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Blackmail
In crime and thriller novel, Blackmail, Michael explores the lives of a group of criminals who pull off a daring robbery. However, one of them becomes involved in a struggle with a security guard who is shot and seriously injured. The gang leader, Michael Doyle, establishes a seemingly perfect alibi to escape, but their carefully prepared plans begin to unravel when the DNA of the robber who struggled with the injured guard is detected. The investigators are able to link him with Doyle through CCTV and both of them are arrested.
Clever lawyers seek to exclude the DNA evidence but Doyle’s girlfriend, who has some legal knowledge, is sceptical that the ploy will work. Desperate measures become necessary...
Then, things take a turn for the worse when a judge’s home is raided and his wife and young son are kidnapped. It turns out they will only be released if he rules against the prosecution. Will the judge do what the kidnappers demand?
Will Blackmail reveal who was behind the kidnapping? Was it Doyle’s girlfriend or someone from his past? Someone he had crossed? Only time will tell..
Clever lawyers seek to exclude the DNA evidence but Doyle’s girlfriend, who has some legal knowledge, is sceptical that the ploy will work. Desperate measures become necessary...
Then, things take a turn for the worse when a judge’s home is raided and his wife and young son are kidnapped. It turns out they will only be released if he rules against the prosecution. Will the judge do what the kidnappers demand?
Will Blackmail reveal who was behind the kidnapping? Was it Doyle’s girlfriend or someone from his past? Someone he had crossed? Only time will tell..
536 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2016
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 2, 2023
2.5 stars.
Clever plot but over-long, with way too much repetition. The author’s background as a lawyer leads him to include everything in minute detail, which may be necessary in the legal profession but is a distinct drawback as a novelist. His inability to write convincing dialogue is a problem as is his tendency to use every unconvincing conversation as an opportunity for yet more plot exposition.
Apparently there are other books in the series; I shan’t be bothering.
Clever plot but over-long, with way too much repetition. The author’s background as a lawyer leads him to include everything in minute detail, which may be necessary in the legal profession but is a distinct drawback as a novelist. His inability to write convincing dialogue is a problem as is his tendency to use every unconvincing conversation as an opportunity for yet more plot exposition.
Apparently there are other books in the series; I shan’t be bothering.
December 20, 2016
An excellent debut novel by Michael Stokes
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character DCI Henry Hood comes over as a dedicated but also very likeable character who is surrounded by a team of officers who all respond to him in their own ways. The story starts with a robbery of £3.9 million from a security van a few days before Christmas. When it is revealed that any future transit of monies will be stained with an indelible ink making any future robberies worthless, it becomes obvious that there has been an insider tip-off. During the robbery one of the security guards tries to fight back and ends up with some blood on him from the attacker which enables a DNA identification.
Meanwhile in Hull Michael Doyle, who is the mastermind behind the robbery crashes his car and a suitcase of unmarked notes is found making him the main suspect however his alibi is watertight and he is admitting nothing. His girlfriend Julia ‘Jules’ Hamilton is also very much involved but knows her way around the intricacies of the law due to her job.
What makes this job so readable is the intricacies of the plot and how the working relationship between the lawyers and the police are so often hindered by subtleties of the legal process. Michael Stokes is a former judge and his knowledge is very evident but he does not bog the reader down in legal paraphernalia, he makes the process understandable and enjoyable.
There are so many twists in this book and a multitude of different characters which normally can confuse me but it was so well written that I had no difficulty in following all the action. Little by little everything is revealed but even then there is a twist which I had not realised at the very end.
I am pleased to see that there is a follow-up due out next year and will definitely be reading it. I would say to any potential readers do not be put off by the length of this book it is well worth the time invested, I really enjoyed the slow unravelling of what had happened and the writing style is very good.
Dexter
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character DCI Henry Hood comes over as a dedicated but also very likeable character who is surrounded by a team of officers who all respond to him in their own ways. The story starts with a robbery of £3.9 million from a security van a few days before Christmas. When it is revealed that any future transit of monies will be stained with an indelible ink making any future robberies worthless, it becomes obvious that there has been an insider tip-off. During the robbery one of the security guards tries to fight back and ends up with some blood on him from the attacker which enables a DNA identification.
Meanwhile in Hull Michael Doyle, who is the mastermind behind the robbery crashes his car and a suitcase of unmarked notes is found making him the main suspect however his alibi is watertight and he is admitting nothing. His girlfriend Julia ‘Jules’ Hamilton is also very much involved but knows her way around the intricacies of the law due to her job.
What makes this job so readable is the intricacies of the plot and how the working relationship between the lawyers and the police are so often hindered by subtleties of the legal process. Michael Stokes is a former judge and his knowledge is very evident but he does not bog the reader down in legal paraphernalia, he makes the process understandable and enjoyable.
There are so many twists in this book and a multitude of different characters which normally can confuse me but it was so well written that I had no difficulty in following all the action. Little by little everything is revealed but even then there is a twist which I had not realised at the very end.
I am pleased to see that there is a follow-up due out next year and will definitely be reading it. I would say to any potential readers do not be put off by the length of this book it is well worth the time invested, I really enjoyed the slow unravelling of what had happened and the writing style is very good.
Dexter
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
May 21, 2017
An interesting story , initially there's a lot of groundwork to absorb , but soon flows along nicely , some potential red herrings (that you can't decide - if they are leading you down a garden path , or are they ?) there's several good hooking in moments that compel the reader to do "just another chapter" . Those who work in the system will be familiar with aspects of the storyline , but it engages the casual reader without getting weighed down in legal terms.
Looking forward to the next part .
Looking forward to the next part .
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews