Simon Kernick - Relentless

Review by Linda Thomas
This is the first book of Simon Kernick I have read and it will not be the last. This is a really fast paced, non-stop action book - it really is 'relentless'.

It was a normal Saturday afternoon, the kids were outside in the garden arguing, the football was just about to kick off on the TV, the phone rang.
'Tom, it's me Jack'. the voice was breathless.
I was momentarily confused. 'Jack who?'
'Jack.....Jack Calley'. This was a voice from the past....................
..There was something wrong too. He sounded in pain, struggling to get the words out.
'Long time no speak, Jack. How are you?'
'You've got to help me'.
It sounded like he was running..............
'Help me. You've got to..' He gasped suddenly. 'Oh Jesus no. They're coming'.

This is the start of the story, Tom Meron an ordinary guy, living an ordinary life, gets a phone call one normal Saturday afternoon from a friend he knew from school. The last six words that Jack Calley said, before he breathed his last breath, were the first two lines of Tom's address, the place where he lived an ordinary suburban life, with his two kids and wife of nine years. Tom tries to gather his wits, it was two minutes since he put down the phone, Jack Calley lived 15 minutes away, that meant whoever was after Tom would be here in 12 minutes and his family would be in danger, at risk. He had to go, gather the kids and run.
Who are these people, what do they want? Why did his friend from school, who he hadn't spoken to in four years, give out his address? Tom needs to find out and warn his wife not to come home in case these people are waiting for them. After dropping off the kids at his mother-in-laws Tom goes in search of his wife but finds a dead woman in the College library where his wife should have been, a colleague of his wife's. Tome is chased and nearly killed by the hooded figure who was fleeing the murder scene. Tom is accused of the murder by the police.
Toms life couldn't get any worse, he thinks, but it does. His wife is missing, his kids are kidnapped and the rot goes to the top with Crooked judges, bent coppers and ruthless criminals. This book grips you from the first page.

I couldn't wait to get back to this book. In fact I found myself nearly saying to a friend' hey, did you hear about Tom Meron's kids being kidnapped and the police being after him for murder?' I was so engrossed, it was almost real. His book has humour and solid characters. It was the best £1 I've spent in a while (bought at the charity shop)
He has been described as one of the 'New-wave' of British Crime Writers and had rave reviews by Lee Child, Harlan Coben & Mark Billingham