Member Reviews

A gripping story line, a who dunnit or who didn’t do it! A good legal thriller with an easy guessable ending nevertheless Tony Kent keeps the reader enthralled till the end!

Was this review helpful?

Definitely a Legal Thriller with a difference . It starts with a retired Senior Judge being found crucified , then a barrister found the same .What was the connection and who was next .A well thought out novel with numerous twists as the story unfolds .

Was this review helpful?

An absolute cracker of a novel.
Tense, exciting read that was just the right length with a solid start, middle and conclusion.
Two intertwined stories. One was a cat and mouse race and the other a really clever back story that kept you wondering what would happen next right to the final page.
My only regret was that, although this is a great stand alone second novel, I found myself wishing I'd read the author's debut first. For no other reason than I couldn't get enough of him.
So I bought it anyway and am looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing but.
A very well deserved 5 starts and a grateful thanks for the entertainment.

Was this review helpful?

With a particularly gruesome murder as an opener I knew I was in for a great read from the very start. Seriously fast paced I’m not sure I actually drew breath reading this. Great characters that I would love to see more of. Excellent.

Was this review helpful?

Marked by Death#Netgalley
Wow what a story, it’s a fast paced book, and really enjoyable. Truthfully I have not read the first book. This is the first book I have read of Tony Kent’s book. If I had one negative in this book, it’s how a newspaper reporter decides to do her own investigation rather than leaving it to the police, when it leads back to her own front door, to Devlin things became a lot more complicated, in many many ways. If it was left to the police investigation I would have found it to be a little better. But overall a good book, I only wish authors would not let reporters or anyone other than a police investigation. By making it about anyone other than the police a book becomes not as realistic as I personally would have liked. It actually can spoil some books.

Was this review helpful?

Following on from his first book Tony Kent's Marked for Death is an action packed legal thriller that keeps you clicking the pages until the surprise ending.

Michael Devlin is his a QC with a difficult case in front of him trying to defend a man who he thinks his innocent but who won't speak out.

Simultaneously a retired judge is brutally murdered and then a retired lawyer but what is their connection?

The action never stops and will keep you hooked throughout.

Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?

Enjoyed this book and there was a definite twist in the tale! Likeable characters with potential for very interesting back stories, will we see more of them in future?

Was this review helpful?

Marked for Death is a fast paced sometime scary Police Procedural/Court Drama I have not read the first in the series of Killer Intent but I wish I had and will make a point of looking out for it as this is such a brilliant story .It starts with the grisly murder of a retired Lord Chief Justice and the killings don't stop,add in gangland murders and a DCI trying to catch a killer and a QC trying to prove he is worthy of his silks by defending a young man who is on trial for a brutal murder and you have a wonderful .complex and gripping story .DCI Joelle Levy is a great character as is QC Michael Devlin both with interesting backgrounds .This is a very hard book to put down ,I enjoyed it so much and the ending was brilliant .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

Was this review helpful?

The reader is drawn into this detective thriller right from the outset as Kent opens with an air of tension and horror This recurs throughout the book and is visited upon even those characters we feel can't possibly be affected.
The main characters engage us and carry us through a large number of twists and turns. Even when we believe we know the answers and outcomes Kent manages to surprise and intrigue. Credibility for such a large number of missed opportunities is provided with the plausible background information and explanations.
A really riveting read for fans of detective murder thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Elliot and Thompson for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

It took me longer to get to the review than normal because I had to read Tony’s first book in the series before I could read this one. I’m so glad I did, this series is something else, lots of twists and turns, and plenty of book to get your teeth into.

I really like the characters too, Michael who has a chequered past, and is now a QC knows how to defend himself and is not afraid to do what he thinks right, a man to be admired. His girlfriend Sarah who he met in the previous book, works as a journalist, but she has scruples, and is not such a parasite as a lot of the press. It was the introduction of the new police officer, Joelle Levy, whom I liked immensely, she was not the run of the mill copper, she’d had Israeli training and was just brilliant.

I have to say though, without spoiling it for other readers, the end was no surprise. I had a feeling it would turn out as it did.

I, for one, can’t wait for the next book. Give up your day job Tony, and keep writing these gripping books.

My thanks to Tony Kent, Netgalley and the Publishers for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Marked for Death opens with a gruesome murder and plunges straight into the story featuring characters from Tony Kent's previous novel. It is a murder mystery cum police/courtroom thriller packed full of cold case details, gangs and courtroom drama. Three of the main characters, Irish barrister Michael Devlin, Detective Chief Inspector Joelle Levy and American TV reporter Sarah Truman are defined and likeable.

Overall, a thriller with many twists and a great ending.

Was this review helpful?

This book was fast moving and gripping with a believable story (for crime novels) Full of twists and turns, the ending comes as quite a surprise…. One I did not see coming. I will look out Tony Kent's previous novel and look out for any new ones in this series.

Was this review helpful?

The death of a retired Lord Chief Justice would have made the news: his crucifixion dominated it and Detective Chief Inspector Joelle Levy of the Met's Major Incident Team was the person whose job is was to find his killer. She never thought that it would be easy: the Lord Chief Justice had been making enemies in the course of his work for over half a century. It seems unreasonable to suggest that the crucifixion of retired solicitor Adam Blunt might have given her a ray of hope, but surely two such grisly killings cannot be random? All that's needed is to find out what connects the two cases.

News reporter Sarah Truman was covering the case for a major TV network and didn't suspect that her investigations would lead her straight back to her finacé, criminal barrister Michael Devlin. Devlin was totally focused on his current case and didn't understand the implications of what was happening until tragedy struck a close friend and he realised that the people he held most dear were under threat, but no matter what Sarah says, Devlin is determined to see his case through to its conclusion.

It's easy to see connections between author Tony Kent and Michael Devlin. Kent grew up in a close-knit Irish family in London, whilst Devlin was all too familiar with the streets of Belfast. Tony qualified as a criminal barrister at the age of twenty two and both Kent and Devlin are very fit: Kent is a champion boxer. Hopefully Kent doesn't get attacked in the course of his work, but the great advantage here is that Kent brings a level of authenticity to his story, which would be difficult to better. Characterisation is good too, even relatively minor characters come off the page well and stay in the mind.

It's a good story and one that's not easy to put down once you've started reading. I hadn't read the first book in the series but Marked for Death read perfectly well as a standalone, although I do suspect that there might be spoilers for the first book in the series,Killer Intent. This has all the hallmarks of a promising series to follow and I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

Was this review helpful?

This is a book that needs to be read at one go. It has a number of story lines all of which are very well integrated. There are constant surprises relating to the main characters who are exceedingly well described. The book is very well written and the relationships between the lead detective,lawyer and journalist are very well deployed in the story. Some readers may find the ending a bit over the top but it actually fits well with the earlier parts of the book. It would make an excellent film.

Was this review helpful?

A gritty and unusual thriller with interesting characters. Revenge and payback are the main themes with lots of twists.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely enthralling to read! Tony Kent captures you into the story and you feel a part of it. I couldn't put this book down until I had finished it and went through a whole heap of emotions. And ultimately a decent crime novel

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely brilliant - not aa light and quick read but utterly excellent, to the point that I have ordered the preceding book from the library for bot me and my dad. Excellent read - cannot recommend highly enough.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book - it very cleverly merges two story lines - a sadistic serial killer and a court case concerning a seemingly naive and nervous youngster. The court case cross-questioning made excellent reading although I did find the section on mobile phone mast prioritisation a little long. As expected the book moves towards a 'Hollywood-style' ending where the hero meets the villain in a lonely spot but I felt the author did not over extend this and there were one or two clever 'twists.
The court case ends the book and you are left wondering if there will be a second book in the series. Excellent reading

Was this review helpful?

Having read the first book in this series which I thoroughly enjoyed having seen the recommendation on the Zoe Ball book club on TV. This book ticks all the boxes. A page turner from start to finish. I related to the main characters . Can't wait for book look 3! Thank you to the publishers and netballer for allowing me to have an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Fantastic book! This was fast moving, gripping and pulled me right in. It was a race against time that I felt part of. I loved the characters and will be looking out for the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?