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Reasonable Force
Nick Summers and his wife, Mel, are trying for a baby.
Their plan, and all hope for the future, comes to a crashing halt when an intruder breaks into their home and Nick, in a panic, accidentally kills the man. He confides in his neighbour and police officer Nathan Ballack, who advises getting rid of the body.
What Nick doesn't know is that Ballack is a man with his own secrets – he is a cocaine dealer and addict, and lusts after Nick's wife.
Was this a man Nick had any right to trust?
Nick's nightmare has just begun as a blanket of deceit and corruption descends over the Summers' house, pushing the couple's sanity to the very edge.
Their plan, and all hope for the future, comes to a crashing halt when an intruder breaks into their home and Nick, in a panic, accidentally kills the man. He confides in his neighbour and police officer Nathan Ballack, who advises getting rid of the body.
What Nick doesn't know is that Ballack is a man with his own secrets – he is a cocaine dealer and addict, and lusts after Nick's wife.
Was this a man Nick had any right to trust?
Nick's nightmare has just begun as a blanket of deceit and corruption descends over the Summers' house, pushing the couple's sanity to the very edge.
370 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2015
1 person want to read
About the author
C.T. Sullivan
4 books10 followersC. T. Sullivan is a singer-songwriter and stand-up comedian. He is also the author of the much-acclaimed crime thriller 'Reasonable Force' (Pegasus Publishers).
Having recently retired as a city money-broker, he went to live in Manhattan for three months with his wife Deborah when she was seconded to her New York office. There, purely as ballast, he kept a journal of his experiences and observations whilst delving down into the colourful history of this iconic city. The result was the book '...which will leave you breathless with laughter...' APPLE INSIDER -An Englishman in New York.
After a one year move from Surrey to Devon he now lives in Sussex with his wife, Deborah, and Labradors, Woof and Splosh.
Author's Website: ctsullivan.co.uk
Having recently retired as a city money-broker, he went to live in Manhattan for three months with his wife Deborah when she was seconded to her New York office. There, purely as ballast, he kept a journal of his experiences and observations whilst delving down into the colourful history of this iconic city. The result was the book '...which will leave you breathless with laughter...' APPLE INSIDER -An Englishman in New York.
After a one year move from Surrey to Devon he now lives in Sussex with his wife, Deborah, and Labradors, Woof and Splosh.
Author's Website: ctsullivan.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 14, 2015
Nick Summers, and his wife, Mel have a settled life and a loving relationship. They are trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to conceive a baby, but apart from this small blip, their lives seem to be ticking along quite nicely. That is, until an intruder breaks into their home, and in a heartbeat of a moment, with all things hanging in the balance, their lives are irrevocably changed forever.
What then follows is a fast and furious crime thriller which keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. There is much to take in, not just with what's going on in Nick and Mel's now extremely unsettled life, but also with the local crime team who, led by shady police officer Nathan Ballack, have a whole heap of problems of their own to solve.
Overall, it's an interesting observational piece about the moral dilemma that faces anyone who may come face to face with an intruder in their home, and what constitutes 'reasonable force'. I thought that the plot at heart of the novel worked well. The story is punchy and robust, with well imagined characters, who, whilst not always likeable, add a scary amount of realism to this gritty and uncompromising crime thriller. I could quite easily see this being made into a crime drama. It has more than enough twists and turns and there are some really interesting scenarios, which, with the right sort of script, would play out really well on TV.
What then follows is a fast and furious crime thriller which keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. There is much to take in, not just with what's going on in Nick and Mel's now extremely unsettled life, but also with the local crime team who, led by shady police officer Nathan Ballack, have a whole heap of problems of their own to solve.
Overall, it's an interesting observational piece about the moral dilemma that faces anyone who may come face to face with an intruder in their home, and what constitutes 'reasonable force'. I thought that the plot at heart of the novel worked well. The story is punchy and robust, with well imagined characters, who, whilst not always likeable, add a scary amount of realism to this gritty and uncompromising crime thriller. I could quite easily see this being made into a crime drama. It has more than enough twists and turns and there are some really interesting scenarios, which, with the right sort of script, would play out really well on TV.
June 20, 2015
The word for this book is "unputdownable". You could describe it as a crime thriller, but it isn't really. We discover who has committed the crime in the first few pages. The whole book is about how far you would go to protect you and yours and your property and the consequences following on your actions. I don't want to give any plot spoilers so I won't. Just hurry up and read it so that you can tell others how good it is
March 13, 2016
I was given an free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Griping from the outset this book was riveting. A good plot, great characters, pacy, some nail biting moments. I just could not put it down. There were a few bits of the story that I found a bit implausible but overall a good read.
4****
Griping from the outset this book was riveting. A good plot, great characters, pacy, some nail biting moments. I just could not put it down. There were a few bits of the story that I found a bit implausible but overall a good read.
4****
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews