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Georgina McKenzie #4
The Girl Who Had No Fear
Amsterdam: a city where sex sells and drugs come easy. Four dead bodies have been pulled from the canals – and that number’s rising fast. Is a serial killer on the loose? Or are young clubbers falling prey to a lethal batch of crystal meth?
Chief Inspector Van den Bergen calls on criminologist Georgina McKenzie to help him solve this mystery. George goes deep undercover among the violent gangs of Central America. Working for the vicious head of a Mexican cartel, she must risk her own life to find the truth.
With murder everywhere she turns, can George get people to talk before she is silenced for good?
A pulse-pounding race against time, perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo.
Chief Inspector Van den Bergen calls on criminologist Georgina McKenzie to help him solve this mystery. George goes deep undercover among the violent gangs of Central America. Working for the vicious head of a Mexican cartel, she must risk her own life to find the truth.
With murder everywhere she turns, can George get people to talk before she is silenced for good?
A pulse-pounding race against time, perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2016
38 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Marnie Riches
22 books137 followersMarnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in Manchester. She learned her way out of the ghetto, all the way to Cambridge University, where she gained a Masters degree in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist, a property developer and professional fundraiser. Previously a children's author, now, she writes gritty, fast-paced crime fiction.
Marnie Riches is the author of the award-winning, best-selling George McKenzie series, starting with "The Girl Who Wouldn't Die", published in the UK by Avon/HarperCollins and special editions by The Word Factor-e in the US. She is also the author of best-selling, critically acclaimed Manchester gangland thrillers, "Born Bad" and "The Cover-Up" as featured in CBS documentary, "Written in Blood".
In her spare time, Marnie likes to spin, travel, drink and eat all the things (especially if combined with travel) paint portraits, sniff expensive leather shoes and renovate old houses. She also adores flowers.
Marnie Riches is the author of the award-winning, best-selling George McKenzie series, starting with "The Girl Who Wouldn't Die", published in the UK by Avon/HarperCollins and special editions by The Word Factor-e in the US. She is also the author of best-selling, critically acclaimed Manchester gangland thrillers, "Born Bad" and "The Cover-Up" as featured in CBS documentary, "Written in Blood".
In her spare time, Marnie likes to spin, travel, drink and eat all the things (especially if combined with travel) paint portraits, sniff expensive leather shoes and renovate old houses. She also adores flowers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 28, 2016
I started off really loving this one. The plot and scenes set in Amsterdam were great! I was settled in for an awesome read. Then it lost me.
The plot shifts its focus from the mystery of drug induced deaths in Amsterdam to a focus on drug cartels and the whole seedy underground scene in Mexico. It was this switch that lost me, I felt like I was in a different book.
I think this has more to do with not being my thing because it's not a badly written book. I simply had no interest in the scenes and events going on. I really tried to get back into this book over and over again. The whole drug scene, Mexico thing has never appealed to me in books.
The main characters are done really well and I was particularly enamoured with Van den Bergen. A great Scandinavian character! Georgina McKenzie of course is a central player as she is throughout this series but I didn't gel with her in this book.
So - a great start, super enthralling but then it didn't do it for me and I lost my enthusiasm for it. I finished it but with no sense of reader satisfaction. Perhaps fans of this series can recommend their favourite book in the series to me?
I think fans will no doubt still really like Marnie's newest book. Sadly it didn't float my boat. 3 stars from me. I tried.
I chose to read a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley. All review opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
The plot shifts its focus from the mystery of drug induced deaths in Amsterdam to a focus on drug cartels and the whole seedy underground scene in Mexico. It was this switch that lost me, I felt like I was in a different book.
I think this has more to do with not being my thing because it's not a badly written book. I simply had no interest in the scenes and events going on. I really tried to get back into this book over and over again. The whole drug scene, Mexico thing has never appealed to me in books.
The main characters are done really well and I was particularly enamoured with Van den Bergen. A great Scandinavian character! Georgina McKenzie of course is a central player as she is throughout this series but I didn't gel with her in this book.
So - a great start, super enthralling but then it didn't do it for me and I lost my enthusiasm for it. I finished it but with no sense of reader satisfaction. Perhaps fans of this series can recommend their favourite book in the series to me?
I think fans will no doubt still really like Marnie's newest book. Sadly it didn't float my boat. 3 stars from me. I tried.
I chose to read a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley. All review opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
May 7, 2021
Oh I hadn’t realised this was a series.
But I loved it.
I’d taken a break from Detective/Police procedures but this ones been on my backlist for ages.
Gay men are being murdered. Why? Who?
Then we have something g coming to the forefront on the Detective.
This is a Serial killer or is it?
Thoroughly enjoyed getting my teeth into this one.
But I loved it.
I’d taken a break from Detective/Police procedures but this ones been on my backlist for ages.
Gay men are being murdered. Why? Who?
Then we have something g coming to the forefront on the Detective.
This is a Serial killer or is it?
Thoroughly enjoyed getting my teeth into this one.
December 1, 2016
Oooh, I have SO MUCH LOVE for the George McKenzie Series! It’s a riptide of a read where the past, present and future collide for
The Girl Who Had No Fear.
How these characters live and breathe! With every investigation there’s something new to discover about them as their comfort zones are stretched to unrecognisable proportions. And for those loathsome individuals who lurk in the shadier corners of the globe there is no ceiling where exploitation is concerned. Marnie Riches demonstrates this with perceptive ease, harnessing the extreme best and desperately worst traits of the good, the brutal and the downright reckless.
In The Girl Who Had No Fear. our maverick criminologist, Georgina McKenzie, is compromised both emotionally and professionally as she continues to receive disturbing emails from the estranged Spanish father she hasn’t seen for twenty years. Her mother has gone AWOL too and despite the fact that Letitia (The Dragon) is probably living it up somewhere sunny with cocktail bar George still worries, especially after the cliff hanger from Book 3 where she received an alarming parcel forewarning her that she would need to keep an ‘eye’ on situation that was yet to evolve.
Yet none of these relatively minor distractions are enough to keep George from jumping feet first into the next case Paul Van Den Bergen has enticed her into. Men are dying, their bodies discovered in a canal after an enthusiastic evening where a lethal blend of drugs and intense company were enjoyed.
An undercover operation launches involving George and her colleague Elvis (Dirk) leading them both on a fiercely dangerous and personal journey. In George’s case it will take her to the cold heart of Mexico’s hostile terrain. While she investigates the links and possible origins of drug manufacture to the killings in Amsterdam, maybe she can track down the last known whereabouts of her Spanish father on route. I genuinely didn’t believe her impulsiveness could test the gangly, medically challenged hypochondriac, Van den Bergen, to new limits but it does, and their text exchanges when the going gets tough are legendary (as is the Dutch Chief Inspector's failure to adapt his dress sense to the oppressive Mexican climate).
If her spirited attitude doesn’t act as a repellent to those who throw themselves in her way, hopefully the gift of the ‘blag’ from her experience of gang culture as a teen will prove invaluable against the varying degrees of low life. Unfortunately the notorious ‘El Crocodilo’ is circling in the shallows and George is unwittingly dipping a toe into his territory.
Fair warning, this tackles fairly explicit themes including trafficking, drugs, an execution scene, and unconventional ‘reunions’. But have #NoFear. The plot is as complex and fiery as our unlikely heroine, and has a phenomenal, adrenaline charged ending - IT'S BLISTERINGLY GOOD STUFF!
Rating: 5/5
(I am grateful to have received a copy of this title I requested from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my unbiased review. It's also been on pre-order since I can remember!)
How these characters live and breathe! With every investigation there’s something new to discover about them as their comfort zones are stretched to unrecognisable proportions. And for those loathsome individuals who lurk in the shadier corners of the globe there is no ceiling where exploitation is concerned. Marnie Riches demonstrates this with perceptive ease, harnessing the extreme best and desperately worst traits of the good, the brutal and the downright reckless.
In The Girl Who Had No Fear. our maverick criminologist, Georgina McKenzie, is compromised both emotionally and professionally as she continues to receive disturbing emails from the estranged Spanish father she hasn’t seen for twenty years. Her mother has gone AWOL too and despite the fact that Letitia (The Dragon) is probably living it up somewhere sunny with cocktail bar George still worries, especially after the cliff hanger from Book 3 where she received an alarming parcel forewarning her that she would need to keep an ‘eye’ on situation that was yet to evolve.
Yet none of these relatively minor distractions are enough to keep George from jumping feet first into the next case Paul Van Den Bergen has enticed her into. Men are dying, their bodies discovered in a canal after an enthusiastic evening where a lethal blend of drugs and intense company were enjoyed.
An undercover operation launches involving George and her colleague Elvis (Dirk) leading them both on a fiercely dangerous and personal journey. In George’s case it will take her to the cold heart of Mexico’s hostile terrain. While she investigates the links and possible origins of drug manufacture to the killings in Amsterdam, maybe she can track down the last known whereabouts of her Spanish father on route. I genuinely didn’t believe her impulsiveness could test the gangly, medically challenged hypochondriac, Van den Bergen, to new limits but it does, and their text exchanges when the going gets tough are legendary (as is the Dutch Chief Inspector's failure to adapt his dress sense to the oppressive Mexican climate).
If her spirited attitude doesn’t act as a repellent to those who throw themselves in her way, hopefully the gift of the ‘blag’ from her experience of gang culture as a teen will prove invaluable against the varying degrees of low life. Unfortunately the notorious ‘El Crocodilo’ is circling in the shallows and George is unwittingly dipping a toe into his territory.
Fair warning, this tackles fairly explicit themes including trafficking, drugs, an execution scene, and unconventional ‘reunions’. But have #NoFear. The plot is as complex and fiery as our unlikely heroine, and has a phenomenal, adrenaline charged ending - IT'S BLISTERINGLY GOOD STUFF!
Rating: 5/5
(I am grateful to have received a copy of this title I requested from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my unbiased review. It's also been on pre-order since I can remember!)
November 16, 2016
Oh wow!! I have enjoyed all the books in this series but this shows George at her most dangerous and most vulnerable. Marnie hurry up with the rest......
November 23, 2016
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others in the series.
December 8, 2016
Young gay men are dying. Is this the work of a serial killer or related to the drugs they are taking? Van den Bergen recalls George back from England to help with the investigation. George has her own agenda. Both her parents have disappeared and though she hasn't spoken to her father for years she has begun to receive emails from someone purporting to be her father claiming to be watching her. Van den Bergen also finds out that his nemesis "the silencer" is also back on the streets.
What is the connection between Nicolai, a Czech drug supplier in Amsterdam and a Mexican Drug Cartel? Who is sending George these emails? Where are George's parents? Are all these incidences connected? How are they connected? Can all these questions and many more be answered?
Great complex plot with a spirited and independent lead character leads to a great compelling read. Lots going on, but all the various threads weave together nicely to form a thriller adventure.
What is the connection between Nicolai, a Czech drug supplier in Amsterdam and a Mexican Drug Cartel? Who is sending George these emails? Where are George's parents? Are all these incidences connected? How are they connected? Can all these questions and many more be answered?
Great complex plot with a spirited and independent lead character leads to a great compelling read. Lots going on, but all the various threads weave together nicely to form a thriller adventure.
November 20, 2016
Another great book , poor old George has to go through the most gruelling and dangerous events in the quest to find her father who she hasn't seen since she was three. She is also being pursued by a dangerous gangster who she helped put in prison. As if this wasn't bad enough she is helping track down the suppliers and manufacturers of dodgy drugs that are claiming many young lives. Action pact as usual, part of a series best read in order to get the best from the books
June 9, 2024
I enjoyed this fourth book more than the third book in the series (The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows. In this novel, Paul van den Bergen is investigating the deaths of several young men found drowned in Amsterdam canals with crystal meth in their systems. It seems that the meth being sold in the city is contaminated.
The investigation into the bad meth leads him and George McKenzie to the Czech republic and then to Mexico. George is also trying to find out where both of her parents are. Have they both been subject of foul play?
The investigation into the bad meth leads him and George McKenzie to the Czech republic and then to Mexico. George is also trying to find out where both of her parents are. Have they both been subject of foul play?
September 29, 2024
I had first read this book a number of years back and looking through catching up on some book series I realised I hadn't reviewed this. I decided as it was a few years ago I'd do a reread.
Chief Inspector Van den Bergen calls on criminologist Georgina McKenzie to help him solve this mystery. George goes deep undercover among the violent gangs of Central America. Working for the vicious head of a Mexican cartel, she must risk her own life to find the truth.
This is a gripping read that has you engaged from early in the book. Its worth reading the series in order yet I don't think it would affect your reading experience if you didn't.
Georgina McKenzie #4
The Girl Who Had No Fear
Chief Inspector Van den Bergen calls on criminologist Georgina McKenzie to help him solve this mystery. George goes deep undercover among the violent gangs of Central America. Working for the vicious head of a Mexican cartel, she must risk her own life to find the truth.
This is a gripping read that has you engaged from early in the book. Its worth reading the series in order yet I don't think it would affect your reading experience if you didn't.
Georgina McKenzie #4
The Girl Who Had No Fear
December 4, 2016
Twelve months have passed since the end of ‘The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows’ and George McKenzie still hasn’t heard from her mother. Still receiving mystery e-mails from someone claiming to be her father, she is sure that somehow The Duke is behind it all, even though he is safely locked away in prison. She just has to prove it.
Meanwhile, over in Amsterdam, Van den Bergen is faced with a disturbing trend of bodies being pulled from the canals. Up to the latest victim, all have been young men, but all of them seem to have taken the same drug just prior to their deaths. But is this a serial killer targeting the gay community or something else. Van den Bergen reaches out to his lover, George, asking for her help as a criminologist to understand what is happening in his beloved city. And when one of Van den Bergen’s detectives contacts her with information relating to her mother, George is only too happy to help.
But their investigations take a sinister turn when, working undercover, George and Elvis come across information linking the drugs to a face from Van den Bergen’s past, someone they all thought was safely behind bars. Following the drugs trail, they are taken half way across the world to South America, where George has also picked up a trail which may lead her to her father. When George leaves Van den Bergen at the airport to go undercover with a dangerous gang of mercenaries, he is faced with a difficult choice. Follow the drugs or follow his lover.
He knows he has to trust George, that she will be okay, but soon the stakes are raised. With one of his Detectives back in Amsterdam missing, everything now rests on them tracking down the source of the drugs, a man the locals call ‘El Cocodrilo’.
Oh wow. You know when you’ve kind of missed someone or something but you don’t realise quite how much until you are reunited. Yes? That. That is the George McKenzie series for me and this book was such a welcome addition. Gripping and pacy and full of the same mix of humour and drama that you would expect from George and Van den Bergen, this book had me hooked from the start.
This book really carries straight on from ‘The Girl Who Walked In The Shadows’ so I would recommend that you’ve at least read that before dipping into this book to read as it will make so much more sense. While it clearly references other elements of George and Van den Bergen’s past, it is most clearly linked to what happened in the end of the previous book so you will find some very big spoilers contained within if you read any other way around.
This book touches on the periphery of some very tough subjects; trafficking, drug use, murder, but not in an unnecessarily graphic way. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very hard scenes to read, the airfield execution being one example. You are in absolutely no doubt as to what is happening and if like my, you have real thing about eyes, then the scene in the warehouse with Elvis may well make you grimace a little. Totally eww. El Cocdrilo is not a nice man at all, but what would you expect from someone who feeds people to his crocodiles for fun.
There is a real sense of jeopardy within this book, not just for George and Van den Bergen who are faced with a man determined to make them pay for their part in his incarceration, but for those around them. I mean - poor Elvis. Not only is he trying to contend with his dying mother, but he finally meets someone who he really likes, only to end up being put in a position where he could lose everything, just to send a message to Van den Bergen.
As for El Cocodrilo, he is the perfect foil for our two heroes. Ruthless, with absolutely no conscience, his only concern is in finding a way to ship his drugs from Central America north to the USA and east to Europe, and to get revenge against the two people he hates the most; George and Van den Bergen.
But George and Van den Bergen. Their relationship is where the true beauty of this series lies. They really shouldn’t work but, as George say, ‘The heart wants what it wants’. Their exchanges, both in person and also via text as George hides out among the gang in the jungle, are full of humour but also the clear love they have for one another. This is where you say aww. It’s clear they would put their lives on the line for one another, although George will always be the more daring in that department. The woman, as the title would suggest, has absolutely no fear. What she will do to protect those she loves is incredible, but part of what makes her such an endearing character.
The pacing is sharp, the dialogue spot on, the tension gradually building with every page turn. From the minute Elvis is taken and George goes undercover in the jungle you are on the edge of your seat. As the action moves around between the points of view of George, Van den Bergen, Elvis an El Cocodrilo, you feel as though you are on a rollercoaster, one of the old wooden ones where the slightest wrong vibration and a bolt could come loose sending everything crashing to the ground. And I loved it. I can’t wait to see what more is to come for this pair. The Impetuous Gal and the Grumpy Grandpa. Is there any better pairing?
This gets a machete wielding, crocodile tooth grinning 5 stars from me.
Meanwhile, over in Amsterdam, Van den Bergen is faced with a disturbing trend of bodies being pulled from the canals. Up to the latest victim, all have been young men, but all of them seem to have taken the same drug just prior to their deaths. But is this a serial killer targeting the gay community or something else. Van den Bergen reaches out to his lover, George, asking for her help as a criminologist to understand what is happening in his beloved city. And when one of Van den Bergen’s detectives contacts her with information relating to her mother, George is only too happy to help.
But their investigations take a sinister turn when, working undercover, George and Elvis come across information linking the drugs to a face from Van den Bergen’s past, someone they all thought was safely behind bars. Following the drugs trail, they are taken half way across the world to South America, where George has also picked up a trail which may lead her to her father. When George leaves Van den Bergen at the airport to go undercover with a dangerous gang of mercenaries, he is faced with a difficult choice. Follow the drugs or follow his lover.
He knows he has to trust George, that she will be okay, but soon the stakes are raised. With one of his Detectives back in Amsterdam missing, everything now rests on them tracking down the source of the drugs, a man the locals call ‘El Cocodrilo’.
Oh wow. You know when you’ve kind of missed someone or something but you don’t realise quite how much until you are reunited. Yes? That. That is the George McKenzie series for me and this book was such a welcome addition. Gripping and pacy and full of the same mix of humour and drama that you would expect from George and Van den Bergen, this book had me hooked from the start.
This book really carries straight on from ‘The Girl Who Walked In The Shadows’ so I would recommend that you’ve at least read that before dipping into this book to read as it will make so much more sense. While it clearly references other elements of George and Van den Bergen’s past, it is most clearly linked to what happened in the end of the previous book so you will find some very big spoilers contained within if you read any other way around.
This book touches on the periphery of some very tough subjects; trafficking, drug use, murder, but not in an unnecessarily graphic way. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very hard scenes to read, the airfield execution being one example. You are in absolutely no doubt as to what is happening and if like my, you have real thing about eyes, then the scene in the warehouse with Elvis may well make you grimace a little. Totally eww. El Cocdrilo is not a nice man at all, but what would you expect from someone who feeds people to his crocodiles for fun.
There is a real sense of jeopardy within this book, not just for George and Van den Bergen who are faced with a man determined to make them pay for their part in his incarceration, but for those around them. I mean - poor Elvis. Not only is he trying to contend with his dying mother, but he finally meets someone who he really likes, only to end up being put in a position where he could lose everything, just to send a message to Van den Bergen.
As for El Cocodrilo, he is the perfect foil for our two heroes. Ruthless, with absolutely no conscience, his only concern is in finding a way to ship his drugs from Central America north to the USA and east to Europe, and to get revenge against the two people he hates the most; George and Van den Bergen.
But George and Van den Bergen. Their relationship is where the true beauty of this series lies. They really shouldn’t work but, as George say, ‘The heart wants what it wants’. Their exchanges, both in person and also via text as George hides out among the gang in the jungle, are full of humour but also the clear love they have for one another. This is where you say aww. It’s clear they would put their lives on the line for one another, although George will always be the more daring in that department. The woman, as the title would suggest, has absolutely no fear. What she will do to protect those she loves is incredible, but part of what makes her such an endearing character.
The pacing is sharp, the dialogue spot on, the tension gradually building with every page turn. From the minute Elvis is taken and George goes undercover in the jungle you are on the edge of your seat. As the action moves around between the points of view of George, Van den Bergen, Elvis an El Cocodrilo, you feel as though you are on a rollercoaster, one of the old wooden ones where the slightest wrong vibration and a bolt could come loose sending everything crashing to the ground. And I loved it. I can’t wait to see what more is to come for this pair. The Impetuous Gal and the Grumpy Grandpa. Is there any better pairing?
This gets a machete wielding, crocodile tooth grinning 5 stars from me.
March 29, 2018
Superb!
A family reunion via a very fast paced, multi - tentacled storyline.
Nothing is plain sailing where George is concerned. Tending to act before thinking things through, she is incredibly loyal to those she cares about. Looking forward to book 5 in April.
A family reunion via a very fast paced, multi - tentacled storyline.
Nothing is plain sailing where George is concerned. Tending to act before thinking things through, she is incredibly loyal to those she cares about. Looking forward to book 5 in April.
November 26, 2025
You either like George or you hate her - an extreme character. I’ve read other series where the female protagonist always manages to get herself into a dodgy situation and thought 🤦♀️
With George I would be disappointed if she didn’t. Not your run of the mill detective stories. Love it
With George I would be disappointed if she didn’t. Not your run of the mill detective stories. Love it
August 29, 2017
Preposterous, did not even bother to finish, shame, previous ones I enjoyed!
July 16, 2020
I've read four of these books now and thankfully this one has had a happy ending. Completely unbelievable, a bit like Indiana Jones, only from South London. Great fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2024
This was probably my most favorite out of the series so far!
November 26, 2016
After a cliff-hanger ending at the end of The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows, Marnie Riches returns with the 4th George McKenzie thriller: The Girl Who Had No Fear. I was more than ready to pick this book up and re-unite with my favourite criminologist.
The housekeeping first – it is the 4th in the series and The Girl Who Had No Fear does pick up on quite a few plot threads from the previous books (not least that cliff-hanger). However, the author does ensure that the reader is kept informed of the past events. So if you were to pick up the series for the first time on book 4 then you would not find it too tricky to keep up. That said, I would urge you to read the first three books – they are brilliant!
In The Girl Who Had No Fear we are back in Amsterdam with Chief Inspector Van den Bergen who has an unwelcome problem on his hands. Dead bodies are turning up in the canals with an alarming frequency. Initially investigations had been hampered by the length of time the bodies had been in the water, however, a newly discovered body reveals that a contaminated batch of crystal-meth may have found its way into Amsterdam.
Van den Bergen recruits George and his colleague “Elvis” to work in the clubs of Amsterdam to see if either of them are able to identify the source of the drugs – one name keeps cropping up and it will take George and Van den Bergen across Europe and over to Central America.
Aside from this investigation we are in Central America where we follow the exploits of the big-bad of this story, a human trafficker and drug dealer known as el cocodrilo. He is a particularly nasty individual and brought a really dark edge to the story, always nice to have such a despicable villain in a story as you know that at some point your heroes are going to cross his path. If you have read the previous books you know that there is no guarantee Marnie Riches will allow all her key players to come through any such confrontation unscathed!
I found the pacing of The Girl Who Had No Fear to be perfectly judged, the story had me hooked and I found that I was reluctant to stop reading at the end of each chapter – I had to keep going to see what may happen next. I particularly enjoyed the extra focus on Van den Bergen’s younger colleague, Elvis. With no spoilers allowed in my review, Elvis does not have the best of times in this story and in a book with many standout moments, his scenes were probably my favourites.
Just so I can be clear – reading The Girl Who Had No Fear was an absolute treat. It is dark, enthralling and delivers shocks a-plenty. Another belter from Marnie Riches who is going from strength to strength.
The housekeeping first – it is the 4th in the series and The Girl Who Had No Fear does pick up on quite a few plot threads from the previous books (not least that cliff-hanger). However, the author does ensure that the reader is kept informed of the past events. So if you were to pick up the series for the first time on book 4 then you would not find it too tricky to keep up. That said, I would urge you to read the first three books – they are brilliant!
In The Girl Who Had No Fear we are back in Amsterdam with Chief Inspector Van den Bergen who has an unwelcome problem on his hands. Dead bodies are turning up in the canals with an alarming frequency. Initially investigations had been hampered by the length of time the bodies had been in the water, however, a newly discovered body reveals that a contaminated batch of crystal-meth may have found its way into Amsterdam.
Van den Bergen recruits George and his colleague “Elvis” to work in the clubs of Amsterdam to see if either of them are able to identify the source of the drugs – one name keeps cropping up and it will take George and Van den Bergen across Europe and over to Central America.
Aside from this investigation we are in Central America where we follow the exploits of the big-bad of this story, a human trafficker and drug dealer known as el cocodrilo. He is a particularly nasty individual and brought a really dark edge to the story, always nice to have such a despicable villain in a story as you know that at some point your heroes are going to cross his path. If you have read the previous books you know that there is no guarantee Marnie Riches will allow all her key players to come through any such confrontation unscathed!
I found the pacing of The Girl Who Had No Fear to be perfectly judged, the story had me hooked and I found that I was reluctant to stop reading at the end of each chapter – I had to keep going to see what may happen next. I particularly enjoyed the extra focus on Van den Bergen’s younger colleague, Elvis. With no spoilers allowed in my review, Elvis does not have the best of times in this story and in a book with many standout moments, his scenes were probably my favourites.
Just so I can be clear – reading The Girl Who Had No Fear was an absolute treat. It is dark, enthralling and delivers shocks a-plenty. Another belter from Marnie Riches who is going from strength to strength.
January 13, 2017
Firstly, a massive thanks go out to the Author and Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me a pre release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In The Girl Who Had No Fear, the fourth book in "The Girl Who..." series, we catch up with George McKenzie several months down the line from when the previous book left her in a restaurant with an anonymous parcel containing her Mother's mobile phone and a human eye ball and a massive cliff hanger for the reader. Dispite originally being billed as the last book in the series, the author had a change of heart and decided to give us some more adventures of Dr McKenzie and her partner/lover Chief Inspector Van den Bergen. This time our pair of heros adventures take us not only around the Dutch capital, but also jet setting to Prague and Mexico, no less, as they are hot on the trail of Nikolay Bebchuk, the head of a Mexican cartel who're pedalling bad Crystal Meth killing off young club goers in Amsterdam. Along side this, George is still trying to track down her estranged father who she's not seen since she was a little girl. And there is still the question of where her missing Mother is, and to whom did that eye once belong? Along with our heroic duo are their trusty sidekicks, Elvis and Marie, as well as Van den Bergens young, enthusiastic new boss Maarten Minks who took over the reins of the Amsterdam police after George and Van den Bergen took down the previous corrupt senior police officials.
In all honesty, I found this book to have a much slower start than the previous offerings, although once it got going it really got going. There are one or two twists, there are one or two places where you can't help but wonder who is going to be the next to die, or even if our heroic duo are going to survive. With a gripping and nail biting finale, this is definitely a book worth sticking with until the end.
In the acknowledgements, the Author states that there will be more adventures for George McKenzie, and I say "bring it on".
In The Girl Who Had No Fear, the fourth book in "The Girl Who..." series, we catch up with George McKenzie several months down the line from when the previous book left her in a restaurant with an anonymous parcel containing her Mother's mobile phone and a human eye ball and a massive cliff hanger for the reader. Dispite originally being billed as the last book in the series, the author had a change of heart and decided to give us some more adventures of Dr McKenzie and her partner/lover Chief Inspector Van den Bergen. This time our pair of heros adventures take us not only around the Dutch capital, but also jet setting to Prague and Mexico, no less, as they are hot on the trail of Nikolay Bebchuk, the head of a Mexican cartel who're pedalling bad Crystal Meth killing off young club goers in Amsterdam. Along side this, George is still trying to track down her estranged father who she's not seen since she was a little girl. And there is still the question of where her missing Mother is, and to whom did that eye once belong? Along with our heroic duo are their trusty sidekicks, Elvis and Marie, as well as Van den Bergens young, enthusiastic new boss Maarten Minks who took over the reins of the Amsterdam police after George and Van den Bergen took down the previous corrupt senior police officials.
In all honesty, I found this book to have a much slower start than the previous offerings, although once it got going it really got going. There are one or two twists, there are one or two places where you can't help but wonder who is going to be the next to die, or even if our heroic duo are going to survive. With a gripping and nail biting finale, this is definitely a book worth sticking with until the end.
In the acknowledgements, the Author states that there will be more adventures for George McKenzie, and I say "bring it on".
August 6, 2017
Hmm. The weakest instalment in a series that has been thus far exceptionally good.
If you have read and enjoyed the first three #TheGirlWho books, I would recommend reading this one, because it has in it many of the factors that made me love the first three. First and foremost , of course, is that George is awesome and kickass.
However - and bear in mind that this is as much a comparison with the earlier books as a purely isolated comment - there are two main flaws to the book. The first is a sense that it was written to a deadline, perhaps dictated commercially by the success of the earlier ones. There were too many examples of a particular type of sentence that really grates with me. 'She did a thing in an environment which looked like such and such when the weather was like so and she was thinking all the emotions', when, dramatically, I'm only interested in she did a thing.
The bigger fault - and this is why I don't want anyone to read this as their first encounter with George McKenzie or Marnie Riches - is that it almost literally jumps the shark. And certainly does so figuratively. Basically, George goes deep undercover...well, I don't want to give too much away, but it really does push plausibility to the utmost limit. I did actually think of packing it in at this point, because it just didn't ring true. fortunately, I did carry on, and it was worthwhile but, oh, I should have got a medal for getting through this book.
In many ways it merits 4 stars - the strength of the characterisations is particularly impressive - but the shark jumping really drags it down.
Marnie has promised some more books in this series, and I look forward to them, but I hope she rows back from the extreme plot.
I just don't think that anyone should read this before reading the first three. Partly because it's not Marnie Riches at her impressive best, but mainly because it's a proper series. You really need to know what happened in the first one to understand the inter-relationships in this one, and reading 2 & 3 helps, too,
If you have read and enjoyed the first three #TheGirlWho books, I would recommend reading this one, because it has in it many of the factors that made me love the first three. First and foremost , of course, is that George is awesome and kickass.
However - and bear in mind that this is as much a comparison with the earlier books as a purely isolated comment - there are two main flaws to the book. The first is a sense that it was written to a deadline, perhaps dictated commercially by the success of the earlier ones. There were too many examples of a particular type of sentence that really grates with me. 'She did a thing in an environment which looked like such and such when the weather was like so and she was thinking all the emotions', when, dramatically, I'm only interested in she did a thing.
The bigger fault - and this is why I don't want anyone to read this as their first encounter with George McKenzie or Marnie Riches - is that it almost literally jumps the shark. And certainly does so figuratively. Basically, George goes deep undercover...well, I don't want to give too much away, but it really does push plausibility to the utmost limit. I did actually think of packing it in at this point, because it just didn't ring true. fortunately, I did carry on, and it was worthwhile but, oh, I should have got a medal for getting through this book.
In many ways it merits 4 stars - the strength of the characterisations is particularly impressive - but the shark jumping really drags it down.
Marnie has promised some more books in this series, and I look forward to them, but I hope she rows back from the extreme plot.
I just don't think that anyone should read this before reading the first three. Partly because it's not Marnie Riches at her impressive best, but mainly because it's a proper series. You really need to know what happened in the first one to understand the inter-relationships in this one, and reading 2 & 3 helps, too,
January 6, 2017
A year ago, Georgina McKenzie received a package at a restaurant. The package contained an eyeball and all of a sudden, George's appalling mother Letitia is nowhere to be found. Now George is receiving emails from her father who she hasn't seen for the past 15 years and also appears to have disappeared. Can George concentrate on helping van den Bergen with his latest case with her family life in such turmoil? What happens when the two worlds begin to collide?
There are some series that can be read in any order and in which the novels really do standalone. The Georgina McKenzie series is not one such as this, and this novel does pick up immediately where "The Girl who walked in the Shadows" left off. I can see why authors need to appeal to new readers and I think if you had not read the others, you just wouldn't understand this one at all. Nevertheless, it is also refreshing that an author does not attempt to go over old ground for readers who are starting part way through a series and therefore the backgrounds of the characters from the previous three books are not really repeated.
In this novel, George and van den Bergen continue their unusual relationship but there is more emphasis also on the characters of Marie and particularly on "Elvis" or Dirk. I really enjoyed his chapters and also those about George's father as I felt they added a new dimension to the crime part of the story and definitely made me want them both to be saved in their own ways.
The crime being committed in this novel is a different one, in that it is actually accidental. However, the nasty characters involved are not let off the hook just because they didn't mean to kill their victims and the whole thing fits in well with the series so far; in fact, I have enjoyed it at least as much as the others, if not slightly!
All in all, I really like enjoy these George McKenzie novels and look forward to the next one being released. Definitely a 5 * read for me!
There are some series that can be read in any order and in which the novels really do standalone. The Georgina McKenzie series is not one such as this, and this novel does pick up immediately where "The Girl who walked in the Shadows" left off. I can see why authors need to appeal to new readers and I think if you had not read the others, you just wouldn't understand this one at all. Nevertheless, it is also refreshing that an author does not attempt to go over old ground for readers who are starting part way through a series and therefore the backgrounds of the characters from the previous three books are not really repeated.
In this novel, George and van den Bergen continue their unusual relationship but there is more emphasis also on the characters of Marie and particularly on "Elvis" or Dirk. I really enjoyed his chapters and also those about George's father as I felt they added a new dimension to the crime part of the story and definitely made me want them both to be saved in their own ways.
The crime being committed in this novel is a different one, in that it is actually accidental. However, the nasty characters involved are not let off the hook just because they didn't mean to kill their victims and the whole thing fits in well with the series so far; in fact, I have enjoyed it at least as much as the others, if not slightly!
All in all, I really like enjoy these George McKenzie novels and look forward to the next one being released. Definitely a 5 * read for me!
December 2, 2016
I have read the earlier books in the series and was delighted to be offered an advance copy of this new one in exchange for an honest review. This gritty thriller is perfect for fans of Stieg Laarsen as it has that scandi noir feel to it. The background scenery of Amsterdam and Mexico worked well and provided a brilliant contrast. The author obviously knew both places and had done some detailed research.
George McKenzie is a perfect kickass heroine and returning to her story is like meeting up with an old friend again after a break! It was also great to catch up with all the other characters from the previous books. As well as learning more about George, particularly her relationship with her absent father, this book focuses on other favourites so we get more of a back story on Detective Dirk/ Elvis.
I loved the author's portrayal of Van Den Bergen, George's detective boyfriend., 20 years older than her, he is obsessed with his health and revels in his hypochondria! When the pair jet off to Mexico in search of the arch criminal Nikolay he insists on wearing the same clothes as Amsterdam despite the tropical heat. This serves to inject humour into a rather dark story.
George joins a group of female bandits in her quest to find the criminal mastermind as well as her long lost father. She is such a great character and keeps her cool even in the most dire of circumstances.
The plot jumps back and forth in time as it moves along and this works well keeping the reader involved and making the action seem more fast paced.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have given it five stars. I urge those of you who have not yet disvovered criminologist George McKenzie to read all of the books in order as you will definitely be hooked! I am now avidly waiting for the next one in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance review copy.
George McKenzie is a perfect kickass heroine and returning to her story is like meeting up with an old friend again after a break! It was also great to catch up with all the other characters from the previous books. As well as learning more about George, particularly her relationship with her absent father, this book focuses on other favourites so we get more of a back story on Detective Dirk/ Elvis.
I loved the author's portrayal of Van Den Bergen, George's detective boyfriend., 20 years older than her, he is obsessed with his health and revels in his hypochondria! When the pair jet off to Mexico in search of the arch criminal Nikolay he insists on wearing the same clothes as Amsterdam despite the tropical heat. This serves to inject humour into a rather dark story.
George joins a group of female bandits in her quest to find the criminal mastermind as well as her long lost father. She is such a great character and keeps her cool even in the most dire of circumstances.
The plot jumps back and forth in time as it moves along and this works well keeping the reader involved and making the action seem more fast paced.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have given it five stars. I urge those of you who have not yet disvovered criminologist George McKenzie to read all of the books in order as you will definitely be hooked! I am now avidly waiting for the next one in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance review copy.
November 20, 2017
The Girl Who Had No Fear is the fourth book in the series and arguably the most complex. It takes you from one point to the next not only in a geographical sense but also in emotional terms. There is a clear character progression for George McKenzie as she attempts to infiltrate a drug cartel in Mexico while she struggles to deal with the unprocessed emotions leftover from the previous three books.
And let’s talk about the new locations, the new seedy characters, and the seemingly outrageous situations introduced in the book. Of course, I’m not going to go to spoiler territory, but let me just say that there are moments in the book that could have very well been lifted from science fiction or steampunk trope. But truth is stranger than fiction.
Friend: That’s outrageous! That’s not believable at all, ninja. That could not happen in real life.
Me: Two words: Mauner Mahecha.
Friend: Say what?
Me: Go on, Google it!
Later…
Friend: *MINDBLOWN*
Me: Told ya.
So, yes, many of the scenes described in the book are probably inspired by real-life events, only better. It’s like finding some Easter eggs hidden in plain sight. I’m not sure if I’m making sense here, but if you have even the slightest interest about the South American drug trade and how tons of cocaine are smuggled into the US (or anywhere else in the world), you’d appreciate this book a little bit more.
I also think that putting the spotlight on a supporting character named Elvis is a stroke of genius. It should win an award for best use of a minor character in a book (Dead Good, are you reading this?).
My favorite in the series is still The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows, but this one is bursting with energy and excitement. It’s like reading under the influence...
And let’s talk about the new locations, the new seedy characters, and the seemingly outrageous situations introduced in the book. Of course, I’m not going to go to spoiler territory, but let me just say that there are moments in the book that could have very well been lifted from science fiction or steampunk trope. But truth is stranger than fiction.
Friend: That’s outrageous! That’s not believable at all, ninja. That could not happen in real life.
Me: Two words: Mauner Mahecha.
Friend: Say what?
Me: Go on, Google it!
Later…
Friend: *MINDBLOWN*
Me: Told ya.
So, yes, many of the scenes described in the book are probably inspired by real-life events, only better. It’s like finding some Easter eggs hidden in plain sight. I’m not sure if I’m making sense here, but if you have even the slightest interest about the South American drug trade and how tons of cocaine are smuggled into the US (or anywhere else in the world), you’d appreciate this book a little bit more.
I also think that putting the spotlight on a supporting character named Elvis is a stroke of genius. It should win an award for best use of a minor character in a book (Dead Good, are you reading this?).
My favorite in the series is still The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows, but this one is bursting with energy and excitement. It’s like reading under the influence...
December 1, 2016
Think The Krypton Factor, Bear Grylls, Bushtucker trials and The Crystal Maze - with actual Crystal Meth...
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I swear these books get better and better. This was a nice ramping up of the action – not that it needed it but when I discovered George would be headed deep into the heart of the Central American jungle I did do a little jump of glee.What would she make of that and them of her? If you though the creatures of the dark lagoon she comes across in Amsterdam were anything to go by, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
There is great character development in these books and the story is definitely enhanced by reading the books in order. This one I think takes things to a whole new level and is full of action which never lets up. Never mind the girl who had no fear, this girl reading it has and I can’t sleep with my pounding heart!
The series of #TheGirlWho is a drug fuelled rip roaring epic trail. It’s a fantastic experience and I for one am impatiently waiting for the next one! (Once I’ve recovered)
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I swear these books get better and better. This was a nice ramping up of the action – not that it needed it but when I discovered George would be headed deep into the heart of the Central American jungle I did do a little jump of glee.What would she make of that and them of her? If you though the creatures of the dark lagoon she comes across in Amsterdam were anything to go by, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
There is great character development in these books and the story is definitely enhanced by reading the books in order. This one I think takes things to a whole new level and is full of action which never lets up. Never mind the girl who had no fear, this girl reading it has and I can’t sleep with my pounding heart!
The series of #TheGirlWho is a drug fuelled rip roaring epic trail. It’s a fantastic experience and I for one am impatiently waiting for the next one! (Once I’ve recovered)
November 22, 2016
The Girl Who Had No Fear, is book 4 in this series and is another fantastically brilliant book that I have long been waiting for, and it sure did not disappoint.
In this book George/ Georgina McKenzie tackles her most dangerous crime mystery yet. She goes deep undercover among the violent gangs of Central America, on the hunt for the vicious head of a Mexican drug cartel.
George is also searching for her long lost father, who she hasn’t seen or been in contact since she was a very young child.
I absolutely adore the characters of George and the slightly hypochondriac Chief Inspector Van den Bergen and the argumentative banter between the two.
In Marnie Riches acknowledgements, she says, ‘I promise to write bigger, better, faster and more George stories for you’ ...... I am holding you to that that Marnie Riches. Roll on book 5, can’t wait.
Another fantastic book from Marnie Riches and a very well deserved 5*
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, Avon and NetGalley for providing a copy of this wonderful book and this is my honest review.
In this book George/ Georgina McKenzie tackles her most dangerous crime mystery yet. She goes deep undercover among the violent gangs of Central America, on the hunt for the vicious head of a Mexican drug cartel.
George is also searching for her long lost father, who she hasn’t seen or been in contact since she was a very young child.
I absolutely adore the characters of George and the slightly hypochondriac Chief Inspector Van den Bergen and the argumentative banter between the two.
In Marnie Riches acknowledgements, she says, ‘I promise to write bigger, better, faster and more George stories for you’ ...... I am holding you to that that Marnie Riches. Roll on book 5, can’t wait.
Another fantastic book from Marnie Riches and a very well deserved 5*
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, Avon and NetGalley for providing a copy of this wonderful book and this is my honest review.
December 1, 2016
I received this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I am a big fan of the character George McKenzie and the series of books the girl who...
You always start a book in a series hoping that it will be as good as the last one...and this book did not disappoint
I love the way Marnie riches writes these books a real fly by the pants ride that makes you want to get to the end ( I had to purposely put the kindle down a few times as I started to speed read)
The fact that if you picked this book up and have not read the others it would not matter as it can be read as a really good standalone
I wont write anything about the storyline as I wouldn't want to give anything away
I highly recommend you read
I am a big fan of the character George McKenzie and the series of books the girl who...
You always start a book in a series hoping that it will be as good as the last one...and this book did not disappoint
I love the way Marnie riches writes these books a real fly by the pants ride that makes you want to get to the end ( I had to purposely put the kindle down a few times as I started to speed read)
The fact that if you picked this book up and have not read the others it would not matter as it can be read as a really good standalone
I wont write anything about the storyline as I wouldn't want to give anything away
I highly recommend you read
December 26, 2016
Book #4 in the George McKenzie series and if you liked the other books, you'll be hooked on this one too. This one picks up after the third, months later. This is definitely more of the same of this series. This time bodies are being found in the canal. Georgina and Van den Bergen have their jobs cut out for them this time. All these men come from different backgrounds yet they have one thing in common--they seem to have come into contact with some bad meth, bad enough to kill. Our favorite detective and criminologist have to work hard to get to the end of the trail of this killer. And as always, poor George is still facing personal issues. There is always lots going on in this series and you'll want to get in on this latest edition of the saga.
December 1, 2016
I think Marnie Riches' writing gets better and better. I was totally hooked by this book, I loved the gorgeous descriptions, I was enthralled by George yet again, I laughed (gently) at VdB's obsession with illness. Yet again the supporting cast are brilliantly written, I just wish we had had more of the fantastically flawed Letitia. I found myself mouthing 'no, no, no' and almost punching the air at other points. This book scoops you up and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and locations, by the time you reach the last page expect to be exhausted! A fantastic read (and I don't give out 5 stars easily!!)
December 18, 2016
I've been reading the George McKenzie books since the first, The Girl Who Wouldn't Die. I've pre-ordered each one and read them immediately upon release.
The Girl Who Had No Fear did not let me down. Non stop thrills, adventure, excitement and the familiarity of the Amsterdam locations alongside new territories such as Mexico make for a damn good read.
The Girl Who... series had me hooked from the start, right through to the brilliant conclusion.
I'm looking forward to Marnie Riches next novels.
The Girl Who Had No Fear did not let me down. Non stop thrills, adventure, excitement and the familiarity of the Amsterdam locations alongside new territories such as Mexico make for a damn good read.
The Girl Who... series had me hooked from the start, right through to the brilliant conclusion.
I'm looking forward to Marnie Riches next novels.
December 4, 2016
this is another fantastic book by this author, I just couldn't put it down till id got to the last page. This author has a fab way of bringing you amazing characters mixed with an outstanding story line. The more I read from this author the better they get. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book
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Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book
https://obsessedbookreviews.wordpress...
https://www.facebook.com/obsessedbook...
August 25, 2017
I cannot believe how much I like Georgie the girl who has no fear!
This is because I have learned to love her and her loyalty over Marnie Riches' four other books.
With a believable set of support characters who provide a basis for the stories Georgie is in more trouble than ever !
A difficult story line which sometimes is glossed over but the subject of trafficking people and drugs is key to this thriller. Great.
This is because I have learned to love her and her loyalty over Marnie Riches' four other books.
With a believable set of support characters who provide a basis for the stories Georgie is in more trouble than ever !
A difficult story line which sometimes is glossed over but the subject of trafficking people and drugs is key to this thriller. Great.
February 23, 2017
I have loved this series of high octane murder and mayhem across Europe from east to west. Although I enjoyed catching up with the characters, I'm afraid that taking the action to the other side of the world and achieving so much in a silly time frame just stretched my belief too far.... I hope the next will remain in a European setting and be plausible.
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