Very well developed multi-layered plot with exciting and sometimes disturbing storylines.. The author works as a lawyer in Boston and I imagine has drawn inspiration from his experiences and characters he has met. I hope that he continues wrote novels after this debut, as it kept me up at night!

this book would have been quite good i think but because the words were running together i found it quite hard to read and couldnt concentrate on it

Sadly the way the review copy had formatted upon downloading meant that there were words strung together which did take away slightly some of the enjoyment of reading it. It is however, packed full of drama and excitement along the way. Well written and I look forward to picking it up in paperback to re-read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

I did enjoy this book although at times it was hard to read as words ran together without spaces and for this reason made it a longer book to get through, and became off putting. It contains quite a bit of violence, the Boston FBI and Police and rival gangs fighting to take control of Boston Harbour. Add in a gang trying to get a serial killer out of prison. I felt I was losing interest towards the end due to the poor editing. 3 stars

I loved this book. I read lots of crime thrillers and this one certainly didn't disappoint. Full of drama, thrills and excitement. I would definitely recommend this book a fabulous read.

This is not a book for the faint hearted - there is plenty of action and not a little bloody violence as different gangs fight for control over Boston harbour, while efforts are made by one party to spring a notorious serial killer from custody. Overall, though, for this reader the narrative was overly formulaic, with a much too generous sprinkling of cliches.... ‘never see another dawn’ - really! Another personal gripe would be with the overly sentimental/romantic interludes between some of the key characters that really don’t work and sit oddly within the violent narrative.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Blood in the Water’ by Jack Flynn in exchange for an honest review. Its paperback edition was published on 6 February.

This is a high action, gritty thriller set among the docklands of Boston and focuses on its underworld of mob bosses and violent gangs. Lots of graphic violence, corruption and dodgy goings on. Add to the mix a notorious serial killer, whose brother is a member of MS-13, and the FBI agent determined to see him incarcerated for his heinous crimes.

Special Agent Kit Steele’s role in the tale is complicated by her closeness to Cormack McConnell, leader of the Boston dockworkers’ union, who “knew all of the ways money could be made, both legally and not.”

My overall feeling was that there was just too much going on and after a while I felt overwhelmed by its relentless violence. Certainly there were times when I was gripped by its unfolding narrative, yet overall I just failed to meaningfully connect with its characters and various plot lines.

It’s an okay 2.5 star read for me, rounded up to 3.

I'm sorry that I'm unable to give positive feedback on this book, due to the fact that so many of the sentences ran into each other due to its being a non-proofed copy.

I am conflicted about this book. My copy was very difficult to read because of terrible editing. That said, I found it hard to put down! Whilst the plot was believable, the action became increasingly unreal. It's hard to imagine any gang taking on the FBI and local police of a major city like Boston unless they were suicidal to a man. But I liked the details of a city I have visited. The fact that I read right to the end in a couple of days despite the shortcomings testifies to the skill of the author in plot and action. I will look out for the next book by this author.

Mob bosses, gangs and dangerous men. This fast moving thriller is set in Boston’s gangland. Vincent’s Carpio is a dangerous killer and Kit Steele, Homeland Security agent is going to be the person to stop him.

A good read with plenty of action. Unfortunately my copy needs a lot of editing.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Certainly packed with action and violence, 'Blood in the Water' provides a thrilling read - at times a bit too worrying and horrific for me although I have to acknowledge that this is unfortunately reality for some. If you like your gang-war thrillers gritty, with few holds barred, then this is definitely for you.
Helping to sustain my interest, despite my niggling feelings of unease, was Flynn's portrayal of the main characters and his ability to make me empathise with them.


Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
This is a fast-paced, complex, action-packed, gritty and violent thriller.
Set around the docklands of Boston Harbour where Special Agent Kit Steele has nurtured a reciprocal arrangement for exchanging information with Cormack McConnell, who controlled the Union and every cargo movement to and from the Harbour, and knew the gangs, the drug-runners, the human trafficking which was carried-on, but over which he maintained some control. However, there's a new Asian gang intent on taking over the docks and controlling their supply of drugs, and displacing Cormack in the process.

Vincente Carpio - a depraved serial killer - has just been re-captured by Kit and she's determined that he remains behind bars. His brother Javier is a member of this new gang and he, with friends, have their own agenda quite separate from drug-running.

Kit Steele is steel by name and steel by nature - she's a tough and driven character, a widow having lost both her husband and son but who has a soft spot for Cormack - they both look out for each other. So, when Cormack's 19 year old daughter gets caught-up in the power-play - all bets are off.

This has a clever and complex plot; is very atmospheric, dark and violent in parts. A good thriller.
My only criticism would be that there were some just too-lengthy historical explanations which rather detracted from the action.

I’ve wanted to read Blood in the Water ever since I heard Jack Flynn discussing it at Bloody Scotland, so the paperback publication offered just the excuse I needed to get stuck in.

We are in ‘On the Waterfront’ territory here. Only instead of New Jersey, it is the Boston Irish dockworkers union leader Cormack McConnell and his group of corrupt racketeers who run the docks with a rod of iron. Flynn positions McConnell well, on the wrong side of the law, prepared to mete out the devastating and violent justice that his code calls for, but still stopping short of the worst crimes that people traffickers and hard drugs smugglers can and do perpetrate.

His one soft spot is his daughter, Diamond. 19 years old she has her father’s stubborn streak. McConnell is also playing a dangerous game with Homeland Security Agent, Kit Steel. Steel has her own agenda; she is entirely focussed on bringing down Vincente Carpio, the man responsible for the savage murder of her family. Steele has him in custody, but keeping him there will be a full time job. Vincente’s brother, Javier has shown up in town and that’s a big signal that something is afoot.

Cormack’s empire is under threat from the drug cartels who are planning a take over. T’phong Soh, a Malaysian member of the extremely violent M-13 drug running cartel, is intent on running the docks so that he can expand his own hard core illegal activities.

Soh has plans beyond M-13 though and he has co-opted their right hand man, Suarez to make sure he can fulfill them.

Flynn writes a fast paced, engaging and adrenaline fuelled thriller, where, whatever his flaws, you know you are rooting for McConnell to win through. With his daughter under threat and a rat in his own organisation, all the odds are against him. This will be a battle to the death.

I loved that Soh was such a fierce and menacing enemy, prepared to do whatever it takes to win his goal. And Flynn is prepared to sacrifice his characters to the story, always a class choice in a series.

Verdict: An exciting, intelligent thriller set in the frozen waters of Boston harbour. Great characters and a high octane plot make for a terrific and nail-biting read.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book

an all out action packed book right from the first chapter....brilliantly written with believable characters that once you know you can get behind them

mack runs the harbour...nothing goes in or out without his say so...and he takes a tribute as in he has a piece of the action...but everyone knows he does a good job and if he can rule the roost and keep things on an even keel then everything runs smoothly....

but theres a new gang in town and they want control of the harbour...and try to take mack out...mack also has a traitor in his mist

diamond is also macks daughter and her role is to stay alive...which is difficult when this gang target her

with killers galore in this action packed book i couldnt put it down...another author to keep an eye out for

Kit Steele the local head of the FBI in organised crime investigation has done a deal with the "devil" a union boss on the Boston Docks . Corruption ,murder ,people smuggling and drug running is the order of the day and Cormack O'Connell the union boss is at the head of it. A deal with Kit Steele keeps the natural order of things until a new threat enters in the shape of El Salvador illegals who try and take over.
A war starts that turns bloody and vicious with bodies mounting up on the waterfront during a big Boston Freeze.

A very violent book that leaves the stomach a bit of steadying.

A great read if this is the kind of book you like .

Not a bad first novel by this new author. The plot is very complex and quite hard to follow at first but when you get it it draws you in to a gripping fast paced quite violent parts of the book. I will look to read more by this author.

Gang rivalry in the docks. Some very strong characters,particularly the women. Story moved along fairly quickly with no big surprises.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It was quite brutal in parts and not for the squeamish! But that didn't detract from the plot or characters. Very pacy and extremely well written. No spoilers from me but I didn't expect the ending the author crafted. Will look forward to more by Flynn.

Really enjoyed this book and Jack Flynn is now on my ‘must read’ list!

Action packed book which will please any thriller reader.

The writing is excellent and paints a very good picture whilst reading to draw you in.