Standstill: Jake Tanner #1

Jake Tanner #1

by Jack Probyn

TERRORISM JUST GOT PERSONAL. In the oppressive London summer heat, two brothers orchestrate the deadliest terror attack the city has ever seen. Three airport-bound trains are brought to a standstill with thousands held hostage. And when the dust settles, the Metropolitan Police are left scrambling for solutions. The terrorists promise to let hostages go, but first Detective Jake Tanner must play his part in their twisted games. The rules are simple--follow them, and no one gets hurt. Break them, and the consequences will be fatal. But when he discovers the identity of one of the passengers, Jake realises this isn’t just about saving hostages. Battling a faceless figure who’s appointed himself God, Jake must save the passengers before the city descends into utter mayhem. But how far will he go? Will he save everyone in time? And will he like the chilling truth he learns along the way? Standstill is the first book in the pulsating Jake Tanner terror series. If you like gut-wrenching, nauseatingly-suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thrill rides that'll leave you begging for sleep, you'll love this. ____________________ Standstill Reviews “A pulsating terrorist thriller that moves at an electrifying pace… Tightly plotted with unbelievable tension… pulls readers into a game where nothing is predictable… This book is a rare gem…" - Readers' Favorite, ★★★★★ ____________________ Dear Super-Reader, If you're a fan of David Baldacci, Lee Child, James Patterson, Vince Flynn, Andy McNab, Tim Tigner, Mark Dawson or Tom Clancy, then chances are you'll enjoy some of my Jake Tanner terror thriller novels. Dare I even say love? Want to try before you buy? Want to get to know the real Jake Tanner - the man behind the badge - beforehand? Then you can download an exclusive character sheet that lets you behind the scenes into his life - some stuff won't appear in the books! All you have to do is visit www.jackprobynbooks.com and it'll be sent straight to your inbox. For the same price as a coffee, you can enjoy my terror thrillers that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Afterwards, you won't be able to see anything the same ever again. What more could you want? Plus, it'll last longer than a cup of coffee. Your Friendly Author, Jack

Genres: Suspense

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2018

About the author

I’m Jack Probyn, and I write murder mysteries and crime thrillers set in England. I studied Creative Writing at the University of Surrey and have always been fascinated by storytelling, particularly the dark and twisty kind.

I’m the author of the DC Jake Tanner series and the DS Tomek Bowen series, both packed with suspense, mystery, and unexpected twists. When I’m not writing, I enjoy building LEGO, solving sudoku puzzles, and occasionally going snowboarding. I live in England with my partner and our British Shorthair cat, Tommy.

Reviews

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exciting, hard to put down thriller as a pair of brothers take complete control of three trains, stopping them in place and manipulating all on board! They lost their parents years ago in a fire, blaming the government in the UK on how they were treated, forgotten and left to their own devices They met a man who spoke of things which they believed, so were taught many things from this group over the years, things to help them get revenge...
Jake Tanner is a Detective with the Counter Terrorism Unit, a regular family man who is trying for a promotion, believing the increase in pay will help his growing family. He is noticing an email on his computer screen at work when called to his Supervisor's office STAT..running off without reading it. Soon there is an email to the whole building promising horrible action to be taken by the terrorist, giving them 6 hours to stop the blowing up of all three trains, thousands of people! And the terrorist has picked one person to be his 'go-between', and as Jake returns to his computer and reads, he finds it is him!!
Jake does not know why he is the contact person, but he is quick thinking and able to mix facts in a pattern quickly to plan an action, hoping he and his team can stop the coming horror.
I was enthralled by this author's words immediately, drawn into a plot so devastating I could not close the book! The fast pace and amazing characters are swept together in a plot so intense you must remember to keep breathing, as you run beside Jake to find another clue, solving it and racing to the next location, devouring all energy in brain and body , going on fumes in the hope you WILL end this terrorist threat!! Six hours has never moved so quickly...
I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems and the author, Jack Probyn, both of whom I thank for this amazing ride, and the ability to put my thoughts into this review so hopefully many others can partake in this intriguing adventure!!

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this English action thriller, by a new author to me, from Hidden Gems, alongside the sequel, Floor 68, in exchange for an honest review. The problem with HG is they expect the review to be completed within a week and start harassing you for it if you don’t meet the deadline. Despite this, I liked the sound of these so decided I would do my best to get through them both within the allocated time. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this at all, so have decided not to read the next one, and to unsubscribe from HG.

Jake Tanner is a Detective Constable with London’s Counter Terrorism Command unit, who is going for promotion to DS after two years in the job, and is happily married with two young daughters. When two brothers rig several trains bound for Heathrow airport with explosives and take over all the communications systems, they threaten London’s worst terrorist attack, and for unknown reasons, they nominate Jake as the only person with a chance to stop them by solving a series of clues on a race through London.

I wanted to like this, honestly, but there were so many problems with both the writing and the plot that my eyes were in danger of rolling right out of my skull. The author seems quite young and clearly has a vivid imagination but desperately needs a dictionary (to look up the meaning of many of the words he uses that make no sense), a punctuation guide (to learn how to use commas properly) and an editor to fix the grammatical errors and typos. He also needs more advance reviewers to help identify the plot holes before publication, and to do a hell of a lot more research.

I was annoyed from the start, when events from the previous novella are repeatedly referred to, but when I checked Amazon is it out of print and not available as an ebook, so I felt I was missing out on important information.
It seemed preposterous to me that the CTC boss would just walk out at the beginning of a major incident and the chain of command allow an inexperienced abusive upstart to take over the operation. I really didn’t like how much of the story was told from the terrorists’ point of view, and the immature game-playing that ensues. Their motivation is supposedly the loss of their parents in a tower block fire clearly inspired by the Grenfell disaster, I thought using this so obviously was pretty crass.

Then there was the complete implausibility of the terrorists’ skills and technological abilities, essentially being able to hack all the police communications, of the police and government response (since when do they give in to demands like that) and the ridiculous one million pound ransom. A £100 million would’ve been more believable!

I confess that from halfway through I was skim reading to get it over with, but still found it full of cliches and completely predictable. I didn’t like Jake as a hero and couldn’t bring myself to care what happened to him.
I am completely bemused by the fact that all the other reviews on here give it 5 stars, although there are plenty of low ratings, but none giving reasons for this, so either I’m a curmudgeonly outlier, or the 17 other reviews are written by his friends.

[Kirsty Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing thriller that keeps you going til the end, I devoured this book. I literally forgot about time and ened up reading until the end. That was when I realized it was almost time to get up omg. But this book is that good you don't want to put it down, you need know what happens next. It is a well flowing book that doesn't leave you weighted down and hard to read. I read somewhere that this author was said he wrote well like some of my favorite authors in thriller/mystery and I am hard pressed to disagree with them. I am hard to please when it comes to thriller/mystery books i am actually quite picky, so when the opportunity came to advance reader copy this book I was scared to start it because I was unsure how it would be. Now I'm kicking myself I didn't read it sooner.
So in short if you love an extremely well written exciting thriller this is the ticket, grab it now an buckle in because I guarantee you won't want to put it down, you won't regret it. Happy reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was second Jake Tanner book I read and I couldn't put it down. It was exciting, interesting and demonstrated human feelings and the ability to cope with panic attacks.
Jack Probyn is becoming one of my favourite authors and I can't wait for the next Jake Tanner story.
There was a wonderful story within a story which for me makes books more interesting to read as I don't get bored - I would thoroughly recommend this book

[Rukky]

Great idea, poor execution.

[Lawrence McGuire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author needs to do more research!

Martha - Minister of Housing and Planning? That post would be held by a Member of Parliament! Not a ‘career’ job - and over twenty years in post! Wow most Ministers wouldn’t be in post for more than a couple of years. Should have made her a civil servant! As for riding a motorbike through the Tube -you’ve got to be kidding! Never heard of live rails? DC’s on first name terms with Assistant Commissioners and giving them orders - you must be kidding! Gave up after a few chapters - sorry!

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of terrorism in the middle of a heated London summer. Two brothers have planned a daring attack, utilising three busy commuter trains to London’s main airports and holding thousands as hostages for ransom. The police have no idea until the terrorists make contact.

They promise they will release all the hostages, but will only talk to Detective Jake Tanner of New Scotland Yard’s Terrorism Unit. They have put rules in place and if they are broken there will be severe consequences. Jake is sent on a wild goose chase to find out clues to try and solve a puzzle given by one of the brothers.

With few clues to go on, a time limit and a ransom to consider, Jake and his colleagues have an uphill battle to find out who the terrorists are, why they are doing this. Jake then finds out who a certain passenger on one of the trains is and it becomes much more personal a battle. There are reasons behind the madness of the terrorists, whether this is misplaced, is hard to understand. Jake has to fight against these faceless terrorists and see how far he can go and if he can get to save the hostages in time.

There are lots of intricate parts, all put together, some in unexpected ways, which keep this thriller going and giving you a surprise at each step. It is a gritty terrorism story with a storyline, shifting back and forth between what the police are trying to do and what the brothers are doing. It covers advanced engineering and computer skills being used by people with bad thoughts and putting them to an evil purpose.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, you felt the actions taking place were based on very real events and realistic scenarios. This is an author that has taken recent events in the UK and placed these in their stories which gives the book a very memorable tale. I will definitely be looking out for this author’s next thriller.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* Review – Not a cliché Terrorist Thriller
I received this book as part of the ARC for the second book in the series. This is the first book I read by this author and I found it really interesting. This introduces us to Jake Tanner, who is a Detective Constable that is looking at a promotion that he seems to be hiding from both his wife and his partner. The 1st of August starts as any normal day in the office, but quickly turns into a huge terrorist incident that for some reason has the perpetrators focused on Jake. There are three airport express trains that were stopped outside of London and set to explode should the terrorists’ demands not be met.
From that point the book takes off with plenty of action and drama as Jake has to figure out the riddles given by the terrorist to find different clues around London. The descriptions are pretty vivid and at times you feel like you are running through a tunnel with Jake. One thing that amazed me was that this author did not go for any clean or easy answers. At times you felt like this was impossible and that Jake’s self-doubt was justified. Also, many parts of the ending, I did not see coming, so it was a surprise for me. Definitely no clichés in this story, and I liked that part of it.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but there was something about the way it flowed that I felt it dragged at times. For a story that is filled with this much going on, it did not feel that way when reading it. I liked that the story was told from various points of view and that Jake was not a perfect man type of main character.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standstill is a solidly-written and well-paced novel, providing a compelling and thrilling experience for a reader into police/crime thriller stories. The main character of Jake Tanner is brilliantly realised and revealed to us as the story progresses, and the author evidently put a great deal of work into understanding Jake's personality and motivations for this first novel.
The only aspects that detracted from my enjoyment were a few inaccuracies about the London transport network (within which, the majority of the story unfolds), and a reliance on some clichéd dialogue: at times, this spoiled the good work put into the characterisation, as their use of - sometimes totally inappropriate to the tone of the scene - British humor or "action movie" phrases, risked removing all the tension or emotion from the scene. I expect this occasional dialogue choice really stood out for me because the character interactions are the biggest appeal and strength of the novel for me: the action scenes are clearly described and thrilling, but just not where my interest is. Another curious aspect is there is a word puzzle gimmick used within the story for the lead to find the next location, and it felt like these needed a little more refinement if the reader was supposed to attempt to find the solution for themself.
I'd recommend this as an enjoyable thriller for people who are into the genre, with a compelling story and a stand-out lead character in Jake Tanner.

[Debra Whisson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot whilst exciting was very far fetched, I was actively disliking the hero by the end as he made such illogical choices. At several points in the book the number of police on the street was mentioned , yet the protagonist seemed determined to act completely alone resulting in criminals constantly escaping the scene. In the real world trying to play the hero by not involving others and allowing criminals to escape would have seen him disciplined.

One example near the end , despite half the police in London being at the scene the criminal escapes twice. Does our hero tell anyone or ask for help, no, he goes it alone. When the criminal escaped in to the forest he is joined by a colleague- and sends him for help despite there being a working phone at the scene where he could have called for backup.

The main thing that almost stopped me reading although I was close to the end of the book was the fact that author has no understanding of the underground, I can only assume he’s never used the tube. For readers unfamiliar with the London Underground , the underground line is electrified and has a live rail, so running around on the track would be fatal. Then he even rides a motor bike along the track - by this time I was ready to throw my kindle out the window. By the time he chased a tube train through the tunnels and caught it , despite the average speed of a tube train being over 20 MPH , I was vowing to never read another by this author.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ⏰ ticks ever closer to a mass 💥catastrophe as London's finest race to thwart a pair of vengeful brothers!😱
May 13, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
👍👍Excellent, fast-paced, well-written and gripping action suspense that I could not put down! Jack, the counterterrorism policeman hero, is bruised and battered along the way during a six hour cat and mouse game with an evil genius prepared to kill and maim hundreds on 🚄trains bound for London's airports in an act of retribution.

I appreciated the glimpses into the hero's home life and thought the added competitiveness Jack faced with Matthews, another top candidate for a promotion, added to the tension. The cast of secondary characters, including the hero's supervisor, his partner, his rival, and a lawyer hostage picked up during Jack's mad race around greater London, were fleshed out and all critical to the story. Thanks to multiple POVs, the author also provided meticulous, chilling details on the thoughts and actions of the terrorists.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Spicydish · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 9/11 fiction about terrorism is too real to be entertaining but since this terrorism threat takes place in London there was enough distance for me to read it.
It is so scary to imagine that any crowded space is fodder for men, bent on killing as many people as possible and thereby living or dying in infamy, to create mayhem on innocent people.
Two brothers, bent on revenge for the deaths of their parents, spend months plotting revenge. One of the brothers writes a noble manifesto for humanity achieved by killing people to get the attention of world leaders. How twisted is that?
And maybe to that end, revenge, a brother has to kill his brother, a brother he has spent his life protecting. Again, pretty twisted.
Listening to the audiobook was a little like watching an episode of the series 24. It kept you on the edge of your seat.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute gripping thriller Jack Probyn has written. This one grabbed my attention from the first page all the way to final words. The plotline was so intense and completely took the reader on a rollercoaster ride of emotional highs and lows as the characters struggled to reach the final resolution of the case. You couldn't help but identify with the lead detective character and his mental and physical challenges to save as many people as he could while playing the terrorists' cruel and violent game and suffering their penalties for mistakes made. Looking forward to reading many more Jake Tanner novels. This is a voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.

[Texas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Editor, anyone?

Jack Tanner Box Set #1 - This is my first read by this author and I did not care for his writing style.

Standstill - This is a bad Hollywood movie, actually movies. A wannabe Bruce Willis tough cop that misses the goal.

I tried three different times to force myself to read this dribble and I cannot finish this two book set as promised.

Yes, I had forgotten the cutting remark about President Donald Trump, no place in this book for personal political opinions. I rated the book 2 stars before I remembered the insult.

Floor 68 - Not read since Standstill was such dribble.

I found this on Brooksprout. Since this is just barely average on skills and long on Hollywood presence, I rate this a 2 star. 2*

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not when terrorists take three airport trains are held for ransom. He has to follow the rules given to him or there will be serious problems. Follow as he tries to stop the terrorists while saving the hostages. Can he do both ? See if he can

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[robert towe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Jake Tanner

A new super cop has arrived, a hero who gets the job done. A British Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, Mitch Rapp and the various James Patterson heroes, but a soft side, a human side, a vulnerable side.
A good read, a cracking read, a read in one go read.
Looking forward to more.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi octane thriller in, gulp.... London!

A fast moving thriller, as the hero hunts down a terrorist.

And no sight of any assistance from the CIA, or a coincidental visit from a passing member of New York’s finest.

A lot of it involves the London Underground, but from my admittedly limited knowledge, hard core rail enthusiasts may have a few things to say

[Quanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced thriller has DC Jake Tanner in a game of cat and mouse with two brothers intent on bombing three passenger trains. The old saying "if something can go wrong, it will" plagues Jake and the rest of the police force at every turn. A "goodread".

[Joan Barstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW...I love this Jake Tanner series. And Jack Probyn hit this one with both feet on the ground.

You don't find out all the details til the end of the story...but that is how it is supposed to be..right?

Keep the stories coming...I feel they will only get better.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So suspenseful that it’s impossible to put down. Hot, humid day in London. Two brothers are in charge of a terrible terrorist attack. DC Jake Tanner is chosen to deal with them. Can’t wait for the next book.

[Kenneth Lingenfelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 terrorists get control of 3 passenger trains, holding the passengers locked in. The terrorists threaten to blow up the trains if they attempt to break out. In addition one of the trains has the police detective's mother in law. This novel will keep you wanting to keep reading.

[Carol Elsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non stop action!

Nothing was at a standstill in this excellent read! Jack Tanner is a new friend that I cannot wait to read more about in the near future. Trust that his next case will be soon available!

[Sue Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't sure at first...

But really enjoyed the book in the end. Some aspects a bit cheesey e.g. Lucy's computer skills rather too coincidental, however overall a good read and I'll continue to read the series.

[Thereasa O'keeffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book .Sure it was recommended on twinkle book club .
A cop must put everything aside to save thousands of people in a twisted game of cat and mouse .
Free on Kindle unlimited at moment .

[barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This plot was soo far fetched it was unbelievable jumping off platforms and using the underground track to get from A/B.Didn't enjoy one bit and then his partner gets killed !!Whom i thoughtwas the hero of the story .

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

This the first book of Probyn’s I have read. It is also the first in the “CID” series featuring the main character. What I liked about it was it was straight into the story - no preamble - high drama all the way though. Will definitely be reading more in this series.

[Deborah Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

GREAT STORY

Hard to believe the author is so young - this book had so much detail - made gripping reading.
Only downside it did seem to drag a little towards the end.

Would recommend.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible Audiobook

[Susan Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ripper! I loved this book. Fast and furious action!

[Philip Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rip roaring

A real good thriller with lots of action and a very clever plot. A strong cast to support a very well written story. A real humdinger.