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Within A History Of Violence
Adam and Ades world shatters when their sister is brutally murdered. Consumed by grief and rage, they are offered a dangerous opportunityto identify the killer through a crippled criminal organisation. But revenge comes at a cost.Detective Reign is drawn into a baffling missing persons case in the tourist town of Emerald Bay. Theres no victim, no suspects and no evidence. Yet something doesnt add up.As darkness closes in, two paths conspire toward a violent collision. Lines between justice and revenge begin to blur.Because in a game of shadows someone is always in control.
582 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 5, 2026
What a book!
WAHOV has an explosive start; straight into the action and doesn’t stop until the very last line, the definition of “just one more chapter!”.
The relationships between characters throughout the book are so complex and even though the storyline on paper is absolutely brutal, there are lots of really cleverly written funny moments in amongst the pain and sadness they’re navigating while dealing (and attempting to avenge) their sisters death.
As someone who LOVES a detective series, the characters of Reign and Carmichael really ticked the boxes for me. The dynamic between the two was so heartwarming and let me say, TEARS WERE SHED (if you know, you KNOW- and you’re not forgiven!) 😭😂 I REALLY enjoyed the characters of Moon and Devereaux and thought it nice to see slightly rogue, slightly terrifying female characters on the force as opposed to the moody male detective figures we see so much of.
I can’t even talk about the ending because honestly Im still shocked over a week later, all I can say is S E Q U E L immediately! This has gone in as easily one of my favourite books of the year.
Perfect for those wanting an action packed story, forming an emotional attachment to fictional characters and losing hours of sleep to stay up for another chapter 🤟🏼❤️
WAHOV has an explosive start; straight into the action and doesn’t stop until the very last line, the definition of “just one more chapter!”.
The relationships between characters throughout the book are so complex and even though the storyline on paper is absolutely brutal, there are lots of really cleverly written funny moments in amongst the pain and sadness they’re navigating while dealing (and attempting to avenge) their sisters death.
As someone who LOVES a detective series, the characters of Reign and Carmichael really ticked the boxes for me. The dynamic between the two was so heartwarming and let me say, TEARS WERE SHED (if you know, you KNOW- and you’re not forgiven!) 😭😂 I REALLY enjoyed the characters of Moon and Devereaux and thought it nice to see slightly rogue, slightly terrifying female characters on the force as opposed to the moody male detective figures we see so much of.
I can’t even talk about the ending because honestly Im still shocked over a week later, all I can say is S E Q U E L immediately! This has gone in as easily one of my favourite books of the year.
Perfect for those wanting an action packed story, forming an emotional attachment to fictional characters and losing hours of sleep to stay up for another chapter 🤟🏼❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2026
Fantastic!
This was an absolutely fantastic read! It caught me from the start and kept me on pins and needles all the way through. The descriptively written scenes in this book are by far some of the best I’ve ever read. I became squeamish at some points but not able to put it down. As I was reading I seen this playing out as a movie in my mind. Absolutely unbelievably fantastic!
This was an absolutely fantastic read! It caught me from the start and kept me on pins and needles all the way through. The descriptively written scenes in this book are by far some of the best I’ve ever read. I became squeamish at some points but not able to put it down. As I was reading I seen this playing out as a movie in my mind. Absolutely unbelievably fantastic!
June 23, 2026
What an amazing first book! From the very beginning I was completely drawn into the story and found it hard to put down. The character building was excellent, making it easy to connect with the characters and become invested in what happened to them.
The story was gripping throughout, with plenty of moments that kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what would happen next. I really enjoyed how everything unfolded and found myself completely immersed in the world the author created.
This is a fantastic debut that left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes in the future. Definitely a book I’d recommend and one I’ll be thinking about for a while. 💜📚
The story was gripping throughout, with plenty of moments that kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what would happen next. I really enjoyed how everything unfolded and found myself completely immersed in the world the author created.
This is a fantastic debut that left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes in the future. Definitely a book I’d recommend and one I’ll be thinking about for a while. 💜📚
Review of advance copy received from Author
So I’ve finished reading AHOV. I did thoroughly enjoy it. I felt like the chapters were just the right length, which I’m quite fussy about because I HATE short chapters 😂 i enjoyed how action packed the first chapter was, there was no dallying around, it got straight in there and grabbed my attention off the bat. Among Elaine and Carmichael, I loved the dynamic between the two brothers, because there was parts I laughed at, and parts I felt really sorry for them, trying to go through the grief of their sisters death. I loved Detective Moon and cannot wait to read more about her hopefully. Reign was a very likeable character and I really enjoyed his friendship with Carmichael, as he really saw a lot of himself in him and saw his potential before anyone else.
Got to say it isn’t my usual read, not something I would pick up, but I am glad I’ve read it. I enjoy your writing and I appreciate how much time you’ve spent writing this book. Deffo got some talent and I’m proud of you for sticking through it! Can’t wait to read the next one! Highly recommend.
Got to say it isn’t my usual read, not something I would pick up, but I am glad I’ve read it. I enjoy your writing and I appreciate how much time you’ve spent writing this book. Deffo got some talent and I’m proud of you for sticking through it! Can’t wait to read the next one! Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read this prior to publishing as an ARC reader and editor. I found this really easy to get into as it's an explosive and intriguing start, straight into action. The character development is great, I felt emotionally invested in a lot of the characters, and there's a good balance of action and humour throughout. Lots of twists and turns and shocking moments keep you invested through the book. The genre was perfect for me as I'm a huge Ian Rankin fan so loved the character development around the lead detective.
August 30, 2026
Cinematic!
Really entertaining action book. I can't share my deeper opinions so I don't spoil anything, but what a SOB. Some scenes really ticked me off, but the writing helped me visualize the story. It was great!
Really entertaining action book. I can't share my deeper opinions so I don't spoil anything, but what a SOB. Some scenes really ticked me off, but the writing helped me visualize the story. It was great!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received a free copy as an ARC reader from the author himself, I said I would give it a read and it exceeded my expectations
I was hooked from the first chapter and the tone and narrative never wavered, packed full of twists and turns (one of which made me cry out in shock)
The character development was three dimensional and excellent through out
At no point during the reading of this book did I get bored and after turning the last page it left me hungry for more!
Stephen has truly impressed me with his writing skills as I wasn't expecting a story of such quality coming from a first novel
Congratulations on this epic achievement!
I will be purchasing it in paperback form on its release and.....BRING ON BOOK TWO!!!
I was hooked from the first chapter and the tone and narrative never wavered, packed full of twists and turns (one of which made me cry out in shock)
The character development was three dimensional and excellent through out
At no point during the reading of this book did I get bored and after turning the last page it left me hungry for more!
Stephen has truly impressed me with his writing skills as I wasn't expecting a story of such quality coming from a first novel
Congratulations on this epic achievement!
I will be purchasing it in paperback form on its release and.....BRING ON BOOK TWO!!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews