Deadline - Simon Kernick

Right from the first page, this book leaps into action. No long drawn out descriptions of people or places - without even knowing what's going on, we already witness a savage murder. And this relentless pace is kept up right until the last page. When you close the book, you almost breathe a sigh of relief !!! The timescale is immediately announced. A 14-year-old girl has been kidnapped and if the money (a cool half a million pounds) is not delivered within 48 hours, she'll be killed. The pressure is on, for her mother and those trying to help her get her back, and the sense of urgency and time running out is cleverly maintained throughout. The ...  Read the complete review

The first book I read by Simonk Kernick was Relentless, I thought it was a good read. I then picked up Severed, which just wasn't as good! I was put off Deadline for a while because of Severed, but this is what I thought. The book doesn't tend to start out well. You don't get time to know the characters too well, and when you start to get to know them, you find out a twist. It starts with a woman, Andrea Devern coming home. The minute she walks through the door her mobile rings, and a voice over the phone tells her that her daughter has been kidnapped, she has 48 hours to raise 1.5 million, and to not involve anyone, especially the police. ...  Read the complete review

Having only read one other Kernick novel (Relentess) I was hoping for more of the same. Whilst this followed the same fast paced action, it was ten times better! The pages raced by as I started chapter after chapter, not wanting to put it down. I kept making guesses as to who was involved, thinking I'd sussed it out only to find my theories were completely blown out of the water. Unlike `Relentless' this feels more realistic. There are still a few aspects of the plot that I don't feel were tied up very well but as with most crime thrillers it's easy to establish the crime rather than draw it to a close at times. Having said that, I felt completely satisfied ...  Read the complete review

I read Simon Kernick's Severed recently on holiday. I could not put it down! I then read Relentless, I thought it was a good read. So inevitably I wanted to read more by the author. I visited my local library just yesterday and have loaned Deadline. I started it last night. I have yet finished it yet, so this is a pre-review..... It starts off with a woman named Andrea who receives a telephone call (the moment she returns home, the very moment)... demanding a ransom of half a million pounds for the safe return of her 14 year old kidnapped daughter.... She has 48 hours. She is not to involve anyone, especially the Police. So what does she do? ...  Read the complete review