peaceridge's review
5.0
Great book! Usually a series gets less and less interesting to me as it goes on, but not this one. Each book is just as good as the first. So exciting! You don’t even have to have read the rest of the books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t put it down. Well done, Zoe Sharp.
slc333's review
5.0
As always a brilliant read. Charlie is totally kick-ass as usual. For both Charlie and I it has been a long road to accept that Sean has changed and things will never be the same. In this one I truly felt that she is ready to move forward (but hopefully not with Parker) and for the first time since Sean was shot I think I could accept seeing her with someone new.
karlou's review
5.0
I loved the previous Charlie Fox story, Fox Hunter and have been eagerly awaiting her return in Bad Turn. This is the thirteenth book in the series but Zoë Sharp certainly hasn't let her protagonist stagnate and I was looking forward to discovering what she would be up to this time around.
At the start of the book she has reached a crossroads in her career having quit her job in close protection with Armstrong-Meyer. Unfortunately the position also came with an apartment - and her former boss, Parker Armstrong had rubber-stamped her Green Card and firearms licence. Having been essentially blacklisted from the world of close protection, she is house - and cat - sitting in rural New Jersey. However, trouble has a habit of finding Charlie and when she becomes involved in the attempted kidnapping of Helena Kincaid, the wife of billionaire arms dealer, Eric, she quickly realises she has little choice but to accept the position she is offered working with the Kincaids as Helena's protection.
It soon transpires that although the world of arms dealers is a shady one, the major players had at least reached an agreement to not involve their loved ones in their dealings. Therefore, the foiled ambush on Helena could trigger a war between some very dangerous people. Helena's response to her new bodyguard is intriguing and not what I expected at all. After a terrifying encounter which resulted in bloodshed on both sides, it would have been understandable for her to be grateful for the reassurance of a highly trained companion but the situation with Mrs Kincaid isn't that straightforward. At first she isn't a particularly likeable character but revelations about her upbringing and her past experiences help to explain her attitude and I thought the relationship between the two women was absolutely fascinating.
Charlie Fox is an outstanding lead character and the first person narrative allows readers to get really close to the action and to her response to the violent world she inhabits. She is highly skilled and experienced which means her no-nonsense description of fights can seem almost clinical as she brutally deals with would-be attackers. However, there is clearly another side to her as she struggles to come to terms with her memories of her lover, Sean Meyer and her sense of betrayal regarding her previous position. She has an inbuilt intuition for danger and can usually handle herself in risky situations but she also fears just what she is potentially capable of. Later in the novel there is a moment where this becomes more apparent and I suspect it may continue to haunt her in subsequent books in the series.
The corrupt world of international arms dealers means the fast-paced action sees Charlie barely able to pause for breath before she finds herself under attack once again. Dirty double-dealings and bitter recriminations results in a gripping action thriller where I was never sure who could be trusted - or who would survive. The exciting plot sees her accompany Helena to Italy and then France but although the surroundings are opulent, there is something murky about the lives of the people Charlie has become involved with; although they underestimate her abilities, she perhaps takes more risks than she should in her determination to prevent harm coming to Helena.
Towards the end of the novel there is a scene which I suspect Zoë Sharp had an absolute blast writing. I don't want to give too much away about it, suffice to say that it's a classic cinematic moment which may have been used many times before but is still written in such a way to be almost unbearably tense. Bad Turn is a cracking action thriller with a complex, shocking plot and in Charlie Fox, one of the best protagonists in the genre. Hugely enjoyable and highly recommended.
At the start of the book she has reached a crossroads in her career having quit her job in close protection with Armstrong-Meyer. Unfortunately the position also came with an apartment - and her former boss, Parker Armstrong had rubber-stamped her Green Card and firearms licence. Having been essentially blacklisted from the world of close protection, she is house - and cat - sitting in rural New Jersey. However, trouble has a habit of finding Charlie and when she becomes involved in the attempted kidnapping of Helena Kincaid, the wife of billionaire arms dealer, Eric, she quickly realises she has little choice but to accept the position she is offered working with the Kincaids as Helena's protection.
It soon transpires that although the world of arms dealers is a shady one, the major players had at least reached an agreement to not involve their loved ones in their dealings. Therefore, the foiled ambush on Helena could trigger a war between some very dangerous people. Helena's response to her new bodyguard is intriguing and not what I expected at all. After a terrifying encounter which resulted in bloodshed on both sides, it would have been understandable for her to be grateful for the reassurance of a highly trained companion but the situation with Mrs Kincaid isn't that straightforward. At first she isn't a particularly likeable character but revelations about her upbringing and her past experiences help to explain her attitude and I thought the relationship between the two women was absolutely fascinating.
Charlie Fox is an outstanding lead character and the first person narrative allows readers to get really close to the action and to her response to the violent world she inhabits. She is highly skilled and experienced which means her no-nonsense description of fights can seem almost clinical as she brutally deals with would-be attackers. However, there is clearly another side to her as she struggles to come to terms with her memories of her lover, Sean Meyer and her sense of betrayal regarding her previous position. She has an inbuilt intuition for danger and can usually handle herself in risky situations but she also fears just what she is potentially capable of. Later in the novel there is a moment where this becomes more apparent and I suspect it may continue to haunt her in subsequent books in the series.
The corrupt world of international arms dealers means the fast-paced action sees Charlie barely able to pause for breath before she finds herself under attack once again. Dirty double-dealings and bitter recriminations results in a gripping action thriller where I was never sure who could be trusted - or who would survive. The exciting plot sees her accompany Helena to Italy and then France but although the surroundings are opulent, there is something murky about the lives of the people Charlie has become involved with; although they underestimate her abilities, she perhaps takes more risks than she should in her determination to prevent harm coming to Helena.
Towards the end of the novel there is a scene which I suspect Zoë Sharp had an absolute blast writing. I don't want to give too much away about it, suffice to say that it's a classic cinematic moment which may have been used many times before but is still written in such a way to be almost unbearably tense. Bad Turn is a cracking action thriller with a complex, shocking plot and in Charlie Fox, one of the best protagonists in the genre. Hugely enjoyable and highly recommended.
theirresponsiblereader's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“OK, let’s talk weapons. You got any preference?”
I shrugged. “I like the SIG P226, if you have one, but as long as it goes bang when I press the trigger, I’m not too fussy.”
What’s Bad Turn About?
Charlie’s left her job—which costs her her home, he guns, and leaves her working security on the sort of drinking establishment that she’d never have walked into. She’s about 6 minutes away from making Jack Reacher look financially stable.
She stumbles into a house-sitting gig out in the country at a really nice place. It’s the answer to a whole lot of problems. Until she’s driving nearby and comes across a gunfight in the middle of a country road. As you do. She intervenes and comes to the aid of the group that’s apparently under attack, and ends up saving the life of a woman and one of her bodyguards.
Overcome with gratitude and impressed with her abilities, the woman’s husband offers her a job. His business has some pretty important things happening and he’s worried for her safety during that. You see, he’s an arms dealer (one who sells to both sides of legality) and there’s reason to believe that his wife is being targeted by a competitor/angry ex-customer.
The whole shootout on a public road would be an indicator that, yeah, she’s in danger.
Charlie signs on for the protection duty and finds herself in the middle of a scheme featuring international gun runners/dealers, organized crime (in multiple countries), and some messy family drama in multiple countries. There are multiple gunfights, a little bit of hand-to-hand combat, a lot of treachery and a little betrayal.
Bad Turn and the Charlie Fox series
This felt like a transition from Charlie’s typical work for Parker’s firm to self-employment. And as such, it feels a little different to me. She’s used to having Parker or his staff ready for logistical, research, or equipment help. Now she’s on her own—and Bad Turn shows how ill=prepared she is to be independent of all of Parker’s resources. Sure, she spent a lot of time without the possibility of checking in with Parker/the company, and it caused problems. But her assumption in the past was that there was a team ready to help. That’s gone now.
This felt like a transition from Charlie’s typical work for Parker’s firm to self-employment. And as such, it feels a little different to me. She’s used to having Parker or his staff ready for logistical, research, or equipment help. Now she’s on her own—and Bad Turn shows how ill=prepared she is to be independent of all of Parker’s resources. Sure, she spent a lot of time without the possibility of checking in with Parker/the company, and it caused problems. But her assumption in the past was that there was a team ready to help. That’s gone now.
Assuming there are more Charlie Fox books coming down the line, I trust that Sharp will get us through these waters and put Charlie back in a situation she can more easily predict, and one not so infested by rats.
So, what did I think about Bad Turn?
I really don’t know. I liked the story, and enjoyed watching Charlie navigate these treacherous waters—but the whole time I felt like something was off. I think it’s just whatever made me start thinking of this as a transition novel, good action, but it just didn’t feel right.
I really don’t know. I liked the story, and enjoyed watching Charlie navigate these treacherous waters—but the whole time I felt like something was off. I think it’s just whatever made me start thinking of this as a transition novel, good action, but it just didn’t feel right.
Still, even an “off” Charlie Fox adventure is pretty fun. I’m glad I read this and think that new or established readers will enjoy it, but I’m hoping for something more next time.
More...