John Ryder

The Hostage by John Ryder

Powerful first paragraph that gripped and made me wonder just what Jerome Prentice would do to save his wife. Would he steal for her? Kill for her? Just what laws would he be willing to break to keep her safe?

What I liked:
* Jerome: loving husband, intelligent, invested at work, professional, methodical, detail oriented, and more capable than he knows.
* Alicia: Jerome’s wife, lawyer, works for the same company as Jerome, not cowed, willing to do what it takes.
* Ed: Jerome’s best friend, computer guru, called in to help out when Jerome found himself in a tight place.
* The idea for the plot
* The twist at the end
* Finding out who was beHhind the kidnapping and pressure put on Jerome
* That the hero and his wife came out okay at the end of the story

What I didn’t like:
* The bad guys and what they were trying to do
* That I couldn’t invest myself in the nitty gritty details of the story...the financial stuff went over my head and held little interest for me...so the book in that section dragged
* I felt it was not as believable as it could have been and had some difficulty investing in the characters and outcome as a result

Did I enjoy this book? It was okay but I enjoyed the author’s previous books read much more
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars… (meer)

The Witness by John Ryder

Fast-paced, action-packed, thrill-ride from beginning to end. This story has an intrepid private investigator that is a whole lot more paid to keep a woman in witness protection from being killed. What will be required to fulfill this task and what will he learn while he is on the job?

What I liked:
* Kyle Roche: middle aged man with mad skills, investigator, team player, protector, lover, honest, and I have a feeling there is a lot under the surface that was not even scratched.
* The writing style – first person present, short chapters, fast-paced, hooked and kept my interest beginning to end.
* That Roche was willing to do what it took to get the job done BUT wasn’t indiscriminate.
* Roche’s ability to clue into the more than what met his eye
* The way the twist grew from beginning to end
* Thinking about Savannah and what it might have been like to be her.
* Xander: computer savvy, hacker, associate of Roche, intrepid, intriguing
* Wanting to know more about Kyle…hints and more were given but still want to know more.
* Wondering if this might be the first book in a new series with Roche as the star.
* The way Leigh did all that he could to save innocent lives
* That Roche was not “perfect” but that he was perfect for the job
* The unearthing of The Whisperer
* Wondering what happens AFTER the book ends

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that there are corrupt people like those in this story
* Pretty much what and who I was supposed to dislike

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (meer)

Third Kill by John Ryder
A Grant Fletcher Thriller #3

Another action-packed, fast-paced, thrill ride of a story that pitted Grant Fletcher against an amoral deadly killer. Another great addition to the series.

What I liked:
* Grant Fletcher: a lethally trained military man with a solid moral compass. He loved his wife, puts his daughter first and takes his work seriously. He exerts only the amount of force required to get the job done while using his excellent deductive and strategic skills in the process.
* Zoey Quadrado: handler for Grant, smart, tenacious, dedicated, interesting and intriguing, has a new boyfriend we might hear more about in the future, wonder about why/how she was brought in to work with Fletcher.
* Wendy: Grant’s daughter, off to college soon, accepting, knows some of the score, would like to hear more about her in the future.
* That Fletcher is not perfect – though nearly so.
* The relationship between Fletcher Quadrado – collegial and supportive with mutual professional respect.
* The way the two work the case
* Not knowing who to trust
* Learning gradually more about the Mantis’s operations, backstory, etc.
* Wondering if Fletcher will ever get out from under Sotero’s thumb.
* That the bad guys were dealt with and the good guys survived to fight another day.

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that there are people in the world as evil as those in this story
* Having to wait for the next book in the series.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (meer)