Book Review: DEADLY GAMES by Steve Frech

 

Title: DEADLY GAMES

Author:  Steve Frech

Publisher:  HQ Digital

Read: December 2020

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

I know everything about you.

I know your name, your birthday, your kids’ names, where you live, where you work. I know when you get that big promotion, or when you argue with your spouse.

You tell me all this because I’m your bartender.

But someone knows everything about me too. Someone knows all my secrets and they’re using them against me. They’re setting me up.

The police think I murdered Emily Parker. To prove my innocence I need to find the real killer.

My musings:

 

I love mysteries where the amateur sleuth has an unusual profession other than a detective, PI or journalist, so I was instantly intrigued by barman Clay, our main protagonist who finds himself caught up in a deadly game with a serial killer. Original and fast paced, the story soon swept me along in its wake, and kept me reading late into the night.

 

What a refreshingly original thriller this was! Not only was Clay an enigmatic and interesting character, but the constant sense of menace and danger that set a terrifying background to the story created tension and intrigue. Frech’s writing style moves the story along at a good pace, and sometimes I had to remind myself to stop and take a breath as things were happening at breakneck speed.

 

A good barman is observant – he will not only remember his customer’s drinking preferences, but he can also read them like a book and change his personality to boot. Clay is good at his job, and his clients love and respect him. So it comes as a surprise when he gets a visit from police to question him about one of his regulars, who has just been found murdered. A married woman Clay just happened to have an affair with. And just like that, Clay finds himself in the centre of a murder investigation, with a killer who is always a step ahead of him, determined to make Clay the prime suspect. He has no option but to play along – first, to clear his name, but soon just to stay alive.

  

Summary:

 

DEADLY GAMES will appeal to readers who love a fast paced, atmospheric and suspenseful cat-and-mouse game, like the Jack Reacher series. And whilst Clay is no ex-army bad boy, he also shows a lot of initiative in trying to outwit his opponent. As the story nears its finale, there is plenty of action, suspense and bloodshed! I found the story original and captivating, and couldn’t put it down. I very much look forward to reading more from this author in future!

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Fiction for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.