*****
During World War Two, a group of SAS soldiers are captured, shot and buried in a forest in the heart of France. Seventy years on, a young woman is targeted by a team of experienced killers who attempt to abduct her following a meeting at Edinburgh Zoo. Fortunately, PI Sam Dyke observes the would-be abductor and steps in to lend a hand. However, his rescue attempt leads him into a web of intrigue surrounding a mystery that links two events seventy years apart. Learning that the young woman is carrying a politically important diary, Sam is forced into a difficult situation that not only places his life in danger but threatens his relationship with his partner.
Based on true events, this is book #4 in the Sam Dyke Investigations series. Having been a fan of this author for some time, I’m still catching up with his backlist, and as with all the best writers, each book I read is better than the last. The plot this time round is thoroughly absorbing, pulling the reader into a fast-paced and exhilarating tale that is impossible to put down. As always, Mr Dixon’s characters are fully formed and believable, leaping off the pages as they race to a thrilling climax. What I love about Sam Dyke is his fallibility as he struggles to sort his life out while doing his ‘saving the world’ job at the same time. This author’s talent is in creating stories that are exciting and realistic while maintaining a high standard of storytelling that never fails to entertain.
A well-crafted and utterly absorbing ten-thrills-a-minute roller coaster. The next book is already winging its way towards my bookshelf. Bring it on, KD!
Colin Garrow 