Vengeance

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Pub Date 1 Sep 2023 | Archive Date 18 Aug 2023

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Description

A MURDERED EXECUTIVE.

A MISSING STOCKBROKER.

A DRUG WORTH BILLIONS.

When a body turns up in a Belfield alleyway, Detective Sergeant Esther Penman quickly realises there’s more to it than simple homicide. With links to a missing London stockbroker, and the dead man’s firm on the brink of launching a new medicine worth billions, there’s plenty of motive for murder.

Meanwhile, Esther has trouble of her own to deal with. Having recently made an enemy of one of the city’s most ruthless criminals, she knows she has to watch her back. But as she begins to unravel the web of intrigue surrounding the alleyway murder, she can’t shake the unsettling sense that she herself is becoming a target…

Can Esther stay one step ahead of her enemies in her hunt for the killer?

Find out in Vengeance, the thrilling sequel to The Art Merchant.

A MURDERED EXECUTIVE.

A MISSING STOCKBROKER.

A DRUG WORTH BILLIONS.

When a body turns up in a Belfield alleyway, Detective Sergeant Esther Penman quickly realises there’s more to it than simple...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781739179724
PRICE US$2.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 16 members


Featured Reviews

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, revenge, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

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When I read the blurb for this book the fact that it was based around the medicine/pharmaceutical world intrigued me. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue not only in the book but also surrounding the author. I had not heard of the author before and there is only a little bio info available. This is their second book in the series, and it was a really good read even though I had not read the first book..
There is good character progression in the book, the fictional town where it is located is also clearly included within the expertly created plot. In a way it is like many crime books of late in that the main character is a serving police officer with 'issues' but I really got to know her and her colleagues through the book.
If you enjoy UK crime, police procedurals, mystery and suspense books then I think you will enjoy this book. I am looking forward to seeing how the series progresses.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial, JK Flynn and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic, advanced copy of the book in return for a honest and unbiased review.
The book will be published on 1st September

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In Vengeance we follow Ester as she investigates the death of an important businessman as well as the disappearance of a stockbroker. A new miracle drug that's being made is linked to both.

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Vengeance by J.K. Flynn was an intriguing and entertaining story.
I was drawn in my cover and synopsis which I’m happy to say the book was very interesting.
The writing was easy and medium paced flow.
The characters are interesting and I enjoyed following Detective Sergeant Esther Penman on her quest.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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My first foray into this series - and I do like Esther Penman!

Detective Sergeant Esther Penman's latestcase begins when the body of a sales executive is discovered in an alleyway. The very beginning of the investigation shows that there are links to a missing stockbroker in the capital, and with the deceased employed by a pharmaceutical firm about to launch a new product worth billions, there is certainly a strong probability of murder . . .

Esther has a very logical mind and, encouraged by her immediate boss, she is a very capable detective and it was a delight to follow her train of thought. I had my own thoughts on who did what to whom but this isn't a straightforward thriller; there are twists and turns all the way through and I was gratified to find out 'whodunnit'. The working relationship between Jared and Esther is a delight to read about, and I quickly took to both of them. Definitely a series I would like to follow and, who knows, I may even get the chance to read the first in this series. A very enjoyable crime thriller I'm happy to recommend and give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

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When Detective Segeant Esther Penman learns about a murder on her turf, it seems on first blush like the motives for it are manifold. The victim, who worked for a multinational pharmaceutical, had arranged to sell the trade secrets for a cure to cancer no less, to European rivals on exchange for a piece of the action within the EU.

Penman wishes to keep busy, after being attacked by a hit an ftpm a cartel boss she was close to putting behind bars, and she was fresh from her mother's funeral. Surely, she she be taking a rest from it all before the demon drink beckons. Or so says a colleagues who is not really her best friend......

And who was the strange man observing her at the cemetery?

Work then indeed keeps Esther busy, as the mysteries,alongside the tension, unfold. This, however, is less a whodunit as a whydunnit, as the Red herrings threaten to detract our sleuth and her sidekick Jared from what is really going on. Two more murders down the line, and it becomes paramount to ascertain the murderer's true motive before he strikes again.

Penman is an engaging character with her own demons to face, even whilst chasing those of the wrongdoers she is tracking down. The writer succeeds in keeping the tension going as the stakes rise, this is a pretty satisfying page turner, with a satisfyingly damaged and evil adversary. Recommended for those who like old_school crime and detective novels.

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I haven't read the first book in this series but that didn't hamper my enjoyment at all. The main character, Esther Penman, is the troubled police protagonist that we are familiar with however her troubles are not a central part of the story - more, they give her depth and realness. They also helped me to connect with and care about her so that was very well handled by J.K. Flynn. Adding those personal elements also gave an opportunity to highlight the casual sexism and difficulties faced by a female in a male-dominated profession without it needing to be overt preaching.
The story itself is brilliant, it weaves around the cast of characters with great pacing. You know they are all going to be connected in some way, but the revelations are rationed out to keep you interested and to stop you knowing what is going to happen next. In a genre that is totally saturated, this book can hold its own without a doubt. It shows how the things that happen to us in our formative years can have an everlasting impact on us and shape the person we become - that view into what drove the people in the book to do the things they did, and the eventual consequences of those things, was really interesting and made all the characters three-dimensional.
Something that did bother me, and this is definitely a niche 'me' problem rather than any overarching criticism of the book, is that it was set in a fictional place. I like to recognise landmarks and areas when I read UK-based books and couldn't do this with this one.

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DI Esther Penman is back in the 2nd instalment to this fantastic new series. Still reeling from the death of her mother, Esther is trying to throw herself back in to work - and she finds herself investigating the murder of a medical company sales executive who’s body was found in an alley. It soon becomes apparent that there is more to this than meets the eye when it becomes apparent that there’s a link to a new wonder drug worth millions, and then a stockbroker from London is reported missing - what is the link? Easter has a lot on her plate, she is still looking over her shoulder after getting involved in one of the biggest drug dealers in the city, can she ever escape?

I absolutely loved this book! It’s such a great series! We see more sides to Esther this time, as she comes to terms with losing her mother, trying to stay on the waggon as well as making a discovery about her father. The story has me hooked from the first page, and I can’t wait to see what Esther gets up to next time! Brilliant story, really well written!

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A thriller that drew me in from the first chapter and kept me captivated until the end. Despite being the second in the Detective Esther Penman series, this was my first read from J K Flynn and I was easily able to get to grips with the main protagonist. Estranged from her mother and recently having buried her after a battle with cancer just whilst they were trying to get to know one another again, it is safe to say that Esther has her own issues and troubles. The opening chapter gives the detailed struggle and murder of the victim, who works for a pharmaceutical company and is illegally attempting to sell the cure for cancer. The hunt is on, not only for the killer, but for the briefcase and its priceless stolen contents. Esther faces some tough challenges, but also finds some peace and happiness. #vengeance #jkflynn #netgalley

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The amazing Esther hits the ground every day. She keeps the story going, kept me interested and the pages flipping. The book is interesting and held my attention. Well worth my time reading this one.

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