Hard Fall

Thomas Blume #1

by P.T. Reade

He is a broken man. A man on the edge...
An ex-New York cop, now working as a freelance investigator in London; Thomas Blume searches for the killers that tore his family apart. "For justice, for closure, for revenge."
But when Blume stumbles across a case that baffled police, he unwittingly becomes part of a world full of criminals, thugs and corrupt cops that will do anything to stop him.
Now, in a country he doesn't understand and a city stacked against him, Blume must fight to expose the truth...
"Discover the first book in the killer new Thomas Blume Hard-Boiled Mysteries series today! "
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""A dark, twisting mystery that will hook you right from the start! Meet your new favorite hero...""
To say "thank you" for checking out "Hard Fall," you can claim the sequel right now for free! Visit: www.PTReade.com "Tags: hard boiled mysteries, mystery, mysteries, noir, private investigators, Thomas Blume"

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Ebooks, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Amazon

191 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Phil Reade is the acclaimed author of the Thomas Blume mystery series.

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www.PTReade.com

List of Phil Reade’s books:
HARD FALL (Thomas Blume Book 1)
SNOW BURN (Book 2)
RED HUNT (Book 3)
CROSS FIRE (Book 4)
GRAVE WALKER (Book 5)
FLASH POINT (Book 6)
END GAME (Book 7)

BOOK HITS - SHORT THRILLERS:
NIGHT RUNNER
MARKED FOR DEATH
PRIVATE LIE
TAKEN BELOW

Phil was born in the UK and has lived, worked and travelled in many countries around the globe. A fiction author specialising in things mystery and thriller, his approach is to weave gripping action, captivating characters and thrilling suspense into each story.

The Thomas Blume series contains the best elements of the hard-boiled, noir and private investigators genre. Get started with the No.1 download HARD FALL, available now.

Get your copies in either eBook or paperback today.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

" I caught a glimpse of myself in the rear view mirror. The steel blue eyes and hard features of my father looked back. The dark hair now streaked with gray was pure Mom. The rest of the unfortunate state belonged to me. Thomas Blume: respected New York Police Detective, decorated hero, widower, loser."..

This is the first book of four in a series featuring a freelance investigator. This mystery series takes place in London. Ex New York detective, Thomas Blume, is on the hunt for the murderers that destroyed his family.

Drinking too much and pursuing cheaters for a living is wearing him down. Thoughts of his wife and son stay in his memory. A surprise incident threatens to expel him from the country. He needs to stay so he can find out who murdered his family there.

A new interest, a case the police never solved, may give Blume the inner strength to pull himself together and get back on track. It was a fast paced read that just took you in from the first page. A few surprises in there as well.

This novella is a great start to what seems a promising series. Interesting characters, and situations, had me immediately hooked. Shocking ending made me gasp. Can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you P.T. Reade

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book really impressed me. The Authors writing style reminds me other great Murder Mystery writers I’ve read, like Michael Connelly and Steven Dunne. This story is so well written, and easy to read. Thomas Blume is a bit of a mess, but understandably so after his wife and son were murdered in the UK. He moved across six months ago from New York to investigate who was responsible for their deaths, but after not getting anywhere, he found himself hitting the bottle a bit too often. Unbeknown to him, his friend and landlord Amir placed an advertisement in the paper for work, as a private Investigator for him. With his skills as a NYPD Detective, the only thing he has done so far is to investigate marital problems with people cheating on each other. That’s how the police have ended up at his door, when one of his clients Anthony Taylor commits suicide after Thomas presented him with photographic evidence, of his wife in the throes of passion with another man. The ad in the paper certainly worked, and Thomas ends up investigating the disappearance of Elizabeth Ellington’s 10 year old, son Jack. When he discovers another boy of around the same age and appearance who has recently gone missing, he starts to wonder if there is a connection. Now that he is drinking less, he can feel all of his detective instincts start to click back into gear. PT Read certainly has a talent for writing, and I’d definitely recommend this book. A great story.

[Vivienne Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Page-Turning Murder Mystery

The setting is London where protagonist Thomas Blume, a down on his luck, alcoholic ex-cop from New York, gathers information on cheating spouses but when one of his clients wants the name of the man his wife is cheating with, that individual apparently commits suicide, and you soon discover the real reason why Blume is in London. As the story takes on a life of its own, you’re taken on a roller coaster ride filled with twists and turns, treachery, deception, suspicion, murder, secret and lies, and shocking revelations with some well-developed, descriptive characters that have their own hidden agenda. The narrative is riveting with an unsolved cold case that will lead to a few bombshell endings.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was noir done quite well. The protagonist is a former NYPD detective who has relocated to London following the suspicious deaths of his wife and son who were living there. In order to do this he becomes a PI and then allows whiskey to distract him most days. Finally, when attempting to stay sober for a bit, he begins to investigate a cold case of a missing child which brings him back to his Detective status. The ending is well done; the epilogue surprising enough to make you want to read the next chapter of this series.

[David Pospisil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last third of this book was such an improvement on the beginning.
Blume's altruistic conversion and the action careening toward the ending were very good.
Hated...hated the Epilogue (as the author planned).
You'll get yours Amir and I'll read more to enjoy it.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

🤔

Enjoyable book with quite a few twists and a likable main character. First in the series so might check the next one out.

[Jo-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Blume was a NYPD detective when his wife and son were murdered in London. Wanting to investigate the murders and find out what really happened, he moved to London. He didn't make much progress with his investigation and got increasingly more morose which lead him to drinking a lot. Knowing he needed to work, both for money and to take his mind off the murders, his friend, Amir, put an ad in the paper, advertising him as a private investigator. Anything would be better than the odd jobs he was getting. Most of them were proving spouses were cheating, which he hated doing.

The ad sure worked. Blume started working for a woman whose son went missing 10 years ago. When he learns of another boy of similar age and appearance who recently went missing, he wonders if there is a connection between the two. Being a detective, he investigates the cases.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It constantly kept my attention with all the secrets, murders, and surprising twists. I didn't think much of Blume at first. He was a drunk who pitied himself after the murder of his wife and son. But I completely changed my opinion of him when he started working on the abduction cases. He was a very skilled detective and likeable person.

All in all, this was a fantastic book with an absolutely amazing ending! I liked it so much that I got the second book right away.

I want to thank P.T. Reade for giving me a complementary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Donadee's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard Fall Bk 1 by PT Reade
The reason is still not known why his family was torn from him!

An ex-cop with a past. A case police couldn't solve. One chance at redemption... Ex-New York detective Thomas Blume hunts the streets of London for the killers that tore his family apart. For justice, for closure, for revenge. But when Blume stumbles across a case that baffled local police, he unwittingly joins a world of criminals, corruption, and cops that will do anything to stop him.
Now, in a country, he doesn't understand, and a city stacked against him, Blume must fight to expose the truth… before it's too late.

What did I like? I really liked the lead character, he has heart and it is breaking. He goes all the way to find the reason his family was torn from him so the torture in him can stop. Even walking away from a job and going to a city that he does not understand and has no contacts there.

What will you like? The underdog like this will pull all your heartstrings and you will root for him. He may be broken but he’s not done till he knows. He wants to get his life back and this is the only way that he can do it. The action is fast, and bodies start piling up even in the British government. Corruption, intrigue, mystery, fast-paced and heartbreaking. Developed characters, great descriptions and the storyline just keeps growing. The next book Snow Burn is already out and continues the mystery.

[Terric853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novella about a former detective who is in London to investigate the death of his wife and son. However, Thomas is caught up in a downward spiral of self-loathing (he was working in NYC when they were killed) and booze.

A woman comes to his door late one night, knocks, and runs off. She comes again the next two nights, but doesn't even leave her car. After a few nights, Thomas decides to stake her out and follow her to find out who she is and what she wants. Turns out, her husband died of cancer 10 years ago and shortly after that, her 10-year-old son disappeared and the Lnodon police were unable to find out what happened to him. She wants Thomas to re-open the case. Thomas sees similiarilites between her lack of closure and his and decides to take the case.

Having a case to investigate and pursue gives Thomas the nudge he needs to stop drinking and clean up his life. He opens old wounds as he interviews people involved with the case.

I liked the pace of the book and seeing Thomas evolve (or re-evolve) back to the man he once was. I loved his gutsiness and how he keep after the trail, even when it seemed the clues had gone cold. I'll be reading more ikn tghis series.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down and out ex cop, now doing work in London, getting evidence on cheating spouses. When one commits suicide,now the plot begins, taking you on a roller coaster, that you won’t forget. It includes hidden agendas, treachery, right to the end. Characters that are well define, as well as the plot.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! When I first realized that this book was a novella, I was disappointed because I prefer full-length books. Well, let me tell you, P.T. Reade packs a lot of excellent writing and plot In under 200 pages.

I was hooked after chapter one! The story is told by the protagonist, Thomas Blume and the author writes so well that you very much care what happens to Thomas as the mystery unravels. Although the main plot of this story is wrapped up by the end, so many new questions arise that as soon as I was finished, I immediately began reading Book 2.

I highly recommend this series!

[Julie O'brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began this series after receiving a free copy of #5. I wasn't sure what to expect as the books are short. However, after reading #1 I can honestly say that this is starting out to be a great series! What lacks in number of pages surely does not disappoint in what is contained therein. This is a no fluff story with lots of twists and turns, and yes cliffhangers ... what else would you expect in the first book of the series. Already started #2 and cannot put it down.

[Quanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American ex-policeman in London searches for the people who killed his wife and son. His wife was on a temporary working assignment in England while he was still in the US. Both were murdered and set on fire. While searching he stumbles onto a serial killer of children. Under 100 pages it is a complete story that starts the series as he searches for his family's killer and solves other crimes.

[Mike Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Story. Starts Slow but picks up!!! Thomas Blume is in England!!! He has lost his Wife and Son. And his NYPD detective Career is gone. He is in England to figure who killed his Family. He os doing P.I. Domestic work and the result of his last Job makes him Ill! He gets a lost child case by accident that starts his interests back up. That is all you get!!! I do not want to ruin Your Read! This is a first book of a Tom Blume series. Enjoy a good read!
Santa Mike

[Steve Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book

This is the first time I have read this writer and I enjoyed it very much. I usually don't enjoy short novellas because there is not enough time to fill the characters out. But this book did a pretty good job of it for how short the book is. Did not flesh out the villain but didn't need to to make this a good story, and it is all about the story as all decent reads should be.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self published by author P.T. Reade, Hard Fall is the first of a series about Thomas Blume, a former New York cop who has overstayed his visa in London looking for clues on the murder of his wife and son. Besides drinking a lot, he's getting nowhere, so when the neighbor who helped him find a place to stay puts an ad in the newspaper advertising his services as a private investigator, he embarks on trying to solve another cold case, a missing boy who looks a lot like his son.

[Allan Ashinoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't often read mystery novels primarily because they do not keep my attention as they unfold. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Hard Fall, its story line, it unraveling, and its main character. Looking forward to reading another installment. If you enjoy a well made mystery, I'd recommend Hard Fall by P.T. Reade.

[Jhayashree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and gripping thriller. Though the book starts with delving into the protagonists' character much more than expected it seems to form the basis for what is to come in the novel and probably the other novels in the series. A fantastic page turner completely worthy of five stars. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Linda Look · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Blume, an ex-NYCity detective is in London trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of his wife and son. While drinking himself to death, a friend (?) gets him involved in investigating the murder of several young boys. This was a fast read with a sympathetic main character. I rate this a 3.8.

[Christopher Armani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. Enjoyed the main character very much. Read the entire book in about an hour last night. Couldn't put it down.

The only suggestion I'd give the author is to use less passive voice. Outside of that, an excellent read and I'm on to the next book in this series.

[David Berkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Start to the Series

With a down but not quite out protagonist this is a well written detective story. Clearly there is a layer below the surface but that will come out in following books in the series. Well worth the time to read.

[Carole D Hutchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good storyline

It started out slow but it progressed the story became more interesting . Tom the lead character showed courage in finding his desire to drink by taking on the challenge of solving a crime . His efforts were well portrayed in the story

[Neil Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book but found the story was too short. Being so short did not allow the charagcters to develop as they would in a larger book. But saying that, it was enjoayable and the twist at the end was so unexpected.

[Joanne Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Done

Really enjoyed this 1st Thomas Blume book.

While the story takes place in London, it doesn't get bogged down with "English-isms"; the American reader will have no trouble with PT Reade's work.

I'm off to buy book 2!

[Wendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent first book

Darker, gritty thriller in the hard-bitten detective genre. Thomas Blume is an ex cop who came to England to search for the reasons his wife and son were murdered. But he'll have to claw his way out of the bottle and face his nightmares to do that. He also needs to be productive or face deportation. He takes on a ten year cold case of a missing child.
This is better written than the vast majority of first books, self published, out there. A handful of sentences needed some better editing or polishing, but overall it was a strong story, well told.
I am interested in the next book, and the noir thriller isn't even my favourite genre.
I'd rate it PG-13. The child is missing for the ugly reasons you'd suspect, and there's an early scene at a seedy motel between two adulterers that I could have done without personally, but, again, I prefer English cozy, so if you like noir, this should not dissuade you.
Again, this was really a promising book by a new author and I expect he will only improve.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first read by this Author - a kindle freebie

I read so many Crime novels and was disappointed that this sadly fell short right from the start .. the writing style is good and sets a good pace, but the story behind the crimes has been done so many times before, and much better than this ..

Although the overall crime was full of suspense and satisfactorily solved, the main character was made up of so many stereotypes, he didn't feel real : An American in London, with a personal tragedy and finding life is better at the bottom of a bottle ..... etc etc

The main suspects were also formulaic, inc the obligatory retired Cop ..

Luckily, the book was short and I could finish it in 2 sittings .. don't think I'll be reading the next in the Series ..

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas is a man that has lost everything and no matter how hard he tries he can't make headway in the case of his family. Who wanted them dead? He is a town where everyone is looking out for themselves and he hasn't really made any friends except one. He ha been hired to find a missing boy by a very weary woman that is holding on by a bare thread can he find the missing boy or is it too late? Thomas is about to find something even eviler but he will be able to do some good unfortunately it will come at a price. Is it time for him to walk away without the answers that he needs? A good read.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

When I am unsure what to read next or am in a reading slump, I often turn to a crime novel to kick-start me again. I think it has something to do with the pace and suspense of these novels. So, I randomly found Hard Fall, only to discover it was the first in a series starring Thomas Blume.

Hard Fall was a quick, enjoyable read with a very likeable character in Thomas Blume. The epilogue was definitely a shock, so now I'm going to try and find the other novels in the series.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really ended up enjoying this fast-paced, gripping story. It did take me a couple of chapters to get thoroughly invested in the story, but eventually I got used to Blume's doom and gloom perspective. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between him and Amir. And... Excuse me? What was that ending? I didn't get invested in a bromance for Amir to do *that* to Blume. I really liked Amir as a character too! Now I've definitely got to read book two to find out what the hell happened.

[Rita Banner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me from the first page.

This book rated 5 stars because I couldn't finish it fast enough. I enjoy murder mysteries and this book more than met my expectations. I won't spoil it for anyone but the ending actually made me gasp. I couldn't get the next book ordered fast enough. I'm starting it as soon as I finish this review. Think I've just added another author to my list of favorites.