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John Purkiss #3
Jokerman
***** "Outstanding spy thriller...The action is fabulous, well worthy of a blockbuster movie." - Jackie, Amazon reviewer
***** "The story... was riveting...[T]he ending was very surprising and one I truly did not expect." - RAC, Amazon reviewer
***** "An amazing tale... twists, turns and leaves you breathless... A fabulous read" - Darren Oliver-Jones, Amazon reviewer
John Purkiss, the Ratcatcher, returns
On a summer’s morning in the leafy, well-to-do English county of Surrey, the Home Secretary is conducting a highly secret meeting with a member of MI5, the British Security Service. A sniper takes aim, hits his target, and a chain of events is set in motion that will have momentous repercussions.
John Purkiss is tasked with hunting down rogue spies within SIS, Britain’s overseas intelligence service. So when he’s asked to investigate an assassination suspected to have been the work of an agent within MI5, he refuses. The Security Service can catch its own rats.
Then Purkiss is subject to a violent attack in his own home, an attack which leaves his closest friend near to death. And suddenly he has a personal reason for becoming involved.
Gradually his pursuit of the truth exposes a tortuous conspiracy which reaches deep into the heart of British counterintelligence and the body politic. Forced to enlist the help of an old enemy, a man he’d sworn to kill, and in an atmosphere of increasing paranoia and distrust, Purkiss finds himself doubting the motives of the very people closest to him, as he nears the final, climactic showdown with the killer known as the Jokerman...
Praise for the John Purkiss novels by Tim Stevens
***** "Superb spy thriller...The prose is so vivid you can almost feel the action as it takes place..." - Jeremy Duns, author of The Dark Chronicles
***** "A high octane, fast-paced spy thriller... superb and captivating story... a great, heart-pounding read!" James Masters, Goodreads reviewer
***** "[J]oins Lee Child, David Baldacci and John D. MacDonald on my list of great spinners of thrillers." Edward F. Corbin, Amazon reviewer
***** “This innovative thinking man’s thriller will become a classic...” D. V. Kokkinos, Amazon reviewer
***** "[T]he new master of the genre." FlyGuy, Amazon reviewer
***** "The story... was riveting...[T]he ending was very surprising and one I truly did not expect." - RAC, Amazon reviewer
***** "An amazing tale... twists, turns and leaves you breathless... A fabulous read" - Darren Oliver-Jones, Amazon reviewer
John Purkiss, the Ratcatcher, returns
On a summer’s morning in the leafy, well-to-do English county of Surrey, the Home Secretary is conducting a highly secret meeting with a member of MI5, the British Security Service. A sniper takes aim, hits his target, and a chain of events is set in motion that will have momentous repercussions.
John Purkiss is tasked with hunting down rogue spies within SIS, Britain’s overseas intelligence service. So when he’s asked to investigate an assassination suspected to have been the work of an agent within MI5, he refuses. The Security Service can catch its own rats.
Then Purkiss is subject to a violent attack in his own home, an attack which leaves his closest friend near to death. And suddenly he has a personal reason for becoming involved.
Gradually his pursuit of the truth exposes a tortuous conspiracy which reaches deep into the heart of British counterintelligence and the body politic. Forced to enlist the help of an old enemy, a man he’d sworn to kill, and in an atmosphere of increasing paranoia and distrust, Purkiss finds himself doubting the motives of the very people closest to him, as he nears the final, climactic showdown with the killer known as the Jokerman...
Praise for the John Purkiss novels by Tim Stevens
***** "Superb spy thriller...The prose is so vivid you can almost feel the action as it takes place..." - Jeremy Duns, author of The Dark Chronicles
***** "A high octane, fast-paced spy thriller... superb and captivating story... a great, heart-pounding read!" James Masters, Goodreads reviewer
***** "[J]oins Lee Child, David Baldacci and John D. MacDonald on my list of great spinners of thrillers." Edward F. Corbin, Amazon reviewer
***** “This innovative thinking man’s thriller will become a classic...” D. V. Kokkinos, Amazon reviewer
***** "[T]he new master of the genre." FlyGuy, Amazon reviewer
- GenresEspionage
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2013
30 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Tim Stevens
30 books57 followersI'm British born but grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Currently I live near London with my wife and daughters, where I work as a doctor in the National Health Service. Ratcatcher is my debut novel.
My blog, Thrillhound, is here:
http://timstevensblog.wordpress.com/
My blog, Thrillhound, is here:
http://timstevensblog.wordpress.com/
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 25, 2018
British Jack Reacher
Terrific, tboughtful page turner with suspenseful plot, the right amou t of action, well developed characters, and no gore. Glad I found this series. Will read more!
Terrific, tboughtful page turner with suspenseful plot, the right amou t of action, well developed characters, and no gore. Glad I found this series. Will read more!
November 10, 2025
A Thrill Read Indeed
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What I liked most is how the plot kept twisting. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I'd realize "I'm wrong again". This is the 2nd Purpose book I've read. I enjoyed them both.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What I liked most is how the plot kept twisting. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I'd realize "I'm wrong again". This is the 2nd Purpose book I've read. I enjoyed them both.
October 4, 2016
An excellent read from another of those "unrecognized" Kindle authors. A historical thriller taking place in present England with rogue intelligence services in the Middle East.
December 2, 2016
Could easily see this as a film...
I'm sure this author is compared to Lee Child, but he's got a ways to go.
I enjoyed the book a lot, and you can read the description, so I don't feel the need to write a summary. I'll just tell you what I liked, and what I wasn't crazy about.
Purkiss is a great protagonist. I was completely invested, and ready to read more. Most of the character development was excellently drawn, but I found a glaring exception: the live-in nanny of Emma and Brian. She was frequently referred to as "Ulyana the nanny." If given even the slightest background, I don't think her position in the household would have needed to be mentioned almost every time her name came up, especially with such a unique name.
The love scene. Really? There had been no hint of attraction between Purkiss and Hannah before the event, and none afterward. The way the entire, short interaction was written added nothing to the story. There was no chemistry, and no intimacy at all. Maybe the purpose was to be able to add the element of sex, so it could be checked off the list of what this type of thriller should include.
The writing isn't nearly as gritty as a lot of the best-selling authors, but I'm trying not to make comparisons here. In the beginning, it felt similar to Lee Child's writing, but it didn't take but a minute for Purkiss to stand on his own. Even if he isn't a big guy like Reacher. (Or, with extreme sarcasm, Tom Cruise.)
I'm sure this author is compared to Lee Child, but he's got a ways to go.
I enjoyed the book a lot, and you can read the description, so I don't feel the need to write a summary. I'll just tell you what I liked, and what I wasn't crazy about.
Purkiss is a great protagonist. I was completely invested, and ready to read more. Most of the character development was excellently drawn, but I found a glaring exception: the live-in nanny of Emma and Brian. She was frequently referred to as "Ulyana the nanny." If given even the slightest background, I don't think her position in the household would have needed to be mentioned almost every time her name came up, especially with such a unique name.
The love scene. Really? There had been no hint of attraction between Purkiss and Hannah before the event, and none afterward. The way the entire, short interaction was written added nothing to the story. There was no chemistry, and no intimacy at all. Maybe the purpose was to be able to add the element of sex, so it could be checked off the list of what this type of thriller should include.
The writing isn't nearly as gritty as a lot of the best-selling authors, but I'm trying not to make comparisons here. In the beginning, it felt similar to Lee Child's writing, but it didn't take but a minute for Purkiss to stand on his own. Even if he isn't a big guy like Reacher. (Or, with extreme sarcasm, Tom Cruise.)
May 1, 2016
This series just keeps getting better. As an avid thriller reader I do like to be kept guessing the outcome of things, with plot twists and turns. This book kept me turning the pages, and re-evaluating things right up until the finale.
Unlike the previous outings of John Purkiss, this one is mainly set in the UK, and I could actually picture the locations. He is still a character with his own flaws, but is ideal for his role as the Ratcatcher. The supporting characters are also well crafted, and quite believable, although we never seem to learn much about the shadowy person Quentin Vale.
For anyone who enjoys the thriller/espionage genre I can wholeheartedly recommend this series.
Unlike the previous outings of John Purkiss, this one is mainly set in the UK, and I could actually picture the locations. He is still a character with his own flaws, but is ideal for his role as the Ratcatcher. The supporting characters are also well crafted, and quite believable, although we never seem to learn much about the shadowy person Quentin Vale.
For anyone who enjoys the thriller/espionage genre I can wholeheartedly recommend this series.
September 21, 2016
Zuckerman (John Purkis #3)
John Purkis is now free lance in his choice to accept or deny any job offered by the SIS. But he gets drawn in by a man he knew and worked with before and his boss Kasparin who secretly wants to get the top job as director of SIS for herself. John finds himself a direct target and the action gets intense. He is saved from a bomb blast by Holly another operative and the hunt is on. You'll have to read it down until the end to get to the true story line. Thanks for another great read.
John Purkis is now free lance in his choice to accept or deny any job offered by the SIS. But he gets drawn in by a man he knew and worked with before and his boss Kasparin who secretly wants to get the top job as director of SIS for herself. John finds himself a direct target and the action gets intense. He is saved from a bomb blast by Holly another operative and the hunt is on. You'll have to read it down until the end to get to the true story line. Thanks for another great read.
January 3, 2014
The best one yet! Will keep you guessing from front to back.. I have now read the whole John Purkiss series and am patiently waiting for the next installment. Read my prior reviews for the Tim Stevens books.. You can't go wrong... 5 stars across the board!
April 7, 2016
A thrill ride of a story...intriguing
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews