Power Play is an action packed thriller from the start to the end which keeps you hooked throughout.

Joe Dempsey takes centre stage in this story with Michael Devin having a more minor role but this does not distract from the storytelling with the scene between Bull & Meyer in the Police Station being one of the best I have read for a while.

Definitely recommended

When a plane is explodes over the Atlantic it seems a straightforward case of terrorism. They even have a confession from a baggage handler. But all is not as it appears.
I found the characters interesting and, despite the plot being quite complicated, it was a compelling read

My first read In the series by Tony Kent and a very enjoyable one at that. Fast paced action packed thriller spanning New York , London and Afghanistan.

Story revolves around a downed plane killing 500 plus passengers including a prominent presidential candidate. Seemingly it appears that this isn’t the work of terrorist but some else dark and sinister.

Barrister Michael Devlin and ISB agent Joe Dempsey are the main protagonists, more so Dempsey as he runs an op trying to find out the goings on.

It’s tense taut and powerful stuff that rumbles along at breakneck speed. Full of blackmail, espionage, betrayal, secret organisations and violence. This is a Cracker Jack and an expertly written story. Feels like a series of 24 or the like at times which is high praise from me

Highly recommended
5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is going to be one of the big hits of 2020 if you ask me. One of the paciest thrillers I've read in a while, and so topical with the current White House administration! Dempsey and Devlin are such a fab pairing and either can easily command centre stage in their own right. Highly recommended! Go back and check out the earlier ones in the series too.

An exciting conspiracy thriller starting with the destruction of a passenger plane carrying a U S presidential candidate and 500 innocent souls. It appears to be a straightforward terrorist attack especially when a man races into a London police station claiming to be responsible. The senior police officer leading the investigation has doubt when the American secret service seem overly keen on taking over the whole investigation. With the aid of a solicitor , barrister,reporter and intelligence agent Joe Dempsey the action veers from London to New York to Washington and Afghanistan with a high body count the complex plot builds and builds until it's blood soaked denouement. Recommended!

Terrific thriller - hyperbolic characters — bigger and wiser and more deft - play out fast action - the murder of a national level politician sets off the detective in the series, Michael, on a thorough search for what happened when the plane exploded - a bomb. Frantic racing across town of the rather innocent whose family had been abducted so he’d place the bomb (a baggage handler in the airport...) - the ordinary thriller features are hyper big in this effective novel - we hit all levels - from foreign persons, politicians and Sara, a newspaperwoman pushing herself hard despite a pregnancy she tends to hide ... why? Really enjoyable and I see this is a part of a series - I’ll certainly be looking for more.

I’m not usually a political thriller fan but this one was more enjoyable than I imagined! Perhaps because I haven’t read much in this genre, I found little reveals and plot points to be interesting and sometimes I wasn’t prepared for this. A good book with an interesting premise and I’ll definitely read more from this author in the future.

This novel is not my usual genre as I'm more police thrillers but it did keep me captivated as it seems to take part in UK & USA. Mainly the USA as it's a political thriller and its really about who runs the White House and what role the President plays. It started with a plane crash, was it pilot error or more sinister a terrorist attack? that is what the British need to find out, as an immigrant runs into a police station and admits to bringing down the plane, and there are some influential people that lost their lives on that flight. The British do send an inspector Bull quite high up in the chain to see if there is any truth to this chaps statement or is he just another nutcase? While interviewing the suspect the Americans send it the Secret Service "Meyer" very imposing person and that immediately get Bull's back up, as something is definitely amiss here. Quite in-depth as it went from Britain, the USA to Afganistan, so quite a merry go round before it makes sense.
I've not read any novels before from Tony Kent and he does a good job on this novel and I would like to thank Elliott & Thompson for a copy to read and review. I have given 4*'s as the story joins up quite well from the various countries but does need some concentration.

I have enjoyed the 2 earlier book in the series and this 3rd was just as enjoyable. A bit more USA based than the first 2, but with enough trans-Atlantic comings and goings to nicely link the 3 major characters. Dempsey as a character was more fleshed out this time around which is good - we like to know a little personal info about our heroes I think.

I hope Tony Kent continues to develop this series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Fast paced ,exciting and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was hooked from start to finish. Unfortunately, a President “owned” by outside forces and an aircraft being brought down is no longer far fetched. The characters were well crafted and invoked feelings of admiration for some and intense dislike for others - especially Romeo.
I will look out for Tony Kent’s previous book and anythat he writes in future. He is an author who has done his research and written a top class story.
I would like to say a big thank you to Tony Kent, Elliott and Thompson and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion.

Gripping, consuming thriller that you will be desperate to complete then be sad it is finished. If you enjoy political and spy thrillers then this is definitely a book for you.

Power Play may be the third outing for Tony Kent’s criminal barrister Michael Devlin but this was my first introduction to the series. The large cast of characters would be my only minor criticism of this amazing and somewhat topical political thriller as I often struggled to recall who was who. Set in London, New York, Afghanistan and the Oval Office the plot involves President John Knowles, several secret agents and a Syrian baggage handler at London Heathrow who admits to planting a bomb on a flight killing all the passengers including a seemingly unassailable Presidential candidate. Apart from the geopolitics and high octane twists and turns there are several human interest aspects to this novel which make the reader genuinely invest in the outcome. A great pacy read with a scary level of plausibility. Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott and Thompson for the ARC.

I hadn’t read any other Tony Kent novels and although I wish I had, I don’t think it make this book any less enjoyable or understandable.
From the outset we are thrust into a world of intrigue and the plight of asylum seekers, terrorism and back stabbing (in the literal and metaphorical sense). I love a political/spy thriller, and although this one had lots of references to various guns and weaponry and a very high body count (which I wouldn’t usually like) I loved every minute of it.
While the plot might stretch the realms of plausibility – the characters seemed believable and well rounded. I can’t wait for the next one and might even go back and read the earlier ones.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Elliott and Thompson for letting me read this great page turner.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I do love a good action thriller and let me say that this (political) thriller is an absolute cracker. Starting with an absolutely shocking act of terrorism, this is no straight forward tale of good versus evil, and there is no simple link to som fundamentalist group to explain away one of the most heinous and catastrophic acts the world has seen in some time. This is one heck of a twisted and complex tale, full of despicable characters, murderous intent and high stakes thrills. And I loved it.

While Marked for Death was most definitely all about Michael Devlin, this book is heavy on the jo Dempsey action and I don't mind admitting, I'm quite happy about that fact. Devlin does feature - he finds himself in the unenviable position of acting as QC to the man who stands accused of terrorism, a man who he happens to believe is innocent. A professional engagement that sees him once again in grave danger from a very unexpected source.

On the other side of the atlantic, Joe Dempsey is working in a special branch of the UN and finds himself mixed up in the same investigation, with potentially deadly consequences for both him and Michael. The reason - well you need to read the book to find out, but the trail leads all the way to the top and to one of the most powerful men in the world.

There is so much I want to say about this book, but I can't. To say it gives away far too much about the plot and the twists and turns that our two favourite heroes go on. What I will say is that Tony Kent has once again managed to pull together a story which completely drew me in from the start, One that had me on the edge of my seat, in shock at times and in anticipation in others, waiting for Dempsey and Devlin to give the bad guys the beating they so rightly deserved.

Don't get me wrong - they are not superman, either of them. They do fall prey to the people targeting them, in very different ways, but ones which affect them no less. But there is still that moment of satisfaction if, and when, the pair manage to get the upper hand. And oh my life ... the action. Heart stopping stuff. This is a political thriller which has everything. Corruption, alleged war crimes, terrorism and full on gun toting action. It all combined to make a story which is compelling, tense and as pacy as you could ask for.

With a storyline which feels scarily possible, if not just a little too close for comfort, it is up to the readers to go on the journey with Dempsey as he strives to find out just who is the puppet and who is the man, or woman, pulling the strings in this dark and twisted storyline. With characters that you can root for, including the newcomer Agent Eden Grace, and other characters who will make your skin crawl and get your back up, as well as make you laugh a little at their completely arrogance laced ineptitude, this book was just what I needed to get my reading mojo pumping. It was bloody brilliant.

If you like a strong political thriller, full of corruption, action and heart, then this is definitely one for you. I love the characters of Devlin and Dempsey. Can't wait to see what Tony Kent provides for us all next.

Power Play is The third book in the Killer intent series from Tony Kent featuring the same characters of the previous two books.
When a plane explodes over the Atlantic Ocean, killing hundreds of passengers, including controversial US presidential candidate Dale Victor, it seems a clear-cut case of terrorism, If only everything was that cut and dry however as expected with a Kent book things are not always as they seem.

Kent weaves an outstanding political thriller here with many twist and turns and keeps you guessing right up to the very end.

This being the third installment I'm happy to report that you don't need to have read what has gone before to enjoy Power Play this is an outstanding read and a return to form from Kent I have been a fan of both books but felt Marked For Death was good if a little underwhelming.
The writing is excellent and the plot is superb all the characters are really fleshed out and I enjoyed spending My time with them it was especially good to see Agent Joe Dempsey take a more central role in this book.
Kent really gets your brain matter working here as you consistently question who are the good guys.
Barrister Devlin along with Sarah, his fiancé take a back seat this time round but when they do appear it is meaningful and relevant and moves the story on.
one scene with Devlin in London is incredibly tense that My heart rate went through the roof and I started sweating as if I was running for My life well done Mr Kent super stuff incredibly gripping.

This is a very clever pacy political thriller and quite possibly one of the reads of 2020.

Well worth your time and hard-earned cash.

I like to thank Netgalley the Author and the publisher for the ARC.

Tony Kent's latest addition to his criminal barrister, Michael Devlin series, is an exciting, fast paced geopolitical conspiracy thriller that grips from beginning to end. It all begins with an explosion on a plane flying across the Atlantic, killing all 534 passengers on board, including the popular presidential candidate, the charismatic Dale Victor. In London, Syrian baggage handler, Nizar Mansour, arrives out of breath into a police station, confessing to putting the bomb on the plane. Black DCI Bruce Bull, the most experienced officer in counter-terrorism command knows he has a short window of time to interview Nizar before the Americans arrive and take over the investigation. He immediately feels something is terribly wrong, Nizar does not fit the terrorist profile, he can feel his terror, but the man is reluctant to talk.

Matters escalate with the arrival of the unbelievably arrogant and obnoxious American secret agent, Romeo Meyer, whose presence triggers a hyper terrified reaction in Nizar. Bull immediately intuits that Nizar knows Romeo, but how? Bull ensures that Nizar is legally represented by the tough Glasgow solicitor, Will Duffy, and the criminal barrister, Michael Devlin, both men, he deems, who can handle themselves when it comes to the pressures, threats and dangers that are certain to come their way. In New York, Joe Dempsey is a agent working for the International Security Bureau, a multinational UN intelligence agency, headed by Elizabeth Kirk. Kirk has suspicions that the bombing of the plane may be linked to the White House, and tasks Dempsey to investigate, but can Dempsey, joined by FBI Special Agent Eden Grace, survive the attempts to kill him as he travels to find answers in Tookai, Afghanistan?

Kent's intricate and complex plotting sets the action in London, New York and Afghanistan, there are ruthless forces who think nothing of killing huge numbers of people anywhere and engaging in deception and fraud. Michael Devlin is a traumatised man who has endured losses that he can barely live with, he cannot afford to lose his partner, top journalist Sarah Truman, but once again danger hones in on him. Joe Dempsey refuses to be cowed by the forces arraigned against him, he will do whatever is necessary to get to truth, even if he dies in the process. This is a tense and entertaining thriller from an author who certainly knows how to expertly ramp up the suspense and twists in this addition to the great series. Many thanks to Elliot and Thompson for an ARC.

At first I thought this story was about the power of a trusted, unelected political adviser (in the UK think Dominic Cummins influence over Boris Johnson). In this case, it’s an adviser to the US President apparently using the excuse of presidential deniability to take actions unilaterally. That would have been a credible and potentially interesting story. Unfortunately, what gradually emerges is a convoluted plot involving a powerful, elite group who are controlling the president and his decisions via a contrived blackmail concerning his military past. The plot is unnecessarily complicated and totally incredible. So, having enjoyed the first 70% of the book, I gradually lost interest and couldn’t wait to finish it.

Fantastic book. Fasy paced eith a great mix of politics, action and intrigue, with a bit of romance thrown on for good measure. The characters are 3 dimensional and make you want to follow their story. Difficult book to put down as you just want to know what happens next.

Found this book to be the type that it is difficult to put down. Although there was a good start and then a slightly slower second section the pace then began to pick up again and kept going. The narrative and writing style is one that I like and find easy to enjoy and the premise of a past error by the most influential person having to be covered up by any means is only just in the realms of a conspiracy theory and very understandable (unfortunately) in the current world.
There are enough details to make the premise believable and one that makes the reader want to know what is going to happen next!
A good read!

This was a very good story. When you come across a concept like this you wonder if it could really happen. I think it probably could which is a terrifying thought.. There was high tension all the way through, with some excellent characters and a believable storyline. I couldn't put it down until the end.