A helicopter crash and burned bodies.
A faceless corpse.
A mysterious town.
It's September 1953 and Ash Carter is drawn into a dark case from which there seems no escape.
What did I think?
Don't worry about picking up this Ash Carter thriller mid-series; although it's book 5, you can definitely read Singapore Killer as a standalone and not feel like you're missing something. This is my first Ash Carter book and it definitely won't be my last; I absolutely loved it.
Singapore, even Asia, is a new literary location to me and I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual trip there. I love how Murray Bailey brings the location to life and I felt that not just the location, but also the characters (especially Carter's receptionist, Madam Chau) were described very vividly. I'm sure I'd get a steely glare from her for calling Madam Chau a receptionist; I certainly wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of her!
There's a very intriguing helicopter crash at the beginning that hooked me like a greedy fish and I absolutely raced through the pages. Main character Ash Carter reminded me of a cross between Andy McNab's Nick Stone and 24's Jack Bauer; Ash Carter is a brilliant investigator and fearless in the presence of danger. Carter is on the trail of the mysterious BlackJack who is targeting and killing military personnel; the trail takes Carter undercover into a cult-like village where the danger levels (and my pulse) went off the scale.
I was surprised how quickly I read Singapore Killer, reading it cover to cover over a period of 24 hours; it just shows you how fast-paced and gripping the story is, without being too heavily military-based (which tends to bore me). The book is quite unique in that it simultaneously ends on a reveal and a cliffhanger which left me not just thirsty, but positively parched for more! While I wait for Ash Carter's story to continue, I'll content myself with catching up with Carter's past in the previous four novels.
Singapore Killer is a vivid and gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to well beyond the finish, where I'll continue to perch until book 6 is released!
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment