This was an interesting book. A ton of different situations are going on but it all comes together in the end.

Too Close to Home starts out quickly paced. I did not read the first Paul McGrath book in the series, The Invisible, but I felt within the first chapter I was caught up and knew the main character. Paul McGrath is ex-military who works as a courthouse janitor. He is working undercover and juggling a number of cases.

The first part of the book was better than the end. I was intrigued and trying to figure out how all the characters fit together. The twist towards the end was a little crazy and not all that related to the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that kept my attention. I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Too Close to Home. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Paul McGrath is back, working at the courthouse in a janitorial capacity to seek justice for his father. While digging into the corrupt system, Paul happens upon Len Hendrie, a small businessman who’s been accused of arson. The larger story behind Hendrie's alleged crime captures Paul's attention, but will his investigation lead to an entirely different direction than he expects? Will the truth of the past bring McGrath some clarity?

On the strength of the first book, I was excited to read Too Close to Home. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations. As Paul's character was already established in the first novel, I was hoping that the plot would be enough to propel the story forward. The story lacked excitement and the book lagged in the middle because of this. The ending was out of left field and just seemed to be there for shock value. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Too Close to Home to other readers.

Excellent novel with a great premise-ex military works for the City of New York as a janitor at City Hall where he hears things about people who need help. With his group of highly skilled friends they work their magic to right wrongs and bring justice down on the bad guys. The setting was realistically depicted and the good guys were like able while you could see the bad guys just made bad choices and the really bad ones were reprehensible! I would definitely read more about these characters. Thanks to #netgalley for an ARC of #tooclosetohome to read and review.

Too Close to Home had a great concept, or at least it sounded like a great concept. Sadly, it didn't pull it off. I picked this book up only to lay it aside again more times than I care to count, all in hopes that it would get better. It did not. The characters were superficial., the storyline was convoluted, the pacing was slow, and most of all, I was bored. I couldn't get enough excitement going to care how it ended, so it's safe to say that this one failed to engage me. It's a genre I usually enjoy, and the blurb sounded promising, so I guess I'll just have to chalk it up to a miss for me.

Andrew has been one of my favorite authors for some time. This book is amazing and I absolutely loved it. I am very sad to see Lee Child retire but I could not be happier with his choice to have Andrew pick up the reins of Reacher and this book was proof that he made the right decision.

Too Close to Home is an entertaining thriller with interesting characters and loads of unexpected twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me access to an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review of Too Close to Home.

Too Close to Home starts out quickly paced. I did not read the first Paul McGrath book in the series, The Invisible, but I felt within the first chapter I was caught up and knew the main character. Paul McGrath is ex-military who works as a courthouse janitor. He is a little like Robin Hood where he defends the weak and takes on the rich and powerful. Within the first chapter I found myself really thinking this character would make a great main for a thriller tv show or movie. The book is full of action and McGrath uses a lot of MacGyver style spy techniques. McGrath is working on multiple cases at once including an insider trading scandal, as well as the misfiling of a file related to the death of his father.

For the first 3/4 of the book I was really intrigued; I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how all of the characters were involved and what clues McGrath and his cohort Robson would uncover next. However, the "twist" seemed to come completely out of left field for me. Characters, situations, and even time itself (like the 1970s and 80s) seemed to appear out of the blue so completely that I felt let down. If more of the last 20% of the book had been incorporated all along, I would have been very impressed by the outcome. Instead it felt a little bit jilted like I was reading a whole different book.

The book came together in the end, and I like the action and goal of the main character. Some of the conversation was a little cliche, but the book really held my attention until the end.

Paul McGrath has taken a job as a janitor at the courthouse. Nobody looks at janitors, he has the perfect cover. McGrath wants to take down Alex Pardew, who, he believes, was responsible for his father's death. And McGrath has the skills, he is a trained intelligence officer who has spent a lot of time in secret locations. McGrath and his buddy, Robson, are determined to buck a corrupt system and bring justice to people facing a corrupted justice system. This is the second book in the series; I will be reading the first one and looking forward to more in the series. Recommended for all thriller readers.

I really need to check to see if books are in a series before I start reading them.
There were a couple of places where I felt that I was missing some back information.

It was a good book the ending is where I had some issues it just kinda hurried up and wrapped everything in a nice bow at the end

What happens when you have based your actions on a set of facts, only to find out after many years that your facts were wrong? Andrew Grant gives us the story of a man who has changed his whole life as he seeks vengeance against the people who wronged his father and caused his death. Now he has found files and information that he may not have all of the facts he needed. But is it too late to stop the consequences of his actions? A good mystery with a back story of be careful what you wish for......

This was one of the best books I've read in a while. Paul was raised with a good sense of right and wrong. However the legal system does not always mesh well with strong morals. Paul is a very complex character. Under the guise of a janitor in a court building, he has access to information he needs but shouldn't have. As Paul is investigating, some of the things he finds out hit closer to home than he expects. The ending was totally unexpected and blew me away. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

I really liked this book. I didn’t realize it was a series at first, so that as a shock. I have to say, it made for a great stand alone book. People who don’t enjoy series should try this however. Very different. A former military man who is now a janitor falls into a disturbing situation. My only real complaint is that I am not a fan of first person books- otherwise a really good read!

“Too Close to Home” by Andrew Grant is a first person narrative by Paul McGrath. Grant skillfully pulls readers into the story with surprises, suspense, mystery, and hint of criminality. Paul McGrath professes to be just the janitor at the courthouse; he cleans up the messes people make, all kinds of messes, and some messes that go far beyond just sweeping up dust.
The book is filled with complex characters, some good, some innocent, some questionable, and some ordinary; readers are not always sure who is which. The events and the people all contribute to the biggest mystery in the book -- the narrator.
Readers may not know whether to like Paul McGrath, or to fear him, but they certainly know they do not want to be on his bad list. Details about him emerge little by little, but many are complicated and contradictory. He skates along the edge of the law, intimidating the innocent, but then rescuing the downtrodden. He talks about his training, business, and past assignments, but readers do not know for whom he worked and are afraid to even speculate why he is no longer “employed.” His main focus is “squaring things” with those whom he feels wrongly caused his father’s death. In the process he uncovers unscrupulous market traders, corrupt judges, and a complex organization of just generally nasty people.
“Too Close to Home” ends with chronological flashbacks that detail the pivotal events in the pasts of specific characters. Telling the other side of the story adds to the intrigue and mystery of the narrator and sets up the startling climax to McGrath’s search for justice for his father. I received a review copy of “Too Close to Home” from Andrew Grant, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books. I found Paul McGrath a suspicious yet charismatic character. His past is intriguing and his current adventure is both complex and gripping.

This was an interesting story. I liked Paul's janitor cover story and his working at the courthouse. I was surprised by the ending.

First person narrative drags

While all of the elements of a first-rate thriller are here, this book would be much more readable if it were not in the first person. Lots and lots of extra words slow everything down and the book is not readable, really. And it's about a lone ranger vigilante. All in all, not something I recommend at all.

If you like “Reacher” and “Bosch”, let me just start off by telling you, YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE this one!

Fantastic read! Exciting, heartfelt, as far as Paul seeking vengeance upon his father’s killer. Well written, keeps the reader in the mix and I tore thru it as I really didn’t want to put it down!

Working at the New York County Courthouse as a janitor, Paul McGrath is invisible to almost everyone he encounters. That is how he likes it. While doing his job, he is also on a personal mission. Formerly Military Intelligence, he is looking for justice for his father and along the way he cannot help but step in where he sees injustice, all the while focusing on his goal. Alex Pardew is walking the streets a free man. A file of key information went missing during his trial so Pardew, the man responsible for his father’s untimely death, has been released. Righting this wrong will allow McGrath to move on.

Hooking up with a former MI veteran John Robson was a good decision. They live together in the huge old brownstone left to McGrath by his father. This allows them to work the case day and night until they find the missing evidence that will provide them with the truth in his father’s case as well as a few others. But these cases are not simple. There is an underlying conspiracy that will have to be shattered before justice will prevail.

McGrath is a complex character. At first, I thought he was a vigilante, but he is so much more then the surface look provides. He and Robson get things done in unusual ways, oftentimes with a wink and a nod to laws. These modern-day Robin Hoods stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves and get the job done.

Too Close to Home is a fast-paced page turner. The mystery of McGrath’s father’s death is only one surprise for the reader. The plot is intriguing and is laced with beautiful bits of description, such as: “…we paused at the cross streets and then were pulled back into motion as if by the city’s own heartbeat”. Along with enjoying this solid story, take time to savor the words Grant has written.

This is the second book in the Paul McGrath series, but the first one I have read. It works perfectly as a stand-alone novel, as a matter of fact, I didn’t even know it was a series until I looked it up. Fans of Michael Connelly will love this book.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2020 Laura Hartman

I was plugging along reading this book. Enjoying it, but was not WOWED by it. Then it took an unexpected turn and I was like WOW !!!!!!!!!!!! Turned the whole thing around for me. Great plot twist. Interesting, funny, and clever main character with his very own sidekick. I would definitely recommend this book.

I really liked the characters, the plot, the twists and turns. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was wrong. The author threw in some details later in the book that changed everything. I really like how Paul handled people. The good and the bad. His whole life he has been told one story and now he finds out that nothing is what he thought it to be. Even an old trusted friend wasn't the person he thought she was. I also liked how the different threads weaved together to make it an amazing story.