Blood Falls

by Tom Bale

Joe Clayton thought the dangers of his undercover career were behind him. He was wrong. One grey October morning, while working in a quiet Bristol street, he hears the voice of the man who has sworn to destroy him. Minutes later Joe is running for his life again.Desperate for sanctuary, he heads for the small Cornish town of Trelennan, and the home of Diana Bamber, widow of a former police colleague. But Diana reacts strangely to his arrival, and gradually Joe discovers that Trelennan is far from the idyllic, law-abiding resort it claims to be.The town is in the grip of one man. Leon Race doesn't welcome strangers, especially ex-cops who start asking questions about missing women. Soon Joe is caught up in another undercover role, but as he penetrates the web of secrets that ensnares the town's elite, his own secret is at risk of discovery. And all the time his old enemy is circling ...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, British Literature, Crime, Fiction

466 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Tom Bale is the author of nine thrillers, published between 2006 and 2018.

Reviews

[Armin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spannender Schluss, langweilige Helden


Die ersten 200 Seiten sind zum Vergessen, denn es handelt sich um die weder besonders originell noch einfühlsam aufgebügelte Konstellation vom Außenseiter, der in eine Stadt kommt, in der das Böse alle mehr oder weniger im Griff hat, auch wenn es sich auf den ersten Blick um eine Mustersiedlung handelt. In die Handlung um den untergetauchten Ex-Bullen, der seine Familie so sehr vermisst, sind Episoden von einer nackten Frau, die in einem dunklen Verlies erwacht, eingebettet. Anscheinend die Mode schlechthin um 2011. Dritter Handlungsstrang ist das Wohl und Wehe von Leon Race, dem Allmächtigen im Urlaubsort für Weiße, der immer wieder von Migräne aufgesucht wird.
Auf der Suche nach einem vermissten Mädchen, versucht Joe die Organisation von Race zu infiltrieren, der wiederum weiß von dem Kopfgeld, das auf den ehemaligen Undercover-Agenten ausgesetzt ist und versucht die potenzielle Million Finderlohn im Ort zu halten.
Ab dem Gangsterkongress S.373f, in dessen Verlauf der Provinzgauner Race ordentlich zurecht gestutzt wird, läuft in seiner Organisation einiges aus dem Ruder, gleichzeitig nimmt das Buch richtig Fahrt auf und entwickelt unverhofft bereits abgeschriebenes Spannungspotenzial bis zum großen Showdown im Umfeld einer Naturkatastrophe.
Ab der Mitte hat das Buch was für sich, wenn es um Äktschn geht, leider sind die Charaktere, mit Ausnahme des Unsympathen Leon Race, ziemlich flach angelegt, die Guten sind samt und sonders schlank und durchtrainiert, die Bösen eher fett oder schleimig. Am Anfang schimpft Joe gleich mal mit einem rassistischen Taxifahrer und verwechselt dabei ziemlich blamabel Rassisismus und Nationalsozialismus, auch wenn das sogar dem Autor entgangen ist. Aber neben diesen eher stereotypen Charakterisierungen bleibt das Personal so tiefgründig wie Playmobilfiguren.

Natürlich wird die Frau aus der Gruft von Joe unter Lebensgefahr gleich noch vor dem Ertrinken gerettet und Leon Race wird dabei blind und lahm geprügelt. Joe muss weiter zum nächsten und übernächsten Showdown und lässt das Mädchen und Schurken in der zur Ruine gewordenen Race-Villa zurück.
Es ist für mich zwar nachvollziehbar, dass die 530 Seiten als Ausschnitt aus einer praktisch unendlichen Flucht angelegt sind, auch, dass er sich als Retter und Flüchtling in einer Person nicht mehr um Race oder die Gerettete kümmern kann, aber warum liefert der Autor nicht wenigstens zum guten Schluss noch anderthalb Seiten über das Schicksal des Mädchens an dessen Nacktheit und Ausgeliefertheit er sich so lange delektiert hat? Auch die sogar noch besser eingeführte Person Leon Race, die beim Bürgerkrieg in der eigenen Organisation weiter an Profil gewonnen hat, lässt Bale einfach so liegen. Als würden ihm plötzlich die Seiten ausgehen, dabei hat er doch anfangs gut 200 davon mit seiner Pseudosuspense und nichtssagenden Charakteren verplempert.

Fazit: Für die letzten 200 Seiten verdient Bale eine sehr gute Bewertung, aber zu viel totes Holz bis dahin und ziemlich stereotypes Personal kosten das Buch eine bessere Bewertung.
Null punkte gibt es für die Übersetzung des Titels, im Original heißt das Buch Blood Falls, es gibt auch keinen Jäger in diesem Roman, Joe bleibt der von unterschiedlichen Instanzen Gejagte, von daher gibt es auch keine Stunde des Jägers.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Tom Bale book. This one started a bit slower. The action was less adrenalin and sometimes more cerebral. It picked up quite a bit as it progressed and in the end I really enjoyed it.

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio version of this book 📚- slightly slow at first but then thoroughly gripping, good narration

[Michael Harling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Clayton—Tom Bale’s series character—is the UK’s answer to Jack Reacher, so if you enjoy a good Lee Child thriller, Tom Bale’s books won’t disappoint.

In Blood Falls, Tom Bale has rendered a tightly woven, multi-threaded story that starts off at a clip and just keeps going.

Joe Clayton, after managing a hair’s-breadth escape from his arch enemy, fetches up in a small town in Cornwall where his past and his present and some seriously determined bad guys come together. It’s a complex plot, but well handled and never dull. While there is more sleuthing and less brutality than in a Reacher story, there is still an impressive body count, and enough action to have me looking forward to the next one.

[Trina Hollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarey but good can't wait to read the next one.

[Mrs R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic face paced read from Tom Bake - love his books, never read a bad one - highly recommend

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally acceptable drama suspense book. Made a nice change of pace to all the fae fantasy I've been reading!

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly standard thriller with a good twist at the end. However it's a bit silly to think that a cop who is trying to hide would make himself so known to all the local baddies within 24 hours of arriving. Not very believable, but it was an enjoyable thriller.
Jo Clayton was an undercover cop who is now in a witness protection program away from his wife and children. When his cover is blown he runs to a seaside town to hide out in his friend's wife's guesthouse. His friend having died a couple of years ago and it isn't long before Jo starts to poke around in the seedy underbelly of the town and decides to help a lady look for her sister who disappeared there a few months before.

[YellowBlackKing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich fand das Buch schon mal besser als Catch, aber Danny Morton ist mir zu wenig vorgekommen. Ich hatte eigentlich erwartet, dass Danny Morton Joe in den Ort verfolgt, jedoch gab es dort dann andere Verbrechen und Danny tauchte erst wieder ganz am Schluss für ein paar Seiten auf. Wie auch bei Catch endete mir das Buch viel zu plötzlich. Ich hätte gerne noch ein bisschen mehr erfahren, wie es weiter geht. Ansonsten war es aber spannend und die Charaktere sympathisch.

[Tiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how this book began - launched into action right away! The story was interesting and the main characters likeable enough. Plus the villain was really, really wicked.

There was also an interesting feeling of wet and rain. There seemed to be a lot of rain in the book and the author somehow conveyed it through the pages.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio book was great. I like that tom bale writes in short sharp chapters so the pace of the book is fast and furious like his plots. Great characters too! Will be going to read more Tom Bale books soon

[Lucyaliceann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started with a car chase through Clifton, on to the Cornish coast, brief spell in Bourton on the Water, Poundbury and even stops in Trowbridge and Looe! Very bizarre as every place mentioned I could picture vividly - right down to the road names!

[Any Length · Rating 2 out of 5]

not something I would rave about, but a book for a rainy day.

[Alec Peche · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author was too slow to reveal who some of the characters were in this story

[Ken Gorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Tom Bale book I've listened to on audiobook. It won't be the last.

His characters are superb and the plots easy to follow, but still exciting.

[Auntie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would really loke to know if Joe finds his wife and family and what happens to Elly.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathless

Tom Bale never ceases to amaze me. His books are tightly woven by twists and turns it's difficult to take a break. Superb storyline. I really do congratulate him on a five star story so have awarded 5 stars. I so hope he continues with Joe Carter in the future as his character is palpable. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

[Lynn Glencorse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. I've not read anything by Tom Bale before but will definitely try another given how much I liked this one. The story had me hooked from the first few pages and was exicting and full of suspense right to the very end.

[Mim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Clayton former undercover cop on the run from some bad guys meets more bad guys.
It's not the first I've read based on the successful Jack Reacher formula but it's by far the best. It was exciting, pacey and well written. I can't wait to try another by this author.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, couldn't put it down!

[Christina Browne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Enjoyed this boojk it was a thrilling read full of suspence

[Michele Tournay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first one involving Joe Carter.

This one had more action from the start, was fast paced.

Cant wait for another installment of this character