Deadline by Simon Kernick (review 2)

A few weeks ago I was at a friend's place sat on her sofa and waiting for said friend to get ready so we could go out and have a few drinks for her birthday. On that day I'd brought a spare copy of 'Deadline' round as I've been trying to get said friend to read some SK. Whilst waiting, I started reading the book and when I got home later that night I continued reading it, except it was a different copy.

Andrea Devern is a well-paid, middle-class business woman who gets home one night to find the house is unusually quiet. And then she recieves a phone call which turns her world upside-down. Some kidnappers have taken her daughter and they want half a million pounds in cash or the daughter dies.

The reader is then presented with an extreme game of Cat & Mouse. Like all of SK's books, 'Deadline' is well-researched with characters you both like and dislike. This was a book I had trouble putting down, constantly finding myself reading until 4-5am, wanting to know what happens in the next chapter as, like with all Simon Kernick tales, this one is filled with cliffhangers at almost every chapter-end.

Another thing I liked about this book was that it had some of my favourite Kernick characters in it, notably Tina Boyd and Mike Bolt. Along with this it had a number of scenes in the City in areas that I knew or recognised. This meant that I could easily picture certain roads and areas. Failing that there was always Google Maps.

I wouldn't say this is SK's best book, but it comes pretty close. If you're a fan of fast-paced action and the London ciminal underworld 'Deadline' is well worth a read.

This one gets a tidy 4/5 from me.

Severed by Simon Kernick

Yes, it is yet another Simon Kernick review, and so soon after the previous review. This time, however, it is his 2007 release, Severed.

Before going into the book/review I'll give a little background on why I read this. As you'll notice, I've been reading a few 19th Century novels for my uni course. After finishing Silas Marner I decided that before I go into next semester's reads, I'd devour something simple yet worthy of a long sit down. And so I chose Severed, a book I've read once a few years ago, but knew was good.

I always find that SK's books are simple to read, yet filled with fast-paced action, and not lacking a large amount of death, fear (in the characters) and general carnage. A good head-clearer, if you will. I also wouldn't need to focus on or think about theories (i.e. Psychoanalysis, post-modernism, imagery, characterisation amongst others), I can just sit down and read, which I did with this.

Moving on, Severed is the story of a successful car salesman who wakes up next to his girlfriend. But there's a problem: she's dead. And not peacefully either. She's been brutally murdered and now the protagonist, Tyler, must find out who killed her and seek his revenge.

The next 24 hours are the most telling as he is sent on a wild goose chase around the grim streets of East London. Inevitably he hits many a brick wall yet somehow recovers. I'll stop the spoilers there.

Fast-paced and action-filled, this is definitely one of Simon Kernick's best books. Much like Siege, I managed it in just two sittings (with the odd 20 min break here and there), finding it incredibly hard to put down due to the numerous cliffhangers which leave the reader desperate to know what happens next.

As some people may know, I am a cynical person at times, however, I can find nothing negative to say about the book. The characters are just right, events are described perfectly and the storyline/plot is constantly pushed forward with the skill of Kernick's writing. Or maybe I'm just being biased. You decide.

For anyone who hasn't read Severed and likes their crime fiction, grab this book today. If you haven't read Simon Kernick in the past, also pick up this book. I'm sure you'll become an instant fan. I've probably said that about his other books, but a writer loves their praise (trust me, I know).

This one gets a nice big 5/5 from me.