Monday 3 May 2021

Third Kill by John Ryder

I really enjoyed the first two books on this series so I'm delighted to share my review of Third Kill, the new book in the Grant Fletcher series, from John Ryder. My thanks to Noelle Holten at Bookoutre for inviting me on the tour and for my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.



The Blurb

In a city of sinners, a killer is hunting…

Las Vegas, Nevada: a killer is on the hunt.

When  two of the city’s crime bosses are found brutally murdered within days of each other, the fragile balance of Sin City threatens to collapse. It’s exactly what the killer wants…

But there is one thing this killer hasn’t counted on…
Grant Fletcher has been sent to Vegas by a shady government agency. He has one job: find the killer, and stop them before more people die. Stop them, by any means.

Would you send a desperate man to find a vigilante killer?
It looks like a dangerous gamble. But what neither the killer - nor the government agency - know is that the odds are never good unless you’ve got Fletcher on your side.

Fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne and JB Turner’s Jon Reznick will love the Grant Fletcher series.

Third Kill was published by Bookoutre on April 28th 2021.


Buy Link



My Review

This is the third Grant Fletcher book and follows First Shot and Final Second but it can easily be read as a standalone. If you enjoy cracking action thrillers then this is a series you should check out. 

Grant Fletcher is an ex Royal Marine, now a specialist 'consultant' who, together with his 'handler' FBI Agent Zoe Quadrado, is sent to do the dirty jobs with which law enforcement agencies can't be involved. Here, they are sent to gambling mecca Las Vegas where an assassin known only as The Mantis is taking out casino bosses one by one and not caring if innocent people are killed in the process. The body count is huge, and nobody has any idea what The Mantis even looks like. Fletcher and Quadrado have a huge job in their hands but happily have the resources of the FBI at their disposal. 

Fletcher is a complex man. A trained killing machine, he prefers to use brain over brawn wherever possible. Not that he isn't above getting down and dirty if the situation calls for it, which it does on more than one occasion here. A single father following the death of his wife, his daughter Wendy is the most precious thing in the world to him. She is awise and understanding. Early in the book, before Fletcher has finished the phone conversation where he taken accepts the job, Wendy is already packing her things and has called her grandfather to come and pick.her up. It brought a wee sad lump to my throat. But I loved the use of 'Grandpops'. My own on grandfather was 'Pops', as is my dad for my kids, but I like this version.  Quadrado is a tough wee cookie with lots of great skills, and I love her relationship with Fletcher. With huge mutual respect, concern and understanding for each other, they are a tight little unit. And formidable. Not that everything always goes to plan...

We hit the ground running with an action packed prologue and we don't really stop! It's an adrenaline filled ride with just the occasional pause for breath.... Fletcher describing torture methods to 'Loser' had me smirking in my seat! That's another thing I love about Fletcher which makes me smile - he assigns the guys he comes across names according to his first impressions of them. My favourite was 'Bald-And-Not-Very-Undercover'! Not the snappiest title but I loved it. 

Third Kill is a brilliant action thriller which will keep you in the edge of your seat. Full of cat and mouse chases and spectacular fight scenes, you'll struggle to catch your breath. Fleshed out with a solid plotline and great characters, Fletcher particularly, the book has a bit of everything.  So much fun to read. My favourite of the series so far.

Before I go, I must mention my favourite line in the book, anything to do with the action or anything but I thought it was brilliant: '... a face that was more squatted in than lived in...' - I knew exactly what Ryder meant! 


The Author


John Ryder is a former farmworker and joiner. He’s turned his hand to many skills to put food on the table and clothes on his back. A life-long bibliophile, he eventually summoned the courage to try writing himself, and his Grant Fletcher novels have drawn inspiration from authors such as Lee Child, Tom Cain, Zoe Sharp and Matt Hilton. When it comes to future novels, he says he has more ideas than time to write them.

When not writing, John enjoys spending time with his son, reading and socialising with friends. A fanatic supporter of his local football team, he can often be found shouting encouragement to men much younger and fitter than he is.


Author Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnRyderAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRyder101


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