Relentless

Make a place for Kate Preacher on your TBR shelf.

Former intelligence analyst Kate Preacher is forced to outrun bounty hunters 'swiping right' for the opportunity to end her life while tracking down her husbands killer and preventing a global information technology disaster. This international spy thriller has all the alphabet agencies, chess set-pieces, compromised politicians, mob bosses, remote cabins and cold-war subterfuge you'd want to throw a stick at. Everything in this novel works well - the pace, the characters, the plot. The endgame could have been more subtly drawn, but overall I thought this was a very well constructed work.

I found the reference to Māori and Samoan bouncers unusual. Not wrong, just odd - I found myself wondering how many readers would be able to distinguish between a Māori or Samoan or Ni-Van, etc. No different I guess from references to minor characters simply by their nationality regardless of where they are from. I am generally rubbish at distinguishing people by reference to country of origin (physical appearance, gait, clothing, significant markers are more helpful).

For the benefit of the story Kate Preacher and Jake Church had to have the perfect marriage, except for one teeny tiny life-threatening secret. This is the pivot of the story, the infuriating 'you stupid man' and the only part of the story I really didn't like. I'm keen to see whether Kate will pop up again to foil more terrorist plots, or perhaps in a prequel exploring her life prior to marriage. It will be worth taking a look if she does.

I'm always in for a dose of high octane action, and there was just something about this debut and first book of a new series that caught my attention immediately. An international setting is always a bonus, and I was intrigued by the conspiracy angle and the promise of a lethal cat-and-mouse game. Relentless turned out to be an action-packed and simply exhilarating rollercoaster ride indeed! I can see this working so well as a Hollywood action movie, and I mean this only in the best possible way.

Relentless takes you on a wild ride that switches between two countries along the way. The terrorist attack that started it all is set in Paris, but the majority of the story actually takes place in multiple states in the US. There are also multiple POVs and characters in play, although they are easy to keep apart and the switches don't slow down the pace at all. In fact, you will find it very hard to stop reading, because there is danger lurking around every corner and a lot of action to be found along the way. A lethal cat-and-mouse game indeed!

One of the reasons this story just works has a lot to do with the main character Kate Preacher. She is what you can call your typical kick ass female lead, but she is easy to warm up to and easier to root for. Especially after what happened to her husband in the Paris attack... Nomad was likewise a great character, and I enjoyed learning more about both. Relentless is still mostly about the plot and the action though, and you won't find a boring minute in this story. Things can be said about the credibility of it all and you definitely have to be able to suspend your disbelief, but if you focus on the entertainment level alone, I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

This debut definitely isn't afraid to go dark and multiple trigger worthy topics are incorporated including terrorism, torture, death, grief, abuse, rape, graphic violence, PTSD, stalking and human trafficking. They all play a role in the plot though, and there is no doubt that the plot is intense. The writing style itself flows easily as well, and there were a couple twists that I didn't see coming. Relentless does end with a bit of a cliffhanger though, so don't expect to have all the answers by the end of this book... It's nothing too big, but there is a certain storyline that ends with a clear teaser for book two. Not that I wasn't going to read the sequel anyway!

If you like you thrillers on the action-packed, high octane and fast-paced side, you will be in for a treat with this debut. A conspiracy plot, lots of action, a strong female lead... Relentless sure does its title justice.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had that international thriller feel that I was looking for. The concept worked with everything that I was hoping for. It had a great terrorist feel to it and worked with what I wanted. Michael Maloof has a great writing style and the characters were everything that I wanted. It was suspenseful and glad I was able to read this.