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The Terror Within: A gritty and fast-paced British detective crime thriller
CAN THEY SAVE THE HOSTAGES BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT?
Just as DCI Banham and DI Alison Grainger are about to get married, a policeman is shot and all officers are urgently called to the scene.
Banham, a trained hostage negotiator, rushes to the street when he hears his friend, PC Martin Neville, has been injured and taken hostage, along with four others. As Banham tries to negotiate, things go from dangerous to critical, with PC Neville is in a life-threatening condition.
Meanwhile Grainger, having been left at the altar, defies orders and is working on the case from the CCTV room. When the pieces begin to fall together, she finds herself in a deadly situation. With time nearly up, the demands of the hostage-takers are yet to be met and lives remain at risk...
DCI Banham returns in the latest heart racing novel from critically acclaimed author Linda Regan. This fast-paced and gritty thriller is perfect for fans of Lynda La Plante and Kimberley Chambers.
Just as DCI Banham and DI Alison Grainger are about to get married, a policeman is shot and all officers are urgently called to the scene.
Banham, a trained hostage negotiator, rushes to the street when he hears his friend, PC Martin Neville, has been injured and taken hostage, along with four others. As Banham tries to negotiate, things go from dangerous to critical, with PC Neville is in a life-threatening condition.
Meanwhile Grainger, having been left at the altar, defies orders and is working on the case from the CCTV room. When the pieces begin to fall together, she finds herself in a deadly situation. With time nearly up, the demands of the hostage-takers are yet to be met and lives remain at risk...
DCI Banham returns in the latest heart racing novel from critically acclaimed author Linda Regan. This fast-paced and gritty thriller is perfect for fans of Lynda La Plante and Kimberley Chambers.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 19, 2020
4.5-stars rounded up to 5.
I'll start off by saying thank you to the British actor John Blundell for bringing this book to my attention. Many of you may have seen the film "Quadrophenia" in which the author of this book Co-stars with him.
If you like the idea of a story about a hostage situation in London England, then this will likely be right up your street!
The author clearly did her research and having lived in and around London, she knows the city well, though she doesn't go deeply into naming all the roads etc, which was a relief for me as I'm not a visual reader and my geography is hopeless, lol.
There's violence, strong language and some brief torture scenes in here, so be warned if you are of a gentle nature. There are also one or two relationships going on between police officers, which should keep those who want romance in their books happy.
I am not a violent man, but the author made me want to beat the hostage-takers to death for their actions. It is a fairly straight forward tale with a bit of a twist toward the end. It is a little repetitive in places, but that's the way things would be during hostage negotiations.
I've marked it down a little because it isn't really my genre. I think it's well worth a read though, especially if you like crime thrillers.
Thanks for reading.
I'll start off by saying thank you to the British actor John Blundell for bringing this book to my attention. Many of you may have seen the film "Quadrophenia" in which the author of this book Co-stars with him.
If you like the idea of a story about a hostage situation in London England, then this will likely be right up your street!
The author clearly did her research and having lived in and around London, she knows the city well, though she doesn't go deeply into naming all the roads etc, which was a relief for me as I'm not a visual reader and my geography is hopeless, lol.
There's violence, strong language and some brief torture scenes in here, so be warned if you are of a gentle nature. There are also one or two relationships going on between police officers, which should keep those who want romance in their books happy.
I am not a violent man, but the author made me want to beat the hostage-takers to death for their actions. It is a fairly straight forward tale with a bit of a twist toward the end. It is a little repetitive in places, but that's the way things would be during hostage negotiations.
I've marked it down a little because it isn't really my genre. I think it's well worth a read though, especially if you like crime thrillers.
Thanks for reading.
April 7, 2020
review to follow
April 13, 2020
I can’t remember the last time that I read such a fast-paced book. What made it especially enjoyable was that it was mostly contained; there were only a few locations where the action took place. It is easy to build tension in a movie this way, but more difficult in a book. The author did a fantastic job of moving to each of the main characters to create the entire story. If you are looking for pulse-pounding, this is the one for you. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book, and all thoughts are my own.
June 18, 2020
The Terror Within deserves all the stars with its compelling, page-turning story that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat until the final page.
Linda Regan manages to maintain a thrilling police procedural with compelling characters. The action is non-stop, but the characters are what really drives this one home.
I sped through this book, reading it in one day. The cliffhanger ending makes me super excited to read the next book. This is my first read by Linda Regan, but it definitely won’t be my last.
Highly recommended!
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Damppebbles Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
Linda Regan manages to maintain a thrilling police procedural with compelling characters. The action is non-stop, but the characters are what really drives this one home.
I sped through this book, reading it in one day. The cliffhanger ending makes me super excited to read the next book. This is my first read by Linda Regan, but it definitely won’t be my last.
Highly recommended!
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Damppebbles Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
April 28, 2020
I never fully read the full synopsis of the terror within but once I started reading I was immediately hooked. Right away we meet our main character who is about to get married but her and her partner get called away due to a fellow officer being hurt and taken hostage.
This story spans over one day as the police are trying to save the hostages and stop these men getting away. This was a really dark and gritty story that involves a bunch of content warnings such as murder, threats of rape, kidnapping, beatings body mutilation and much more. So please be careful when going into this story.
The Terror Within was honestly so tense and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Anytime I needed to put the book down I could not stop thinking about the story and needed to finish it as soon as possible.
This was a fantastic, dark and gritty crime novel that explores some very important topics such as religious beliefs, marriage and the work that police do during times of huge stress just like in this story.
This story spans over one day as the police are trying to save the hostages and stop these men getting away. This was a really dark and gritty story that involves a bunch of content warnings such as murder, threats of rape, kidnapping, beatings body mutilation and much more. So please be careful when going into this story.
The Terror Within was honestly so tense and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Anytime I needed to put the book down I could not stop thinking about the story and needed to finish it as soon as possible.
This was a fantastic, dark and gritty crime novel that explores some very important topics such as religious beliefs, marriage and the work that police do during times of huge stress just like in this story.
April 9, 2020
If there's one thing that I like doing, it's discovering new authors and Linda Regan is a new author to me. I read the synopsis for 'The Terror Within' and it certainly sounded like the sort of crime novel I enjoy. I was spot on too, because I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Terror Within' but more about that in a bit.
When I started to read 'The Terror Within', there were a few spooky coincidences going on. I started to read the book, whilst watching 'Hi De Hi' on the Drama Channel. Now I am not exactly quick on the uptake so whilst I was reading I didn't make the connection between Linda Regan the author and Linda Regan the actress. (Linda played the character of April, who Spike was rather keen on). It was only when I checked out her biography on the internet as preparation for my review that I put two and two together and came up with four. Secondly, I actually used to work with someobody of the same name as the lead character in this book so as I was reading, I kept imagining him. Thirdly, I do actually know a policeman, who shares the surname of the lead policeman in this book. Talk about confusing myself. At one point I had three Banhams running around in my head.
It took me next to no time to get into this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first few pages, I just knew that I was going to enjoy this book and I would find it increasingly difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I read the book for three hours solidly before I had to force myself to put the book down so that I could see to my two loopy Labradors, who were demanding to be fed. As soon as I got the chance I picked the book back up and carried on reading. 'The Terror Within' was one of those books that I wanted to finish because I had a desperate need to know how the story concluded but at the same time I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying everything about the book so much that I didn't want it to end. I hope that makes sense. In the end, my need to know triumphed over everything else and I raced to the end of the book. For me, 'The Terror Within' was the true definition of an unputdownable, page turner of the read.
'The Terror Within' is brilliantly written. I am now cross at myself that I have left it this long to discover how fabulous an author Linda Regan is. The up side of my late discovery is the fact that I now have the rest of her books to catch up on. Perfect reading to cope with the 'lockdown' due to Corona Virus. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start with one of the most memorable starts to a story that I can remember and then she draws you into the story. For me, 'The Terror Within' hit the ground running and maintained the fast pace throughout. Linda certainly took me on one hell of a scary, fast paced and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you know what to do with. Just when you thought you could take a minute to catch your breath then off the action would go again. Linda writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, 'The Terror Within' was a fast paced, thrilling read, which had me gripped and on the edge of my seat throughout. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Linda's work in the future. In fact, as soon as I am finished typing here, I will be going to visit Mr. A. Mazon to buy copies of her other books and I will make reading them one of my top reading priorities. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
When I started to read 'The Terror Within', there were a few spooky coincidences going on. I started to read the book, whilst watching 'Hi De Hi' on the Drama Channel. Now I am not exactly quick on the uptake so whilst I was reading I didn't make the connection between Linda Regan the author and Linda Regan the actress. (Linda played the character of April, who Spike was rather keen on). It was only when I checked out her biography on the internet as preparation for my review that I put two and two together and came up with four. Secondly, I actually used to work with someobody of the same name as the lead character in this book so as I was reading, I kept imagining him. Thirdly, I do actually know a policeman, who shares the surname of the lead policeman in this book. Talk about confusing myself. At one point I had three Banhams running around in my head.
It took me next to no time to get into this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first few pages, I just knew that I was going to enjoy this book and I would find it increasingly difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I read the book for three hours solidly before I had to force myself to put the book down so that I could see to my two loopy Labradors, who were demanding to be fed. As soon as I got the chance I picked the book back up and carried on reading. 'The Terror Within' was one of those books that I wanted to finish because I had a desperate need to know how the story concluded but at the same time I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying everything about the book so much that I didn't want it to end. I hope that makes sense. In the end, my need to know triumphed over everything else and I raced to the end of the book. For me, 'The Terror Within' was the true definition of an unputdownable, page turner of the read.
'The Terror Within' is brilliantly written. I am now cross at myself that I have left it this long to discover how fabulous an author Linda Regan is. The up side of my late discovery is the fact that I now have the rest of her books to catch up on. Perfect reading to cope with the 'lockdown' due to Corona Virus. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start with one of the most memorable starts to a story that I can remember and then she draws you into the story. For me, 'The Terror Within' hit the ground running and maintained the fast pace throughout. Linda certainly took me on one hell of a scary, fast paced and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you know what to do with. Just when you thought you could take a minute to catch your breath then off the action would go again. Linda writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, 'The Terror Within' was a fast paced, thrilling read, which had me gripped and on the edge of my seat throughout. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Linda's work in the future. In fact, as soon as I am finished typing here, I will be going to visit Mr. A. Mazon to buy copies of her other books and I will make reading them one of my top reading priorities. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
April 16, 2020
An excellent police procedural that is brilliantly paced, wonderfully twisted and densely plotted, crime fiction fans are going to love Linda Regan and her nail-biting thriller featuring DCI Banham and DI Grainger, The Terror Within, a heart-stopping and nail-biting tale readers will simply not be able to put down.
Weddings are always fraught with drama and tension and when two police officers decide to tie the knot then one can expect the unexpected, but not even DCI Banham and DI Alison Grainger could have possibly foreseen just how unpredictable their wedding day was going to be! When a policeman is shot on their wedding day, all officers are urgently called to the scene. Confetti and wedding cake have to take a back seat as the two police officers find themselves thrust deep into a dangerous world where the stakes are sky-high, the danger unrelenting and panic and fear catching! Banham rushes to the streets when he discovers that his friend PC Martin Neville has been injured and then taken hostage with four others. With time being of the essence, Banham is going to have to use all of his skills as a trained negotiator to ensure that no further damage is done, but will Banham manage to ensure that everyone will emerge out of this terrifying situation unscathed? Does he know what he is up against? As things go from bad to worse with Neville in a life-threatening condition, has Banham wandered into a situation where he might be out of his depth?
Grainger might have had her wedding day disrupted, but she is not about to sit on the side-lines crying into her wedding dress and stuffing herself with cake. Her colleagues need her and defying orders, she begins to work the case from the CCTV room. Grainger needs to use all of her resolve to piece together the convoluted pieces of a baffling puzzle that might just end up claiming the lives of many an innocent person, but little does Grainger realise that she is about to find herself in a deadly situation and with the demands of the hostage-takers still needing to be met, the risk has never been higher and time is almost up.
Can Banham and Grainger emerge out of this alive? Or will their wedding day be an event people will remember but for all the wrong reasons?
A gritty, high-octane thriller that packs one hell of a punch, crime fiction has never been as exciting as Linda Regan’s The Terror Within. Tense, scary and so brilliantly twisted, you certainly should not read The Terror Within in an empty house because you simply will not be able to sleep. Unpredictable, action-packed and twisted, The Terror Within sees Banham and Grainger on top form. Smart, fearless but human, it’s a shame that they are fictional because they would certainly be an asset to the police force.
Linda Regan writes unputdownable crime thrillers you simply will not want to miss and The Terror Within is a must-read for aficionados of the genre everywhere.
Weddings are always fraught with drama and tension and when two police officers decide to tie the knot then one can expect the unexpected, but not even DCI Banham and DI Alison Grainger could have possibly foreseen just how unpredictable their wedding day was going to be! When a policeman is shot on their wedding day, all officers are urgently called to the scene. Confetti and wedding cake have to take a back seat as the two police officers find themselves thrust deep into a dangerous world where the stakes are sky-high, the danger unrelenting and panic and fear catching! Banham rushes to the streets when he discovers that his friend PC Martin Neville has been injured and then taken hostage with four others. With time being of the essence, Banham is going to have to use all of his skills as a trained negotiator to ensure that no further damage is done, but will Banham manage to ensure that everyone will emerge out of this terrifying situation unscathed? Does he know what he is up against? As things go from bad to worse with Neville in a life-threatening condition, has Banham wandered into a situation where he might be out of his depth?
Grainger might have had her wedding day disrupted, but she is not about to sit on the side-lines crying into her wedding dress and stuffing herself with cake. Her colleagues need her and defying orders, she begins to work the case from the CCTV room. Grainger needs to use all of her resolve to piece together the convoluted pieces of a baffling puzzle that might just end up claiming the lives of many an innocent person, but little does Grainger realise that she is about to find herself in a deadly situation and with the demands of the hostage-takers still needing to be met, the risk has never been higher and time is almost up.
Can Banham and Grainger emerge out of this alive? Or will their wedding day be an event people will remember but for all the wrong reasons?
A gritty, high-octane thriller that packs one hell of a punch, crime fiction has never been as exciting as Linda Regan’s The Terror Within. Tense, scary and so brilliantly twisted, you certainly should not read The Terror Within in an empty house because you simply will not be able to sleep. Unpredictable, action-packed and twisted, The Terror Within sees Banham and Grainger on top form. Smart, fearless but human, it’s a shame that they are fictional because they would certainly be an asset to the police force.
Linda Regan writes unputdownable crime thrillers you simply will not want to miss and The Terror Within is a must-read for aficionados of the genre everywhere.
April 6, 2020
I love a good fast paced book and this certainly hit the mark. From the very first page I was hooked and was soon embroiled in a seedy, underground world where good certainly versus evil. I eould like to say a massive thank you to Emman Welton and Linda Regan for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.
Detective Inspector Paul Banham was in the middle of getting married when the call came in that all assistance was needed urgently. A riot was getting out of control and it was all hands to the deck. What else could he do but leave the altar and go and do what he does best.
Detective Inspector Alison Grainger was having the day from hell. Her wedding had got out of control, she hadn’t wanted bridesmaids and frilly dresses so when the call came for help she was desperate to follow her husband to be. He however ordered her to go home and then fly out to Mykonos, their honeymoon destination. His plan was to follow as soon as he could. Alison was not one to take orders and certainly didn’t take kindly being told what to do. In fact, maybe their wedding was better off not taking place as there was no way she would become a stay at wife.
We are swiftly thrown into the hostile situation, Banham is the leading officer and head negotiator. There are two Pc’s being held hostage and the situation is becoming more and more violent. PC Martin Neville has been shot and is being held captive with an inexperienced PC Hannah Kemp. She is his only hope of escape.
This story twists and turns from the officers on the ground to the hostage situation where things are getting uglier and uglier. Five hostages are being held, an old shopkeeper, an old woman, a beautiful young woman and the two PC’s. As the situation escalates it’s not long before Banham has negotiated himself for the release of his two PC’s.
Alison, never one to take orders has not flown off to sunnier climates but headed back to the station where she is behind the scenes trying to piece the puzzle together and raise to the demands of the hostage takers. What she uncovers is quite shocking and not for one minute did I see it coming. Fantastic turn if events.
I loved everything about this book from the complexity of the characters to the even more complex situation that we find ourselves in. The story twists and turns and at times leaves you holding your breath until the truth is finally revealed. This was a fabulous read and I would love to read more stories involving Banham and Grainger. I have a feeling that they are a force to be reckoned with. I cannot praise this book enough. I loved it from start to finish.
This book is part of a series and I have to confess I haven’t read any of the previous books however I could easily read this as a standalone and I have now taken it upon myself to place an order for the previous books available,
Detective Inspector Paul Banham was in the middle of getting married when the call came in that all assistance was needed urgently. A riot was getting out of control and it was all hands to the deck. What else could he do but leave the altar and go and do what he does best.
Detective Inspector Alison Grainger was having the day from hell. Her wedding had got out of control, she hadn’t wanted bridesmaids and frilly dresses so when the call came for help she was desperate to follow her husband to be. He however ordered her to go home and then fly out to Mykonos, their honeymoon destination. His plan was to follow as soon as he could. Alison was not one to take orders and certainly didn’t take kindly being told what to do. In fact, maybe their wedding was better off not taking place as there was no way she would become a stay at wife.
We are swiftly thrown into the hostile situation, Banham is the leading officer and head negotiator. There are two Pc’s being held hostage and the situation is becoming more and more violent. PC Martin Neville has been shot and is being held captive with an inexperienced PC Hannah Kemp. She is his only hope of escape.
This story twists and turns from the officers on the ground to the hostage situation where things are getting uglier and uglier. Five hostages are being held, an old shopkeeper, an old woman, a beautiful young woman and the two PC’s. As the situation escalates it’s not long before Banham has negotiated himself for the release of his two PC’s.
Alison, never one to take orders has not flown off to sunnier climates but headed back to the station where she is behind the scenes trying to piece the puzzle together and raise to the demands of the hostage takers. What she uncovers is quite shocking and not for one minute did I see it coming. Fantastic turn if events.
I loved everything about this book from the complexity of the characters to the even more complex situation that we find ourselves in. The story twists and turns and at times leaves you holding your breath until the truth is finally revealed. This was a fabulous read and I would love to read more stories involving Banham and Grainger. I have a feeling that they are a force to be reckoned with. I cannot praise this book enough. I loved it from start to finish.
This book is part of a series and I have to confess I haven’t read any of the previous books however I could easily read this as a standalone and I have now taken it upon myself to place an order for the previous books available,
April 10, 2020
Riots. Hostages. Family honor. A deranged and vile team of hostage-takers kidnaps civilians and policemen to set a deadly trap.
DCI Paul Banham is supposed to be on his honeymoon by now, but he's negotiating a hostage crisis over a family feud. He didn't even have time to get married. Two of his officers are hostages and one is injured badly. Time is running out and the hostages don't want to deal until Devlin McCaub is found and brought to them. Will they get the hostages out before there is any more bloodshed? He ordered his fiancee to board the plane to their honeymoon spot in Greece. Will she understand he couldn't have her there after what happened to his family years ago?
DI Alison Grainger was ordered by her fiance to go to Greece for their honeymoon, but the department is short of hands and she's staying to help at the command center whether Paul likes it or not. Known for her short temper, Alison is convinced by her commander to stay put in the office or else be written up and demoted. What she uncovers about the hostage-takers will possibly give her a medal instead. Perhaps the marriage thing isn't so bad after all. She worries about Paul in the middle of a dangerous hostage situation and she wants him to know how much she loves him, but he thinks she's on the way to Greece and doesn't want to distract him from his job.
PC Hannah Kemp is trying to save her partner from dying, but the hostages are violent and don't want to deal. She's been beaten, her arm is broken, and she is being threatened with rape. God knows what her fiance Peter (another officer) is thinking right now. Would it be her fate to die here?
Wow!!! This is a gripping, suspense-filled ride of terror, violence, and desperation. I could not put this book down. As a negotiator and one who has lost loved ones in a violent way, Paul is determined to save the hostages no matter what it takes. During the siege, he reflects back to the horrible deaths of his wife and child, and questions whether he should marry again. Alison is furious when Paul orders her to go to Greece, and questions whether she wants to marry someone who does not respect her and her career. Apparently, the two love each other very much and let the very tense situation skew their judgment, but after the extremely stressful situation they find themselves in, they realize how lucky they are to have each other. The supporting characters, including the crazy hostage-takers and their warped sense of family, are a crucial addition to give this story depth.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, intense crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Yet another author to add to my favorites list!
Thank you to Ms. Regan for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
DCI Paul Banham is supposed to be on his honeymoon by now, but he's negotiating a hostage crisis over a family feud. He didn't even have time to get married. Two of his officers are hostages and one is injured badly. Time is running out and the hostages don't want to deal until Devlin McCaub is found and brought to them. Will they get the hostages out before there is any more bloodshed? He ordered his fiancee to board the plane to their honeymoon spot in Greece. Will she understand he couldn't have her there after what happened to his family years ago?
DI Alison Grainger was ordered by her fiance to go to Greece for their honeymoon, but the department is short of hands and she's staying to help at the command center whether Paul likes it or not. Known for her short temper, Alison is convinced by her commander to stay put in the office or else be written up and demoted. What she uncovers about the hostage-takers will possibly give her a medal instead. Perhaps the marriage thing isn't so bad after all. She worries about Paul in the middle of a dangerous hostage situation and she wants him to know how much she loves him, but he thinks she's on the way to Greece and doesn't want to distract him from his job.
PC Hannah Kemp is trying to save her partner from dying, but the hostages are violent and don't want to deal. She's been beaten, her arm is broken, and she is being threatened with rape. God knows what her fiance Peter (another officer) is thinking right now. Would it be her fate to die here?
Wow!!! This is a gripping, suspense-filled ride of terror, violence, and desperation. I could not put this book down. As a negotiator and one who has lost loved ones in a violent way, Paul is determined to save the hostages no matter what it takes. During the siege, he reflects back to the horrible deaths of his wife and child, and questions whether he should marry again. Alison is furious when Paul orders her to go to Greece, and questions whether she wants to marry someone who does not respect her and her career. Apparently, the two love each other very much and let the very tense situation skew their judgment, but after the extremely stressful situation they find themselves in, they realize how lucky they are to have each other. The supporting characters, including the crazy hostage-takers and their warped sense of family, are a crucial addition to give this story depth.
Overall, this is a fast-paced, intense crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Yet another author to add to my favorites list!
Thank you to Ms. Regan for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
January 7, 2020
Despite their desire for a quiet civic wedding DCI Paul Banham and DI Alison Grainger find themselves caught up in a more lavish affair. To her chagrin, as the big day dawns Alison finds herself in a Mercedes speeding towards her wedding in a dress trimmed in pink ribbon and pink net, all at the behest of Pauls niece Madeleine who had resorted to sobbing uncontrollably when it appeared that there would be no pink dress. Madeleine got her way.
Just as they reach the door of the Town Hall a call comes through calling for urgent assistance. Following a night of street rioting the violence has now escalated resulting in a policeman being shot and dragged into a warehouse along with several other hostages. The call is for all available officers to attend the scene and urgently needed is a trained hostage negotiator. As a trained hostage negotiator Banham tells Alison he has to go. The policeman who gas been shot is PC Martin Neville and he has been taken along with PC Hannah Kemp and several civilians. Alison is keen to get to the scene to be on hand to help but Banham is adamant she should take the flight to their honeymoon location in Greece, and he will get a later plane. As her superior officer. He says, ‘that’s an order’.
Alison doesn’t take kindly to that order and has no intention of complying. But after discussion with the Chief Superintendent she agrees to stay away from the scene.
Meanwhile, Banham is not getting any response to his calls to the hostage-takers, and time is of the essence for PC Martin Neville, who it can be seen from the scene of the shooting has lost a lot of blood. Further complication for Banham is the distraught fiancé of PC Hannah Kemp, who is understandably acting irrationally faced with the plight of the woman he loves.
As time ticks by the tension rises for both the police and the hostages. When finally demands are made they raise more questions for the police. Alison, meanwhile, although keeping away from the siege decides to approach the matter from a different avenue, one which eventually becomes life-threatening for her.
What looks to be a straightforward hostage situation is in fact extremely complicated.
Cleverly plotted this is a nail-biting thriller has a twist at the end that turns everything on its head. Highly recommended.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
Just as they reach the door of the Town Hall a call comes through calling for urgent assistance. Following a night of street rioting the violence has now escalated resulting in a policeman being shot and dragged into a warehouse along with several other hostages. The call is for all available officers to attend the scene and urgently needed is a trained hostage negotiator. As a trained hostage negotiator Banham tells Alison he has to go. The policeman who gas been shot is PC Martin Neville and he has been taken along with PC Hannah Kemp and several civilians. Alison is keen to get to the scene to be on hand to help but Banham is adamant she should take the flight to their honeymoon location in Greece, and he will get a later plane. As her superior officer. He says, ‘that’s an order’.
Alison doesn’t take kindly to that order and has no intention of complying. But after discussion with the Chief Superintendent she agrees to stay away from the scene.
Meanwhile, Banham is not getting any response to his calls to the hostage-takers, and time is of the essence for PC Martin Neville, who it can be seen from the scene of the shooting has lost a lot of blood. Further complication for Banham is the distraught fiancé of PC Hannah Kemp, who is understandably acting irrationally faced with the plight of the woman he loves.
As time ticks by the tension rises for both the police and the hostages. When finally demands are made they raise more questions for the police. Alison, meanwhile, although keeping away from the siege decides to approach the matter from a different avenue, one which eventually becomes life-threatening for her.
What looks to be a straightforward hostage situation is in fact extremely complicated.
Cleverly plotted this is a nail-biting thriller has a twist at the end that turns everything on its head. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
March 18, 2020
First of all I just want to say I had an eARC which was infuriating to read at times as words were slotted in, and then some of the sentences didn’t finish, along with quite a bit of repetition which was getting me even more annoyed.
But I stuck with it, overall the premise and the actual story are good if it wasn’t for the things I have mentioned, I was getting so cross with Alison when she kept going on about Banhams hair or how much she did love him, there’s only so many times you want to read that.
Anyway, the story begins with DI Alison Grainger on her way to marry DCI Paul Banham, Grainger hates her dress, and is starting to have second thoughts about getting married. In the meantime, Banham is at the church when calls come in that they need a negotiator, it just so happens he is the only one, they also need other officers, so they all go off.
But Banham contacts Alison apologising and telling her to go on the honeymoon and he will catch up with her, and not to forget to put her sunscreen on. Alison is furious, she is known for her temper, as she sees it if all,staff have been called in then that means her as well. But as Banham is SIO he has said no. She goes above him to see his superior who says yes she is needed but she has to stay at headquarters as they need her to look at CCTV footage and talk to arrests that have been so far made. They have a hostage situation and need to see who the key players are.
There has been rioting in London, a police officer PC Martin Neville has been shot and taken as a hostage along with his partner PC Hannah Kemp, and 3 Asians. They are being held hostage by two other Asians.
The drama unfolds, Banham trying to negotiate, but not getting that far with it, he asks them to let the injured officer out as a goodwill gesture. The tension gradually ratchets up throughout the book.
Leading to a twist in the story towards the end, which I did suspect, but you just never know.
But I stuck with it, overall the premise and the actual story are good if it wasn’t for the things I have mentioned, I was getting so cross with Alison when she kept going on about Banhams hair or how much she did love him, there’s only so many times you want to read that.
Anyway, the story begins with DI Alison Grainger on her way to marry DCI Paul Banham, Grainger hates her dress, and is starting to have second thoughts about getting married. In the meantime, Banham is at the church when calls come in that they need a negotiator, it just so happens he is the only one, they also need other officers, so they all go off.
But Banham contacts Alison apologising and telling her to go on the honeymoon and he will catch up with her, and not to forget to put her sunscreen on. Alison is furious, she is known for her temper, as she sees it if all,staff have been called in then that means her as well. But as Banham is SIO he has said no. She goes above him to see his superior who says yes she is needed but she has to stay at headquarters as they need her to look at CCTV footage and talk to arrests that have been so far made. They have a hostage situation and need to see who the key players are.
There has been rioting in London, a police officer PC Martin Neville has been shot and taken as a hostage along with his partner PC Hannah Kemp, and 3 Asians. They are being held hostage by two other Asians.
The drama unfolds, Banham trying to negotiate, but not getting that far with it, he asks them to let the injured officer out as a goodwill gesture. The tension gradually ratchets up throughout the book.
Leading to a twist in the story towards the end, which I did suspect, but you just never know.
April 1, 2020
On what should be the happiest day of their lives, their wedding day, DCI Paul Banham and DI Alison Grainger end up in the middle of a hostage negotiation and shoot out.
While the groom, Banham is at the church and Alison is on her way, calls come in that the force need a negotiator, it just so happens he is the only one and they also need other officers as the situation in Henry Street has escalated.
Banham wants Alison to continue onto their honeymoon in Greece and he will fly out to her when he can. She is stubborn and decides she's more use at the station and disobeys his order (he's her boss at work).
There has been rioting all night in London, a police officer PC Martin Neville has been shot and taken as a hostage along with his partner PC Hannah Kemp, and three other hostages a young woman and an older man and woman. They are being held hostage by two Asian males armed with guns and knives.
PC Neville is bleeding heavily and inexperienced PC Hannah Kemp fears they are going to lose him.
The drama unfolds, Banham trying to negotiate, but not getting that far with it, he asks them to let the injured officer out as a goodwill gesture. They demand a helicopter and £100k in cash.
The tension gradually ratchets up throughout the book.
Will PC Neville make it?
If Hannah doesn't keep quiet will they carry out their threats of raping and killing her? Will she ever make it to her wedding day?
Alison, meanwhile, although keeping away from the scene decides to approach the matter from a different avenue, one which eventually becomes life-threatening for her.
She thinks she's about to wrap up a case involving multiple honour killings but is she about to get herself in grave danger?
What looks to be a straightforward hostage situation is in fact extremely complicated.
There's a twist at the end that I sort of saw coming as I love police dramas - on the screen and in book format.
A tense read.
While the groom, Banham is at the church and Alison is on her way, calls come in that the force need a negotiator, it just so happens he is the only one and they also need other officers as the situation in Henry Street has escalated.
Banham wants Alison to continue onto their honeymoon in Greece and he will fly out to her when he can. She is stubborn and decides she's more use at the station and disobeys his order (he's her boss at work).
There has been rioting all night in London, a police officer PC Martin Neville has been shot and taken as a hostage along with his partner PC Hannah Kemp, and three other hostages a young woman and an older man and woman. They are being held hostage by two Asian males armed with guns and knives.
PC Neville is bleeding heavily and inexperienced PC Hannah Kemp fears they are going to lose him.
The drama unfolds, Banham trying to negotiate, but not getting that far with it, he asks them to let the injured officer out as a goodwill gesture. They demand a helicopter and £100k in cash.
The tension gradually ratchets up throughout the book.
Will PC Neville make it?
If Hannah doesn't keep quiet will they carry out their threats of raping and killing her? Will she ever make it to her wedding day?
Alison, meanwhile, although keeping away from the scene decides to approach the matter from a different avenue, one which eventually becomes life-threatening for her.
She thinks she's about to wrap up a case involving multiple honour killings but is she about to get herself in grave danger?
What looks to be a straightforward hostage situation is in fact extremely complicated.
There's a twist at the end that I sort of saw coming as I love police dramas - on the screen and in book format.
A tense read.
April 6, 2020
Despite being part of a series, this novel works well as a stand alone. I'm guessing that the relationship between Grainger and Banham is explored and developed in the earlier books however there is enough information to fill in the major gaps.
Imagine it! It's your wedding day but a call comes in for available police officers to attend a hostage situation in the midst of rioting. Well of course you leave your wedding and run off to do a bit of hostage negotiation. With a good friend of theirs potential shot (or worse) and other members of the force being held, tensions rise between officers, innocent civilians, rioters and between Grainger and himself.
Whilst Banham is trying to negotiate on the front line, Grainger finds herself in a dangerous position after piecing some clues together and making headway making this an intense and thrilling plot.
Regan has taken what begins as a seemingly simple idea and twisted, turned and molded it into a more complex and tense police drama that is excitedly written.
This novel is a very edge of your seat drama and I am looking forward to getting to know these characters a little more by reading the previous books in the series
Imagine it! It's your wedding day but a call comes in for available police officers to attend a hostage situation in the midst of rioting. Well of course you leave your wedding and run off to do a bit of hostage negotiation. With a good friend of theirs potential shot (or worse) and other members of the force being held, tensions rise between officers, innocent civilians, rioters and between Grainger and himself.
Whilst Banham is trying to negotiate on the front line, Grainger finds herself in a dangerous position after piecing some clues together and making headway making this an intense and thrilling plot.
Regan has taken what begins as a seemingly simple idea and twisted, turned and molded it into a more complex and tense police drama that is excitedly written.
This novel is a very edge of your seat drama and I am looking forward to getting to know these characters a little more by reading the previous books in the series
April 6, 2020
4 Stars from me
This is a beautiful example of how to build tension!
Hats off to Linda Regan who has essentially written this entire book around one scene - it's a brilliant concept and artful mastered.
The Terror Within is my first introduction to DCI Banham and I will be looking out for the previous books as I would love to read the backstory. Well, I think, to be fair it sounds pretty damn gruesome!
My only niggles throughout this book related to the internal dialogue from DI Alison Grainger - her 'do I, don't I, oh Banny, I love his little curl' got on my wick!
Ignoring that, this is a solid and superbly constructed hostage scene with a wonderful amount of ever tightening peril and tension - I loved it!
My thanks to the wonderful Emma from Damp Pebbles Blog Tours who rescued my ARC which was virtually unreadable! The woman is a saint.
This is a beautiful example of how to build tension!
Hats off to Linda Regan who has essentially written this entire book around one scene - it's a brilliant concept and artful mastered.
The Terror Within is my first introduction to DCI Banham and I will be looking out for the previous books as I would love to read the backstory. Well, I think, to be fair it sounds pretty damn gruesome!
My only niggles throughout this book related to the internal dialogue from DI Alison Grainger - her 'do I, don't I, oh Banny, I love his little curl' got on my wick!
Ignoring that, this is a solid and superbly constructed hostage scene with a wonderful amount of ever tightening peril and tension - I loved it!
My thanks to the wonderful Emma from Damp Pebbles Blog Tours who rescued my ARC which was virtually unreadable! The woman is a saint.
April 6, 2020
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I really enjoyed this story and it was one that had me gripped to the very end!
I thought that the storyline was well developed and the pace for the book was great, it was a proper page turner for me and I thought that the writing style was perfect too for the book – I loved the suspense that the author built up.
I thought that the characters were well developed and I did feel for DCI Paul Banham and DI Alison Grainger as on what should have been the happiest day of their lives, their wedding day, they ended up in the middle of a hostage negotiation and shoot out – not how most wedding days go!!
I found the book to be a great crime thriller and the plot was great and I loved the twist before the end too - it is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed the plot and thought that it was well written – highly recommended!!
I really enjoyed this story and it was one that had me gripped to the very end!
I thought that the storyline was well developed and the pace for the book was great, it was a proper page turner for me and I thought that the writing style was perfect too for the book – I loved the suspense that the author built up.
I thought that the characters were well developed and I did feel for DCI Paul Banham and DI Alison Grainger as on what should have been the happiest day of their lives, their wedding day, they ended up in the middle of a hostage negotiation and shoot out – not how most wedding days go!!
I found the book to be a great crime thriller and the plot was great and I loved the twist before the end too - it is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed the plot and thought that it was well written – highly recommended!!
October 29, 2021
amazing
November 1, 2021
I didn't expect this book to grab me as much as it did. My friend recommended this to me and I'm so glad I got it. I would up until the early hours refusing to put it down. I loved it.
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