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Crusher #2
Incinerator
Incinerator is the sequel to Niall Leonard's debut YA novel, Crusher.
London ganglord The Guvnor is in hiding, and Finn Maguire has begun a new life running a boxing gym with his old friend and coach Delroy. But when Finn's lawyer Nicky Hale vanishes overnight with all his money, Finn finds himself in hock to a loan shark with a vicious gang of enforcers. Desperate to track down Nicky and repay his debts, Finn investigates her other clients and soon finds himself engulfed in a web of lies, betrayal, malice and madness.
London ganglord The Guvnor is in hiding, and Finn Maguire has begun a new life running a boxing gym with his old friend and coach Delroy. But when Finn's lawyer Nicky Hale vanishes overnight with all his money, Finn finds himself in hock to a loan shark with a vicious gang of enforcers. Desperate to track down Nicky and repay his debts, Finn investigates her other clients and soon finds himself engulfed in a web of lies, betrayal, malice and madness.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Niall Leonard
8 books85 followersNiall Leonard grew up in Newry, Northern Ireland. He attended the University of York to study English, and from there went on to The UK National Film and Television School where he trained as a screenwriter and director.
After graduating from the NFTS in 1986 Niall’s worked as director on ITV’s long-running cop show The Bill while pursuing his own projects, such as the one-off black comedy Rotten Apples and Over The Wild Frontier, a six-part comedy drama set on the Irish border, both for Channel Four.
Niall’s first broadcast TV script was an episode of cop show Spender, closely followed by Pie In The Sky with Richard Griffiths.
In 1994 Niall took up a year-long contract as a Script Editor at BBC Northern Ireland, where he made the acquaintance of Belfast’s Hole In The Wall Gang. His work as script associate on their pilot for Give My Head Peace led to a partnership that continued for ten years
In 1995 he returned to full-time writing with a script for the groundbreaking Irish comedy drama Ballykissangel and went on to create episodes of Silent Witness, Hornblower, Sea of Souls, Second Sight, Monarch of The Glen, Wire In The Blood and Wild At Heart.
As part of the 2011 Nanowrimo novel-writing event Niall wrote Crusher, a gritty YA crime thriller, which was published by Random House in 2012 and was nominated for Best Young Adult novel by the Mystery Writers of America. He followed it with two sequels, Incinerator and Crusher.
in 2015 Niall adapted two novels by his wife, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, into feature films for Universal Pictures.
2021 will see the US publication of 'M: King's Bodyguard', by Penguin Random House, an historical thriller set in Edwardian London and based on real events. Niall is currently working on its sequel.
Niall has led seminars and workshops on screenwriting and script editing for the BBC, the Northern Ireland Film Council and the Irish Screenwriters’ Guild, and led seminars on on the creative process at UCLA.
He is married with two kids and a rather smelly dog and lives in West London.
After graduating from the NFTS in 1986 Niall’s worked as director on ITV’s long-running cop show The Bill while pursuing his own projects, such as the one-off black comedy Rotten Apples and Over The Wild Frontier, a six-part comedy drama set on the Irish border, both for Channel Four.
Niall’s first broadcast TV script was an episode of cop show Spender, closely followed by Pie In The Sky with Richard Griffiths.
In 1994 Niall took up a year-long contract as a Script Editor at BBC Northern Ireland, where he made the acquaintance of Belfast’s Hole In The Wall Gang. His work as script associate on their pilot for Give My Head Peace led to a partnership that continued for ten years
In 1995 he returned to full-time writing with a script for the groundbreaking Irish comedy drama Ballykissangel and went on to create episodes of Silent Witness, Hornblower, Sea of Souls, Second Sight, Monarch of The Glen, Wire In The Blood and Wild At Heart.
As part of the 2011 Nanowrimo novel-writing event Niall wrote Crusher, a gritty YA crime thriller, which was published by Random House in 2012 and was nominated for Best Young Adult novel by the Mystery Writers of America. He followed it with two sequels, Incinerator and Crusher.
in 2015 Niall adapted two novels by his wife, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, into feature films for Universal Pictures.
2021 will see the US publication of 'M: King's Bodyguard', by Penguin Random House, an historical thriller set in Edwardian London and based on real events. Niall is currently working on its sequel.
Niall has led seminars and workshops on screenwriting and script editing for the BBC, the Northern Ireland Film Council and the Irish Screenwriters’ Guild, and led seminars on on the creative process at UCLA.
He is married with two kids and a rather smelly dog and lives in West London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 7, 2020
No me gustó, un chico de 17 años resolviendo crímenes y que coincidencia que le pasen justo a él, que lo que sospecha se cumpla, toda pista que consigue es valiosa, su memoria es excelente, su razonamiento es el mejor, un agente del FBI le queda en pañales. ¿Con solo esa edad?
Si hubiera sido más adulto me hubiera gustado un poco mas o si por el contrario sus actitudes correspondieran a un adolescente
Ahora, la narrativa no convence, diálogos forzados o extraños que no aportaban nada a la historia y si la hacían más tediosa.
Reconozco que las escenas de acción y verdadero peligro fueron buenas, como el primer libro la escena donde lo encierran en el auto. Por estas escenas le doy 2 estrellas.
Si hubiera sido más adulto me hubiera gustado un poco mas o si por el contrario sus actitudes correspondieran a un adolescente
Ahora, la narrativa no convence, diálogos forzados o extraños que no aportaban nada a la historia y si la hacían más tediosa.
Reconozco que las escenas de acción y verdadero peligro fueron buenas, como el primer libro la escena donde lo encierran en el auto. Por estas escenas le doy 2 estrellas.
January 3, 2018
Niall Leonard managed to keep me interested from the moment I read book one in this Crusher Series. The magic of Amazon meant the final two books took over 3 months on a slow boat to reach me, so I saved them for the magical day that is #BookFairiesOffline and was not disappointed.
The books dont need to be read in order, and could stand alone however I enjoyed reading them in order to find the continuing adventure of Finn, thrown into a world of crime he never wanted, however was very good at working within. This book saw Finn running his own business, and realising his once relationship with the Govnur was not going to disappear.
These novels are fast, flow well and are manage to get me sunk into Finns character quickly. Highly recommend them.
The books dont need to be read in order, and could stand alone however I enjoyed reading them in order to find the continuing adventure of Finn, thrown into a world of crime he never wanted, however was very good at working within. This book saw Finn running his own business, and realising his once relationship with the Govnur was not going to disappear.
These novels are fast, flow well and are manage to get me sunk into Finns character quickly. Highly recommend them.
October 3, 2018
I would not recommend this book. The storyline is very basic. It is not confusing for people that have not read the first book. There are many parts in the book that are completely irrelevant and useless.
October 7, 2018
Great book better than first
March 18, 2021
Meh, 'ta bien
July 27, 2021
Fast paced and pretty crazy. This likeable kid is turning into a super hero, possibly more of a cartoon character than a real person. We'll see what the third in the series has to offer.
Read
January 24, 2023Good book. Unstable plot, yet still an interesting read. Although some characters seem to lack depth.
December 16, 2024
Que hp metedera de problemas, todo por tratar de ser “Buen amigo”
Delroy mal nacido me caíste mal!!!
Delroy mal nacido me caíste mal!!!
August 9, 2025
Un libro super interesante, te deja los pelos de punta y no podrás dejar de leerlo. Te absorbe completamente la lectura, no te das cuenta que estas leyendo, super recomendado tiene giro de trama tan impresionante que te deja pensando varios días. Lo super ame.
February 22, 2014
This is the second book in Niall Leonard's YA series about Finn Maguire. He now co-owns a gym with his friend Delroy and is trying to get his life in order with the help of the money left to him after the deaths of his parents. Following a nasty encounter with a loan shark, Finn agrees to pay off a debt but finds himself in further trouble when his lawyer Nicky appears to have absconded with the contents of his bank account. He sets out to investigate her disappearance but things aren't what they seem on the surface and he looks like getting in over his head.
Everyone in the story seems to have a secret or something they want to keep hidden but Finn is determined to leave no stone unturned in his hunt for the truth about Nicky and in his quest to keep Delroy and his wife safe. Finn is a great central character. He's had a lot of problems in the past and has been mixed up with some really dangerous people but although he may have made some wrong choices he's very street savvy and isn't someone to back down from a fight. He won't be pushed around by anyone but has tried really hard to get his life together even with things always seemingly conspiring against him.
There are some surprising twists in the story which I never saw coming and I had no idea what was going to happen until events unfolded. The ending was also brilliant and left things on a tense cliffhanger which sets things up nicely for the next book in the series but doesn't bode well for Finn.
'Incinerator' is even darker than 'Crusher'. There's lashings of blood and beatings and some bits are pretty grim for a YA book. This is a crime thriller which will keep you on your toes and have you continually looking over your shoulder. Niall Leonard has definitely conquered this corner of the market with his unique blend of gritty drama and suspense.
Everyone in the story seems to have a secret or something they want to keep hidden but Finn is determined to leave no stone unturned in his hunt for the truth about Nicky and in his quest to keep Delroy and his wife safe. Finn is a great central character. He's had a lot of problems in the past and has been mixed up with some really dangerous people but although he may have made some wrong choices he's very street savvy and isn't someone to back down from a fight. He won't be pushed around by anyone but has tried really hard to get his life together even with things always seemingly conspiring against him.
There are some surprising twists in the story which I never saw coming and I had no idea what was going to happen until events unfolded. The ending was also brilliant and left things on a tense cliffhanger which sets things up nicely for the next book in the series but doesn't bode well for Finn.
'Incinerator' is even darker than 'Crusher'. There's lashings of blood and beatings and some bits are pretty grim for a YA book. This is a crime thriller which will keep you on your toes and have you continually looking over your shoulder. Niall Leonard has definitely conquered this corner of the market with his unique blend of gritty drama and suspense.
April 19, 2014
So I know the blurb says that this is a sequel, but the paper I received said it was a companion novel as does the back of the book…so I read it without reading the first book. I can say that is not necessary to have read Crusher beforehand as I didn’t feel lost and everything is recapped for the most part without giving away too much of the previous story.
Incinerator follows Finn Maguire as he begins to make his life into something. He now has a gym of his own where his former boxing coach is his partner and closest friend. However things don’t stay positive for long as a loan shark starts to lay pressure on Delroy and Finn, and his lawyer goes missing with all of his money. Overall the story had the makings of a great thriller, but fell a little short of that mark. The plot is fairly fast pace and aided with the rather large font size I zipped through this in about 5 hours. The mystery wasn’t too hard to figure out but the plot threw in some interesting twists that made the process fairly enjoyable.
Finn had me a bit confused because I didn’t really know what to feel about him. He’s definitely efficient and it’s always nice to have a main character who can handle himself in a sticky situation…but I don’t really feel like I know him. He likes fighting, he has an interest in Nicky, and…I don’t know. His personality didn’t shine through and being that this is a first person novel I was really disappointed that the voice of the character was slightly generic. I was impressed with his ability to get to the bottom of things but I was more surprised that he was only arrested like twice…seriously….
Overall it’s a pretty decent mystery/thriller and it’s certainly a very quick read, however I’m not sure I’ll check out the companion novel.
Incinerator follows Finn Maguire as he begins to make his life into something. He now has a gym of his own where his former boxing coach is his partner and closest friend. However things don’t stay positive for long as a loan shark starts to lay pressure on Delroy and Finn, and his lawyer goes missing with all of his money. Overall the story had the makings of a great thriller, but fell a little short of that mark. The plot is fairly fast pace and aided with the rather large font size I zipped through this in about 5 hours. The mystery wasn’t too hard to figure out but the plot threw in some interesting twists that made the process fairly enjoyable.
Finn had me a bit confused because I didn’t really know what to feel about him. He’s definitely efficient and it’s always nice to have a main character who can handle himself in a sticky situation…but I don’t really feel like I know him. He likes fighting, he has an interest in Nicky, and…I don’t know. His personality didn’t shine through and being that this is a first person novel I was really disappointed that the voice of the character was slightly generic. I was impressed with his ability to get to the bottom of things but I was more surprised that he was only arrested like twice…seriously….
Overall it’s a pretty decent mystery/thriller and it’s certainly a very quick read, however I’m not sure I’ll check out the companion novel.
July 27, 2016
This companion novel to Leonard’s Crusher, follows seventeen-year-old Finn Maguire as he tries to pull his life together by opening a gym. He’s been dealing with the violent murder of his father and hopes the gym will give him purpose and security. Suddenly he’s thrust into a dilemma when his lawyer Nicky disappears along with his inheritance. He’s had his share of problems with the law so when Nicky vanishes, he doesn’t count on the authorities to really help him find her. That leaves him on his own to investigate what happened to her, and his money. Finn is tough, a fighter who is smart despite his dyslexia and lack of a high school degree. He has fallen for his older attorney and thought he could trust her. Now, his search is leading him into dangerous territory. Leonard’s book is designated Young Adult but there’s only one teenage character and the plot seems more fit for an adult audience. Still, older teens will enjoy the adventure, the mystery and the intensity of the book, but there’s not much of a YA feel to it. This might be likened to a tamed version of Lisbeth Salander’s story in Girl With a Dragon Tattoo. The action moves swiftly and the suspense builds as seventeen-year-old Finn takes on thugs, the police, and other crazed people. Finn is a gifted pugilist who outwits men much bigger than himself. He is self-reliant and brave, putting himself in danger for what is right. One can’t help liking Finn and appreciating his determination and courage. There’s violence and rough sex, though it’s not graphic. This book is a swift read that could have been labeled an adult title but which older teens may appreciate because of the high-action story.
May 16, 2014
It all started with the death of Finn Maguire's father who was found dead in a pool of blood on his kitchen table. This began in Niall Leonard's debut YA novel Crusher which was great! I rated 4/5 when I read it in January 2013.
I was very excited to read this sequel since I liked reading Crusher and did find it extremely "gut wrenching" at a particular scene in that book (which made me enjoy it). Also, it’s nice to see some thrillers for YA readers as well. As I began Incinerator, it definitely got me hooked and reading but as it progressed, it did slow down some more and then the scenes got extremely boring with lots of description. Nonetheless it was only momentarily very short and I loved it! I heard there's another book titled Shredder that is coming out in the UK soon. I'll probably have to wait a little longer for Canada.
As the title is Incinerator, I love that the title will speak for itself. Crusher as well since I mentioned above that there was a scene that had me with a "gut wrenching" feeling. Or for this novel, "fighting fire with fire" moments.
Although in my copy it has the first chapter of Crusher after the story ends, which states it as a companion novel, I recommend first reading that before Incinerator. There is sufficient backstory in Incinerator that it can be read on it's own. The ending of Crusher however is often talked about at first in the beginning of Incinerator (which would be a spoiler for me if I read it the other way around).
I was very excited to read this sequel since I liked reading Crusher and did find it extremely "gut wrenching" at a particular scene in that book (which made me enjoy it). Also, it’s nice to see some thrillers for YA readers as well. As I began Incinerator, it definitely got me hooked and reading but as it progressed, it did slow down some more and then the scenes got extremely boring with lots of description. Nonetheless it was only momentarily very short and I loved it! I heard there's another book titled Shredder that is coming out in the UK soon. I'll probably have to wait a little longer for Canada.
As the title is Incinerator, I love that the title will speak for itself. Crusher as well since I mentioned above that there was a scene that had me with a "gut wrenching" feeling. Or for this novel, "fighting fire with fire" moments.
Although in my copy it has the first chapter of Crusher after the story ends, which states it as a companion novel, I recommend first reading that before Incinerator. There is sufficient backstory in Incinerator that it can be read on it's own. The ending of Crusher however is often talked about at first in the beginning of Incinerator (which would be a spoiler for me if I read it the other way around).
March 8, 2015
I'll be honest I was hesitant to read this book because it is usually not the type of book I read (thriller, murder mystery).
Crusher (first book) was pretty good.
this one actually isn't bad either. characters weren't super developed and I couldn't really identify with them much. though it's cool that Finn can box.
I'm pretty sure there's going to be a third
all in all not a bad book. if this wasn't my genre I might consider reading more this type. but I'm not so with the violence.
I got this book for free from a Goodreads Giveaway! Thank you ^.^ <3
Crusher (first book) was pretty good.
this one actually isn't bad either. characters weren't super developed and I couldn't really identify with them much. though it's cool that Finn can box.
I'm pretty sure there's going to be a third
all in all not a bad book. if this wasn't my genre I might consider reading more this type. but I'm not so with the violence.
I got this book for free from a Goodreads Giveaway! Thank you ^.^ <3
September 6, 2015
This is the second book involving Finn Maguire. Finn has now opened his own boxing gym and has taken on his elderly boxing mentor as his partner.
New trouble finds Finn involving a new, vicious crime boss known as The Turk and again throws his world into turmoil. Other threads involve Finn looking for his attorney that has gone missing and getting involved with her possibly unstable character.
Leonard again spins and interesting tale and not only that, ends the book on a fine cliffhanger that ensures the reader will certainly go on to the third Finn Maguire book.
New trouble finds Finn involving a new, vicious crime boss known as The Turk and again throws his world into turmoil. Other threads involve Finn looking for his attorney that has gone missing and getting involved with her possibly unstable character.
Leonard again spins and interesting tale and not only that, ends the book on a fine cliffhanger that ensures the reader will certainly go on to the third Finn Maguire book.
January 26, 2016
This book was ok I liked it but there were some parts of the story that did not make any sense at all but overall it was a good book. the plot of the story is it is about a guy named Finn Maguire and he is a big shot boxer and in he incinerated all his money and he spent it all so he had no money to book fights or anything. the parts that I liked was when he kept winning fights and he kept getting more to pay the so I think that is nice in how he had to work to pay it off and not just given the money [bookcover Shredder this is the next book if you really liked this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2014
Niall Leonard is one of the most undervalued authors of our time, in my opinion. I read Incinerator in a day! In true Leonard style the book was thrilling, suspenseful and thought provoking. Niall Leonard is a master at the mystery/crime/drama story telling genre. This is the second of three books and each read like a movie. Fast and well laid out, it is easy to imagine as the scenes wind around, taking both the characters and the reader and a wild ride.
June 24, 2014
Far more violent and adult in content than one might expect, the plot of this second in series YA novel isn't all that demanding, a continuation of the previous book and not really finishing with this one. Though fast-paced, it probably is best read as part of the series and not as a stand-alone. Read our full review, here: http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/myst...
March 26, 2016
3.5/4 A-
This sequel to the mysterious, deceiving and smashing Crusher is even better than the first, thanks to all the extra mystery, martial arts, writing that that will keep readers on their toes, and when you least expect it, feels like a prison escape story too. Also, I've rated on the Goodreads rating system all my 3 and a halfs as 4 out of 5s. This is the one exception.
You can read my full review at http:weldonwitness.weebly.com/books/incine...
This sequel to the mysterious, deceiving and smashing Crusher is even better than the first, thanks to all the extra mystery, martial arts, writing that that will keep readers on their toes, and when you least expect it, feels like a prison escape story too. Also, I've rated on the Goodreads rating system all my 3 and a halfs as 4 out of 5s. This is the one exception.
You can read my full review at http:weldonwitness.weebly.com/books/incine...
August 18, 2014
Finn is still such a lovely character, and he keeps getting shit on by others. I was much more engaged with book 1, and book 2 was much of the same retread, but hopefully he gets his own back in the next story.
It'll be interesting to see the Turk and the Guv'nr interact (aka, beat each other senseless)... Should be a simple though entertaining romp.
It'll be interesting to see the Turk and the Guv'nr interact (aka, beat each other senseless)... Should be a simple though entertaining romp.
Read
September 22, 2015Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: We Didn't Start the Fire...
Drinking Buddy: Cheers, Mate
Testosterone Level: I Suck
Talky Talk: The Ultra Violence
Bonus Factor: Crusty Old Trainer
Bromance Status: The Somewhat Frightening Neighborhood Hero
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: We Didn't Start the Fire...
Drinking Buddy: Cheers, Mate
Testosterone Level: I Suck
Talky Talk: The Ultra Violence
Bonus Factor: Crusty Old Trainer
Bromance Status: The Somewhat Frightening Neighborhood Hero
Read the full book report here.
February 18, 2015
London teen Finn Maguire's beautiful attorney has run off with his inheritance. And Finn's business partner is being threatened by loan sharks. Are the two events tied together in some way with Finn being the fall guy?
Reviewer 24
Reviewer 24
January 16, 2014
4.5 / 5 Stars! Chilling,thrilling and seriously unexpected! Review to come....
April 17, 2014
Cool. The English Jack Reacher.
August 12, 2014
Fast paced action. I have not read Crusher but Incinerator read well on its own.
August 20, 2014
Fast action...non stop.
This book doesn't slow down a bit. You can't wait to turn the next page to see what happens to Finn next. You won't be disappointed.
This book doesn't slow down a bit. You can't wait to turn the next page to see what happens to Finn next. You won't be disappointed.
June 9, 2015
The book was very interesting. It had a lot of suspense and action. I kept wanting to read on.
November 18, 2015
I really liked how Incinerator followed up where Crusher started. The author really knows how to start their books and end them perfectly.
January 14, 2022
*2.5*
July 26, 2016
This book left me feeling kind of ... just ... meh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews