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Ingrid Skyberg FBI Thriller #4
Shoot First
A teenage girl disappears after witnessing a gangland murder in Chicago. Nine months later and heavily pregnant she arrives in England… only to disappear again.
Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg, working out of the US embassy in London, has just two days to find the girl and get her to testify or else a brutal killer walks free. But Ingrid isn’t the only one looking for the girl, and a gang war that started on the streets of Chicago is about to explode in the peaceful English countryside.
With no leads, no back-up and hardly any time, Ingrid is pushed to the limit. Under pressure and against the clock, her judgement is clouded just at the moment she must make a decision that will change her life forever.
Unlock the thrills and twists of this up-all-night crime thriller series, perfect for any reader who has ever wondered if there’s a female version of Jack Reacher. There is, and her name is Ingrid Skyberg.
Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg, working out of the US embassy in London, has just two days to find the girl and get her to testify or else a brutal killer walks free. But Ingrid isn’t the only one looking for the girl, and a gang war that started on the streets of Chicago is about to explode in the peaceful English countryside.
With no leads, no back-up and hardly any time, Ingrid is pushed to the limit. Under pressure and against the clock, her judgement is clouded just at the moment she must make a decision that will change her life forever.
Unlock the thrills and twists of this up-all-night crime thriller series, perfect for any reader who has ever wondered if there’s a female version of Jack Reacher. There is, and her name is Ingrid Skyberg.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2019
279 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Eva Hudson
36 books100 followersEva Hudson was born and raised in south London. Before taking up writing seriously at the age of 43, Eva worked as a local government officer, singer, dotcom entrepreneur, portrait artist, web designer, project manager and content editor.
In 2011 her first novel, The Loyal Servant, won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize from Cambridge University. The book was also shortlisted for UK TV's People's Novelist Competition.
In 2013, Eva received a terminal cancer diagnosis and this spurred her on to write the book she always wanted to read, a female Jack Reacher adventure. She created Ingrid Skyberg, an FBI agent working out the US embassy in London who's tenacious, resilient and determined, qualities Eva herself had in abundance as she went through treatment. Before she died in 2015, Eva had published four Skyberg books. She also left an unfinished manuscript and notes for future adventures with her partner and editor Jo Monroe who continues to write the series.
For more information, visit evahudson.com and follow Eva on Twitter @Eva_Hudson.
In 2011 her first novel, The Loyal Servant, won the inaugural Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize from Cambridge University. The book was also shortlisted for UK TV's People's Novelist Competition.
In 2013, Eva received a terminal cancer diagnosis and this spurred her on to write the book she always wanted to read, a female Jack Reacher adventure. She created Ingrid Skyberg, an FBI agent working out the US embassy in London who's tenacious, resilient and determined, qualities Eva herself had in abundance as she went through treatment. Before she died in 2015, Eva had published four Skyberg books. She also left an unfinished manuscript and notes for future adventures with her partner and editor Jo Monroe who continues to write the series.
For more information, visit evahudson.com and follow Eva on Twitter @Eva_Hudson.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 12, 2022
outstanding series!!
Love all of the Ingrid books. She is trying to help a pair rich men in London who are expecting a baby via a surrogate. But the woman disappears and asks Ingrid to help. They are friends with the US ambassador to London so Ingrid must diplomatically assist. Ingrid is at her best using all of her skills in this book. Enjoy!
Love all of the Ingrid books. She is trying to help a pair rich men in London who are expecting a baby via a surrogate. But the woman disappears and asks Ingrid to help. They are friends with the US ambassador to London so Ingrid must diplomatically assist. Ingrid is at her best using all of her skills in this book. Enjoy!
June 22, 2021
Fabulously fast paced thriller, thoroughly gripped all the way
Lots of action as you'd expect from an FBI agent ,gripping thriller, surrogates, gangsters, secrets, and deaths, lots of deaths
Lots of action as you'd expect from an FBI agent ,gripping thriller, surrogates, gangsters, secrets, and deaths, lots of deaths
June 24, 2022
So good, really enjoyed the twists in this one 😃
December 21, 2022
Awesome read
Great stories with a fantastic kick ass lead character and very believable plot. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
Great stories with a fantastic kick ass lead character and very believable plot. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
January 29, 2024
Really enjoyed storyline quite creative enjoying Ingrid and her creative approach looking forward to the next book
March 3, 2025
Wonderful
The twists were engaging although at times I thought a little overkill. Overall a great read with good storylines and characters.
The twists were engaging although at times I thought a little overkill. Overall a great read with good storylines and characters.
December 6, 2015
For the fans, the passing away of Ms Hudson was quite quick. She had made us aware of her terminal diagnoses, and shared her plan for finishing the novel she was currently working on, and then she said she was leaving instructions and plot structures for her Editor and friend, Jo Monroe, to continue the next books in the series. Tragically Ms Hudson passed away very quickly and before she could finish the manuscript for the next instalment in the Ingrid Skyberg series she was working on. However with all her notes and careful planning, Ms Monroe was able to step in and turn that unfinished manuscript into the finished book, Shoot First, we have today.
Despite Ms Hudson being extremely unwell when writing this, although her storyline and plot, is not 100% her words. Yet it still emerges as an amazing next instalment in the Skyberg series. Had I not known the above, I would not have guessed that this was, technically, a collaboration.
It is clear that Ms Monroe knows the character of Ingrid Skyberg inside out and that enables her to be taken on an intriguing case into the, never straight forward, lives of 2 celebrities. As part of the Legal Attaché team at the Embassy in London, Skyberg is the only FBI agent assigned to the Criminal Division, and as she follows almost invisible bread crumbs to find a missing teenager in a foreign country the case takes dark and sinister turns with a few twists to keep us on our toes. Along the way we also have the Russians starting to come out to play, with deadly consequences.
Returning characters DC Ralph Mills and Nick Angelis both appear and we get to continue the story of DI Natasha McKittrick and her troubling addiction. Good old Angela Tate is also present, although not as much as in previous books.
This fifth book in the series is a complete page turner; unputdownable. I stayed up late into the night to finish it, and as always I was left wanting more. Especially as the book ends on somewhat of a 'will she/won't she' and the less than welcome appearance of an unwanted face from the not so distant past.
I can't wait to see where Ms Monroe will take Skyberg next and I am very happy that one of my most favourite crime series is continuing, although it is bittersweet. I can't think of a more fitting legacy for Eva Hudson than to have her amazing work continue to be shared with the world.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
Despite Ms Hudson being extremely unwell when writing this, although her storyline and plot, is not 100% her words. Yet it still emerges as an amazing next instalment in the Skyberg series. Had I not known the above, I would not have guessed that this was, technically, a collaboration.
It is clear that Ms Monroe knows the character of Ingrid Skyberg inside out and that enables her to be taken on an intriguing case into the, never straight forward, lives of 2 celebrities. As part of the Legal Attaché team at the Embassy in London, Skyberg is the only FBI agent assigned to the Criminal Division, and as she follows almost invisible bread crumbs to find a missing teenager in a foreign country the case takes dark and sinister turns with a few twists to keep us on our toes. Along the way we also have the Russians starting to come out to play, with deadly consequences.
Returning characters DC Ralph Mills and Nick Angelis both appear and we get to continue the story of DI Natasha McKittrick and her troubling addiction. Good old Angela Tate is also present, although not as much as in previous books.
This fifth book in the series is a complete page turner; unputdownable. I stayed up late into the night to finish it, and as always I was left wanting more. Especially as the book ends on somewhat of a 'will she/won't she' and the less than welcome appearance of an unwanted face from the not so distant past.
I can't wait to see where Ms Monroe will take Skyberg next and I am very happy that one of my most favourite crime series is continuing, although it is bittersweet. I can't think of a more fitting legacy for Eva Hudson than to have her amazing work continue to be shared with the world.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
January 9, 2016
Received an ARC for an honest review.
Wanted to fast read the final book (that I bought cheap just the day I finished the ARC, paying a promo price which makes me feel bad), but did not find the time yet.
If nothing was changed, a bit much with the bad planning (car needs gas, iPhone runs out of power).
And solving everything on her own.
Wanted to give 4 stars, but two events prevented me from it: one chapter needed at least an explaining sentence more - for me there was a part of the story missing, not from the main storyline, but one of Ingrids bad decisions, there could have been a whole chapter about it, from me just one word, not to spoil it: rooftop, and when you read it, you know what I mean. This for me is half a star less, I will check the published ebook wether that was changed, it may be and change the rating and the review accordingly.
Edit January 9th, 2016: I read the final version and all (few) errors regarding grammar and spelling where gone. But the problems regarding the decisions and sudden cut off at the end of a chapter with no further (1 or 2 sentences would have been enough) info, just do not read good, I am not sure wether this happened in the other books, but there is a reason why I never gave 5 stars and only a few times 4 stars.
The final half star was the twist at the end, while I thought she was making an interesting choice and the series could take a turn in an interesting direction, that was reversed with another twist which I seriously do not like. I will look into the next book or the reviews but this decision may be the end of reading the series for me, sorry.
Regardless, I miss Eva Hudson, hers was a sad story and the new author has done a good job, even if I may leave the series.
Wanted to fast read the final book (that I bought cheap just the day I finished the ARC, paying a promo price which makes me feel bad), but did not find the time yet.
If nothing was changed, a bit much with the bad planning (car needs gas, iPhone runs out of power).
And solving everything on her own.
Wanted to give 4 stars, but two events prevented me from it: one chapter needed at least an explaining sentence more - for me there was a part of the story missing, not from the main storyline, but one of Ingrids bad decisions, there could have been a whole chapter about it, from me just one word, not to spoil it: rooftop, and when you read it, you know what I mean. This for me is half a star less, I will check the published ebook wether that was changed, it may be and change the rating and the review accordingly.
Edit January 9th, 2016: I read the final version and all (few) errors regarding grammar and spelling where gone. But the problems regarding the decisions and sudden cut off at the end of a chapter with no further (1 or 2 sentences would have been enough) info, just do not read good, I am not sure wether this happened in the other books, but there is a reason why I never gave 5 stars and only a few times 4 stars.
The final half star was the twist at the end, while I thought she was making an interesting choice and the series could take a turn in an interesting direction, that was reversed with another twist which I seriously do not like. I will look into the next book or the reviews but this decision may be the end of reading the series for me, sorry.
Regardless, I miss Eva Hudson, hers was a sad story and the new author has done a good job, even if I may leave the series.
December 2, 2015
Another thrilling case for Agent Ingrid Skyberg who works in London at the American Embassy with the FBI. During the course of these stories Ingrid Skyberg evolves from a new agent learning her way in the London office to a more knowledgeable and smart agent who thinks quickly and kicks butt as she solves cases for Americans abroad. No Spoiler…but before the end of the book, Ingrid takes action in a situation she had hoped to never experience as an agent.
The plot layers of Shoot First overlap successfully to deliver an interesting mix of crime from the US which affects the teenage gestational surrogate for a high profile London couple, a famous actor and an artist.
Kate-Lynn is 8 months pregnant and she should be in California for the birth. She unexpectedly shows up at the couple’s home in London and overnight goes mysteriously missing. So the frantic search is on for the teenage mother by Agent Skyberg at the request of the Ambassador, to locate Kate-Lynn before the baby is born and before an assassin finds her.
Agent Skyberg mistakenly follows wrong information which puts her in the hospital and inevitably causes an attack for her troubled friend, Natasha McKittrick.
.
Shoot First is a must read for Agent Ingrid Skyberg fans !
Enjoy!
The plot layers of Shoot First overlap successfully to deliver an interesting mix of crime from the US which affects the teenage gestational surrogate for a high profile London couple, a famous actor and an artist.
Kate-Lynn is 8 months pregnant and she should be in California for the birth. She unexpectedly shows up at the couple’s home in London and overnight goes mysteriously missing. So the frantic search is on for the teenage mother by Agent Skyberg at the request of the Ambassador, to locate Kate-Lynn before the baby is born and before an assassin finds her.
Agent Skyberg mistakenly follows wrong information which puts her in the hospital and inevitably causes an attack for her troubled friend, Natasha McKittrick.
.
Shoot First is a must read for Agent Ingrid Skyberg fans !
Enjoy!
December 6, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of twists, suspense, a bit of romance and a lot of guessing what will happen next. Had I not known this book was a collaboration, or that Jo Monroe had finished the book, I would have thought it was written by Eva. The characters were well in sync with previous books, and I was glad to see the developments between my two favs. It was certainly a page turner, and I'm now desperate to read the next installment.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
Merged review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of twists, suspense, a bit of romance and a lot of guessing what will happen next. Had I not known this book was a collaboration, or that Jo Monroe had finished the book, I would have thought it was written by Eva. The characters were well in sync with previous books, and I was glad to see the developments between my two favs. It was certainly a page turner, and I'm now desperate to read the next installment.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
Merged review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of twists, suspense, a bit of romance and a lot of guessing what will happen next. Had I not known this book was a collaboration, or that Jo Monroe had finished the book, I would have thought it was written by Eva. The characters were well in sync with previous books, and I was glad to see the developments between my two favs. It was certainly a page turner, and I'm now desperate to read the next installment.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
December 13, 2015
What a fabulous job Jo Monroe has done for her friend Eva Hudson. Completing this book to Eva's instructions is a fitting tribute to Ms Hudson. It is obvious that Ms Monroe understands completely the characters in this story.
Ingrid has yet more challenges to contend with, a gay couple who are waiting for a baby to be born to a surrogate mother is one.
We follow Ingrid in her pursuit of justice and truth with the many twist and turns that go with the territory. This is an excellent book which I found hard to put down.
Ingrid has yet more challenges to contend with, a gay couple who are waiting for a baby to be born to a surrogate mother is one.
We follow Ingrid in her pursuit of justice and truth with the many twist and turns that go with the territory. This is an excellent book which I found hard to put down.
December 8, 2015
Shoot First is a slick, fast paced page turner. I read until the wee hours of the morning - not wanting to put this book down. The best book in the series so far. Brava Eva and Jo for this excellent book.
Merged review:
Shoot First is a slick, fast paced page turner. I read until the wee hours of the morning - not wanting to put this book down. The best book in the series so far. Brava Eva and Jo for this excellent book.
Merged review:
Shoot First is a slick, fast paced page turner. I read until the wee hours of the morning - not wanting to put this book down. The best book in the series so far. Brava Eva and Jo for this excellent book.
December 28, 2015
Another thrilling instalment in the series and full credit to Jo Monroe for picking up so flawlessly where Eva Hudson left off. We are drawn once again into another exciting adventure with Ingrid Skyberg as she tries to track down a young pregnant girl, with unexpected dangers as always. I can't wait for the next story!
December 5, 2015
Great story! Now I'll have to get my hand on some more Ingrid Skyberg's story to understand the few references that made me quite curious. I guess the missing installments to my collection will be added to my Xmas gifts list to myself.
December 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book
Ingrid Skyberg is a very capable FBI Agent as she investigates a missing teenager as a favor for the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in London.. I like the way the characters flow together to make the story come together in a good mystery..
Ingrid Skyberg is a very capable FBI Agent as she investigates a missing teenager as a favor for the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in London.. I like the way the characters flow together to make the story come together in a good mystery..
July 17, 2016
Really sad to hear that Eva Hudson has died. The Ingrid Skyberg books have been a joy to read; I love the feisty character that Ingrid is and the plot that flows between the books. If you plan to read these definitely start at the beginning.
December 16, 2015
Enjoyable read.
I love the character of Special Agent Skyberg. She has brought parts of me that I didn't know existed. She always outwits the enemy.
I love the character of Special Agent Skyberg. She has brought parts of me that I didn't know existed. She always outwits the enemy.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews