A new author for me but one I'd heard good things about so I was happy to dive into his latest book and I wasn't dissapointed.
This was a well written book with true to life characters,the author leads us very skillfully through a page turning and dark and violent read.that I didn't want to put down.Very happy to add David Jackson to my list of must read authors.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viper Books for the ARC.

One Good Deed is the fourth David Jackson novel I’ve read, and by now, it has become something of a summer ritual to look forward to. I always have a great time with his thrillers and One Good Deed was no exception.

They say no good deed goes unpunished and well, Elliott is about to find that out for himself when he meets Rebecca on the street at night. She is being followed and begs him to walk home with him, pretending they’re in a relationship. Elliott is exactly the kind of guy you’d ask to do that. A bit shy, modest, the quintessential good guy. Little does he know that Rebecca’s stalker is a bit unhinged to say the least, and this one small favour will escalate completely.

And that is exactly what this author does best: he takes a small action, an unnoteworthy event, and runs with it. The result is perhaps a teensy bit too extreme to be entirely plausible but who even cares when it’s this entertaining?! I sure didn’t, I had a ball! If I were a nail-biter, my nails would have been bitten down to the quick by the time I’d finished it!

David Jackson has been dubbed the king of one more chapter and the master of the unputdownable thriller, and both are spot on. The short chapters and their unrelenting pace continuously invited me to read just one more chapter, but I could never stop after just one. (It’s a small miracle I made it to work on time!) At night and nearing the finale, I had to force myself to put it down and get some sleep, for I’m not the best sleeper at the best of times and I was afraid the adrenalin of the last sixty or so pages would keep me up all night.

One Good Deed is an addictive, fast-paced and suspenseful thriller. If you like your thrillers action-packed and nail-bitingly tense and/or you love a cat-loving antihero to root for, One Good Deed should be at the top of your shopping list. Recommended.

One Good Deed is out today in paperback and digital formats.

Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a hard story for me to rate. There’s no denying that this is a gripping read - the villain of the story is gloriously unhinged & this makes for fear reading. The story is also very easy to read; the pacing was great & I thought everything flowed well.

What makes this hard to review is the main character, Elliott. Elliott seems to have a blindness to certain aspects of life and due to many experiences with bullying, is very non-confrontational. He’s taken in by a pretty face when he aids Rebecca in avoiding her stalker, but when the stalker attacks him, Elliott refuses to get help. Yes, you have to suspend belief in varying degrees when you read fiction, but I couldn’t do it in this case.

This book was wild! I didn't know who to believe and I was kept guessing throughout. Loved the short chapters, they added to the fast pace of the book. Completely binged this in one day!

Elliott works in a cat charity shop and lives alone with his cat Bill. On his way home from a local shop one evening he meet a beautiful woman called Rebecca. She asks him if she can walk home with him as her former boyfriend is following her; apparently Darren can't accept that their relationship is over. Elliott gladly helps her but after that first night Elliott finds himself confronted by Darren who is desperate to get Rebecca back but Rebecca won't respond to any calls from Elliott even when he gets the police involved.

Really great read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Viper Books and David Jackson for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review

Elliott Whiston’s cat, Bill, eyes him with disdain. He’s one hungry cat, and Elliott has forgotten to call for some cat food on the way home. There’s nothing for it, he’ll have to go out again and try and get Bill his favourite brand - he’s a very fussy cat! Just a quick walk to the shop that’s all it was going to be, but this night will turn into an unbelievable sequence of events that will bring pure terror to this mild unassuming cat lover.

On leaving the local shop, Elliott does a good deed for a stranger named Rebecca, he did it because it was the ‘right’ thing to do. He agreed to her plea to pretend to be her boyfriend, in order to shake off her pursuer who was hiding in the bushes. Big mistake Elliott!

‘One Good Deed’ deals with the distressing subject of ‘stalking’, something that leaves the victim with significant fear and concerns for their safety. In this case though, there’s more to it than meets the eye, and Elliott’s kind deed makes him the target of a deranged and obsessive mind.

The author certainly has the ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, with frightening consequences. There’s a gathering pace and a sense of urgency as the storyline hots up in a race against time, and he dexterously steers the reader through the maze of the plot, making for a fast and thoroughly entertaining read. Recommended.

Elliott has never thought of himself as a hero. Until one dark night he meets Rebecca, a scared and vulnerable young woman who needs his help. There's a man harassing her, following her; would he mind pretending to be her boyfriend, just while she walks home, to put him off?

Firstly, I will now read everything this author has written as this is a cracker of a story and I read this in an evening as I could not put it down. One night Elliot is asked by a girl named Rebecca to let her walk with him and pretend they are girlfriend and boyfriend as she told him she was being followed/stalked by another man named Darren.

And she is right, Darren is obsessed with Rebecca but Elliot is soon going to learn that being the hero may have now lead him to a very bad place, and I mean really bad. I am not going to elaborate anymore as I do not want to give the story away but this is definitely a heart in your mouth stuff and I found myself actually making groaning noises out loud as events began to unfold.

This is a very cleverly put together story, you really feel like you are riding the wildest roller coaster of your life and you are barely hanging on. I found myself talking and yelling out loud trying to tell Elliott what not to do or what to do to stay safe. This really hits every human emotion there is, and it really is an exceptional story, definitely not one you are going to forget in a short time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

I am a big fan of David Jackson’s dark, twisted thrillers. Always such page turning, fast reads and One More Deed was no exception. He has a way of putting his characters into situations that just spiral out of control and you just need to keep reading.

Elliot is a quiet man, keeps to himself and works for the local charity store. He is a big of a nerd, lives alone with his cat. His life is about to be turned upside down by being a good man and helping a woman in need. He finds himself in the middle of a messy situation and nothing will be the same again.

This is a pretty dark and violent book but so much fun to read. Thanks to Viper Books for the chance to read this book early.

A really enjoyable twisty psychological thriller. Definitely a ‘just one more chapter’ book.

In a nutshell a kind chap, Elliot, helps out a stranger who claims she is being stalked. He takes her every word at face value and ends up pretty much in hell as a result of his desire to help. Elliot ends up in the middle of the mess and is left, unfairly, to deal with it.

The characters for the most part are awful. The protagonist, Elliott, is a spineless and easily manipulated man. His well-intentioned friend just makes things worse. There are some truly deplorable characters. I only really liked Bill.

Bill is a cat.

However, don’t let my intolerance of people put you off; I was keen to read on to see what happened to them. Wanting people to get their comeuppance is as powerful a motivator for me to read on as is a happy ending. If not more so.

Many reviews I’ve seen refer to Elliot as a very likeable hero - I thought he was a snivelling idiot with such low self esteem he’d do anything, including putting his life in danger, for mere scraps of attention.

My fifth David Jackson - I will definitely read more.

Thank you NetGalley and Viper for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Would definitely recommend.

One Good Deed - David Jackson
Publisher: Viper
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Overview:
Elliott is just a regular nice guy who lives with his cat Bill and works at a cat charity shop. Elliott struggles to assert himself and often feels like a nothing and a failure. But one evening his life is thrown into chaos when he steps up and does a good deed for the stunning yet mysterious Rebecca who is being followed by her stalker Darren. Now Darren is making Elliott’s life a living nightmare and things are quickly escalating out of control. Will Elliott finally be able to stand up for himself or do nice guys always finish last?

My Review:
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I really enjoyed his writing style. Although a tense thriller, there were snippets of humour thrown in as well which brought the characters to life a little more for me. There were some deranged and unlikeable characters but I really liked Elliott and was routing for him to step out of his comfort zone and become the hero.

The story itself was verging on outrageous but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it for what it was. I found it entertaining and it was one hell of a ride. But if you’re not a fan of stories that push the limits of realistic then this probably won’t be for you.

In this book we meet Elliott who has never really thought of himself as a hero. Most probably because he has never been put into a situation where he has to done the superhero cape. That is until one night he meets Rebecca who has been followed and harassed by a man and she is feel extremely vulnerable and alone. So she asks Elliott if he would mind walking her home and pretending to be her boyfriend to try and scare of the stalker. Of course Elliott agrees noone says he will not arrive on his white horse and save a damsell in distress. Elliott thinks nothing of it and goes about his life again after making sure Rebecca has arrived safely that is until one day Elliott gets a knock on the door it is the man that had been following Rebecca home. It is clear from the outset that he is a little bit deranged and unhinged. He is claiming that he is Rebecca's ex boyfriend, he threatens Elliott if he cant have her noone else can, he is dangerous obsessed and off the rails. Elliott tries to tell him that there is nothing between him and Rebecca but he is dead set on not believing him. To save his own life and make sure nothing bad happens to him Elliott knows that he has to find Rebecca the only problem is Rebecca is nowhere to be found. She has vanished into thin aor and so Elliott has to track her down and become a stalker himself to be able to save his own life.

A completely good page turner once you start reading you will not want to put it down. It makes you question everything you were led to believe in the book as the tale unfolds.

Rebecca has a stalker. One day to try and shake this man off her tail she starts walking with and talking to a random man in the street. Elliott tries to help his damsel in distress and that;s where the story begins. After this things just go from bad to worse for poor Elliott and we are then taken on a pulse pumping ride between a psychopath and some very innocent bystanders. I really enjoyed the build up of characters in this story and some great twists. I honestly wasn't sure what was going to happen next and how Elliott was going to get out of the sticky situation that Rebecca gets him into. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes an edge of your seat thriller. A couple of bits were a bit far fetched for me but overall a great read!

One Good Deed is the latest dark and twisty thriller from David Jackson that takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride but not as much as the main character, Elliott.

The pacing is excellent and every time you think that you have sorted out or more accurately guessed what will happen next the author delivers another curve ball.

An all round outstanding read.

David Jackson thrills again with another stunning read, I loved it .
Elliot is a simple man he lives alone with his very fussy cat , works in a Cat welfare charity shop and doesn’t ask for much from life or anyone but all that starts to change when on his way home from the local shop a young woman asks for his help as she is worried that an ex boyfriend is following her. Well Elliot is no superhero but he is a very kind man but he never realises just what horrors are to come from doing “One Good Deed”.
Well goodness me this is a non stop rollercoaster of a ride as things just go from bad to worse as the book progresses, I got so involved in what was happening I lost all track of time and that’s what makes it a book you can’t put down and oh my not forgetting what a superb ending it has !
So a brilliantly addictive story, top notch writing and wonderful characters there is so much to love in this 5 star read and many thanks once more to the wonderful David Jackson, please keep the books coming.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail / Viper / Profile Books for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was hooked on this author after reading ‘The Resident’ which I found impossible to put down. Since then I have eagerly awaited every new novel and have always been as entertained as the my first read.

In “One Good Deed,” author David Jackson weaves a thrilling tale that combines elements of suspense, heroism, and the unwavering power of human connection. Elliott, our unassuming protagonist who embarks on a journey that will test his limits, both physically and emotionally.

I was pulled in from the very first page and as so often happens read it straight through in one sitting. Elliott, a man who never considered himself a hero, finds himself drawn into a dark and dangerous world when he meets Rebecca, a terrified young woman seeking refuge from her relentless stalker. What begins as a simple act of kindness, posing as Rebecca’s boyfriend to deter her pursuer, quickly spirals into a heart-pounding battle for survival.

This is excellent storytelling, well paced and full of outstanding characters. So full of suspense that I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. Elliot is a great character and it was very entertaining trying to guess his next move in the story. He is a nice ordinary man who is far from your natural hero yet he is thrust into a good deed that gets out of control. It is because Elliott is such an unassuming character that the story works so well.

This novel is well written and a page turner.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Serpents Tail for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Out one evening Elliott bumps into Rebecca who is scared as a man is following her. She asks a simple favour; if he will pretend to be her boyfriend so that the man leaves her alone. Elliott, being a nice man, agrees but quickly realises his mistake as things take a turn for the worst.

I was really looking forward to reading this as I have read quite a few of the authors past books and they always offer a unique storyline with plenty of thrills and black humour. This one definitely follows the same theme and has become one of my favourites. I really enjoyed the character development and found myself rooting for Elliott. The book makes you question how far should you go to do the right thing and sees how one simple action can escalate to the point of pure chaos. I was fully invested from the start and the pace never dipped. I loved all the crazy, dark twists and turns and the satisfactory conclusion. This is not one to be missed! 4.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

Another brilliant thriller from David Jackson.It really is an absolutely intriguing story from start to finish.I found myself saying one more chapter and hard to put down.Wanting to finish it quickly but not wanting it to end. The main character Elliott is really likeable and normal , very easy to relate to.

A gripping and compelling psycholgical thriller. A dark and twisty cautionary tale about a good samaritan, a stalker and his prey. Seemingly simple as so few characters but beautifully crafted and plotted. I read this in one day as I could not put it down. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

Late one evening as Elliott Whiston is returning from a quick shopping trip he is approached by a young woman, Rebecca, asking if she can walk with him as she is being followed by an ex-boyfriend who refuses to accept their relationship is over. Elliott's good deed turns in to a nightmare as the ex-boyfriend, Darren, refuses to accept Elliott's version of events and threatens violence unless he helps Darren find Rebecca.

This is one of those adrenaline fuelled, read in one sitting books that grips you and refuses to let go until the end. The opening chapter is full of creepiness, black humour and has a shocking ending. It's hard to believe that this is only a prelude to the even more shocking events that play out in the rest of One Good Deed.

Main character, Elliott, is mild and unassuming. He leads a lonely existence, having missed the opportunity to go to university because he looked after his ailing mother. He's now in a rut, questioning his life. The chance to help a "damsel in distress" gives him the occasion to play hero for a brief time. Little does Elliott realise the consequences of his actions. Even when things start to unravel he still believes in doing the right thing.

As events spiral out of control we learn more about Rebecca and Darren. Darren is controlling, refusing to accept anything other than his own view of events. Initially Rebecca comes across as a character you have a lot of sympathy for, particularly after one scene in particular where she meets Darren. However, as the story progresses you lose all sympathy for her and begin to wonder if this is all some strange game of cat and mouse with Elliott as the poor, helpless creature stuck in the middle.

Threats soon escalate in to violence as Darren's demands become more extreme. It becomes a race against time, leading to a conclusion that is brutal. It really does make you wonder if you should ever do a simple good deed for a stranger.

Elliott Whiston is a likeable, kind man who lives a quiet life between managing a charity shop and caring for his much loved cat Bill. One evening, a trip to the corner shop for emergency cat food, brings Elliott and Rebecca together as she asks for his help. As he is a real gent, he plays his part of Good Samaritan to perfection to help a damsel in distress. These two are so completely different, light years apart and yet fate brings them together. She asks him to lie for her if the need arises and he agrees. Little does he know what he’s let himself in for, even in his wildest dreams he never imagines this.

The novel has a very strong start which gives you some idea of what you are in for. Elliot is such a contrast to the other characters who appear with the exception of Heidi Liu, who proves to be a real friend. Some of the dialogue between these two especially at the start provides some welcome light relief from the chaos, violence and danger that is unleashed. This is a really good thriller, the pace is fast, the circumstances chop, and change, the tension is frequently at a high level so it keeps you reading on, glued to what develops. Short, sharp sentences highlight the dangers and none of the chapters are over long and so it flows well, keeping you invested in the plot.

Overall, you root for Elliot throughout as your jaw drops at what the poor guy endures. If only he’d known…

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Serpents Tail/Viper/Profile Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.