BLOG TOUR: Hamilton's Deepcatch (The Catch Series Book 3) - Douglas Roberts

A raging Atlantic storm batters a deep-sea oil rig – the perfect place to murder enemies, smuggle contraband, and bribe officials without leaving a trace. Beneath the surface lies a network of corruption as vast and dark as the ocean itself.

At the heart of this nefarious conglomerate are two piratical masterminds, operating with near impunity. Their ambitions know no limits: sinking ships, destroying oil rigs, and eliminating anyone who threatens their pursuit of unimaginable wealth. But this time, their greed and violence have triggered a deadly investigation.

As Detective Inspector Patricia Eyethorne OBE and her partner Justin hunt for the truth, their investigation explodes into a life-or-death chase across violent seas. With corrupt politicians like Maurice ‘Bloody’ Hamilton MP entwined in the conspiracy, the question remains – will justice finally catch up with them, or will these masterminds escape into the shadows once more?

 

What did I think?

Hamilton's Deepcatch is book three in The Catch Series and, whilst you could read it as a standalone as the main story is self-contained, it is much better when you've read the earlier two books, simply because you know more of the background of the characters. 

If there's anything dodgy going on, you can bet your bottom dollar that Maurice ‘Bloody’ Hamilton MP will be up to his neck in it.  The plot is very clever and intriguing so the security services have called on DI Patricia Eyethorne OBE to help them uncover the conspiracy.  It's a very dangerous mission as people have already been killed in their search for the truth.

I love the character of Patricia; it's so good to have a strong female protagonist who is more than a match for any man.  Maurice Hamilton knows that only too well and he is as obnoxious as ever in this instalment but his past deeds are about to catch up with him.  It was great to see some familiar faces, to the reader at least, and I couldn't read fast enough to see if Hamilton would finally get his comeuppance.

Hamilton's Deepcatch is a fast-paced, gripping and intriguing novel that is filled with adventure and danger.  The whole series is well worth a read and I think it would be brilliant if it was made into a TV series.

I received a gifted paperback for the Literally PR Online Book Review Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Waterstones

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Catch Series - Douglas Roberts

A minor crime deserves a minor punishment and a serious crime a more serious punishment. But you have to get caught first and it certainly helps if you get someone else to do your dirty work for you. Then there’s the question of who is going to catch you, and if caught, one has to be particularly devious to be able to get away with it. Even if one is as powerful a Member of Parliament and cabinet minister as Maurice Hamilton.

Abhorrence is a way of life for those with such a black heart which feeds off the goodwill of others but vengeance is a two-edged sword which can cut you down in the blink of an eye.

What did I think?

Catch of the Day is the first book in The Catch Series and it certainly got me well hooked as I couldn't put it down.  I absolutely loved it and I don't even like politics but MP Maurice Hamilton is one of those detestable characters that you love to hate.

The first couple of chapters set the scene and it soon becomes clear that there are a lot of people who would want to kill Maurice 'bloody' Hamilton.  Getting close enough to do so when he's a Member of Parliament needs an ingenious plot and this one is sublime.  

DI Patricia Eyethorne is a talented young detective who teams up with Justin Crawford from Hamilton's security team to try to foil the plot.  I loved seeing the romantic relationship between Patricia and Justin blossom despite being put under so much stress in their jobs.  It definitely made me want to read the next book in the series to see where life would take them next.

Catch of the Day is tense, suspenseful and action-packed; it's a cracking political espionage thriller and I couldn't put it down.  I almost forgot to breathe near the end as Patricia and Justin race against time.  Brilliant!  Well worth a read.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

Waterstones

Is the assassin manipulating the world price of platinum and how many has he murdered? Many such questions challenge Inspector Eyethorne OBE and her Fiancée who haven’t yet decided upon a name for their detective agency and neither have they had the time to fix a wedding date. Their pan-European investigations reveal that the answers are connected and despite Special Branch directing operations, they find themselves being pursued by ruthless gangs across London. Their only options are high-level escapes. Cabinet minister Maurice ‘bloody’ Hamilton enters this toxic mix and he’s out to make a killing; in both senses of the word.

 

What did I think?

Having read Catch of the Day, I raced straight on to Slipscatch to continue The Catch Series.  It's difficult not to compare the sequel to the first book as I absolutely loved Catch of the Day but Slipscatch didn't grip me as much.  It's still a good thriller though.

I loved catching up with Patricia Eyethorne and Justin Crawford as they investigate a platinum mining conspiracy.  Of course if there's something dodgy going on, you just know that Maurice 'bloody' Hamilton is in thick of it (spoiler alert: he didn't get killed in the first book).

The plotting is very sharp and the action is fast-paced as danger increases with every turn of the page.  I didn't quite find my reading rhythm for various reasons so I didn't race through it as quickly as the plot perhaps warranted.   

Slipscatch is like a cross between Spooks and 24 so it would be great to see it made into a series.  It is very tense and suspenseful and I can't wait to read the next book, Hamilton's Deep Catch.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

Waterstones

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Lobbyist - Lionel Zetter

Parliamentary lobbyist Damian Beaufort is a professional manipulator – clever, charming, ruthless – but when Labour wins power his Tory-heavy agency spirals towards bankruptcy. And the rest of his life looks like going the same way.

Salvation comes not from booze or sex – despite his best efforts – but a far less likely quarter: the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service.  It also comes at a cost.

Beaufort finds himself entangled in a lethal web of conflicts: an internecine turf war between MI5 and MI6; underhand Westminster manoeuvrings; Eurocrats bent on reversing Brexit; and, seemingly pulling all the strings, the sinister head of Russia’s FSB.

Soon the lobbyist-turned-spy isn’t just fighting to save his agency, his reputation and his country. He’s fighting for his life, and he’s fighting for revenge. 

First-time author Lionel Zetter brings dazzling insider knowledge to bear in this fast-moving contemporary thriller with a totally unexpected denouement in the Chamber of the House of Commons.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  What a cracking political thriller!  I actually couldn't be less interested in politics so I didn't expect to enjoy a book filled with politicians so much.  I really couldn't put The Lobbyist down.

The strapline says it all really: 'He may be a bastard. But he's our bastard.'  Damian Beaufort doesn't know who his father is so he is literally a bastard.  He's a bastard by name and a bastard by nature which makes him a successful and much sought after lobbyist.  When the Tories lose the election, Beaufort has no intention of going down with the ship but it's not as simple as just switching sides.

The disturbing prologue is set in Russia and, although it wasn't difficult to see how it related to the rest of the story, it's a great hook.  With the Russians involved, there's espionage and assassinations to add an extra layer of entertainment and suspense to the already gripping storyline.

Fast-paced, compelling and intriguing, The Lobbyist is a fantastic debut novel from Lionel Zetter.  With an intoxicating mixture of politics, espionage and danger, The Lobbyist is just crying out to be made into a TV series so I wouldn't be surprised to see it on our screens in the future.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours virtual book tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Fatal Image (DC Mel Cotton Crime Series Book 5) - Brian Price

RUTHLESS AMBITION

Hugh Ventham MP, tipped for high office, can’t shake off the mental image of a sordid party he attended many years ago. Any one of the people there could derail his career if they talk about it. So he must eliminate them all.

A COMPROMISING PHOTO

But someone took a photo. And one of the attendees will stop at nothing to ensure it is never discovered. If they fail, they will face ruin.

A BAFFLED POLICE FORCE

As the murders mount up, Mexton CID struggle to see the connection between them. Are they random killings or is there a link? If so, who would want to kill such a disparate group of people? And who is the mysterious figure in the background with their own lethal agenda?

With police resources stretched to breaking point, DC Mel Cotton and her team face deadly challenges as they hunt for the killer. And when the mysterious figure strikes, will she get out alive?

 

What did I think?

As with all books in the DC Mel Cotton crime series, you can read Fatal Image as a standalone as the particular case that is being investigated is absolutely brilliant.  I have read the series in order and they're all fantastic but I think this is the best one yet.

It's quite unusual for a book to let the reader know who the killer is from the start but Fatal Image still had me completely gripped and I couldn't put it down.  Set in the fictional town of Mexton, DC Mel Cotton and the team are as busy as ever with a spate of seemingly unrelated murders.  Mel needs to look outside of Mexton to find the link so she joins forces with a creepy copper in the Met.  Eeeew, I think I need a shower just thinking about DC Plover.

I loved catching up with some of my favourite characters in crime fiction and it's wonderful to see how the characters have developed over the series.  That's why I almost dropped the book in shock at the end with THAT cliffhanger - OMG!!!  I simply can't wait for the next book now!

Incredibly fast paced and a real page-turner, Fatal Image is so meticulously researched that I often forgot I was reading fiction, especially with the character epilogue at the end.  It's an outstanding book in an outstanding series and an easy five star rating from me.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour: