressively darker). You do have to suspend reality somewhat but if you like a mix of slightly inaccurate police procedural, Reacher and a nice family saga you've found your series. It's seriously addictive though I've just finished book four. I've given this one four stars but don't let that put you off the next two are solid five star.

Absolutely excellent.

It's so good to meet, and connect with, a police officer who isn't an alcoholic depressive who has ostracised anybody who cared for him. Our hero here is a good man, a single father dedicated to his daughter and his work, doing his best to excel at both. It's a refreshing change, for sure!

The story is very well thought out and constructed so that the truth doesn't become apparent to the reader to much before it becomes apparent to our hero. He figures it out at the same pace as we do - there's nothing more frustrating than wondering why on earth a supposedly intelligent police officer can't add up the clues and hints as rapidly as the reader! It's a vicious tale though, filled with tension and fear and the insight into the underworld of child sex trafficking quite horrific. It genuinely gives you a feel of what our police forces are up against, and a gratitude that they are fighting the battle for us against a reality most of us would be unable to stomach.

An excellent read, highly recommended.

This is a tremendous story. The setting is realistic and the characters well described. The story is upsetting but possible. The reader needs to keep reading to discover the unexpected ending. The creation of the detective with a child he is bringing up himself adds reality and emotion. The travelling people are well depicted as is racism in a number of incidents. This is a top rate book!

Wow what a fabulous read! This is my first by Tony Parsons and I loved it, the plot was great, there was non stop action and those twists just kept coming. This is a real page turner that is impossible to put down. A really solid 5 star read.