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Hedge & Cole #1

The Palindrome Cult

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Blackmail is a dangerous game. But when the US Ambassador to London and the British Prime Minister are caught up in it, the situation becomes deadly.
The Palindrome Cult members are fanatical. They will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. But who are they? And who is their elusive leader?
Hedge and Cole must hunt them down, before the government is fatally damaged, and before more people have to die.
This is a novel in the acclaimed Hedge & Cole thriller series.
(The Palindrome Cult story concludes in this book, but the main characters are set to return in future exploits).
Cole is a tough, ex-military man. He’s the sort of person that trouble and danger seem to follow, wherever he goes. He can be ruthless when he needs to be. And he often finds the need.
Hedge is a reluctant hero. Plagued with anxieties and haunted by flashbacks, he is not the type of lead character that you would normally expect. This novel is refreshingly different in that respect.
You are invited along for the ride, but will you be able to unravel the secret of the Cult before the ultimate, shocking, twist in the tail?
Kevin Bradley shows how to mix fast paced action, with suspense and intrigue. This novel will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
This book would sit well alongside your Lee Child and Michael Connelly favourites!

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2017

148 people are currently reading
152 people want to read

About the author

Kevin Bradley

8 books3 followers
I live in England and have travelled all over the world. I try to bring many of my own personal observations and adventures into my novels.

I spent all of my teenage years either at boarding school or living on military bases. The frequently exciting, and often cruel experiences from this period are clearly reflected in my writing.

Before turning to storytelling, I had a successful business career and, as well as an Honours Degree in Social Economics, I also hold an MBA from the Edinburgh Business School.

When not writing I enjoy mountain biking and road running.

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5 stars
63 (35%)
4 stars
46 (25%)
3 stars
47 (26%)
2 stars
15 (8%)
1 star
6 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Uwe.
620 reviews
February 27, 2018
naaaaaa, not really, not page turning and not believable, naaaaa not really !
Profile Image for NatScan.
8 reviews1 follower
June 1, 2019
Crap book. Stupid story that has turned me off reading fiction for a while. Ridiculous plot twists. Don’t bother. Does not compare with Lee Child in any way.
Profile Image for Bruce McLennan.
67 reviews2 followers
January 31, 2018
What a peculiar book! It was enjoyable reading as the prose flowed well and I kept turning the page to see what was coming next. But apart from having a highly unlikely plot, the author seems to be somewhat preoccupied with two themes: boarding school bullying and torture, and you could probably add a third; sex. I'm not sure what to make of Hedge's almost passive role as a character in this story. He just seems to be dragged from one violent event to another, sometimes the victim and other times a weirdly uninvolved observer or participant.

I'm not masochistic enough to want to read the second book but feel sure that it will have much the same feel as the first.
Profile Image for Kev Neylon.
Author 2 books2 followers
May 27, 2019
A good basic premise and story, but some clunky descriptions - almost encyclopedic - of places, and obvious set up for future books
Profile Image for Tony Parsons.
4,156 reviews101 followers
December 7, 2018
The girl (19) went along with everything The Shaver asked of her.
The Watcher was glued to the monitor screen.
London, England. The younger son told their mom the older brother was choking on his slice of pizza.
Mom tried to dislodge it but to no avail he went limp in her arms.
Another man had no luck either.
Tom “Hedge” Miller (28, Client Relationship Mgr., PTSD, Cambridge U; BA econ) shouted at Antonio (cafe mgr.) to get him a knife.

Antonio had found hedge a hollow tube.
The paramedics had arrived.
He was quite the celebrity now.
Hedge had met Louise & they had been out on several dates.
They got real intimate, but the relationship soon fizzled out.
Later Hedge was getting ready to leave work & 2 officers from the Metropolitan Police Fraud Squad were at the office door.

A warrant for his arrest was issued & he was headed to the police station.
Conviction, trail, verdict, & sentence hearing.
Essex, England. He was on his way to Saltmarsh open prison.
Pretty normal routine, Hedge volunteered for the laundry facility.
Persil (inmate) was showing him the ropes.
CO Joey had become friends with Hedge.
He had given him a stock tip that was down on Royal Canadian Oil (RCO), so Joey. Prisoner Governor & some others bought some shares.
Big Blake (40+, inmate, Uncle) informed Hedge he owed a few PPL a lot of money.
Beaten severely, the prison Dr. had to amputate his left leg.
What news did Joey tell Hedge?
The Review Board was meeting with Joey.
Cafe Roma. Hedge (29) was back at his favorite place. He met Monica (extortionist, escort).
Royal Hotel (Green Lane). Hedge never got to give Monica a tour of London, England.
Sex was top priority. It seems she is Uncle Blake niece.
Anna (extortionist, elderly woman) was asking Hedge some questions.
Regents Park coffee shop. Cole, Fuller (colleague, older man) were enjoying coffee with Hedge.
They explained to him about the group called the Palindrome Cult.
went to see how Isaac (Hedge’s cousin) was doing.
Not good he was in a lot of pain.
Dubai, UAE. Angel (aka Tim) was given some pistols/ammo.
What later happened to Angel
Tortola (Road Town), British Virgin Islands. Fish Bar. Cole, Fuller & Hedge were enjoying their evening meal.
Dead Chest Island. Joe Jackson (native islander, trip leader) was taking the Cole, Fuller, Hedge & Jack deep sea diving around shipwrecks.
What did Jack do to Fuller?
Cole (ex-military), & Hedge informed James Robinson (Island Trust Co. (BVI) Limited) Reviver files account # 23911932; # 84566548; # 01177110; & # 44055044 are all part of an extortion/fraud crime.
There was also a murder involved.

James for now had given Cole & Hedge the slip.
London, England. Why were Robert “Bob” Mallam (US Ambassador), Mary Mallam (wife) meeting with Cole & Hedge?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written international crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great international crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; EBookDaily; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Profile Image for Dawn Ireland.
Author 97 books70 followers
September 5, 2022
Ever heard of an editor?

Who are these people who left 5-star reviews? Most people can't even write a review. All they do is regurgitate the synopsis. There was very little to like in this book. The character who was finally declared the main character had never been developed fully. There were so many errors throughout the book. The story was more like words vomited into paragraphs. Someone made up a bunch of action scenes with terrible deaths, but they were just thrust out there, not smoothly integrated into a wonderful story. What a total waste of time.
14 reviews
December 21, 2017
I enjoyed the story. But here I am writing this 8 days later and I can't really remember too much about it. I'm too old to be interested in the sex; the violence, I suppose, is part of the story.
The English (English) is easy to follow and the grammar pleasing to the eye.
I'll read the next book in the series to appreciate the Bradley style.
1 review
May 21, 2019
Great story & easy reafr

This was a great story, a bit of a quick read but one that jumps from location to location with plausible plot, missing some of the deep background of some of the characters, but that's probably what makes it quick read. 😀 . Great holiday reading and looking forward to the follow ups. Enjoy 😁
Profile Image for Bambi Goggio.
198 reviews2 followers
August 25, 2019
A very well-paced thriller in which Hegde, a civilian, is swept up into a whirlwind, global mission to assist the MI5. Hedge faces a seemingly surreal investigation with a sense of grace under fire. Occasionally uber-violent, sometimes noir, always a page-turner. I received this book in exchange for a review. I am already looking forward to my next excursion with Cole and Hedge.
Profile Image for Terry Kraft.
19 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2019
A real page turner!

The circumstances in which ordinary guy, Hedge finds himself are somewhat comical. He sets off with the prime minister's object, Cole, and finds himself in daring and exciting adventures.
Looking forward to reading more about these two!
1 review
August 26, 2017
Great thriller

Very good, holds your attention. Never a dull moment with unusual turns.
And the price is not going to break you.
Profile Image for Timothy Carnahan.
2 reviews
December 4, 2017
Great story

I really enjoyed the character decelopment. It was on point. Cole and Hedge are perfect together. I'd recommend this book seeking suspense.
6 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2018
Not so good!

In the beginning I thought bit would a good book. However must of narrative is bore. The is so many description of places and characters.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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