What a great book I couldn’t put it down. From the first paragraph I knew I was going to enjoy this adventure , lots of twists and turns with Mallory plotting his way through trouble and a large part of France and Switzerland. Excellent going to buy the first book and look forward to the next in this series.

Mallory #2

This all action thriller starts with a deadly ‘game’ featuring Nicolas Devereaux in Switzerland and then switches to a more tranquil setting in Normandy. Unless that is, Mallory is about and that being the case trouble seems to effortlessly find him. His encounter with local ‘voyou’ does lead him to Serge, an elderly authoritative gentleman. A conversation ensues accompanied by some tasty local vin rouge and it transpires that Serge has concerns about his granddaughter Océane who he hasn’t heard from for some weeks. Océane is linked in some potentially dangerous way to Nicolas. Mallory off, can’t resist the temptation to know and sets of to Paris to see if he can track her down and check she is safe. Inevitably, trouble finds him not only in Paris but also in Marseille and Switzerland in this never a dull moment thriller.

First of all, Mallory. Ant Middleton has certainly created an intriguing lone wolf and his own special forces background gives his character authenticity. He’s audacious, brave, rarely steps down, he’s foolhardy but his intentions are good even if it frequently has a violent outcome. I really like Océane too, she’s strong and plucky and it would be great if she features again.

The plot is an intriguing, exciting puzzle, it’s told at a brisk pace and it’s always in flux so it keeps you gripped to the pages. Mallory encounters wealthy powerful people in this instalment and they have connections to organised crime. Mallory’s interference with the nefarious plans afoot make him about as welcome as Typhoid Mary and he feels the ‘warmth (not) of their embrace’!! It’s full of tension and suspense and takes us in a violent and adrenaline fuelled ride which builds exponentially to a dramatic end. Yes it’s OTT and Mallory is clearly made of titanium but it’s highly entertaining and I definitely enjoy it. It’s a very visual thriller and would make as entertaining a movie as it does a book.

I’m looking forward to number three when perhaps the cliffhanger at the end of book one may resume?? Finally, it’s not at all necessary to have read Book One as this can very easily be read as a stand-alone.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Post to GR and Twitter on 10/11/22
Post to Amazon and Waterstones on 24/11/22

Ant Middleton writes a fantastic action novel, blending imagination and life’s experiences to deliver a book the the reader wants to read in as short a time as possible, but then regrets doing so because it has ended.

He creates interesting characters and inventive ways for them to get into mischief, but always in a believable manner.

A really enjoyable book.