Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I read The Old Religion and was left with a feeling of decent thriller but please hold back your political views.

Within the first 3 pages it began again. They are actually political views close to my own but I dint choose my crime thrillers to be scattered with an authors views on politics. It so detracts from the story and forced me to say no more, I won’t read this author again

Dark and intense, this 2nd book in the Tom Killgannon series had me hooked from the outset.

Intriguing storyline plus good to discover more of Tom’s background story.

Already looking forward to the next instalment.

Wow. Be ready to pick your jaw up from the floor when you've finished reading this!

Tom Killgannon is a former undercover cop living in Cornwall under witness protection. However, he's called back to duty to find out the details of a serial child killer's crimes, which means going to prison. While he's on track to get the information he needs, Dean Foley, notorious criminal put behind bars by Killgannon, comes to the same prison. Is it just one of those things or is something more sinister going on?

Murder and mayhem ensue, in a thrilling page turner of a read. The only thing to be aware of is that this is the second in a series and I would have liked to have read the first book before this one had I known.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Absolutely loved this book. Dark, terrifying, and creepy - I hope there are more in this brilliant series.

I’ve been looking forward to writing this review – books like The Sinner are why I started blogging all those years ago. I wanted to make sure my love for a story which had held me gripped from first page to last could reach a wide audience and hopefully as many people as possible will be on the lookout for this book.

First the housekeeping. The Sinner follows on from The Old Religion (also a cracking read) which introduced protagonist Tom Killgannon – there are minor spoilers if you read them out of order but only because it is necessary to introduce new readers to the characters in Tom’s life. The Sinner can easily be read and enjoyed without first reading The Old Religion.

Killgannon is a former undercover cop who is now in witness protection. A condition of his new lifestyle was that he had to remain available for further operations should the need arise. When the police come calling seeking his help Tom is resigned to his fate, however when he learns he will be required to go undercover behind bars at Blackmoor prison he does try to resist his assignment. As a former cop Tom has concerns he may be recognised if he goes into a prison – he is also not keen on the claustrophobic conditions he may face. The police are quick to assure Tom they have carefully checked to ensure nobody within Blackmoor will know him from his former life so he reluctantly agrees.

All does not go to plan and Tom finds himself face to face with Dean Foley, the gangster at the head of the organization Tom had infiltrated. Foley is a powerful figure within Blackmoor and it is not long before he learns of Tom’s arrival and a meeting between the two is inevitable. Tom is horrified his mission has been compromised so quickly and contacts his handlers to find out what went wrong with the planning. He needs pulled out of Blackmoor immediately or his life will be in danger.

Unfortunately for Tom his placement took lots of preparation and if he has not yet completed the mission he was chosen for then the urgency to remove him may not match his own. Tom is in a deadly race against time – get the info he was sent to discover, keep out of trouble and never let his guard down…

Given the introduction I wrote it should come as no surprise to learn that I loved The Sinner. The claustrophobic prison conditions, Tom’s personal battles against memories from his past and the real danger he faces from Foley and his minions. I am trying to avoid too many spoilers so will not go into detail on the perils Tom’s friends may be facing on the outside as they wait his return. Similarly the investigating cops have problems to deal with while waiting for Tom to report – that really threw me sideways as I hadn’t expected them to feature once Tom was in prison. It’s chapter after chapter of tension and excitement.

I have a little confession to make. Yes, yet another one. Although I have the first book ('The Old Religion') in the Tom Killgannon series on my ever increasing 'to be read' mountain, I haven't actually read it yet. I know, I know where have I been all this time? Having just read the second book in the series called 'The Sinner', I now realise just what I have been missing out on. I can't believe I haven't read the first one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Sinner' but more about that in a bit.
Tom Killgannon is definitely an intriguing character. When this book starts, he is living in Witness Protection in Cornwall. Tom used to be a police officer but following a previous case, Tom entered Witness Protection. The exact details of what happened in the run up to Witness Protection aren't immediately apparent but as the story continues little details are given out. Tom is living quite happily in Cornwall but as is often the case, life throws him a curveball and he is pressed back into service. His undercover mission this time is to enter prison and gently tease out crucial information from a convicted child killer. I certainly don't envy him in that respect. Tom doesn't really want to take this case on but he feels that he doesn't have any choice. Tom is tough, tenacious, determined and stubborn. He is also a good actor in a way but then he has had to be in his undercover work, where he has to adopt different identities and different cover stories. Does Tom finish the story in one piece? Are Tom's loved ones in danger? Does Tom succeed in his mission? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It's no word of a lie when I say that I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the synopsis alone. I seem to have a bizarre fascination with prisons and so the thought of an undercover mission taking place in a prison really appealed to me. I did have a look round a prison once- HMP Durham to be precise and I found the history of the place fascinating. Anyway enough of the prison talk. As soon as I started to read the story itself, that was it and I was in the zone. Putting this book down was not an option and woe betide anybody, who tried to prise the book out of my hands. Put it this way, they would have been sent away with a flea or ten in their ear. I just couldn't stop reading. This was one book that deserved to be read in a single day and that is exactly what I did. I soon reached the end of the book, which I was disappointed about. I had been enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wish the book had continued for longer than it did. I soon cheered up though when I realised that I could still get my fix of Tom Killgannon as I still had 'The Old Religion' to catch up on.
'The Sinner' is superbly written and I enjoyed every single second of it. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and he gradually draws you into the story. He writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that it was me in prison and not Tom. I got a real sense of the power hierarchy and status that exists in the prison system and the huge drug problem that can be found in any prison. Martyn describes the claustrophobia that prisoners often feel so well that I felt myself suffering the same symptoms with the walls closing in and the need to get out. The story gains added authenticity when you discover that the author worked in the prison system himself and so he knows all about prison life.
Reading 'The Sinner' was much like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several dozen twists and turns along the way. There were numerous times where I almost had to read through my fingers or hide behind a cushion as I feared what was going to happen next. I was gripped by the story and on the edge of my seat throughout.
In short, 'The Sinner' was an amazing and fantastic read. I can't say that it did any damage to my fascination with prisons but I certainly wouldn't want to stay in one. I will definitely be reading more of Martyn's work in the future- starting with 'The Old Religion'. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Newcastle born Martyn Waites is one half of the husband and wife thriller writing team publishing under the pseudonym Tania Carver. Although I haven't read any Tania Carver books, the name was well known enough to me to pique my interest in the Tom Killgannon series that Martyn Waites has published under his own name. I own a copy of the first book in the series, The Old Religion, and I was hoping to read it before I started book two, The Sinner, but as always there are too many books and so little time.

So having jumped into the series at book two and been absolutely blown away, I'd say you could definitely read The Sinner as a standalone, however, it will leave you wanting to explore certain parts of Tom's own story in more detail. Tom Killgannon is living under a new identity following an undercover operation that saw Manchester drug lord, Dean Foley, imprisoned in Blackmoor prison. A job well done as far as Tom's previous identity of Mick Eccleston is concerned.

Tom is now living in Cornwall with a young girl named Lila, who he refers to as his niece, and working for Pearl who runs a pub. Tom is approached by the police to return undercover in order to extract the location of the bodies buried by creepy child killer, Noel Cunningham. Tom is claustrophobic so the idea of going undercover in a prison is terrifying for him but unfortunately the assignment is an order not a request so he says goodbye to Lila and Pearl and heads to Blackmoor prison. Yes, the same prison as Dean Foley, who blames Tom for his incarceration. I'm not going to reveal any more about the plot but suffice to say, Tom is too busy trying to keep himself alive to worry about his claustrophobia.

Due to the changes of identity, it is a little bit confusing at first, but I soon got into the rhythm of the book. The rhythm being something like a very fast beating heart as there is so much danger around every corner. It's so fast-paced and perilous that I frequently had sweaty palms and a rapidly beating heart when I was reading The Sinner; I even found that I was holding my breath without even realising.

Tom is a very intriguing character as you don't really know who he is, but I also loved the spunky character of Lila. I wasn't surprised to learn that Lila has a huge backstory and features heavily in book one, The Old Religion. Reading The Sinner has made me very eager to read The Old Religion as soon as I possibly can.

Full of thrills and spills and packed with danger, The Sinner is a supersonic fast-paced page turner; calling it high octane doesn't even come close to doing it justice. The Sinner is a book that made me forget to breathe and if that isn't a good recommendation, I don't know what is!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Really enjoyed this thriller. Loved the characters & some of the “lorry car park” scenes were set in a town ten minutes away from where I live which was interesting ... I read it as a stand alone as I hadn’t realised that it was part of a series but it read fine although I wish I had read the first book soon for more background. Will definitely look out for other books by this author. (I received this book free from net galley)

Tom Killgannon was an u dear over cop, responsible for putting away notorious drug baron, Dean Foley.

Now in witness protection, Tom lives a quiet life in Cornwall. But, as part of this deal, he is on call for the odd undercover operation. So, when the child killer, Noel Cunningham says he may be willing to give up the whereabouts of his last victims bodies, Tom is sent to prison to find out more.

He ‘befriends’ Noel and is about to get the information, but a face from his past, Dean Foley, appears in the same prison. Coincidence or is something else going on?

Wow…..this really is a rollercoaster of a read, with gangsters, violence, corrupt prison officers, murder and betrayals, twisty and action packed to say the least. Great characters with their secrets, hopes and fears make this an utterly gripping and exciting read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

The Sinner is a high action, pacy thriller that left me scared to turn the pages because of what was going to happen next. The tension was almost unbearable! I loved the writing and the way Martyn Waites brings to life the dismal atmosphere of the prison. There's an interesting cast of characters and I was rooting for Tom Kilgannon all along (even when ...) I was also terrified for him when the plot twists started coming fast. I really liked the way the writer showed different sides to the prisoners in the novel - no-one is all bad (or all good). I loved this book - a highly entertaining read. Just be warned - once you start reading you may find it impossible to put down.

Not read anything by Martyn before so this was a pleasant surprise. The book grips you from the start and does not let go. A pretty unique premise and you feel for the character as he becomes more isolated. I will certainly be reading the next book from this excellent author.

Wow, what a thrilling read!! I just love each and every page, and couldn't wait to get to the finish! Recommended.

Thank you for Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the advance copy of this book, which is the second, book featuring Tom Killgannon.

I read this one straight after reading The Old Religion and am so glad I did.

I love the character of Tom Killgannon, although some things are slightly unbelievable he is a good person at heart.

This novel has lots of twists and turns and plenty of prison drama, and touches on loyalty.

The writing flows so it is an easy read.

Martyn Waites has obviously done his homework for this novel and he has spent time in prison himself – not as you may imagine though.

I would definitely recommend this, and would recommend reading the Old Religion first so you get an understanding of the characters.

I loved the ending with Tom and Pearl and when he went upstairs – again not what you may be thinking !

Bring on the next in the series and I’m happy to read it before it is published PLEASE. Review also posted on Amazon.
#TheSinner #NetGalley

From Good Reads:
I liked The Old Religion - and this is better.
Undercover cop sent into jail to get information. Comes across old enemy and ensuing fight for survival.
Love a good prison drama and this doesn't disappoint. Plenty of action and tension but character interaction both in and outside of prison really interseting.
Character of Tom fleshed out in this one.
Looking forward to seeing where we go next.

Martyn Waites last novel, ‘The Old Religion’, found Tom Killgannon living in Cornwall, in the witness protection programme for reasons unknown to the reader, and getting caught up in pagan rites and farmers’ rights. In ‘The Sinner’, Tom’s past catches up with him as his ‘handlers’ demand that he enters Blackmoor prison in an attempt to persuade a child killer to reveal the location of his victims’ bodies. Tom is undercover, his true identity unknown to even the prison authorities and he very soon discovers that something is not right in the police unit that is directing him. Worse, he finds that the crime boss whom he ‘betrayed’ when an undercover operative is also in Broadmoor.

‘The Sinner’ has a completely different feel to ‘The Old Religion’, owing more to the likes of ‘Bronson’ or ‘Scum’ where the previous book was more ‘The Wicker Man’. Waites makes the change in direction just as believable and exciting though, as Tom struggles to survive in an increasingly hostile situation while those he has left behind in Cornwall are tormented by the people whose agenda he is being manipulated into following. The book is gritty and dark and very televisual as one might expect from the author’s background as an actor. I was drawn into the darkness and could really see this working as one of those 9PM Sunday night crime miniseries that the BBC do so well.

#The Sinner # Netgally
This is one awesome bood. With more twist and turns that any maze has to offer. When Tom realises he's been recognised things start to get very very uncomfortable for Tom. Because he can not contact Henderson Sheldon who is supposed to be handling thing . Tom as no choice but to tray and deal With it himself. He start to question who he can and cannot trust. In parts this. book runs too near to the mark regarding his live,. With lives on the line the double crossing and lies soon starter to show. I was sat on the edge of my seat. Hoping and praying that Tom can get through another day. It's one he'll of a rollercoaster fast paced brilliant novel extremely well written my heart was in my mouth on more than one occasion.. If you want a real thriller that can make your heart beat so much faster than this is definitely the book for you. Just remember not everything is not as iit seems r through . A amazing book bloody fantastic. A element read a must .

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4

Tom Killgallon #2

Tom Killgallon is an ex-undercover policeman. He now works in witness protection. He's now living in Cornwall but he gets a visit from DS Sheridan asking him to return and go undercover to get information from a child killer. They want him to go into Blackmoor prison to get a child killer to reveal where he had buried the children's bodies. But when Tom got into prison, the jobs not going to be as easy as he first thought. He must be treated like any other prisoner so that no one becomes suspicious. Only problem is, he's already been recognised by one of the other prisoners.

There is definitely a lot goes on in this storyline. The characters are well rounded and believable. The storyline is tense, gripping and the pace is steady from the beginning. There are unexpected twists along the way but some parts seemed a little far fetched. This book could be read as a standalone but I always think it's best (if you can) to read a series from the start.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author Martyn Waites for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Sinner is the second book in the Tom Killgannon series by Martyn Waites and whilst it is an improvement on the first book it still falls short of what it could have been.

Killgannon is an uncover cop who is brought back from retirement for one last job but not everything is what it seems.

Parts of the book are completely unbelievable whilst other bits are well described. In addition, I wish the author wouldn't keep trying to force his political views down the reader's throat.

Overall the book was ok but I doubt I will read book 3

Sa new author for me and the second in the series, I was not sure I would enjoy this book. WOW was I wrong . A tense hard boiled prison thriller. Hard and gritty where it needed to be but also with a human element. Plenty of twists and turns which kept me guessing and tapping my kindle faster and faster. Graphic brutality that in my opinion was needed as befits the setting and plenty of heart in your moth moments. In fact I enjoyed this book so much I have downloaded the first book in this series as I am intrigued to find out how it all began. Do not worry as this book can be read as a stand alone this is just for personally. A very happy reader and almost five stars and highly recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.