I absolutely love Michael Grant’s “ Gone” series. When I heard that he was writing a thriller, I was elated to say the least, even though they are in entirely two different genres and for two different demographics.
“ A Sudden Death in Cyprus” is the first book in the new David Mitre Thriller series. I will not go into detail ( the synopsis gives you a very good overview of what is in store), but I will say this book was entertaining. The main character was fun for lack of a better word. All of the characters were well-developed. The book was overly descriptive at times, but the plot was very believable and developed. I am looking forward to seeing what the future brings for this new series.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

What an entertaining book! Reading A Sudden Death in Cyprus was like making a new acquaintance, expecting only to kill some pleasant time, and discovering, wait -- there's some depth there, more than meets the eye.

This is a story about a crime in an expatriate community. The narrator is a mostly-reformed, gentlemanly felon who now has a perfectly respectable cover life as a published author. Still, he's not eager for anyone to look too closely into his past. Outstanding warrants, and all that.

So far, so shallow, right? But Michael Grant and his character David Mitre also display some perception and introspection along with Mitre's corny patter and his deeply shallow persona. The writing is far better than in many thrillers that have come my way, with the odd geopolitical content painlessly woven into the narrative. The other characters were diverse and well-rendered.

I liked it. I liked it a lot. So much that I'm hoping there's maybe a series afoot -- with perhaps an offbeat crime-fighting team comprised of a redeemed petty criminal and a stunning female FBI agent.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance readers copy.

A promising start to this book, but unfortunately I found the story very slow. Don’t think I will be looking out for anymore from this series.

A tale of two halves

David Mitre (not his real name) is a con man but he's a good one and at heart a loveable rogue. While drinking at his favourite beach bar in Cyprus, he witnesses the brutal murder of a British woman who is also, coincidentally, a confidence trickster and this violent act sets in motion a whole sequence of events which turns his cosy world upside down.

The style of writing is throwaway and almost whimsical. It’s light-hearted in many ways and will annoy the hell out of some readers as it did me to start with. However, once I became inured to the style, I began to enjoy the read. Having said that I found the first half of the book disjointed and clunky. It just didn’t flow and was at times difficult reading. I know myself how some reviews, for instance, almost write themselves and others are hard going. Once I reached the second half of the book the writing was smoother and raced along at a breathless pace which was immensely enjoyable.

All characters were developed very well as individuals – even some of the more minor ones. The dialogue was believable and at times humorous although the device used to tell the reader what Mitre was thinking but not saying was crass and juvenile. At one point I promised myself that if the author used "I did not say" one more time, I would stop reading.

To sum up; it’s holiday reading; nothing deep or meaningful. The author is apparently very well known for his Gone books which are aimed at the teen market. If his success in that genre is to be duplicated with the David Mitre series, he needs to up his game although the signs are encouraging.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Nicely done. David Mitre is on the run because of his multitude of crimes= burglary, con games etc.- but he's hiding in plain sight on Cyprus where he has refashioned himself as a crime writer. Much to his dismay (and to be fair, horror), he witnesses a murder on the beach. This leads to a cascade of problems with both the Cypriot police AND then two people who purport to be from the FBI. Is anything or anyone what they seem? Well, David has to make some decisions. You might not agree with them but you will appreciate his self awareness. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. An interesting new character and I look forward to seeing him again.

Not an author I had read before, but will definitely look out for his next book. He has written a successful Gone series with seven books. This could be the first in a David Mitre series. David Mitre is an author of crime thrillers. However this is not his real name. He is a fugitive from American justice and hiding away on the island of Cyprus.He witnesses the murder of a woman on the beach and makes himself scarce.
However he is visited by a man and a woman who identify themselves as FBI. They know about his past but tell him his secret can stay safe if he investigates the murder. He has already met a seedy Cyprian policeman who asked for his assistance.
This is not what he wants to do, his first instinct is to flee the island, but it means starting again and losing his author identity! He decides to comply whilst he makes up his mind and assist the FBI. He probably would have trusted his first instinct to flee if he had realised the danger that faces him.
At times very humorous but also a gripping thriller. Highly recommended..

I received a free copy of A SUDDEN DEATH IN CYPRUS (David Mitre Thriller Book 1) by Michael Grant in exchange for an honest review. David Mitre is a fortyish author of crime novels; he is also a retired burglar, con artist, jewel thief, and fugitive from American justice. One day, he’s hanging out at a beach-side bar in Cyprus, avoiding writing, when he witnesses a gruesome murder performed in the open daylight. As he’s the only one to notice, he makes a quick escape because he does not want to get involved. When David is subsequently approached about the matter by a police detective, David begins to implement some plans to earn him some good will from the local community. However, when FBI agents arrive at his doorstep, he becomes irretrievably involved in the investigation. His investigation leads him to some dark discoveries; there’s more at stake than just finding one murderer.

I liked it. David has a pretty good grasp on the fact he is not a good person, but he has a sense of humor about it. I didn’t always like David, but I liked him better when he was making fun of himself. I would definitely read another novel in the series.

#ASuddenDeathInCyprus #NetGalley