No Way Back (A Jack McNeal Thriller Book 1)

Product Information

This fast paced thriller catches the reader's attention from the start as the action speeds along like a fast moving train. The action details the misfortunes of two women and we see how their paths eventually come together to fight a common adversary. Audrey has vague recollections of the evening that preceded the hangover—a handsome man, a lost shoe, lots of dancing and drinking…and making a fool of herself. She’s mortified when Daniel, the man who’s lap she fell into, speaks to her as she spends her last day in Cyprus on the beach, telling her he handed her lost shoe to the manager of the restaurant. As of the characters, there are two female main characters. One I felt a little sympathy but the other one I could care less. Not a good sign when the reader is along for her adventure and is suppose to root for her. She irked me more than anything else.

Finished Book 1 feeling ambivalent as to whether I will continue the series. I hoped the original direction of the book continued because the story depth had a quality that might have made the book a classic worth reading multiple times. However, that didn't happen. Instead, the story seemed to take themes from the litany of favorite movies the author cites as his favorites after the end of the book. I loved the writing style, there was loads going on, I thought this was well written as it can be easy to loose the main thread of the story but that didn't happen.Mary spends the next few months in filthy Newgate Prison, wondering what will happen to her. She misses her family and is terrified she won't live to grow up and try to have a better life and have children of her own. Then her sentence is commuted to transportation to the new colony of New South Wales (present day Sydney, Australia). Mary is grateful for a chance to survive but sad she will never see England or her family again. The sea voyage is very long and Mary wonders what will await her at the end. Later Mr Nicol tells Mrs Bransley who really took care of her and when they are arriving in port she swears to be a mum to Mary. Audrey’s heart and mind is very unsettled and Cyprus is not proving much of a distraction especially when she literally falls in the lap of wealthy and handsome businessman Daniel Taylor. Daniel turns out to be Audrey’s very own Prince Charming but is she ready to be swooned so soon?

This novel is about a married woman who recently had an argument with her husband. She goes to a bar and while there she meets a man. She heads up to his room for a one night stand. Before she knows it she is thrust into a conspiracy that has dire consequences for her. This is your basic thriller novel. Wendy now on the run from the cops and feds, has to clear her name. She can do this because she worked as a cop for one year and also went to law school for a bit! I cannot finish this review without mentioning the stunning cover artwork which links beautifully with the storyline. It’s not the first time Urbane publishers have sold a book to me purely with a drop dead gorgeous cover design and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I liked the writing was so British, I am based in the UK so familiar terms and language was really great.

A Note From the Publisher

Wendy Gould, a former police officer, had a major argument with her husband one evening. She made plans to meet a girlfriend at a bar the next evening to talk to her. Long story short: Her friend doesn’t show up, texts her that she can’t make it, and Wendy; for the first time in her life, goes up to the hotel room with a very handsome, talented, nice man. What happens next is not what she, or the reader expects. Wendy witnesses his murder, kills a federal agent, and has to flee to protect herself and her family. I wasn't happy with Daniel's daughter and her actions at a certain point and I wasn't sure what the truth of some events were. Was Daniel lying? Who knows?

It's a book that contains a fairly large number of characters who all had their own sub plots going on, and at times I found it slightly confusing as to who knew what about which incident, but on the whole all the various goings on added to the attraction of the book, and meant there was never a boring moment. Audrey's home in London, where she meets Daniel again, he being the Cypriot developer her parents are working with, and the man whom she met in Cyprus one night where she drunkenly landed in his lap at the restaurant where she was dining with her parents. He was a savior of sorts when he turned in her lost Louboutin, and thinking of her as Cinderella. So when he sees Audrey again at her parents' home, he's smitten all over again and pursues her with intensity. His intensity is intoxicating to Audrey and they begin a whirlwind relationship. But, he's got secrets and when those secrets bite him in the ass, will Audrey stay strong and stand by this man she barely knows? Or will she do something stupid and get herself in trouble? I do enjoy Kelly’s style of writing, it’s reader-friendly quite fast-paced where it needs to be and each character is memorable. explaining that yes, she was cheating on her husband but She's Not A Floozy (this is always the deciding factor that tips strangers in helping a wanted fugitive accused of double homicide; they start out wary but as soon as she assures them nothing penetrative happened, it was only kissing and heavy petting, it's all peachy (and yes, strangers who are confronted by a wanted fugitive possible murderer care more about the whole cheating situation than the murdering situation)) Wendy just goes around apologizing for "being a slut" to everyone she meets. And I'm like, "They shouldn't care. Get to the part about the killer rogue agents. Stop talking about how you're "such a bad person" and "no one can forgive you, you can never forgive yourself" and all this crap. You have bigger issues to worry about, okay? Like the fact that you and your family are being hunted down and killed. Focus on what's important."This was a one sit read for me and I can't recommend it highly enough ,sleep, who needs it anyway ;0) .I just had to know how it would end ,and if Audrey would get her happy ever after ! I loved it! The first thing you notice about this book is it's beautifully striking cover and excellent printing quality which is what I've come to expect from first class publishers Urbane Publications. To clear her name, Wendy has to unravel a complicated conspiracy to runs to the highest levels of the federal government.

A treat for fans of DI Helen Grace: an ebook short story from Top Ten Sunday Times bestselling author M. J. Arlidge. The ins and outs of all the characters were well written and credible, although I started to dislike some of Audrey's friends the more I read. Audrey took chances and enjoyed herself but felt guilty afterwards - why? Her friends didn't feel guilty about what they did!! I really liked the sound of Audrey's new man Daniel until he lost his temper with her and although he wasn't violent, I was worried for her. He kept on buying her designer footwear too, wish I could find a man like him ;) Meanwhile, Lauritzia Velez, a nanny, is also running away from some terrible events. Most of her family have been murdered by a gang, the Los Zetas. Wendy cheats on her husband (but doesn't Go All The Way!) with a reporter and in doing so is a witness to the reporter's murder/kills someone in self-defense. Instead of calling 911 right away, she legs it, partly because she thinks the cops will kill her too to cover it all up, but mostly because she doesn't want her husband to know she was (Almost But Not Quite) cheating on him. So of course the first thing she does is go home and confess to him that she Just About cheated on him. Then he gets murdered too and Wendy is framed for it.I think it is a very nice book with an interesting story which I would highly recommend especially if you are interested in the history of England and Australia. Although this book is a diary it is written with a mixture of narrative and dialogue which you wouldn’t usually expect. It would be good if there was a follow up to tell her new life in Australia. The ending, without revealing anything was to me a bit of a let down. It's a let's leave them to it sort of thing to me anyway. I still had questions, how would they overcome certain situations. There was a summary of other people who had interacted with the main character, Audery, and what the outcome was for their lives but a sort of this is the situation, now we leave her get her happiness. Not enough for me. As an example, at some point she feels whoever she ends up with she was going to be playing second fiddle so how could she be good with that.