A brilliant fast-paced conspiracy thriller. A terrorist plot involving an Atlantic flight exploding mid-air kills a U.S. candidate and it's aftermath. An enjoyable read that will keep you turning the pages to the exciting finale.

Another scarily plausible storyline from Tony Kent, and I am no conspiracy-theorist! His third book is a high-octane thriller, twisting and turning many times.

His characterisation, their back stories, and how Tony weaves them into his storyline is superbly done. The action is also fast and furious and the final denouement superb.

I am a massive Tony Kent fan, and loved this book

Tony Kent’s novel certainly doesn’t do things by halves, with a plot that has the last six decades of the US presidency essentially controlled by a mysterious ‘organisation’. Fortunately, Agent Dempsey of the UN security agency, ISB, is on hand to attempt to sort matters out. So, if you like fast-paced action, plenty of hardcore violence and are not too troubled by a plot that requires the reader to suspend a hefty dose of disbelief this could be the book for you. To be fair, it’s a real page turner if that formula works for you and don’t mind the lead character having almost superhero characteristics, laying waste to large numbers of the bad guys. It’s really not great literature, but it has its place and entertained this reader for a couple of evenings.

Wow, I'm exhausted after this read!! So much action and such a brilliant story. I feel like I need a martini....shaken not stirred!

"Absolute power is possible if you are willing to do what you must to take it. And what you must to keep it......if you take the White House, you take the world."

And that is what this book is about. It's about power and the abuse of it. About the corrupt and the incorruptible. It's about how far people will go to protect what and who they believe in.

There are so many facets to this book. Its a brilliant and well-rounded story with many stand out characters. I loved every moment and I'm so sorry that the story had to end. I'm definitely reading more from this author. He is up there with the best.

Thank you to Netgalley and Elliot & Thomson for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Power Play is the third book in this series by Tony Kent. It's a very fast paced thriller involving spies, lawyers and politicians, and they're not happy bed fellows.
In Power Play our main protagonists, Joe Dempsey, Michael Devlin and Sarah Truman are involved in investigating a terrorist plot which goes all the way to the White House. A plane is brought down over the Atlantic, killing all on board including a controversial Presidential candidate who only days before stated he had a secret which could bring down the sitting President. Was it coincidence or was he the target? And if he was, what sort of mind kills over 500 people to get at one man.
Very quickly the bomber confesses to police but he's not acting like your "usual" bomber and this makes DCI Bruce Bull very suspicious that his confession is not what it seems. He contacts a solicitor he trusts and Will Duffy in turn contacts Devlin.
As I previously said, it's fast paced, all taking place over a few days. We have politicians, Secret Service agents and retired spies but who are the good guys?
I really like the characters developed by Kent, we already knew the main three from the previous books but DCI Bull brings a bit of old fashioned policing to the story as well, his gut tells him there's a lot more going on here and he kicks off the series of events to come by going against what most cops would do and working alongside the defence team, though very much in secret. We're taken from the back streets of London, through the Oval Office to a village in Afghanistan in what I can only describe as a twisty, complex thriller which hooks you from the very beginning to the last page, where you're never sure exactly who is going to come out on top and who really should either.
Although this is book three in the series, it reads very well as a standalone, I had read Killer Intent, book one but not Marked for Death, book two, and it wasn't an issue. Though I am going to read that next, after all Kent has written them as a series, so I should really have read them that way.
An easy 5 stars from me, I'd highly recommend Power Play.

A great political thriller that is a pleasure to read. There is complex plotting and entertaining characters.
I had not read the previous two books and this did not detract from the story.
This book is highly recommended.

This is the first Tony Kent book I’ve read and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a fast paced political thriller with a large cast of characters. Unlike some thrillers which seem a bit lacking in depth this has a good plot and the main characters all have a backstory that gets touched on throughout the book. Definitely worth a read - it’s a better standard of thriller than most.

This book took me a few days to ‘get into’, lots of ‘immediate’ characters and whether its a consequence of the world situation at the moment ( easy for the mind to wander ) am unsure but took me forever to remember who was who and who worked for which organisation and who was good or bad but as I say there is a LOT of folk to quickly be accustomed to, and I didnt 😃

(This was a surprise as the first chapter setting the premise of the book was literally dynamite!)

However once I worked out who was doing what the story flowed quite well and had excitement as well as intrigue

A plane is blown up, a contender for President is onboard and a ‘Muslim Terrorist’ races into a Police Station to confess he planted the bomb! all seems an open and shut case, it’s not of course and what unfurls is a look into the Secret Service and the Current President and just who really owns and runs the Oval office and what they have done and why

With all good stories like this there is a rogue this and a rogue that, 1 or 2
Undercover Men In Black and plenty of tables turned all headed up by 1 man ( in this case Dempsey ) who ‘wont rest’ until the truth is out

The last quarter of the book is fast paced and the conclusion will satisfy any lovers of this kind of thriller

The characters ranged from painfully wooden to likeable hero and the writing once I got to grips with the story was fine

Maybe more me than the book itself but I just kinda enjoyed it, no more, no less but would read more from this author

6/10
3 Stars

Great political thriller. Starts of with the details, and a lot of names I didn't think I was going to manage to keep up but this was just to set the scene before the action started, then there was no time for details, boom boom boom action packed excitement. Good cast, good plot and great writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for the ARC.

This was a book of amazing quality. I was hooked so to speak and determined to read as quick as possible it was that addictive. From its explosive beginning to its satisfying ending it kept up an amazing journey .fast an furious were words that came to mind . As we travel. To unravel who is behind the bringing down of the plane full of passengers we find out truths that people will kill to keep secret. Truths best left hidden but nothing can hide forever as the men struggling to get to the crux of the matter soon discover. It’s tense, edgey and high octane as it gathers momentum to its brilliantly twisty ending

I have only awarded 5 stars a handful of times and this is one of them. It is a books that panders to all my needs - action, thrills, political intrigue and requires your non stop attention. Jack Dempsey is an agent who is tasked with one of the most sensitive investigations possible, is the sitting President of USA corrupted? The author tells a great story of how the American dream can also be a horror story. Located in US, UK and Afghanistan, page after page you are drawn into the book and don't want to put it down. With "special services" action combined with corrupt political power is one of my favourite combinations. An excellent novel and will be seeking out other Tony Kent books.

Well firstly I was new to this series, not having read the earlier two books. In hindsight I think this left me a little confused as from the start lots of characters were introduced and I wasn't really clear who the main character was as several threads are being followed. Had I previously read the earlier books perhaps this wouldn't have been a 'problem'. However, clarity rises to the surface and this bubbles along at Hollywood-blockbuster speed. I can really imagine this being turned into a film quite easily (although would be a lot to fit into one film!).

Just going along with the story without over-analysing it was really rewarding. Like I said - perfect Hollywood film material.

You've got politics, terrorism, gun battles galore, spying etc all set across a variety of countries. All you could wish for!

5 stars from me.

Thank you very much for the preview copy.

Wow! What a rollercoaster of a story this is. It grabs the attention from the first page, with an imminent catastrophic explosion on a Transatlantic flight, carrying the man who is expected to become the next President of USA, and taking him and his entourage, and five hundred people to their deaths.
The race is on to find out why, and who is responsible. The pace is relentless as we meet Agent Joe Dempsey, a Brit working for ISB in the United States. He is the man tasked by his masters to investigate the crash, as it is clear that it was a deliberate act. The narrative races along as Joe Dempsey and his team begin to unravel a plot of massive proportions, going all the way to the top, to President John Knowles in the White House.
The action swings between USA and London, New York and Afghanistan and introduces a number of players, all strongly portrayed. The characterisation is faultless, and although there are new people introduced as the story progresses, there are never so many that the reader becomes confused. I liked that even the ‘side’ players were well portrayed in the story.
The tension ramps up and never lets go. I found myself reading long into the night as the plot’s twists and turns kept me gripped.
This is book three in a series, but it is an excellent stand-alone story without having read the previous books.
An intelligent crime thriller with an all too plausible plot, I enjoyed this book immensely and I am relishing reading the first two books in the series. I would recommend this to any reader who appreciates a good yarn, this is storytelling at its best.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title, and for introducing me to this author’s work. I have just purchased Book One in this series!

Power play is a fast paced thriller by Tony Kent. I’m surprised that I have not come across this author before. He really can write a book that packs a punch and leaves you wanting to read more of his books.
The author is very knowledgeable on criminal matters. This books certainly covers most bases.
If you want a good book for lockdown then look no further
#powerplay #tonykent #netgalley

The perfect book for lockdown...or a period when you don't have to leave the house for an extended time!
Tony Kent has once more delivered with a fast paced thriller that keeps you turning pages until you've finished. A great read!

Power Play by Tony Kent is a very readable thriller.

An aircraft is blown up halfway across the Atlantic, one of the passengers is the leading candidate in the forthcoming US Presidential election. The baggage handler, a Syrian refugee, who placed the bomb confesses but rapidly questions arise as to whether he is a terrorist or a stooge.

It soon becomes evident that forces close to the current President are trying to shut down the legal team defending the baggage handler and the intelligence agency that starts to investigate.

This a fast paced but really rather preposterous page turner. At the end my reaction was – “really?”. I can imagine this being script fodder for the production machines of Amazon or Netflix but as a read it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Wow! What a ride this book is! Power Play by Tony Kent is the 3rd book in the series but is easy enough to read as a standalone. It's a political thriller packed with action, intrigue and even a hint of romance! Set in The USA and the UK, a jumbo jet with over 500 passengers,and a possible U.S presidential candidate, explodes over the Atlantic with no survivors. Terrorism is a clear cut reason according to the majority, although Michael Devlin a criminal barrister will soon find out different. I have not read any of Tony's books previously so this was my first introduction to Devlin and Joe Dempsey, ex military and now working for The International Security Bureau which is the special intelligence division of the UN Security Council, is tasked with investigating the possibility that the plane crash was a targeted attack to take down the presidential candidate.

It's an action packed and I read the book in no time, the story kept me on a hook constantly wanting to know more. The search for the truth was intense and gritty! The characters are well developed and I lived learning about them to the point of needing to read the first two, if only to get to know more about Dempsey and Devlin! A legal, political and crime thriller all rolled into one
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and to Anne Cater of Random Things for allowing me to join in this blog tour, I loved the book!

Power Play by Tony Kent

A Boeing 747 blows up on its way from London to the US. Over 500 people are killed instantly in this horrendous act of terror. But then it is reported that the controversial and popular US presidential candidate Dale Victor was aboard the plane. Elizabeth Kirk, director of the International Security Bureau based in New York, is immediately suspicious. Victor had threatened in his most recent speech that he knew something about the incumbent President Knowles that, if widely known, would destroy the President’s high popularity rating and his whole career. Kirk knows what the secret is and she suspects the worse – that the plane might have been brought down by an agency far closer to home than a Middle Eastern terrorist group. She calls in one of her agents, Joe Dempsey, and sets him off on a trail of clues that will lead him to the very heart of the American government. The journey will be lethal.

Meanwhile, the British police believe they have the man responsible for planting the bomb but the officer in charge isn’t so sure. Michael Devlin is given the job of defending Nizar Mansour but that’s if the case even gets to court. Somebody wants Mansour dead at all costs, and not just him, but everyone associated with him, including Michael. There is no-one to trust, only his friend Dempsey in the US and Dempsey has a deadly fight of his own on his hands.

Power Play is the third thriller by Tony Kent to feature three fantastic characters – Joe Dempsey, Michael Devlin and journalist Sarah Truman. Each novel features all three but with a different focus. In Power Play the spotlight is on Joe Dempsey as he takes on the American secret service. But we also spend plenty of time with Michael and Sarah as they try and uncover the truth behind Mansour’s story. This also gives us the welcome distraction of the relationship between Michael and Sarah, which is now becoming very serious in such a good way. But some of the most tense moments of the novel come when Michael realises that his own life is in danger as well, plus the scenes when we spend time with Mansour. The contrast between the danger on the London streets and the political turmoil that Dempsey uncovers in the US is really well done. Both are appealing while being very different.

The story is great and it thrills on so many levels. The concept is staggering and Power Play more than lives up to its premise. It’s full of surprises and shocks and is immensely sinister at times. I really enjoy political thrillers and this is one of the best ones I’ve read. This isn’t just because Tony Kent writes so well – and he writes really well! – but because I feel thoroughly engaged with these characters. It’s good to spend more time with Joe Dempsey. He can be difficult to know but now we’re given bigger glimpses into his private life, his home and his past. He’s an interesting man.

Tony Kent is a brilliant thriller writer, as we’ve seen in Killer Intent and Marked for Death. Each of the books stand alone, despite the developing relationships in them, so you could definitely enjoy Power Play without having read the others but each of these books is such a treat for thriller fans. They are packed with action! The stories are fabulous. There is so much going on and each book is made all the more rich by the fact that it divides between our three characters. I’ve been having some trouble settling with books due to the situation we’re all facing but Power Play was the perfect reading choice for me. It is extremely difficult to put down and it is immensely rewarding. I’m being strict with my rewards of five stars this year but Power Play deserves every one of them.

Other reviews
Killer Intent
Marked for Death

ony Kent gives Power Play an explosive start (quite literally) which commands your immediate attention. He then spends the next 480 pages treating the reader to one of the best action adventure/political thrillers I have ever encountered. At a time I have been struggling to read and concentrate on any one title, Power Play arrived and nothing else has had a look in.

There is a large cast of characters so my normal approach of summarizing the story is not really an option – this is a story which is supported by the players. It is not easy to single out one or two names and try to explain their role as that only touches on small elements of a big adventure. Power Play is very much that, persons unknown have a vested interest in ensuring one narrative is kept secret. There is a second series of events which the opposing faction would like to know about but at the start of the book they don’t even know there is a secret to uncover. Watching two powerful forces trying to outmaneuver each other and gain control is wonderfully entertaining and Tony Kent pitches it perfectly.

The early chapters had me thinking “Hollywood Blockbuster”. The aforementioned explosive start, followed by an intense life-or-death chase scene. A covert special ops teams taking out a house full of bad guys and American agents conducting unauthorized activities on the streets of London. It was a reading rollercoaster with twists, turns and the story shooting me off in unexpected directions. The action was taking place in the US, in the UK and there was the real feeling this was going to be a “big” story – with The White House on the cover the suggestion is that we are looking at incidents which will have a global impact.

Soon I am thinking “not Hollywood” as a big blockbuster film would need to lose so much of the detail which makes Power Play so damned unputdownable. This is a grand story in terms of players and characters with key roles to play who drive the action and suspense. Power Play needs to be dramatized for television and played out over a number of episodes. This would allow the layers of intrigue Kent has built into the story to be given the chance to establish before Joe Dempsey (Intelligence agent) or Michael Devlin (barrister) can begin to unpick the lies behind the “official” sequence of events.

So many elements of the book just cannot be discussed as they would leave clues and spoilers. Frustrating from a review viewpoint as I’d love to champion some of my favourite elements. Suffice to say the author keeps a fast pace story zipping along by excellent use of tight and punchy chapters, numerous character viewpoints to keep events moving and the constant threat of discovery or exposure keeps the villains of the piece edgy and dangerous whilst keeping our heroes in regular peril (even if they don’t know it).

Power Play should appeal to fans of action thrillers and espionage thrillers. Although I mooted Hollywood adaptation or Television Dramatization for Power Play there is one golden rule which should be remembered…the book is ALWAYS better. This book needs to be read, you need Power Play in your life – you will not be disappointed.

I found this tale quite disjointed at the beginning, although it was interesting to know who was responsible for a plane being blown out of the sky from the start! The threads soon became clearer and, although there were numerous dead bodies throughout the book, more than I care for, it was quite a compulsive read. There was a definite divide between the good guys and the bad guys! As would be expected of a political thriller, much information was swept under the carpet at the end.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Tony Kent/Elliott and Thompson for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.