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jlong021's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
yvo_about_books's review
4.0
Finished reading: October 24th 2016
“He's like napalm, Kay. Give him something to work on and watch it explode.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I read the first book of this series The Hope That Kills not that long ago and enjoyed it, so it was quite an easy decision wanting to read the sequel as well. And I can say I ended up enjoying Worth Killing For even better than the first book. Sure, the main character Fenchurch is still a mayor detective cliche with his messed up private life and all, but in this series it just works. And why change a formula that seems to be working for so many authors in the first place right? Worth Killing For is without doubt a fast-paced read and literally packed with action scenes. I mean, the story even opens with a wild suspect chase! The story reads superfast and the case is without doubt interesting, although a bit on the limit with the race triggers. That said, this crime thriller is without doubt an excellent choice for any fan of the genre. And that ending! I will be waiting impatiently for the third book to come out to find out more about that cliffhanger...
WARNING: Possible spoilers! Please don’t read this summary if you haven’t read the first two books of this series yet. I’ll keep the summary super short but it’s impossible to keep it completely spoiler-free…
A young woman is attacked in broad daylight and left bleeding to death on the pavement, and DI Simon Fenchurch and his wife are among the eyewitnesses. Fenchurch doesn't hesitate long and starts pursuing the attacker and eventually arrests a teenager with a bunch of stolen phones. What seems to be an easy case turns into something else... Did the guy Fenchurch arrested really do it ? And was it really all just about a smartphone? Fenchurch is starting to feel something is off, but before he can probe further he is removed from the case. That won't stop him though...
Worth Killing For is without doubt a strong sequel to what was already a great start of a new detective series. It's fast-paced and literally packed with action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat as soon as you start reading the first chapters. The prose is easy to read and even though I had some minor issues, I can recommend this story to any crime fiction fan.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
caraghwhitehead's review
3.0
This is the second book in the series of DI Fenchurch. I really enjoy the fact that they are really modern stories dealing with current crime issues. However, I did find it difficult to keep up with the large number of characters.
vickleanne's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mystereity's review
4.0
See this and other reviews at Mystereity Reviews
A gritty, hard-boiled story about gangs, crime and murder on the streets of London, Worth Killing For isn't your ordinary police procedural, it's a look at the seedy side of city life that lives and breathes every day, but most of us don't notice until it impacts our own lives.
DI Simon Fenchurch witnesses a fatal stabbing of a young woman on the street in London and chases down the suspect, a young boy on a bicycle. After apprehending him, a number of cellphones are found, indicating the boy is a cellphone thief known as an "Apple Picker". After evidence turns up that exonerates the suspect, Fenchurch is forced to set him free. As he investigates further, he uncovers a sophisticated petty crime ring led by an elusive figure named Kamal that appears to be branching out into violent crime. But who is Kamal working for?
Just a few pages into the book, you're already in the midst of the action and it doesn't let up until the end of the book. I enjoyed the complex plot, there were many layers to the story that peeled off little by little right up to the shocking conclusion. A lot of hot social topics in today's society are neatly knitted into the story, such as racial tension, gangs and crime, making the book so realistic that you feel like you're right there on the street.
While I liked this, I didn't really connect with the characters and the story like I did with the first book in the series. There was a bit of political rhetoric in this one, and it irritated me a little. I'm burned out by being bombarded by politics everywhere I turn, and reading is the one respite I have from it. To have it creep into a book I'm reading was unwelcome and pulled me out of the story. It was by no means a large part of the story, and probably wouldn't be an issue for anyone else.
Overall, an enjoyable read from one of my favorite authors and this series is shaping up to be a blockbuster. I would say that this book can be read as a standalone, but to fully understand the characters, they should be read in order.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley, who provided an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
A gritty, hard-boiled story about gangs, crime and murder on the streets of London, Worth Killing For isn't your ordinary police procedural, it's a look at the seedy side of city life that lives and breathes every day, but most of us don't notice until it impacts our own lives.
DI Simon Fenchurch witnesses a fatal stabbing of a young woman on the street in London and chases down the suspect, a young boy on a bicycle. After apprehending him, a number of cellphones are found, indicating the boy is a cellphone thief known as an "Apple Picker". After evidence turns up that exonerates the suspect, Fenchurch is forced to set him free. As he investigates further, he uncovers a sophisticated petty crime ring led by an elusive figure named Kamal that appears to be branching out into violent crime. But who is Kamal working for?
Just a few pages into the book, you're already in the midst of the action and it doesn't let up until the end of the book. I enjoyed the complex plot, there were many layers to the story that peeled off little by little right up to the shocking conclusion. A lot of hot social topics in today's society are neatly knitted into the story, such as racial tension, gangs and crime, making the book so realistic that you feel like you're right there on the street.
While I liked this, I didn't really connect with the characters and the story like I did with the first book in the series. There was a bit of political rhetoric in this one, and it irritated me a little. I'm burned out by being bombarded by politics everywhere I turn, and reading is the one respite I have from it. To have it creep into a book I'm reading was unwelcome and pulled me out of the story. It was by no means a large part of the story, and probably wouldn't be an issue for anyone else.
Overall, an enjoyable read from one of my favorite authors and this series is shaping up to be a blockbuster. I would say that this book can be read as a standalone, but to fully understand the characters, they should be read in order.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley, who provided an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
petra_reads's review
4.0
This is the second book featuring DI Simon Fenchurch and I enjoyed it a lot more than [b:The Hope that Kills|29343597|The Hope that Kills (DI Fenchurch, #1)|Ed James|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1469829969s/29343597.jpg|49580307], the first in this police procedural series. To get the full history of the characters and appreciate their development, I would nevertheless suggest starting with the first book.
There were still the drums in Fenchurch's ears and his burrito obsession; two things which I found repetitive in book 1, but fortunately, Fenchurch shows development as well. He is back together with his wife Abi, is drinking less, and has vowed to move on with his life without obsessing over their daughter Chloe's disappearance a decade ago.
During a night out, Fenchurch and Abi witness the fatal stabbing of a young woman. Fenchurch manages to apprehend a young boy who appears to be involved in mobile phone thefts. With the boy in custody, the case seems pretty much solved. But, of course, it isn't that straightforward, and this is where [a:Ed James|6552489|Ed James|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1356539238p2/6552489.jpg] really started to impress me. He crafted a very complex and highly original storyline. It moved along at a fast pace and was not predictable at all. While I still feel that there are parts that are a tad clichéd (e.g. Fenchurch constantly getting disciplined and his eternal conflicts with other cops), the plot is developed brilliantly. I loved the way Ed James incorporated the London setting amid the contemporary topics of politics, leaving the EU, racial tension and gangs. It was very British. By that, I simply mean that you may end up Googling at least a couple of things unless you're very used to the vernacular and British life. But this was also part of what made the plot and the dialogue seem very realistic and believable. So basically, with this second book, Ed James has convinced me to keep going with yet another British police procedural series and after that ending, I have to say I'm quite keen to find out what's next for DI and Mrs. Fenchurch.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
There were still the drums in Fenchurch's ears and his burrito obsession; two things which I found repetitive in book 1, but fortunately, Fenchurch shows development as well. He is back together with his wife Abi, is drinking less, and has vowed to move on with his life without obsessing over their daughter Chloe's disappearance a decade ago.
During a night out, Fenchurch and Abi witness the fatal stabbing of a young woman. Fenchurch manages to apprehend a young boy who appears to be involved in mobile phone thefts. With the boy in custody, the case seems pretty much solved. But, of course, it isn't that straightforward, and this is where [a:Ed James|6552489|Ed James|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1356539238p2/6552489.jpg] really started to impress me. He crafted a very complex and highly original storyline. It moved along at a fast pace and was not predictable at all. While I still feel that there are parts that are a tad clichéd (e.g. Fenchurch constantly getting disciplined and his eternal conflicts with other cops), the plot is developed brilliantly. I loved the way Ed James incorporated the London setting amid the contemporary topics of politics, leaving the EU, racial tension and gangs. It was very British. By that, I simply mean that you may end up Googling at least a couple of things unless you're very used to the vernacular and British life. But this was also part of what made the plot and the dialogue seem very realistic and believable. So basically, with this second book, Ed James has convinced me to keep going with yet another British police procedural series and after that ending, I have to say I'm quite keen to find out what's next for DI and Mrs. Fenchurch.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
keeperofpages's review
4.0
After meeting, DI Simon Fenchurch in book 1: The Hope That Kills, I was eager to return to the streets of London for his next case.
One of the highlights of this book for me was the action started right away, within the first chapter, a women is bleeding to death on the pavement – this grabbed my attention, I was immediately pulled into the story. One of the things I loved about book 1 was how raw and hard-hitting the case was, this one was no different. I won’t go into any detail about the case as the synopsis tells you all you need to know before you begin reading, but I will say, James writes in such a realistic way; the case itself, the characters and their actions are extremely believable. Each character has their own personality traits and they really gel well as a team.
James has created a great character in DI Fenchurch, I particularly like his love/hate (..no love, it’s pretty much just hate..) relationship with DI Dawn Mulholland, who was handed the case when Fenchurch was taken off it. A few lines that show Fenchurch’s distaste for Dawn did make me chuckle:
“Not so much a voice that could cut glass but make the stuff from sand.”
“Fenchurch locked eyes with her. Felt like she could steal his soul just by looking.”
Fenchurch still hears this ‘drumming noise’ when he’s worried/anxious, but I’m okay with it now, it didn’t feature as heavily in this book and you know what, nobody’s perfect ;-)
As with most book series, if you want to follow the character’s backstories, you need to start with book 1. As here, Fenchurch is trying to move on and accept that Chloe, his missing daughter of 10 years, is gone, he is no longer searching for her and is back with his ex-wife, Abi. Although I suspect the hunt for Chloe, is not truly over.
To wrap up this review: I enjoyed this book more than I did book 1, going by that premise, I can’t wait to read book 3!
*Thank you to the author and publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*
One of the highlights of this book for me was the action started right away, within the first chapter, a women is bleeding to death on the pavement – this grabbed my attention, I was immediately pulled into the story. One of the things I loved about book 1 was how raw and hard-hitting the case was, this one was no different. I won’t go into any detail about the case as the synopsis tells you all you need to know before you begin reading, but I will say, James writes in such a realistic way; the case itself, the characters and their actions are extremely believable. Each character has their own personality traits and they really gel well as a team.
James has created a great character in DI Fenchurch, I particularly like his love/hate (..no love, it’s pretty much just hate..) relationship with DI Dawn Mulholland, who was handed the case when Fenchurch was taken off it. A few lines that show Fenchurch’s distaste for Dawn did make me chuckle:
“Not so much a voice that could cut glass but make the stuff from sand.”
“Fenchurch locked eyes with her. Felt like she could steal his soul just by looking.”
Fenchurch still hears this ‘drumming noise’ when he’s worried/anxious, but I’m okay with it now, it didn’t feature as heavily in this book and you know what, nobody’s perfect ;-)
As with most book series, if you want to follow the character’s backstories, you need to start with book 1. As here, Fenchurch is trying to move on and accept that Chloe, his missing daughter of 10 years, is gone, he is no longer searching for her and is back with his ex-wife, Abi. Although I suspect the hunt for Chloe, is not truly over.
To wrap up this review: I enjoyed this book more than I did book 1, going by that premise, I can’t wait to read book 3!
*Thank you to the author and publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*
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