Book Blurb
When a schoolteacher, Monica Porter, is brutally murdered in her Glasgow west end flat, DI Shazia Khan leads the investigation to catch her killer and uncovers a tangled web of lies.
Meanwhile, cynical journalist Fergus Mulrein becomes captivated by beautiful Russian model Olga Yevdokimova when she reaches out to him for help.
In Glasgow's violent underworld notorious gangster Paul Murray is determined to maintain his dominance through his powerful connections whatever the cost to others.
The characters' lives criss-cross amidst a background of political conflict and corruption.
Can DI Khan solve the mystery of who killed Monica Porter and why?
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'A Rendezvous With Death' by Gordan Smart.
Read and reviewed for ZooLoos Book Tours, Gordan Smart and Red Dragon publishing.
Publication date 5th August 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the DI Shazia Khan series.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Red Dragon Publishers. I have yet to read a book published by Red Dragon publishers that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 40 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Glasgow, Scotland 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being DI Shazia Khan. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene for the reader. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.
The storyline was intriguing, multi-layered and very fast paced. I became completely invested in the storyline. It is filled with suspense and is an action packed page turner that is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. It starts straight into the action and just keeps on going right through!!! It has one of the most explosive, gripping and addictive opening that I have ever read!! It doesn't get any slower after that but keeps picking up speed taking you on a rollercoaster ride of crime, corruption, murder and much more!!
.I like Shazia, she is struggling being a working single mum, feeling guilty for palming her young daughter off to family, for the lack of relationship she has with her father. Her daughter is struggling and her mother doesnt know, creating yet another level on conflict and reflecting the tough life teenagers can lead. The fact that even wtih all the ways of communicating, they can feel more alone than ever before. Perfectly portrayed by the author.There were grey areas with the good and bad guys, so even though you ere generally rooting for the good guys, you knew they werent always squeaky clean, and sometimes the bad guys had good reasons.The action really really ramps up, and considering it starts off at high speed, it really flies along. I read this really quickly, and I was totally gripped from beginning to end.
The characters were all realistic, strong and well defined each with their own unique personalities. I was completed invested in DI Shazia Khan and am pleased to read that she was Asian as I don't think I have ever read a crime book with an Asian protagonist so this made a nice change!! She was an extremely believable character and my heart went out to her. There are a handful of protagonists in crime books that have a sad history but not many who are currently struggling. Shazia is a working single mum who has a daughter who is also struggling with her own issues along with having autism. The fact that Gordan has done research or has experience with mental health and autism absolutely shines through so a huge congratulations to Gordan for that!! It is a pet hate if mine for an author to not research subjects included in their books and then littering it with mistakes but he avoided this. Shazia may be having problems at home but thay doesn't stop her from being a strong, intelligent woman who fights crime like a pro!! An inspirational, kick butt protagonist that I am looking forward to meeting again!!!
Overall an explosive, fast paced, page turning action packed crime thriller!
Genres covered in this book include Crime Thriller, Police Procedural, Suspense Thrillers, Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.
330 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
Gordon was born in Brisbane, Australia and grew up in the South Side of Glasgow, Scotland. He studied at Aberdeen University, edited the university newspaper, and graduated in English before working in various jobs: pubs, a carpet factory, a lodging house for the homeless and a fish-processing factory. He started a Masters at Glasgow University but then jumped ship to run a radical bookshop in Aberdeen before deciding to train as a teacher. He taught English in secondary schools in Glasgow, Western Australia and Clydebank before working for Learning and Teaching Scotland as a development officer, then for East Dunbartonshire Council as a Quality Improvement Officer in the education department. He lives in the West End of Glasgow with his family. His interests include playing and watching football, reading, playing guitar, listening to music and watching films. The locations in his writing will be familiar to Glaswegians.
Follow him at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gordonrsmart
Purchase Link
Amazon: https://geni.us/IvOvqA
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