An early morning rush hour in London takes a devastating turn when seven people are killed within a 29 minute period in a coordinated attack. They are all members of a team of investigative journalists.

Famie Madden is managing the desk at the news agency as the reports come in about her friends and colleagues.

As she struggles to come to terms with the events, and puzzles over the motive, she finds that she's been sent a message. Is this a hint of what else is to come, or is it a warning that she will be the next victim?

This is a stunning thriller. I was completely drawn in from the very first page and didn't want to put it down for a moment. I felt I was living Famie's experience in real time with my heart racing and trusting no one!

The pace is relentless, interrupted and exacerbated by an insight into the terrorist activity. Who will triumph? Who will succumb?

I loved it and continue to be amazed at the versatility of Simon Mayo!

The ideas for his books are brilliant and original - 'Itch', 'Blame', 'Mad Blood Rising' - and it seems he's determined not to remain in one particular genre. I thought the female characters in this book were particularly strong.

I decided to read this because of the author but wasn't expecting such a fabulous read. Gripping. Terrifying. A real rollercoaster. The story begins with knife attacks on 7 journalists from one news agency. There is no lead as to why they were targeted, but it seems they may have been working on a story that was off the radar. What is that story?Famie Madden resigns from the agency in the wake of the tragedy but vows to get to the bottom of it. Somehow she ends up being the story and right at the centre of what is going on. There was danger everywhere, lots of twists and turns and a truly terrifying finale. I hope this is made into a film. It truly blew me away. #netgalley #knifeedge

Famie Madden started her day like any other entering her office at the International Press Services in London. In 27 minutes 7 people would be murdered. Famie will find they will land very close to home. Famie will start to receive messages at the first funeral upon investigation and leaving messages in the wanted ads she connects with Hari hoping to be saved from the extremist group he had got involved with. This will lead to Famie taking family and friends on the run but they cannot outrun murder. A very exciting start to the story will leave you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately the pace is difficult to keep going until the finally at Coventry Cathedral. It was Simon Mayo’s reputation that lead me to try this book and l was not disappointed.
I was given an Arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Today is the 22nd May and seven murders have been committed in less than half an hour. Seven stabbings committed by seven attackers. Each of the victims worked as investigators at the International Press Service in London. Famie Madden sees the events unfolding live at her desk. She's hearing all seven of her colleagues are dead. In the coming weeks she attends their funerals. When she gets back to her car, there's a cryptic note left under her window wiper. She receives more messages and so does some of her colleagues. They decide to do their own investigation into the messages.

Simon Mayo is a well known British BBC radio DJ. The opening to this story is quite shocking. The pace is steady with lots going on, you just have to keep turning the pages. There's some good twists with a few edge of your seat moments. The story did dip a bit in the middle but just for a short time. The book has one of the best opening chapters that I've read. This is an addictive thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Simon Mayo for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Knife edge starts off with a definite wow with in the first few pages when seven journalists are killed in separate knife attacks, leaving Fammie and her fellow journalists reporting on their colleagues murders but what started off as exciting soon dwindled to a novel that I feel really needed more editing to keep the pace going as it lost its way the more I read, and even the ending seemed anticlimactic. Unfortunately not one of my favourite novels.

6:45 am, and a London rush hour becomes far from the typical slog when, across London, seven individuals are murdered, all stabbed, within the space of half an hour. As Famie Madden starts to collate the news reports concerning the murders, a horrifying truth hits home – they all worked for the investigative team in the news service, IPS, where she works.

As Famie and her colleagues struggle to cope with the loss of their colleagues, messages begin to appear, targeted at Famie, encouraging her to look deeper. It seems that the deaths were just the start – whatever the team were working on, it was big enough to trigger a massacre. The clock is ticking…

Well, that was interesting. I’ll be honest, I requested this one from NetGalley because of the author, Simon Mayo. British readers will know who he is, or at least should do, being a staple of Radios 1, 2 and 5 over various parts of my life. I was aware that he had written some popular YA books, I wasn’t aware that he’d already written an adult thriller, but this is a standalone, so I figured, why not? His radio shows have been a part of my life for past REDACTED years, I was looking forward to this.

You may well have seen mention of this, on UK television at least, as Mayo’s fame has meant that he’s had the chance to plug it on such literary outposts as The One Show, where the hosts could barely control their excitement when he described the basic plot. Note, there is a possibility that they were excited to hear about what a “book” is, rather than this particular one… The set-up’s interesting, but not so much it requires a change of underwear after reading it.

It’s not really my genre, as while it’s a thriller, it’s a lot closer to a tale of espionage, rather than a “is my boyfriend trying to kill me? Yes.” thriller or a “why is the serial killer leaving pictures of Timmy Mallett stapled to the foreheads of the victims?” thriller. It’s the story of Famie and her colleagues attempts to a) find the truth, b) stay alive and c) try and stop the big thing that’s coming, while d) trying to convince the not-particularly helpful and clearly understaffed police to either help or get out of their way. It’s also the story of another character, who becomes more and more involved in what is going on, but from the other side.

Admittedly, there is a twist of sorts at the end of the tale, but it baffled me a bit, mostly in deciding what the point of it was. It happens after everything has settled and didn’t really add anything for me, feeling more like a nod to the expectations of the genre, rather than something that was necessary to the narrative, unless perhaps to set up a sequel.

Also, I could have done with more an explanation of what a news agency actually does. I’ve heard of Reuters, the equivalent, presumably, of IPS, but I’ve no idea what they do. I still don’t, unfortunately…

Overall, a strong, straightforward thriller, held up by good characters, in particular the second narrator, that runs worryingly close to modern-day reality. Nice to see Coventry play a major role in things but overall, it wasn’t really my thing, but I’m glad I read it and fans of the genre will enjoy it.

Knife Edge is out today, August 20th, from Transworld Books. Many thanks to them and NetGalley for the review e-copy.

Perfect mini-series material. 4/5 stars.

Knife Edge has a great premise for a contemporary political thriller. The protagonist arrives at work one morning to find that 7 of her colleagues have been murdered and no-one in the office knows why or whether they’ll also be targetted. In fact, one of the tensest scenes in the book is early on when the main character – Famie – and two of her colleagues are using London public transport to get home and don’t know whether anyone/everyone around them might be planning to kill them.

This tension is maintained for a large part of the book using short chapters and regular shifts between the two main narrative threads which are set in London and Coventry. I did feel some sections in the middle of the book dragged a little and I found my interest waning. However, these are short lapses in pace and may even be designed to give the reader a break!

Famie is a relatable main character, even if she is rather prickly and could probably do with scaling back her alcohol consumption (although she’s under insane amounts of stress for the entire story, so I guess we should give her a break!). She’s smart, brave and determined, but thankfully she’s also not daft enough to take ludicrous risks with her own or her daughter’s life and makes sensible decisions when it really matters.

The climax of the story – which takes place at a well-known Coventry landmark – is terrific. As someone who lives down the road from Cov, I was pleased to see a thriller take a step outside London. I don’t want to say anything else related to the plot because what the heck is actually going on is revealed slowly and carefully and there is plenty to spoil through careless talk.

Overall: Knife Edge is ideal escapist, thriller fiction. An engrossing, easy-to-read, topical thriller.

Knife Edge is a rip-roaring thrill ride of topical issues, shocking twists, lightning-fast pacing and non-stop action from the outset and also manages to be terrifying and tension-filled too. It's early on an oppressively humid May morning with commuters scurrying about as the rush hour gets underway. But this morning is like no other; it's about to become bloody and brutal as seven individuals are murdered in seven separate but seemingly coordinated attacks within the short span of thirty minutes prompting concerns this was an Islamist extremist group. Famie Madden is a well-respected journalist working for a renowned media outlet known as the International Press Service (IPS) when she sets out to report on the violent and gory knifings so the story is ready to go to print a little later.

She soon comes to the shocking realisation that all seven people worked alongside her at IPS and were part of the agency's investigations team which of course cannot be a coincidence. Having been searching for an excuse to quit her job for a while, Famie resigns. She attends all seven of the funerals to pay her respects to her ex-colleagues. When she returns to her car after the service she discovers a note wedged under the windscreen wiper that features the rather ominous Bob Dylan lyric ”you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" a term known to be utilised by a far-left extremist group active in the area. But why was the note left for her, what does it mean and is she in imminent danger?

This is a riveting, exhilarating and action-packed thriller from the outset as Mayo throws you in at the deep end and doesn't waste a single word in getting to the crux of the situation; you literally cannot put this book down. The use of topical issues, principally terrorism is well thought through and feels both authentic and extensively researched. Mayo has taken care to keep his story as close to reality as possible rather than opting for idiotic and far-fetched antics. The use of the lyrics from some of the most accomplished artists both dead and alive are memorialised throughout these pages which is a nice, original touch parking back to his radio days. The conclusion blew me away and was a fitting way to end; both the beginning and end of the book are explosive. Many thanks to Transworld for an ARC.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, as well as Simon Mayo and Pigeonhole. I really enjoyed reading this book.
Journalists, police, killers with knives, it all happens in Knife Edge, the second book by Simon Mayo. A totally engrossing storyline, strong characters and dark humour, all a reader needs to be intrigued.
A terror attack, but where and why? Journalists killed by knife attacks, a small group ready and waiting to carry out a terror attack, which city, which event, why? A very interesting, thought provoking book which keeps the reader engrossed.
Highly recommended.

My review:

Knife Edge by Simon Mayo (yes, that Simon Mayo off the radio) is a thriller.  There are a number of attacks on people, which are taken to be random, until the police identify where they work - for the investigations team at a news agency.

Famie Madden is a journalist who had tried and failed to get on the investigations team, and when the deaths start piling up, she starts looking in to it when an envelope is left on her car after a funeral for one of the victims.

This is a fast paced thrilled, that will keep you turning pages to find out what happened and why, and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

 Knife Edge  is coming out on 20th August, and you can order it from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and your  local independent bookshop .

You can follow Simon Mayo on  Twitter .  

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Transworld Books .

I was really looking forward to reading this book ahead of publication because I have always been a fan of Simon Mayo when he was on Radio 2 but haven't read his previous novel.
This did not disappoint. Very well written with an original and extremely tense plot surrounding the world of journalism, politics, religious beliefs/fanaticism and ultimately terrorism.
It isn't the sort of story I would usually read. That is because it is quite gritty, violent and what I usually term an action thriller, often a genre which can appeal to male readers more than females.
The main character and 'hero' however is a female journalist Famie Madden and there are plenty of other supporting female characters which helps to break taboos about the top tough jobs only belonging to males.
I have only given this book 4 stars, not 5, purely based on personal reading preferences. I tend to read more psychological based thrillers and 'softer' reads and yet I can recognise what a well put together, exciting and engaging read this is.
You cannot escape the fact that this is a gripping novel. I read it in virtually one sitting, only stopping three quarters of the way through because I needed to sleep. This in itself suggests the book is well worth selecting as your next read! I wanted to know what would happen and there is a brilliant twist at the end.
The opening is fantastic. It really grabbed me by the throat and pulled me into the events playing out across London where 7 people die within approximately half an hour. The fact that they were all investigative journalists working at IPS (International Press Services) sets the premise for the whole novel.
There then ensues a nail biting race for a band of four on the run, Famie and her colleagues, caught up in a terrifying cat and mouse game, trying to keep themselves safe whilst trying to understand what on earth is happening and why.
Clearly based on a lot of insider knowledge of the world of journalism, this was a realistic and sadly only too real exploration of what happens when a group of people unite in their desire to destroy society through misguided and extreme political thoughts. Absolutely horrific and frightening, not knowing who can be trusted and if you will pay the price of uncovering the truth with your own life.
There was some great mystery surrounding Hari Roy, trapped and sending covert messages to be interpreted by Famie and her colleagues. I won't say anymore than that for fear of spoiling the plot.
Suffice to say, if you pick up Knife Edge, you WILL be reading on the edge of your seat, desperate to thwart the violence and rescue innocent people.
Definitely well worth reading and I predict this book will do extremely well!
Thank you to the publisher, Simon Mayo and Netgalley for the opportu

This book started with nail-biting action from the very first page, and it did not stop packing the tension until the very end!

I found that there were some very interesting perspectives covered on the topics of domestic terrorism and the role of the media in the outcomes of some events.

The characters were well-written and the protagonists likeable, and it is always refreshing for a story to uncover some selfless and unlikely heroes. I felt empathy for the characters, and was rooting for them from the off.

The ending was unexpected but fit perfectly with the twists and turns in the rest of the story.

Can't wait for another Simon Mayo thriller!

This is a cracking novel from the very talented Simon Mayo. The writing is exemplary and the background knowledge is impeccable. When seven investigative journalists are knifed to death one morning, their close friends and colleagues are afraid that they could be in the sights of the killer(s). They must work closely with the police, and individually, to work out what is behind these atrocities. Gripping and most satisfying.

This starts as the title would suggest on a ‘knife edge’, a frantic few chapters where 7 ‘random’ people are stabbed to death early one Morning in London, it turns out they are all journalists in the investigating team at a News Organisation based in Canary Wharf......we then meet Famie who works there and is covering the breaking news, Famie is the main character in the book and is, sadly, annoying as the day is long, the author states she is fierce, funny and foul mouthed, she is foul mouthed I have to agree but she is like a spoilt teenager with her attitude and it wares very thin and gets thinner as the book goes on! And that as you will know is a major problem(a main character dislike) for a readers enjoyment of a book, I felt my lip curl and body tense every time she started up!
I did finish the book and it was a pretty decent story of terrorists and plots and trying to uncover them and the ending was good but it was very mish mashed and messy tbh
The author presumes the reader knows about the inner workings of journalism and for instance no explanation of Famie’s job as a ‘slotter’ is given
This book had a great premise and a whirlwind of a start but seemed to thereafter never get back to that initial excitement and drive, saying that it did keep me reading!

4/10
2.5 Stars ( 3 on GR’s/ Amazon)

5 stars rounded down to 4.5

Knife Edge begins dramatically in London’s morning commuter rush hour with the murders of seven individuals within half an hour. The fact all seven are journalists working for the IPS (International Press Service) is worrying for Famie and her colleagues already on shift in the building. As news comes through of each death, Famie who is working slot has to keep a cool head whilst internally she is shocked at trying to process current events. Having worked all around the world she is almost immune to this kind of violence which is initially claimed as a terrorist attack. However, given that all those murdered are members of the Investigations team, alarm bells start ringing as to who is responsible for these murders and whether there are links between those responsible and the latest story the team were investigating. If this is an attack on journalists, are Famie and her colleagues in serious danger themselves??

The pace never falters as it becomes clear there is a common link between those in the investigations team and Famie herself, meaning she could be a sitting target. Deciding to quit her job and with the help of colleagues Sam, Tommi and Sophie and even her daughter Charlie, I loved how these characters are intent on sniffing out the story(like all good journalists) even though their lives are seriously under threat. It’s a complex plot line, challenging the reader to stay one step ahead, just like these fictional characters need to do but I found it so worth the effort. Taking us from London to Coventry via various cheap hotel rooms and a fair amount of alcohol and pizza consumption, I was amazed at the intricacy of this plot line. Communication from an unknown individual presumably affiliated with the enemy is obscure and to my mind unfathomable, ranging from hidden references in personal ads in a newspaper to messages written in invisible ink passed on via a third party(very Enid Blyton Secret Seven!) So intriguing and compelling to read, I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book. There’s so much tension, with Famie and co not knowing who to trust, and with the threat of another attack imminent I could hear the clock ticking loudly, my nerves shattered as it really becomes a race against time to prevent further bloodshed.

The intricate plot line explores very topical and political themes. Far left revolutionary groups, cells, radicalisation, terrorism and the violence and brutality associated with such acts are all part and parcel of this thriller which kept me thinking, kept me intrigued as well as kept me entertained.

Everything is relayed in the present day, mostly told through how it relates to Famie and her colleagues but also from the perspective of one individual associated with the unknown enemy. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the addition of this perspective adds another layer to proceedings and gives the reader valuable insight into the minds of those willing to use any means possible to further their cause. From this standpoint the narrative is hard hitting, showcasing the brutality, never sugar coating what is necessary to achieve certain aims. I felt terrified reading about what is expected of someone recruited into such a group, whose ideals are radical in the extreme and how potentially easy it could be to recruit wannabe heroes.

I liked the fact the author uses his extensive musical knowledge within the plot line in the form of communication between Famie and whoever is behind the seven murders of her journalist colleagues. I also wondered whether Famie’s musical tastes, which her friends didn’t share was a reflection of the author’s own personal taste which leads me on to Famie as a character in general.

I’m not sure in this instance whether or not I could say I liked or disliked her. Certainly I admire her as the hero of the hour. I think she’s a tough nut, hard nosed, practical,resourceful and pretty much fearless and you only really see her softer side when it comes to her interactions with daughter Charlie and colleague Sophie. Without a doubt she’s loyal and values the friendships she has with Sam and Tommi. When I was trying to visualise this woman in my mind I kept on picturing Kate Adie, highly regarded for her reporting from war zones. All in all Famie is the kind of person you’d want to turn to in a crisis with her resilience and survival instincts honed over her many years working for the IPS.

With a dramatic and nail biting finale, my heart was in my mouth not knowing the fate for Famie and co. The temptation to flick forward a few pages to either confirm or deny my worst fears was almost irresistible but I just about managed to resist the urge. A dramatic beginning and end with twists and turns sandwiched in between, I thought Knife Edge was BRILLIANT.

Although this isn’t the kind of book I’d naturally gravitate towards (I admit I was curious to discover the writing talent of this well known radio presenter simply because of his name!!) I found it to be a real page turner and an unexpected pleasure to read. Clearly well researched, well written and informative since I’m not in the least clued up about the kind of political groups portrayed here, this will appeal to any fans of thrillers that have a political edge. The only reason I’ve rounded down my rating is my intuition as to who was behind these two atrocities was confirmed and bizarrely I like to be proved wrong. Whatever is coming next Mr Mayo, you’ve earned yourself a new fan! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

This is really quite a timely novel. Right now, journalists are under attack as never before. The rise of social media, fake news and the ability to instantly trash anyone whose opinions don’t reflect your own is taking its toll on the role of a free press and those who work for it. And that in turn is having a greater impact on the physical attacks on journalists than we have ever known. So far this year 21 journalists have been killed whilst on assignment, 9 of them murdered.

Frankly, it is worrying. And if freedom of speech is under threat, believe me when I tell you that democracy goes right under thereafter.

So, when Simon Mayo writes about seven journalists being targeted and killed within minutes of each other, the really sad truth is that I could see that happening. Just consider that for a moment. Fortunately, this is fiction and rather good fiction at that.

At the centre is journalist Famie Madden. She works for a large new bureau with an international reach – The International Press Service – a kind of alternative Reuters, if you will. Famie is really good at what she does, but she is really fed up at having to do it with fewer and fewer resources. Just as newspapers these days contain much less news and are produced by a handful of journalists, so the money to use news agencies to bring in strong stories has also diminished. Restructuring and ‘downsizing’ are now annual events and Famie has had it up to here.

Then seven of her colleagues are slain in separate knife attacks in London, within minutes of each other. It’s clearly a co-ordinated attack, but why? This team were in the midst of an investigation, and as is their norm, they kept the detail of that to themselves until they were ready to write it up. So there’s nothing in the system to help point the way to why this atrocity has occurred. Terrorism seems like a probable motive, but for Famie, these are her friends and colleagues. She also fears she could be targeted. It’s too much for her to bear and she’s had enough.

But someone is out there who wants her to investigate. Someone is sending her messages she has to try and make sense of. Because these killers haven’t stopped yet.

In an intense and thrilling read, it’s fair to say Mayo ‘s writing really caught me up in the story and as we learned more about the characters, both alive and those who were murdered, the motives got muddier before clarity was bestowed. As Famie starts to follow the sparse trail left by her unknown communicator, her own life and that of her daughter is put under threat and she has to keep moving to have any chance of feeling safe. Nor can the police protect her; their advice to stay put is clearly useless once she discovers that her flat has been ransacked when she should have been at home had she followed their advice.

In the main the pace is good, though it is slow to start and dips somewhat in the middle section, but the story is compelling and the subject matter fascinating as Famie thinks her way round the various terror groups across the world.

As well as Famie’s perspective, we get another, very different view of what is going on. One that is at the heart of the group that instigated these actions. That perspective lends a really chilling element to the book and as the plot develops we are left in no doubt as to the serious intent behind the responsible individuals. The plot becomes even more tense and as the action centres on Coventry and all the principal characters take their places, the stage is set for a stunning and violent climax that carries with it some surprises.

Verdict: This is the first Simon Mayo book I have read and I thought it was both gripping and exciting as well as having that strong and chilling contemporary slant on domestic terrorism. I’d certainly read another. Recommended.

Another day, another "celebrity" book. Simon Mayo is best known as a Radio One DJ. But, before you run off screaming as you roll your eyes, wait a second. This is actually a good solid read that hits the ground running with multiple deaths in the first few pages, leading up to a rather shocking end.
We start with a bunch of coordinated attacks. Seven people targetted and brutally murdered as they set off for work across London. Journalist Famie Madden is shocked at what she sees unfolding in the IPS newsroom where she works, especially when the victims start being named. They are all part of a special investigations team working alongside her at the IPS. Somehow the news just got a whole lot personal. But why? Why were they targetted? Was it something they were working on together? Too coincidental to be random. Not when they are all part of the same team. But what they were working on was secret. They had recently gone dark. The Police lock the building down and try and protect the remaining workers. But with no clue what they are up against the investigation flounders. And then Famie gets an anonymous note...
As already mentioned, this is high octane all the way. Sadly though, it's all a bit too action packed for my personal taste and, and this is just my opinion, the whole things reads like a screenplay is in the front of the author's mind. And I do admit that, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading the main story, all the secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour, twists and turns, and everything else you would expect in a book of this genre, I did slightly gloss over some of the actiony bits to get back to the story as it unfolded. All this means is that I reckon it'd well transfer to the screen...
Pacing was a bit hit and miss along the way. The opening is so well done that the rest of the book really didn't have a chance in heck to maintain the momentum that was started, and I did find it floundering a bit in the middle. But, again that did reflect what the characters were going through at the time so, even if it was a bit up and down, it was consistent with the story. Swings and roundabouts...
The characters were adequately described and developed through the book. Being such an action packed read, the story well overshadowed the characters so they really played second fiddle and, apart from Famie, I'm having to think hard to remember anything specific about any of the others - some obvious exceptions but doing so would contain spoilers.
It's well researched, that much is obvious from some of the topical real things that are included within the story. And it's seamless where fact meets fiction.
So... in a nutshell, it started really well, fell by the wayside a bit in the middle third but recovered towards the end to deliver a few shocks and conclusions. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

havent read the first one so wasnt aware it was a series. So gonna try book one before i even think of reading this 2nd book. i just hate it when ya think ya onto a good book and its a series.

Without a doubt one of my favourite books, I loved it! Had me totally hooked within the first few lines. It was such an intense read, could not turn the pages quick enough.
Thank you so much for letting me read this amazing book, I highly recommend it, you will not be disappointed!

A well written thriller with some clever twists. I'm not sure it adds very much that is new to the genre but reading a journalist viewpoint of terrorist attacks was an interesting take.
Thank you to netgalley and random house for an advance copy of this book