YOU THINK YOU'RE FREE, BUT THEY'LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE . . .
Twenty years ago, Jon Kavanagh worked for a crime syndicate. Then one night he made a mistake. He left a witness at a crime scene. Alive.
Now, he is haunted by the memories of that young girl. Her face a constant reminder of the life he chose to leave behind. Time has passed and now he wants answers: What ever happened to her?
Anna Hill is an aspiring singer, but the bars and clubs she works in are far from exciting. When she is given the opportunity to work in Portugal, she takes it. This is her chance to finally kick-start her career.
But the job offer comes at a price; one that will endanger the lives of those she knows, and those she doesn't. Becoming involved with the Syndicate is risky, and Anna will need her instincts to work out who to trust - and who not to . . .
What an unexpected surprise. The first few chapters I was interested but not engrossed but then the rich characters began developing and I was hooked.
Jon Kavanagh, a contract killer with a conscience was so easy to like I was captivated by his back-story and ongoing dilemma, trying to extricate himself from the clutches of The Syndicate.
An interesting but apt and fitting conclusion- all round great writing! I highly recommend this novel!
I came across this author when I read 'The Hidden Legacy' and was totally hooked and have read everything released since. I really enjoy Graham Minett's writing and the fascinating characters he invents. Of all the four books I have read by this author the synopsis of this one had the least attraction but wasn't put off because I know how much I enjoy his work. I needn't have worried as this book was again a great read and I finished it in one sitting. Great characters and a nicely paced plot.
Jon Kavanagh worked for the crime syndicate and twenty years ago he decided to disobey his orders when he refused to kill a witness at the crime scene. He remains haunted by the memories of the girl he let live and her face is a constant reminder of the life he led. With these feelings inside him he wants to know what happened to her.
A young singer named Anna Hill has ambitions to be a famous singer but currently makes her way working the bars and clubs hoping to find recognition. So when an opening appears in Portugal she sees a glimmer of hope for the career she dreams of. But when she becomes involved in the syndicate her life and the people she cares for are all at risk.
I really enjoyed the character of the gritty contract killer Jon Kavanagh and his fight to break away from the syndicate while easing his conscience. This novel is a little different from the novels I have read recently but don't be put off by the mention of gangs etc because this is a very good novel and has a lot to offer.
I loved the other three books by this author but have to confess that the synopsis of this one didn't particularly grab me. I'm not a fan of books that have criminal gangs at their heart, I prefer my villains to be driven by forces inside but eventually I decided to give it a go. I am so very glad I did, this is the book that will be the surprise hit of 2020 and that's all down to the way the author has brought the characters to life, especially Kavanagh, the man at the centre of the novel.
Jon Kavanagh is a veteran, hit by shrapnel during his service he is befriended by Maurice, a man whose son's life was lost in conflict. Jon is recruited into the Syndicate but we meet him many years down the line when his days of doing the bidding of this powerful criminal fraternity in London are long in the past.
In many ways this is a novel about reflection on those times, and a quest for atonement in one of the most touching pieces of fiction I have read in this genre for quite some time. Don't be fooled though the emotion does not downplay any of the action, there is plenty of heart-racing events to keep that blood moving.
In fact this book should come with a warning, gets the heart racing and the tears flowing, proceed with caution.
Graham Minett, I shouldn't have doubted you, this is an absolutely fab read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of reformed contract killer Jon Kavanagh. Twenty years after walking away from The Syndicate following an agreement with head boss, Maurice Hayes that there would be no reprisals for his withdrawal from “the life” things change when Jimmy Hayes takes over the firm following his father’s death.
Memories of a contract that Jon failed to fulfil adequately leaving a witness to his crime alive start to resurface and Jon’s guilt start his previous occupation cause him much soul searching. I liked the character of Jon and his sense of duty. Details of a childhood trauma he experienced leads the reader to understand how The Syndicate manipulated him.
This was a different type of read for me but one I would high recommend to others.
Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Syndicate is a novel that had me gripped from the outset. Jon Kavanagh is a complex man, alone in the world, and at a point in his life where he needs to fix the mistakes of his past before he can move on with his future. Minett writes Kavanagh's story with skill and subtlety. The prose races along, and is both lyrical and exact. There are twists and turns along the way, shocks and surprises that raise the stakes and threaten to destroy him. I found myself getting up at 6 to sit in the quiet and finish it. Endings in this genre can be unsatisfying but not this with novel. The ending was perfect and made me simultaneously cheer and cry!
Just to explain . . . I always read through my latest book, the moment the complimentary copies arrive, for the sheer pleasure of reminding myself of how it felt to write it and the sense of relief that it's now out there. I leave the reviews and ratings to everyone else and hope they enjoy it!
In ‘The Syndicate’ G.J Minett has brought us a compelling, intricately-plotted novel peopled with fascinating characters, particularly the brilliantly drawn Jon Kavanagh in whose outcome I was completely invested throughout. The writing is superb, the story intriguing and what an ending. Wow!
The Syndicate is the fourth novel by G.J.Minett and the first I have read. I did have Graham as a guest on my Monday Musing series way back in 2016. If you want to read that piece you can do so here. I don't read that much gangland fiction and at first I wasn't sure that I was the right reader for The Syndicate but my fears were allayed as The Syndicate was excellent.
Jon Kavanagh is an ex military man. When he was injured he left the military and went under the wing of Maurice, Crime boss and head of The Syndicate. Jon Kavanagh allows a witness to live, a young girl and The Syndicate do not rate Jon Kavanagh highly for this. He needs to get out, his heart isn't in it, although leaving for good is easier said than done.
What follows is years later and is really an exploration of peace of mind for Jon Kavanagh who seems to seek redemption and salvation. He also wants to know what happened to that little girl whose face he cannot forget even all the years later. The question is though will The Syndicate let him forget.
Jon Kavanagh as a character is a revelation and is the star of the show. Gritty and complex, haunted by his past and unsure of his future. I was absolutely mesmerised by him and the subtle observations by the author about how the events that can happen can shape and change us.
The settings of Durdle Door and Praia D'El Rey were particularly well written and they really made me feel as if I was there in amongst the action.
I found The Syndicate to be more psychological than gangland and for that I was pleased. A highly enjoyable read and well worth the change of pace.
This is the fourth book from this author and I have read the other three. All are brilliant and stand-alone but I think this one is the best so far. I was hooked from the beginning.
This is the story of Jon Kavanagh, ex-army, who was injured in Northern Ireland along with others. He sustained serious injuries, leaving him with a nasty scar down his face and the possibility that he would lose his sight one day. He rescued the Maurice’s son who was killed because of lack of attention to the duty.
After the army he joined ‘The Syndicate’ reporting to Maurice and carried out several hits as well as other shady missions. The last hit he carried out he left a three-year-old girl, who potentially could identify him, and this was a serious breech for ‘The Syndicate’. The rule was never to leave a witness.
He is haunted by her face and desperate to find out how her life panned out after this. He is also haunted by another young girl, Katy, and we find out the true story behind her as the story progresses.
On the surface, Kavanagh, as he is known, seems to be the type of evil character we should all hate but, as we catch up with his life and what he is doing I felt empathy, understanding and a liking for him. He has managed to walk away from ‘The Syndicate’ but Maurice is dead and his younger son, Jimmy, has taken over and there appears to be no escape.
The narrative is realistic, gritty with no punches pulled and an absolutely storming end. This was a tremendous read and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
The Syndicate is only the second book I’ve read by G.J. Minett, and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a highly absorbing crime thriller that will grab you from the first page, then look no further.
I really liked G.J. Minett’s new character, army veteran Jon Kavanagh. Although he was in the army, twenty years ago he also belonged to a crime syndicate. During one operation, he left a witness alive, something he was ordered not to do. Now he is faced with the task of tracking her down. This is with very little information on her whereabouts to go on. He’s not even entirely sure what her name is. But Jon is convinced he made the right call in saving her life all those years earlier. But what position does that put him in now? Can he continue to protect her two decades later? What threat does she pose to The Syndicate he is a part of?
I had so many questions as I was reading this book. I wanted to know more about the events from twenty years earlier. Why was it of paramount importance that this girl is tracked down? What secrets against the crime syndicate could she possibly have? Although Jon Kavanagh is a trained killer, and he has killed in the past, I find that I did warm to him. You can see that, although he isn’t exactly a moral citizen, he doesn’t just think about the job he is given. He thinks about the people he is directly affecting, and this is the case with the young baby he didn’t kill. I also liked the idea of Jon being a bookseller all these years later. It made me think that he just wanted to live a quiet life after his years of service. Kavanagh is now in his sixties, and I got the feeling that he didn’t want to go back into this world at this stage in his life. But it is clear that he doesn’t have much of a choice.
We also follow the story of a young woman, Anna, who is chasing her dream of being a singer. When she is offered the opportunity to move to Portugal, she takes it and leaves her life in the UK behind. I really liked how these stories intertwined, and I thought it made the plot even more intriguing.
G. J. Minett kept the pace turning up a notch, and I devoured a lot of the book in one sitting. It is fast paced and packed with plenty of action. I really enjoyed it.
GJ Minett’s latest thriller examines what happens when a criminal attempts to undo some of the consequences of a crime. It’s an unusual premise, developed in an engaging and often ingenious way. The novel takes the form of an intricate puzzle, and the author successfully keeps the reader interested in the disparate elements of the puzzle as he fits them together. Along the way, he sets the scene with colourful backdrops, including Tyneham Village on the south coast of England and Praia D’El Rey on the Portuguese coast north of Lisbon. Vivid imagery abounds – here, for example, is a combat veteran with shrapnel embedded in his skull: ‘an army of nanoscopic metal fragments inch their way oh so slowly but inexorably across the landscape of his mind.’ Notwithstanding the narrator’s view that ‘analysing the relationships of other people is an exercise in futility’, the novel delves into relationships with verve and skill, so that the reader is fully invested in the outcome of the clash between hero and villain. Characters are invariably described with insight, as in: ‘There’s a haunting quality to her voice – an ache, almost – which reaches out to the audience, and she has a disarming way of almost drifting off in the quiet, reflective passages, as if she’s totally unaware she’s in a lounge full of people. Those moments have awakened something inside him. He knows loneliness when he hears it.’ The Syndicate is a cool and creative thriller that would in a normal summer be perfect reading for the beach, but will certainly be enjoyed under more restrictive pandemic conditions. In fact, those descriptions of idyllic Atlantic beaches and pretty English coastal towns are likely to accommodate the escapist urge in most readers, especially in these trying times.
I had never read any book written by G.J. Minett so I did not really know what to expect, even though the blurb made me feel I could like this novel.
Jon Kavanagh works for a crime syndicate and one day he makes a mistake: he leaves a witness alive at a crime scene. Twenty years later he’s still haunted by this memory.
I was hooked from the very first line because of the author’s writing. First, the way he describes settings is very clever and you can feel the tension of the atmosphere. Then, the plot is very good, and the twists surprise you when you don’t expect it. Besides, the non-linear timeline gives the narrative a fast rhythm which makes this novel a real page-turner. Finally, the characters are remarkably interesting and complex, they’re haunted by their past and you really want to know what’s going to happen.
The Syndicate is a tense and gripping novel and it was a real pleasure to read it.
What a thumping good book! And an absolute gem of a hallmark GJ Minette mystery thriller. The first chapter is an exercise in how to grab the reader, ratcheting the tension while showing ex-soldier Kavanagh’s character, his expertise in killing but also his very human values which put him in a whole lot of trouble.
Layers of plot within layers kept my brain fizzing, trying to work out how the story was going to conclude. The characters beautifully drawn, sometimes horrifyingly real, from Kavanagh’s frightening crime lord boss to his loathsome psychopathic side-kick. No wonder Kavanagh wanted to leave the Syndicate, but at what cost? That question kept me turning those pages, faster and faster.
Full of twists and turns and surprises, this particular story built to an emotive ending that I found enormously satisfying. A great story from a master storyteller. More please.
Having read all of G J Minett’s books, I knew this would be a great read. It has surpassed my expectations. This is a brilliant thriller with an unusual main character whose journey is woven into a fast paced plot. The dialogue is so nuanced and realistic, especially the scenes between Maurice & Kavanagh, that you can almost hear it. The descriptions of places are evocative to the extent you want to visit them (Tyneham is definitely on my list). A really good book is one where things happen that you didn’t predict & you don’t want it to finish - but I have and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I first thought this may be another bad boy making up for past sins (which is a premise I love, don't get me wrong) but this novel is a lot more than that. It's an exciting read with all the right tension and humour and several very clever twists. Loved the ending. Certainly didn't see that coming. Many thanks.
Superb, simply brilliant. A good book needs distinctive characters, a plot that demands you grab the next page and locations that retain an image for the reader. This book had the lot. I've read a great many crime/thriller and this is right up there with the best of them. Looking forward to more by the same author.
This was the long-awaited fourth book by the author and it was definitely worth the wait. A gripping read, with strong characters. When you don’t want to put the book down, you know it’s a good one. I read it in two days, which in itself says it all. Totally recommend it.
I had never read any book written by G.J. Minett so I did not really know what to expect, even though the blurb made me feel I could like this novel.
Jon Kavanagh works for a crime syndicate and one day he makes a mistake: he leaves a witness alive at a crime scene. Twenty years later he’s still haunted by this memory.
I was hooked from the very first line because of the author’s writing. First, the way he describes settings is very clever and you can feel the tension of the atmosphere. Then, the plot is very good, and the twists surprise you when you don’t expect it. Besides, the non-linear timeline gives the narrative a fast rhythm which makes this novel a real page-turner. Finally, the characters are remarkably interesting and complex, they’re haunted by their past and you really want to know what’s going to happen.
The Syndicate is a tense and gripping novel and it was a real pleasure to read it.
This wouldn't normally be my genre but I've read all of Mr Minetts books and they've all been exceptionally well written. I do love how he writes, very descriptive, fantastic characters. This is no way a negative but I didn't quite understand the ending I did feel like I needed more, it felt like it was not complete if that makes sense. But don't be put off by that as it's probably just me.