A winding start to an epic twist makes this a great first installment to the Jamie Ryder thriller series.

About the Book

\From master storyteller John Reid Young, this is the opening book in an adventure-filled and action-packed new series that’s perfect for fans of Nick Stone and Jack Reacher.

“An intelligent, enjoyable thriller tracking one man’s road to redemption.” – Thomas Waugh

Everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone does their duty.

Jamie Ryder is a highly-trained officer in the British army with a beautiful girlfriend and a bright future. But within a few days, he has quit his regiment, and his girlfriend has left him.

Lost and alone, Jamie considers opportunities offered by security contacts in London. But a chance meeting sees him heading impulsively to the Scilly Isles to try and rebuild his life.

While there he meets Brendan, a personable Irishman who’s desperate for help to deliver a yacht to a port in northern Spain. Yet this isn’t any normal cruise, but a gun-running operation between the IRA and Basque Separatists.

Jamie finds himself at the centre of a deadly game of cat and mouse, and a terrifying plot only he can foil. It would be easy to look the other way, but he’s not running anymore. With lives on the line, Jamie knows he must do his duty…

My Thoughts

This book had a bit of a slow start. It’s the first in a series, so you’re just getting introduced to the character. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of Jamie Ryder. Also, I was a little hesitant and confused about the storyline. Why were we following these random people – none of whom appeared to be a journalist?

And bam! When you get the payoff, it is totally worth it! It’s definitely one of THOSE stories! Where, yeah, you have to wait for it, but it’s like a choo-choo train. You start slow and build up to it, and then you’re barreling along at breakneck speeds and can’t physically read fast enough to keep up with the pace of how fast you want to consume what is happening! And I love it! Sometimes it’s exactly perfect for how you’re feeling, and for the exact story.

And every little random encounter ends up making perfect sense and making the story tie up into a perfect little package at the end. That is always chefs kiss Love it!!

And our main character Jamie, definitely grows on me throughout this book! I’m not sure he’s my favorite character ever, but he’s going through some things in the beginning and we get to see him grow and change throughout the story. And I love Ruth so much!! She’s a firecracker who knows what she wants and gets it! My grandma was named Ruth, and she reminds me a lot of her. It’s a good representation of the name, I think.

Spy thrillers aren’t usually my thing, but this one was a really interesting take. It definitely fits the category, but in a quirky new kind of way. So, I’d definitely give it a try, if you’re on the fence about the genre!

I am grateful to the author and Love Books Tour for including me on this tour, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this character and this series grow. Can’t wait for the next one!

Question of the Day

Can you speak Spanish, or another second language?

Who’s It For?

If you love a good spy novel, but with twists and turns you’d never see coming this book is for you. Also, if you enjoy some sweet romance thrown in, there’s some of that as well.

Content Warnings: Murder, Violence, Death, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Crime, Alcohol Abuse

About the Author

John Reid Young was born in London’s Welbeck Street in 1957. Although he has spent most of his life in the Canary Islands, home to his paternal ancestors since the middle of the 19th century, he was educated at private schools in England and Scotland. At university he read Law and Politics and completed his studies with a Master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies. After spending time in the UK and elsewhere he returned to the Canary Islands. A family man with a Spanish wife and two sons, he enjoys nothing more than swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, hiking in the mountains and gardening. He owns Tenerife Private Tours with which he finds great pleasure meeting people from all over the world. He has provided his voice to numerous recordings. He has translated numerous documents and publications. He has published several articles and keeps an historical blog, Travel Stories in Tenerife and the Canary Islands. His collections of short stories, and his first novel, a thriller, confirm his passion for telling a good story.

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/0QQXItO
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/9vjgHBN
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58883544-the-journalist
Author Website: https://reidten.blogspot.com/