Vamos!: Small island, big trouble. Action crime adventure

Cain #3

by Tom Trott

With just one look, Cain can tell she's in trouble.

Maria is in over her head with Oscar, a gangster she recorded a couple of sexy videos for when she needed the cash. Now he's demanding she make more, and saying no isn’t an option.

She wants out, but she can’t do it alone. She’ll need help from someone with experience, brass balls, and a gun.

She needs Cain.

Mallorca is an island drenched in sun… and blood.

Genres: Amazon

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 7, 2024

About the author

Born in Brighton, I went to school here, worked many jobs here, and have never lived anywhere else. I first started writing at school, where a group of friends and I devised and performed comedy plays for assemblies, much to the amusement of our fellow pupils. The young ones would cheer (and the old ones would groan) as we stepped up onto the stage, the buzz was tangible. It has been with me ever since.

As an adult I have written a short comedy play that was performed at the Theatre Royal Brighton in May 2014 as part of the Brighton Festival; Daye's Work, a television pilot for the local Brighton channel; and won the Empire Award (thriller category) in the 2015 New York Screenplay Contest. I published my first novel, You Can't Make Old Friends, in 2016; my second, Choose Your Parents Wisely, in 2017, my third, The Benevolent Dictator, in 2018, my fourth, It Never Goes Away, in 2019, and now my fifth, The Forbidden Zone. When I’m not writing books, I’m writing about writing, books, and film on Medium.

My inspirations as a writer come from a diverse range of storytellers, but I have a particular love for the works of Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, Joel & Ethan Coen, Arthur Conan-Doyle, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Bryan Fuller, Ira Levin, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Towne, JRR Tolkien, and many, many more books and films beside. If you can't find me, or I'm not answering my phone, I'm probably at the cinema.

I love to hear from readers, so if there’s something you want to say, please send me an email using the contact button. If you want to make sure to get the latest updates on upcoming books, then sign up to my newsletter. And if you’re interested in free and discounted eBooks, follow me on Bookbub.

Reviews

[Steph Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Vamos! is the third Cain thriller but you don’t need to have read them in order to follow the story – they all stand alone as individual thrillers. The plots all follow retired CIA agent Cain as he travels around Europe (Florence, Nice and now the Spanish island of Mallorca) saving damsels in distress and innocent lives, and turning every day into a bad day for any bad guys around.

In this outing, he is drawn to a beautiful woman in distress and finds himself helping her and her family evade a gang of local gangsters to escape her being further entangled in a web-cam porn hustle. He’s a bit out of his depth when it comes to the online investigations, but the running, hiding, scuffles and shoot-ups are right up his street, even if he is reluctant to get drawn back in (again!).

There is always an element of suspension of disbelief in this series, but this story feels somewhat more realistic than the last in terms of plot and characters. And, of course, there’s plenty of wish fulfilment as Cain white-knights and John-McClanes his way through the action and intrigue. (And as an 80s/90s child, I found myself humming the Littlest Hobo theme tune as he inevitably moves on to his next adventure by the end of the book!)

The whole story is straightforward spy hero fun and is ideal for thriller fans as an uncomplicated, adrenaline-fuelled summer beach read. And as it is the third in the series, you could always stock up before you go!

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Izhar Perlman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good writing, gripping, and good characters. Loved it

I liked the speedy way the story was happening. Leaving the evilest man alive was an unexpected ending, probably to be realistic

[Diane Lightsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise

I enjoyed the story but it got confusing and complicated with all the back and forth with saving Maria. .....

[John Roach, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Great story.

[Graham C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not finish.

[Chris Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back Cain... 'freelance problem-solver' in the unlikely driving seat of a dilapidated given-away campervan. The familiar self-styled 'security consultant' / interfering old man is in his element rebuffing the approaches of the mafia-style chief of Mallorca. So Cain chooses to defend Maria, a hapless but endearing single mum with a past and many relatives. Maria is totally out of her depth... Cain to the rescue. But things quickly become complicated.

Tom Trott delivers yet another cracking plot with ingenious twists all emanating from the curse of the inherited red lips. Engaging characters, each with their own vulnerabilities, are caught up in the frenetic action and building tension.

I was desperate to discover the ending, but didn't want to finish the book. As the denouement unraveled, the beginning made even more sense to me. Fear the piano tuner, trust no-one but Cain... oh and Bob...