Two cops, both on different sides of the law –
both with the same gangland boss in their sights.
Sam Batford is an undercover officer with the
Metropolitan Police who will stop at nothing to get his hands on
fearsome crime-lord Vincenzo Guardino’s drug supply.
DCI Klara Winter runs a team on the National
Crime Agency, she’s also chasing down Guardino, but unlike Sam
Batford she’s determined to bring the gangster to justice and get
his drugs off the streets.
Set in a time of austerity and police cuts
where opportunities for corruption are rife, Rubicon is a tense, dark
thriller that is definitely not for the faint hearted.
What did I think?
Filled to the brim with tension and gangland-style danger, I read Rubicon far too quickly; it is so fast-paced that I found it virtually impossible to put down but wished I'd read a bit slower to savour every perfectly written detail.
I really liked Sam Batford; he reminded me of Harry Bosch, doing whatever is necessary to bring the criminal to justice. Batford is ex-army and has a much darker side than Bosch, so much so that I often questioned his motivation; I wondered whether he had gone so far undercover that he didn't know which side he was on. Batford is such a wonderful character in this way as he is so unpredictable and even though his character is very well developed in Rubicon, I don't think we've even scratched the surface of him yet.
DCI Klara Winter has the delight of trying to control Sam Batford. Her frustration and exasperation was evident in the log she is keeping of her thought processes and decision making. It is clear from the start that she doesn't want to work with Batford so her log entries are a brilliant insight into how her working relationship with Batford is panning out. I laughed out loud at her candid thoughts on first meeting Batford and found myself growing to like her for her honesty.
I was going to say that this would make an excellent TV adaptation, as I could easily visualise somebody like Tom Hardy as Sam Batford and Rosamund Pike playing Klara Winter, but when I popped over to Amazon for the buy link I noticed that it has already been optioned by the BBC. I will definitely be watching the series and recommending it to all my friends and family. I think it'll be like mixing Bosch with the Sopranos, adding a dash of British flavour and seeing it all play out in London. I can't wait to see it so I think I will read the book again while I'm waiting.
Rubicon is a highly entertaining, full-throttle gangland thriller. With such an unpredictable protagonist, Ian Patrick tied my brain in knots and had me on the edge of my seat; I needed to stop and catch my breath when I finished it. An outstanding debut and hopefully there are plenty more Sam Batford stories to follow.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
Buy Rubicon direct from
Fahrenheit Press: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_rubicon.html
About the author:
Educated in Nottingham, Ian left school at sixteen. After three years in the Civil Service he moved to London for a career in the Metropolitan Police.
He spent twenty-seven years as a police officer, the majority as a detective within the Specialist Operations Command. A career in policing is a career in writing. Ian has been used to carrying a book and pen and making notes.
Now retired, the need to write didn’t leave and evolved into fiction.
Ian’s Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IPatrick_Author
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ian-Patrick/e/B075VB1MP4/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
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