Foul Play

DCI Jack Hawksworth #5

by Fiona McIntosh

Superstar footballer Luca Bruni is being blackmailed for a night of lust he swears he didn’t participate in...except the ransom photo denies that.

A media darling on and off the field, he has powerful charisma, a perfect home life he’ll do anything to protect, and more money than he knows what to do with. He’s determined to defy the extortion racket. When Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth learns that the cunning mastermind behind this crime has already swindled a dozen of the world’s most highly prized male athletes, he is instructed to keep the situation from escalating and prevent a media frenzy.

Intrigued by the creativity of the crime and the shockwaves it is creating through the global sporting fraternity, Jack begins a journey into a case that has tentacles far more wide-reaching that he ever imagined – and far more deadly. The explosive new blockbuster from an internationally bestselling author.

Genres: Crime, Audiobook, Detective, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2024

About the author

Fiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luca Bruni had had a love of football (soccer to us in Australia) since he was a child. Now, his position as Striker in the Huxley Arrows in England was assured, as the team climbed the ladder after Tallis had bought the club and pulled it from the doldrums. Luca's wife, Ally, was pregnant with twins; she had his back and he adored her. But when he received an envelope with a message and damning photo inside, he was gutted. Quietly and unobtrusively bringing in Scotland Yard, Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth assembled his team, trusted and diligent.

It didn't take Jack long to learn this had been done before. Blackmail, extortion - the highly paid male athletes around the world, all with plenty to lose. And they all paid up. But Luca was different; determined to bring down those who would dare to take from him, and others. He wouldn't pay them, and Jack and his team had a limited few days to find the culprits. Could they do it? He had no idea what was ahead, how desperate the blackmailers were, and the extremes they would go to.

Foul Play is the 5th in the DCI Jack Hawksworth series by Aussie author Fiona McIntosh and this one was a ripper! The brief but indepth detailing of Luca's childhood and youth as he moved to Adelaide with his family, then back to England to the Arrows, was well done - I knew him. Catching up with past characters was fun, and I loved sixty-something Joan and her swear jar. She cracked me up!! Foul Play is a different scenario to the usual, but the intrigue and creativity of the plot; the laid back calm of Jack's nature, all perfect and I am very much looking forward to #6. Highly recommended.

With thanks to friend Soma from whom I won a gift card, which enabled me to grab Foul Play :)

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack is back at his best again, I am loving this series, charismatic Jack is one of the best at his job, as an investigator there are none better and with the fabulous team he has, this series and this book are a must read.

Superstar footballer, Luca Bruni is happily married to screen star Ally and they are expecting twins and they are media darlings but when Luca gets an incriminating photo in the mail and a letter demanding half a million pounds, he is determined to stand up to them and calls in the police he will not cave to the black mailer’s even if it does put a lot of pressure on his marriage.

Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth is called in, when it appears that this is not the first case that there has been an extortion racket going on aiming at rich sportsman for some time, an op’s team is started, Jack calls in most of his past experienced team, and the investigation starts.

When another team, run by Jack’s good friend Geoff investigates a brutal murder, there seems to be links and now two teams working in conjunction uncover clues, Jack requests help from a close friend and soon the threats are mounting and lives are in danger they need to shut these people down quickly before there are more murders, but the big question is, is it one group or is there a copycat out there as well?

This is fast paced, filled with intrigue, suspense and was very hard to put down, not only do the readers have Jack and the case to solve, but we have Jack’s personal life as well that really adds to Jack’s story, they mix well together and with Kate back in his team, where it all end this time around.

I do highly recommend this story and the series, they are fabulous must reads and I eagerly await the next installment.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from Fiona MacIntosh. I do love the Jack Hawksworth character and this one showed another side to him.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️
Foul Play is the latest explosive crime thriller by Fiona McIntosh starring my favourite detective the delicious Jack Hawksworth, who I hope to see soon on our TV screens! This is the fifth book in this addictive series!

When soon to be father of twins charismatic soccer superstar Luca Bruni finds himself being blackmailed with a Polaroid as evidence that he cheated on his beautiful wife, he’s sure he didn’t participate in the act and is determined not to give in to the blackmailer’s demands.

Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth and his team is assigned the case and learn that the perpetrator has scammed many wealthy young male athletes with the same dark scheme in the past three years.

Will Luca’s wife Ally believe him and will Jack learn from his past mistakes?

There’s murder, intrigue and a fast moving plot that can be read as a standalone, highly recommended. I loved the impeccable research that went into this story and the interesting and seedy characters along the way. I’m looking forward to the next book as I’m hoping Jack’s new romantic interest that we meet in this book will not end in tragedy unlike previous relationships.

Publication Date 09 January 2024
Publisher Imprint Michael Joseph

Thank you so much to the wonderful team Penguin Books Australia for a copy of the book.

[Linda (Lily) Raiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rated up!
⚽️ Foul Play - Fiona McIntosh ⚽️

This is the fifth instalment in the Jack Hawksworth series. I’ve only read Dead Tide #4 and Foul Play - thoroughly enjoyed them both! I’m looking forward to reading the first three as I’m now totally invested in Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth.

Foul Play starts off with superstar Luca Bruni being being blackmailed for a night of lust that he has no recollection of participating in. The exception to his denial is that there is photographic evidence that can’t be denied.

Happily married with his wife expecting twins, at the top of his football game with his team relying on him … could all be lost if he doesn’t pay the ransom money. Jack is outraged knowing he’d never cheat on his wife. Without telling a soul, including Ally, he entrusts his manger to contact Scotland Yard - enter Jack Hawksworth, equally furtively he assembles a team to help Jack.

It doesn’t take long to recognise that these blackmailing schemes have been ongoing for a while. Always targeting high ranking celebrities and officials who would rather pay, ensuring the matter disappear and not be drawn through a media circus, or worse. When Jack’s experienced team and colleagues working on other investigations join together, it becomes a fast paced, clever plot filled with murder, secrets and intrigue, jam packed with tension and dynamic action.

Getting to know Jack from his professional life and also his personal life, felt the author gave the story a heart - something I often find missing in crime procedurals. I loved that while set within a fictional UK club, there were elements of Australian life peppered through, which is always a joy to read.

Overall a highly entertaining read that gave me David Beckham vibes - in a good way 😂 Also probably because I’ve just watched the Posh and Becks documentary and given the soccer backdrop centring around the story. Highly recommended, and one I think can be read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to the wonderful team @penguinaus for my #gifted copy 💌
Foul Play is out now! 🤩

[Millie Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was very predictable, weak characters the usual desperate Kate and sleezy Jack, again buying flowers and bedding another woman, admiring her firm breasts in her Pajamas (spew vomit), after one date, well was it even a date she cooked a meal and it ended with him going to her house for the night. While every other woman in the book swoons over his looks and charm. Bits mills and boon. It's 2024 and not really seen women swooning over men in this era. We would think a man behaving like this is a creep today and red flags with rushing into the arms of meeting someone a couple of times. Jack needs to be tested for verneral disease before they do! Honestly I would not bother to read this book.

[Beccabeccabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I mentioned lately that I freaking adore this series?!

It's more than a welcome return for Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth and his carefully hand-picked team as they return to Scotland Yard. The world of celebrity power and London's seedy side is about to clash in the most spectacular way.

Superstar footballer Luca Bruni and wife Ally are currently London's 'it' couple. They're about to become parents to twins, and Lucas's club is on track for a golden season. Nothing could possibly upset their bliss. Except something has. Lucas is being blackmailed for a night of lust that he insists that he didn't participate in. And there's no reason not to believe him.

As it turns out, Luca isn't the first sporting hero to be targeted in such a way. However, the young husband and father to be refuses to give in and pay the price. Still, this decision means that he'll have to remain hush-hush on Jack's orders to prevent escalation and a media frenzy.

Before long, it comes to light that Luca's exoneration attempt isn't simply what it seems. There's something much bigger at play. Something much deadlier. If you are involved in the tiniest of ways, you better watch your back...

Foul Play is the fourth in this awesome police procedural series by Aussie Fiona McIntosh. She's taken something that's become more and more common in sporting news in recent years and completely turned it on its head. This is a cracker of a ride, full of scandal, suspense, and a bit of romance on the side.

It was a treat to see some old favourites pop up in this instalment, especially Jack's best mate, DCI Geoff Benson. It's got to be said that Jack and Geoff make a dynamic duo, and I hope that the DCI makes his presence known once more again soon.

4.75 🌟

[Deborah (debbishdotcom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has to be said that soccer (aka football) fans are gonna love Foul Play by Fiona McIntosh. I'm very much enjoying this series headed up by the charismatic Jack Hawksworth, appreciating that, even though it's set in England, McIntosh imbues Aussie flavour into each book in the series. Here via an Aussie-raised soccer player doing great things in his fictional UK club, supported by the club's Australian (mining magnate) owner.

Sportsmen and women, sport in general and the attention it attracts is always a topical subject so this is a riveting read on many levels. I liked that McIntosh complicates things further here by introducing a few layers to the investigation, with multiple players (and I mean the non-sporting kind). She takes the usual police procedural up a few notches (hence the 4.5 stars), though I would (perhaps) have liked a few other suspects to have been introduced to muddy the limited pool a little.  

4.5 stars

Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...

[Liisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Foul Play" by Fiona McIntosh plunges readers into a world of blackmail and intrigue, set against professional football. Superstar Luca Bruni is ensnared in a blackmail scheme involving a night he swears never happened, with a ransom photo suggesting otherwise. Bruni, a media darling with a perfect home life, is desperate to defy the extortionists.

Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth is assigned to the case. Hawksworth, intended to be a gentlemanly and intelligent detective, comes across as condescending and misogynistic. His patronising interactions detract from the story.

The plot is engaging but predictable—I guessed the killer early on, which reduced the story's tension. McIntosh’s writing is accessible, and the pacing steady, but the lack of surprise undermines the narrative.

"Foul Play" explores the pressures faced by high-profile athletes, with Bruni's plight adding an emotional layer. While the storyline is intriguing, the unappealing main character and predictability make it an OK read rather than a standout thriller.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the last Jack Hawksworth, set largely in Adelaide (felt like a tourist brochure complete with too many references to Jack and other character's beauty), I swore away from this series, but then I saw it on the library shelf and thought - why not! In this, the fifth in the series, Jack is back in London chasing blackmailers who are targeting sporting stars.

Overall, I felt this was a better novel. There was slightly less "handsome Jack" and a stronger storyline, although I must admit there is a conversation about a third in that gave the perpetrator away for me. Certainly stronger than the last, but still not up there with my other favourites (Peter Grainger, Elly Griffiths, Martin Edwards for example). A quick and generally enjoyable read.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got on the Auckland Library website and reserved this book as soon as I found out it was released only to find I was number 56...bugger!
Then yesterday, it was mine!
How she writes two separate genres so well I have no idea.
I'm a big fan and this book did not disappoint at all. The usual cast of characters are contained within so if you're reading in order (you don't have to mind) you'll simply pick up where you left off.
It's a good story too and made me wonder if it has a touch of truth in it...as it's quite feasible.

[Aryani Siti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling story full of intense action and suspense that keeps your heart racing. Loved it!

[Lisa Bowyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the latest installment in the Jack Hawkesworth series- original plot ,characters evolving- look forward to the next one !

[Ros Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just the standard pommie detective book- the 5th one in this series with one to go- these aren’t too riveting, but they keep me company on my walks and around the house. Cara Hunters’ Pommie detective series much better.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in this series - this time about the blackmailing of sports stars. Love the characters!

[Nicola Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have now read 4 of Fiona McIntosh's books, and have enjoyed all 4.
Foul Play's storyline, although fiction, probably can and does happen in real life. I must admit I did pick the culprit responsible for the copycat blackmail scheme early on, so perhaps I would make a good detective too!!

[Sarah Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona McIntosh has done it again! This fifth book in the Jack Hawksworth series is equally as gripping as the previous four. The story revolves around an elaborate blackmailing scheme that is targeting top sportsmen. When footballer Luca Bruni receives a blackmail package, he knows he has been set up and is determined to prove to his wife that he is not guilty of the alleged indiscretion. This is fast-moving crime novel that was impossible to put down.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic new crime thriller by Fiona McIntosh incorporating English football ⚽️ with crime involving a ransom.

How will Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth 🕵️‍♂️ solve the case?

It's the case which will keep you guessing until the end.

Read it and see 👀 in this new crime thriller by Fiona McIntosh.

I enjoyed learning about English Premier League football ⚽️ 🙌 and how Luca wanted to be the best in the country.

The English locations were descriptive and the story very interesting.

I think this is one of the best in the series.

[Michelle Jessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, great read. This is the 5th in the Jack Hawksworth series and the first one I’ve read. Whilst it can easily be read as a stand alone I’ll certainly be going back and reading the other 4 if I can just to get the backstory.
This has an Australia/English flavour (set in England)and it worked well. I loved Jack’s character so I want to find out more about him in the earlier books.
The plot was interesting: the blackmail of a celebrity soccer player and how Jack and the other detectives go about finding the culprit/s. The story flows well and it is believable for the most part with the exception of Jack leaving a witness with a chick he’d just met! Unlikely and highly inappropriate!
The characters are fleshed out really well and I liked most of them.
I never pick the culprit but I did quite early on in this one but that didn’t detract from the story.
Highly recommend this book.

[Bec K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first two books of this series, but it's been downhill from there and this one was the worst. If it wasn't for all the superfluous crap about wine and clothes and buildings and on and on..... I think the book would have been over in 1hr not 12. Not to mention all the dribble about how perfect Jack is, as a man, a policeman, a friend, a dresser, a cook, a colleague, just everything really arggghh I can't believe I actually listened to this crap.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read, thanks to Aussie author Fiona McIntosh and her associates. Hoping that she continues with Crime/Mystery genre and particularly with the “Jack Hawksworth” series.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I don't enjoy a book I'll usually not write a review because writing is a hard and time-consuming discipline and not every book will appeal to divergent reader tastes. However, this author seems well-established and published widely so I hardly think my observations will make much difference, so here goes...
The novel contains the two most irritating characters I've read. Jack Hawksworth is basically a misogynist, operating under some super-suave, every-woman-loves-me disguise of perfect decency. His colleague Kate swoons over him in ways that are nauseating and frankly set the MeToo movement back about three decades. They read like Mills and Boon characters who have been mistakenly dumped into the London police. Jack spends as much time selecting flowers, chocolates, perfumes and pastries as he does worrying about the blackmail case at the centre of the book's almost-intriguing but ultimately flimsy plot. In fact, he seems to have as much disposable income as the blackmailed footballer. Cop salaries must have taken a real jump.
The football descriptions are just as irritating as Jack and Kate. No Premier League club owner in history would refer to his team as a "footy club" and the blackmailed footballer's job is not to "kick lots of goals". Luca Bruni, the footballer being blackmailed, is entirely too perfect in the world of gritty imperfection that is professional sport. Just another in a cast of cardboard cutout heroes and villains with no shades of grey evident anywhere.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yet another bold slap-in-the-face copy cat of all her other books. It's irritating and disappointing that she can't create other concepts, plots, characters, and avoid repeated clichés. Descriptions from the female characters of how the male characters treat them in the series are glaringly and insultingly outdated - not least as books are being written and published in the current decade. There are so many trite expressions in this series that it's a game to PREDICT when her characters will use them, and equally predictable lack of character development - the characters remain as they were on books 1 and 2 (something which is repeated verbatim throughout the series). McIntosh likes Copy & Paste (aside from when she forgets who did what on her previous book/s).
Due to sticking to the same plot structure and character archetypes she's made the Hawksworth series empty and extremely boring, and at worst insultingly patronising to the reader. It's a huge wasted opportunity as there was potential for something great from the first book.
I only found it possible to get through this because of insomnia, and being free to borrow at the library.
The audiobooks are fairly well narrated by Jerome Pride (accents and character voice skills aside, his voice is soothing) makes them easy listening as I go about my day.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luca Bruni is a young personable highly gifted soccer star, his wife about to have twins. Their best friends are Harry, an aging star who Luca has replaced, and his wife Gina. There has been a batch of blackmail letters written to super rich stars asking for 500K pounds, all who pay up. This is later and seems a copycat letter. But Luca refuses on principle, although he been compromised by an escort girl who has apparently taken his semen, for sale on the IVF market. The ultra perfect Jack Hawksworth and Kate are brought in. The original blackmailers were the terrible Ceric Brothers who are angry at being copied, and murder a vet who has been blackmailed into storing the semen of others. Hawksworth uses his brothel contact Claudia to get insight into the escort world, which both works and doesn’t work. The plot becomes complicated and interesting, but to describe would give the game away. The end is surprising and even more exciting. Again McIntosh shows her versatility as a writer but I hope she doesn’t get stuck in the Hawksworth series; Pygmalion like she seems to have fallen in love with her Hawksworth creation.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 5th in this series.

I read the first in 2008, BYE BYE BABY, when the author had decided to use pseudonym Lauren Crow for her crime fiction titles. It was republished under the name Fiona McIntosh in 2013.

Since then there have been a further 3 in the series which I have not read.

Since all 5 titles have the same central characters, there is considerable back story which I am not familiar with. There are some references (and details) in this novel to what has gone before, and probably enough to allow you to read FOUL PLAY as a stand-alone.

Jack Hawksworth has been warned by his commanding officer more than once about mixing his private and professional lives and once again he ignores this warning to the detriment of someone he is using and whom he has promised to protect. Although both Hawksworth and his offsider Kate are supposed to be at the top of their game, they are in many ways unlovely personalities and their actions did affect the way I eventually felt about the book.

[Kate M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The UK soccer scene was an interesting backdrop to this twisty, page turning police procedural with plenty of intrigue around a star player being blackmailed.  The story gave a lot of insight into the world of soccer in the UK. Soccer is a religion in the UK and there is an enormous amount of pressure and close scrutiny on the players' lives, especially the star players, leaving them vulnerable to this type of crime.  The blackmailers' target is a young, likeable, honest, decent, all round good guy and I became totally invested in the complex investigation of finding out who was behind it.   I felt the lead detective's handsome, charismatic, too perfect to be true character was too Mills & Boon for me and his female offsider's infatuation with him was eye rolling which took a little away from an otherwise engaging, well plotted crime novel.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A competent mystery/crime fiction.

Superstar footballer Luca Bruni is being blackmailed for a night of lust he swears he didn’t participate in...except the ransom photo denies that.

A media darling on and off the field, he has powerful charisma, a perfect home life he’ll do anything to protect, and more money than he knows what to do with. He’s determined to defy the extortion racket. When Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth learns that the cunning mastermind behind this crime has already swindled a dozen of the world’s most highly prized male athletes, he is instructed to keep the situation from escalating and prevent a media frenzy.

Intrigued by the creativity of the crime and the shockwaves it is creating through the global sporting fraternity, Jack begins a journey into a case that has tentacles far more wide-reaching that he ever imagined – and far more deadly.

[Natalie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid read.

I am all caught up in the series, and I really enjoyed Book 5. However, it felt like the longest of all the novels. The plot is intriguing and it made me wonder if this type of crime occurs and we don't hear about it because sports stars just pay up. What a fascinating situation the author creates.

The first four books focus heavily on characterisation, but the protagonists felt slightly stagnant in this iteration. The supporting cast (victims) didn't have the dimensions I am used to seeing in the series. It is not that they were unlikeable; they were just there. It would be easy to skip this book and not miss much in regards to Jack.

Great plot, easy to read and could be read as a standalone.

[Chyna Wills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first ever Fiona McIntosh book and I think I had very high hopes!

This story follows along Luca the footballer (soccer In Australia) being blackmailed, and dare I say the blackmailers are very creative! I haven't heard of blackmail like this.
It also follows along Jack Hawksworth who is the detective.

When I first started reading it I was absolutely hooked, I thought the story line was fantastic, but unfortunately after reading so many thrillers I found myself guessing the ending halfway through.

If you're just starting with thrillers this is one that I would probably recommend to you, but if you aren't new to the genre skip!

Think blackmail, betrayal, soccer and a little bit of love.

[Samantha Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable instalment of the Jack Hawksworth detective series and I'm keen to read the next one when it comes out. In this, Jack and Kate investigate the blackmailing of famous rising soccer star Luca Bruni. It's a diversion from the usual grisly murders and a welcome relief from this TBH. The world of soccer that McIntosh builds is believable to me- I know virtually nothing about soccer- so it's not a hard stretch, and I enjoyed both the main storyline of trying to get to the bottom of who was the blackmailer, and the continuing backstories of Jack and Kate's lives.
The plot was a little predictable- I was able to guess who the culprit was, but not how it eventually played out, but the journey was ultimately satisfying.