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Max Wolfe #6
#taken
They thought they were kidnapping the mistress of one of London’s most powerful gangsters. But they’ve taken the wrong woman. And crossed the wrong detective.
#taken underground
Detective Max Wolfe's hunt for the missing woman takes him from New Scotland Yard’s legendary Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret sex dungeons – and to unspeakably dark deeds committed decades ago.
#taken to the limit
It’s a world of family secrets, sexual jealousy, and a lust for revenge – which might also become Wolfe’s grave…
_____________________
#taken underground
Detective Max Wolfe's hunt for the missing woman takes him from New Scotland Yard’s legendary Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret sex dungeons – and to unspeakably dark deeds committed decades ago.
#taken to the limit
It’s a world of family secrets, sexual jealousy, and a lust for revenge – which might also become Wolfe’s grave…
_____________________
491 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2020
166 people are currently reading
774 people want to read
About the author
Tony Parsons
66 books892 followersThere is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Par...
Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Par...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
October 5, 2019
EXCERPT: ....they loaded her into their car.
And now she felt the violence in them. Not spite, or sadism, or wounded, woman-hating pride. But violence. Violence in the hands of deeply experienced professionals who did this sort of thing for a living.
She saw her baby son, and she called his name, and the child was still sleeping on the back seat, wet-lipped and head lolling under the 'Baby, I'm bored' sign, and she let out a howl like a wounded animal because she knew with total blinding clarity that she would never see him again in this life.
And that was when she understood.
This was personal.
This was as personal as hell.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: WRONG TIME.
WRONG PLACE.
WRONG GIRL.
When a young mother is kidnapped by unknown assailants, Detective Max Wolfe suddenly has a dangerous job on his hands.
As Wolfe investigates the connection between the kidnapped woman and the head of a crumbling criminal empire, the hunt takes him from New Scotland Yard’s Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret dungeons, and from the murderous hatreds of today to the unspeakable crimes of half a lifetime ago.
Why would someone kidnap an innocent young woman? As Wolfe plunges deeper and deeper into a world of darkness and vengeance, he begins to wonder if anyone is innocent...
MY THOUGHTS: I have learnt to expect surprises from Tony Parsons. He is a master at leading the reader in totally the wrong direction, of smokescreens so well crafted you don't see them for what they are until afterwards. But he takes his writing to a whole new level with #taken, #6 in the Max Wolfe series.
I read this with my mind darting from one scenario to another, my heart pounding, my pulse racing. If I could have read it in one sitting, I would have. I did not want to put it down. Even while I was at work, I was thinking about this book, about the possibilities, wondering......and wondering some more.
I love the character of Max. He is strong, thoughtful. I love reading about his bolt-hole, New Scotland Yard's Black Museum, and his daughter Scout. I love what I learn about London, old and new, each time I read a book in this series. In short, I love this series, and #taken is a wonderful addition.
#Taken #NetGalley
*****
THE AUTHOR: Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of #taken by Tony Parsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are totally my own opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
And now she felt the violence in them. Not spite, or sadism, or wounded, woman-hating pride. But violence. Violence in the hands of deeply experienced professionals who did this sort of thing for a living.
She saw her baby son, and she called his name, and the child was still sleeping on the back seat, wet-lipped and head lolling under the 'Baby, I'm bored' sign, and she let out a howl like a wounded animal because she knew with total blinding clarity that she would never see him again in this life.
And that was when she understood.
This was personal.
This was as personal as hell.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: WRONG TIME.
WRONG PLACE.
WRONG GIRL.
When a young mother is kidnapped by unknown assailants, Detective Max Wolfe suddenly has a dangerous job on his hands.
As Wolfe investigates the connection between the kidnapped woman and the head of a crumbling criminal empire, the hunt takes him from New Scotland Yard’s Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret dungeons, and from the murderous hatreds of today to the unspeakable crimes of half a lifetime ago.
Why would someone kidnap an innocent young woman? As Wolfe plunges deeper and deeper into a world of darkness and vengeance, he begins to wonder if anyone is innocent...
MY THOUGHTS: I have learnt to expect surprises from Tony Parsons. He is a master at leading the reader in totally the wrong direction, of smokescreens so well crafted you don't see them for what they are until afterwards. But he takes his writing to a whole new level with #taken, #6 in the Max Wolfe series.
I read this with my mind darting from one scenario to another, my heart pounding, my pulse racing. If I could have read it in one sitting, I would have. I did not want to put it down. Even while I was at work, I was thinking about this book, about the possibilities, wondering......and wondering some more.
I love the character of Max. He is strong, thoughtful. I love reading about his bolt-hole, New Scotland Yard's Black Museum, and his daughter Scout. I love what I learn about London, old and new, each time I read a book in this series. In short, I love this series, and #taken is a wonderful addition.
#Taken #NetGalley
*****
THE AUTHOR: Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of #taken by Tony Parsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are totally my own opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 12, 2020
When I started this book I did not realise it was the eighth in a series. I am normally quite strict at reading my books or watching films in the right order!! I thought I would just give it one chapter and I was so hooked that I didn’t want to stop reading it!!
Jessica Lyle a young mother has been kidnapped, taken from her car leaving her baby on the back seat. Jessica is a dancer sharing an apartment with Snezia an exotic dancer who is seeing Harry Flowers one of London’s most famous gangsters. Jessica has borrowed Snezia’s brand new car. Was the wrong woman taken for revenge on Harry?
I really liked Max Wolfe’s character and the way he was portrayed as a single father bringing up his daughter Scout.
There are lots of twists and surprises along the way and I will definitely be reading the other book’s in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Jessica Lyle a young mother has been kidnapped, taken from her car leaving her baby on the back seat. Jessica is a dancer sharing an apartment with Snezia an exotic dancer who is seeing Harry Flowers one of London’s most famous gangsters. Jessica has borrowed Snezia’s brand new car. Was the wrong woman taken for revenge on Harry?
I really liked Max Wolfe’s character and the way he was portrayed as a single father bringing up his daughter Scout.
There are lots of twists and surprises along the way and I will definitely be reading the other book’s in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
April 15, 2019
Tony Parsons happens to be one of my all-time favourite crime writers and if you count yourself as thriller aficionado he should be on your radar too. He just has the knack for writing truly gripping, fast-paced stories with a twisted narrative and surprises aplenty throughout. This is once again a propulsive page-turner, but I would go so far as to say that this is his best novel to date. This is simply too damn good to pass up. If it sounds like your cup of tea then treat yourself, you'll I can guarantee you're in for a wild ride that will end with Mr Parsons at the top of your reading list.
Many thanks to Century for an ARC.
Many thanks to Century for an ARC.
April 29, 2019
After throughly enjoying and following Tony Parsons contemporary London based crime series that features DC Max Wolfe of Homicide and Serious Crime Command, West End Central since its inception, I have become used to the topical themes and contentious issues they raised. The fifth and previous novel, Girl on Fire, disappointed me immensely largely due to the subject matter - specifically how close to home the jihadi war against the West is - and the political standpoint presented and character development. With boss DCI Pat Whitestone making rash decisions and seeming throughly contemptuous of both her colleagues and the public, and with Max bending over backwards in an effort to play the political correctness card I was all set to ditch the series. However even the death of a central figure in the last story wasn’t enough to see me off and with this sixth instalment effectively working as a stand-alone, #taken brings a return to the form of the first four books with some solid crime thriller action. Together with his diminutive and highly experienced boss, forty-year-old DCI Pat Whitestone, and young TDC Joy Adams just a year out of Hendon it sees Max Wolfe in the thick of another high-profile case.
The story sets off at a cracking pace, dropping the reader straight into the action with young mother, Jessica Lyle, kidnapped from a showroom fresh car as she enters the private estate where she lives with her six-month-old son asleep in the back seat. Beautiful Jessica is a dance teacher in mourning for her recently deceased fiancé, merely borrowing the flash car and simply sharing the home of her thirty-year-old flatmate and to the police the motive is not entirely clear. Until that is, they meet Jessica’s flatmate, erotic dancer Snezia Jones employed at a club in Mayfair and Max catches a glimpse of her mobile wallpaper and sees the man who is financing her exclusive lifestyle: former eighties kingpin of the drug world controlling the supply of ecstasy, womanising Harry Flowers and now a supposedly honest businessman doing his bit for the environment and recycling old cars. Max and the team quickly gravitate to a theory that Jessica might have been mistakenly snatched with the perpetrators really intending to kidnap the former gangsters current mistress and owner of the car, Snezia Jones.
But with Flowers’ enemies plentiful and with each and every person connected to his world withholding their own secrets, Jessica’s likely fate sees Max follow a sordid trail of secretive sexual fantasies where the price for breaking ranks and speaking out is fatal. The pressure to find Jessica alive and unharmed sets in motion a high-octane, guns blazing, race against time.. And with working class Flowers’ happily married to upmarket Charlotte and with two grown-up children living a comfortable life in an Essex mansion and two heavies watching his back, it isn’t easy getting to the man himself. With Jessica’s ailing father a retired hard-nosed cop determined to drum up the fervent interest of the media and ensure a publicity campaign fo keep Jessica front page news continues and more than happy to dispense his own form of justice, it only makes the job of the police team doubly hard. Together with Whitestone’s increasingly cynical outlook, #taken threatens to be her undoing and with the case likewise coming too close to home for Max and Joy Adams, tension is high. The plot provides multiple well-disguised twists along the way and a high-stakes denouement resolved all of my concerns about loose endings in the most satisfactory and surprising of ways with some audacious last gasp action from a combination of DCI Whitestone and DC Max Wolfe. Free-flowing action throughout and excellent characterisation of even the secondary figures makes for compelling reading with the occasional far-fetched aspect!
Admittedly, Parsons trots out the macho posturing, a wealth of information on top of the range cars, numerous examples of his exemplary fathering and being an absolute ‘salt of the earth’ and with the first-person narrative of Max and life chez Max with eight-year-old daughter, Scout, and beloved King Charles cavalier, Stan, it isn’t all gritty underworld enquiries however! Whilst there is the familiar appearance of the selfish, narcissistic ex-wife and Scout’s mother, Anne, the fleeting visit to Scotland Yard’s Black Museum left me feeling slightly short-changed. Nevertheless these domestic concerns never supersede the crime under investigation and do little to detract from the building momentum of the case with layers of deception clouding the truth. As with previous instalments of the series, Tony Parsons knowledge of London historical trivia and colourful crimes in the capital is reeled out and adds a very distinctive vibe to the entire story. Although the history of Highgate Cemetery - East and West - and several other soundbites have a sense of déjà vu from previous instalments it is one of the aspects of the series that appeals. Likewise with the cameos roles from regulars, Ginger Gonzalez, founder and sole proprietor of the Chinatown based Sampaguita Social Introduction Agency, Max’s childhood friend, Specialist Firearms Officer Jackson Rose and Scout’s nanny, family friend and ally, Mrs Murphy.
From a procedural standpoint I had a number of issues with the novel and some of the characters actions were more maverick and showy than credible but for the feel good buzz that comes with cracking a case with Max, I am happy to forgive some artistic licence! With its usual mix of old timer villains who formerly ruled the London streets and the changing face of crime the combination makes for a meaty current storyline and an idea of how the perpetrators, their methods and their morals have evolved over time and hence the series has a unique feel and occupies a certain niche in the crime fiction market. Admittedly the plot takes a fairly sordid downturn in keeping with other instalments which have focused on sex trafficking, vigilante executions and home grown radicalisation but they are always timely and reflective of the state of society as opposed to gratuitous and gory.
Parsons prose is unfailingly engaging, wonderfully direct and the narrative voice of Max with his crisp insights and pithy honesty adds a real humanity and realistic appeal to his persona and allows the reader to care about his domestic strife and detective work. Rather like how the characters of the Dr Ruth Galloway series have become old friends, I feel invested in everyone of the characters. The combination of pragmatic Max and decisive Pat Whitestone creates an interesting dynamic with the mix of loyalty and mutual respect and whilst Whitestone seems to be continuing on her path to loose cannon she was far more likeable and DC Max Wolfe was back to his solid, savvy and street-smart self. A solid three star read for new and unbiased readers but for anyone with a vested interest in Max, Scout and Stan in the heart of Smithfield’s and the team at 27 Savile Row (myself included), #taken is a four star crowd pleaser! All in all a none too shoddy fast-paced crime thriller and topical stand-alone that doubles as a whistle-stop tour of London, old and new!
The story sets off at a cracking pace, dropping the reader straight into the action with young mother, Jessica Lyle, kidnapped from a showroom fresh car as she enters the private estate where she lives with her six-month-old son asleep in the back seat. Beautiful Jessica is a dance teacher in mourning for her recently deceased fiancé, merely borrowing the flash car and simply sharing the home of her thirty-year-old flatmate and to the police the motive is not entirely clear. Until that is, they meet Jessica’s flatmate, erotic dancer Snezia Jones employed at a club in Mayfair and Max catches a glimpse of her mobile wallpaper and sees the man who is financing her exclusive lifestyle: former eighties kingpin of the drug world controlling the supply of ecstasy, womanising Harry Flowers and now a supposedly honest businessman doing his bit for the environment and recycling old cars. Max and the team quickly gravitate to a theory that Jessica might have been mistakenly snatched with the perpetrators really intending to kidnap the former gangsters current mistress and owner of the car, Snezia Jones.
But with Flowers’ enemies plentiful and with each and every person connected to his world withholding their own secrets, Jessica’s likely fate sees Max follow a sordid trail of secretive sexual fantasies where the price for breaking ranks and speaking out is fatal. The pressure to find Jessica alive and unharmed sets in motion a high-octane, guns blazing, race against time.. And with working class Flowers’ happily married to upmarket Charlotte and with two grown-up children living a comfortable life in an Essex mansion and two heavies watching his back, it isn’t easy getting to the man himself. With Jessica’s ailing father a retired hard-nosed cop determined to drum up the fervent interest of the media and ensure a publicity campaign fo keep Jessica front page news continues and more than happy to dispense his own form of justice, it only makes the job of the police team doubly hard. Together with Whitestone’s increasingly cynical outlook, #taken threatens to be her undoing and with the case likewise coming too close to home for Max and Joy Adams, tension is high. The plot provides multiple well-disguised twists along the way and a high-stakes denouement resolved all of my concerns about loose endings in the most satisfactory and surprising of ways with some audacious last gasp action from a combination of DCI Whitestone and DC Max Wolfe. Free-flowing action throughout and excellent characterisation of even the secondary figures makes for compelling reading with the occasional far-fetched aspect!
Admittedly, Parsons trots out the macho posturing, a wealth of information on top of the range cars, numerous examples of his exemplary fathering and being an absolute ‘salt of the earth’ and with the first-person narrative of Max and life chez Max with eight-year-old daughter, Scout, and beloved King Charles cavalier, Stan, it isn’t all gritty underworld enquiries however! Whilst there is the familiar appearance of the selfish, narcissistic ex-wife and Scout’s mother, Anne, the fleeting visit to Scotland Yard’s Black Museum left me feeling slightly short-changed. Nevertheless these domestic concerns never supersede the crime under investigation and do little to detract from the building momentum of the case with layers of deception clouding the truth. As with previous instalments of the series, Tony Parsons knowledge of London historical trivia and colourful crimes in the capital is reeled out and adds a very distinctive vibe to the entire story. Although the history of Highgate Cemetery - East and West - and several other soundbites have a sense of déjà vu from previous instalments it is one of the aspects of the series that appeals. Likewise with the cameos roles from regulars, Ginger Gonzalez, founder and sole proprietor of the Chinatown based Sampaguita Social Introduction Agency, Max’s childhood friend, Specialist Firearms Officer Jackson Rose and Scout’s nanny, family friend and ally, Mrs Murphy.
From a procedural standpoint I had a number of issues with the novel and some of the characters actions were more maverick and showy than credible but for the feel good buzz that comes with cracking a case with Max, I am happy to forgive some artistic licence! With its usual mix of old timer villains who formerly ruled the London streets and the changing face of crime the combination makes for a meaty current storyline and an idea of how the perpetrators, their methods and their morals have evolved over time and hence the series has a unique feel and occupies a certain niche in the crime fiction market. Admittedly the plot takes a fairly sordid downturn in keeping with other instalments which have focused on sex trafficking, vigilante executions and home grown radicalisation but they are always timely and reflective of the state of society as opposed to gratuitous and gory.
Parsons prose is unfailingly engaging, wonderfully direct and the narrative voice of Max with his crisp insights and pithy honesty adds a real humanity and realistic appeal to his persona and allows the reader to care about his domestic strife and detective work. Rather like how the characters of the Dr Ruth Galloway series have become old friends, I feel invested in everyone of the characters. The combination of pragmatic Max and decisive Pat Whitestone creates an interesting dynamic with the mix of loyalty and mutual respect and whilst Whitestone seems to be continuing on her path to loose cannon she was far more likeable and DC Max Wolfe was back to his solid, savvy and street-smart self. A solid three star read for new and unbiased readers but for anyone with a vested interest in Max, Scout and Stan in the heart of Smithfield’s and the team at 27 Savile Row (myself included), #taken is a four star crowd pleaser! All in all a none too shoddy fast-paced crime thriller and topical stand-alone that doubles as a whistle-stop tour of London, old and new!
July 20, 2019
Tony Parsons will always have a warm place in my heart after his ground breaking Man & Boy now unbelievably written 20 years ago, What Parsons excels in is relationships and in particular the dynamics of family life how passion can easily turn to sadness,and how there is very little that separates those great human emotions; love and hate. So when the author turned his skillful hand to writing a detective series I was eager to see if he could bring the same warmth to characters in a totally different setting, and I was certainly not disappointed. D I Max Wolfe is a a single parent living above Smithfield meat market in central London. He shares his life with daughter Scout, Stan the dog and irascible Mrs Murphy who sees herself as guardian of this lovely little family. Ex wife Anne has flown the nest although we do meet her periodically in the series and she paints a rather sad picture of a mother too concerned with her own financial aspirations to be bothered about her daughter. But this helps Parsons develop the character of Wolfe letting his warmth shine through and loved without question by Stan and Scout. To me relationships form the heart of TP's writing brilliantly depicted against a criminal background
Not like most crime novels Parsons has a clear simple plot; Jessica Lyle is kidnapped whilst driving her friend Snezia's BMW. Is this a case of mistaken identity were the kidnappers really after Snezia and by doing so hoping to blackmail her gangster boyfriend Harry Flowers. Thats the plot and it runs along at a cracking pace but as implied above this is not what endears me to this novel. It is TP's razor sharp observations of the human condition and the human heart with all the pain it must endure in a short lifetime......"the recently dead do not leave us immediately. They stay close by, held by the sadness of leaving, and the human bonds that were made in this world"...."They were like brother and sister towards the end. Isn't that the way it always ends up between men and women, if you leave them together long enough?",,,,,
There is a wonderful scene in the final chapter. It is sports day at Scouts school and because her birthday is at the end of July she is always competing against fellow classmates who are older and thus have the advantage of age. All she wants to do is just once win a gold, silver or bronze sticker either in the heats or in the final. She lines up against 3 fellow competitors one of whom is a rather overweight pupil...surely on this day she can win not a first place not even a second place but just possibly a third and perhaps finally receive a bronze sticker...well this is Tony Parsons writing and I am sure if you now understand his psyche a little better you will surely know the answer and the race outcome. A wonderful writer that brings a much needed warmth to a great detective series. Highly Recommended
Not like most crime novels Parsons has a clear simple plot; Jessica Lyle is kidnapped whilst driving her friend Snezia's BMW. Is this a case of mistaken identity were the kidnappers really after Snezia and by doing so hoping to blackmail her gangster boyfriend Harry Flowers. Thats the plot and it runs along at a cracking pace but as implied above this is not what endears me to this novel. It is TP's razor sharp observations of the human condition and the human heart with all the pain it must endure in a short lifetime......"the recently dead do not leave us immediately. They stay close by, held by the sadness of leaving, and the human bonds that were made in this world"...."They were like brother and sister towards the end. Isn't that the way it always ends up between men and women, if you leave them together long enough?",,,,,
There is a wonderful scene in the final chapter. It is sports day at Scouts school and because her birthday is at the end of July she is always competing against fellow classmates who are older and thus have the advantage of age. All she wants to do is just once win a gold, silver or bronze sticker either in the heats or in the final. She lines up against 3 fellow competitors one of whom is a rather overweight pupil...surely on this day she can win not a first place not even a second place but just possibly a third and perhaps finally receive a bronze sticker...well this is Tony Parsons writing and I am sure if you now understand his psyche a little better you will surely know the answer and the race outcome. A wonderful writer that brings a much needed warmth to a great detective series. Highly Recommended
May 20, 2019
If there is to be a King of Crime to stand alongside the Queen that is Martina Cole, Tony Parson's is the man!
Taken is written in a similar old school way to Cole, involving villains (gangsters, prostitutes, drug dealers, etc.) and detective work that just passes the level of modern acceptability. The story is filled with emotion, outstandingly intriguing characterisation and the tension and suspense, while gradually building, is a constant undercurrent beneath the surface of the dubiously legal investigatory customs. Which serve to peek the readers interest to a level that they don't want to blink in case they miss something, while managing to maintain pace and structure. I read this in a day and can't wait to see what Parson's comes up with next.
Taken is written in a similar old school way to Cole, involving villains (gangsters, prostitutes, drug dealers, etc.) and detective work that just passes the level of modern acceptability. The story is filled with emotion, outstandingly intriguing characterisation and the tension and suspense, while gradually building, is a constant undercurrent beneath the surface of the dubiously legal investigatory customs. Which serve to peek the readers interest to a level that they don't want to blink in case they miss something, while managing to maintain pace and structure. I read this in a day and can't wait to see what Parson's comes up with next.
May 30, 2019
Why aren't there more Tony Parsons out there writing books for me?! Or, barring that, why can't Tony Parsons have the superpower of writing incredibly fast so I don't have to wait so long for his next book?!
Parsons writes real, complicated, multi-dimensional characters and crimes. The main character is one of those few who stays with me and I am always a bit annoyed at the end of a book in the series because I am going to have to wait to see what happens next in his life.
Parsons writes real people, both men and women, not stereotypes. Reading his books makes it painfully clear what crap the majority of crime fiction is. Every one of the now 6 books in this series is just excellent. That's all.
Parsons writes real, complicated, multi-dimensional characters and crimes. The main character is one of those few who stays with me and I am always a bit annoyed at the end of a book in the series because I am going to have to wait to see what happens next in his life.
Parsons writes real people, both men and women, not stereotypes. Reading his books makes it painfully clear what crap the majority of crime fiction is. Every one of the now 6 books in this series is just excellent. That's all.
September 4, 2019
Thank the universe I'm finally into July ratings!
May 1, 2019
It’s so nice to read a police procedural that doesn’t play the Big Social Issues card. I like my crime fiction to focus on the personal, and here we have the whole swirl of emotions, including love, hate, jealousy, revenge, fear, heartbreak. That’s the stuff I like, especially when long-festering wounds erupt in the present, years later.
We begin with an abduction of a beautiful young mother who seems to have been the wrong target. It looks like the intended victim was an exotic dancer who is also the mistress of a 1990s drug lord now supposedly turned straight and doing business as a car recycling magnate. The investigation takes Detective Max Wolfe and his boss, DCI Pat Whitestone, from multi-million-pound homes in London and the suburbs, to strip clubs, to car-wrecking yards, and more.
Everyone knows how important it is to recover a kidnapping victim fast, or it is likely the victim will be killed. But in this case, everyone also lies. Peeling away those lies is what leads Max to the solution of the crime. But since this is a Max Wolfe novel, along the way there are plenty of chases, plot twists and, of course, violence.
I don’t think it’s all that hard to guess the whodunnit, but there are still plenty of revelations along the way. And it sure does provide some thrills; enough to deprive me of sleep.
This is one of the strongest of the Max Wolfe novels, and a big improvement over last year’s Girl On Fire. As usual for me and this series, I listened to the audiobook, read by the wonderful voice actor Colin Mace. Mace reads with what sounds to me like an East End of London accent (though I’m American, so I could be off), and it suits the novels so well that it’s hard for me to imagine experiencing the books any other way.
I do feel like I have to say one thing about this book and all the other Max Wolfe books that irritates me—a lot—and makes me mad at myself for liking and reading Parsons’s books. In real life, back in the late 80s and early 90s Parsons was a rock journalist married to another rock journalist named Julie Burchill. He was unfaithful and she left him, leaving him with their young son. Parsons raised their son and she has had almost no relationship with him. Parsons, who is much better known in the UK than in the US, became a successful novelist, with pretty much all of his novels featuring a husband abandoned by his wife and left to bring up a child as a single parent. And Max Wolfe is no exception, as he raises a young daughter after his wife has left him for another man and is, at best, an erratic presence in the daughter’s life.
It may be that Julie Burchill is a terrible person; that’s not the point. The point for me is that it’s disgusting for Parsons to use book after book after book to attack his ex by proxy. Though she’s a writer too, she’s not cranking out the best sellers (at least best sellers in the UK) the way he is, which means that he’s using a weapon against her that she doesn’t have. I can’t respect that. This is the kind of stuff that makes me wish we were back in the days when we weren’t supposed to know all about the personal lives of authors.
We begin with an abduction of a beautiful young mother who seems to have been the wrong target. It looks like the intended victim was an exotic dancer who is also the mistress of a 1990s drug lord now supposedly turned straight and doing business as a car recycling magnate. The investigation takes Detective Max Wolfe and his boss, DCI Pat Whitestone, from multi-million-pound homes in London and the suburbs, to strip clubs, to car-wrecking yards, and more.
Everyone knows how important it is to recover a kidnapping victim fast, or it is likely the victim will be killed. But in this case, everyone also lies. Peeling away those lies is what leads Max to the solution of the crime. But since this is a Max Wolfe novel, along the way there are plenty of chases, plot twists and, of course, violence.
I don’t think it’s all that hard to guess the whodunnit, but there are still plenty of revelations along the way. And it sure does provide some thrills; enough to deprive me of sleep.
This is one of the strongest of the Max Wolfe novels, and a big improvement over last year’s Girl On Fire. As usual for me and this series, I listened to the audiobook, read by the wonderful voice actor Colin Mace. Mace reads with what sounds to me like an East End of London accent (though I’m American, so I could be off), and it suits the novels so well that it’s hard for me to imagine experiencing the books any other way.
I do feel like I have to say one thing about this book and all the other Max Wolfe books that irritates me—a lot—and makes me mad at myself for liking and reading Parsons’s books. In real life, back in the late 80s and early 90s Parsons was a rock journalist married to another rock journalist named Julie Burchill. He was unfaithful and she left him, leaving him with their young son. Parsons raised their son and she has had almost no relationship with him. Parsons, who is much better known in the UK than in the US, became a successful novelist, with pretty much all of his novels featuring a husband abandoned by his wife and left to bring up a child as a single parent. And Max Wolfe is no exception, as he raises a young daughter after his wife has left him for another man and is, at best, an erratic presence in the daughter’s life.
It may be that Julie Burchill is a terrible person; that’s not the point. The point for me is that it’s disgusting for Parsons to use book after book after book to attack his ex by proxy. Though she’s a writer too, she’s not cranking out the best sellers (at least best sellers in the UK) the way he is, which means that he’s using a weapon against her that she doesn’t have. I can’t respect that. This is the kind of stuff that makes me wish we were back in the days when we weren’t supposed to know all about the personal lives of authors.
June 4, 2020
When a young mother, Jessica Lyle, is kidnapped by unknown assailants, Detective Max Wolfe realises he has a dangerous job on his hands. At the time of the kidnapping, Jessica was driving her friend Snezia's BMW so were the abductors really after Snezia, thereby hoping to blackmail her gangster boyfriend Harry Flowers? The investigation takes Detective Max Wolfe and his boss, DCI Pat Whitestone, from elitist homes in London and the suburbs, to strip clubs, scrapyards, and more.
Tony Parsons will always be special after Man and Boy written years ago. He excels in writing about relationships; the dynamics of family life, passion, sadness, love and hate. When I eventually realised the author was writing a detective series, I was curious to see if he could bring the same benevolence to his characters in a completely different scenario, and I was definitely not dissatisfied.
DI Max Wolfe is a single parent living in central London. He has daughter Scout, Stan the dog and irascible Mrs Murphy who sees herself as the guardian of his family. Ex-wife Anne is incredibly self-centred, a mother too concerned with her own circumstances to be bothered about her daughter. But this helps the author's portrayal of Wolfe's character, enabling his warmth to shine and he is unquestionably loved by Scout and Stan. Relationships are the foundation of Tony Parsons' writing, ably depicted against a criminal background. He manages to create characters that I either want to meet in real life or avoid at all cost... this book has oodles of both. With its engaging, direct prose and the narrative of Wolfe with his sharp insight and finely honed honesty, the story has plenty of realistic appeal. It certainly held my interest more than enough, allowing me to care about the current case and his domestic life.
This is the 6th in the series and although this reads fine as a stand-alone, you are missing the delights of the other books, as I currently am.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Cornerstone/ Century via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.
Tony Parsons will always be special after Man and Boy written years ago. He excels in writing about relationships; the dynamics of family life, passion, sadness, love and hate. When I eventually realised the author was writing a detective series, I was curious to see if he could bring the same benevolence to his characters in a completely different scenario, and I was definitely not dissatisfied.
DI Max Wolfe is a single parent living in central London. He has daughter Scout, Stan the dog and irascible Mrs Murphy who sees herself as the guardian of his family. Ex-wife Anne is incredibly self-centred, a mother too concerned with her own circumstances to be bothered about her daughter. But this helps the author's portrayal of Wolfe's character, enabling his warmth to shine and he is unquestionably loved by Scout and Stan. Relationships are the foundation of Tony Parsons' writing, ably depicted against a criminal background. He manages to create characters that I either want to meet in real life or avoid at all cost... this book has oodles of both. With its engaging, direct prose and the narrative of Wolfe with his sharp insight and finely honed honesty, the story has plenty of realistic appeal. It certainly held my interest more than enough, allowing me to care about the current case and his domestic life.
This is the 6th in the series and although this reads fine as a stand-alone, you are missing the delights of the other books, as I currently am.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Cornerstone/ Century via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.
May 5, 2019
Actual rating: 2 1/2, rounded down because of the last half - It started quickly, then slowed, then I was ready to give it a 5 in the middle, and by the end I didn't like it all that much.
When Jessica is snatched from her car, police soon theorise that the wrong woman was taken. But who has taken her, and why were they after her (or who they perceive to be the intended target)?
Police investigations take them deeper into a mobster's family dynamics and relationships and lies.
Why didn't I like it by the end? I can't remember the last book I read where almost EVERY character () was so morally lacking and without integrity (or basic common sense when it came to giving police information which would have helped investigations - the characters' insistence that withholding the information actually helped investigations was irksome in a "I want to punch them in the face for being idiots with 'I know better than you' complexes" way).
Apart from the victim's father and the protagonist, there wasn't really anyone to cheer for.
I also hated the author's over-use of "Everyone loves Jessica" (it got to the stage where I'd read it in a "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" voice) and the obsession with female characters' looks ("she's a ten" and other references to "tens" were repeated a lot, and it appeared people only loved Jessica because of her looks).
Additionally, I'm pretty sure Parsons is being paid by Asics. If a character's shoes were mentioned, they were Asics. Career wives wearing Asics on their commute. Someone at the gym wearing new Asics. The daughter bouncing in her Junior Asics. Urg! Who bloody cares?
I really liked the protagonist and his relationship with his daughter, but overall, this is definitely not a favourite, and I'm not inspired to read any more of Parsons' work. I won't avoid his other books, but I won't be seeking them out.
When Jessica is snatched from her car, police soon theorise that the wrong woman was taken. But who has taken her, and why were they after her (or who they perceive to be the intended target)?
Police investigations take them deeper into a mobster's family dynamics and relationships and lies.
Why didn't I like it by the end? I can't remember the last book I read where almost EVERY character () was so morally lacking and without integrity (or basic common sense when it came to giving police information which would have helped investigations - the characters' insistence that withholding the information actually helped investigations was irksome in a "I want to punch them in the face for being idiots with 'I know better than you' complexes" way).
Apart from the victim's father and the protagonist, there wasn't really anyone to cheer for.
I also hated the author's over-use of "Everyone loves Jessica" (it got to the stage where I'd read it in a "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" voice) and the obsession with female characters' looks ("she's a ten" and other references to "tens" were repeated a lot, and it appeared people only loved Jessica because of her looks).
Additionally, I'm pretty sure Parsons is being paid by Asics. If a character's shoes were mentioned, they were Asics. Career wives wearing Asics on their commute. Someone at the gym wearing new Asics. The daughter bouncing in her Junior Asics. Urg! Who bloody cares?
I really liked the protagonist and his relationship with his daughter, but overall, this is definitely not a favourite, and I'm not inspired to read any more of Parsons' work. I won't avoid his other books, but I won't be seeking them out.
April 18, 2019
When Jessica Lyle is kidnapped Max Wolfe is determined to find out why she was a target. Are things as simple as first imagined?
#Taken was the first book I’ve read in the Max Wolfe series and I must admit I wasn’t really that impressed. For me a good crime thriller series should have strong and interesting main characters or, failing that, have a really well thought out and complex crime spree to hold my interest. I found Max to be a bit wooden and lacking in personality I’m afraid. I also found the crime plot arc itself to be a little predictable and formulaic – there was no twist or moment to make me go ‘whoa’ at any point. There were also a few moments later in the book where the plot jumps too quickly and made me actually go back to see if I missed a chapter which was confusing.
I understand that as I haven’t read any of the previous 5 books I may have missed out on some of the more complex relationships and backstories but this book can easily be read as a standalone piece as it’s more about the crime than the characters. That said, I didn’t understand why the alcoholic boss wasn’t taken to task and questioned more thoroughly in the book, particularly as her drinking problem was mentioned so many times. I also didn’t really understand why the book is called #taken as the hashtag seems to only have been mentioned once in passing. The title, and the inclusion of the hashtag in one sentence of the book seems to be trying to give it a younger edge and perhaps introduce it to a different audience but with no mention of technology or social media in the plot to back it up I was left a little disappointed.
Overall I found #Taken to be a disappointing read with wooden main character and formulaic plot. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK – Cornerstone & Century for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews go to www.kindig.co.uk
#Taken was the first book I’ve read in the Max Wolfe series and I must admit I wasn’t really that impressed. For me a good crime thriller series should have strong and interesting main characters or, failing that, have a really well thought out and complex crime spree to hold my interest. I found Max to be a bit wooden and lacking in personality I’m afraid. I also found the crime plot arc itself to be a little predictable and formulaic – there was no twist or moment to make me go ‘whoa’ at any point. There were also a few moments later in the book where the plot jumps too quickly and made me actually go back to see if I missed a chapter which was confusing.
I understand that as I haven’t read any of the previous 5 books I may have missed out on some of the more complex relationships and backstories but this book can easily be read as a standalone piece as it’s more about the crime than the characters. That said, I didn’t understand why the alcoholic boss wasn’t taken to task and questioned more thoroughly in the book, particularly as her drinking problem was mentioned so many times. I also didn’t really understand why the book is called #taken as the hashtag seems to only have been mentioned once in passing. The title, and the inclusion of the hashtag in one sentence of the book seems to be trying to give it a younger edge and perhaps introduce it to a different audience but with no mention of technology or social media in the plot to back it up I was left a little disappointed.
Overall I found #Taken to be a disappointing read with wooden main character and formulaic plot. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK – Cornerstone & Century for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews go to www.kindig.co.uk
April 3, 2019
Firstly I enjoyed the plot of this book and the pace at which the investigation proceeds but as with every other one in this series there are quite a few things that niggle me some of which I have mentioned in previous reviews.
This time we have Max Wolfe breaking a suspect's arm and this incident is completely forgotten but then we have the DCI (now an alcoholic) involved in a hit and run RTA and being unlawfully supplied with a gun by an authorised firearms officer with a view to taking out a person who is aware (to some degree) about this incident.
The Black Museum annoys me as does the curator of said museum, the author insisting on telling us about every gun used by the firearms team annoys me, another DC calling Constable Wolfe "sir" gets right up my nose.
Bizarrely, Wolfe drinking Asahi Super Dry at a barbeque, seems to have really annoyed me. This stinks of product placement to me! Apparently this beer "transformed the modern beer industry in Japan and is described as a highly attenuated lager without the heavier malt flavors of competitors' products, with a crisp, dry taste reminiscent of some northern German beers."
As I've said the plot and the pace are great but the series is being spoiled for me by departing from reality at an alarming rate trying to sensationalise everything and just not being real. I know it's fiction but for me just keep it real.
The same thing has happened in a number of police procedural series and leaves me wondering if I will continue to read them.
This time we have Max Wolfe breaking a suspect's arm and this incident is completely forgotten but then we have the DCI (now an alcoholic) involved in a hit and run RTA and being unlawfully supplied with a gun by an authorised firearms officer with a view to taking out a person who is aware (to some degree) about this incident.
The Black Museum annoys me as does the curator of said museum, the author insisting on telling us about every gun used by the firearms team annoys me, another DC calling Constable Wolfe "sir" gets right up my nose.
Bizarrely, Wolfe drinking Asahi Super Dry at a barbeque, seems to have really annoyed me. This stinks of product placement to me! Apparently this beer "transformed the modern beer industry in Japan and is described as a highly attenuated lager without the heavier malt flavors of competitors' products, with a crisp, dry taste reminiscent of some northern German beers."
As I've said the plot and the pace are great but the series is being spoiled for me by departing from reality at an alarming rate trying to sensationalise everything and just not being real. I know it's fiction but for me just keep it real.
The same thing has happened in a number of police procedural series and leaves me wondering if I will continue to read them.
June 8, 2025
This was an excellent audiobook, and a great addition to the Max Wolfe series. I really couldn’t work out who was guilty and who was innocent.
As the synopsis mentions above, a young woman is kidnapped and all clues point towards Harry Flowers an old London drug dealer. He only wants to help the police find the missing woman, but of course the police don’t trust him, and time is running out so what can they do?
Once again Max Wolfe is faced with an impossible situation and needs all his wits about him in this latest book. I still really like Max, and love hearing about his personal life as a single Dad with his 8 year old daughter Scout and spaniel Stan. He’s a likeable guy who wants to do things correctly, but sometimes he ends up getting hurt by the villains.
Talking of villains there are some really good ones in this book. Just like Max I really couldn’t decide who had carried out the kidnapping and why. Was it planned or just some random act?
Colin Mace’s narration is perfect, he is Max Wolfe to me and I can’t imagine reading these books now that I’ve heard them as audiobooks. I still haven’t listened to the first few books in the series but want to, even though I started listening from book 4 last year.
I definitely recommend this series, especially if you enjoy police police procedurals, but perhaps you should start at book one and not book four. 😉
As the synopsis mentions above, a young woman is kidnapped and all clues point towards Harry Flowers an old London drug dealer. He only wants to help the police find the missing woman, but of course the police don’t trust him, and time is running out so what can they do?
Once again Max Wolfe is faced with an impossible situation and needs all his wits about him in this latest book. I still really like Max, and love hearing about his personal life as a single Dad with his 8 year old daughter Scout and spaniel Stan. He’s a likeable guy who wants to do things correctly, but sometimes he ends up getting hurt by the villains.
Talking of villains there are some really good ones in this book. Just like Max I really couldn’t decide who had carried out the kidnapping and why. Was it planned or just some random act?
Colin Mace’s narration is perfect, he is Max Wolfe to me and I can’t imagine reading these books now that I’ve heard them as audiobooks. I still haven’t listened to the first few books in the series but want to, even though I started listening from book 4 last year.
I definitely recommend this series, especially if you enjoy police police procedurals, but perhaps you should start at book one and not book four. 😉
April 28, 2019
Reading Stuff 'n' Things
Once again, Tony Parsons delivers a treat of a read that starts off as it means to go on ... page-turning brilliance!
I can't speak too highly enough of the characterisation of the various protagonists within the pages of this book, and the previous ones, they are superb and the author has an innate ability to create characters that you want to either meet in real life or avoid like the plague .. this book has both in abundance.
The story is excellent with side-stories holding your interest in between the "policey" bits however, I have to admit that there were times when it veered off reality a little too much and I certainly can't see serving Police Officers getting away with what Max and some of his colleagues do ... well, I hope not anyway! but it is a work of fiction so I can cope with a little bit of OTT now and again.
This is the 6th in the series and although you could read this as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend you don't as you will be missing the delights the other books behold in between their pages (or finger-swipes).
My thanks go to the publisher, Random House UK Cornerstone, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Once again, Tony Parsons delivers a treat of a read that starts off as it means to go on ... page-turning brilliance!
I can't speak too highly enough of the characterisation of the various protagonists within the pages of this book, and the previous ones, they are superb and the author has an innate ability to create characters that you want to either meet in real life or avoid like the plague .. this book has both in abundance.
The story is excellent with side-stories holding your interest in between the "policey" bits however, I have to admit that there were times when it veered off reality a little too much and I certainly can't see serving Police Officers getting away with what Max and some of his colleagues do ... well, I hope not anyway! but it is a work of fiction so I can cope with a little bit of OTT now and again.
This is the 6th in the series and although you could read this as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend you don't as you will be missing the delights the other books behold in between their pages (or finger-swipes).
My thanks go to the publisher, Random House UK Cornerstone, and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
August 9, 2019
The Max Wolfe series is a great series but this story is not quite as good as some of the others. Saying that this is still a good book and well worthy of 4 stars. Set as normal in London and starring the usual characters of Max Wolfe, his daughter Scout and their dog Stan who live close to Smithfield's meat market. Wolfe's police colleagues DCI Pat Whitehouse and TDC Joy Adams both have important parts in this story. A young mother is kidnapped from the car she is driving, the kidnappers leaving her child in the car. The car she had borrowed from her flatmate because hers is in the garage. Her flatmate is in a relationship with crime boss who was a big player in the drug world in past years and the initial thoughts of the police is that the young mother was mistaken for flatmate. This story has loads of twists and turns and my different guesses as to whom the kidnappers are and why kidnapped the women were totally wrong as more and more of background stories of the characters are revealed and the interconnections between established. This is a great book and it will keep you intrigued until the very end.
Read
November 6, 2022I was handed this book in work, had to put it down at the end of the prologue. If I had a reading age of a 10 year old I may have found the writing gripping. The last lines of the first paragraph. “it was personal. It was personal as hell.”
I thought, this is the narrator and I can’t stand them. I’m shocked this isn’t the authors first books but I’m thinking they may have written it prior to their other successes.
I thought, this is the narrator and I can’t stand them. I’m shocked this isn’t the authors first books but I’m thinking they may have written it prior to their other successes.
April 25, 2020
I enjoyed this, the sixth instalment in the Max Wolfe series. It’s a good story and Tony Parsons writes very well, as ever.
This time Max, who is recovering from the shattering events at the end of Girl On Fire, is called to investigate the abduction of a young woman. The investigation takes him and his colleagues into the world of an ageing crime boss and some very shady, complex revelations as they search for her. Max’s relationships with his daughter and his ex-wife develop, too, and Max’s (and Parsons’) powerful commitment to parenthood are movingly portrayed.
In short, it’s a good story, well told. Max is an engaging, human narrator who is likeable if fallible. The plot gives us interesting developments rather than absurdly shocking “twists” and I found it genuinely gripping. There are some implausibilities – not least Max’s tendency to race off alone into dangerous situations without even calling for backup, let alone waiting for it – but I found that quite easy to forgive in the context. I can recommend this as a very good read.
(My thanks to Cornerstone for an ARC via Net Galley.)
This time Max, who is recovering from the shattering events at the end of Girl On Fire, is called to investigate the abduction of a young woman. The investigation takes him and his colleagues into the world of an ageing crime boss and some very shady, complex revelations as they search for her. Max’s relationships with his daughter and his ex-wife develop, too, and Max’s (and Parsons’) powerful commitment to parenthood are movingly portrayed.
In short, it’s a good story, well told. Max is an engaging, human narrator who is likeable if fallible. The plot gives us interesting developments rather than absurdly shocking “twists” and I found it genuinely gripping. There are some implausibilities – not least Max’s tendency to race off alone into dangerous situations without even calling for backup, let alone waiting for it – but I found that quite easy to forgive in the context. I can recommend this as a very good read.
(My thanks to Cornerstone for an ARC via Net Galley.)
September 26, 2019
Another good crime thriller from Tony Parsons. Loving this series - they keep getting better and better.
April 1, 2023
Serijal mi je počeo na visokoj nozi al kako je išao dalje fali mi ono nešto što bi me baš oduševilo. Ipak Više je nego zabavan kada sam završio sve knjige koje su prevedene za manje od dve nedelje.
Maks je zabavan lik mada posle batina koje jedobijao do sada nije mi jasno kako nije u kolicima. I usput za nekog tako sposobnog kako nikako da uznapreduje itd.
Ali sve u svemu ko voli ove policijske/kriminalističke romane ovaj serijal dobija preporuku.
Cheers.
Maks je zabavan lik mada posle batina koje jedobijao do sada nije mi jasno kako nije u kolicima. I usput za nekog tako sposobnog kako nikako da uznapreduje itd.
Ali sve u svemu ko voli ove policijske/kriminalističke romane ovaj serijal dobija preporuku.
Cheers.
October 16, 2019
I always look forward to a new ‘Max Wolfe’ Tony Parsons book and this one didn’t disappoint. I loved the fast paced nature of it.... Yes at times it was slightly far fetched but who cares? I found it exciting!
May 7, 2021
I've heard this might be the last in the series and I really enjoyed it. Max Wolfe is a great hero. Other great characters as well.
January 21, 2019
Young mother abducted.
DC Max Wolfe, his boss DCI Pat Whitestone and TDC Joy Adams are summoned after a young mother, Jessica Lyle, is abducted from her car as she was trying to enter the private estate where she shared a flat. Her baby son had been left in the car, unhurt.
This is not going to be a straightforward case, as the flat that she shared is with an exotic dancer, Snezia Jones, and it belongs to the notorious crime boss, Harry Flowers.
They soon learn that Snezia Jones was in a relationship with Harry Flowers, leaving them to question whether the wrong girl was kidnapped by one of Harry Flowers enemies. Jessica was driving Snezia’s car when she was abducted.
Serious challenges face Max Wolfe and the team as they try to find the missing girl. One of the obstacles which could have serious repercussions is that Jessica Lyle's father is a retired police officer, who thinks that things should be done the “old fashioned way” beat the sense out of the suspects. It’s going to take not just routine police work, but also working with known criminals, to work out why this kidnapping occurred in the first place.
This case is different to the previous crimes that we’ve seen DC Max Wolfe work on in the past. It almost feels “civilised”. Harry Flowers is a charming albeit violent drug lord. (Supposedly now a transformed businessman). He has the perfect wife and children. His “heavies” are civilised and co-operative as is his mistress, Snezia Jones, but underneath this façade lurks some very dark, depraved behaviour.
I loved this latest case featuring my all-time favourite member of the police – DC Max Wolfe. What I enjoyed most, however, was getting to know the man, Max Wolfe, more intimately. He’s still in mourning after the tragic death of DC Edie Wren.
Anne, his ex-wife, is possibly even more self-centred, and hellbent on ensuring that everything revolves around her, yet insistent that Scout, the daughter she walked out when she left Max come running when she wants contact. Any divorced parent who has lived through this type of situation with an ex-partner knows the hurt and damage that someone like Anne has on a child, and we, get to feel Max's pain and guilt that this situation is never going to change, not unless Anne radically changes her behaviour.
What makes this series so unique for me, is that we always have a brilliant plot, ensuring that we're not glibly reading but interacting while Max Wolfe and his fellow officers try to solve the crime. Yet at the same time, we’re part of his (small) inner circle as he journeys through the ups and downs of single parenting, and it's this interaction which makes him a real person.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
DC Max Wolfe, his boss DCI Pat Whitestone and TDC Joy Adams are summoned after a young mother, Jessica Lyle, is abducted from her car as she was trying to enter the private estate where she shared a flat. Her baby son had been left in the car, unhurt.
This is not going to be a straightforward case, as the flat that she shared is with an exotic dancer, Snezia Jones, and it belongs to the notorious crime boss, Harry Flowers.
They soon learn that Snezia Jones was in a relationship with Harry Flowers, leaving them to question whether the wrong girl was kidnapped by one of Harry Flowers enemies. Jessica was driving Snezia’s car when she was abducted.
Serious challenges face Max Wolfe and the team as they try to find the missing girl. One of the obstacles which could have serious repercussions is that Jessica Lyle's father is a retired police officer, who thinks that things should be done the “old fashioned way” beat the sense out of the suspects. It’s going to take not just routine police work, but also working with known criminals, to work out why this kidnapping occurred in the first place.
This case is different to the previous crimes that we’ve seen DC Max Wolfe work on in the past. It almost feels “civilised”. Harry Flowers is a charming albeit violent drug lord. (Supposedly now a transformed businessman). He has the perfect wife and children. His “heavies” are civilised and co-operative as is his mistress, Snezia Jones, but underneath this façade lurks some very dark, depraved behaviour.
I loved this latest case featuring my all-time favourite member of the police – DC Max Wolfe. What I enjoyed most, however, was getting to know the man, Max Wolfe, more intimately. He’s still in mourning after the tragic death of DC Edie Wren.
Anne, his ex-wife, is possibly even more self-centred, and hellbent on ensuring that everything revolves around her, yet insistent that Scout, the daughter she walked out when she left Max come running when she wants contact. Any divorced parent who has lived through this type of situation with an ex-partner knows the hurt and damage that someone like Anne has on a child, and we, get to feel Max's pain and guilt that this situation is never going to change, not unless Anne radically changes her behaviour.
What makes this series so unique for me, is that we always have a brilliant plot, ensuring that we're not glibly reading but interacting while Max Wolfe and his fellow officers try to solve the crime. Yet at the same time, we’re part of his (small) inner circle as he journeys through the ups and downs of single parenting, and it's this interaction which makes him a real person.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
February 24, 2022
I find that thriller/mysteries are great for train rides because they are fairly quick to read and entertaining. Taken has been on my TBR list for quite a while and since I had a long train ride back to Nice, I thought this was a good book to kill time with!
Taken starts with an accidental abduction. Jessica, a young mother and dance teacher, has been kidnapped. The intended target was probably her roommate, who is the mistress of a (maybe former, maybe current) mob boss and who lent Jessica her car. Max, the detective on the case, is determined to find Jessica. As he investigates, one question pops up: was it true that everyone loves Jessica?
As expected, this was a very fast-paced and twisty mystery. I’m not going to talk too much about the plot in case I give away a spoiler, but I did think it was pretty interesting how Jessica’s parents, despite her father being an ex-cop, tried to use social media to find their daughter and make contact with the kidnappers. And the book actually acknowledges that the ones who get media attention are the pretty girls that are missing – a description that fits Jessica. I expected this to have a bit more impact on the story, given the hashtag in the title, but it didn’t seem to impede investigation that much. However, the actual investigation was already full of twists and turns, so I didn’t really mind that the social media stuff wasn’t as important as I expected.
As for characters, I thought that Max was a pretty sympathetic character! I liked reading more about his personal life and how he’s raising his daughter and trying to co-parent with his ex-wife. That said, there was one part of the book where I thought Max pretty much bent the law in half and it seemed so incongruous with his otherwise good cop image that I was thrown for a while. It was somewhat related to the main mystery, but I did not like it – Max wasn’t really written as a morally grey character so this action felt a little out of place.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this! It’s a quick, fun read and the ending took me by surprise while being pretty believable. If you’re looking for a mystery-thriller type of book, this is one that you may enjoy.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
Taken starts with an accidental abduction. Jessica, a young mother and dance teacher, has been kidnapped. The intended target was probably her roommate, who is the mistress of a (maybe former, maybe current) mob boss and who lent Jessica her car. Max, the detective on the case, is determined to find Jessica. As he investigates, one question pops up: was it true that everyone loves Jessica?
As expected, this was a very fast-paced and twisty mystery. I’m not going to talk too much about the plot in case I give away a spoiler, but I did think it was pretty interesting how Jessica’s parents, despite her father being an ex-cop, tried to use social media to find their daughter and make contact with the kidnappers. And the book actually acknowledges that the ones who get media attention are the pretty girls that are missing – a description that fits Jessica. I expected this to have a bit more impact on the story, given the hashtag in the title, but it didn’t seem to impede investigation that much. However, the actual investigation was already full of twists and turns, so I didn’t really mind that the social media stuff wasn’t as important as I expected.
As for characters, I thought that Max was a pretty sympathetic character! I liked reading more about his personal life and how he’s raising his daughter and trying to co-parent with his ex-wife. That said, there was one part of the book where I thought Max pretty much bent the law in half and it seemed so incongruous with his otherwise good cop image that I was thrown for a while. It was somewhat related to the main mystery, but I did not like it – Max wasn’t really written as a morally grey character so this action felt a little out of place.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this! It’s a quick, fun read and the ending took me by surprise while being pretty believable. If you’re looking for a mystery-thriller type of book, this is one that you may enjoy.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
April 2, 2019
So when I got approved for this on NetGalley, I kind of dropped everything I else I was reading to start this because I absolutely LOVE this series. I can’t recommend it enough if you enjoy a thrilling police procedural. The first review on my blog was actually The Hanging Club back in 2017, which I have since deleted because it was awful, I hope I do a better job on this review!
This is the sixth in the series but I would highly recommend that you’ve read at least the previous book Girl On Fire, as there are minor spoilers for it in this one.
A beautiful young mother, Jessica Lyle, is abducted in broad daylight. Was it a case of mistaken identity or something more sinister?
Max and his boss DCI Whitestone are still hurting from their last case when they get the call that Jessica has been abducted. To make matters worse her father is an ex copper and is making it even harder for them.
If a high profile kidnapping wasn’t enough Max, his ex wife is back in his life, trying to get to know their daughter Scout who she abandoned to start a new family when she was four. Personally I would have told the woman to get lost and if she wanted to see her daughter, she should see a solicitor but under all that gruff exterior Max is so sentimental and keeps thinking things will turn out different.
Whenever I read these books, I always wonder why this hasn’t been made into a TV show??? I would definitely watch it.
Taken is non stop action from beginning to end with plenty of shocks and surprises that will have you saying to yourself ‘just one more chapter’. I actually devoured it in two sessions, I just didn’t want to put it down!
I have to be honest, while the ending ties up any loose ends, it did feel a little too neat and tidy. I know I moan a lot about unanswered questions after I’ve read a novel but I know real life is not quite that cut and dry, so occasionally I don’t mind if a few things slip by the wayside.
Overall Taken is a thrilling and gritty police procedural that will have you hooked from that very first chapter.
This is the sixth in the series but I would highly recommend that you’ve read at least the previous book Girl On Fire, as there are minor spoilers for it in this one.
A beautiful young mother, Jessica Lyle, is abducted in broad daylight. Was it a case of mistaken identity or something more sinister?
Max and his boss DCI Whitestone are still hurting from their last case when they get the call that Jessica has been abducted. To make matters worse her father is an ex copper and is making it even harder for them.
If a high profile kidnapping wasn’t enough Max, his ex wife is back in his life, trying to get to know their daughter Scout who she abandoned to start a new family when she was four. Personally I would have told the woman to get lost and if she wanted to see her daughter, she should see a solicitor but under all that gruff exterior Max is so sentimental and keeps thinking things will turn out different.
Whenever I read these books, I always wonder why this hasn’t been made into a TV show??? I would definitely watch it.
Taken is non stop action from beginning to end with plenty of shocks and surprises that will have you saying to yourself ‘just one more chapter’. I actually devoured it in two sessions, I just didn’t want to put it down!
I have to be honest, while the ending ties up any loose ends, it did feel a little too neat and tidy. I know I moan a lot about unanswered questions after I’ve read a novel but I know real life is not quite that cut and dry, so occasionally I don’t mind if a few things slip by the wayside.
Overall Taken is a thrilling and gritty police procedural that will have you hooked from that very first chapter.
April 10, 2019
When Jessica, a young mother is kidnapped. She was taken from Snezia, her flat mate’s car & her young son left strapped into his baby-seat. Max is called in to investigate and things take a bit of a dark turn Snezia, is romantically linked to crime boss, and nemesis, Harry Flowers
So the kidnappers thought they were kidnapping the mistress of one of London’s most powerful gangsters. But they’ve taken the wrong woman or have they?
Detective Max Wolfe's hunt for the missing woman takes him from New Scotland Yard’s legendary Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret sex dungeons – and to unspeakably dark deeds committed decades ago.
Page turning, engrossing read. I love this series. This is the sixth in the series & whilst it could be read on its own there are some spoilers for the previous book. Well rounded characters & an intriguing story had me reading this in under a day even though it was over 400 pages.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
So the kidnappers thought they were kidnapping the mistress of one of London’s most powerful gangsters. But they’ve taken the wrong woman or have they?
Detective Max Wolfe's hunt for the missing woman takes him from New Scotland Yard’s legendary Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret sex dungeons – and to unspeakably dark deeds committed decades ago.
Page turning, engrossing read. I love this series. This is the sixth in the series & whilst it could be read on its own there are some spoilers for the previous book. Well rounded characters & an intriguing story had me reading this in under a day even though it was over 400 pages.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
July 20, 2020
I see I’m in the minority here, but I don’t understand how this was rated so highly. Admittedly I’ve jumped into this series in book 6 so maybe it requires reading from the start but...
Problems I had:
>Wasn’t much of an intro I to the character, therefore I didn’t really care much about what happened to them (again I can explain that away with this being book 6, but still...).
>I guessed it half way through and then skim read the rest
>the writing itself, it wasn’t polished or at times realistic
>Wolf encourages his boss to not come forward after hitting someone with their car?! Do I want a main character like that?
>believability: he isn’t the “boss” in this case but seems to do all the actual policing (as if he were)
Like I said, maybe one needs to read from the start, so don’t pick this up for a stand alone.
Problems I had:
>Wasn’t much of an intro I to the character, therefore I didn’t really care much about what happened to them (again I can explain that away with this being book 6, but still...).
>I guessed it half way through and then skim read the rest
>the writing itself, it wasn’t polished or at times realistic
>Wolf encourages his boss to not come forward after hitting someone with their car?! Do I want a main character like that?
>believability: he isn’t the “boss” in this case but seems to do all the actual policing (as if he were)
Like I said, maybe one needs to read from the start, so don’t pick this up for a stand alone.
July 11, 2019
Max Wolfe book 6 packs a mighty punch.It can be read as a stand alone if the reader is unfamiliar with the series.The book starts with a cracking pace and never lets up. Max is investigating the kidnap of a young dance teacher and the investigation takes him into the world of strip clubs and millionaire homes in London. The author's knowledge of London and police procedures draws you right into this book. A great plot, excellent characterisation and throw in jealousy, love and some hate, giving you a 5* read. I loved it. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
June 17, 2019
A great last book in the Max Wolfe series, which I have loved from beginning to end. As usual a dramatic and twisting plot, where you think you’ve worked things out and then definitely haven’t. I’m so sad that it’s come to an end.
March 7, 2019
No maybe for this one:)
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