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Terry Sheffield #1
No Show
Terry lands at San Francisco International Airport ready to start his new life with Sarah, the American journalist he married after a transatlantic love affair. But Sarah’s a no show. Convinced something terrible has happened, Terry reports Sarah’s disappearance to the sheriff, who shrugs it off as a case of a new bride with cold feet. But then dead women start turning up, all with two things in each victim had exposed a scandal just before her death…and all of their names appear on a list written by Sarah. As a journalist, Sarah has revealed her share of scandals, and Terry realizes that she’s not missing — she’s on the run. As his American dream rapidly descends into a waking nightmare, Terry must plunge headlong into the dark recesses of his new homeland to find Sarah before the killer does. But as he nears the truth about Sarah, he realizes she’s very different from the woman he thought he married.
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First published June 25, 2013
146 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Simon Wood
91 books519 followersSimon Wood is a California transplant from England. He's an ex-competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional private investigator. He shares his world with his American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats. In the last ten years, he's had over 150 stories and articles published. His stories have been included in “Best of” anthologies and he's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. He's the Anthony Award winner and a Crime Writers Dagger Award finalist. He's the author of Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper, Terminated, We All Fall Down, Deceptive Practices, The Fall Guy, Hot Seat and Did Not Finish. His latest thriller is, Saving Grace. He also writes horror under the pen name of Simon Janus. Those titles include The Scrubs and Road Rash.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 30, 2013
Englishman Terry Sheffield and American Sarah Morton conduct a trans-Atlantic relationship after meeting on a vacation in Costa Rica. While Terry is visiting in the U.S., they get married in Vegas, but then Terry has to return to the U.K. to complete the paperwork that will allow him to live and work in the U.S.
Six months after Terry and Sarah last saw each other on their honeymoon, the paperwork is completed, Terry has left his old life and his job in England and has landed a new job at a biotech firm in California. He lands in San Francisco and hurries off the plane, anxious to be reunited with Sarah and to begin their new life together.
Except that Sarah doesn't show up at the airport.
Terry calls her cell phone several times, but gets no response. Finally, he reluctantly takes a shuttle to their new home, but Sarah isn't there either. Terry reports her missing, but the local sheriff is skeptical and wonders if Sarah is simply a bride who's already decided she made a mistake and run off. In the alternative, is it possible that Sarah, an investigative reporter, is working on a story that has taken her away from home?
None of those explanations make any sense to Terry, especially since Sarah has not even returned his phone calls. Obviously, he is thinking the worst. While waiting for something to break, Terry has no choice but to report to work at Genavax, his new employer. But after being heavily courted by the company, he gets a distinctly cool reception. He'd asked Sarah to check out the firm before accepting their job offer and he soon learns that in the process, Sarah had antagonized some of the company honchos. At the moment, they are not very happy with Terry or his wife.
To make matters worse, in sifting through the papers Sarah left at home, Terry discovers that she was investigating the murders of several women who apparently died at the hands of the same serial killer. Is it possible that Sarah fallen into the hands of the killer as well?
This is a very taut, well-told tale with any number of unexpected twists and turns. Even people who read a lot of thrillers are certain to be surprised on several occasions. Terry Sheffield is a very sympathetic character and the reader inevitably gets caught up in his struggle to find his missing wife while at the same time he tries to adapt to a new job and to life in a new country. Simon Wood should attract a lot of new fans with this book.
Six months after Terry and Sarah last saw each other on their honeymoon, the paperwork is completed, Terry has left his old life and his job in England and has landed a new job at a biotech firm in California. He lands in San Francisco and hurries off the plane, anxious to be reunited with Sarah and to begin their new life together.
Except that Sarah doesn't show up at the airport.
Terry calls her cell phone several times, but gets no response. Finally, he reluctantly takes a shuttle to their new home, but Sarah isn't there either. Terry reports her missing, but the local sheriff is skeptical and wonders if Sarah is simply a bride who's already decided she made a mistake and run off. In the alternative, is it possible that Sarah, an investigative reporter, is working on a story that has taken her away from home?
None of those explanations make any sense to Terry, especially since Sarah has not even returned his phone calls. Obviously, he is thinking the worst. While waiting for something to break, Terry has no choice but to report to work at Genavax, his new employer. But after being heavily courted by the company, he gets a distinctly cool reception. He'd asked Sarah to check out the firm before accepting their job offer and he soon learns that in the process, Sarah had antagonized some of the company honchos. At the moment, they are not very happy with Terry or his wife.
To make matters worse, in sifting through the papers Sarah left at home, Terry discovers that she was investigating the murders of several women who apparently died at the hands of the same serial killer. Is it possible that Sarah fallen into the hands of the killer as well?
This is a very taut, well-told tale with any number of unexpected twists and turns. Even people who read a lot of thrillers are certain to be surprised on several occasions. Terry Sheffield is a very sympathetic character and the reader inevitably gets caught up in his struggle to find his missing wife while at the same time he tries to adapt to a new job and to life in a new country. Simon Wood should attract a lot of new fans with this book.
July 27, 2013
Simon Wood’s NO SHOW is a by-the-numbers mystery that reads like a made-for-TV movie. Englishman Terry Sheffield met free-lance reporter Sarah Monroe on vacation in Costa Rica – a few months later, they were married and Terry was moving to California. But when he steps off the plane in San Francisco, Sarah is nowhere to be found. She isn’t at the airport, she doesn’t answer her cell, and she isn’t at their newly-purchased home in the suburbs. Terry is desperate to find her, but the local sheriff isn’t much help – he sees Terry as a suspect, not just in Sarah’s disappearance but in the gruesome murder of woman who was kidnapped at around the same time Terry arrived in the US. So Terry links up with Oscar Mayer, who runs a mini-golf place called Gold Rush, and the two of them play super sleuth as they try to unravel the mystery.
Basically, NO SHOW is all plot and little substance. Wood’s prose is utilitarian and straight-forward – he has a story to tell, and he tells it in easy-to-digest chunks. There’s no art to Wood’s writing, no depth to his characters, and no subtly to his plot. He gives us plenty of expected suspects and leads, false or otherwise, including a seedy biotech company that may or may not be involved in the kidnapped woman’s murder, four more murdered women (with similar MOs), a suspicious reporter with mysterious connections to Terry’s missing wife, Sarah, and a father-son tag team with nefarious overtones. It all feels very formulaic, and by the end I could feel Wood carefully attempted to tie up his loose ends.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to tie up loose ends that never really made sense in the first place. Sarah’s disappearance, which is what begins the novel, is never satisfyingly explained. There are hints, especially in the novel’s second half, that Sarah isn’t the woman Terry thought she was when he met her in Costa Rica. Had Wood developed that aspect of the story, the novel would have been a lot more interesting. But the characters don’t really matter here, beyond their roles in the plot, and we never really get to know Sarah at all. And there are too many little things that just don’t ring true. For example, Terry shows up at that airport in San Francisco without a cell phone (this is necessary for the plot, but Wood’s explanation – that Terry’s British cell won’t work in the US – seems absurd). Also, for some reason Terry is unable to get the phone numbers of people who call him on the land line at Sarah’s house – it’s hard to believe there’s neither Caller ID nor a redial function on the phone (Sarah is a reporter – surely she would have had Caller ID). And the relationship between Terry and mini-golf owner Oscar seems contrived at the very least. Why would Oscar be willing to traipse all over the place with Terry trying to solve this mystery that has absolutely nothing to do with Oscar? Yes, Wood attempts an “explanation” for this friendship, but the explanation just adds to the TV movie quality of this novel.
Finally, the ending of NO SHOW is laughably absurd. I’m not talking about the final reveal of who the villain is – that wasn’t unexpected. I’m talking about the villain’s motive (which is ridiculous), Sarah’s role in it all (which is just stupid), and the novel’s final lines (which are laugh-out-loud silly).
Apparently, Wood has published over 150 “stories and articles” and at least six other novels (this is from the “About the Author” page at the end of NO SHOW). He’s not a bad writer – he knows how to put words together to make grammatically correct sentences. But the story he tells here is as unsatisfying as a TV movie. Fans of formulaic quick reads might be entertained. It didn’t work for me.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this novel for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
Basically, NO SHOW is all plot and little substance. Wood’s prose is utilitarian and straight-forward – he has a story to tell, and he tells it in easy-to-digest chunks. There’s no art to Wood’s writing, no depth to his characters, and no subtly to his plot. He gives us plenty of expected suspects and leads, false or otherwise, including a seedy biotech company that may or may not be involved in the kidnapped woman’s murder, four more murdered women (with similar MOs), a suspicious reporter with mysterious connections to Terry’s missing wife, Sarah, and a father-son tag team with nefarious overtones. It all feels very formulaic, and by the end I could feel Wood carefully attempted to tie up his loose ends.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to tie up loose ends that never really made sense in the first place. Sarah’s disappearance, which is what begins the novel, is never satisfyingly explained. There are hints, especially in the novel’s second half, that Sarah isn’t the woman Terry thought she was when he met her in Costa Rica. Had Wood developed that aspect of the story, the novel would have been a lot more interesting. But the characters don’t really matter here, beyond their roles in the plot, and we never really get to know Sarah at all. And there are too many little things that just don’t ring true. For example, Terry shows up at that airport in San Francisco without a cell phone (this is necessary for the plot, but Wood’s explanation – that Terry’s British cell won’t work in the US – seems absurd). Also, for some reason Terry is unable to get the phone numbers of people who call him on the land line at Sarah’s house – it’s hard to believe there’s neither Caller ID nor a redial function on the phone (Sarah is a reporter – surely she would have had Caller ID). And the relationship between Terry and mini-golf owner Oscar seems contrived at the very least. Why would Oscar be willing to traipse all over the place with Terry trying to solve this mystery that has absolutely nothing to do with Oscar? Yes, Wood attempts an “explanation” for this friendship, but the explanation just adds to the TV movie quality of this novel.
Finally, the ending of NO SHOW is laughably absurd. I’m not talking about the final reveal of who the villain is – that wasn’t unexpected. I’m talking about the villain’s motive (which is ridiculous), Sarah’s role in it all (which is just stupid), and the novel’s final lines (which are laugh-out-loud silly).
Apparently, Wood has published over 150 “stories and articles” and at least six other novels (this is from the “About the Author” page at the end of NO SHOW). He’s not a bad writer – he knows how to put words together to make grammatically correct sentences. But the story he tells here is as unsatisfying as a TV movie. Fans of formulaic quick reads might be entertained. It didn’t work for me.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this novel for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
May 3, 2019
Gripping from the start
This was a great crime-mystery-thriller. I was kept on my toes through the whole story. I loved the characters, they were all well-rounded, believable and easy to fall for. If you love suspense, definitely grab a copy.
This was a great crime-mystery-thriller. I was kept on my toes through the whole story. I loved the characters, they were all well-rounded, believable and easy to fall for. If you love suspense, definitely grab a copy.
December 5, 2019
Wow
What a read. Page turner. Holds your interest. I read in three days a year record for me. I had the bad guy pegged wrong.
What a read. Page turner. Holds your interest. I read in three days a year record for me. I had the bad guy pegged wrong.
August 28, 2013
Despite the long journey, Englishman Terry Sheffield arrives in San Francisco from London with a bounce in his step. Green Card in hand, he's ready to start his new life with American wife, Sarah. The two met while on holiday in Costa Rica, and after a whirlwind romance were married. Now, after being apart for 6 months due to bureaucratic red tape, things have finally lined up for the newlyweds.
Only, Sarah isn't there to meet him at the airport. After waiting for several hours, hoping she was just stuck in traffic, Terry finally takes a shuttle to "their" house, a place he's never actually been. Sarah isn't there either, which forces Terry to break in...something a watchful neighbor dutifully reports to the local sheriff. A brief arrest and long explanation later, Terry is left with a skeptical sheriff, wary new neighbors, and still no wife.
Terry can find no explanation for her disappearance, but does find evidence that she left voluntarily-there's no sign of struggle in the house and a bag, some clothes and personal items seem to be missing-and has to wonder if the police are right: did the woman he married just get cold feet and take off?
When a dead woman fitting Sarah's description turns up, her tongue cut out, Terry's brought to the scene to identify the body. He's relieved to see that it's not her, but disturbed that the sheriff now sees solving the murder as more important than finding Sarah, whom the sheriff is still not convinced didn't just run off. It isn't until more women start turning up dead that the sheriff begins to entertain the idea there may be some connection, but the connection he's looking for isn't exactly the one Terry had in mind.
Given her profession of freelance investigative journalist, Terry's forced to wonder if Sarah's disappearance has something to do with a story she's working on. But if it does, was the disappearance deliberate, or sinister? And what, if anything, do the dead women have to do with it? Only adding to his frustration and anxiety, the place where he's lined up a job, biotech company Genavax, isn't exactly what he was expecting. Actually, nothing about what he finds-or doesn't, as the case may be-in America is quite what he was expecting. In fact, the more Terry pokes around, the more complicated things become.
As do all his books, Simon Wood gets No Show off to a galloping start, plunging both Terry and the reader immediately into mystery and confusion from the moment Terry steps off the plane. Terry's status as an outsider, not just new to town but to the very country, provides Wood with fertile ground for tension, miscommunication, and appropriately timed doses of wry humor. It, and the couple's brief courtship, also provides Wood with the chance to explore the very nature of relationships-particularly those of a romantic nature-and to ask how well does anyone really know someone...even the person they're married to.
There's nothing especially groundbreaking about the plot of No Show, and there's nothing wrong with that. Not every book needs to contort itself into a pretzel trying to prove how clever and original it is. No, Wood is happy to just dig in, grab the reader's interest, and tell a page-turning mystery/whodunnit story, and you'll be more than happy to go along for the fast-paced, twisting, "didn't see that coming" ending of a ride.
Only, Sarah isn't there to meet him at the airport. After waiting for several hours, hoping she was just stuck in traffic, Terry finally takes a shuttle to "their" house, a place he's never actually been. Sarah isn't there either, which forces Terry to break in...something a watchful neighbor dutifully reports to the local sheriff. A brief arrest and long explanation later, Terry is left with a skeptical sheriff, wary new neighbors, and still no wife.
Terry can find no explanation for her disappearance, but does find evidence that she left voluntarily-there's no sign of struggle in the house and a bag, some clothes and personal items seem to be missing-and has to wonder if the police are right: did the woman he married just get cold feet and take off?
When a dead woman fitting Sarah's description turns up, her tongue cut out, Terry's brought to the scene to identify the body. He's relieved to see that it's not her, but disturbed that the sheriff now sees solving the murder as more important than finding Sarah, whom the sheriff is still not convinced didn't just run off. It isn't until more women start turning up dead that the sheriff begins to entertain the idea there may be some connection, but the connection he's looking for isn't exactly the one Terry had in mind.
Given her profession of freelance investigative journalist, Terry's forced to wonder if Sarah's disappearance has something to do with a story she's working on. But if it does, was the disappearance deliberate, or sinister? And what, if anything, do the dead women have to do with it? Only adding to his frustration and anxiety, the place where he's lined up a job, biotech company Genavax, isn't exactly what he was expecting. Actually, nothing about what he finds-or doesn't, as the case may be-in America is quite what he was expecting. In fact, the more Terry pokes around, the more complicated things become.
As do all his books, Simon Wood gets No Show off to a galloping start, plunging both Terry and the reader immediately into mystery and confusion from the moment Terry steps off the plane. Terry's status as an outsider, not just new to town but to the very country, provides Wood with fertile ground for tension, miscommunication, and appropriately timed doses of wry humor. It, and the couple's brief courtship, also provides Wood with the chance to explore the very nature of relationships-particularly those of a romantic nature-and to ask how well does anyone really know someone...even the person they're married to.
There's nothing especially groundbreaking about the plot of No Show, and there's nothing wrong with that. Not every book needs to contort itself into a pretzel trying to prove how clever and original it is. No, Wood is happy to just dig in, grab the reader's interest, and tell a page-turning mystery/whodunnit story, and you'll be more than happy to go along for the fast-paced, twisting, "didn't see that coming" ending of a ride.
October 4, 2013
I truly cannot believe this book received so many positive reviews. It ranks right up there with the worst books I've ever read. I only finished it out of morbid curiosity. I wanted to see how it would end, but I was only disappointed. The writing was simply terrible. The action was boring and the dialogue ridiculous. He uses words incorrectly, or at least in a way no one uses them. It's as if he looked up a word in the Thesaurus and picked the first one that popped up as its replacement. Did anyone edit this book? There are missing words throughout, typos, poor grammar. Once he says hyperthermia when he's referring to hypothermia, and then in the next paragraph he gets it right. What?! I almost stopped reading at that point, but I'm a glutton for punishment. None of the characters are interesting or have any redeeming qualities, and they did not redeem themselves in the end. The main character, Terry, is a bumbling idiot whose actions through the book are nothing any normal, sane, intelligent person would do in his situation.
I'm just glad this book was free as my Amazon Prime free book of the month. Although I really feel like I wasted my pick....and my time.
I'm just glad this book was free as my Amazon Prime free book of the month. Although I really feel like I wasted my pick....and my time.
October 21, 2016
The author left this book perhaps open for a sequel as he did The One That Got Away, another 5* read for me. There were definitely things left "hanging" that could maybe resolved in another story featuring Terry and Oscar.
Oscar was probably my favourite character. What a nice guy, although I thought Oscar Mayer was a film director !! Hehehe....the humourous little asides really made me laugh and I wonder if this English author's irony gets lost on his now-native readers....I really liked his dedication at the beginning-even that made me grin. I also liked the lake breathing description.
The only mistakes I spotted were a few missing words-like a/the/on but that was it. Plus I thought the English a little odd too when he wrote "under her own accord". I'd have said under her own steam or of her own accord. He sort of mixed the two phrases up !!
Certain parts weren't how I wanted things to go in this story but I didn't write it-hehehe !! It was once again a real gem, though.
Oscar was probably my favourite character. What a nice guy, although I thought Oscar Mayer was a film director !! Hehehe....the humourous little asides really made me laugh and I wonder if this English author's irony gets lost on his now-native readers....I really liked his dedication at the beginning-even that made me grin. I also liked the lake breathing description.
The only mistakes I spotted were a few missing words-like a/the/on but that was it. Plus I thought the English a little odd too when he wrote "under her own accord". I'd have said under her own steam or of her own accord. He sort of mixed the two phrases up !!
Certain parts weren't how I wanted things to go in this story but I didn't write it-hehehe !! It was once again a real gem, though.
April 1, 2024
Starts off exciting, but grows increasingly irritating as the plot progresses. This is mainly due to two things:
1. The woman the protagonist is fighting to find just does not seem owrth finding. Everyone he talks to dislikes her, she seems to have no redeeming quality except her good looks. As a reader, I never understood what the protagonist sees in her.
2. Time and time again, the protagonist does not perform to the best of his ability, which is just plain frustrating.
It is a shame, because these faults make a book with a good premise a below average read.
1. The woman the protagonist is fighting to find just does not seem owrth finding. Everyone he talks to dislikes her, she seems to have no redeeming quality except her good looks. As a reader, I never understood what the protagonist sees in her.
2. Time and time again, the protagonist does not perform to the best of his ability, which is just plain frustrating.
It is a shame, because these faults make a book with a good premise a below average read.
April 28, 2018
Another Winner!
This is one more Simon Wood book that is hard to put down!
This book did start a little slow. But after the first few chapters it started to pick up. Then it didn't slow down. When I was 97% finished ( I am reading on my Kindle ) everything shifted, not what you thought would happen at all! Simon Wood is really good at surprise endings.
This is definitely for the Mystery & Suspense enthusiasts. Great characters. Unexpected twists and turns. A great read.
This is one more Simon Wood book that is hard to put down!
This book did start a little slow. But after the first few chapters it started to pick up. Then it didn't slow down. When I was 97% finished ( I am reading on my Kindle ) everything shifted, not what you thought would happen at all! Simon Wood is really good at surprise endings.
This is definitely for the Mystery & Suspense enthusiasts. Great characters. Unexpected twists and turns. A great read.
January 5, 2017
Keeps you up at night!
Simon Wood did it again. This book has so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed the main character, Terry. Coming to America only to find your wife missing. This chap went through thick and thin to find Sarah.
This is a page turner.....A must read.
Simon Wood did it again. This book has so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed the main character, Terry. Coming to America only to find your wife missing. This chap went through thick and thin to find Sarah.
This is a page turner.....A must read.
June 11, 2017
Definitely not a No Show
A thoroughly enjoyable 'show' of how life can throw you many a curve and love can lead you through it. All sown together by multiple unexpected twists at it's end.
A thoroughly enjoyable 'show' of how life can throw you many a curve and love can lead you through it. All sown together by multiple unexpected twists at it's end.
April 13, 2014
No show no go
no show was not a book I would recommend. not particularly well written, it is a time filler and not particularly pleasant or thrilling.
no show was not a book I would recommend. not particularly well written, it is a time filler and not particularly pleasant or thrilling.
July 28, 2017
This has got to be one of the most intoxicating reads I've ever read! The suspense is wide open all the way to the end. This author's work is so addicting. It's also creepy as in Stephen King creepy but way better. If you're into audiobooks, the narrator is absolutely wonderful. He does a great voice for all characters, also a great British accent.
Terry is just arriving to the US from England where he will now live with his American wife who is a reporter. However, Sarah fails to show up at the airport to pick him up. Imagine arriving in another country where you know no one. This is what Terry is facing. He takes transportation to where his new home is only to have to break into the house because he has no keys. There's no sign of his wife or that she has packed to go away. She's just simply disappeared. His neighbor sees him breaking in and calls the cops, which only makes matters worse. Adding to that, he has to wait to report her as missing. Meanwhile, he starts his new job because he doesn't want to get fired before he even gets started. His boss and her sidekick aren't the most pleasant people. They appear to be hiding something. Things only seem to get worse. Women start turning up dead with their tongues cut out. Terry can only wonder if this has anything to Sarah's disappearance. He doesn't know who to trust. He does make one friend so the two of them set out on an investigation of their own. Will he find Sarah? And if he does, will she still be alive?
Terry is just arriving to the US from England where he will now live with his American wife who is a reporter. However, Sarah fails to show up at the airport to pick him up. Imagine arriving in another country where you know no one. This is what Terry is facing. He takes transportation to where his new home is only to have to break into the house because he has no keys. There's no sign of his wife or that she has packed to go away. She's just simply disappeared. His neighbor sees him breaking in and calls the cops, which only makes matters worse. Adding to that, he has to wait to report her as missing. Meanwhile, he starts his new job because he doesn't want to get fired before he even gets started. His boss and her sidekick aren't the most pleasant people. They appear to be hiding something. Things only seem to get worse. Women start turning up dead with their tongues cut out. Terry can only wonder if this has anything to Sarah's disappearance. He doesn't know who to trust. He does make one friend so the two of them set out on an investigation of their own. Will he find Sarah? And if he does, will she still be alive?
June 8, 2019
This book was masterfully plotted, who did it ? I had no idea until it was revealed within the pages.
June 21, 2019
I can always count on a good read by Simon Wood. After I finally finished a not so great book, my trusty Kindle showed me my recommendations, and thankfully, a Simon Wood I had yet to read! I gobbled it up quickly, as in finished it in one night. That's the good and bad thing about Wood's books, they're nearly impossible to put down once you start. This one included!
May 21, 2020
You've done it AGAIN!!!!
You are an amazing wtiter. Once again you had me up to 2am because I could not put this book down. A pager turner for sure. You never disappoint. I would have never guessed the end and you still left me wondering the Sheriff's intentions.... Thanks for another great read!
You are an amazing wtiter. Once again you had me up to 2am because I could not put this book down. A pager turner for sure. You never disappoint. I would have never guessed the end and you still left me wondering the Sheriff's intentions.... Thanks for another great read!
June 16, 2013
Title : No Show
Author : Simon Wood
Genre: thriller
Publisher : Thomas & Mercer
Release : June 25,2013
Rating : 4 stars
Book blurb
Englishman Terry Sheffield has just arrived in San Francisco to start his new life with Sarah, the investigative journalist he married after a transatlantic love affair. But Sarah never shows up at the airport.
When Terry reports his wife as missing, the police chalk it up to a new bride with cold feet. Then one murdered woman after another turns up, all with something in common: they had exposed scandals just before their deaths…and their names appear on a list that Sarah composed. As a journalist, Sarah’s exposed her share of scandals, and Terry realizes that she’s not missing—she’s on the run.
To find her before the killer does, Terry must explore the dark recesses of his new homeland and rely on the help of some new friends. But as his search brings him closer to finding Sarah, Terry realizes she’s very different from the woman he thought he married.
My thought
No Show was not only an enjoyable read, it was a fun read. Wood peppers the story with small dollops of black humor, usually between Terry and his new found friend Oscar, and with self-deprecating asides concerning Terry’s nationality. But No Show is not a buddy story, nor is it a light comedy. No Show digs deep into a man’s natural instinct to protect a loved-one at all costs, the nature of self doubt, and the pain of someone losing their spouse either emotionally or physically.
There’s plenty of action in the novel to keeps fans of any genre satisfied, and while it may not be brutal, it’s never gratuitous. Blood does flow, knife’s do cut flesh, and bullets fly in No Show, but Wood tempers it with Terry’s emotional angst, which can hurt just as much as the wounds from any weapon would.
My problems with the story is the way that Terry marries Sarah (he met her on a vacation and married her after barely knowing anything about her)
If you want an enjoyable reading experience to take to the beach, curl up on your couch, or ride the subway, than I believe you will be very happy with this book. Loved this book. Buy it. You will love it!!!
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to the author or the publisher of this book
Author : Simon Wood
Genre: thriller
Publisher : Thomas & Mercer
Release : June 25,2013
Rating : 4 stars
Book blurb
Englishman Terry Sheffield has just arrived in San Francisco to start his new life with Sarah, the investigative journalist he married after a transatlantic love affair. But Sarah never shows up at the airport.
When Terry reports his wife as missing, the police chalk it up to a new bride with cold feet. Then one murdered woman after another turns up, all with something in common: they had exposed scandals just before their deaths…and their names appear on a list that Sarah composed. As a journalist, Sarah’s exposed her share of scandals, and Terry realizes that she’s not missing—she’s on the run.
To find her before the killer does, Terry must explore the dark recesses of his new homeland and rely on the help of some new friends. But as his search brings him closer to finding Sarah, Terry realizes she’s very different from the woman he thought he married.
My thought
No Show was not only an enjoyable read, it was a fun read. Wood peppers the story with small dollops of black humor, usually between Terry and his new found friend Oscar, and with self-deprecating asides concerning Terry’s nationality. But No Show is not a buddy story, nor is it a light comedy. No Show digs deep into a man’s natural instinct to protect a loved-one at all costs, the nature of self doubt, and the pain of someone losing their spouse either emotionally or physically.
There’s plenty of action in the novel to keeps fans of any genre satisfied, and while it may not be brutal, it’s never gratuitous. Blood does flow, knife’s do cut flesh, and bullets fly in No Show, but Wood tempers it with Terry’s emotional angst, which can hurt just as much as the wounds from any weapon would.
My problems with the story is the way that Terry marries Sarah (he met her on a vacation and married her after barely knowing anything about her)
If you want an enjoyable reading experience to take to the beach, curl up on your couch, or ride the subway, than I believe you will be very happy with this book. Loved this book. Buy it. You will love it!!!
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to the author or the publisher of this book
November 7, 2013
The opening page of Simon Wood’s terrific new novel finds his protagonist, Terry Sheffield, arriving in San Francisco from his native England, where he ready and eager to start his new life in a new country with his new wife. They had met 18 months before in Costa Rica while on holiday, followed swiftly by an international love affair and a whirlwind marriage (a wedding in Las Vegas, of all places); they had not seen each other since the honeymoon six months ago. Thirty years old, a biotechnologist, he has given up his home, job, family and friends and “drawn a line under his life in the U.K.,” finally getting all the documentation needed to become an American. But it quickly becomes apparent that he is living anyone’s worst nightmare: As the title implies, Sarah never appears at the airport, and Terry soon discovers that she has completely disappeared. All signs at their home in northern California indicate that it’s been several days since she had gone missing.
Sarah is a freelance journalist. After Terry reports her disappearance to the Sheriff, he searches the contents of her computer and any notes or miscellaneous papers he can find anywhere in the house for any clues as to what might have led to her leaving; there is no sign that she has been abducted. Since they met, they had only spent a total of eight or nine weeks together, and he now repeatedly asks himself exactly what he really knew about the woman he had married; irritatingly, others keep asking him the same question. As the book moves forward, the answers he seeks become more and more complicated, including as they do several brutal murders.
This is a suspenseful page-turner, leavened from time to time with the author’s characteristic wit. There are indications that this is the first of a new series from Mr. Wood, and I for one cannot wait for the sequel. The book is highly recommended.
Sarah is a freelance journalist. After Terry reports her disappearance to the Sheriff, he searches the contents of her computer and any notes or miscellaneous papers he can find anywhere in the house for any clues as to what might have led to her leaving; there is no sign that she has been abducted. Since they met, they had only spent a total of eight or nine weeks together, and he now repeatedly asks himself exactly what he really knew about the woman he had married; irritatingly, others keep asking him the same question. As the book moves forward, the answers he seeks become more and more complicated, including as they do several brutal murders.
This is a suspenseful page-turner, leavened from time to time with the author’s characteristic wit. There are indications that this is the first of a new series from Mr. Wood, and I for one cannot wait for the sequel. The book is highly recommended.
March 24, 2015
"Simon Wood Has Created Another Riveting Story"
This is another edge-of-your seat novel from favorite author, Simon Wood. Arriving on a Boeing 747 to San Francisco, Terry Sheffield is excited to be arriving from England to join his wife, Sarah. They've only been married for six months, and haven't seen each other since their honeymoon as the U.S. Immigration Service had delayed his residency via slow processing of paperwork. He's anxious to see Sarah waiting as he walks through the Arrivals Area of the airport. But she's a no-show! He has already shipped his belongings to their new residence in Edenville, a small town located between San Francisco and Sacramento. He calls her home phone, cell phone, and still is not able to talk to her; the phones just go straight to voice mail. Has she been in an accident? Finally, he has no options so he takes a shuttle van to Edenville. He doesn't even have a key to his new home and is left with no option than to break into the house via the patio sliding doors. It's not long before the local police appear, they handcuff him and tote him off to the sheriff's office for housebreaking. He eventually files paper work with the PD reporting his wife as a missing person. However, they have no clues where she might be and have other cases which take precedence. Thus Terry initiates he own investigation. This is an awesome novel with a very potent story line. It's well written and Simon's writing style makes this a fast-paced shocking and gripping mystery. Highly recommend.
This is another edge-of-your seat novel from favorite author, Simon Wood. Arriving on a Boeing 747 to San Francisco, Terry Sheffield is excited to be arriving from England to join his wife, Sarah. They've only been married for six months, and haven't seen each other since their honeymoon as the U.S. Immigration Service had delayed his residency via slow processing of paperwork. He's anxious to see Sarah waiting as he walks through the Arrivals Area of the airport. But she's a no-show! He has already shipped his belongings to their new residence in Edenville, a small town located between San Francisco and Sacramento. He calls her home phone, cell phone, and still is not able to talk to her; the phones just go straight to voice mail. Has she been in an accident? Finally, he has no options so he takes a shuttle van to Edenville. He doesn't even have a key to his new home and is left with no option than to break into the house via the patio sliding doors. It's not long before the local police appear, they handcuff him and tote him off to the sheriff's office for housebreaking. He eventually files paper work with the PD reporting his wife as a missing person. However, they have no clues where she might be and have other cases which take precedence. Thus Terry initiates he own investigation. This is an awesome novel with a very potent story line. It's well written and Simon's writing style makes this a fast-paced shocking and gripping mystery. Highly recommend.
August 31, 2013
Terry Sheffield is thrilled; the ICE hoops have been jumped through and he's finally returning to the San Francisco Bay Area from England. His wife, Sarah, is to meet him at the airport ... except that she isn't there. No messages, nothing. When he gets to their home, he discovers that she isn't there, either.
And then dead women start showing up ... women she knows about in her capacity as an investigative reporter. Somehow, Terry finds himself in the cross-hairs of the local sheriff as a suspect. So, he and his newfound buddy Oscar set out to find Sarah and figure out what's going on. Pretty soon, Terry is getting too close for comfort to the truth about what's happening ... and he's in danger as well.
This book was one that I hated to put down; I finished it over the course of two evenings. The characters and situations are realistically drawn; in fact, some of them felt a little too real for comfort! I was surprised when the "whodunnit" was revealed, which seldom happens anymore, and that's always a good thing.
Highly recommended for fans of mystery novels.
(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)
And then dead women start showing up ... women she knows about in her capacity as an investigative reporter. Somehow, Terry finds himself in the cross-hairs of the local sheriff as a suspect. So, he and his newfound buddy Oscar set out to find Sarah and figure out what's going on. Pretty soon, Terry is getting too close for comfort to the truth about what's happening ... and he's in danger as well.
This book was one that I hated to put down; I finished it over the course of two evenings. The characters and situations are realistically drawn; in fact, some of them felt a little too real for comfort! I was surprised when the "whodunnit" was revealed, which seldom happens anymore, and that's always a good thing.
Highly recommended for fans of mystery novels.
(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)
February 16, 2015
No Show – A Highly Recommended Read July 9/14
A British bio-tech scientist meets a woman while on vacation in Costa Rica and falls in love. After a 6 month long distance relationship, they get married in Las Vegas. When Terry gets his immigration approval, he travels to their new home and waits impatiently at the airport for Sarah to pick him up. She doesn’t show up or answer her phone. After breaking into his new home, he gets arrested and discovers that his wife has not been home for at least ten days. He files a missing person’s report and immediately becomes a suspect in not only his wife’s disappearance but in another woman’s murder.
Finding the local sheriff, less than helpful, Terry takes it upon himself to find out what happened to his wife. Meanwhile, he begins work at a bio-tech company only to discover illegal activities that put his life in danger.
Simon Wood has once again created an intriguing story of romance, suspense, and danger that kept me intrigued throughout this fast-paced novel.
D.J. Warner, Mystery Novelist & Freelance Editor
www.djwarnerconsulting.blogspot.ca
A British bio-tech scientist meets a woman while on vacation in Costa Rica and falls in love. After a 6 month long distance relationship, they get married in Las Vegas. When Terry gets his immigration approval, he travels to their new home and waits impatiently at the airport for Sarah to pick him up. She doesn’t show up or answer her phone. After breaking into his new home, he gets arrested and discovers that his wife has not been home for at least ten days. He files a missing person’s report and immediately becomes a suspect in not only his wife’s disappearance but in another woman’s murder.
Finding the local sheriff, less than helpful, Terry takes it upon himself to find out what happened to his wife. Meanwhile, he begins work at a bio-tech company only to discover illegal activities that put his life in danger.
Simon Wood has once again created an intriguing story of romance, suspense, and danger that kept me intrigued throughout this fast-paced novel.
D.J. Warner, Mystery Novelist & Freelance Editor
www.djwarnerconsulting.blogspot.ca
July 26, 2016
Terry arrives in the US from England having left his home, friends and family to relocate and live with his American wife who he met while on holiday. Arriving at San Francisco airport Terry waits for Sarah to meet him there but she's a ’no show’. And so Terry’s problems begin…
Having no key he has to break into his house and is seen by a neighbour who calls the police. Terry is arrested and eventually released and although there are no signs of a struggle at the house the seeds of doubt are sown.
The story gains tension and suspense as it evolves, the abrasive sheriff investigating Sarah’s disappearance seems hell bent on making Terry the main suspect and Terry finds himself in an unfamiliar and frightening situation. He has support though from a new friend, Oscar. Good interaction between the two of them as they try to piece together what has happened.
There are twists and turns in the story which keep it moving and a totally unexpected ending.
Maybe it’s me but very rarely do I guess who dunnit and once again I was surprised!
July 16, 2013
"No Show" is an extraordinary tale about heart-wrenching abandonment. All of Simon Wood books have a keen grasp on the emotions and inner-workings of people. This continues in "No Show". A man, Terry Sheffield, begins an awful nightmare of leaving everything and traveling to another country to be with the woman he recently married (Sarah), but she does not appear at the airport as scheduled. His sojourn begins, first legitimizing his presence in America, looking for his new wife, questions about this woman he really doesn't know very well, and defending himself from accusations of harm to her.
Terry leads us through the emotional turmoil of abandonment, fear, and absolute frustration as he searches the San Francisco area for Sarah, and answers through her professional life.
Told with legitimacy and humor that has become standard for Simon Wood. It is believable and suspenseful.
This is my favorite Simon Wood work, so far....
Terry leads us through the emotional turmoil of abandonment, fear, and absolute frustration as he searches the San Francisco area for Sarah, and answers through her professional life.
Told with legitimacy and humor that has become standard for Simon Wood. It is believable and suspenseful.
This is my favorite Simon Wood work, so far....
August 4, 2013
Never having previously read Simon Wood, I was pleased to pick up this book. I am so glad I did. This book is not an on the edge of your seat roller coaster ride but is, nevertheless, a book which grabs you and pulls you in. Terry Sheffield has arrived in America to start his life with his new bride. However, she does not arrive to meet him. The book is essentially his quest to find her, with a lot of surprising twists and turns along the way. I loved the characters in this book. Terry is well written and very much a real person. His new friend Oscar is a larger than life character and you couldn't help but love him. He provides some spots of humour. The ending is surprising and at no time did I guess it. This is a well written thriller, which is well paced and exciting. I would highly recommend it
August 17, 2013
No Show grabbed my attention from the first page and kept me turning the pages all the way through. The mystery itself is intriguing, from the moment Englishman Terry Sheffield arrives in Northern California to join his American wife, the couple having met on holiday in Costa Rica and married six months ago in Las Vegas. But she doesn't show up at the airport to meet him. Where is she?
Simon Wood is an excellent storyteller. Terry is a likable, interesting character, as is his new friend Oscar Mayer. This is a suspenseful tale, with plenty of twists and turns. And I liked that the author doesn't distract the reader from the story with unnecessary sex scenes and gratuitous blood and gore.
I'm wondering if this might be the first book in a series. I hope so. I'd love to read about Terry's further adventures!
Simon Wood is an excellent storyteller. Terry is a likable, interesting character, as is his new friend Oscar Mayer. This is a suspenseful tale, with plenty of twists and turns. And I liked that the author doesn't distract the reader from the story with unnecessary sex scenes and gratuitous blood and gore.
I'm wondering if this might be the first book in a series. I hope so. I'd love to read about Terry's further adventures!
August 17, 2013
(Just to clarify - I'm not the Simon Wood who wrote this book)
Fast paced and very easy to just read and read. It's actually a little lighter than the thrillers I usually read - and by that I mean that the book isn't heavy on the violence or 'thrills' as it were. Rather, it's more about hanging out with the lead characters as they meticulously unravel the mystery. And as it happens, the mystery is a lot of fun.
Really enjoyed the relationship between the lead and the Sheriff, with whom he is constantly butting heads. There's a great tempered frustration that is always in the air between them.
And come the end it has a nice final reveal, which I feel like I should have seen coming - but then totally didn't.
Fast paced and very easy to just read and read. It's actually a little lighter than the thrillers I usually read - and by that I mean that the book isn't heavy on the violence or 'thrills' as it were. Rather, it's more about hanging out with the lead characters as they meticulously unravel the mystery. And as it happens, the mystery is a lot of fun.
Really enjoyed the relationship between the lead and the Sheriff, with whom he is constantly butting heads. There's a great tempered frustration that is always in the air between them.
And come the end it has a nice final reveal, which I feel like I should have seen coming - but then totally didn't.
August 3, 2013
I have been a fan of Simon Wood's from the start and this book further reminded me why. From page one I was hooked. The characters were engaging and the story-line was the perfect balance of mystery and intrigue. Many times authors take so many plot turns that I get whiplash trying to keep up with them--this was not the case with "No Show." It was just the right amount of twists and turns to keep my attention and not so much extra information that I lost interest. I can't remember the last book that caused me to stay up this late into the night to finish it. I HIGHLY recommend "No Show" to anyone looking for a great read. And, on a completely superficial level, I loved that the book started immediately (no unnecessary pages of fluff) and continued to the very last page.
August 30, 2013
This book definitely did not disappoint!
Terry Sheffield arrives in America eager to finally start his life with his American wife- only she does not show up at the airport to pick him up. He eventually takes a shuttle to their home only to find out that she was missing and then be promptly arrested for breaking and entering into their new home! It is soon after his arrest that Terry finds himself on a journey to find his new wife in an alien country where he knows no one and is forced to wonder just how well he really knew his wife after all. Author Simon Wood twists his plotline up like a pretzel and the reader is left with nothing but turn the pages faster to try to find out just what happened to Sarah! I definitely recommend this book!
Terry Sheffield arrives in America eager to finally start his life with his American wife- only she does not show up at the airport to pick him up. He eventually takes a shuttle to their home only to find out that she was missing and then be promptly arrested for breaking and entering into their new home! It is soon after his arrest that Terry finds himself on a journey to find his new wife in an alien country where he knows no one and is forced to wonder just how well he really knew his wife after all. Author Simon Wood twists his plotline up like a pretzel and the reader is left with nothing but turn the pages faster to try to find out just what happened to Sarah! I definitely recommend this book!
May 15, 2018
Good read
Good read. Will read novels by this author again in the future. The story kept me interested and a page Turner.
Good read. Will read novels by this author again in the future. The story kept me interested and a page Turner.
May 11, 2014
I can, honestly, say that this is one of the few books I've really enjoyed reading on my Kindle. This is the first time I had read Simon Wood, although I was familiar with him as an author. I will be looking for more of his books from now on!
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