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Brazen Violations
Would you commit a major crime to save a child's life?
Desperate to save his dying nephew, Mitch Walker becomes a drug mule for a sociopath in exchange for life-saving medicine.
But things go awry and Mitch is soon in hospital, in custody, and under pressure from Detective Betts to give up the sociopath
and his crew.
But both Betts and Mitch underestimate the extreme measures these criminals will take to protect their business. When Betts himself
is compromised by the crew, he must outsmart them all to save Mitch, the child, and himself.
Desperate to save his dying nephew, Mitch Walker becomes a drug mule for a sociopath in exchange for life-saving medicine.
But things go awry and Mitch is soon in hospital, in custody, and under pressure from Detective Betts to give up the sociopath
and his crew.
But both Betts and Mitch underestimate the extreme measures these criminals will take to protect their business. When Betts himself
is compromised by the crew, he must outsmart them all to save Mitch, the child, and himself.
- GenresThriller
189 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2016
98 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 10, 2016
Mitch was desperate to help his nephew Peter who was dying from an aggressive form of leukaemia – becoming a drug mule meant the payment would be high; the drugs needed for Peter were priced out of their reach so Mitch thought this was the best way. But on the flight back everything went wrong – he tried to dull the pain of the surgery with alcohol – the results were disastrous. He was arrested on arrival in the city…
Detective Betts was surprised by what he saw in front of him – a young man with no prior convictions, even a pillar of society; but when he discovered the “why” he understood to a degree. But there was much worse to come in the form of the criminals who had controlled the drug run and Mitch. Not afraid to kill to achieve their own ends, the body count was rising. And when Betts was abducted, his shock at what had happened to him while he was unconscious was profound. What would be the results of this vicious crime spree by these seasoned criminals?
Brazen Violations by Aussie author Jonathan Macpherson is a fast paced, gritty and brutally intense thriller which I sped through. I was a little stunned at the abrupt ending but this high octane novel is one for fans of the gruesome, nasty thriller – and not for the faint hearted! Recommended.
With thanks to the author for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
Detective Betts was surprised by what he saw in front of him – a young man with no prior convictions, even a pillar of society; but when he discovered the “why” he understood to a degree. But there was much worse to come in the form of the criminals who had controlled the drug run and Mitch. Not afraid to kill to achieve their own ends, the body count was rising. And when Betts was abducted, his shock at what had happened to him while he was unconscious was profound. What would be the results of this vicious crime spree by these seasoned criminals?
Brazen Violations by Aussie author Jonathan Macpherson is a fast paced, gritty and brutally intense thriller which I sped through. I was a little stunned at the abrupt ending but this high octane novel is one for fans of the gruesome, nasty thriller – and not for the faint hearted! Recommended.
With thanks to the author for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
October 27, 2016
Brazen Violations was one hell of a wild ride. It felt like one of those movies, you know the kind. You don’t know where it’s going, and you definitely don’t know how it’s going to hold it all together to get there, but there’s so much going on, so much suspense and action that you just don’t care. You couldn’t look away if you wanted to.
The plot was so intense that it required a tremendous amount belief suspension. However, there was so much attention to detail that it made it easy to forget plausibility and just hold on for the thrills. I was impressed by the character development, as not every thriller takes the time to establish such a strong relationship, even with the bad guys.
Reading Brazen Violations felt like watching a campy 90’s action movie, with extreme plot twists, gruesome fight scenes, and a final showdown that deserves to be on the big screen. It felt too big for life, too much to take in, and too much left to end. I desperately hope there will be more! ~ George, 3.5 Stars
The plot was so intense that it required a tremendous amount belief suspension. However, there was so much attention to detail that it made it easy to forget plausibility and just hold on for the thrills. I was impressed by the character development, as not every thriller takes the time to establish such a strong relationship, even with the bad guys.
Reading Brazen Violations felt like watching a campy 90’s action movie, with extreme plot twists, gruesome fight scenes, and a final showdown that deserves to be on the big screen. It felt too big for life, too much to take in, and too much left to end. I desperately hope there will be more! ~ George, 3.5 Stars
August 20, 2016
This writer has a fresh voice. Very exciting, fast paced. Felt like I was watching a Scorsese movie!
Highly recommended for lovers of crime thrillers.
Highly recommended for lovers of crime thrillers.
May 10, 2020
Exhilarating and intense, this dynamite debut is loaded with thrills and wicked fun!
It is so unique, so refreshingly out-of-the-box, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The story takes situations we are familiar with, eg crime on the black market, and approaches them from a new, sometimes shocking but constantly engaging angle that makes for rapid page turning.
The characters are easy to feel for, to love and cheer for - the good guys, that is, though even the villains are presented as human, rather than your standard cliches.
This book is full of the unexpected - I'm so tired of reading a thriller where you know what is going to happen next! There seems to be a dearth of imagination from writers of this genre. Even the titles of many of them are so cliched (check some of the thrillers in my books) - you just know if they're too lazy to come up with an original title, you can probably expect the writing to be lazy too.
I cannot recommend this thriller highly enough.
On the downside, there are some horror moments, but if you can stomach Game Of Thrones then you should be fine.
Also, it is a little short - 200 pages. I wanted more! The story does feel complete, but I just want to read more about these characters. I would love for this to become a series!
A warning if you plan to read this on the bus or train, you'll probably miss your stop!
It is so unique, so refreshingly out-of-the-box, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The story takes situations we are familiar with, eg crime on the black market, and approaches them from a new, sometimes shocking but constantly engaging angle that makes for rapid page turning.
The characters are easy to feel for, to love and cheer for - the good guys, that is, though even the villains are presented as human, rather than your standard cliches.
This book is full of the unexpected - I'm so tired of reading a thriller where you know what is going to happen next! There seems to be a dearth of imagination from writers of this genre. Even the titles of many of them are so cliched (check some of the thrillers in my books) - you just know if they're too lazy to come up with an original title, you can probably expect the writing to be lazy too.
I cannot recommend this thriller highly enough.
On the downside, there are some horror moments, but if you can stomach Game Of Thrones then you should be fine.
Also, it is a little short - 200 pages. I wanted more! The story does feel complete, but I just want to read more about these characters. I would love for this to become a series!
A warning if you plan to read this on the bus or train, you'll probably miss your stop!
May 5, 2018
This is a fast-paced crime thriller that grabbed my attention from the minute I opened the book until the blazing end. Mitch was very desperate to save his nephew who is dying of leukemia, he sold his belongings as did his sister, but needed more money for a new drug said to be wonderful cure. With nothing left, Mitch approaches a doctor one of his friends uses for meds, thinking he might be able to get the drug from him. This starts a tumultuous journey as Mitch becomes a drug mule to be paid in the drug his nephew,Peter, needed.
The characters are well written, the plot is slightly hard to believe, but it is fiction and makes for a great read! A new author with interesting thoughts and a well written story. I don't like the quickness of the ending, wishing there was a little more there to find out what happens, but I am definitely interested in reading the next one!
I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems and author Jonathan Macpherson, who I thank for great story and my ability to leave my thoughts in this review.
The characters are well written, the plot is slightly hard to believe, but it is fiction and makes for a great read! A new author with interesting thoughts and a well written story. I don't like the quickness of the ending, wishing there was a little more there to find out what happens, but I am definitely interested in reading the next one!
I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems and author Jonathan Macpherson, who I thank for great story and my ability to leave my thoughts in this review.
May 4, 2017
I’m an English teacher and I needed a replacement for the boring novels my students had been reading during the previous schoolyear. So I browsed goodreads.com to find a book with an interesting story, that was less than 200 pages and had a great review score. I made a list and decided to give Brazen Violations a go. Sure, the story was a tad bit campy and farfetched, but the reviews were excellent and I wanted to avoid books from the literary canon.
Right before the book arrived, I decided to google the author (yes, I’m a fool for not doing that before I made my purchase). I learned that Brazen Violations is the self-published debut of Jonathan Macpherson: a handsome, blue eyed English teacher. There were no real reviews to be found on the net and I was beginning to suspect that the feedback on Amazon and goodreads.com had been somewhat misleading. Spoiler: it was.
Writing a book is very hard. I know because I’ve tried it and every time I reread my draft I was disillusioned as my work of genius turned out to be a poorly written mess. There’s so much you need to get “right” and no manual to guide you through the process. Often I couldn’t put my finger on why my writing was flawed, so I gave up trying because I knew I would never find a publisher and I didn’t see the point in self-publishing a sub-par novel.
Jonathan Macpherson chose a different path, which I can respect. If you want to make it as a writer you shouldn’t let anything hold you back. But after reading the book, I can tell you that all these five-star reviews on goodreads have probably been written by people from the author’s entourage. Either that, or they all happen to be easily pleased, because this is anything but a five-star novel. If there is one thing I hate, it’s being played a fool, which is why I decided to write this review.
The biggest flaw is that the author constantly gives us information that should have been left unsaid because it is either unimportant or painfully obvious. When the bad guys try to kill the protagonist while he is in the hospital, we read:
“The nurse had been working quietly, replacing the fluids on the IV stand. It had been several years since she had handled and IV drip but having done it thousands of times, it was almost second nature. She took the vial from her pocket and added it to the saline solution. The vial contained cyanide.”
Read that last sentence with Peter Griffin’s voice and you’ll know just what I’m talking about.
We are also treated to the characters’ redundant thoughts. When the bad guy packs a container with “a golden brown substance” the protagonist’s thoughts confirm what we already know: “Heroin, Mitch thought. It really is golden brown.” This “stating of the obvious” is layered with clichés (The darkness was heavy and all around him), repetition (every time the bad guy wants to kill someone we learn that he wants to “limit liabilities”) and poor attempts at humor (“Allegedly my cock is the biggest in the building […] according to your mother”).
Every single character is an empty vessel; a cardboard cut-out borrowed from popular culture and glued to mundane background. I never related to any of them. We rarely learn something interesting about their psyche and there is no psychological development whatsoever. The bad guys are supposedly ruthless sociopaths but when the cops get too close, one of them almost gets a heart attack and the other one LITERALLY shits his pants.
So the style is crude and the characters are a joke, but what about the plot? I shall not complain about the premise of the novel, because I knew that in advance. However, the development of the plot is so ludicrous, that the author is constantly having to pull strings in order to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit. The over-the-top choices of the characters cascade into a series of implausible events and we can clearly see the hands of the puppet master frantically trying to keep everything under control. Despite all his painfully obvious efforts, Macpherson loses his grip and the ending of the novel is as trivial as it is contrived.
I must admit that “Brazen Violations” was an easy read and that I effortlessly read the entire thing from start to finish, despite its many, many flaws. So if you like the summary and you’re just looking for an easy read during the summer holidays, perhaps the 3 dollar kindle version isn’t a terrible waste of money.
Just be aware that the flawless ratings are as absurd as the plot of this novel.
Right before the book arrived, I decided to google the author (yes, I’m a fool for not doing that before I made my purchase). I learned that Brazen Violations is the self-published debut of Jonathan Macpherson: a handsome, blue eyed English teacher. There were no real reviews to be found on the net and I was beginning to suspect that the feedback on Amazon and goodreads.com had been somewhat misleading. Spoiler: it was.
Writing a book is very hard. I know because I’ve tried it and every time I reread my draft I was disillusioned as my work of genius turned out to be a poorly written mess. There’s so much you need to get “right” and no manual to guide you through the process. Often I couldn’t put my finger on why my writing was flawed, so I gave up trying because I knew I would never find a publisher and I didn’t see the point in self-publishing a sub-par novel.
Jonathan Macpherson chose a different path, which I can respect. If you want to make it as a writer you shouldn’t let anything hold you back. But after reading the book, I can tell you that all these five-star reviews on goodreads have probably been written by people from the author’s entourage. Either that, or they all happen to be easily pleased, because this is anything but a five-star novel. If there is one thing I hate, it’s being played a fool, which is why I decided to write this review.
The biggest flaw is that the author constantly gives us information that should have been left unsaid because it is either unimportant or painfully obvious. When the bad guys try to kill the protagonist while he is in the hospital, we read:
“The nurse had been working quietly, replacing the fluids on the IV stand. It had been several years since she had handled and IV drip but having done it thousands of times, it was almost second nature. She took the vial from her pocket and added it to the saline solution. The vial contained cyanide.”
Read that last sentence with Peter Griffin’s voice and you’ll know just what I’m talking about.
We are also treated to the characters’ redundant thoughts. When the bad guy packs a container with “a golden brown substance” the protagonist’s thoughts confirm what we already know: “Heroin, Mitch thought. It really is golden brown.” This “stating of the obvious” is layered with clichés (The darkness was heavy and all around him), repetition (every time the bad guy wants to kill someone we learn that he wants to “limit liabilities”) and poor attempts at humor (“Allegedly my cock is the biggest in the building […] according to your mother”).
Every single character is an empty vessel; a cardboard cut-out borrowed from popular culture and glued to mundane background. I never related to any of them. We rarely learn something interesting about their psyche and there is no psychological development whatsoever. The bad guys are supposedly ruthless sociopaths but when the cops get too close, one of them almost gets a heart attack and the other one LITERALLY shits his pants.
So the style is crude and the characters are a joke, but what about the plot? I shall not complain about the premise of the novel, because I knew that in advance. However, the development of the plot is so ludicrous, that the author is constantly having to pull strings in order to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit. The over-the-top choices of the characters cascade into a series of implausible events and we can clearly see the hands of the puppet master frantically trying to keep everything under control. Despite all his painfully obvious efforts, Macpherson loses his grip and the ending of the novel is as trivial as it is contrived.
I must admit that “Brazen Violations” was an easy read and that I effortlessly read the entire thing from start to finish, despite its many, many flaws. So if you like the summary and you’re just looking for an easy read during the summer holidays, perhaps the 3 dollar kindle version isn’t a terrible waste of money.
Just be aware that the flawless ratings are as absurd as the plot of this novel.
June 1, 2022
This book read a lot like an action movie script, very heavy on dialogue and there were plenty of unbelievable moments. Mitch Walker's 6 year old nephew is dying of leukemia. His only chance of survival is an extremely expensive medication that despite fund raising Mitch and his sister aren't even close to being able to afford. Mitch will do anything to save his nephew up to and including smuggling drugs under his scalp. Honestly this wasn't my style, but it may be yours.
February 25, 2017
Stephen King meets Breaking Bad!
Absolutely compelling reading!!
I hadn't read a good thriller in ages and this was positively enthralling.
Edgy, original and and loaded with tension.
Highly recommended.
Caralho!
Absolutely compelling reading!!
I hadn't read a good thriller in ages and this was positively enthralling.
Edgy, original and and loaded with tension.
Highly recommended.
Caralho!
May 4, 2018
A desperate man, Mitch, takes on an illegal and risky task to try and save his nephew, who is suffering from a rare type of leukaemia. It involves going to see the ‘Doc’, who can get illegal drugs you need. The drugs Mitch’s sister requires for her son is very expensive and the hospital won’t pay for it. Doc fits him with a hidden cache and he travels home but it arrested and the cache found.
Now he owes the criminals for the payment of the drugs he needs for his nephew, in full. Mitch is being guarded in hospital while he recovers from the journey and is being investigated by a straight laced detective called Betts. He wants Mitch to give up the identities of all those involved in the drug transfer, but Mitch believes it wasn’t his fault, so surely, the criminals will still give him the drugs. Naïve Mitch really doesn’t have a clue about these matters.
Betts comes to interview Mitch and wants him to give details on all the criminals involved with the drug transfer through Doc. There are threats of kidnapping and chaos at every step. Mitch must try to get out of the hospital as his nephew is looking worse, every day. Betts is taken by the criminals and they install a listening and watching device in his chest, to allow them to see and hear what Mitch and the Mitch are actually saying about the gang.
Betts will have to try and outsmart the criminals and find the members of the gang and keep Mitch and his family safe. This book covers some real medical dilemmas that are coming to the front in today’s news – expensive medicines that the hospitals in areas, won’t pay for, leaving parents desperate and willing to do anything to help their child. The other book, Outback Creed, by this author, is also one that has a very realistic background to the story.
It makes for a great read and there is always something going on to keep your interest. I have enjoyed reading two of the author’s books and now look forward to some more. I would recommend it to anyone who likes crime thrillers with a realistic twist. Enjoy!
I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above. Some are annoyed with the use of different terminology – but I believe in this day and age that most people know what these words mean or can work it out by the context. Maybe even look the word up if you don’t know it – that’s what I do for any word I’ve never heard of. Most people use either American or British English or a mix of both. Authors come from all around the word, as do their readers, you can never please everyone with which you use.
Now he owes the criminals for the payment of the drugs he needs for his nephew, in full. Mitch is being guarded in hospital while he recovers from the journey and is being investigated by a straight laced detective called Betts. He wants Mitch to give up the identities of all those involved in the drug transfer, but Mitch believes it wasn’t his fault, so surely, the criminals will still give him the drugs. Naïve Mitch really doesn’t have a clue about these matters.
Betts comes to interview Mitch and wants him to give details on all the criminals involved with the drug transfer through Doc. There are threats of kidnapping and chaos at every step. Mitch must try to get out of the hospital as his nephew is looking worse, every day. Betts is taken by the criminals and they install a listening and watching device in his chest, to allow them to see and hear what Mitch and the Mitch are actually saying about the gang.
Betts will have to try and outsmart the criminals and find the members of the gang and keep Mitch and his family safe. This book covers some real medical dilemmas that are coming to the front in today’s news – expensive medicines that the hospitals in areas, won’t pay for, leaving parents desperate and willing to do anything to help their child. The other book, Outback Creed, by this author, is also one that has a very realistic background to the story.
It makes for a great read and there is always something going on to keep your interest. I have enjoyed reading two of the author’s books and now look forward to some more. I would recommend it to anyone who likes crime thrillers with a realistic twist. Enjoy!
I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above. Some are annoyed with the use of different terminology – but I believe in this day and age that most people know what these words mean or can work it out by the context. Maybe even look the word up if you don’t know it – that’s what I do for any word I’ve never heard of. Most people use either American or British English or a mix of both. Authors come from all around the word, as do their readers, you can never please everyone with which you use.
July 5, 2019
Ridiculous! A Brazen Mess!🔫🔪
I tried to like this book but it's so ridiculous! When Betts let's the little boy, Peter, look at his gun in the hospital, I thought, "that's it"! This book is a fantasy mess and not in a good way.
There was just too much off the wall stuff going on. There is a lot of gore and downright creepy stuff that I won't go into because it would gross you out, for one thing!
I have read hundreds of detective🔫 and spy thrillers and this is not worth reading.
ARC Received from Hidden 💎Gems
I also got this book with KU.
I tried to like this book but it's so ridiculous! When Betts let's the little boy, Peter, look at his gun in the hospital, I thought, "that's it"! This book is a fantasy mess and not in a good way.
There was just too much off the wall stuff going on. There is a lot of gore and downright creepy stuff that I won't go into because it would gross you out, for one thing!
I have read hundreds of detective🔫 and spy thrillers and this is not worth reading.
ARC Received from Hidden 💎Gems
I also got this book with KU.
May 29, 2019
This was an awesome fast paced action filled drama. I was completely enraptured by the storyline. But I couldn't believe the ending, the author just didn't complete this story. An abrupt unexplainable ending with no extra information on the characters future made the worth of the storyline drop from a 100 to 75 for me.
January 29, 2022
What would you do if you had to save a loved one? The author does not shy away from the human side of the story and the fact that everyone has their limits. Desperation is a common thread driving the plot and it makes for a cracking pace. I liked that the protagonist is not perfect and his flaws and weaknesses make him more credible and relatable than many modern heroes.
July 6, 2022
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Brazen Violations | Prior Violations - Bretts & Walker
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Criminals in the Making
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Brett
𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Audiobook
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Investigation/Crime
4/𝟱
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Villains were great (layered and multifaceted)
~ Story was layered enough
~ SEVERAL issues to be faced
~ Deaths that make sense
Mitch? Is having a rough go of things. He is on the cusp of losing his job, although he just completed a truly heroic deed. After spending some time with his sister & nephew he develops a deep care for Peter and decides there is more he should try to do to help him… (😬😬😬 tragically)
On the other side of town Doc and his family of miscreants, are doing the most to traffic drugs, remove organs for sale and bribe those that can be bribed… they are also getting a lot of random people killed. Unfortunately Mitch’s path will cross with the Docs and two dogged police officers will make it their mission to find out who has been behind the slew of accidents, deaths, drug heads and drug boobies. 😏
✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.
🌱THE MEH
~ Strangely, some police officers felt somewhat stunted
~ Strangely, the names of the characters didn’t stick although the story did
♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)
—
🎁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 @𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁.
🌱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀: plotsandreviews.com
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Criminals in the Making
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Brett
𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Audiobook
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Investigation/Crime
4/𝟱
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Villains were great (layered and multifaceted)
~ Story was layered enough
~ SEVERAL issues to be faced
~ Deaths that make sense
Mitch? Is having a rough go of things. He is on the cusp of losing his job, although he just completed a truly heroic deed. After spending some time with his sister & nephew he develops a deep care for Peter and decides there is more he should try to do to help him… (😬😬😬 tragically)
On the other side of town Doc and his family of miscreants, are doing the most to traffic drugs, remove organs for sale and bribe those that can be bribed… they are also getting a lot of random people killed. Unfortunately Mitch’s path will cross with the Docs and two dogged police officers will make it their mission to find out who has been behind the slew of accidents, deaths, drug heads and drug boobies. 😏
✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.
🌱THE MEH
~ Strangely, some police officers felt somewhat stunted
~ Strangely, the names of the characters didn’t stick although the story did
♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)
—
🎁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 @𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁.
🌱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀: plotsandreviews.com
December 27, 2019
Preface: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This novel isn't high art by any means, but it is sort of goofy fun, as long as you can suspend your disbelief. There's a lot of over-the-top silliness and gimmicks and the villains are pretty hacky, but the characters are sympathetic enough for you to want to follow along. You can understand Mitch's motives and root for him to help out his little nephew. Betts is a bit harder to get behind, but he grew on me as time went on and he became less abrasive. The plot is pretty nonsensical, but chugs along at a decent little clip - you'll never really be bored. It had some neat ideas in it, like the surgeries to smuggle drugs, or the chest camera - none of it is terribly realistic, but fun to watch unfold. The villains are pretty over-the-top, but you can cheer for their demise.
If you just want a hammy action-adventure story, this will hit the spot. If you're looking for anything deeper, give it a pass.
This novel isn't high art by any means, but it is sort of goofy fun, as long as you can suspend your disbelief. There's a lot of over-the-top silliness and gimmicks and the villains are pretty hacky, but the characters are sympathetic enough for you to want to follow along. You can understand Mitch's motives and root for him to help out his little nephew. Betts is a bit harder to get behind, but he grew on me as time went on and he became less abrasive. The plot is pretty nonsensical, but chugs along at a decent little clip - you'll never really be bored. It had some neat ideas in it, like the surgeries to smuggle drugs, or the chest camera - none of it is terribly realistic, but fun to watch unfold. The villains are pretty over-the-top, but you can cheer for their demise.
If you just want a hammy action-adventure story, this will hit the spot. If you're looking for anything deeper, give it a pass.
January 1, 2022
This is a great suspenseful collection of two books by a newer author for me. I enjoyed the twists and turns that had me sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen next. This is a well written story where the author's use of details brought the story to life on each page. His characters are relateable and kept me wanting to know more. This is a fast paced story that is full of action, suspense and hard to put down. An engaging story that is worth the pick up for sure. A story full of evil criminals that will make you question how far you will go for those you love. I enjoyed being pulled into the story by the characters as well as the growth of the plot throughout. This is a great collection of suspenseful books that I highly recommend.
October 26, 2018
Mitch is an uncle who is out of work and caring for his very sick nephew, Peter. Peter is dying and they cannot afford the drug that will save his life. Mitch decides to make a deal with the mob..get a procedure done to smuggle drugs into the states and they will give him the medicine. Only problem, due to some complications Mitch is caught! Take an action packed wild ride with Mitch, his sister, Peter and the different people of the mob as they try to get the medicine, outrun the cops, all while trying to stay alive. The book is action packed from the first page and you will not want to put it down until the end! I received this book as a gift and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 3, 2022
BEtts and Walker book 1 and 2 by Jonathan MaCpherson.
Prior Violations
A crew of ruthless criminals.
A cop hell-bent on taking them down.
A young man just trying to look after his terminally ill nephew.
When their worlds collide, the result is a pulse-pounding tale that will keep you on edge till the breathtaking conclusion.Brazen Violations
WHAT WOULD YOU RISK TO SAVE A LOVED ONE?
Mitch is so desperate to save his dying nephew, he commits an insanely dangerous crime in exchange for life-saving medicine.
I really really enjoyed this book. Book 1 was really good. I liked Mitch. Book 2 was good too. I did like the ending sort of. 4*.
Prior Violations
A crew of ruthless criminals.
A cop hell-bent on taking them down.
A young man just trying to look after his terminally ill nephew.
When their worlds collide, the result is a pulse-pounding tale that will keep you on edge till the breathtaking conclusion.Brazen Violations
WHAT WOULD YOU RISK TO SAVE A LOVED ONE?
Mitch is so desperate to save his dying nephew, he commits an insanely dangerous crime in exchange for life-saving medicine.
I really really enjoyed this book. Book 1 was really good. I liked Mitch. Book 2 was good too. I did like the ending sort of. 4*.
May 17, 2018
I'm not totally sure where all the 5 star reviews are coming from. It's amazing how many different opinions we have. The plot had potential and I hooked on the blurb. Boy, was I disappointed. Yes, the Australian slang was a little hard to understand though some of it was comprehensible. I couldn't relate to any of the characters at all. They all seemed shallow and one dimensional. As a mom, I should have been able to connect to Mitch's sister, Lauren. The ending left me disappointed.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book....
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book....
October 24, 2018
Highly recommend!
This is a fast paced thrilling story that centers around saving a young boy with Leukemia and the extremes that one will go to for love, And the criminals who will prey on the desperate and the innocent, with the intent to capitalize at any cost, to any extreme. An altruistic love story that goes to the extremes, with a chain reaction of deadly cause and effect... A really good story!
This is a fast paced thrilling story that centers around saving a young boy with Leukemia and the extremes that one will go to for love, And the criminals who will prey on the desperate and the innocent, with the intent to capitalize at any cost, to any extreme. An altruistic love story that goes to the extremes, with a chain reaction of deadly cause and effect... A really good story!
August 2, 2019
This was about a man who was trying to save his nephew from cancer and became mixed up with a crime syndicate. Everything goes wrong when he tries to get medicine for his nephew to ensure he doesn't die. It was well-written. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an ARC.
June 26, 2017
As a crime fiction junky, I was hooked!
Some of the most nerve-wracking scenarios I've come across in years! And intriguing action with real motive attached (as opposed to mindless action, which I find boring).
It's a rare pleasure when you find characters that you like who become criminals with noble intentions.
As for the high-tech aspect, I'd never read/seen anything like it, yet it was absolutely plausible. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if this became a reality in the near future.
It's not for everybody (a tad gruesome in parts, but no more so than say The Silence of The Lambs), but for those hungry for an edgy crime thriller, I highly recommend it.
Some of the most nerve-wracking scenarios I've come across in years! And intriguing action with real motive attached (as opposed to mindless action, which I find boring).
It's a rare pleasure when you find characters that you like who become criminals with noble intentions.
As for the high-tech aspect, I'd never read/seen anything like it, yet it was absolutely plausible. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if this became a reality in the near future.
It's not for everybody (a tad gruesome in parts, but no more so than say The Silence of The Lambs), but for those hungry for an edgy crime thriller, I highly recommend it.
May 12, 2023
Mitch Walker is desperate to save the life of his young nephew, who is dying from cancer. When a bid to get the money for the drug that he needs goes horribly wrong it leads to a chain of violence and murder. On the run ruthless criminals, the only person that can help him wants him in jail. A police officer is kidnapped and turned into a tool for the criminals. It all culminates into a life or death battle that is a wonder to read about.
Is this book over the top? Yes. Is this book ridiculous? Also yes. Does it push the boundaries on what is even believable to happen and exist? Yup. Are the reactions of many of the characters completely unbelievable? You bet. I still absolutely love this book.
So much ridiculous and over the top stuff happens in this. It’s a wild ride from start to finish. It severely pushes the bounds on believability (the main character has some serious plot armor) but I so don’t even care. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I listened to this. Just like the prequel this had action from cover to cover. I wasn’t as big of a fan of the main characters as I was in the prequel but they were still really good villains for the story. Betts (a police officer in the story) has an expanded role as compared to the prequel and i swear had beefier plot armor than the main character did but I also don’t care.
This story is a highly entertaining thrill ride that I recommend to fans of action/thrillers of appropriate ages.
Is this book over the top? Yes. Is this book ridiculous? Also yes. Does it push the boundaries on what is even believable to happen and exist? Yup. Are the reactions of many of the characters completely unbelievable? You bet. I still absolutely love this book.
So much ridiculous and over the top stuff happens in this. It’s a wild ride from start to finish. It severely pushes the bounds on believability (the main character has some serious plot armor) but I so don’t even care. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I listened to this. Just like the prequel this had action from cover to cover. I wasn’t as big of a fan of the main characters as I was in the prequel but they were still really good villains for the story. Betts (a police officer in the story) has an expanded role as compared to the prequel and i swear had beefier plot armor than the main character did but I also don’t care.
This story is a highly entertaining thrill ride that I recommend to fans of action/thrillers of appropriate ages.
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