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Craig McIntyre #3
Deepest Wounds
Book 3 in the series that begins with Darkest Thoughts, one of The Reading Agency's BOOKS OF THE YEAR, 2017. Conspiracy thriller. Book 3 in the mind-bending Craig McIntyre series. Book 1: Darkest Thoughts. Book 2: Furthest Reaches. The past is a dangerous place. Craig McIntyre s mere presence removes people s inhibitions and turns their darkest thoughts into actions. As Craig McIntyre tries to escape bounty hunters from the Dark Web, he discovers that his details are linked to a clandestine government project. Might it hold answers to his past as well as dangers for the present Back on the run in North America, McIntyre hooks up with some unlikely allies. But can he trust them any more than those who want to use him to shape the future...and to further their personal ambitions Have those behind Factor really given up on their pursuit of him Or is McIntyre being reeled in with some politically toxic bait McIntyre is the key to an explosive secret that could change mankind forever.
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
5 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Brown
11 books12 followersGordon Brown has eight crime and thriller books published to date, along with a novella and a number of short stories.
Under his new expat alias, Morgan Cry, (he also writes under the name Gordon Brown) Gordon’s latest crime thriller, ’Thirty-One Bones’, set in Spain, is published by Polygon. Available now in both the UK and the U.S. – the sequel, called ‘Six Wounds’, will be published in in May 2022.
Gordon also helped found Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival (see www.bloodyscotland.com), is a DJ on local radio (www.pulseonair.co.uk) and runs a strategic planning consultancy. He lives in Scotland and is married with two children.
In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, compered the main stage at a two-day music festival and was once booed by 49,000 people while on the pitch at a major football Cup Final.
Under his new expat alias, Morgan Cry, (he also writes under the name Gordon Brown) Gordon’s latest crime thriller, ’Thirty-One Bones’, set in Spain, is published by Polygon. Available now in both the UK and the U.S. – the sequel, called ‘Six Wounds’, will be published in in May 2022.
Gordon also helped found Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival (see www.bloodyscotland.com), is a DJ on local radio (www.pulseonair.co.uk) and runs a strategic planning consultancy. He lives in Scotland and is married with two children.
In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, compered the main stage at a two-day music festival and was once booed by 49,000 people while on the pitch at a major football Cup Final.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 11, 2018
Deepest Wounds is thew third in the Craig McIntyre series and while it does work perfectly well as a stand-alone novel, I can’t help but feel that reading them in order is the logical thing to do, as there are recurring characters whose backstory you may want to understand.
Craig McIntyre is a man with many demons, not all of his own making, though heaven knows he doesn’t make life easy for himself. At the start of the book we are treated to a heart pumping scene which has our adrenaline rising even before we know who is in the room.
Our protagonist is ex-military, but not just ex-military, his mind is literally a killing machine. Why it got that way and who is responsible is something he spends his time trying to track down, but he has to be careful, so very careful, or things can go very wrong indeed.
Craig’s skill is something he can’t yet control and with his good friend, Charlie, bound to him for a through a set of disconcerting circumstances, he tries to get to the root of his issues. Constantly searching, always on the move, the pair are tracked where ever they travel and however careful they have been in trying to cover their movements. Someone has deep pockets and wants to know their every move.
He is a well trained soldier, only with a switch in his head that he can’t control . A patriot, he is simultaneously dangerously lethal and yet messed up. He is loyal to Charlie, despite everything, because he knows that what Charlie did, he was the cause of.
The novel moves at a galloping pace with many high octane incidents along the way as Craig and Charlie latch onto the latest lead. As they travel, first across America and then finally across the Atlantic, they have embarked on a journey that may cost them more than the truth. Along the way they will meet some very intriguing characters who add colour and flavour to their thrilling ride.
It is on the Scottish coastline that they will finally come to understand the agenda that they have been following and there they will find themselves in a fight which will determine not just their lives and/or deaths, but also a bigger political destiny.
This is a series with a real difference. Fast paced, action packed it is a huge adrenaline ride, but it also paints a picture of two men locked together by circumstance who have no option but to pursue their quest to the bitter end, where ever that may lead.
Verdict: High octane thriller with a killer pitch
Craig McIntyre is a man with many demons, not all of his own making, though heaven knows he doesn’t make life easy for himself. At the start of the book we are treated to a heart pumping scene which has our adrenaline rising even before we know who is in the room.
Our protagonist is ex-military, but not just ex-military, his mind is literally a killing machine. Why it got that way and who is responsible is something he spends his time trying to track down, but he has to be careful, so very careful, or things can go very wrong indeed.
Craig’s skill is something he can’t yet control and with his good friend, Charlie, bound to him for a through a set of disconcerting circumstances, he tries to get to the root of his issues. Constantly searching, always on the move, the pair are tracked where ever they travel and however careful they have been in trying to cover their movements. Someone has deep pockets and wants to know their every move.
He is a well trained soldier, only with a switch in his head that he can’t control . A patriot, he is simultaneously dangerously lethal and yet messed up. He is loyal to Charlie, despite everything, because he knows that what Charlie did, he was the cause of.
The novel moves at a galloping pace with many high octane incidents along the way as Craig and Charlie latch onto the latest lead. As they travel, first across America and then finally across the Atlantic, they have embarked on a journey that may cost them more than the truth. Along the way they will meet some very intriguing characters who add colour and flavour to their thrilling ride.
It is on the Scottish coastline that they will finally come to understand the agenda that they have been following and there they will find themselves in a fight which will determine not just their lives and/or deaths, but also a bigger political destiny.
This is a series with a real difference. Fast paced, action packed it is a huge adrenaline ride, but it also paints a picture of two men locked together by circumstance who have no option but to pursue their quest to the bitter end, where ever that may lead.
Verdict: High octane thriller with a killer pitch
September 3, 2018
What a cracking #KillerHook! Right away I'm asking the questions, who, why, how and I want to know more! Without giving away any spoilers the description in this opening scene was so realistic that I found myself gasping for a breath!
Although I haven't read the first two in the series, I was not at a disadvantage, there was enough backstory to keep me up to speed with what had been happening in the life of Craig McIntyre. What a character he is, very quickly I formed a picture of him in my head, he is a mass of contradictions, dark, brooding and verging on being a psychopath yet at the same time there is something more human within him. Well, superhuman to be more accurate, Craig's mere presence can turn others into killers without him even having to lift a finger! (not going to lie, I did ponder over how useful it would be to have that power!)
A tense and thrilling read, the fast pace of the plot matched with short sharp chapters and backed up by a similar sentence structuring. This style of writing leaves you in no doubt that you are in for a thrilling read and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through! I know that I was!
Cyber bounty hunters, genetics, the dark web and government corruption are all tied up in this thriller of a plot; it just does not let up from start to finish! From the USA to Canada to Irvine in Scotland I was taken on a breakneck journey alongside Craig and the slightly bizarre folk he meets on the way!
As well as being an action-packed thriller, I found Deepest Wounds to be an excellent study of character and human nature as through Craig McIntyre we are treated to an analysis of the ordinary people around us as well as finding out what keeps Craig and his longtime ally, Charlie, together, despite what has gone on between them.
Deepest Wounds had me hooked right from the very start until the very last page, so much so, it was a one sitting read for me!
Although I haven't read the first two in the series, I was not at a disadvantage, there was enough backstory to keep me up to speed with what had been happening in the life of Craig McIntyre. What a character he is, very quickly I formed a picture of him in my head, he is a mass of contradictions, dark, brooding and verging on being a psychopath yet at the same time there is something more human within him. Well, superhuman to be more accurate, Craig's mere presence can turn others into killers without him even having to lift a finger! (not going to lie, I did ponder over how useful it would be to have that power!)
A tense and thrilling read, the fast pace of the plot matched with short sharp chapters and backed up by a similar sentence structuring. This style of writing leaves you in no doubt that you are in for a thrilling read and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through! I know that I was!
Cyber bounty hunters, genetics, the dark web and government corruption are all tied up in this thriller of a plot; it just does not let up from start to finish! From the USA to Canada to Irvine in Scotland I was taken on a breakneck journey alongside Craig and the slightly bizarre folk he meets on the way!
As well as being an action-packed thriller, I found Deepest Wounds to be an excellent study of character and human nature as through Craig McIntyre we are treated to an analysis of the ordinary people around us as well as finding out what keeps Craig and his longtime ally, Charlie, together, despite what has gone on between them.
Deepest Wounds had me hooked right from the very start until the very last page, so much so, it was a one sitting read for me!
October 19, 2018
Well ... This book certainly opens up in style. This is the first book I have read in this series (I know, I know), and I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't that. The story begins with our hero, Craig McIntyre, in a somewhat ... compromised position. All is not entirely as it seems but it definitely makes for an adrenalin pumping start and the pace rarely lets up from there.
In hiding with his best friend and seemingly only ally, Charlie, Craig McIntyre is trying to find out the truth behind his secret skill, both how it works and how to control it. But it seems that no matter how careful they may think they have been, how far off grid they think they have gone, every contact leaves a trace and their whereabouts are compromised by a very unlikely source. Forced to go on the run once more, they begin to follow a trail which may lead them to the truth, but at what price? What ensues is a cat and mouse chase of massive proportions, a cross Atlantic voyage and and ending that will leave you holding your breath and desperate for more. Loved it.
Now for the uninitiated i.e. me, the first thing you need to know is that Craig McIntyre is no ordinary ex-soldier. He has a special talent, one which makes him very desirable and also very deadly. It is no ordinary skill - he's no plan sharp shooter or street fighter, though there is no doubting he has this ability as a back up too. His talent is more ... unique. It put me in mind of a kind of marriage of X-Men and Universal Soldier, with an X-Files Cancer Man conspiracy vibe, that I really, really enjoyed. If you haven't read the first two books then there is enough of a recap in Deepest Wounds to allow you to catch up, although the uniqueness of McIntyre's skill did take me a little while to get my head around. That said, it also contains info which could provide spoilers to earlier books so I suggest you start at the beginning and work your way through from there like any sane and rational person would.
I have never been accused of being either of those things and so I started with Book 3 (of course I did). And I am glad I did as I have now been introduced to a series which I a) want to go back and catch up on and b) can't wait to read more of. I was immediately drawn into the story, the action told in first person from McIntyre's point of view. And McIntyre is a character I liked pretty much straight away. Yes, he is a man with a few, how should I put it, issues, and, yes, he is a killing machine, and yet there is something about him that I instinctively liked. I don't know what. Perhaps it is the kind of blend of good guy/bad guy vibe you get from him blended with a clear sense of loyalty and also compassion. I was certainly very intrigued as to where his story was going to lead, and believe me it was a very, very interesting journey.
In terms of supporting characters, Charlie is another one I loved straight away. His loyalty to McIntyre is admirable and although he is less present in the story itself for varying reasons, the simplicity of the interactions between the pair, the nature of their banter and their instinctive reactions, make them a brilliant pairing. add into this mix the more eccentric characters such as Artie who McIntyre meets on his travels, and his fellow soldier and brother in 'most-random-arms-a-soldier-is-ever-equipped-with' Martyn and you have a great team to lead you through the action.
Now, although predominantly set in North America, the book does take you on a somewhat unexpected journey across the Atlantic. Given that I started reading the book on the Ferry back to mainland UK from Bute Noir, seeing the action move to the West Coast of Scotland did produce a wee smile or two on my long journey back home. It certainly made the travel seem remarkably quick though as I was lost in the fast paced action and the need to know just what was happening and how it would all play out. There is a brilliant blend of both action and reflection. Of moments where McIntyre and co are fighting for their lives and fighting for justice, but also where McIntyre becomes consumed by his past, of all that he has lost and all he still stands to lose. It made for a truly compelling, fast paced and action laden read that left me wanting to read more.
And the ending? Well it leaves you with a promise of so much more to come and I, for one, cannot wait. But I shall use the intervening time wisely, and catch up on all that I have missed so far. I reckon it's going to be one heck of a ride.
If, like me, you like character and plot driven action, high stakes tension, fast pacing and undeniable thrills, but perhaps with a story that tends towards a more atypical angle, then you need to give this book, this series, a read. You're going to like it.
In hiding with his best friend and seemingly only ally, Charlie, Craig McIntyre is trying to find out the truth behind his secret skill, both how it works and how to control it. But it seems that no matter how careful they may think they have been, how far off grid they think they have gone, every contact leaves a trace and their whereabouts are compromised by a very unlikely source. Forced to go on the run once more, they begin to follow a trail which may lead them to the truth, but at what price? What ensues is a cat and mouse chase of massive proportions, a cross Atlantic voyage and and ending that will leave you holding your breath and desperate for more. Loved it.
Now for the uninitiated i.e. me, the first thing you need to know is that Craig McIntyre is no ordinary ex-soldier. He has a special talent, one which makes him very desirable and also very deadly. It is no ordinary skill - he's no plan sharp shooter or street fighter, though there is no doubting he has this ability as a back up too. His talent is more ... unique. It put me in mind of a kind of marriage of X-Men and Universal Soldier, with an X-Files Cancer Man conspiracy vibe, that I really, really enjoyed. If you haven't read the first two books then there is enough of a recap in Deepest Wounds to allow you to catch up, although the uniqueness of McIntyre's skill did take me a little while to get my head around. That said, it also contains info which could provide spoilers to earlier books so I suggest you start at the beginning and work your way through from there like any sane and rational person would.
I have never been accused of being either of those things and so I started with Book 3 (of course I did). And I am glad I did as I have now been introduced to a series which I a) want to go back and catch up on and b) can't wait to read more of. I was immediately drawn into the story, the action told in first person from McIntyre's point of view. And McIntyre is a character I liked pretty much straight away. Yes, he is a man with a few, how should I put it, issues, and, yes, he is a killing machine, and yet there is something about him that I instinctively liked. I don't know what. Perhaps it is the kind of blend of good guy/bad guy vibe you get from him blended with a clear sense of loyalty and also compassion. I was certainly very intrigued as to where his story was going to lead, and believe me it was a very, very interesting journey.
In terms of supporting characters, Charlie is another one I loved straight away. His loyalty to McIntyre is admirable and although he is less present in the story itself for varying reasons, the simplicity of the interactions between the pair, the nature of their banter and their instinctive reactions, make them a brilliant pairing. add into this mix the more eccentric characters such as Artie who McIntyre meets on his travels, and his fellow soldier and brother in 'most-random-arms-a-soldier-is-ever-equipped-with' Martyn and you have a great team to lead you through the action.
Now, although predominantly set in North America, the book does take you on a somewhat unexpected journey across the Atlantic. Given that I started reading the book on the Ferry back to mainland UK from Bute Noir, seeing the action move to the West Coast of Scotland did produce a wee smile or two on my long journey back home. It certainly made the travel seem remarkably quick though as I was lost in the fast paced action and the need to know just what was happening and how it would all play out. There is a brilliant blend of both action and reflection. Of moments where McIntyre and co are fighting for their lives and fighting for justice, but also where McIntyre becomes consumed by his past, of all that he has lost and all he still stands to lose. It made for a truly compelling, fast paced and action laden read that left me wanting to read more.
And the ending? Well it leaves you with a promise of so much more to come and I, for one, cannot wait. But I shall use the intervening time wisely, and catch up on all that I have missed so far. I reckon it's going to be one heck of a ride.
If, like me, you like character and plot driven action, high stakes tension, fast pacing and undeniable thrills, but perhaps with a story that tends towards a more atypical angle, then you need to give this book, this series, a read. You're going to like it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews