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Torque
After nine years on the road, driving instructor Chas Fenn knows how to avoid accidental death - it's the intentional kind that gives him trouble.
The intentional kind is the seductive Brittany Reis who plans to carve a niche in the street drug trade with a new hallucinogen. When her lab technician suddenly dies, Reis is forced to partner with an aging con man who sees the opportunity as a last chance for a big payoff.
There is dishonour among thieves, and the formula is misdirected to Fenn who's main ambitions are to win at darts, and get a raise. And maybe get laid. Now, with Reis and her thugs hot on his tail, Fenn’s life takes a dangerous detour where the normal rules no longer apply.
In the background are Detective Inspector Evan Lareault, Sergeant Frank Bloomfield, and Coroner Dr. Dennis Collier. Their investigations of a fatal overdose, two homicides, and a fraudulent funeral home appear unrelated until Fenn discovers a family connection to the formula, and turns from hunted to hunter.
The intentional kind is the seductive Brittany Reis who plans to carve a niche in the street drug trade with a new hallucinogen. When her lab technician suddenly dies, Reis is forced to partner with an aging con man who sees the opportunity as a last chance for a big payoff.
There is dishonour among thieves, and the formula is misdirected to Fenn who's main ambitions are to win at darts, and get a raise. And maybe get laid. Now, with Reis and her thugs hot on his tail, Fenn’s life takes a dangerous detour where the normal rules no longer apply.
In the background are Detective Inspector Evan Lareault, Sergeant Frank Bloomfield, and Coroner Dr. Dennis Collier. Their investigations of a fatal overdose, two homicides, and a fraudulent funeral home appear unrelated until Fenn discovers a family connection to the formula, and turns from hunted to hunter.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2013
About the author
Glenn Muller
11 books10 followersGlenn Muller was born in New Jersey, USA, then spent his early years in England before emigrating to Canada where he would attain Canadian citizenship.
After jobs in hotel administration, driver education, computer applications, and bookkeeping, Glenn started his own successful bookkeeping business. Writing, of course, he’s always done for love, not money. Though money is always politely accepted when offered.
Chas Fenn, the protagonist in his debut novel, TORQUE, was inspired by the twelve years he spent as a driving instructor, and would appeal to fans of The Republic of Doyle. His latest novel, BOOMERANG, was influenced by a life-long interest in Space exploration and would appeal to fans of Clive Cussler, Lynwood Barclay, and Michael Connelly.
Although his genre is thrillers, Glenn natural sense of humour bubbles to the surface, prompting readers to describe his books as “fun-packed” and “just plain awesome”.
After jobs in hotel administration, driver education, computer applications, and bookkeeping, Glenn started his own successful bookkeeping business. Writing, of course, he’s always done for love, not money. Though money is always politely accepted when offered.
Chas Fenn, the protagonist in his debut novel, TORQUE, was inspired by the twelve years he spent as a driving instructor, and would appeal to fans of The Republic of Doyle. His latest novel, BOOMERANG, was influenced by a life-long interest in Space exploration and would appeal to fans of Clive Cussler, Lynwood Barclay, and Michael Connelly.
Although his genre is thrillers, Glenn natural sense of humour bubbles to the surface, prompting readers to describe his books as “fun-packed” and “just plain awesome”.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 3, 2020
“Two homicides, a fatal overdose, and a fraudulent funeral home”
Driving instructor, Chas Fenn, finds himself unwillingly involved in a scheme that may put him on the wrong side of the grass when his ne’er do well father sends him the formula for a new designer street hallucinogen and is murdered before he can tell his son what’s going on. The owners of that recipe are obviously comfortable with doing whatever it takes to recover it.
As Glenn Muller’s debut novel, TORQUE is certainly enjoyable and there’s much to commend in it. His use of the local terrain in Hamilton, for example, is brilliant and, as a long-time local resident, I could mentally place myself in virtually every single locale used throughout the entire novel.
On the other hand, I found the overall plot and the number of cast members that made an appearance on Muller’s stage to be needlessly large and complex. Far too many characters put in a brief appearance stage right, were named, introduced and briefly described, spoke a line or two and then promptly disappeared stage right never to be heard from again. As far as the comment on a rather byzantine plot is concerned, my guess is that this is a first-time writer problem. I’m betting that Muller had bags of ideas that he wanted to fit into a novel and that he did his best to include them … ALL of them! I’m also betting that this is a problem that will sort itself out in subsequent novels as Muller becomes more comfortable with his success, more accomplished with his craft and more deft at setting some of these ideas aside for when they should be used more successfully in their own right.
Last but not least, I wanted to say that Chas Fenn is a great character BUT he's a polished and somewhat over-the-top suspense thriller protagonist who simply appears in full blossom – a driver with skills at the level of a stunt driver or Formula 1 race driver; a rock climber; he’s got the sleuthing and intuitive thinking skills of an experienced, life-long homicide detective; he’s a model physical specimen and a mechanic with knowledge of a car’s performance and design that would rival an automotive engineer’s. Here’s the thing! I’ll bet he’s got an interesting back story that would explain all of this and make him much deeper and more believable at the same time. My hope is that, in novels to come, author Muller will disclose some of that story, and make Fenn more credible and even more interesting to his fans. Perhaps even a prequel?
Good job, Mr Muller. Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
Driving instructor, Chas Fenn, finds himself unwillingly involved in a scheme that may put him on the wrong side of the grass when his ne’er do well father sends him the formula for a new designer street hallucinogen and is murdered before he can tell his son what’s going on. The owners of that recipe are obviously comfortable with doing whatever it takes to recover it.
As Glenn Muller’s debut novel, TORQUE is certainly enjoyable and there’s much to commend in it. His use of the local terrain in Hamilton, for example, is brilliant and, as a long-time local resident, I could mentally place myself in virtually every single locale used throughout the entire novel.
On the other hand, I found the overall plot and the number of cast members that made an appearance on Muller’s stage to be needlessly large and complex. Far too many characters put in a brief appearance stage right, were named, introduced and briefly described, spoke a line or two and then promptly disappeared stage right never to be heard from again. As far as the comment on a rather byzantine plot is concerned, my guess is that this is a first-time writer problem. I’m betting that Muller had bags of ideas that he wanted to fit into a novel and that he did his best to include them … ALL of them! I’m also betting that this is a problem that will sort itself out in subsequent novels as Muller becomes more comfortable with his success, more accomplished with his craft and more deft at setting some of these ideas aside for when they should be used more successfully in their own right.
Last but not least, I wanted to say that Chas Fenn is a great character BUT he's a polished and somewhat over-the-top suspense thriller protagonist who simply appears in full blossom – a driver with skills at the level of a stunt driver or Formula 1 race driver; a rock climber; he’s got the sleuthing and intuitive thinking skills of an experienced, life-long homicide detective; he’s a model physical specimen and a mechanic with knowledge of a car’s performance and design that would rival an automotive engineer’s. Here’s the thing! I’ll bet he’s got an interesting back story that would explain all of this and make him much deeper and more believable at the same time. My hope is that, in novels to come, author Muller will disclose some of that story, and make Fenn more credible and even more interesting to his fans. Perhaps even a prequel?
Good job, Mr Muller. Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
April 15, 2022
Thank you to Glenn Muller for this review copy!
This debut novel is an action-packed read. One man is dragged into a dangerous situation and forced to keep himself and those close to him safe. You can expect some high-speed car chases that bring Fast and Furious to mind.
Glenn Muller brings his knowledge as a driving instructor into this story and adds some police procedural, rock climbing and a femme fatal that will leave most female readers a little annoyed. The story is action-packed. It has a lot of characters and loads of detail about each one’s back story. This story was well thought out and full of detail that never leaves you wondering about anyone.
Brittany Reis has formed an unusual partnership to develop a unique new drug that will make her a fortune. However, when the scientist who created this amazing drug patch dies, she needs to get into bed with a few unusual characters to obtain the formula. Thinking her sexuality was enough to keep these men in line backfires when one man defies orders and posts the disk to his estranged son instead.
Chas Fenn, an unexpecting driving instructor receives the disk containing the formula and has his world turned upside down. Suddenly he is facing a dangerous group of people and fighting to stay ahead of the game.
This book was an unusual read, while it was actioned pack and fast-paced at times it also included a lot of backstories that felt a little unnecessary. The author wrote a story that shows knowledge on various topics and ended with a hint of more to come.
Sadly, the main female character was a little disappointing and I am sure a lot of female readers will be very disappointed with this woman. She showed loads of potential, however, this woman’s only strength turned out to be sex. Showing her to be a weak- and single-minded character.
Torque is an action thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy high-speed car chases with Fast and Furious type technical detail.
https://featzreviews.com
This debut novel is an action-packed read. One man is dragged into a dangerous situation and forced to keep himself and those close to him safe. You can expect some high-speed car chases that bring Fast and Furious to mind.
Glenn Muller brings his knowledge as a driving instructor into this story and adds some police procedural, rock climbing and a femme fatal that will leave most female readers a little annoyed. The story is action-packed. It has a lot of characters and loads of detail about each one’s back story. This story was well thought out and full of detail that never leaves you wondering about anyone.
Brittany Reis has formed an unusual partnership to develop a unique new drug that will make her a fortune. However, when the scientist who created this amazing drug patch dies, she needs to get into bed with a few unusual characters to obtain the formula. Thinking her sexuality was enough to keep these men in line backfires when one man defies orders and posts the disk to his estranged son instead.
Chas Fenn, an unexpecting driving instructor receives the disk containing the formula and has his world turned upside down. Suddenly he is facing a dangerous group of people and fighting to stay ahead of the game.
This book was an unusual read, while it was actioned pack and fast-paced at times it also included a lot of backstories that felt a little unnecessary. The author wrote a story that shows knowledge on various topics and ended with a hint of more to come.
Sadly, the main female character was a little disappointing and I am sure a lot of female readers will be very disappointed with this woman. She showed loads of potential, however, this woman’s only strength turned out to be sex. Showing her to be a weak- and single-minded character.
Torque is an action thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy high-speed car chases with Fast and Furious type technical detail.
https://featzreviews.com
July 5, 2013
Torque starts as it means to go on by being fast paced and action packed. The beginning of the story opens with the anonymous characters playing out a scene, where one is selling a new street drug to some young men. The intriguing beginning ends in a death, but it opens up the tale for a myriad of other characters and plots. The main character, Chas Fenn, is quite the innocent bystander, but quickly becomes embroiled in the story when his father sends him an important and dangerous package. Fenn's resourceful, clever and completely likeable and despite his father being a con-man, he is only tainted by the association for the package that was sent to him. He is the man who can do what the cops seem to be failing to do, find links between the many plots and he gives the bad guys a hell of a time! There are a host of interesting deaths, action scenes, car chases, humour and characters that make this an entertaining read - the mysterious Brittany Reis, whose hairclip I wouldn't won't to be accidently poked with, Fenn's tongue-in-cheek friends and a load of good and bad guys.
The story keeps its dramatic pace throughout and the twists and turns never stop. Even when you reach the end, there are still surprises to be had. A highly recommended read, thoroughly entertaining and very worthy of the 4 star rating given.
The story keeps its dramatic pace throughout and the twists and turns never stop. Even when you reach the end, there are still surprises to be had. A highly recommended read, thoroughly entertaining and very worthy of the 4 star rating given.
August 1, 2013
Nicely Paced, Visual Crime Thriller
4.5 stars!
Torque is a thriller and police procedural that’s driven by its fascinating antagonists and rich secondary characters, and then by an ordinary main character who eventually proves not so ordinary as he rises to the challenge. The writing is sharp, the plot well-executed, and Muller is skilled in crafting realistic dialogue and tense scenes that move the story forward and get the reader to turn the page. The narrative also shows a love of the land – lakefront area, Ontario – with just the right amount of gritty, splashy outdoor action scenes to keep it fresh.
The novel reads as if it is well-researched, and then carefully crafted over time, like a fine wine vs. cranked out as so many of today’s independent novels are. Muller can write, and I would encourage him to write more novels because this one was darn good. The whole back story offered for Torque’s somewhat neutral Svoljsak character was brilliant and made the character so vivid that he entered my subconscious thoughts. Main character Fenn starts out too vanilla in my opinion … with some trite dialogue at times … but he grows into a splendid unlikely hero that won me over big time. Reis? Well, I’ve got a role for Joan Severance when the Torque movie comes out. Not all of the threads in the Reis character were tied up at the end (a sequel perhaps?), but her conniving presence drove the story, forcing everyone else to react desperately, and that’s what a good villain does.
Readers looking for a good crime thriller along the lines of John D. MacDonald, Elmore Leonard, Ian Fleming, Janet Evanovich and Linwood Barclay should give Glenn Muller’s Torque a test drive today.
4.5 stars!
Torque is a thriller and police procedural that’s driven by its fascinating antagonists and rich secondary characters, and then by an ordinary main character who eventually proves not so ordinary as he rises to the challenge. The writing is sharp, the plot well-executed, and Muller is skilled in crafting realistic dialogue and tense scenes that move the story forward and get the reader to turn the page. The narrative also shows a love of the land – lakefront area, Ontario – with just the right amount of gritty, splashy outdoor action scenes to keep it fresh.
The novel reads as if it is well-researched, and then carefully crafted over time, like a fine wine vs. cranked out as so many of today’s independent novels are. Muller can write, and I would encourage him to write more novels because this one was darn good. The whole back story offered for Torque’s somewhat neutral Svoljsak character was brilliant and made the character so vivid that he entered my subconscious thoughts. Main character Fenn starts out too vanilla in my opinion … with some trite dialogue at times … but he grows into a splendid unlikely hero that won me over big time. Reis? Well, I’ve got a role for Joan Severance when the Torque movie comes out. Not all of the threads in the Reis character were tied up at the end (a sequel perhaps?), but her conniving presence drove the story, forcing everyone else to react desperately, and that’s what a good villain does.
Readers looking for a good crime thriller along the lines of John D. MacDonald, Elmore Leonard, Ian Fleming, Janet Evanovich and Linwood Barclay should give Glenn Muller’s Torque a test drive today.
Read
January 12, 2025Fasten your seatbelts, hang on to the edge of your seat, and prepare for one heck of a ride before you open up the novel Torque by Canadian author Glenn Muller!
Torque is a well-written, fast-paced thrill ride, with complex characters, and a plotline with more twists and turns than a switch-back road. You will likely stay up way too late reading, because this book is difficult to put down.
I look forward to finding out what is up next for Fenn!
Torque is a well-written, fast-paced thrill ride, with complex characters, and a plotline with more twists and turns than a switch-back road. You will likely stay up way too late reading, because this book is difficult to put down.
I look forward to finding out what is up next for Fenn!
May 17, 2013
I absolutely loved this fast paced, action packed thriller! Fascinating characters kept me on the edge of the seat to the last word. It was an exceptional read. Visceral descriptions put me into the scenes as my heart raced with every twist. I'm hoping for a sequel...
December 26, 2025
Felt like I was actually there, like watching a movie. I enjoyed that fact the setting was local.
March 18, 2013
Too cool this is one of my BFF that lives next door!This is her sisters husband!Wooooooohoooooo!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews