From the searing heat of the Iraqi desert to the snow-capped mountains of Eastern Europe, Zoe Sharp takes readers on a helter-skelter, action-packed ride with this latest instalment in her exciting series featuring Charlie Fox. It's been four years since the last Charlie Fox adventure, but Sharp brings her back with a vengeance, delivering a real corker of a tale for long-time fans and new readers alike.

FOX HUNTER is the twelfth book in Sharp's long-running series, which began back in 2001, and manages to be a great standalone read as well as progressing various character arcs from throughout the previous books. The spectre of Charlie's ignominious exit from the British Army has hung over her journey as a close-protection specialist, and really comes to the forefront in FOX HUNTER as she's forced to confront her ugly and traumatic past. Face to face, in some cases, at last.

There's a heck of a lot to like about FOX HUNTER. There's action aplenty, and a great sense of place. I could feel the heat shimmering off the pages when Charlie was roaring around Kuwait and Iraq, trying to track down her mentor and former lover Sean Meyer, while dealing with betrayals, ambushes, and various groups scrabbling to gain any advantage in the ongoing war zone.

Charlie Fox is a terrific character; strong, capable, principled, with an ugly past that damaged her before she healed herself. She's often been compared to Jack Reacher by reviewers, and Lee Child himself has even said 'if Jack Reacher was a woman, he'd be Charlie Fox'. I'd certainly recommend the series, and this book, to fans of Reacher who are looking for 'similar but different' books to enjoy, but I do think it's doing Charlie Fox a little bit of a disservice to just think of her as a female spin on Reacher. She is her own woman, a unique and intriguing character on many levels.

Just how healed Charlie Fox may or may not be is put to the acid test in FOX HUNTER, as she's forced to confront the events of the past, and the men who were in control of those events. And her.

There's a great sense of adventure in this book, it's a kind of rollicking chase story that reminds me a little of a James Bond movie or those classic 1960s-1970s British adventure-thrillers, just with a modern feel and spin. Charlie Fox goes careening around Iraq and Kuwait, then further afield, in her hunt for both Sean Meyer, and whatever and whoever Sean may be hunting himself. But does she really know what is going on? Just how much did that head wound change Meyer's personality?

Action-packed, adrenalin-filled, but with plenty of depth and thoughtfulness in among the explosions, gun battles, and hand-to-hand combat too. A very good read.

Another excellent Charlie Fox thriller. I've loved following Charlie and seeing how she has changed and adapted and grown as a person. She is smart, determined and kick ass. Can't wait for the next book!

Former British Special forces soldier-turned-bodyguard Charlie Fox can never forget the four men who raped her and ended her military career. But when one of the men (Clay) working as a private security contractor in Iraq is found brutally tortured to death, Charlie fears that her boss and former lover Sean Meyer may be pursuing a twisted vendetta on her behalf.

Charlie is sent by her New York agency boss Parker Armstrong to find Sean and stop him, by whatever means necessary. At one time Charlie thought she knew Sean better than she knew herself, but after recovering from a near fatal head injury, he has turned into a violent stranger.

As the trail for Sean leads Charlie to neighbouring Kuwait and then to Jordan, she realises that Russian goons and American three-letter agencies are also searching for him. The theft of Iraqi cultural artifacts is linked with Clay and the other men responsible for her attack.

This is an excellent non-stop thriller full of plenty of action, danger, violence and betrayal and is a welcome return of this resilient, tough female protagonist.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Pegasus Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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I honestly had given up on seeing another Charlie Fox novel -- which was a cryin' shame, but I get that authors have to move on sometimes. But then a couple of weeks ago, when I logged onto NetGalley to take care of something, there it was on the front page -- and I jumped to request it (despite promising myself I was taking a NetGalley break to catch up on other things).

“You were a soldier, Miss Fox , and you are now a bodyguard. There is an old saying that is true in both cases : To survive—to protect a life— you have to be lucky every day. But your enemies, they have to be lucky only once.”


Following his near-miraculous recovery from the injuries no one expected him to survive, Charlie Fox's love/boss, Sean, hasn't been the same. Now, it looks like he's settling old debts -- not necessarily his own. The fact that he's doing that is bad enough -- it's not quite de rigueur for someone in his position to go around exacting vengeance. But the way these debts are being settled (if that's what's happening) speaks to someone not in full control. Charlie fights for the opportunity to do the boots-on-the-ground investigation to prove that it's not Sean's handiwork.

This ground is Kuwait and Iraq, and before she knows it, Charlie is dealing with soldiers/mercs that she's annoyed in the past, Russians with a grudge, Iraqis trying to defend cultural artifacts and certain three-letter agencies mucking around in it all -- and every sign is that Sean's up to exactly what Charlie is convinced he's not doing. Before the book ends, she'll come face to face with multiple faces from her past (none of which she ever wanted to encounter again) and will be forced to reassess some of the most formative events of her past and career.

For those new to Charlie Fox -- this would make a pretty good entry point, by the way -- she's former British Army, who received some special forces training, before her career was derailed. Since then she's done plenty of work as a bodyguard and worked other types of security. She's stubborn, loyal, inventive and tenacious. And deadly -- it eats away at her, but when push comes to shove, Charlie's as lethal as you can find.

Killing because your life—or that of another—is in immediate danger is one thing. I’d been trained to accept that possibility right from the start of my army career. But appointing yourself judge, jury, and executioner is quite another. As is doing it anyway, only to discover that it doesn’t trouble your conscience nearly as much as it should.

Sharp has given Charlie a strong voice -- one you can believe can accomplish all she needs to, yet one that's entirely human.

The new characters are well developed -- and we see plenty of old faces, too. One unexpected antagonist is almost too evil to be believable (but, sadly, I imagine that plenty of Armed Forces have people just like him). There's one death that was a real gut-punch for the reader (or at least this one) -- that's a testimony to Sharp's skill that she can create someone like that in a brief period.

I don't remember any of the previous novels being all that tied to current events, but Fox Hunter clearly took place post-Brexit and during the Trump administration. I'm not saying that's bad, but oddly specific -- and changes when the rest of the books happened as well, because this didn't take place long after Die Easy despite the 5 years between the novels -- I'd have had an easier time swallowing the book without that specificity, but not much -- I note it because I found it strange.

That aside, this is exactly what Charlie Fox readers have come to expect from her -- she takes the proverbial licking and keeps on ticking, and kicking, swinging and everything else. Best of all, she thinks -- she plots, she improvises, she keeps on trying. Not to sound cliché, but this damsel finds herself in plenty of distress -- and gets herself out of it (occasionally with help -- but not in a Nell Fenwick sort of way; more like Lt. Templeton Peck way). Plenty of action, plenty of violence, plenty of suspense -- all with some character development, moving ongoing story arcs forward (while re-evaluating everything before).

Not much else to ask for -- except another volume soon.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from W. W. Norton & Company via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.
N.B.: As this was an ARC, any quotations above may be changed in the published work -- I will endeavor to verify them as soon as possible.

I'm waffling between four and five stars because I was ready for a couple of story arcs to finish in this 11th Charlie Fox novel. It's just that I'm not sure they really are finished and if they are I'm not sure I approve of the resolution. But nonetheless, there are endings, satisfying paybacks, and new beginnings.
I'd be more accepting of all this if Ms. Sharp promises she has another Fox in the pipeline. Yeah, yeah, I know I should try writing a book myself and see how quick I am to judge. I'm sorry, I'll admit it, I think all of my favorite authors should be chained to their desks at least eight hours a day with no vacations or sick days.
Charlie Fox is a close protection specialist. To give a quick summary she was gang raped by four fellow trainees during British Special Forces training. She was chucked out of the training and service with her life and reputation in tatters. Her lover at the time, Sean Meyer, found his career in tatters too and blamed Charlie. Years later they met up; the lies were resolved, they fell in love again and started working for Parker Armstrong's close protection agency in New York. Their happiness does not last long before Sean is shot in the head, goes into a coma and wakes up hating Charlie again. But after awhile they reach equilibrium in working together again. There, a quick summary of the last several books. Although of course you should read them because they are so great.
Armstrong sends Charlie to Iraq after Sean because he fears Sean has gone off the rails on a revenge mission. One of Charlie's rapists has been found brutally tortured and murdered. Armstrong sends Charlie on a bring 'em back alive mission. Or not.
Sharpe paints Charlie as a woman almost as tough as any I've seen, but she does have a compassionate loving side. She just won't let get it get in the way of business. I've always liked Sean, but I'm not sure I approve of the motivation he has for going after Charlie’s attackers. I understand that Sharp is being accurate in her depiction of personality changes after a head injury, but sometimes I want to go all Cher on him, slap him and yell "Snap out of it".
I've not read many books set in Iraq yet, especially one from the view point of a civilian contractor. I could feel the heat, taste the dust and see the despair in the wreckage of a country. This book is James Bondish on how it goes from one exotic location to another. Just not the glamorous locations.
Fast-paced and exciting, Fox Hunter lived up to its name as a thriller. I hope the wait is not as long for the next Charlie Fox book.
I think I'll go with five stars, it isn't fair to deduct because I don't like cliff-hangers.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.