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Hindsight
A tormented ex-soldier.
A terrorist cell out for blood.
A nation at stake.
A family caught in the middle.
“A high-stakes suspense novel with a breakneck pace and strong voice.” – Kirkus Reviews
"...Furious double-crosses, stunning revelations and gritty action...it's paced perfectly. A slick mix of Quentin Tarantino and Elmore Leonard, combined with a deliciously good helping of Irish black humour." John Ling (Author of The Blasphemer and Fallen Angel)
Shirley O’Shea is an ex-con with a history of violence and more than one debt to pay. Haunted by his years as a special forces operative, he’s still trying to make things right for his family when a man named Isaac shows up with a package to deliver and an envelope full of money. Shirley takes the job, and the life he’s spent years rebuilding comes crashing down in an instant. Now he's a wanted man, a continent away from home, in the company of a terrorist splinter cell. Shirley discovers that there is more than one side to every war and that a tragedy buried in his family’s past may put the future of an entire nation in peril. But to stop that from happening, its going to cost Shirley something he could never have imagined.
Fans of James Patterson or Lee Child will find a hero they can root for in Shirley O'Shea. Start with a free sample or buy now and strap in for the ride.
A terrorist cell out for blood.
A nation at stake.
A family caught in the middle.
“A high-stakes suspense novel with a breakneck pace and strong voice.” – Kirkus Reviews
"...Furious double-crosses, stunning revelations and gritty action...it's paced perfectly. A slick mix of Quentin Tarantino and Elmore Leonard, combined with a deliciously good helping of Irish black humour." John Ling (Author of The Blasphemer and Fallen Angel)
Shirley O’Shea is an ex-con with a history of violence and more than one debt to pay. Haunted by his years as a special forces operative, he’s still trying to make things right for his family when a man named Isaac shows up with a package to deliver and an envelope full of money. Shirley takes the job, and the life he’s spent years rebuilding comes crashing down in an instant. Now he's a wanted man, a continent away from home, in the company of a terrorist splinter cell. Shirley discovers that there is more than one side to every war and that a tragedy buried in his family’s past may put the future of an entire nation in peril. But to stop that from happening, its going to cost Shirley something he could never have imagined.
Fans of James Patterson or Lee Child will find a hero they can root for in Shirley O'Shea. Start with a free sample or buy now and strap in for the ride.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2013
6 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Owen Banner
4 books38 followersAuthor of a different breed of thrillers, Owen Banner spent his childhood baptized in the red dirt of Mandeville, Jamaica and his adolescence in the neon morass of Manila in the Philippines.
Find Owen in the wild on Instagram, where he is posting numerous other giveaways related to Those Who Hunger and on his website, where you can find a free novella related to Hindsight.
His novels are intense and character-driven, exploding with action and sizzling with description and dialogue, never losing sight of the complexity of the people and places that populate them.
His first novel, Hindsight, is a high-octane psychological thriller of terrorism and crime. Kirkus Reviews calls it "a high-stakes suspense novel with a breakneck pace and strong voice".
Owen's latest novel is a fresh twist on the vampire thriller. An emotionally riveting story in a richly textured small town that will stay with you long after it’s satisfying last page, it is now available for a discounted Pre-Order price on Amazon.
Find Owen in the wild on Instagram, where he is posting numerous other giveaways related to Those Who Hunger and on his website, where you can find a free novella related to Hindsight.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 8, 2016
An innocent man conned into the Northern Irish conflict on the he promise of cash to help his aunt and sister. He soon realises that he has been conned and will have to perform some nasty jobs for his new saviors and friends. There is no happy ending for this man or his family however.
Gritty and realistic writing gets you into the twisted world that he finds himself in.
My one piece of advice, don't bother with the epilogue, completely redundant and ruins the tone of the whole story.
Gritty and realistic writing gets you into the twisted world that he finds himself in.
My one piece of advice, don't bother with the epilogue, completely redundant and ruins the tone of the whole story.
November 8, 2016
The opening book in the series by a new author.
I'm a huge fan of thrillers so I'm always looking for something new, especially series.
When I read the book blurb, the first thing that struck me was the lead character's name, Shirley. I was instantly thrown back to the classic Airplane movie starring Leslie Nielsen in the 80's. Throw in the Irish reference and having loved that movie and of Irish heritage, I was instantly intrigued.
The story seems to be a redemption story but as it goes on I found that Shirley was carrying around guilt that was not wholly his to carry, that is until later in the story when it's that guilt that drives him to make a decision that will cost those he loves almost everything.
Shirley also suffers from severe PTSD from his time in the service and it's that illness that colors his life. As they say "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". That should be the title of this book as Shirley finds out when he has a meeting with a former friend of his father.Thrust into a war he neither wanted nor can escape, he has to decide if family or honor are more important. A decision that really needs no thought.
I wish there would have been more action in the first third of the book but overall it was a good story that kept me reading to the end. There are a few things I would change but that's just personal preference.
The last part of the book has plenty of action that has built towards through the book but it seems that instead of the end it is just the beginning.
Shirley is a man you root for. While he is certainly capable of deadly violence, he also has a moral compass that he tries to stick to but sometimes you have to weight what is right against what is needed.
I saw another reviewer was offended by some of the language in the book to which I would say that if you're that sensitive, then you should probably look for a different genre to read. I didn't think the language was that excessive or any that really seemed out of place for the people and places this book is about.
The biggest negative for me was that it ends in the middle of the story line. Clearly, this story is bigger than what you think and will span multiple books. I personally do not care for that. I prefer that each book stands on its own and gives us new and different plots to cheer on the characters. Just a personal preference.
I'm a huge fan of thrillers so I'm always looking for something new, especially series.
When I read the book blurb, the first thing that struck me was the lead character's name, Shirley. I was instantly thrown back to the classic Airplane movie starring Leslie Nielsen in the 80's. Throw in the Irish reference and having loved that movie and of Irish heritage, I was instantly intrigued.
The story seems to be a redemption story but as it goes on I found that Shirley was carrying around guilt that was not wholly his to carry, that is until later in the story when it's that guilt that drives him to make a decision that will cost those he loves almost everything.
Shirley also suffers from severe PTSD from his time in the service and it's that illness that colors his life. As they say "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". That should be the title of this book as Shirley finds out when he has a meeting with a former friend of his father.Thrust into a war he neither wanted nor can escape, he has to decide if family or honor are more important. A decision that really needs no thought.
I wish there would have been more action in the first third of the book but overall it was a good story that kept me reading to the end. There are a few things I would change but that's just personal preference.
The last part of the book has plenty of action that has built towards through the book but it seems that instead of the end it is just the beginning.
Shirley is a man you root for. While he is certainly capable of deadly violence, he also has a moral compass that he tries to stick to but sometimes you have to weight what is right against what is needed.
I saw another reviewer was offended by some of the language in the book to which I would say that if you're that sensitive, then you should probably look for a different genre to read. I didn't think the language was that excessive or any that really seemed out of place for the people and places this book is about.
The biggest negative for me was that it ends in the middle of the story line. Clearly, this story is bigger than what you think and will span multiple books. I personally do not care for that. I prefer that each book stands on its own and gives us new and different plots to cheer on the characters. Just a personal preference.
February 4, 2014
This is a debut novel from this Author, and I have to warn those readers who don’t approve of ‘rough’ language in their books; this one is full of it.
With that said, and still keeping on the subject of the language of the book, it isn’t there just because it can be, the Author uses it to reflect the language used by some of the characters in the book; and it actually adds to their development and makes them more realistic to the reader. The main protagonist is one most people can relate to; he’s a bit of a ‘lad’ to use an English term, but he is lovable and likeable. The Author has taken care with his characters to give them good backstories and then continue to develop them throughout the novel. They are humourous and unerringly human, full of all the quirks and flaws that make a great character.
The plot in this novel is both well structured and fast paced, but written in such a manner it is almost impossible to review it without including a myriad of spoilers; so I am not even going to try. The book is full of double cross and rough and ready action all of which take place without the novel missing a bit or slowing down. Surprisingly for a novel in this genre it is more importantly unpredictable in its twists and turns, and this kept me turning the pages until I finished the book.
I would highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for something a little different and off the beaten track in the crime fiction arena.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/02/04...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
With that said, and still keeping on the subject of the language of the book, it isn’t there just because it can be, the Author uses it to reflect the language used by some of the characters in the book; and it actually adds to their development and makes them more realistic to the reader. The main protagonist is one most people can relate to; he’s a bit of a ‘lad’ to use an English term, but he is lovable and likeable. The Author has taken care with his characters to give them good backstories and then continue to develop them throughout the novel. They are humourous and unerringly human, full of all the quirks and flaws that make a great character.
The plot in this novel is both well structured and fast paced, but written in such a manner it is almost impossible to review it without including a myriad of spoilers; so I am not even going to try. The book is full of double cross and rough and ready action all of which take place without the novel missing a bit or slowing down. Surprisingly for a novel in this genre it is more importantly unpredictable in its twists and turns, and this kept me turning the pages until I finished the book.
I would highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for something a little different and off the beaten track in the crime fiction arena.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/02/04...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
October 1, 2013
When Shirley got out of prison, he committed himself to being there for his sister, Haley and his Aunt Winnie they are the only family he has left. Then he meets Isaac who has connections to his Grandfather and the IRA. Isaac said he owes Shirley's family a favor: Just deliver a package and ger some money. Things are never that simple, what should have been easy blows Shirley's world apart. He's on the run trying to figure out what he's gotten into, who can he trust, how far will he go to keep his family safe? Plus his own skeletons are banging on the closet door and the door is beginning to open.A fantastic read. Look forward to reading more books by Owen Banner.
October 11, 2013
The first lines of this story were excellent and a great hook to continue reading. It's difficult to say too much because I don't give spoilers, but I will say that this book is full of twists, turns, mystery, suspense and grit - to mention a few.
I liked being inside the mind of the lead character - realistic and believable, as were the others.
Yes, a good read, especially for those who enjoy thrillers of this type.
I liked being inside the mind of the lead character - realistic and believable, as were the others.
Yes, a good read, especially for those who enjoy thrillers of this type.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews