Tag: book blitz

The Vengeance Man is back from the dead. For one last mission.

Former intelligence operative Mike Farrah thought he was done with spies, assassins and secret wars.
Then his old handler comes calling.
A ruthless enemy cell is operating on British soil.
The government needs bait.

Mike must become The Vengeance Man. A black-ops legend. A vanished assassin. A ghost everyone believes is buried.

Then Mike learns the truth about Dawn. The woman he loved didn’t die by
accident. She was murdered.
And the people who killed her are the same people now hunting him.

This isn’t just a mission. It’s revenge.

Because Mike Farrah has one chance to expose the killers.

One chance to avenge Dawn.

And one chance to survive being the most wanted ghost in Britain.

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John MacRae is the cover name of a former senior Intelligence Officer with a Special Forces background. He has written extensively on intelligence and military history, and has worked for BBC television and other TV companies as an advisor on military and intelligence subjects. He saw active service in the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Arabia, and Northern Ireland.

My thoughts: Told he just has to be the mysterious Fritz, the Vengeance Man, a voice on the end of the phone for the various government spooks involved in what becomes Operation Ajax, Mike Farrah agrees, although he still isn’t happy with the last job he did for the intelligence services, ending as it did with two dead women, and a plate in his head.

But of course, it doesn’t go to plan, and he’s up to his neck in rogue Israeli agents, dodgy documents, gun fights, questions about his finances, several guns that he has supposedly been officially given, suspected of killing a mugger, his flat being ransacked and other nonsense.

But he is sort of enjoying it, helped by his developing relationship with Anna, a woman who also knew Dawn, and wouldn’t mind getting some revenge on her killers too. Anna has her own money, her own flat and is far too savvy to fob off with his cover story, so she’s soon drawn into the plot.

There’s a lot of meetings both in Whitehall and various London pubs, dinners out and a dodgy but on paper stunningly clean Irish gangster/businessman who might have some work for Mike down the line. Seems like the Vengeance Man can retire but keep his hand in with the intelligence crowd, just in case.

At moments funny, then action packed, I really liked Mike and Anna, and was pleased nothing horrible happened to either of them. The whole case hinges on passing off some fake documents as the real thing and following the money to see who is so keen to get their hands on what they think is solid gold blackmail material.

It’s a clever premise and I think that Mike will continue to prove to be an asset as the series goes on, and possibly Anna as well, as she’s clever and well connected.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

It was difficult for Will Jeavons to imagine just how his life could possibly get any better. Having overcome a traumatic childhood, he had gone on to study molecular pharmacology and win tenure
as a lecturer at his beloved Cambridge University.

But his life was soon to become better still, the CEO of a biotech company. Will’s unique research led to the discovery of a non-addictive drug for chronic pain. A remarkable solution for the opioid epidemic which had claimed the life of his mother.

Will’s flourishing company was subsequently acquired, and this was when he first met Celeste Simmonds. The beguiling Celeste would steer Will away from his earlier hedonistic, womanising
lifestyle. However, the only way he could ensure the success of his drug was to bury key safety data which could have led to the clinical trials being terminated.

Clinical trials which resulted in the husband of Lydia Goldberg falling into a deep coma. It was Lydia’s scientific training which led her to discover Will’s fraudulent cover-up. She was determined to seek vengeance and concocted an elaborate honeytrap and a decision for Will to make. A career ending confession or being submitted to a life-threatening game of Russian roulette.

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Dr Martyn Pritchard is currently moving towards retirement following on from a 35-year long career in drug discovery research focusing on neuroscience as well as novel medicines to treat pain. He is
the author of over 50 scientific papers and book chapters along with one novel written under a nom de plume: A Practical Arrangement.

Instagram: martyn.pritchard1 (Instagram)
Facebook: (20+) Facebook

My thoughts: Drawing on the author’s years in the field, this is a clever and thought provoking thriller that feels very timely. The search for a non-addictive but highly effective painkiller is real, the opioid crisis, particularly in the US, has serious consequences.

Dr Will Jeavons watched his mother, crippled by pain, die of an overdose, he’s dedicated his life to finding an alternative and saving others from her fate. He’s also an arrogant, obnoxious man who sees nothing wrong in the kind of short term, transactional relationships that are hollow and mostly physical. Until he meets Celeste.

She works for the company keen to buy his work, his company, him, but not his employees. And soon Will is enjoying the chase. Celeste is embroiled in an ugly divorce from her serial cheater husband. And she lives in the States. But Will doesn’t see the issue. 

In order to sell his tiny start-up, he hides some important and potentially damaging information about his potential wonder drug. This will prove to have serious repercussions for Will later on, when his life intersects with a furious and vengeful Lydia. 

Will he ever do the right thing? 

Intelligent, with interesting and flawed characters, a fast paced and engaging plot, this is a highly enjoyable thriller for our turbulent times.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.