Harm's Reach

Ren Bryce #4

by Alex Barclay

FBI Agent Ren Bryce finds herself entangled in two seemingly unrelated mysteries. But the past has a way of echoing down the years and finding its way into the present.

When Special Agent Ren Bryce discovers the body of a young woman in an abandoned car, solving the case becomes personal. But the more she uncovers about the victim’s last movements, the more questions are raised.

Why was Laura Flynn driving towards a ranch for troubled teens in the middle of Colorado when her employers thought she was hundreds of miles away? And what did she know about a case from fifty years ago, which her death dramatically reopens?

As Ren and cold case investigator Janine Hooks slowly weave the threads together, a picture emerges of a privileged family determined to hide some very dark secrets – whatever the cost.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller

417 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

Barclay studied journalism at university and worked for a period in fashion and beauty journalism as a copywriter in the RTÉ Guide. In 2003, she left the fashion industry to write Darkhouse, the first of two novels featuring NYPD detective Joe Lucchesi. Her second novel, The Caller, was released in 2007, and Last Call in 2008. She won the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award at the Irish Book Awards for her fourth novel, Blood Runs Cold.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

FBI agent Ren Bryce and cold case investigator Janine Hooks works together trying to solve the death of a pregnant woman. It seems that this case has links to a case from fifty years ago...

I enjoyed this book immensely, much thank to two extraordinary women that are a fantastic duo. I have been trying to think of two women working together that I like as much as I like Ren and Janine, but I can't think of any. The dialog between them are snappy and wonderful, just as between two best friends. Also, one thing that makes this book a bit different that other crime novels are the fact that Ren is bipolar and she is on medicine, but that doesn't mean that she is cured so she has her moments in the book. Janine also seems to have some problems, I mean who spends time in the middle of the night laying a jigsaw? I haven't read the previous three books (yet) so I don't know her history. I only know that she is really anxious to lose her job and that is something that really troubled her in this book.

The case was also very interesting. I have a weakness for cold cases and it was interesting to see how all the pieces fell slowly into place and how things in the past came to influence the present time. Beside the case was it also interesting to see how Ren dealt with being bipolar. In the text, you could see her answers, but in italics you could also see her thoughts and even though she is better you can tell that sometimes events make her very stingy. For instance, her telling her boyfriend about being bipolar was a big thing for her.

This is a great book. I ordered the next book after only reading 30% of it and I usually wait at least until the book is finished before I do that. I actually have ordered book two also so I'm looking forward getting them and getting to know Ren and Janine from the beginning.

I received a copy from the publisher and Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours in return for an honest review!

[Hannah L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Barclay's protagonist, Special Agent Ren Bryce, is one of the most unique and intriguing characters I have ever come across in this genre. She is great at her job but has to manage it all with a mental illness. Insightful.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harm's Reach is the fourth book in Alex Barclay's crime fiction series featuring FBI Agent Ren Bryce.

Despite not being familiar with the previous novels in this series I didn't feel at all adrift. Ren, an FBI agent attached to a multi agency task force in Denver, is following up on a bank robbery when she stumbles upon the body of a young pregnant woman, shot to death in a rental car on the side of the road. No one seems to be able to explain what Laura Flynn was doing there or why any one would wish her harm.

The investigation twists in unexpected ways, with Ren's colleague and friend, cold case investigator Janine Hooks, becoming involved when they theorise that Laura may have uncovered some sensitive information about a fifty year old crime. Even as they explore the possibility, Ren continues to delve into Laura Flynn's life, and discovers that the wealthy employers that claim Laura as family are hiding secrets from them. I enjoyed the intricacies of the plot and was surprised by the way the threads converged to resolve not one but three very different cases.

I really liked getting to know Ren who is an intelligent and capable investigator with a wicked sense of humour. Ren is also struggling with a recent diagnosis of bi-polar disorder, an unusual trait for a lead character in this genre, and a new long distance relationship with a man who is unaware of her condition.
Ren's colleagues and friends are appealing, I enjoyed her banter with Janine and her task force mates, and the relationship between Ren and her boss, and with her therapist, offers additional insight into her character.

Offering strong and interesting characterisation, and a well crafted story I really enjoyed Harm's Reach and I'm eager to read more of this series.

[Lorrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this mystery! The main character is a tough, witty, bright, bipolar FBI agent. The story was engrossing and I read the book quickly. Highly recommended!

I received a copy of this e-book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberly Chavez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harm’s Reach opens at a fast pace- we meet a dozen characters and pick up some quickly disseminated information about several unrelated crimes, including a bank robbery, a murder and a couple of cold cases.

And right away on page two we find out our lead character, FBI agent Ren Bryce, is bipolar and her boss knows about her diagnosis. While I understand this is fiction and I regularly suspend disbelief when reading (it’s more fun that way!), I had a hard time reconciling the idea of a bipolar FBI agent with any remote possibility of reality. It just would not happen. EVER. Because that’s how people die. But I digress.

Throughout the book, we are treated to Ren’s thoughts that hint to her manic side. She says normal sounding words out loud to her co-workers, but then we see her thoughts that she has kept to herself. It’s exhausting to be in her head. She was hard to relate to, but by the end of the book, I felt for her and wish her good results in therapy.

Initially, I had a hard time getting into the story. After the first few chapters though, the mystery settles into an easier to follow rhythm and my interest built as the investigation developed. And those seemingly unrelated crimes? The author did a lovely job tying most of them into a satisfying ending and she did it without rushing to the finish.

By the end, I was glad I stuck with it and was satisfied with the conclusion. I am curious now about the first three books in this series and what led to Ren’s diagnosis. Ultimately, Harm’s Reach is an enjoyable read, but you do have to pay attention upfront to the details, they will matter later.

My review was first published at Lazy Day Books

[Brenda OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I haven't read the other books in the series, I really enjoyed this book and wasn't lost at all I'm what was happening. The character Ren,who is an FBI agent who solves crimes while dealing with mental illness, is a strong woman and her ability to do her job while suffering with mental illness was very intriguing to me.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Although this book wasn't the first one in this series involving these characters, I still found this really easy to follow and a book that was engaging with characters who were interesting.

First of all... on the side of bipolar, I don't know very much about that disorder. It was good to have some insight into what was going on in Ren's mind, though, even if what was going through her head was quite scary at times.

I did find myself getting a bit lost a couple of times in the amount of theories that were being bandied around. I felt it was really good to see the thought processes during a case, though, and there were quite a few twists and turns in the book. One or two of them might have been a bit far-fetched, but that wasn't enough to make me completely struggle with my suspension of disbelief.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the fact that the author showed Ren's life outside of the case, too. I got to see some of Ren's personal life... and as mentioned earlier, I also got to see a lot of how her mind worked. Even with the medication she was taking, I could see a lot of the ups and downs that came from her disorder.

It was interesting to see how things connected together, but I did feel a bit that the plot moved a little too fast in places... though I didn't really feel like it dragged.

I did find myself growing a bit amused by some of Ren's internal comments. She was a character who was easy to empathise with through this book and I liked her close friendship with Janine. I did also like her relationship with Ben... even if I think he was kind of naive about what he was getting himself into.

I probably wouldn't read this book again. It didn't quite draw me into the plot in the same way a thriller has to in order to make me want to read it again. But it did make me interested in reading other books by this author and involving the same characters.

[Ryan Mangan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been a big crime writer but I was absolutely enthralled by this one (after a slightly shaky beginning).

I admire this writer since, being a Cork lady, she is a pro at painting the American landscape and the traits of its people.

I especially loved the short, jerky chapters. They married well with the compressed hard-to-grasp-everything-together plots.

Furthermore, I enjoyed how close knit Ren's dialogue was to her thoughts- it almost revealed two dissimilar characters side by side which is likely how Barclay wanted it since Ren was bipolar.

Great read. Will look into more from this Author.

[Mary Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ren and her fellow work colleagues are hard working, motivated and have great one line asides. Ren is in love and there is less mania in this novel than usual. Not sure the story line for Robbie rings true but the working relationship with Janine plays out well. The main story line is clever and the threads of history are interesting. Was gripped from the start. Have just got the next in the series so am keen to keep up with Ren and the gang.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to get into this for some reason. I love Ren Bryce! Once I had read a few chapters I was hooked again and enjoyed it as much as the other books. Looking forward to the next one!

[Catherine Martin]

I found it complicated enough to follow Don't think I will be reading the other books in this series. I did finish the book and enjoyed it

[Margaret Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Love, love, love Ren Bryce but just struggled to fully connect with storyline. Great ending!

[Anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews in my blog

Harm’s Reach is a thriller novel written by former Irish journalist Alex Barclay. The story follows the investigation of a murder of pregnant Laura Flynn, an Irish woman who was found dead in a car with bullet wounds on her head and chest. FBI Special Agent Ren Bryce, who had been priorly appointed to unravel the case of Shark Bait Robbers who were robbing chains of banks, was drawn into this new case when she along with her mates, were the first to discover the body.

Laura was working for Robert Prince who came from a wealthy family of miners and is a billionaire in true sense. His wife Ingrid Prince was an ex-model. On one side of the road, where her body was found, was The Darned Heart, a center for the troubled kids of wealthy and famous people. They supposedly offered them the love and understanding, which was lacking in their parents. On the other side was an abbey, which housed many women who had a difficult life and wanted to spend their remaining time in a carefree, independent and free way.

As she dives deeper into the case, she discovers more and more about the people surrounding Laura. The suspects keep on increasing and she discovers more about the messed up pasts of the people around her.

The story started out almost immediately and was very fast paced just as a thriller novel should be. The main protagonist, Ren Bryce suffered from bipolar disorder. So, it was must more difficult for her then her team mates to do the job that she does because of her overthinking and occasional bursts of of emotional feelings. I think the author did a great job showing the life of a bipolar person in a detective job.

I loved Ren Bryce. She is a badass woman who gets her job done, is there for her friends and also with an amazing sense of humor , all the way battling with her bipolar disorder and seeking therapy.

However, as the story progressed it went on to become confusing and messy at times. The author, while trying to incorporate more plot twists and relations between the characters ended up confusing me with unnecessary subplots and background stories. Although I understand that some of these were important for the development of the plot and the characters, it ended up being too confusing to me as a reader.

[Sue Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an okay read - I did finish this book for my book club. The beginning was slow, then I started to get into it in the middle, but the ending was a bit of a let-down (other than the twist). really didn't warm to the main character, Ren - she also swore too much - not sure why authors feel they have to have their characters use the 'f' word so much. There were too many characters to keep track of in the book and some info given for some characters didn't add anything to the story. I didn't see the twist coming at the end (it was a good one) - maybe because there was just too much going on in the story to catch. I won't be reading any more books with this character in it.

[Mazzy Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to like about Harm's Reach if you enjoy a complex who-dun-it with a main protagonist who is far from dull. I found the insightful (and, at times, confronting) glimpses given into the bi-polar thought patterns of Ren Bryce added extra depth and dimension to the reading experience. If you're after a safe and sweet read, this isn't it, but readers who are willing to appreciate Ren's unique character attributes and language choices are in for an intriguing, roller-coaster guessing game right up to the very end.

[Kayleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book really irritating to read and had to force myself to finish it. The constant pausing of the story where the protagonist's internal thoughts were inserted was annoying and sometimes confusing. We're introduced to many, many, many characters, some of which were completely unnecessary and made it hard to keep track of who is who. Picked up slightly towards the end but I felt there was too much going on and I didn't really care about any of the characters.

[Trevor Snape · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really enjoyable book. The main character is a female FBI special agent who has bipolar. The way this story is written is that as well as reporting what the special agent is saying, it also reports what she is thinking and not saying. This makes this story highly addictive and at times very funny, even though the story is about murder and much worst. This is the first book in this series that I have read, it will not be the last.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller at it best!!!!
Aaaahhhh....I love this novel so soooooo much.
Superbly written, it is pure suspense, thriller of the finest sort.
It begins with the death of a pregnant 26 yr old and goes into this dark journey of complete thrill!
I couldn't put it down, got late for work, finished it during breaks!
Omg...suspense lovers, take this thrilling ride Alex Barclay has plot up for readers, please!!!

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a decent mystery. That worked well for me even though I had not read the previous books in this series. What didn't work was the main character Ren. I didn't like her and didn't connect with her at all. I likely won't be reading more books in this series.

Trying to clear off a backlog of Edelweiss titles that I downloaded before I realized what I was doing reviewing electronically. All opinions are my own.

[Michael Hastings · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a decent story in here somewhere but its lost in the telling. We're used to Detectives/Agents with personality flaws and attitude problems but this one is Bi Polar, that's a new one at least. The trouble is her internal monologue is annoying and the dialogue which I think is supposed to be witty just isn't. Shame.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. There was nothing really wrong with this book; I just didnt care for the style of the author’s writing, and nothing really got me invested in the characters. The author also got so wrapped up in the multitude of plots that he forgot to unravel a couple of them.

[John Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got a bit bogged down with the bits about the detectives private life and it left me a bit confused over who was who in the main plot

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still not sure whether I like Ren. Sometimes I do and other times I just want to knock some sense into her!

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I like the series and the characters, but this one felt a little over complicated with the plot. The main story itself was good and I didn’t pick the villain at all.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just get more in love with this authors novels. The inner dialogue of Ren is awesome! The characters are like real people and light up the interior of this world of Ren Bryce. Just perfect.

[Tom Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally a big fan, but this one just didn't do it for me. Too many different strands and plots that took too long to weave together.

[Linda Mazza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprising

Several twists and turns. Overall, not a bad read. I found the main character unusual. I haven't decided if I will read any more books by this author.

[Lynda Shrubb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good thriller. Good pace and twists.

[Theresa Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harm's Reach

This thriller has the reader page turning from beginning to end without wanting to take a break. Really couldn't out it down. Excellent

[Gav Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh