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David Trevellyan #3
More Harm Than Good
Don't mess with a tough guy with time on his hands. Especially if you have secrets to keep.
A head injury requires a mandatory health check. That's Naval Intelligence's standard procedure. Covert operative David Trevellyan doesn't like procedure. But he goes along to get along. He agrees to a hospital stay and an MRI. Then someone steals his boots. Mistake. Trevellyan decides to keep himself in the hospital until justice is served.
His bosses don't share his priorities, so - in trademark fashion - he takes matters into his own hands. The trap he sets slams shut with ruthless efficiency. But Trevellyan finds he's caught more than a thief. He's stumbled into a complex, multi-layered conspiracy designed to cause incalculable diplomatic damage.
For the first time in his career Trevellyan must operate in his home territory. He approaches the task with his customary vigor. But between criminals on one side and regulations on the other, he's more isolated than ever. And as a virtual stranger in his own land, with the body-count rising and his time running out, he's soon facing the soul-searching question: Is he doing MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
A head injury requires a mandatory health check. That's Naval Intelligence's standard procedure. Covert operative David Trevellyan doesn't like procedure. But he goes along to get along. He agrees to a hospital stay and an MRI. Then someone steals his boots. Mistake. Trevellyan decides to keep himself in the hospital until justice is served.
His bosses don't share his priorities, so - in trademark fashion - he takes matters into his own hands. The trap he sets slams shut with ruthless efficiency. But Trevellyan finds he's caught more than a thief. He's stumbled into a complex, multi-layered conspiracy designed to cause incalculable diplomatic damage.
For the first time in his career Trevellyan must operate in his home territory. He approaches the task with his customary vigor. But between criminals on one side and regulations on the other, he's more isolated than ever. And as a virtual stranger in his own land, with the body-count rising and his time running out, he's soon facing the soul-searching question: Is he doing MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
338 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
About the author
Andrew Grant
13 books412 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Andrew Grant (born 1968, Birmingham, England) is the younger brother of bestselling thriller writer Lee Child. After graduating from the University of Sheffield, where he studied Drama and English Literature, Grant founded a theatre company that produced original material, culminating with a critically successful appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Grant remained in Sheffield after graduating from university but now lives with his wife, the novelist Tasha Alexander, on a nature preserve in Wyoming.
Series:
* David Trevellyan
Andrew Grant (born 1968, Birmingham, England) is the younger brother of bestselling thriller writer Lee Child. After graduating from the University of Sheffield, where he studied Drama and English Literature, Grant founded a theatre company that produced original material, culminating with a critically successful appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Grant remained in Sheffield after graduating from university but now lives with his wife, the novelist Tasha Alexander, on a nature preserve in Wyoming.
Series:
* David Trevellyan
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 23, 2020
David was in the hospital. He was there because he was being hit on the head one too many times. While he was there, he needed to rest and didn't checked out of the hospital by himself.
A thief came to his room and stole his boots. He likes his boots and wants them back. So he tried to catch the thief. He did met someone else and he knocked him out. The thing is, this guy was working for MI5.
So... his left one agent partner-less. He was then ordered to stay longer in the hospital to help out this agent. There was some highly radioactive stored near the hospital. The agent got news that there is a danger that someone would steal these radioactive materials that could be used as poison or dirty bomb.
The running around is a bit strange. So who is the bad guy here?
There is some actions and some plot twists. It is an OK fun read.
A thief came to his room and stole his boots. He likes his boots and wants them back. So he tried to catch the thief. He did met someone else and he knocked him out. The thing is, this guy was working for MI5.
So... his left one agent partner-less. He was then ordered to stay longer in the hospital to help out this agent. There was some highly radioactive stored near the hospital. The agent got news that there is a danger that someone would steal these radioactive materials that could be used as poison or dirty bomb.
The running around is a bit strange. So who is the bad guy here?
There is some actions and some plot twists. It is an OK fun read.
September 3, 2012
I know that it's a cliché to say that an authors writing is getting better from book to book but I find that it is. David is a great character and in this book you can really tell he is out of his comfort zone, not only is he operating "at home" for the first time in his career but he is also having to work with others and his unease is clear to see. David's confusion at what is going on in England while he and his colleagues are risking their lives abroad is I imagine shared by a lot of our armed forces.
The descriptions are vivid and lifelike I was wincing at certain points. MHTG has certainly brought new meaning to the term "killer heels".
The descriptions are vivid and lifelike I was wincing at certain points. MHTG has certainly brought new meaning to the term "killer heels".
July 16, 2022
I have now read the 9 novels published by Andrew Grant, and the two he co-wrote to date with his brother, Lee Child, as Andrew Child. I believe he has a few short stories published in anthologies under the name Andrew Grant and one under Andrew Child. I have enjoyed all of his books that I have read; and would love to see him continue this and his other two series. It is sometimes hard for me to read the last book in a series that has been stopped for now. Especially if there are characters I really like. And Trevellyn is a great character.
There are some readers who would make comparisons between Andrew’s and Lee’s writing styles. And there is a certain similarity. But Trevellyn is not Reacher and Reacher is not Trevellyn. Yes there are some similarities. But enough that both series are great to read. I stated previously that “if I had not known that Andrew Grant was Andrew Child and had read this story, I would have stated that it reminded me a lot of the Reacher novels. Except this time David Trevellyan if still active duty for the Royal Navy and home office. But his style, panache, and focus are similar to Reacher’s.” This story starts sometime after the others. It begins on foreign soil as Trevellyn does his work for the Navy. But he receives a head injury. Because of that injury he wakes up in a hospital in London and most of the story takes place in and around the hospital or in and around London from that point. The main plot is missing or possibly missing radioactive materials. And The Navy loans David to MI5 after he injures one of their operatives at the hospital. There are a number of surprising twists and turns in the story. And as usual a lot of action with Trevellyn kicking a fair bit of butt and putting several people in the grave.
The description of this book states:
“Don't mess with a tough guy with time on his hands. Especially if you have secrets to keep.
A head injury requires a mandatory health check. That's Naval Intelligence's standard procedure. Covert operative David Trevellyan doesn't like procedure. But he goes along to get along. He agrees to a hospital stay and an MRI. Then someone steals his boots. Mistake. Trevellyan decides to keep himself in the hospital until justice is served.
His bosses don't share his priorities, so - in trademark fashion - he takes matters into his own hands. The trap he sets slams shut with ruthless efficiency. But Trevellyan finds he's caught more than a thief. He's stumbled into a complex, multi-layered conspiracy designed to cause incalculable diplomatic damage.
For the first time in his career Trevellyan must operate in his home territory. He approaches the task with his customary vigor. But between criminals on one side and regulations on the other, he's more isolated than ever. And as a virtual stranger in his own land, with the body-count rising and his time running out, he's soon facing the soul-searching question: Is he doing MORE HARM THAN GOOD?”
This story was the third novel published by Andrew Grant and wrapped up the David Trevellyan trilogy. It is a decade old now and is still a great read. Some spy crim thrillers do not age will. This one has aged very well. It could just as easily be set today. Grant wrote a standalone novel after this series and then another trilogy. Each of his three series was written and then he moved on. He is currently focusing on the Jack Reacher novels with his brother. But I hope at some point he might return to Trevellyan, Devereaux, and McGrath. I can easily recommend this book, this series and all of Grants novels.
Many readers would make comparisons to Reacher and if I was push to, I would say it is a more polite and subtle version of Reacher. More akin to Reacher’s nephew Jake in Diane Capri’s Hunt for Reacher novels. David Trevellyan does not lack strength, skills or smarts. In fact he might be off the chart for skills and smarts. He also is short on empathy, but that is what makes him so good at what he does. He has a job and he will do it to the best of his ability, or die trying. In this one he has to make several difficult decisions with life altering impacts for others.
This story was a great read. I have now read all of Grant’s works. If you want an excellent crime thriller with great action this is a book for you. I am certain fans of Reacher, Bourne, Jack Ryan, would appreciate David and how he gets the job done. As I have read all of the volumes published under the name Andrew Grant, I can only hope that he returns to some of the characters and series he started before he started co-writing the Reacher novels with his brother. All the books published as Andrew Grant predate that collaboration. A very entertaining read, a thriller that keeps you hooked till the very end.
There are some readers who would make comparisons between Andrew’s and Lee’s writing styles. And there is a certain similarity. But Trevellyn is not Reacher and Reacher is not Trevellyn. Yes there are some similarities. But enough that both series are great to read. I stated previously that “if I had not known that Andrew Grant was Andrew Child and had read this story, I would have stated that it reminded me a lot of the Reacher novels. Except this time David Trevellyan if still active duty for the Royal Navy and home office. But his style, panache, and focus are similar to Reacher’s.” This story starts sometime after the others. It begins on foreign soil as Trevellyn does his work for the Navy. But he receives a head injury. Because of that injury he wakes up in a hospital in London and most of the story takes place in and around the hospital or in and around London from that point. The main plot is missing or possibly missing radioactive materials. And The Navy loans David to MI5 after he injures one of their operatives at the hospital. There are a number of surprising twists and turns in the story. And as usual a lot of action with Trevellyn kicking a fair bit of butt and putting several people in the grave.
The description of this book states:
“Don't mess with a tough guy with time on his hands. Especially if you have secrets to keep.
A head injury requires a mandatory health check. That's Naval Intelligence's standard procedure. Covert operative David Trevellyan doesn't like procedure. But he goes along to get along. He agrees to a hospital stay and an MRI. Then someone steals his boots. Mistake. Trevellyan decides to keep himself in the hospital until justice is served.
His bosses don't share his priorities, so - in trademark fashion - he takes matters into his own hands. The trap he sets slams shut with ruthless efficiency. But Trevellyan finds he's caught more than a thief. He's stumbled into a complex, multi-layered conspiracy designed to cause incalculable diplomatic damage.
For the first time in his career Trevellyan must operate in his home territory. He approaches the task with his customary vigor. But between criminals on one side and regulations on the other, he's more isolated than ever. And as a virtual stranger in his own land, with the body-count rising and his time running out, he's soon facing the soul-searching question: Is he doing MORE HARM THAN GOOD?”
This story was the third novel published by Andrew Grant and wrapped up the David Trevellyan trilogy. It is a decade old now and is still a great read. Some spy crim thrillers do not age will. This one has aged very well. It could just as easily be set today. Grant wrote a standalone novel after this series and then another trilogy. Each of his three series was written and then he moved on. He is currently focusing on the Jack Reacher novels with his brother. But I hope at some point he might return to Trevellyan, Devereaux, and McGrath. I can easily recommend this book, this series and all of Grants novels.
Many readers would make comparisons to Reacher and if I was push to, I would say it is a more polite and subtle version of Reacher. More akin to Reacher’s nephew Jake in Diane Capri’s Hunt for Reacher novels. David Trevellyan does not lack strength, skills or smarts. In fact he might be off the chart for skills and smarts. He also is short on empathy, but that is what makes him so good at what he does. He has a job and he will do it to the best of his ability, or die trying. In this one he has to make several difficult decisions with life altering impacts for others.
This story was a great read. I have now read all of Grant’s works. If you want an excellent crime thriller with great action this is a book for you. I am certain fans of Reacher, Bourne, Jack Ryan, would appreciate David and how he gets the job done. As I have read all of the volumes published under the name Andrew Grant, I can only hope that he returns to some of the characters and series he started before he started co-writing the Reacher novels with his brother. All the books published as Andrew Grant predate that collaboration. A very entertaining read, a thriller that keeps you hooked till the very end.
February 22, 2013
This thriller trio is edge of the seat stuff. I enjoyed all three. Grant is the brother of Lee Child, another favorite author.
September 9, 2022
In "More Harm Than Good," author Andrew Grant sends Royal Naval intelligence operative David Trevellyan into the hospital for an MRI. Trevellyan received a head injury. In and out. Right? Nope. In typical fashion for thrillers, Grant doesn't make it easy on his hero. He gets his boots stolen. Mind, these are decent boots. The kind a guy takes everywhere. They save his feet. They survive tough scrapes. They have history. Along the way while trying to figure who ripped off the shoe leather, Trevellyan uncovers what the book summary sums up as a "complex multi-layered conspiracy." And why not? This is exactly what the genre requires. Trevellyan treats the theft as if he's working for his bosses ferreting out evil doers. But then bad things begin happening. People wind up dead, things happen. Grant knows what he's plotting. I didn't know where the story was headed. But I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I plowed through this and "Even" in a matter of days. For whatever reason, I couldn't procure the second book in the series. But I'll keep reading this author.
September 19, 2022
This book had a disjointed plot, which I do not enjoy. The newly created characters were shallow and I did not care about them. It also had the "James Bond" moment when the villain spills his guts at the end. Why do authors continue to do this? Write the complete story and quit taking a short cut at the end. There was no real conclusion to the story.
February 17, 2020
Interesting story kinda highlights what we store in built up areas that should not be there. You would be surprised to discover the range of inappropriate items stored in our towns and citys.
Everything works out ok in the end, well mostly ok.
Everything works out ok in the end, well mostly ok.
May 18, 2022
Lots of twists and turns
Trevellyan is at it again, this time seconded to MI6. The “plot thickens” steadily throughout the story and finally ends with a series of surprises. An entertaining spy thriller read for the fan of intrigue.
Trevellyan is at it again, this time seconded to MI6. The “plot thickens” steadily throughout the story and finally ends with a series of surprises. An entertaining spy thriller read for the fan of intrigue.
November 7, 2018
Awesome, fast-paced, realistic!
December 27, 2020
.
Not as good a s I thought it would be. I read a book he wrote with lee child. Just so so
Not as good a s I thought it would be. I read a book he wrote with lee child. Just so so
April 30, 2021
Not Grant's best. Plot was a bit too meandering.
May 29, 2022
Excellent
If you are a fan of Lee Child you will love Andrew Grant. His characters are strong and imperfect. The stories are intriguing and complex.
If you are a fan of Lee Child you will love Andrew Grant. His characters are strong and imperfect. The stories are intriguing and complex.
August 28, 2023
A twisty spy/mystery plot with great characters who do what needs doing.
June 26, 2024
This was pretty good, not at the level of the first in the series. Very violent and graphic. Lots of hiding the ball. The resolution was somewhat confusing and not totally satisfying.
August 28, 2012
In this third David Trevellyan adventure we find our hero back in his native London and quite out of sorts. He's not used to being in his home town and certainly not used to working with others. Mr. Grant has done an excellent job of making us feel Trevellyan's pain at not being in his element and I found myself wishing he could be dispatched out of the country to put him out of his misery. I wasn't clear where the story was going to take me and had pegged numerous characters as evil, changing my mind over and over again until the final turn of the page revealed the real villain. There is a sufficient amount of action for thriller junkies and a lot of character development for those interested in story. It's a good mix of wit and espionage, with a very faint hint of romance thrown in, that I highly enjoyed. I look forward to the next installment.
April 16, 2013
This is AG's 3rd novel in the "David Trevellyan" series.There's lots of suspense as the body count starts to mount and a lot of twists and turns. Here we find Naval Intelligence's covert operative working on his home ground for the first time in his career. Actually how I came to my rating of 3 stars out of 5 is I gave the first half of the book 2 stars and the second half of the book 4 stars. I found the first half of the book a little slow but it really picked up in the second half; so don't give up on this novel and give it a chance. This is a pretty good spy novel with a good surprise ending.I have now read all three in this series and I am looking for to the next installment. If you are a fan of the genre it is worth giving this series a read.
note -- The proof reading of this novel could be improved on.
Found a few more errors than usual
note -- The proof reading of this novel could be improved on.
Found a few more errors than usual
January 13, 2013
Good book, not great. Looks like it was self-published. Good idea. His proof-reader needed to give it another read through. I liked the story line. Character development was a bit off. Didn't make me love Melissa and Trevellyn. Grant did try and convolute things so it was hard to figure out who was who and who was the baddie. All well and good but it did confuse me and that didn't make it an enjoyable read as it should have been. Unlike the first two books this British agent was actually working in London and not farmed out to another country as the first two books were about. I wonder if Grant will be coming out with a 4th book.
July 29, 2015
This is a typical "spy agency trying to find a leak" story. There are a lot of odd items--people in hospital gowns and slippers wandering out to restaurants, etc. Maybe in the UK the hospital gowns are different than they are here, but ... Add two highly skilled protagonists who can take down gun-toting assailants with ease, and you have the making of a high body count story. Of course they find A leak, but do they find THE leak? Your call. The ending is definitely different--who would expect someone with a tourniquet on their arm to be standing around discussing their future rather than heading to a hospital?
October 16, 2014
This effort excels at the doctor's office, the airport, the ---heaven forefend---Department of Motor Vehicles: anyplace were the distractions out run the pleasures and the pain of waiting outdistances the benefit, discounting the mandatory adventures.
The prose does not demand savoring, the plot depth would not drown an ant. But there is enough action and enough character to keep one coming back to the page and to entertain for the length of the book. Certainly in the hard boiled category without graphic scenes or overdone coarse language.
The prose does not demand savoring, the plot depth would not drown an ant. But there is enough action and enough character to keep one coming back to the page and to entertain for the length of the book. Certainly in the hard boiled category without graphic scenes or overdone coarse language.
March 24, 2013
I got a little lost partway through this. Major events seemed to occur with little buildup or, frankly, attention. Beyond this, the story is built quite well on top of a flimsy foundation - the boots. It's as though Grant made a fraternity-house bet: "Sure I can make a story built on my protagonist's footwear. Glugalug."
It's very much worth a read, and kudos to Grant for self-publishing. Keep it up, but spend a little and get a better proof-reader next time.
It's very much worth a read, and kudos to Grant for self-publishing. Keep it up, but spend a little and get a better proof-reader next time.
May 16, 2016
Fun read.
I chose this book because I have read the other two in the series. Like those, the plot of this one was interesting. But the author needs a better editor because there were many distracting grammatical errors.
I chose this book because I have read the other two in the series. Like those, the plot of this one was interesting. But the author needs a better editor because there were many distracting grammatical errors.
December 29, 2012
I like the spare prose and David Trevellyan's concept of balance. This was the easiest read of the series so far for me. I'd like to read more of this character.
February 17, 2013
I gave it up, not a really engrossing read.
December 17, 2016
Girl interest, Melissa, is more than we guess. Villain is not who we're pointed at. Surprises jump out of nowhere; sometimes not making sense.
November 5, 2014
The first book with David Trevalyn was the best. Have not liked the following two.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews