This really is a book that ticked all of the boxes for me. It's very much a ticking clock mystery. The murders always take place on the same date each year - the anniversary of the first murder - and the method of dispatch and MO are always the same. There is no forensic evidence left behind and there is no clear evidence as to how the killer may subdue their victims. Using the husband, or whoever, to ultimately do the deed means that they are miles away from the scene when the explosion occurs and there is absolutely nothing to tie the victims together. At least not in the eyes of the police. But, as avid readers of crime fiction know, there is always a link somewhere. That is what James Carol has set us up perfectly to puzzle out. alongside hero of the hour, Jefferson Winter. And it works well, keeping us all in the dark until just the perfect moment. There was a scene in which my suspicions were aroused, but probably only because I've read so much crime fiction, everything I read is suspicious and every observation a potential clue. I was a few chapters ahead of the team in working out what the link might be, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, more cemented my satisfaction in being right.

Jefferson Winter is a great character. He's former FBI, but he is by no means a team player. I liked how he was very matter of fact, very disciplined, and focused only on the task in hand. He doesn't care if his clients like him, and certainly has no interest in padding the ego of the investigating police team, although with former Cop, Laura Anderton, on his side, he does have a way into the investigation and this helps him stay one step ahead of the police at all times. A source of frustration for them, a point of amusement for me as a reader. The author really does a brilliant job of making Winter believable and likeable. He antagonises people, yes, but ultimately gets results and, in his own way, is very charismatic. Definitely a character I want to revisit and read more about.

The pacing and tension in this book is just right. We don't really get to develop much sympathy with the victims who, by and large are all cases from the past, but it the book does reflect the damage that the murders have done to those left behind. Winter's client, Nicholas Sobek, is big business, perhaps a high functioning psychopath in his own right, which makes for a giddy mix when sharing scenes with Winter, but that tension between the two just makes the story all the more compelling. I loved the building tension, the feeling that anything could happen. And the high stakes, full on conclusion to the case really does get the adrenalin spiking - even if I wasn't really all that bothered about the last potential victim. Sounds harsh, but if you read the book, you'll probably understand.

Definitely a book I'd recommend to thriller fans. I'll certainly be making plans to catch up on the other books as soon as I can.

I love this series. This is the 4th in a series with an ex FBI agent and I love him. He’s a love/hate character I think he’s a bit like marmite. But James carols writing and plots are so gripping. I wish there were more in this series as I’ve read them all now. I read this one a while ago and went to look for more by this author but I’ve read them all and he’s not released anything recently. Disappointed as honestly loved this series.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

The quiet man by James Carol.
In Vancouver, the wife of a millionaire is dead following an explosion in her own home.Everyone thinks her husband is responsible, but former FBI profiler Jefferson Winter isn't so sure. The method is too perfect; the lack of mistakes, uncanny. He's seen a series of carefully orchestrated murders - once a year, on exactly the same day, a woman dies in a situation just like this one.That date is fast approaching and Winter knows another victim has been selected. Can he identify the quiet man before he strikes again?
A really really good read. Great story and characters. I liked the cover. 4*.

As a huge fan of the Jefferson Winter series - The Quiet Man is a gripping and fast paced thriller with fascinating characters.

The Quiet Man- Jefferson Winter # 4- by J.S. Carol is a 2017 Faber & Faber publication.

Solid thriller- but a little too restrained.

This set-up is unique- a serial killer’s modus operandi involves attaching an explosive device to his victims, then rigs it to go off when someone, preferably a loved one, opens the door. Therefore, technically speaking, the person opening the door is the killer. Yikes!

The killer repeats this scenario on an annual basis, always on the same day of the year. But, this year, Winter is determined to find the killer before he strikes again.

This means involving the previous victim’s families, one of which was a prime suspect, and still could be. But, the millionaire husband of the first victim seems every bit as obsessed with the case as Winter.

Winter exercises his unique profiling techniques, while teaming up with a private detective, Laura Anderton, whose knowledge of this highly disturbing and chilling case, along with her experience with the rank and file within the local PD, helps him navigate through a few roadblocks.


This crime thriller has a lot going for it. It’s gripping and intense, featuring a cunning and diabolical serial killer, along with a smart, cerebral plot. While this is fantastic on the suspense-thriller side of things, I felt a disconnect between all the characters- including the killer, and by extension, a disconnect with me.

Winter didn’t win me over completely, as I found him manipulative, and a bit overconfident. I do enjoy SOME emotion in my books, no matter which genre, and that includes thrillers- but sadly, I found there was little chemistry between the characters, most of which were one dimensional, showing little or no fervor, with a glaring absence of compassion for the victims and their families.

Other than the story having a sterile feel to it, the plot was clever and unpredictable, with plenty of psychological aspects that gave my brain a nice workout.

I didn’t realize this was book four in a series when I picked it up, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book, at all. However, I did wonder if I was missing some key information about Winter that would explain the significance of his ‘zoning’ out, or perhaps some background about his past that would explain his personality, but other than that, this book can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Despite my issues with the characterizations, I still felt this was a solid thriller and worth the time it took to read it. I’m a little conflicted about how to rate this one- but have decided to go with a 3.5, but will round down in this case.

I really enjoy the Jefferson Winter books and was not disappointed by The Quiet Man. The character remained true to form and I relish the way the plot unfolds. Looking forward to another one - maybe set in Spain if the last couple of pages were a clue .....

I'm a big fan of James Carol's Jefferson Winter series and am always on the lookout for the next one (This is the 4th in the series). However for some reason I didn't feel this book hit the same standard as the rest but I'm unsure what is was I felt was lacking, although this certainly does not mean that I will be avoiding further books in the series - Jefferson Winter gets under my skin!
Although this is the 4th installment of a series it could be read as a standalone as there is a fair amount of Jefferson's unusual & complicated back-story to fill in some blanks.
Thanks to Faber & Faber for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Jefferson Winter is a former FBI profiler working as a freelance consultant to track down serial killers.
The profile of the serial killer “the quiet man” was ingenious. It was a thrilling, absorbing read.
This is the first book I have read by James Carol and I have become a fan. I must catch up with his other books.

The first half had promise, but quickly degenerated into repetitive dialogue to fill space.

What is it with these authors that are "paid by the page" ?

from the review by Sid Nuncius
"It's as cliché-ridden as it sounds. Winter and Anderton spend a lot of time telling each other things they already know in that brisk, Professional-ese which people only use in stories like this. Winter is so empathetic he's practically psychic. The characters are straight out of Crime Central Casting, including the vain, self-seeking and incompetent Police investigator, the unscrupulous, untrustworthy journalist…you get the idea."


Notes -
2.0% ...Glitch in NetGalley file: All italics, centre-justified.

15.0% ... Not bad at all, so far.

18.0% .... very amateur and dangerous Hypnosis session here. Very stupid

25.0% .... "Some people considered psychopaths to be the next stage in human evolution.

71.0% ... too bad there's so much fluff in this book, so much repetitious dialogue and narrative.

80.0% .... the fluff content increases dramatically after about halfway through the book. Almost unreadable it's so clogged up with repetitive dialogue and narration. Ugh. Skimming pages now.

81.0% ... Now we know the who-dunnit, I am done. Rejected.

I am a fan of Jefferson Winter and read and loved all the other books that feature him. As the others in the series, The Quiet Man is well-written, with sharp dialogue and interesting characters. Even though I didn't find it as gripping as the others, it's a solid crime thriller and can easily be read as a stand alone.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

he Quiet Man is book 4 in the Jefferson Winters series, Jefferson Winters is an ex-FBI profiler with a serial killer as a father. The other books in this series in order are Broken Doll, Watch Me and Prey. There is also prequel short stories Presumed Gulity, Hush Little Baby and Open your eyes. The books are all stand alone stories so you don't have to read them in order if you don't want to, but if you anything like me you will end up reading them in order.

Winters has been ask to consult on case in Vancouver where on the 5th August for the past three years a wife has died at the hands of a bomb at their homes. Winters doesn’t have much time to find the bomber before someone life is forever changed, and they lose the trail for another year.

I have described Jefferson Winters as the Sheldon Copper of Crime fiction, he is annoying, to smart for his own good but you can’t help but love him. I like the fact in this book that we got to see more of his sense of humor with his interaction with detective Jefferies.

I really enjoy these series of book as Jefferson methods make the books very entertaining to read. As he is only a consultant he has a lot more freedom to do things, as he is not following the ‘book’. Jefferson is always one set ahead everyone, their is always an extra layer to his plans that he doesn't like to share until its already in motion. This alway keeps you guessing, which for me is the most important thing in crime fiction.

If want a different take on profiler book than this is a series that you should give a go.

I am a massive fan of James Carol and I have been looking forward to this for a while and it was worth the wait. Love Jefferson's stories and can't wait for the next one.

Having recently read Prey (Book 3 in this series) I was raring to go with the newest book by James Carol. Jefferson Winter is a memorable character, an ex-FBI guy with a shock of white hair who appears to live off of coffee and cigarettes. Seeing as Jeffersons own father was a Serial Killer, he has an unusual insight and has never really laid his hat anywhere. His work takes him all over the world and the latest case takes him to Vancouver in Canada.

This latest case is certainly unusual and it appears that the killer strikes just once a year on a specific date. His method of killing is by bomb and when PI Laura Anderton asks for his help he is only to happy to oblige. Anderton is a great character and seeing as she is an ex-copper it gives her an edge as well as experience. She and Winters make a great team and the cameraderie between them is obvious from the outset. Anderton was hired by the husband of the first victim and the two of therm together make a formidable team but don't prove to be terribly popular!

Jefferson is one of those characters that has personal experience, years of actual experience as well as some twisted and warped logic at times. However, it seems to be what gets the job done. I particularly relished some of the scenes between Jefferson and a particularly irritating reporter. Although Jefferson is good at his job and such an interesting character to read he also has a darker side which makes for compulsive reading. As much as I enjoyed Prey the last book, this one feels more like the original book and was a real page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read book 5!

I read this book in one sitting. Jefferson Winter is a compelling character. The story is good and flows easily. I wanted to keep reading to the end. The fast pace draws you in and adds to the suspense. I definitely want to read more about Jefferson Winter. I hope James Carol writes more about him.

A fantastic and engrossing read with rich writing.
I was completely lost in the world and was truly sad to leave it.

I’m a big fan of the Jefferson Winter series by James Carol and often recommend it so I was pretty excited to read The Quiet Man, the latest addition. If you’ve not read any of the others (Why not? Where have you BEEN?!) then don’t worry this will work as a standalone for you.

I have got to say that I think this is the best one of the series so far! It’s certainly my favourite one anyway and the main reason this one works so well for me is Mr Jefferson Winter himself! He has been developing slowing throughout this series but I felt he really came into his own here and had relaxed into his character. I just love him! His physical appearance makes him stand out from the crowd but he also has a presence that sets him apart from other criminal profilers. This is partly due to his charismatic personality but also to his past experiences, particularly the history he has with his father who was himself a serial killer. Winter seems to have put a lot of his insecurities about being his father’s son behind him here and morphed into more of a team player. He worked well with the ex cop Anderton who had been working a high profile case until she was thrown off it and is now partnering up with Winter to solve the series of murders before the killer strikes again. But teaming up with him brings new life into the murder enquiries as he sees things from a very different angle, using his experiences to ask the questions no one else has thought of and only just working this side of the law. His thought processes allow him to explore the darker side of the criminal mind but with a quick wit and dark humour that is bringing a more human side to his rather tunnel visioned approach to his work.

The plot here is edge-of-your-seat thrilling, full of shocks and twists that mean Winter is always one step ahead of the reader. In a way, he reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes portrayed by Benedict Comberbach, using the smallest of clues to build up a psychological profile of a methodical and ruthless murderer. This is a fast paced action thriller, fun to read and hard to put down. I romped through it, thoroughly enjoying this new side to Jefferson Winter and hoping that soon he may get to go back home where I’m sure he could find a few more cases waiting on his own doorstep!

Highly recommended by me.

Really enjoyed this next instalment in the Jefferson Winters series, looking forward to the next book!

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

After all is said and done, it almost always turns out to be the quiet one, doesn't it? The one who blends in without effort, but who is always there to see and hear everything. He may be shy, he may be charming, but underneath the feigned normality he may turn out to be your living nightmare.

Riveting plot here, one I have not encountered until now. Jefferson Winter, ex-FBI profiler, has a seemingly unsolvable puzzle on his hands. The madman in question kills only once a year, on the 5th of August. Winter employs the use of cognitive interviews to tap into the mind of murderer, to understand his rationale. The idea behind it is absolutely chilling.

<spoiler>If this doesn't make you want to chuck your laptop out of an upper story window, then I don't know what it would take.</spoiler>

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.