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Check Mate
A Riveting Psychological Thriller
An obsessive compulsive man realizes that he can't predict everyone's move... like a chess game.
Prentice has an unusual encounter on the road one night, but thinks nothing of it. He has a well planned life, with no place for the unexpected, the uncontrollable. Oh yes, Joe Prentice has everything under control. Until his wife disappears, and he meets an opponent who knows how to play the game better than did.
Now, Prentice has to learn the hard way... that not everything goes as planned.
An obsessive compulsive man realizes that he can't predict everyone's move... like a chess game.
Prentice has an unusual encounter on the road one night, but thinks nothing of it. He has a well planned life, with no place for the unexpected, the uncontrollable. Oh yes, Joe Prentice has everything under control. Until his wife disappears, and he meets an opponent who knows how to play the game better than did.
Now, Prentice has to learn the hard way... that not everything goes as planned.
ebook
Published August 30, 2017
4 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Ken Fry
24 books235 followersKen Fry is a multi-award-winning British author known for his captivating storytelling and vivid imagination. With over a dozen published books under his belt, Fry has established himself as a prominent figure in the literary world. His attention to detail and extensive research ensure that readers are fully immersed in the world he has created.
He is now retired and devotes his full time to writing. He lives in the UK and shares his home with 'Dickens' his Shetland Sheepdog.
He is currently working on his next novel.
He is now retired and devotes his full time to writing. He lives in the UK and shares his home with 'Dickens' his Shetland Sheepdog.
He is currently working on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 5, 2016
Editor's Review:
Check Mate is a quick heartbeat-elevating read. Something thriller fans would enjoy. Ken Fry's short stories all highlight man's inner demons and delusions, and how they are woken up to the truth rather rudely. In this story, Joe Prentice is a controlling man who thinks planning can ensure success in anything, although he's enough of a realist to understand that some of his failures were beyond his control. His so-called perfectly planned life was rattled when his wife was kidnapped by someone who held a grudge. Prentice had to find a way to get his wife back, but he soon discovers that no matter how you planned your moves, sometimes, an opponent has moves that you will fail to predict.
Check Mate is a quick heartbeat-elevating read. Something thriller fans would enjoy. Ken Fry's short stories all highlight man's inner demons and delusions, and how they are woken up to the truth rather rudely. In this story, Joe Prentice is a controlling man who thinks planning can ensure success in anything, although he's enough of a realist to understand that some of his failures were beyond his control. His so-called perfectly planned life was rattled when his wife was kidnapped by someone who held a grudge. Prentice had to find a way to get his wife back, but he soon discovers that no matter how you planned your moves, sometimes, an opponent has moves that you will fail to predict.
April 23, 2017
Extremely riveting, brilliant writing; highly suspenseful and a twisted ending. All these elements make it a fascinating short story for this genre. I am addicted to Mr. Ken Fry's long and short novels. This is a MUST READ!
January 2, 2017
Anyone who regularly reads my reviews will know that I am a big fan of the blockbuster thrillers written by Ken Fry. As any author knows, you can't churn out a thriller every month, so what Ken Fry has taken to doing is to release a short story or two, in between his novels. This is great for us fans, as it gives us a Fry fix, whilst we wait with bated breath for his next compelling blockbuster.
Check Mate, is exactly that, a sixty-page short story designed to keep Fry's name uppermost in his reader's thoughts and it does just that.
Check Mate is a fascinating little tale of a disgruntled employee who decides to take his revenge on his employer in the most vicious way ever - kidnapping the Boss' wife and demanding a ransom. Prentice, the boss, however, is a cool kettle of fish - an organised, methodical man who is determined not to let this kidnapping derail his happy, satisfied, and perfectly ordered life. He approaches catching and dealing with the kidnapper in the same way he has always approached problems in his business and his life - with a plan.
The story rollicks along, in typical Fry fashion, to its exciting conclusion. This is a great bedtime read, that you can complete in a couple of hours and I guarantee you will be satisfied. I like Fry's short stories and look forward to more, as well, of course, as his next big blockbuster novel. Great job.
Check Mate, is exactly that, a sixty-page short story designed to keep Fry's name uppermost in his reader's thoughts and it does just that.
Check Mate is a fascinating little tale of a disgruntled employee who decides to take his revenge on his employer in the most vicious way ever - kidnapping the Boss' wife and demanding a ransom. Prentice, the boss, however, is a cool kettle of fish - an organised, methodical man who is determined not to let this kidnapping derail his happy, satisfied, and perfectly ordered life. He approaches catching and dealing with the kidnapper in the same way he has always approached problems in his business and his life - with a plan.
The story rollicks along, in typical Fry fashion, to its exciting conclusion. This is a great bedtime read, that you can complete in a couple of hours and I guarantee you will be satisfied. I like Fry's short stories and look forward to more, as well, of course, as his next big blockbuster novel. Great job.
December 5, 2016
Good short suspense with a twisted ending that I think readers will enjoy. Joe and Martha Prentice have a good life, although a bit boring. All that is going to change when the husband and wife are caught up in a horrifying situation. The author does a good job with this short story and has a great reader friendly writing style. I think the story was done just right and can't wait to read more from the author.
December 14, 2016
A man who plans everything to the nth degree suddenly has his power taken from him, and has to scramble to plan a way out of a terrible predicament. Yup, he’s in trouble now! Ken Fry spins quite the yarn and had me wondering how it would all end. This short story is clever and edge-of-your seat, with a twist to the tale. Definitely worth a read. And it certainly showcases the author’s talent – I will be reading more!
July 15, 2017
Check Mate was the first Ken Fry book that I have read, I was sent it to review.
I was a little unsure of if I would like it or not as I do not normally read thrillers but I was curious so I decided to give it ago.
Prentice - the main character - did not realize that firing a guy would make him want to get revenge.
The angry ex-employee tries to run Prentice off the road on his way home from work, Prentice then later runs over a cat and this starts off a whole chain of terrible events for him.
That night while watching T.V the power goes out, at first Prentice thinks it's a power cut until he looks out of the window and see's his neighbours still have power, he check's his fuse box only to find the cat he ran over, the cat falls off the fuse box onto his chest.
While cleaning himself up his wife Martha comes out sees it and screams and starts to throw up in the garden. Once clean, Prentice goes back outside and calls out for Martha but she is no where to be seen.
A little while later Prentice receives a call and finds out that his wife has been kidnapped and if he wants her back alive he has to pay a pretty large sum of money which of course he denies having.
Prentice's ex-employee makes his and Martha's life hell, but he makes a big mistake by leaving the phone in the room with Martha which she uses to call her husband, Martha explains that shes being held in a place that he had taken her to before to show him a work place.
Prentice realizes where Martha is being held and he goes to get her, the problem is the guy is waiting for him and they get into a fight.
I did not expect the book to end the way it did but it was a nice twist to a good story.
It was a nice short story and a fun quick read.
I was a little unsure of if I would like it or not as I do not normally read thrillers but I was curious so I decided to give it ago.
Prentice - the main character - did not realize that firing a guy would make him want to get revenge.
The angry ex-employee tries to run Prentice off the road on his way home from work, Prentice then later runs over a cat and this starts off a whole chain of terrible events for him.
That night while watching T.V the power goes out, at first Prentice thinks it's a power cut until he looks out of the window and see's his neighbours still have power, he check's his fuse box only to find the cat he ran over, the cat falls off the fuse box onto his chest.
While cleaning himself up his wife Martha comes out sees it and screams and starts to throw up in the garden. Once clean, Prentice goes back outside and calls out for Martha but she is no where to be seen.
A little while later Prentice receives a call and finds out that his wife has been kidnapped and if he wants her back alive he has to pay a pretty large sum of money which of course he denies having.
Prentice's ex-employee makes his and Martha's life hell, but he makes a big mistake by leaving the phone in the room with Martha which she uses to call her husband, Martha explains that shes being held in a place that he had taken her to before to show him a work place.
Prentice realizes where Martha is being held and he goes to get her, the problem is the guy is waiting for him and they get into a fight.
I did not expect the book to end the way it did but it was a nice twist to a good story.
It was a nice short story and a fun quick read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews