Cover Image: The Cyclist

The Cyclist

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Member Reviews

The Cyclist follows Judd, a cycling enthusiast from Minnesota. He has a troubled past, having washed out from Seal training after an accident that left one of his superiors in a bad way. He has an average job which leaves him cold and in his spare time cycles miles and miles to escape his demons.

He meets Cat, a beautiful Scottish girl, online. She shares his love of cycling and he finds himself falling for her. He is amazed when she asks him to come and stay with her so they can cycle The Highlands together. Giving up pretty much everything he has in a moment of rash desire, he flies to see her, unaware of the nightmare that awaits him.

I will stop there in terms of the plot, not wanting to give any more anyway. This book was a surprise to me, as with its themes of the military and cycling it’s not my usual type of yarn. I couldn’t help but be drawn in though by the pace of the storytelling; almost frantic at times and written with a sense of constant urgency throughout it had me turning pages at a rate of knots! Gruesome in places and pretty darn far fetched I must say, I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

I’m not sure I will be rushing to read more books like this but I have to say I’m glad I did read it and I will more than likely read this author’s work down the line. It was like a crazy adventure in the midst of my usual reading!

My thanks to #NetGalley and #BasteiEntertainment for a free copy of #TheCyclist in exchange for an honest review.

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This book was definitely fast-paced, but totally unremarkable, and definitely forgettable.

I'm going to start with something nice to say about this book, and that's that it was an extremely quick read. I very rarely read a book in less than 24 hours but I managed it with this one, even through getting distracted by a series on Netflix and going out for lunch. So there's something to say about the super fast-paced action in this one. It really did keep me glued to the pages (when I wasn't getting distracted!) and I'm totally thankful for that as I've been stuck on a few lesser interesting, slower paced books recently.

The story was just ridiculous. It was soooooo unrealistic, like one of those dreadful Hollywood horror films that are so bad that they're almost good. I enjoyed the plot but it's hard to completely lose yourself in the story when it's just so ridiculous. I enjoyed the edge-of-your-seat action and the gore (there was a lot of gore) but a lot of the book was extremely cliche and the whole SEAL thing was very macho-macho. I get that people in the armed forces like talking about the fact they're in the armed forces, and that they often think they're above people because they're in the armed forces, but the amount of times it was mentioned in this got to the point of cringe. We get it, you're a SEAL, you're such a tough strong guy.

Unfortunately, the characters were forgettable in this one. They were just completely flat - had no real personality to them all the way through. Not even at the end did anyone develop further from the first moment you meet them, and they all go through a lot of shit. You'd be a changed person after enduring all that.

This book is filled with those short, punchy sentences that are so loved in these throwaway thrillers. Sure, it makes for quick reading but it gets super tedious after a while. Some pages were filled with short sentences.
One after the other.
All the way down the page.
No real description.
No real development.
Just short.
And punchy.

The last thing I have to say about this novel is that the synopsis needs a real good rethink. To be precise, the line "But who exactly is the hunter, and who is the hunted?" - you know from a couple of chapters in what the hell is happening. You are handed the "hunter" and the "hunted" on a silver platter at around 60 pages (which is also when all the action really starts). I came into this book with the impression that Judd (horrible name, by the way) and Cat were going to be stalked and taunted by some unknown person, for all to be revealed in a shocking revelation nearer the end of the book, but that's not the case at all.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but only while I was reading it. It's not a story I'll ever think about again. Maybe I would recommend this to someone looking for a quick, gruesome holiday read.

Thanks to Netgalley and be-ebooks for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

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Judd is a former almost-Navel SEAL, now working a standard nine to five office job, slowly wading through the days in a daze of white-collar tedium.

He's haunted by an unfortunate mishap which nearly cost his training officer his life when he pumped his instructor full of led during a drill. His instructor, menacingly named 'The Cleaver', won't leave Judd alone, and the two make for an interesting dynamic, a kind of friend/enemy push-pull.

Needing an outlet, Judd clocks up the kilometers on his bike, a habit which keeps him sane. He's also met someone online, an attractive cyclist based in Scotland named Cat who eventually convinces Judd to visit her in her homeland.

Leaving his life behind Judd falls into a modern day honey-trap.

The Cyclist is a damn fine book. The characters are well rounded and the linear plot, straightforward and as sharp as a knife blade. To use a somewhat corny term the book is 'all thriller, no filler'.

My rating: 5/5.

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There is an old proverb that goes "if something is to good to be true then it usually is." Unfortunately for Judd a failed marine miserably now working for a money transmission company in Minnesota this proves to be spectacularly the case. Each day he video chats and flirts with an attractive woman called Catriona who works in the company's Glasgow office and they discover that they both have a love for cycling which is Judd's number one passion. When Catriona suggests that Judd comes over to Scotland for a biking expedition through the Highlands Judd has no hesitation in abandoning his job and booking a flight. But we know already from the narrative that there is likely to be something disturbing awaiting him for we are introduced to a character that is connected to Catriona called Alistair who appears to be far from normal. Another reason that Judd is keen to leave is that he is being stalked by Burt his former military instructor who he accidentally shot while training to be a Navy SEAL which was the reason he had to leave his training however his decision to leave the keys of his home to Burt while he is away will prove to have life saving consequences.

Once he is in the Highlands with Catriona it is clear from the reactions of some of the local people that they encounter that something is not quite right and there is sense of foreboding. The last book I read that featured Inverness and the A9 was Michel Faber's "Under the Skin" which was also a tale of the hunter and it's prey but for different purposes. This story certainly moves at a very fast pace and there is a fair bit of blood spilt so be warned if you are of a sensitive nature. As someone living in Scotland it is clear that Anthony Neil Smith has either visited or researched the area which gives the book a sense of authenticity.

Certainly if you are looking for a fast (I completed it in 2 sessions) action packed read then this book ticks the box.

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All that glitters is not gold, as our main character finds out. Failure, frustration, trust, distrust, fantasies, and a love of cycling begin this fast-reading novel. There's a slow buildup to a crescendo in the Scottish countryside as off-kilter characters contend with a horrific serial killer in scenes that include comic-book style battles, tortures, and viciousness.

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Like always Anthony Neil Smith delivers a quick easy read that keeps you turning pages. Smith always comes up with characters that make you connect with even though in real like you may not. Just short of five stars, wish the ending would have been a little different.

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I found the book very slow to read. The concept of the story sounded good but i felt the whole thing dragged on to much for me to really enjoy

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The great thing about being a member of netgalley is the opportunity it offers to the avid reader to explore genres and authors that would have otherwise have passed him by. Equally it gives new authors the chance to reach out to a much greater audience when hopefully their books will receive a warm welcome. I thought The Cyclist was an excellent example of an exciting story that kept me captivated from first page to last and all in one sitting! Not bad for an author whose writing I had only just met...so what's it about?

Judd almost became a navy seal, his friend and mentor Burt "cleaver" worries about him following an incident with live ammo during a field training exercise..."Whatever made him think he was a SEAL material, God only knew".... Judd in his own mind is a washed out failure spending his time cycling and surfing the net in the hope?..........Cat is the answer to his dreams an online companion who finds him funny outgoing and personable, the fact that she lives in Glasgow and he in Minnesota is but a small problem. Judd makes the decision to take out his meagre life savings and make the long journey to Scotland hopeful and confident that Catrina is the love of his life. What follows is an exciting thrill a minute tour de force as Judd tries to comprehend the complex Cat as they journey and cycle north of Inverness in the harsh yet beautiful Scottish countryside. To disclose more would spoil the delights and gruesome pleasures that await you dear reader of my review! I will only add that "Cleaver" shows the meaning of true friendship, and Cat will need to explain to an infatuated Judd just what her relationship with Alistair is?

Many thanks to the good people of netgalley for sending me a gratis copy of The Cyclist in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written. Highly Recommended.

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