‘Like Bottled Fire’ by Dominic Piper

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

In Rome, Daniel Beckett takes on a risky assignment, using an attractive Italian waitress as cover. Unfortunately, Beckett’s plan goes askew, and he discovers his companion may not be what she seems…

This short story is a prequel to the PI Daniel Beckett series and the first I’ve read by this author. The plot is a bit of a slow burner, as the hero flirts with a beautiful waitress while at the same time dropping hints to the reader about what he’s actually up to. Beckett is an interesting and enigmatic character, and Mr Piper’s writing is appropriately clever and witty. The action is a little while in coming but the pace speeds up quickly with an unusual twist that kept me reading. My only niggle would be the author’s overuse of the word ‘that’, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

An entertaining and exciting read.

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