No Place To Die by Neil Broadfoot - Review

I was so excited to read this new one from Neil Broadfoot as I loved No Man's Land, the first book featuring security expert Connor Fraser. And No Place To Die didn't disappoint. Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group for my review copy. I'll be buying my paperback copy as soon as we're allowed out again! If you missed the extract I shared yesterday, you can find it here.

The Blurb:

Blair Charlston swapped the stock market for salvation - and now he's making a killing.

Once a controversial venture capitalist, Charlston reinvented himself as a personal and business development guru after surviving an attempt to take his own life when a business deal went disastrously wrong. So when he decides to host a weekend retreat on the outskirts of Stirling for more than 300 people, Connor Fraser is drafted in to cover the security for a man who is at once idolised as a saviour and hated as a ruthless asset stripper.

For Connor, it's an unwelcome assignment. He's never had much time for salvation by soundbite, and Charlston's notoriety is attracting the attention of reporter Donna Blake, who's asking more questions than Connor has answers for.

But when an old colleague of Donna's is found brutally bludgeoned to death, and the start of Charleston's weekend of salvation becomes a literal trial by fire, Connor must race to unmask a killer whose savagery is only matched by their cunning.

No Place To Die was published by Constable in paperback on 7th April 2020. It is also available in eBook and hardback formats. You can purchase it from Amazon, Waterstones or Hive (which supports independent bookstores). But it's worth checking if your usual independent bookseller can take orders. Many can, and they could really do with our support just at the moment.

My Review:

As I mentioned above, I first met Connor Fraser, along with DCI Malcolm Ford and reporter Donna Blake in Broadfoot's previous book, No Man's Land. Don't worry if you haven't read that one, as this book works perfectly as a standalone, but you really should as it's brilliant (you can read my review here).

Following events in the last book, Connor now has a more senior role at Sentinel Security, and is overseeing a weekend hosted by businessman turned lifestyle guru Blair Charlston. There are 300 guests coming to the event and Connor is particularly worried about the security for the opening event of the weekend, which will take place outdoors. And he's right to be concerned.

Connor is a brilliant protagonist. Strong, capable, principled, practical, a real action man, he doesn't suffer fools gladly. He's got a softer side, which he shows to the people he cares about, although those times tend to be overshadowed by his work, because he does tend to immerse himself somewhat. His temper, usually kept in check, occasionally gets the better of him, but it's always justified. He's a hero. In my review of No Man's Land, I likened Connor to Bourne or Reacher, and I stand by those comparisons.

Reporter Donna Blake is now working for Sky TV and is covering the Charlston weekend for the channel. An ex colleague and an old flame both get in touch offering her background information on Charlston's dodgy business practices which she hopes will give her the edge over her competitors. But things don't go according to plan. I like Donna, she's easy to relate to. A single mother, she's trying to juggle her career with parenthood and having to rely on her disapproving mother for childcare. Always hungry for a story, she is determined to get close to this one, but has no idea how personal it will get for her.

No Place To Die opens with a bang. There has been much talk on social media about 'that first line' and it certainly is a corker! It's a line that will make you want to read on, and it sets the stage for much of what follows. Broadfoot 's writing is sharp - no wasted words here - and he knows how to ramp up the tension. Short snappy chapters and several different points of view (never confusing) add interest and momentum. But Neil also uses beautiful language where appropriate. A description of Connor's grandmother's declining health gave me a lump in my throat.

The plot covers corruption, dodgy deals, lies, personal betrayal, revenge and murder. There are descriptions here which are bloody, messy and graphic - not for the faint hearted.

With No Place To Die Broadfoot delivers a fast paced, action packed, adrenaline filled crime thriller, full of rounded, believable characters, both good and bad. I loved it, and it's great to have Connor Fraser back! 

The Author:

Taken at Bloody Scotland 2018 by Paul Reich

Neil Broadfoot worked as a journalist for 15 years at both national and local newspapers, including The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Evening News, covering some of the biggest stories of the day.

Falling Fast, which was shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize, is the first in the Edinburgh-set McGregor and Drummond series of thrillers.

His new Stirling-set series, which begins with No Man's Land and features close protection expert Connor Fraser, has been hailed as "tense, fast moving and bloody" and "atmospheric, twisty and explosive" with a "complex cast of characters and a compelling hero". No Man's Land was longlisted for the 2019 McIlvanney Award.

As a father of two girls, Neil finds himself regularly outnumbered in his own home. He is also one of the Four Blokes In Search of a Plot, a quartet of crime writers who live write a story based on suggestions from the audience. The Four Blokes have appeared in England, Spain and Scotland.