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Secret Kill
He’s wealthy, successful and charming. But his criminal past is about to catch up with him.
Businessman Jackson Forbes is at the pinnacle of his career, after leaving a life of crime well and truly behind.
But when a young girl turns up in his office, claiming to be his daughter and threatening him with a gun, his life is suddenly not so rosy.
Frida is on the run and needs his help. But saving her life will mean not only returning to the criminal underworld, but also risking his reputation – and his life.
Not to mention the crime for which he was never caught…
Secret Kill is Book 2 in Noir Nights, a series of stand-alone short novels in the crime/suspense genre.
If you love complex characters and simmering tension with a strong noir flavour, you’ll love this novel.
Businessman Jackson Forbes is at the pinnacle of his career, after leaving a life of crime well and truly behind.
But when a young girl turns up in his office, claiming to be his daughter and threatening him with a gun, his life is suddenly not so rosy.
Frida is on the run and needs his help. But saving her life will mean not only returning to the criminal underworld, but also risking his reputation – and his life.
Not to mention the crime for which he was never caught…
Secret Kill is Book 2 in Noir Nights, a series of stand-alone short novels in the crime/suspense genre.
If you love complex characters and simmering tension with a strong noir flavour, you’ll love this novel.
Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Robin Storey
8 books21 followersAfter many years as a freelance writer, I'm now hooked on fiction writing and love being an indie author. I live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia - beautiful one day, perfect the next - where we complain if the temperature drops to below 14 degrees Centigrade.
I'd love you to come and visit me on my blog http://storey-lines.com/ and if you subscribe to my readers' group (there's a form on the home page) you'll receive a FREE e-book of my comedy crime novel How Not To Commit Murder.
I love connecting with readers and other writers, so come on over to my Facebook page and say Hi. https://www.facebook.com/RobinStoreyw...
My other books are romantic comedy Perfect Sex, an e-book of four short comedy/mystery stories Comedy Shorts, noir romance novella An Affair With Danger, memoir Making The Breast Of It - Breast Cancer Stories of Humour and Joy and suspense-noir A Time For Penance.
If you'd like to find out more about these books, you can to go my Amazon Author page http://www.amazon.com/Robin-Storey/e/... or my website. http://storey-lines.com/my-novels/
As you can see, I love writing in a variety of genres. After writing An Affair With Danger, I realised how much I enjoy writing edgy, suspenseful stories with flawed characters who are often the underdogs and frequently don't act like heroes.
My latest novel A Time For Penance, published in May 2017, is about a woman who travels 20 years back in time to undo a murder she committed.
I'm a certified book nerd (too many books, not enough time!) and am a useful team member on quiz nights for the literary questions - but not much else. When I'm not writing or reading, I enjoy hiking and chilling out at the beach, which is five minutes drive from my home.
My partner and I walked the full Camino Frances pilgrimage across northern Spain in September 2016. It was a life-changing experience which will satisfy my appetite for adventure for a long time.
Although I have attended many workshops and seminars over the years on various aspects of creative writing, the one thing that I believe has been of the most value to me in my writing is reading a wide variety of books. As well as a good writing critique partner who'll give you honest feedback, which I'm also lucky enough to have.
I'd love you to come and visit me on my blog http://storey-lines.com/ and if you subscribe to my readers' group (there's a form on the home page) you'll receive a FREE e-book of my comedy crime novel How Not To Commit Murder.
I love connecting with readers and other writers, so come on over to my Facebook page and say Hi. https://www.facebook.com/RobinStoreyw...
My other books are romantic comedy Perfect Sex, an e-book of four short comedy/mystery stories Comedy Shorts, noir romance novella An Affair With Danger, memoir Making The Breast Of It - Breast Cancer Stories of Humour and Joy and suspense-noir A Time For Penance.
If you'd like to find out more about these books, you can to go my Amazon Author page http://www.amazon.com/Robin-Storey/e/... or my website. http://storey-lines.com/my-novels/
As you can see, I love writing in a variety of genres. After writing An Affair With Danger, I realised how much I enjoy writing edgy, suspenseful stories with flawed characters who are often the underdogs and frequently don't act like heroes.
My latest novel A Time For Penance, published in May 2017, is about a woman who travels 20 years back in time to undo a murder she committed.
I'm a certified book nerd (too many books, not enough time!) and am a useful team member on quiz nights for the literary questions - but not much else. When I'm not writing or reading, I enjoy hiking and chilling out at the beach, which is five minutes drive from my home.
My partner and I walked the full Camino Frances pilgrimage across northern Spain in September 2016. It was a life-changing experience which will satisfy my appetite for adventure for a long time.
Although I have attended many workshops and seminars over the years on various aspects of creative writing, the one thing that I believe has been of the most value to me in my writing is reading a wide variety of books. As well as a good writing critique partner who'll give you honest feedback, which I'm also lucky enough to have.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 20, 2019
4.5 stars
I read this book via an ARC from the author, for Rosie Amber's Review Team. The fact that it was free has in no way influenced the honesty of this review
I liked this book more and more as it went on. Ex-crim Jackson Forbes is confronted by a grown-up daughter he never knew about - and she wants something from him. Not just fatherly love, or money, but help; Frida is in trouble, and Jack is about to be pitched back into a world he thought he'd left behind.
This is a novella (40K words or under; I imagine this is around 40k), and I appreciated the way in which the story fitted perfectly into the shorter length; there was no feeling that it needed more detail anywhere, which in turn made me feel as though I had read a full-length novel. Any longer, and it might have dragged, or been filled with superfluous detail. It's an easy read and well-written, with a convincing plot.
I read another book by this author and my main complaint about that was that the characters didn't come across. In Secret Kill, however, I felt that Jack and Frida were completely real; there were no sudden shifts in personality like before. There was one revelation about Jack's past that made me less sympathetic towards him, but, boy, did he pay for it. I was fairly set on 4* all the way through, but the unexpected and unusual ending made me want to add an extra half star. Good one.
I read this book via an ARC from the author, for Rosie Amber's Review Team. The fact that it was free has in no way influenced the honesty of this review
I liked this book more and more as it went on. Ex-crim Jackson Forbes is confronted by a grown-up daughter he never knew about - and she wants something from him. Not just fatherly love, or money, but help; Frida is in trouble, and Jack is about to be pitched back into a world he thought he'd left behind.
This is a novella (40K words or under; I imagine this is around 40k), and I appreciated the way in which the story fitted perfectly into the shorter length; there was no feeling that it needed more detail anywhere, which in turn made me feel as though I had read a full-length novel. Any longer, and it might have dragged, or been filled with superfluous detail. It's an easy read and well-written, with a convincing plot.
I read another book by this author and my main complaint about that was that the characters didn't come across. In Secret Kill, however, I felt that Jack and Frida were completely real; there were no sudden shifts in personality like before. There was one revelation about Jack's past that made me less sympathetic towards him, but, boy, did he pay for it. I was fairly set on 4* all the way through, but the unexpected and unusual ending made me want to add an extra half star. Good one.
June 5, 2019
It starts with some background on Jackson Forbes, the main character in the first person narrative. He is attending a meeting, as a speaker, about how cutting ties from a criminal life can be done, because he did it and he hasn’t looked back.
It turns out that the life he has fought so hard to stay away from has begun to rapidly go downhill. We learn that he has a daughter from his sketchy past and she is in big trouble, but has turned to him for help, as a last resort.
Although the storyline was compelling and it did have its varying twists for a number of reasons, personally I found the main characters difficult to connect with. Initially I thought it might just be the writer finding their groove within the story, but it didn’t seem to get any better, their personalities seem to change depending on the situation. Separately the characters worked fairly well but I didn’t really understand their relationship. I just didn’t feel the click or the connection.
Overall I liked the plot of the story I just didn’t connect with the characters, which was a shame.
It turns out that the life he has fought so hard to stay away from has begun to rapidly go downhill. We learn that he has a daughter from his sketchy past and she is in big trouble, but has turned to him for help, as a last resort.
Although the storyline was compelling and it did have its varying twists for a number of reasons, personally I found the main characters difficult to connect with. Initially I thought it might just be the writer finding their groove within the story, but it didn’t seem to get any better, their personalities seem to change depending on the situation. Separately the characters worked fairly well but I didn’t really understand their relationship. I just didn’t feel the click or the connection.
Overall I liked the plot of the story I just didn’t connect with the characters, which was a shame.
April 19, 2019
This is the first book that I have read by this author but it certainly won't be the last. I have the first book in this series on my TBR pile so I'll have to go back and read that one. This is a stand alone so no problems with reading this one first. The book really kept my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to find out what was happening with our main characters. The writing is well done and flows well with enough detail and things going on to keep me reading. This was a quick, satisfying read.
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
October 14, 2019
Well, this was a suspenseful short story that packed a punch and felt like a full length novel. Full of intrigue, murder and secrets I was drawn into Jackson Forbes world.
Although this was a novella the author still managed to inject plenty of character development and descriptive detail which helped to immerse me in the world.
There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot. I really was intrigued to know where the author was taking me and the ending was both climatic and totally unexpected...I received a copy of this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date with a book
Although this was a novella the author still managed to inject plenty of character development and descriptive detail which helped to immerse me in the world.
There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot. I really was intrigued to know where the author was taking me and the ending was both climatic and totally unexpected...I received a copy of this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date with a book
June 4, 2019
I was given a commentary copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only and the Author.
Thank you. It well written novel. Jackson is an easy character to like and so is Frida. I look forward to reading more books by Robin Storey.
Thank you. It well written novel. Jackson is an easy character to like and so is Frida. I look forward to reading more books by Robin Storey.
April 20, 2022
A fast-paced story, with lots of suspense and intrigue, complex, interesting characters and an undercurrent of themes relating to family, loss, grief and forgiveness.
All this in a book you can read in one sitting.
All this in a book you can read in one sitting.
June 10, 2019
I received a Complimentary Copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
This book moves quickly and kept me engaged.
The story is unique.
The characters were likeable.
Great book for
a trip.
This book moves quickly and kept me engaged.
The story is unique.
The characters were likeable.
Great book for
a trip.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews