I’m so excited that it is my stop on the #damppebblesblogtours for Deadline by Geoff Major!
Synopsis
Adam Ferranti was drinking away his waking hours, getting by in a regional newspaper in the North of England. An award-winning journalist, he moved to England to escape the media glare that followed his spectacular fall from grace at The Washington Post; only to be thrust back in it when a mysterious serial killer decides to make him his confidante.
DS Stephanie Walker is a successful member of the West Yorkshire Police force. Whilst she is tough and results-driven at work, with a fearsome reputation on the streets, she hides the domestic abuse she suffers at home.
She finds Ferranti exceptionally difficult to deal with, but he’s her only chance to stay close to what the elusive killer is planning next. Ferranti reluctantly complies with the Police, even though he is fighting his own personal demons, but when his best friend is murdered by the killer, it suddenly gets personal. And suddenly, no-one is quite who they seemed to be
About The Author
A long time ago, Geoff Major had an idea for a story, whilst walking his girls to primary school. Two years ago, he decided he had the time and patience to try to write the story down. His wife was wholly supportive, so he turned from full-time to part-time for four months and now – 23 years after that idea first popped into his head – it has been published.
As a self-employed business consultant for 18 years and a fundraising adventurer for 10 years (including ski-trekking 50 miles, over 6 days and 6 nights, to the geographic North Pole), he now works for a debt charity whilst plotting his next three books
Review
Thank you to Geoff Major and Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Right from the very beginning, this book had me hooked. It opens with a car chase and several suspicious deaths over a period of several years, so you just know that there is going to be some delectable connection to be discovered. I initially thought this was just some kind of revenge narrative, but it was oh so much more than that. Also, I’m in love with the cover! It fits the book so well, so hats off to whoever designed it!
Deadline’s cast of characters is incredibly well developed and nuanced, and you are never quite sure who to trust, which made this a really exciting read. I particularly liked Stephanie Walker, the protagonist, who represented a fierce and uncompromising woman in the work place, as well as a person who had secrets and vulnerabilities to hide. I must admit, I did find the romance aspect a little too predictable, it is trope that I see a lot, but it did indeed add complexity to the plot.
What I found original about this novel was the variety of deaths and the manner in which the murders were committed. In books, I don’t really find things too squeamish, but some of these certainly made me squirm! It got to the stage where I was stopping reading and going to my partner to tell him all about it – you know it’s a good book when you have to talk to someone about it immediately!
I thought the writing style was fantastic. Major created the sort of atmosphere in the book that you would find in a good horror or thriller film; that kind of potential jump scare, the sinister atmosphere, the uncertainty of who the good guys and bad guys actually are. The excitement was running really high throughout and it certainly got my pulse racing.
And, also, that ending! I think the least said about it, the better. If the romance aspect was predictable, the overall fate of the characters really was not! I thought that it was incredibly refreshing as I read a fair amount of crime/thrillers and it was so nice to have something a little bit different. I have heard whisperings of book two being in the pipeline so I’m really excited to see what is in store!
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GradusPrimus
Blog: https://lets-start-at-the-very-beginning.blogspot.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primusgradus/
Purchase Links:
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2UAjMok
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3kALBrp
Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3kAt0Me
Publishing Information:
Published in hardcover, paperback and digital formats by Grosvenor House Publishing on 1st September 2020
Mikaela Reads 
Thanks for being part of the blog tour x
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