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Cal Harrison Thrillers #1
The Girl on the Boat
The start of a gripping new thriller series set in London, Paris and Amsterdam.
Originally published as two books: The Girl on the Boat and Don't Look Down. Now combined, with a cliffhanger in the middle.
A man framed for murder, a witness on the run. Can he find her before it's too late for both of them?
Sofie
When 26-year-old Sofie James’ father cycles into the path of an express train, her life is instantly turned upside down. She is shocked to discover a terrible his death was not suicide, as the police maintain, but the result of a secret drug trial gone wrong. When she witnesses the murder of two pharma company whistleblowers who were about to hand her the evidence at their annual convention after-party, she narrowly escapes with her life. Suddenly in mortal danger, she is forced on the run.
Cal
Divorced ex-army security consultant Cal Harrison has been assigned to manage security for the pharma company after-party on a Thames riverboat. When two delegates disappear on his watch, he is concerned, especially when he is told not to ask questions.
But for someone like Cal, that’s a red rag to a bull. He starts to dig. Until, shockingly, he finds himself framed for their murder. But there was a witness to the murders on the Thames that night. ‘The girl on the boat.’ There's only one way he can prove his innocence: he has to find her. But she’s gone to ground.
Can one of them get to the shocking truth before it’s too late for both of them?
Originally published as two books: The Girl on the Boat and Don't Look Down. Now combined, with a cliffhanger in the middle.
A man framed for murder, a witness on the run. Can he find her before it's too late for both of them?
Sofie
When 26-year-old Sofie James’ father cycles into the path of an express train, her life is instantly turned upside down. She is shocked to discover a terrible his death was not suicide, as the police maintain, but the result of a secret drug trial gone wrong. When she witnesses the murder of two pharma company whistleblowers who were about to hand her the evidence at their annual convention after-party, she narrowly escapes with her life. Suddenly in mortal danger, she is forced on the run.
Cal
Divorced ex-army security consultant Cal Harrison has been assigned to manage security for the pharma company after-party on a Thames riverboat. When two delegates disappear on his watch, he is concerned, especially when he is told not to ask questions.
But for someone like Cal, that’s a red rag to a bull. He starts to dig. Until, shockingly, he finds himself framed for their murder. But there was a witness to the murders on the Thames that night. ‘The girl on the boat.’ There's only one way he can prove his innocence: he has to find her. But she’s gone to ground.
Can one of them get to the shocking truth before it’s too late for both of them?
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2023
297 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 25, 2025
Interesting tale about bent politician and science experimentation with humans. A sit back and go with it book, don’t look too closely but fun. Unlikely to do part 2 as heroine, Sophie, not in it.
November 18, 2023
The Girl on the Boat is marketed as book 1 in a series. It isn’t. It is actually book 1 but we only get to read half of the story. It’s only at the very end that it becomes clear that to read the whole story, you would need to read book 2 too. This is also why I gave the book 2 stars although at the 25% mark I was leaning to three stars.
I will not read the second book and I will tell you why. First what it’s all about: Sofie is not in a happy place after the death of her father. She’s 26, never held a job but apparently wants to pick up her studies to become a journalist in the near future. Kate is a journalist already and Sofies best friend. She tells Sofie that she heard that her father took part in a drug trial but something went wrong and there are many suicides among the participants. Kate and Sofie manage to go to a big party, thrown by the company that is conducting the trial, because Kate knows that two whistleblowers will be at that party too. Who’s also at the party is Cal Harrison. He’s ex-Special Forces but working in security now.
What I liked about the book. The author introduces the two people that the whole series is going to be about in an early stage of the story. There are multiple action scenes alternating with scenes that give us background information about Cal and Sofie. There is a company doing secret drug trials. And there is also talk about some political shenanigans that seem to have to do with said company. All elements of what could be an exiting thriller.
Why I gave the book only 2 stars. Unfortunately, there is too much and not enough at the same time. Cal is ex-Special Forces and we know that because there is a scene with him fighting. Of course we know this leaves scars, and not just on the body. Then there is Sofie, who wants to be a journalist but about halfway in the book, for some reason, it is mentioned that she’s very dyslectic. Odd career choice for a dyslectic person or just a sign of how determined she is? It’s not mentioned anywhere further in the book. Quite early in the book we are confronted with a Russian sleeper… not alone does she work at the drug company, her sister is working for a rivalling organization in Russia.
The physical descriptions of the main characters, and their actions, are often very vague. At one point Sofie meets Cal at the party but we have no idea it is Cal she’s meeting. She’s meeting ‘a handsome guy who looks nervous’. At another point there is a person on a motorcycle and there are multiple murders. It’s absolutely not clear whether the person on the motorcycle has anything to do with the murders and why. It turns out later it’s someone we haven’t met yet in the story. It’s often also not clear who is talking to whom and what their intentions are. Sofie is making a lot of stupid mistakes while constantly on the move when it’s not necessary and staying in one place where we already know it’s very dangerous. She keeps forgetting essential information and stuff that we know she has in her possession and I could not relate to her at all. Nor to Cal for that matter.
And this goes on and on. It’s all just snippets of information and in the end it is leading nowhere, because at the end of the book we learn we’ve only read half of the story. We need to read the second book to get the whole story. So, although the writing is not bad I only finished it because at some points it was vaguely interesting and since it is clearly following a well-know format so I hoped it would become more interesting. This book could have done with more proofreading and more editing.
Thanks to Booksirens for this review copy.
I will not read the second book and I will tell you why. First what it’s all about: Sofie is not in a happy place after the death of her father. She’s 26, never held a job but apparently wants to pick up her studies to become a journalist in the near future. Kate is a journalist already and Sofies best friend. She tells Sofie that she heard that her father took part in a drug trial but something went wrong and there are many suicides among the participants. Kate and Sofie manage to go to a big party, thrown by the company that is conducting the trial, because Kate knows that two whistleblowers will be at that party too. Who’s also at the party is Cal Harrison. He’s ex-Special Forces but working in security now.
What I liked about the book. The author introduces the two people that the whole series is going to be about in an early stage of the story. There are multiple action scenes alternating with scenes that give us background information about Cal and Sofie. There is a company doing secret drug trials. And there is also talk about some political shenanigans that seem to have to do with said company. All elements of what could be an exiting thriller.
Why I gave the book only 2 stars. Unfortunately, there is too much and not enough at the same time. Cal is ex-Special Forces and we know that because there is a scene with him fighting. Of course we know this leaves scars, and not just on the body. Then there is Sofie, who wants to be a journalist but about halfway in the book, for some reason, it is mentioned that she’s very dyslectic. Odd career choice for a dyslectic person or just a sign of how determined she is? It’s not mentioned anywhere further in the book. Quite early in the book we are confronted with a Russian sleeper… not alone does she work at the drug company, her sister is working for a rivalling organization in Russia.
The physical descriptions of the main characters, and their actions, are often very vague. At one point Sofie meets Cal at the party but we have no idea it is Cal she’s meeting. She’s meeting ‘a handsome guy who looks nervous’. At another point there is a person on a motorcycle and there are multiple murders. It’s absolutely not clear whether the person on the motorcycle has anything to do with the murders and why. It turns out later it’s someone we haven’t met yet in the story. It’s often also not clear who is talking to whom and what their intentions are. Sofie is making a lot of stupid mistakes while constantly on the move when it’s not necessary and staying in one place where we already know it’s very dangerous. She keeps forgetting essential information and stuff that we know she has in her possession and I could not relate to her at all. Nor to Cal for that matter.
And this goes on and on. It’s all just snippets of information and in the end it is leading nowhere, because at the end of the book we learn we’ve only read half of the story. We need to read the second book to get the whole story. So, although the writing is not bad I only finished it because at some points it was vaguely interesting and since it is clearly following a well-know format so I hoped it would become more interesting. This book could have done with more proofreading and more editing.
Thanks to Booksirens for this review copy.
November 23, 2023
At first, I was oh no, a political book, I hate politics in books. But I was so wrong, this book was filled of suspense and the twist at the end !! Warning, it ends on a huge cliffhanger, I was shocked !!
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.
November 17, 2023
I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.
This is this author’s first novel in this genre, although not his first book, and it is evident from his biography that he is used to telling stories and pretty familiar with what readers look for.
Before I get onto the review proper (and it won’t be too long because it is not easy to talk about it without giving away any spoilers), I have to start with a warning. This novel doesn’t tell a whole story. The subtitle is “Cal and Sofie Series Book 1”, but I must confess I assumed it would be the beginning of the series, it would introduce the characters, and it would tell a story from beginning to end, and the books that followed would tell other stories with the same protagonists. The more I read, the more I realised that this was very unlikely to be so, as the story kept piling up twists and complications, and there was no end in sight. When I finished the novel (not the story), in the section about the author, where there were images of the covers of the three first books in the series (although that fact is not mentioned anywhere on the cover, so it isn’t evident they all belong together by just looking at them), it stated that Books 1 and 2 (Don’t Look Down) are a “duet”, and that means that you need to read both books to get the whole story. I know I felt a bit cheated and annoyed by it, and I decided I’d let readers know in advance, so they don’t have the same expectations and experience the same disappointment I felt. To clarify the point a bit, though, the novel ends up at a suitable point, but nothing is resolved, and there is a huge twist that works as a cliffhanger because we discover that one of the things we thought we knew was totally wrong, and, of course, we don’t get an explanation for it, so... Well, now you know.
I won’t go into detail about the plot, as the description gives away as much as it is possible without spoiling the story. There are two main protagonists, Sofie, who is the amateur who ends up on the run, having to turn investigator to protect her own life and survive an increasingly dangerous and complex situation, and Cal, an ex-Special Forces man who has been working as a security consultant since he left Afghanistan. We are introduced to him in a prologue of sorts, and we meet him in Afghanistan, right in the middle of a dangerous operation, although things have moved on from there by the time the story takes place. We also meet Sofie at a difficult time in her life, shortly after losing her father in particularly traumatic circumstances. The novel shows us how they meet, seemingly casually, and how that encounter and what happens around it will influence both of their lives.
Characters and plot are the main elements of a novel, and in most of them, one has more weight than the other. The best novels achieve a good equilibrium between the two, not going overboard with the plot and completely ignoring the characters, or only focusing on the characters with very little happening to them. This book does quite well combining both elements, and although there is a slight predominance of the plot —which is complex and with many twists and turns— there is enough information about the characters, their thoughts, and feelings, to make readers engage with them and care about what happens to both. The story is told in the third person, in chapters that mostly take turns alternating the two protagonists’ points of view, although there are also some chapters from minor characters’ perspectives, and even from random observers or witnesses who don’t play a big part in the story. That makes the story more rounded and creates the impression on the readers that they know more than the protagonists and are ahead of them, only for that assumption to be put to the test. Knowing what to tell and what not to tell is very important in a thriller, and the author does a great job of it, especially for a first novel.
It is evident as well that the author feels comfortable writing action, as there are quite a few action scenes, and they feel cinematic, dynamic, and quite exciting. The novel also has a great sense of place (most of the action is set in London, Dorset, and Suffolk, and we feel as if we were there); it is written in short chapters and that keeps a good rhythm going, and the writing style is functional, with some snippets of beautiful descriptions that take and almost lyrical quality but aren’t so prominent as to slow down the story.
The complexity of the story, and the strands the characters keep uncovering will especially please readers who enjoy spy stories, and well-developed conspiracy theories, and also those who appreciate pairings of hero-like professionals with talented and personally invested amateurs. I was intrigued by the plot and the conspiracy elements, and what I’ve read of the story until now doesn’t feel too far-fetched.
So, if you enjoy complex stories, with interesting protagonists, and don’t mind having to read two books to get the whole story, I would recommend this novel. I hope future novels tell a complete story, or at least warn the readers beforehand.
This is this author’s first novel in this genre, although not his first book, and it is evident from his biography that he is used to telling stories and pretty familiar with what readers look for.
Before I get onto the review proper (and it won’t be too long because it is not easy to talk about it without giving away any spoilers), I have to start with a warning. This novel doesn’t tell a whole story. The subtitle is “Cal and Sofie Series Book 1”, but I must confess I assumed it would be the beginning of the series, it would introduce the characters, and it would tell a story from beginning to end, and the books that followed would tell other stories with the same protagonists. The more I read, the more I realised that this was very unlikely to be so, as the story kept piling up twists and complications, and there was no end in sight. When I finished the novel (not the story), in the section about the author, where there were images of the covers of the three first books in the series (although that fact is not mentioned anywhere on the cover, so it isn’t evident they all belong together by just looking at them), it stated that Books 1 and 2 (Don’t Look Down) are a “duet”, and that means that you need to read both books to get the whole story. I know I felt a bit cheated and annoyed by it, and I decided I’d let readers know in advance, so they don’t have the same expectations and experience the same disappointment I felt. To clarify the point a bit, though, the novel ends up at a suitable point, but nothing is resolved, and there is a huge twist that works as a cliffhanger because we discover that one of the things we thought we knew was totally wrong, and, of course, we don’t get an explanation for it, so... Well, now you know.
I won’t go into detail about the plot, as the description gives away as much as it is possible without spoiling the story. There are two main protagonists, Sofie, who is the amateur who ends up on the run, having to turn investigator to protect her own life and survive an increasingly dangerous and complex situation, and Cal, an ex-Special Forces man who has been working as a security consultant since he left Afghanistan. We are introduced to him in a prologue of sorts, and we meet him in Afghanistan, right in the middle of a dangerous operation, although things have moved on from there by the time the story takes place. We also meet Sofie at a difficult time in her life, shortly after losing her father in particularly traumatic circumstances. The novel shows us how they meet, seemingly casually, and how that encounter and what happens around it will influence both of their lives.
Characters and plot are the main elements of a novel, and in most of them, one has more weight than the other. The best novels achieve a good equilibrium between the two, not going overboard with the plot and completely ignoring the characters, or only focusing on the characters with very little happening to them. This book does quite well combining both elements, and although there is a slight predominance of the plot —which is complex and with many twists and turns— there is enough information about the characters, their thoughts, and feelings, to make readers engage with them and care about what happens to both. The story is told in the third person, in chapters that mostly take turns alternating the two protagonists’ points of view, although there are also some chapters from minor characters’ perspectives, and even from random observers or witnesses who don’t play a big part in the story. That makes the story more rounded and creates the impression on the readers that they know more than the protagonists and are ahead of them, only for that assumption to be put to the test. Knowing what to tell and what not to tell is very important in a thriller, and the author does a great job of it, especially for a first novel.
It is evident as well that the author feels comfortable writing action, as there are quite a few action scenes, and they feel cinematic, dynamic, and quite exciting. The novel also has a great sense of place (most of the action is set in London, Dorset, and Suffolk, and we feel as if we were there); it is written in short chapters and that keeps a good rhythm going, and the writing style is functional, with some snippets of beautiful descriptions that take and almost lyrical quality but aren’t so prominent as to slow down the story.
The complexity of the story, and the strands the characters keep uncovering will especially please readers who enjoy spy stories, and well-developed conspiracy theories, and also those who appreciate pairings of hero-like professionals with talented and personally invested amateurs. I was intrigued by the plot and the conspiracy elements, and what I’ve read of the story until now doesn’t feel too far-fetched.
So, if you enjoy complex stories, with interesting protagonists, and don’t mind having to read two books to get the whole story, I would recommend this novel. I hope future novels tell a complete story, or at least warn the readers beforehand.
January 3, 2024
This is book one of the Sofie James Thrillers series and Sofie is still recovering from her father’s apparent suicide and the news he was on some sort of experimental drug trial and HIV positive. She has taken time off from her studies to deal with everything following his death and to come to terms with it all. When her journalist friend Kate keeps trying to get hold of her, she finally rings her back and agrees to meet. Kate is persuing a story about a large Pharma company, Cambridge Bio, and tells Sofie her father’s name came up. She wants Sofie to help her with the piece, since she isn’t working at the moment, but Sofie isn’t interested in dragging everything about his death back up again. She has two whistleblowers who are ready to dish the dirt about the drug trial and apparently one of them knew her father. Kate convinces her to meet them on a private party on a boat on the Thames a few nights later , where she has got them passes to act as staff for the night, keeping the guests happy, apparently some in more ways than she wants to know! Another character in the story is former special forces soldier Cal Harrison and his former Lieutenant Frank Ryan, who soon get involved, as Cal is asked to come and provide security for the party, specifically for the two scientists he is told are in danger from a possible kidnapping plot!
As people begin to leave the party, Sofie had gotten rather drunk after sitting with Cal for a while and then trying to find Kate, but has to get going as Kate brings the two scientists along and tells her they are leaving. They walk down to another small boat along the quay and get on, with the scientists a bit wary, but soon beginning to talk, as Sofie starts to feel sick and looks for a toilet. Whilst she is there, she hears a loud noise and a scream, and going back through, she finds the two men shot dead and Kate seemingly badly injured as well. Her entry surprises the assassin, giving Sofie a chance to run back where she came from the back of the boat and she narrowly manages to escape and fall through a hatch into the water. She manages to get out eventually and reports everything to the police, but they don’t really believe her, especially as the boat is not there and checking out her story about Kate they find she was in Ukraine, where she apparently got killed! Sofie has no idea what to think, but another strange call from Kate’s friend Alice, about a man she wants her to meet, soon leads to Alice being dead and Sofie clearly being hunted by someone. The people who hired Cal got him to leave the area after the women disappeared with the two scientists he was to watch and nothing about that sits well with him. They now want him to leave immediately for the second job they had offered him, in Oslo, but he knows something is up and refuses to play along with them.
He had found Alice’s number on the back of the pass Sofie left beside him at the party, and arranged to meet her to view a house as a cover story, but he waits around to meet her, only to find out she is dead and now he is the prime suspect! He goes back to his friend and colleague of old, Frank, whose land he has been living on for some eighteen months, much to Frank’s wife’s disagreement, and has to ask for help. It seems the company who hired him are also working to get their politician MP Walter Crane elected as Prime Minster and he was to cover some of the political rallies. Sofie ends up on the run, realising that nowhere is really safe after finding Kate and her flat’s both ransacked. After being attacked by the assassin again, she thinks she has escaped, but the story ends with her in a strange location after being drugged. She has been rescued as such by Cal and Frank, with a connection to MI6 in there as well and has to figure out if she can believe what they are telling her or not. The fight for the truth and against the cover up being perpetrated by those who hired and now framed Cal, and to keep Sofie safe, will not be solved in this book, as it leaves us on a knives edge with nothing really resolved apart from Sofie being in what we all know are safe hands! Their story continues in the next book and there is a shocking surprise for Sofie at the end of this one. I look forward to seeing if Rob Lord, another former soldier in frank’s group in Afghanistan, will have any more to do in the next, with him being in a few key scenes with Sofie and others. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
As people begin to leave the party, Sofie had gotten rather drunk after sitting with Cal for a while and then trying to find Kate, but has to get going as Kate brings the two scientists along and tells her they are leaving. They walk down to another small boat along the quay and get on, with the scientists a bit wary, but soon beginning to talk, as Sofie starts to feel sick and looks for a toilet. Whilst she is there, she hears a loud noise and a scream, and going back through, she finds the two men shot dead and Kate seemingly badly injured as well. Her entry surprises the assassin, giving Sofie a chance to run back where she came from the back of the boat and she narrowly manages to escape and fall through a hatch into the water. She manages to get out eventually and reports everything to the police, but they don’t really believe her, especially as the boat is not there and checking out her story about Kate they find she was in Ukraine, where she apparently got killed! Sofie has no idea what to think, but another strange call from Kate’s friend Alice, about a man she wants her to meet, soon leads to Alice being dead and Sofie clearly being hunted by someone. The people who hired Cal got him to leave the area after the women disappeared with the two scientists he was to watch and nothing about that sits well with him. They now want him to leave immediately for the second job they had offered him, in Oslo, but he knows something is up and refuses to play along with them.
He had found Alice’s number on the back of the pass Sofie left beside him at the party, and arranged to meet her to view a house as a cover story, but he waits around to meet her, only to find out she is dead and now he is the prime suspect! He goes back to his friend and colleague of old, Frank, whose land he has been living on for some eighteen months, much to Frank’s wife’s disagreement, and has to ask for help. It seems the company who hired him are also working to get their politician MP Walter Crane elected as Prime Minster and he was to cover some of the political rallies. Sofie ends up on the run, realising that nowhere is really safe after finding Kate and her flat’s both ransacked. After being attacked by the assassin again, she thinks she has escaped, but the story ends with her in a strange location after being drugged. She has been rescued as such by Cal and Frank, with a connection to MI6 in there as well and has to figure out if she can believe what they are telling her or not. The fight for the truth and against the cover up being perpetrated by those who hired and now framed Cal, and to keep Sofie safe, will not be solved in this book, as it leaves us on a knives edge with nothing really resolved apart from Sofie being in what we all know are safe hands! Their story continues in the next book and there is a shocking surprise for Sofie at the end of this one. I look forward to seeing if Rob Lord, another former soldier in frank’s group in Afghanistan, will have any more to do in the next, with him being in a few key scenes with Sofie and others. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
December 4, 2023
The Girl on the Boat is listed as the first book in the Cal and Sofie series, but this is a bit misleading. It is actually the first half of a two-part story which concludes in Don’t Look Down. It is better to know this before you start reading as it will be less confusing. The plot is complicated, but in simple terms it concerns a pharmaceutical company, Cambridge Bio, founded by MP Walter Crane, and an illegal drug trial. Crane has aspirations to become leader of his party, something the Russians are also working behind the scenes to facilitate. Sofie’s dad, who was participating in the drug trial, died six months previously in what was presumed to be an accident. Sofie’s journalist friend Kate is investigating the drug company and plants the seed of doubt that draws Sofie into this dangerous conspiracy.
The story is told from both Sofie and Cal’s perspective, with additional sections from other characters, so the reader gets a rounded picture of what is going on and knows more than either Sofie or Cal. Of the two, I found Cal more believable than Sofie. I don’t know if this was a case of a male writer not creating a convincing female protagonist, but I really did not take to Sofie at all. Hopefully, the next part of the story will change my opinion. Apart from a short conversation near the beginning, Cal and Sofie do not meet properly until almost the end of The Girl on the Boat. In books like this there would normally be a lot more interaction between the main characters earlier in the narrative. This is a promising debut thriller from JD Wood, though he has written in other genres, and I look forward to reading the conclusion to Sofia and Cal’s adventure. I read this as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT
The story is told from both Sofie and Cal’s perspective, with additional sections from other characters, so the reader gets a rounded picture of what is going on and knows more than either Sofie or Cal. Of the two, I found Cal more believable than Sofie. I don’t know if this was a case of a male writer not creating a convincing female protagonist, but I really did not take to Sofie at all. Hopefully, the next part of the story will change my opinion. Apart from a short conversation near the beginning, Cal and Sofie do not meet properly until almost the end of The Girl on the Boat. In books like this there would normally be a lot more interaction between the main characters earlier in the narrative. This is a promising debut thriller from JD Wood, though he has written in other genres, and I look forward to reading the conclusion to Sofia and Cal’s adventure. I read this as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT
November 27, 2023
I want to start by saying that this year I have read mainly Fantasy mixed with Historical Fiction and Triller/Action or Mysteries. However, I am always on the look out for books in the thriller/action genre because this is the genre my husband loves and the three authors he reads most only put out one book a year.
I picked up this book with great anticipation that this would be a series that my husband and I could enjoy together (Like the Jack Reacher series, The Grey Man series, Joe Pike Series). However, this is not the beginning of a series - it is actually the beginning of one story - that is not finished.
Reading Fantasy books I am familiar with a story going on through several books - however, there is usually one story that is being told for that book that leads into the next story. In this book that seems to be lacking a bit.
I hate giving a 2 star review, and even debated giving a three star. But as I doubt I will pick up book two to see this series through I will leave it as a 2 star review.
Plot is ok, character development is lacking, character description is lacking. What is good is the story line - the idea behind the story. Maybe, just maybe, by the time book two is ready I will revisit this entire thing - but it's not likely. .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I picked up this book with great anticipation that this would be a series that my husband and I could enjoy together (Like the Jack Reacher series, The Grey Man series, Joe Pike Series). However, this is not the beginning of a series - it is actually the beginning of one story - that is not finished.
Reading Fantasy books I am familiar with a story going on through several books - however, there is usually one story that is being told for that book that leads into the next story. In this book that seems to be lacking a bit.
I hate giving a 2 star review, and even debated giving a three star. But as I doubt I will pick up book two to see this series through I will leave it as a 2 star review.
Plot is ok, character development is lacking, character description is lacking. What is good is the story line - the idea behind the story. Maybe, just maybe, by the time book two is ready I will revisit this entire thing - but it's not likely. .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 3, 2023
Mesmerizing
The Girl On The Boat - JD Wood
Softie James Thriller Series Book 1
My Review:
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: None
Pages: 237
Genre: Thriller
Trope: Medical Thriller, Conspiracy
Sofie depressed and confused over her father’s suicide is approached and told that it’s possible a pharmaceutical experiment caused her father to behave the way he had that resulted in his suicide. That he was a participant in the drug trial.
Following the clues and information leads her to a party boat where she’s to act as crew along with her dear friend to await contact by two scientists who worked at the pharmaceutical company running the trial.
The party boat results in 3 murders and one witness who can’t prove the murders because of all three bodies disappearied.
Sofie now on the run fearing for her own life faces many challenges.
This book does end on a cliffhanger. It is book one of a duet. The second book, Don’t Look Down to be published in January 2024.
I’m not going to give spoilers because I believe this book and book 2 should be read. I do recommend this book.
The Girl On The Boat - JD Wood
Softie James Thriller Series Book 1
My Review:
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: None
Pages: 237
Genre: Thriller
Trope: Medical Thriller, Conspiracy
Sofie depressed and confused over her father’s suicide is approached and told that it’s possible a pharmaceutical experiment caused her father to behave the way he had that resulted in his suicide. That he was a participant in the drug trial.
Following the clues and information leads her to a party boat where she’s to act as crew along with her dear friend to await contact by two scientists who worked at the pharmaceutical company running the trial.
The party boat results in 3 murders and one witness who can’t prove the murders because of all three bodies disappearied.
Sofie now on the run fearing for her own life faces many challenges.
This book does end on a cliffhanger. It is book one of a duet. The second book, Don’t Look Down to be published in January 2024.
I’m not going to give spoilers because I believe this book and book 2 should be read. I do recommend this book.
January 13, 2024
For a short book, there is a lot going on in this one. The first few chapters are set in different places and do not seem to relate to each other, though as the book goes on, the connections start to emerge. There is plenty of action and the plot is fairly cryptic, involving a multinational country, the police and national security organizations, amongst others. It is not easy to sort out who everyone is and which side they are on, but that adds to the interest, though I found it a little confusing at first
This is part one and without giving too much away, the story is not complete by the end of the book. I look forward to reading the next installment ......
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
This is part one and without giving too much away, the story is not complete by the end of the book. I look forward to reading the next installment ......
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 23, 2023
Superb fiction. Book one of two. I started this book when I went to bed one night. Bad idea, as I just couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end early the next morning. I liked the fact that this book was a compact story in a few hundred pages. Here there is no repetition to just up the word count, just a tightly plotted thriller. With a climax that leaves you wanting more. So, I think I will have another sleepless night when the story continues to its climax in the soon to be published book two! Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
December 2, 2023
Book 1, the story resumes in book 2. Sofie discovers the death of her father and embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind his supposed suicide. Meanwhile, Cal is framed for two murders and embarks on a mission to prove his innocence. The story switches predominantly between Sofie and Cal as well as various characters so readers can follow both perspectives as well as the overall narrative. This is an action-driven story as the two investigate the truth.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.
January 28, 2024
I’m reading these as part of the duology provided by NetGalley and I’ve just finished the first book and can confirm that if you want to know what happens you will need to read the whole duology, as where it wraps up nothing has been explained.
Leaving that at the door WOW this book is gripping. The characters are more complex than I’m used to in thrillers and the multitude of entangled plot lines have me absolutely glued to the book.
The writing is great, easy to follow and tension is ratcheted up at a great tempo. Looking forward to delving into the second book now!
Leaving that at the door WOW this book is gripping. The characters are more complex than I’m used to in thrillers and the multitude of entangled plot lines have me absolutely glued to the book.
The writing is great, easy to follow and tension is ratcheted up at a great tempo. Looking forward to delving into the second book now!
November 5, 2025
Who’s the Boss?
Cal and Sadie are two strangers thrown together by chance. Their lives seem to depend on their cooperating with each other ; however they each have different ideas as to how to proceed. And someone is out to silence them permanently. Their pursuers always seem to be one step ahead of them. Lots of action and danger. Definitely keeps the reader engrossed.
Don’t miss it. Jean, an avid fan.
Cal and Sadie are two strangers thrown together by chance. Their lives seem to depend on their cooperating with each other ; however they each have different ideas as to how to proceed. And someone is out to silence them permanently. Their pursuers always seem to be one step ahead of them. Lots of action and danger. Definitely keeps the reader engrossed.
Don’t miss it. Jean, an avid fan.
March 6, 2024
Usually not the type of books I read, but thought I’d give it ago, great mystery and the storyline was very thought out, hate that it left me hanging without a conclusion. thank you NetGalley for the ARC and an opportunity to review this book.
June 12, 2025
good read
This was very captivating. It was an easy story but I enjoyed the pace and was hoping for a good outcome. It was easy to see this was the first of future stories to follow up on people from this one. Except for typos and grammar mistakes this was good.
This was very captivating. It was an easy story but I enjoyed the pace and was hoping for a good outcome. It was easy to see this was the first of future stories to follow up on people from this one. Except for typos and grammar mistakes this was good.
November 14, 2025
Gripping story with plenty of action across multiple locations. Sofie is a girl who has lost her father and discovers he was the victim of an illegal drug trial, but when she starts to ask questions, she uncovers a terrifying cover-up which reaches the top of government.
July 12, 2025
Amassing read
January 29, 2026
Good book. Great cast of characters and suspenseful.
November 7, 2025
A Definite Thriller
Good book if you want guess what happens next. The girl is smarter than they think! I enjoyed it. Bravo!
Good book if you want guess what happens next. The girl is smarter than they think! I enjoyed it. Bravo!
December 10, 2023
Sophie James is trying to find out whether her father really did commit suicide or whether it was brought on by his participation in a drug trail which she knew nothing about. when she discovers he was a participant in a trial run by Cambridge Bio and that others had apparently died under questionable circumstances, she sets out to find the truth about the program and exactly what was going on.
Together with Cal Harrison, hired by Cambridge to work security for them, meets Sophie and together they work to find out what is going on.
Very intriguing premise that has a lot of action and a good amount of suspense as they dodge thugs and others who seem intent on stopping their investigation and causing law issues for Cal who they are using for a scapegoat.
The characters are easy to read - not a great amount of depth to their back stories but the plot does a good job of moving along at a steady beat with very interesting lesser characters and much action.
Final thoughts.................................
to be conitinued.
Together with Cal Harrison, hired by Cambridge to work security for them, meets Sophie and together they work to find out what is going on.
Very intriguing premise that has a lot of action and a good amount of suspense as they dodge thugs and others who seem intent on stopping their investigation and causing law issues for Cal who they are using for a scapegoat.
The characters are easy to read - not a great amount of depth to their back stories but the plot does a good job of moving along at a steady beat with very interesting lesser characters and much action.
Final thoughts.................................
to be conitinued.
March 17, 2024
I did enjoy this book, though this time I have only read part 2 (read part 1 a couple of months ago) . Saying that, I will read both books in this duology sometime in the future. This book is as action packed and as cryptic as book 1. With the time between reading books 1 and 2, I had lost some momentum with the plot (which is why I will reread in the future) and the switching between characters and locations was confusing and perhaps a little irritating. The book did come together though as it progressed and it kept my interest.
I think the choice of a two in one edition is a good one, I`m not sure about the two volumes, neither particularly long. With a couple of tweaks, a single book might have been better ?
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARc in exchange for an honest review
I think the choice of a two in one edition is a good one, I`m not sure about the two volumes, neither particularly long. With a couple of tweaks, a single book might have been better ?
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARc in exchange for an honest review
December 4, 2023
"The Girl on the Boat" by JD Wood is a riveting thriller that immerses readers in a world of conspiracy and danger. Sofie James, recovering from her father's suicide, becomes the lone witness to a violent crime during a chance encounter on a Thames river boat. As she goes on the run, pursued by both the police and powerful figures, ex-Special Forces operative Cal Harrison joins the fray, framed for murder. Wood's skillful narrative weaves a tale of suspense, complex characters, and political intrigue. While the plot's complexity may challenge readers, the payoff is a four-star thriller that keeps them engaged until the final revelation. #TheGirlontheBoatStartoftheBRANDNEWSofieJamesthrillerseries #NetGalley
November 25, 2023
I will start out with thT the chapter are not super long, which I don't mind. The transitions between the different chapters/characters was not as smooth as I like. I had to reread a lot to figure out where I was in the story. Once all the character meet it it got better. This is the first book in a long time that really does leave the story on a cliff hanger. If you want to know what happens next you have to read the next book. I look forward to the next book to see how the character continue to be developed.
Read
April 30, 2024Sofie is trying to figure things out after her father's apparent suicide. At only 26 years old she is not sure what to do now but she is determined to find out the truth about what happened to her father. She learns that he was possibly the victim of a secret drug trial. With the help of a friend who is a journalist Sofie meets with people from pharmaceutical company's on a boat but everything goes wrong and Sofie's friend is now dead. Ex special agent Cal is determined to find Sofie and find out the truth.
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!
December 27, 2023
First book in what shows promise of being a great series. First books must introduce characters and communities while building the story line. JD Woods does an excellent job of quickly grabbing a reader and pulling them along as Sophie James and Cal Harrison investigate her father's death. The speed at which the story moves and the tension built around each corner remind me so much of reading early John Grisham books. It's going to be a very impatient wait to get to book #2.
January 28, 2024
I also received this book as part of the new duology on NetGalley.
This was a good tight wrap up to this duo and leaves enough strings for Cal to wrap up in further books in the series. As with the first book I’m left wanting to know MORE but this does feel like a nice ending to this duology.
I have so many more questions about characters we met and I cannot wait to find out more.
This was a good tight wrap up to this duo and leaves enough strings for Cal to wrap up in further books in the series. As with the first book I’m left wanting to know MORE but this does feel like a nice ending to this duology.
I have so many more questions about characters we met and I cannot wait to find out more.
January 29, 2024
I read the first book. Loved it. Then had to wait patiently. Unlike me you don’t need to wait for book two because this duology brings both books together, now! Exciting, fast paced crime/espionage thriller. Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
March 11, 2024
I had read the first book in this series and then the Author reached out and asked if I would mind reading the next book, conclusion of the first part I had already finished. So I read the duology from the beginning. I liked the mystery and the very thought out plot. Thank you JD Wood for the opportunity to review this book.
November 25, 2023
Epic! Fab story about Sofie, her dad, her friends, some espionage, the police and murder!
Cannot wait to read part two, felt this ended far too soon.
Finished in one sitting!
Very well written, lots of detail, and plot twists galore!
Cannot wait to read part two, felt this ended far too soon.
Finished in one sitting!
Very well written, lots of detail, and plot twists galore!
February 13, 2024
Thank goodness there is a follow up as this book cries out to be part of a series! The author creates an immersive context with real, genuine characters who will completely engage you.
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