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DCI Sam Quinn #1
Stark Warning
“Every time you appear on screen someone will die.”
That’s the stark warning given to Jessica Lee, the undisputed ‘Queen of Trash TV.’ She’s the host of a confessional talk show on network television with millions of fans. But one deranged viewer is out to destroy her career. He demands that her programme be scrapped and tells her to stop appearing on TV. To prove he means business he claims his first victim – a young woman who is found dead with her throat cut.
Jessica and her bosses face an agonizing dilemma: take the show off the air or risk more murders. They decide to defy the killer, for fear of setting a dangerous precedent. But there are dire consequences.
James Raven has been a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for newspapers he moved into television as a news scriptwriter. He then worked his way up to become Director of a UK News Division. James spends much of his time writing and travelling. He is the author of a number of crime novels including bestsellers including Malicious and The Depraved.
That’s the stark warning given to Jessica Lee, the undisputed ‘Queen of Trash TV.’ She’s the host of a confessional talk show on network television with millions of fans. But one deranged viewer is out to destroy her career. He demands that her programme be scrapped and tells her to stop appearing on TV. To prove he means business he claims his first victim – a young woman who is found dead with her throat cut.
Jessica and her bosses face an agonizing dilemma: take the show off the air or risk more murders. They decide to defy the killer, for fear of setting a dangerous precedent. But there are dire consequences.
James Raven has been a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for newspapers he moved into television as a news scriptwriter. He then worked his way up to become Director of a UK News Division. James spends much of his time writing and travelling. He is the author of a number of crime novels including bestsellers including Malicious and The Depraved.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2012
112 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
About the author
James Raven
15 books50 followersJames Raven also writes under the pseudonym Jaime Raven. He's been a journalist for most of his working life. After reporting for local, regional and national newspapers he moved into television as a news scriptwriter. He then worked his way up to become Director of a UK News Division.
He is the author of a number of books including Random Targets, After the Execution, Malicious, Rollover, Stark Warning, Urban Myth, Red Blitz and Arctic Blood.
As Jaime Raven he's written four books for Avon/Harper Collins - The Madam, The Alibi, The Mother and The Rebel.
Website at: http://www.james-raven.com/
and http://www.jaime-raven.com/
He is the author of a number of books including Random Targets, After the Execution, Malicious, Rollover, Stark Warning, Urban Myth, Red Blitz and Arctic Blood.
As Jaime Raven he's written four books for Avon/Harper Collins - The Madam, The Alibi, The Mother and The Rebel.
Website at: http://www.james-raven.com/
and http://www.jaime-raven.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 9, 2018
This was a coin toss between 3 and 4 stars. I did enjoy it but felt it was a bit of a disappointment after reading such great reviews of it.
I am a fan of procedurals, but felt this was a bit too heavy on procedure and not heavy enough on suspense. There were snippets of suspense but no sustained, slow-building excitement. We didn't know who did it and then we did, in the space of a few pages. No slow reveal, no untangling the clues, it was suddenly right there in front of us. Personally I like to try to work out the perpetrator before I am told - or sometimes to be misled and then come the reveal I am shocked and thrilled by the cleverness of it all.
The main character was likeable enough, despite his self-inflicted weaknesses. The secondary characters less so, although to be fair most of them didn't really come to life in any great depth, except for Jessica, who I didn't really find myself warming to at all.
As I write this I am thinking it was maybe three stars, but I did think the plot was very good, there were a few decent action scenes and the writing was of a high standard. I think it is just that I was expecting a little more that it didn't really deliver for me. So I will settle on 3.5 stars and gladly round up to 4. A good author, I will look for more of his work for sure. This one is recommended especially to those who prefer mysteries and procedurals over thrillers and suspense novels.
I am a fan of procedurals, but felt this was a bit too heavy on procedure and not heavy enough on suspense. There were snippets of suspense but no sustained, slow-building excitement. We didn't know who did it and then we did, in the space of a few pages. No slow reveal, no untangling the clues, it was suddenly right there in front of us. Personally I like to try to work out the perpetrator before I am told - or sometimes to be misled and then come the reveal I am shocked and thrilled by the cleverness of it all.
The main character was likeable enough, despite his self-inflicted weaknesses. The secondary characters less so, although to be fair most of them didn't really come to life in any great depth, except for Jessica, who I didn't really find myself warming to at all.
As I write this I am thinking it was maybe three stars, but I did think the plot was very good, there were a few decent action scenes and the writing was of a high standard. I think it is just that I was expecting a little more that it didn't really deliver for me. So I will settle on 3.5 stars and gladly round up to 4. A good author, I will look for more of his work for sure. This one is recommended especially to those who prefer mysteries and procedurals over thrillers and suspense novels.
February 5, 2016
Had never heard or read anything by author James Raven before so, I took a stab at "Stark Warning" (stab- get it ?). What I found was an incredibly heart pounding tale of suspense, murder, and the ugly world of trash TV. Raven's protagonist, Sam Quinn 40, recently a widower, is a bad gambling junkie with a knack for closing cases. He's been promoted to Scotland Yard's "Celebrity Crime Squad'. Quinn is a Detective Chief Inspector and senior detective on squad. In Quinn's 14 years as a cop, he was also credited with stopping the "Celebrity Killer", Fabian Lamb who murdered 7 including Quinn's wife Karen. The case left Quinn very damaged mentally as he becomes engulfed by gambling. Video poker, bets, anything he can gamble on. This leads him into the deep debt of leg breaker Barry Carter who wants 7K from Quinn-NOW. Quinn is dead broke and all his credit cards maxed out. It at this time another huge case hits his desk. Tanya Seymour 21, is found brutally murdered just as "Queen of trash talk TV" Jessica Lee receives a disc from murderer. Murderer claiming Tanya as his kill, and threatening to kill one person a day as long as Lee's show airs on TV. A very intense cat and mouse mystery goes on between Jessica Lee's executives and the murderer. With each kill it's determined the victim was associated with show in some capacity at one time or another. Quinn has his hands full chasing down leads and trying to protect Lee while getting no sleep and dodging leg breakers. Author James Raven had me stumped to who killer was right up until the end. I though I had him figured out half way through but was wrong. "Stark Warning" is one of the best mystery thrillers I've read in awhile. I'll be sure to add James Raven onto my future reading list. To date I've only found one "Sam Quinn" book from Raven as protagonist. I hope others follow. Five stars out of a possible five stars. This book is a must read for all mystery thriller lovers. Intense and quickly paced a very very enjoyable read start to finish. Do not miss !!!!!!
December 16, 2015
I loved this book. It moved along well and made you want to know what happened next. It features a TV host called Jessica who hosts a show a la Jeremy Kyle and it seems somebody has taken exception to her and decides if she appears on TV anymore then people will die. Police Inspector Sam Quinn is in charge of this case and I really liked him despite his faults and I'd like to read more tales featuring him too.
Luckily I got this free on the Kindle but will look for more by this author.
Luckily I got this free on the Kindle but will look for more by this author.
November 15, 2012
The back of “Stark Warning” by James Raven immediately caught my interest because of the subject matter. How often have you thought, “If I see that celebrity on tv one more time, I am going to poke my eyes out!” Well “Stark Warning” takes it a morbid dark step further.
Raven does an excellent job in bringing the pulp like murder fiction to life. Raven joins the ranks of the greats, previous Pulp Fiction writers such as Dashiell Hammett, and Ray Bradbury.
Told in a first person narrative, Sam Quinn is the lead detective on the “Celebrity Squad” A squad formed to investigate the rising number of serial like killings of the famous. After a tragedy that blindsides Sam, he falls into a depression and reverts to his old ways of gambling and losing( online poker too sheesh). When I came to this part of the story I was a little put off and thought, ”Is this the hero of the book?”( Yes I am old fashioned) Then I continued to read along and came across this passage;
Excerpt:
“As I stared down at the figure on the ground, I experienced an intense feeling of sadness. Life is so arbitrary, I thought. At the end of the day it’s all about luck. Maybe that is why I gamble. Everything I do is a risk, every day could be my last. So I try whenever I can to beat the odds.”-Sam Quinn from Stark Warning
This is me, being put in my place.
Sam just explained to me why he was addicted to gambling after his tragedy( since I didn’t figure it out on my own). I liked that the writer just then, gave a little more depth so Sam.
All in all Stark Warning is a quick ,fun ,dark read for fans of mystery and thrillers.
Raven does an excellent job in bringing the pulp like murder fiction to life. Raven joins the ranks of the greats, previous Pulp Fiction writers such as Dashiell Hammett, and Ray Bradbury.
Told in a first person narrative, Sam Quinn is the lead detective on the “Celebrity Squad” A squad formed to investigate the rising number of serial like killings of the famous. After a tragedy that blindsides Sam, he falls into a depression and reverts to his old ways of gambling and losing( online poker too sheesh). When I came to this part of the story I was a little put off and thought, ”Is this the hero of the book?”( Yes I am old fashioned) Then I continued to read along and came across this passage;
Excerpt:
“As I stared down at the figure on the ground, I experienced an intense feeling of sadness. Life is so arbitrary, I thought. At the end of the day it’s all about luck. Maybe that is why I gamble. Everything I do is a risk, every day could be my last. So I try whenever I can to beat the odds.”-Sam Quinn from Stark Warning
This is me, being put in my place.
Sam just explained to me why he was addicted to gambling after his tragedy( since I didn’t figure it out on my own). I liked that the writer just then, gave a little more depth so Sam.
All in all Stark Warning is a quick ,fun ,dark read for fans of mystery and thrillers.
Want to read
January 21, 2014 Amazon freebie 21/1/14 ;)
May 4, 2017
Gripping
Well written and gripping story
Thoroughly enjoyed it, interesting storyline and individuals. Sam is a copper with a history that's believable
Well written and gripping story
Thoroughly enjoyed it, interesting storyline and individuals. Sam is a copper with a history that's believable
August 8, 2017
I had Stark warning and The Depraved to read for a while, when I checked my amazon orders it appears that I got Stark Warning back in 2013, wow... it was well due to be read, #BadMe.
I have this real bad habit of buying books and not getting around to reading them. But i'm trying to correct that and slowly slowly getting though my books.
DCI Sam Quinn who has been seconded to the Met’s ‘Celebrity Crime Squad’. a bit of a reckless officer full of flaws, likeable and realistic. Throughout the book I really wanted him to sort himself out. I really took to him.
Jessica Lee is the Queen of day time trashy TV, the female Jeremy Kyle. Jessica starts to receive threats that if she doesn't stop going on TV then the mystery person is going to start killing people.
Is this a hoax, an idle threat.
It's down to Sam Quinn to sort the mess out, but with his own life in such a mess, things could prove to be a little bit to much for him at times.
The clock is ticking, can Sam work the case to the best of his ability?
A great realistic real, full of suspense that really helps you to keep those pages turning. I read this in just over a day, pretty good going for me. I needed and wanted to know the who, where, why?
I have this real bad habit of buying books and not getting around to reading them. But i'm trying to correct that and slowly slowly getting though my books.
DCI Sam Quinn who has been seconded to the Met’s ‘Celebrity Crime Squad’. a bit of a reckless officer full of flaws, likeable and realistic. Throughout the book I really wanted him to sort himself out. I really took to him.
Jessica Lee is the Queen of day time trashy TV, the female Jeremy Kyle. Jessica starts to receive threats that if she doesn't stop going on TV then the mystery person is going to start killing people.
Is this a hoax, an idle threat.
It's down to Sam Quinn to sort the mess out, but with his own life in such a mess, things could prove to be a little bit to much for him at times.
The clock is ticking, can Sam work the case to the best of his ability?
A great realistic real, full of suspense that really helps you to keep those pages turning. I read this in just over a day, pretty good going for me. I needed and wanted to know the who, where, why?
March 8, 2014
A clever story written with clarity and attention to detail. Told in the first person the main protagonist is easily likeable and the short chapters drive the story along with ease. Keenly observed this tale of murder and the television industry works really well.
There were a couple of cliches that could have been reworked and a few errors, but on the whole nothing that detracted from the story. I was surprised considering such attention to detail that the author lost the thread during the pub scene, where on page 193, after the publican told Quinn about the smoking area out the back, Amanda sat down and lit a cigarette inside the public house.
I wasn't too fond of the romantic involvement and felt it didn't add anything to the plot,and I didn't think we needed the gambling addiction again it was just a cliched character tag most cops in thrillers have. I believe Sam would have been just as strong had he had no obvious flaws. (But that's just my opinion.
There were some lovely turns of phrase within the text:
'I saw tears standing unshed in her eyes'.
'She looked at me, and I saw something ripple in her eyes, like the flick of a fish tail'.
Finally, I was pleased when at the end of chapter 59 my suspicions of who the killer is, was confirmed.
A good read, and one I'd definitely recommend.
There were a couple of cliches that could have been reworked and a few errors, but on the whole nothing that detracted from the story. I was surprised considering such attention to detail that the author lost the thread during the pub scene, where on page 193, after the publican told Quinn about the smoking area out the back, Amanda sat down and lit a cigarette inside the public house.
I wasn't too fond of the romantic involvement and felt it didn't add anything to the plot,and I didn't think we needed the gambling addiction again it was just a cliched character tag most cops in thrillers have. I believe Sam would have been just as strong had he had no obvious flaws. (But that's just my opinion.
There were some lovely turns of phrase within the text:
'I saw tears standing unshed in her eyes'.
'She looked at me, and I saw something ripple in her eyes, like the flick of a fish tail'.
Finally, I was pleased when at the end of chapter 59 my suspicions of who the killer is, was confirmed.
A good read, and one I'd definitely recommend.
March 13, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyable book. Just the right amount of intrigue, mystery, action, character development, and fun. This is the second book I have read by this author, and I liked this one better. The storyline was more believable and pertinent. I sort of figured out the "who dunnit," but I liked the big reveal. Most of all, I like the British English.
This is a great fast-read book that would be perfect for stormy days or long plane rides.
This is a great fast-read book that would be perfect for stormy days or long plane rides.
July 24, 2019
The plot for the book was good. That is as far as I will go. Main character Sam Quinn , too weak for me, Jessica Lee. too selfish , not likable at all .
One thought comes to mind. Why do most authors have their main detective always fall in love or think about falling in love with some of the victims(live ones) or the witnesses? I have noticed a trend lately in quite a few books where this happens.
All and all the idea for the book was excellent but it could have been given more excitement more oomph!
Michele Zito
One thought comes to mind. Why do most authors have their main detective always fall in love or think about falling in love with some of the victims(live ones) or the witnesses? I have noticed a trend lately in quite a few books where this happens.
All and all the idea for the book was excellent but it could have been given more excitement more oomph!
Michele Zito
March 18, 2020
This was a good quick read while I was on summer vacation. It was fast-paced and exciting with a twist ending. The only drawback was that there were punctuation and formatting errors (on my Kindle). I hope in that in future books, Mr. Raven will get a professional editor. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.
July 3, 2018
Brilliant absolutely brilliant
This book was fantastic , couldn't put it down. The plot had me hooked from the first page , definitely worth a read , the characters all went together perfectly.
This book was fantastic , couldn't put it down. The plot had me hooked from the first page , definitely worth a read , the characters all went together perfectly.
November 17, 2018
Crime thriller featuring a detective with a traumatic past (obviously), investigating a reality TV connected murder. Kept me guessing all along.
July 12, 2024
I do not watch much television and certainly none of the trash TV central to the story.
I suppose the moral of the story is that you reap what you sow.
I suppose the moral of the story is that you reap what you sow.
June 4, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this thriller. Very clever of the killer to insert himself into the investigation as it can be in some real life crimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2015
A deranged killer is out to destroy Jessica Lee’s career. Lee, host of a popular British confessional TV talk show, receives a warning; ‘Every time you appear on screen someone will die.’ To show that he’s serious, he brutally murders a young woman, and then calls the police to tell them where to find the body.
DCI Sam Quinn, chief of Scotland Yard’s Celebrity Crime Squad, is immediately assigned the case. Quinn has a personal reason to take it seriously; his wife, a well-known actress, was killed by another celebrity stalker. Quinn has a problem, though. He’s in debt to a bookie who is determined to collect, even if he has to break Quinn’s legs to do it.
Stark Warning by James Raven is British mystery at its best. Raven gets inside the head of Quinn as he struggles with his own demons while trying to stop the killer before the corpses pile too high. The tension starts on a high note, and builds to a chilling conclusion that will leave you absolutely breathless. At the same time, he gives you a look inside the cutthroat world of network television. For readers on the U.S. side of the Atlantic, it’s nice to know that the quest for ratings is just as vicious in England as it is here.
If you like a good mystery, don’t miss this book.
DCI Sam Quinn, chief of Scotland Yard’s Celebrity Crime Squad, is immediately assigned the case. Quinn has a personal reason to take it seriously; his wife, a well-known actress, was killed by another celebrity stalker. Quinn has a problem, though. He’s in debt to a bookie who is determined to collect, even if he has to break Quinn’s legs to do it.
Stark Warning by James Raven is British mystery at its best. Raven gets inside the head of Quinn as he struggles with his own demons while trying to stop the killer before the corpses pile too high. The tension starts on a high note, and builds to a chilling conclusion that will leave you absolutely breathless. At the same time, he gives you a look inside the cutthroat world of network television. For readers on the U.S. side of the Atlantic, it’s nice to know that the quest for ratings is just as vicious in England as it is here.
If you like a good mystery, don’t miss this book.
December 16, 2013
I really loved this book. The world of non-stop obnoxious reality shows appealed to me. Other than the fact that this is a really good whodunit, I particularly liked the fact that the author didn't use the common pitfalls I see far too often in these type of novels - the damsel in distress is told to move out of her home or allow a police presence in her home because very serious threats against her life have been identified but she refuses "because I'm not going to let him take over my life" or "he's not going to have that power over me" only to have the "bad guy" eventually get to her. The book was an easy read and kept me guessing. I'm looking forward to reading other books by James Raven.
March 12, 2016
In James Raven's Stark Warning, this thriller will send you chills and thrills all over. For Detective Sam Quinn, he worked in the Celebrity Crime Unit. It all started with vile threats were sent to Jessica Lee, a trash talk show host on TV, to cancel her show. And the body count began to pile up in the streets of London. For this widower, he also had a gambling habit he can't kick and a loan shark breathing down his neck. But the chemistry between Jessica and Sam were impalpable, as they closed in on possible suspects who continued to track down the killer and the victims connected to Jessica's talk show. In this fast-paced thriller, this would keep you guessing on every page from start to finish, when the culprit will shock you in the end.
March 1, 2016
I found this book on Amazon for free at the time, and after reading the blurb thought I would give it a go. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The story started out fast paced throwing you right in the deep end and this intensity did not stop until the end.
The story focuses on the Police's Celebrity Crime Squad when they are brought in to handle a murder case connected to a threat made by the killer to murder someone every time the TV show host Jessica Lee appears on telly. Which gave the story a different angle.
I thought the book was very readable and I'll definitely check out some of the authors work.
The story focuses on the Police's Celebrity Crime Squad when they are brought in to handle a murder case connected to a threat made by the killer to murder someone every time the TV show host Jessica Lee appears on telly. Which gave the story a different angle.
I thought the book was very readable and I'll definitely check out some of the authors work.
September 18, 2012
This book takes place in England, which means there are quite a few words/references that are different from what we'd say in the US. The premise is fascinating - a Jerry Springer-style show with a female anchor is being threatened - either she goes off the air or someone will die, not matter how many people might be killed. Does the station give in to the demands and start a dangerous precedent or do they hope the guy is bluffing? Good book - held my interest.
August 4, 2014
I DIDN'T LIKE THIS VERY MUCH, EVEN THOUGH THE STORY LINE SEEMED IT WOULD BE EXCITING. IT WAS KINDA BORING AND I COULD NOT CONNECT TO THE CHARACTERS, THEY WERE KINDA FLAT. DCI SAM QUINN WAS NOT A VERY LIKABLE CHARACTER, AFTER LEARNING ABOUT HIS ADDICTION I REALLY DIDN'T LIKE HIM. I KNOW THAT BEING ADDICTED IS REALLY AN ILLNESS BUT I COULDN'T MUSTER UP ANY COMPASSION FOR HIM. SINCE THIS WAS SET IN ENGLAND SOME OF THE TERMINOLOGY I NEVER DID FIGURE OUT, THAT BOTHERED ME A TINY BIT. SIGH!!;<
November 10, 2012
I was glued to the pages of this book from the start. It's a great read with a gripping plot and a cast of memorable characters. I really like the idea of a police squad dedicated to investigating crimes involving celebrities. And the lead detective is terrific - even though he's addicted to gambling! I aim to read more books from this author.
January 6, 2014
Decent mystery and it had a pretty good twist on the killer I didn't figure out right away. It was light in the romance department cop falls for victim kind of thing. Wasn't great but wasn't bad. For a freebie I liked it and the authors style was ok so I would probably try at least one of his other books.
December 23, 2013
Stark Warning is absolutely a great suspense book. I could not put it down once I started reading it. I love the story line. It kept me guessing throughout. The characters were quite good. I like how James Raven writes a story. His ability to hook you in and keep you wanting to read is awesome. This book is well written. Well thought out. A definite add to your tbr list. Recommended!
December 1, 2015
Interesting concept. A popular talk show host receives a message that her program be scrapped or people will be murdered. The author worked in the TV industry. The hero is unusual, a man with a gambling problem whose wife was a British celebrity before she was killed. Well done and I would read another of his books.
January 12, 2015
Oh I loved this, thethought of someone going after a Jeremy Kyle type talk show host made it kind of real. I thought I knew who it was for most of the book, but I did figure it out towards the end.
The main character is good and very likeable and I look firward to reading other stories with him.
The main character is good and very likeable and I look firward to reading other stories with him.
October 26, 2012
An excellent read. Good story line, made you want to keep reading. There was an occasion (actually twice) when Sam was chasing someone and when he returned the characters hadn't moved on and time seemed to have stopped for them! Well worth a read. Well done James Raven
January 8, 2014
Very believable given the attitude that has now grown amongst certain people to certain types of chat shows. Well constructed and the mystery part of the story was gripping. Other bits were a slightly predictable, but didn't take away from the main story.
March 26, 2015
This was a damn good read. The premise caught my attention immediately and the writing kept me involved. It was a tad more grim than I usually enjoy, but excellently put together. Had I been Jessica, though, I wouldn't have waited as long!
June 5, 2015
A good, well written crime novel with a believable plot, especially in today's world where everything is media led and crazies are always waiting to strike.
For those who like this kind of genre, it's a good read.
For those who like this kind of genre, it's a good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews