Former U.S. Army interpreter Arman Bajalan finds a body on the beach one morning, in Norfolk, Virginia, shortly after completing his pre-work swim. These days, Arman is employed completing menial tasks at a motel situated close to the beach. We’re to learn more about how he came to migrate to America and what became of his family too, but for now he finds himself answering questions posed by the investigating officer, Detective Catherine Wheel, and hoping that this delay to the start of his working day won’t cost him his job.

It seems that Arman had seen a couple of men leaving the beach and had even picked up a phrase one of the men had uttered to his companion. This small piece of information would allow Wheel and her partner, Lamar Adams, who’d himself briefly seen military action in Iraq, to begin to unpick a complex series of events leading to the murder of this man. A number of people we’ve met in the early pages of this book will be impacted, and in ways we couldn’t have anticipated.

The story unfolds steadily, but with sudden and unexpected events punctuating the narrative. It’s possible that a private military company who are attempting to secure government funding are somehow implicated, but if so it’s not clear how. In fact, whenever I started to think I had a handle on things something would happen that would startle me, throwing me off track. All of the main characters are well drawn and believable, their discourse often punchy and always convincing. Overall, a complicated tale is delivered in a manner that is both intriguing and engaging.

A minor grumble I have is that there are an awful lot of unexplained acronyms here, though this didn’t significantly detract from my enjoyment of this tale. A standard police procedural this is not - it’s crime fiction, but with something of a twist. An enjoyable read from an author new to me.

An excellent thriller I couldn't stop read. Gripping, twisty and surprising.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

WARNING: get ready to board the unpopular opinion train again!!

Right... I didn't expect this to happen to be honest. On paper, A Line In The Sand seemed to be a perfect fit for me. I always love a good detective/crime thriller, and an international angle is always a bonus. There was just something about the blurb that sounded fascinating, and I was looking forward to what seemed like an exhilarating and action-packed read. Imagine my surprise when I ended up making the difficult decision to DNF for the sixth time this year instead... Oh yes, it's easy to say that this book and me didn't get along.

I know that my reading mood has been particularly fickle lately, but I don't think that is the main issue here. I mean, this is basically one of my favorite genres, and I do like my thrillers on the dark and action-packed side... Like I said, A Line In The Sand should have been a perfect match, but somehow a match made in heaven quickly turned out to be a match from hell. This has nothing to do with the premise itself, and everything with how the story was executed... I'm having a hard time pinpointing the exact problem, but it had a lot to do with the plot structure, overdose of characters and writing style itself.

A Line In The Sand uses a multiple POV structure; while I like having a variety of POVs, in this case there are SO many different POVs and characters that I struggled to keep them apart. Add the fact that there is no real development for most of them, and it was a true chore to try and keep track of everybody and figure how they relate to the rest of the story. There are quite a few cliches involved as well, and the whole 'all-good' or 'all-bad' stereotype seem to be applying to all of them. It's such a shame, because a smaller and more developed cast could have highly improved this story.

My main issue was probably with the writing style itself though. I can't put my finger exactly on the why, but there was just something about the writing style and tone that I found extremely off putting. It felt like the story was trying too hard, and the dialogues were simply cringeworthy. I simply couldn't stay focused on what was happening, and I caught myself starting to skimread time after time after time... Never a good sign of course. Add in the fact that the plot started to sound more and more over the top, and I was just not ready to keep suspending my belief and torture myself with a prose that was just about as fun to read as a trip to the dentist. After that ridiculous scene in the motel, I decided to just throw in the towel and save myself the trouble... Especially since I've seen in other reviews that things only get more over the top.

I do have to say that know that I'm in the minority, because most people do seem to love this book... But I can definitely say now that there is just something about Kevin Power's writing style that simply isn't for me. It's a true shame, because the premise of A Line In The Sand did sound right up my alley.

A very well written, fast paced and highly enjoyable thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you wanting to move on to the next page.

Great pacy thriller, not necessarily one I’d have picked up so thanks for pushing it my way. interesting set of central characters, all with their own set of problems in their past, and an enjoyably twisty tale of international corruption and cover up. Somewhat morally ambiguous denouement, which was enjoyable. Does it all stack up if you think about some of the events for too long? Probably not, but suspend disbelief and this is a great holiday read.

Fast-paced police story. Arman, an Afghan immigrant finds a dead body on the beach. Detective Catherine Wheel gets the case which turns out to involve military history, corruption, and tragedy. At the same time, Sally, an alcoholic journalist is looking into a suspect organisation about to sign a huge government contract. The plot is really interesting, the characters are great, and there are a lot of shocks and surprises. Highly recommended.

Tricky story as the bodies mount up and the pressure to halt the killings mounts. As the players race against time to get to the truth, this is a fast-paced story where the long tentacles of war reach into every corner.

A complex, multi layered thriller which I found impossible to put down. A busy read as there are so many characters, packed to the rafters with tension and suspense and action. Original , heart pounding . Full of misdirection. I devoured this book in one sitting and finally turned the last page at 1am. Yes this book is that good. Highly, highly recommended

What a great book this was to read. Starts off with 3 individual storylines that reel you in enought to want to keep reading. Eventually they join together to form one main storyline which really hooks you in so much that I couldn't put the book down... the sign of a good book for me! Highly recommended!!

A cross between a police procedural murder and an international conspiracy, which actually works very well. The main characters are well defined and credible, which is good because there are a lot of characters in this story. Some of the colloquialisms and reliance on the reader understanding police codes and army anachronisms passed me by but I feel I got the gist of what was happening. I read this book over 2 days so could keep track of the action and the various characters, but I don’t think I would have had such clarity if the book was read over a longer period.

Thank you to the publisher for the invite to read this eARC.

This is a very, VERY good and absorbing read that I have got through in just over one day. It is one of those reads where I was eager to know more and what would happen next. A Line in the Sand is a police procedural and political thriller and in my opinion the two come together well here. I really like the authors writing style, it is very descriptive which suited the story and I was drawn into it right from the start. Kevin Powers has created four main characters that I really liked, could connect with and was rooting for them throughout - for me they vividly jumped from the pages and into my mind. And then there are certain characters I hated and loathed. The story flows effortlessly and has a plot line that is current, realistic and believable. There are so many threads which piqued and grabbed my attention and interest and didn't let go until the last page. The lies, deceit, subterfuge, tension and thrills make this such a compelling read at times. This is my first read by this author and I'll definitely like to read more from him. If you like political thrillers with a police investigation element I think you'll enjoy this and would recommend it.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comment

Kevin Powers writes a nail biting and action packed blend of police procedural and political thriller that explores the nature of war, the blurring of lines with the deployment of private military contractors, the losers, the losses and asks who are the winners in the blood soaked arena of war. Ex-Iraqi interpreter, Arman Bajalan works at the Sea Breeze Motel in Norfolk, Virginia. After witnessing a horrific event in Iraq, Arman ends up surviving an assassination attempt in which his wife and son are killed. Drowning in grief and loneliness, he is a walking ghost, who after a swim one morning stumbles across a dead body on the beach that is to bring the haunting terrors of his past crashing back into his life.

Experienced NPD detective Catherine Wheel and partner, Lamar Adams, are in charge of a murder investigation that is more dangerous than they could have possibly imagined, as they become privy to national secrets, a case that leads to a rising number of deaths, bringing betrayal, sorrow and grief. The victim is exceptionally hard to identify, and in possession of a laptap with the kind of security associated with governments and powerful multinational corporations. What becomes transparently clear is that Arman needs protection with his life in danger. Sally Ewell, a local journalist, has turned to the demon drink to handle the loss of her beloved brother. She receives a note from an anonymous source asking to meet at Union Station, along with a thumb drive. Sally has been looking into Decision Tree International, a military contractor with local expansion plans, and on the cusp of landing a huge lucrative government contract.

Catherine, along with Lamar, finds herself determined to do whatever it takes to protect Arman who she feels has suffered more than enough, a goal to which Sally is committed to too, but what will it cost them? This is a cracking, multilayered, complex and edgy read that held my attention from beginning to end, with a wide ranging cast of characters, from the good to the truly villainous. Catherine's career is under serious threat, but this does not stop her, given the challenges she faces, she is willing to tread a surprisingly unorthodox path to ensure some measure of justice prevails. A totally gripping and brilliant thriller that I recommend highly! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I was invited to read this by the publisher and I’m so glad I was as I doubt it would have come to my attention otherwise. An excellent well plotted, well paced thriller. I read this in one sitting I was so invested in finding out what happened.

It’s 2009, and on a Norfolk beach in Virginia, Arman Bajalan is taking his regular early morning swim, but this won’t be like any other day, because Arman comes across the dead body of a man.

Arman has seen many dead bodies, his own wife and son among them. He was an Iraqi interpreter with the US forces. He survived the assassination attempt that killed his loved ones but he’s lonely here, thousands of miles from the place he called home.

This body is only the first, and it becomes clear that, not only was Arman meant to find this body, but that he’s also a target. He has information that someone wants desperately and they’ll stop at nothing to get it. While ever he’s alive, he’s a danger to someone very important.

Detective Catherine Wheel and her partner have little to go on, except a bus ticket in the deceased’s pocket. This leads them to journalist Sally Ewel who has reason to be just as traumatised as Arman by the Iraq War. She’s currently investigating a criminal corporation which is about to land a multi billion dollar government defence contract.

This was a well plotted and gripping thriller, part police procedural and part political conspiracy. It was fast paced and full of tension. The characters ( some of them decidedly evil) were all believable, frighteningly so, and I enjoyed it immensely.

One morning on a Norfolk beach in Virginia, a dead body is discovered by a man taking his daily swim - Arman Bajalan, formerly an interpreter in Iraq. After narrowly surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife and child, Arman has been given lonely sanctuary in the US as a maintenance worker at the Sea Breeze Motel. Now, convinced the body is connected to his past, he knows he's still not safe. Seasoned Detective Catherine Wheel and her newly minted partner have little to go on beyond a bus ticket in the dead man's pocket. It leads them to Sally Ewell, a local journalist as grief stricken as Arman is by the Iraq war, who is investigating a corporation on the cusp of landing a multi-billion-dollor government defense contract.

With complex and flawed characters, descriptions clearly expressed, and a great plotline, make this book a compelling read. I was quickly pulled into this book, and I did not put it down again until I was finished. I found myself holding my breath on several occasions in this action packed read. I'm not really a fan of these types of storylines, but there was something intriguing about the premise. There are quite a few threads to follow in this good blend of police procedural and middle eastern conspiracy. The ending was kind of left open - does this mean there will be a sequel? Oh, I do hope so.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #HodderStoughton and the author #KevinPowers for my ARC of #ALineInTheSand in exchange for an honest review.

A really compelling read, which hooked me in from the start, telling a story all too believable. It’s a page turner, with some complex story lines, you never know who to trust and obviously well researched. I found Arman’s story very moving, and all so plausible, yet amongst all the bad guys, there really are some brave and courageous people too. The fact that the author also served, adds yet another layer to an authentic read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This story had a real emotional impact on me in several different ways. The whole story felt very real and the characters were excellent. I liked the conclusion, was justice administered?

A well plotted, multi-layered intelligent thriller, with multiple POVs.
The story was a great blend of police procedural and political conspiracy.
A powerful and spellbinding thriller full of atmosphere, tension and suspense.
The author has a beautiful writing style, which enhanced the feel of the novel.
A propulsive plot, fast paced with definite cinematic qualities.
The characters were well drawn and richly developed.
Arman, Cat, Lamar, Sally and Mr Peters were captivating, complex and believable.
Overall an edgy and dialogue driven plot with vivid descriptions, totally immersive.
Highly recommended. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Almost did not read this book but I am So Glad that I did as it caught me, trapped me and did not let me go until very, very late on the same day when I finished reading it.

What a lovely mix of people, plot and atmosphere. As I implied in the opening paragraph, I really could not put it down; just as well the day was clear!

Fiction the book maybe but, to me, it felt too close to my perception of reality.

It really is a great book and I hope that you too make the opportunity to read it.

3.5 rounded up

Arman Bajalan, a former Iraqi interpreter with US forces, takes his usual early morning dip on Ocean View Beach, Norfolk, Virginia. On his way out, he discovers a dead body in the sand, which Detective Catherine Wheel and her partner Lamar Adams are called to investigate. Who is the dead man? He has no wallet or i/d and that mystery well and truly deepens. Is there any link to Arman himself? Meanwhile, Sally Ewell, a journalist with issues of her own, is investigating Decision Tree, a private military contractor with links to Iraq.

This is a well plotted, intelligent, multilayered, but definitely complex thriller and though I don’t completely get all the references I most certainly get the gist. It’s a really good blend of police investigation conducted by Catherine and Lamar with a political thriller conspiracy which takes a deep dive into the second Gulf War. The author has the service credentials to write such a book and I have to say it makes me wonder and ponder if ……actually, I can well believe it, sadly. It’s full of tension and suspenseful moments as characters enter a violent, corrupt and extremely dangerous world with nefarious characters who will stop at nothing. It’s fast paced and there’s rarely a dull moment with a mounting body count. The ending is a surprise but feels justified.

There are a lot of characters and I really do mean a lot of characters and they take some keeping track of. The main four characters are well portrayed with good dialogue between them. You get a strong sense of the impact of war on individuals especially Arman whose story is a heartbreaking one but also with Sally who carries burdens and some demons. This aspect of the book is very well done.

However, some characters make some strange decisions which raises an eyebrow as they seem a bit of a stretch. Catherine in particular is an experienced cop but is certainly guilty of that!

Overall, it’s a powerful novel which I do enjoy despite an issue or two. I have never read this author before, indeed, I’d never heard of him and so there were no expectations but I’m very glad to have read it.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.