This is the third book in the Bone Field Trilogy and like the other two does not fail to disappoint, what a fantastic series of books these have been. The book could be read as a stand-alone book but I would recommend reading the other two to understand the backstory. Roy Mason is sprung put of prison in a complex set up by the most evil man ever to exist. Ray is on the run and needs the help of Tina Boyd, his one time colleague and girlfriend. Theirs is a complicated relationship. Ray has promised the parents of the first person to be killed by Alistair Sheridan, a 13 year old girl, that he would get them justice for her murder. Sheridan is a nasty evil and conniving person responsible for a great many deaths of young women, he will stop at nothing to prevent himself being caught and exposed for what he really is. Sheridan aspires to be the next PM and Ray Mason is the very person to jeopardise those plans, Sheridan wants him dead at any cost. Ray and Tina are complex characters very well painted by Simon Kernick, and although they may break the law, which they once both served to uphold, it is done with good reason and often with a guilty conscience. The book is riveting read, full of surprises, it grips you from the very first page. A brilliant read and well worth the five stars I gave.

Thanks to Netflley, Cornerstone and Penguin Randon House U.K. for this ARC and especially Simon Kernick for a brilliant series.

Having read all Simon’s books and having met him a few times at Harrogate I was delighted to receive this as an ARC. His books are some of the best there is, with plenty of subterfuge and espionage. I was particularly pleased to see Tina Boyd involved again as I love her fearless character. Every page I turned, I literally held my breath, wondering who was going to pop up from the woodwork. I’d forgotten how adrenaline fuelled Simon’s books were. In fact, as I seem to have missed this series,or indeed I have forgotten the details, I’m going to start at the beginning and read them again.

This book was right up my street, corrupt politicians who think they can hoodwink the people and get away with murder literally. Sounds a bit familiar to what goes on, I wouldn’t trust an MP if he paid me a million pounds!!!

Die Alone is the third and final instalment in The Bone Field trilogy featuring disgraced Detective Inspector Ray Mason, his ex-partner and badass Tina Boyd and Mike Bolt who is leading the chase to catch them. Each book can be read as a standalone without any issues as the characters are well fleshed out although you may not be privy to some of the backstory if you just jump right in. The story revolves around Alastair Sheridan, a man with everything to lose including his shot at being Prime Minister who has a dark secret; he has a disturbing penchant for young girls whom he brutally offs in cold blood. Ray is one of the few people who are aware of his criminal undertakings and after being accused of a murder he didn't commit is on the run and rapidly running out of people he can trust. Broken out of prison by an unidentified armed gang, they proposition him; kill Sheridan to earn a new identity and a new life.

This is the most superbly gripping and compulsively readable political thrillers I have read in years. You always know what you going to get with Kernick; non-stop action with barely a moment to breathe, danger lurking around every corner, a story that moves at breakneck speed and enemies every which way, and this book is no exception. Theres never a dull moment and more excitement than you can shake a stick at. Of course, you need to suspend your disbelief a little but this is intended as a fun and highly entertaining read rather than realistic and it succeeds with both of those. It's an adrenaline-fuelled cat and mouse game from start to finish with many twists and turns and a masterful use of misdirection. A pure exhilarating page-turner and a cracking way to conclude the trilogy. I only hope the next book is as explosive but Kernick never disappoints. Many thanks to Century for an ARC.

This is the third book in The Bone Field series by Simon Kernick. I just love this author’s writing. This series features Ray Mason and Tina Boyd, both former cops who have worked together before and usually attract trouble but they trust each other. The book starts in London.
Ray Mason is incarcerated in prison awaiting trial for murder and arson. He didn’t do it but he is taking the rap so Tina could go free. They were trying to get the Bone Field killers but didn’t succeed. And worst of all is that Alistair Sheridan is aiming for Prime Minister and he is possibly the worst of them, the most evil. Ray is trying to survive prison. One night, after a prison brawl and on the way to hospital, Mason is broken free in a raid on the van he was travelling in. They want him to assassinate Alistair Sheridan and begin a new life abroad with a new identity. They have a plan all sorted and give him the details. Mason makes plans of his own, just in case!
On the night of the assassination, things go wrong. Big style! Mason improvises as he realises he’s been set up. The police are on the scene in minutes. Mason escapes and is heading towards the house where he was held. When he gets to the front, he sees bodies in the van and one guy. Mason tells him, ‘put your gun on the floor.’ The guy turns round, smiling and complying, cocking his eye at someone behind Mason. Mason then realises his mistake when there is a voice behind him, ‘hello Mr Mason, put your gun down’. He goes to comply, as a shot comes from behind them. Mason runs off to the side of the house, round the back towards the back gate so he can escape. Pulls himself over the gate, then keeps running as a car pulls alongside then stops, with Tina behind the wheel. He hops in and they take off. He tells Tina everything that he knows and they try to work out a plan. He needs to disappear. He, also, wants Sheridan dead though!
This was a brilliant read! It was like being on a roller coaster with many hills and so gripping and intense. Fantastic writing, descriptive and great characters in Ray Mason and Tina Boyd, always trouble when they are together.

The final book in the Bone Field trilogy starts with Ray Mason, a ex-policeman, in prison awaiting trial for murder. What becomes clear very quickly is that Mason is a wanted man with several bounties on his head because of his actions in the Bone Field killings several years beforehand. Mason is unexpectedly broken out by a group claiming to be MI6 and is offered a new identity if he kills Alastair Sheridan, a member of parliament, who is also a serial killer. Yet, Sheridan is highly likely to become Britain's next Prime Minister. What follows is a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse that never loses its frantic pace.

Mason is a fascinating main character as he is a good man with a strong sense of morality and justice but is now a killer. He promised justice for the parents of Sheridan's first victim and this is what drives him. Yet, it is also what gets him into further trouble. He also brings Tina Boyd, an ex-cop, into danger. Tina is an incredibly well-written and intelligent character and the relationship between the two is fascinating and central to the book.

Sheridan is a truly terrifying character and a fitting enemy for Mason and Boyd. He is charismatic and appears to have the perfect life, having climbed the political and social ladders. Yet, underneath this facade, he is a sadistic killer and a sociopath who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He also has plenty of enemies who want to help Mason in his mission to stop Sheridan.

The most striking aspect of the book is its pace which is gripping and incredibly fast throughout. This pace is maintained throughout through narrative shifts between Mason's, Tina's and Sheridan's perspectives. It's incredibly well written and plotted throughout. Like any good thriller, we are given a real sense of good and evil and the chase between them. It gives us a very stark view of the British criminal underbelly. The early prison chapters are particularly effective as they are gritty and are a perfect introduction to the type of character and world of the book.

Although the book is the third in a series, it works incredibly well as a standalone. It's the first of Kernick's books I've read and I really wish I had read the previous books before this yet I thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless. It's a fantastic novel about the dangers of retribution, especially for those whom the justice system has failed. I also liked the political aspect of the book as Sheridan is seen as an untouchable figure because of his social and political standing, a trait of contemporary life that we are all questioning today.

The book is incredibly fast paced and intelligently written, yet it's also a very quick and easy read, which is a very hard dichotomy to achieve. The book is the definition of an edge-of-your-seat thriller and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Another great book from Simon Kernick.
Ray Mason is in prison at the start of the book as a result of what happened in previous books.
Someone wants him out so following a violent riot in the prison, Mason is taken to hospital but on the way the vehicle is held up and Mason is taken.
He soon realises he’s been broken out of prison for a reason and has to decide if he’s willing to take on the task offered to him.
This task relates to the man Mason is desperate to see get justice so he agrees to it.
Things don’t quite go to plan and soon Mason needs to ask for help.
This is a gripping crime thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat, especially the final few chapters.
Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Bone Field #3 DI Ray Mason #4

Alistair Sheridan is a serial killer who has also been named as the next prime minister. He was the man behind the Bone Field killings and Ray has unfinished business with him. Ray is on the run and needs Tina's help to flee the country. But there are people out to prevent him from achieving this.

I've loved every minute and every word in this trilogy. Theres been ma y heart stopping moments and plenty of twist and turns. This thrilling conclusion does ot disappoint. Ray has many narrow escapes. The narrative is told from Ray and Tina's point t of view. The pace is fast and the plotline is thrilling. It's well written, tense and gripping. But it does have some violent scenes. This has been a really good trilogy. I highly recommend it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Randon House UK, Cornerstone and the author Simon Kernick for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Keep up...this is an action packed adrenaline rush of a book.
I was gripped from the very first page.
We revisit Ray Mason as he literally fights for his life during a prison riot. What is not clear is who is behind the riots and the subsequent prison break out?
Alastair Sheridan is favourite to become the next prime minister, but he has a secret only a few people know... including Roy Mason.
The pace leaves you breathless.... the late nights reading leave you sleep deprived.
Recommended.

Simon Kernick is one of my favourite authors so when the opportunity came up to review an advance copy of this book I didn’t hesitate and it went right to the top of my pile.
Thank you so much to Cornerstone Penguin Random House UK for approving my request via NetGalley and allowing me to be one of the first to read this brilliant book.

Brief synopsis of the story :

This is the third in The Bone Field trilogy but can easily be read as a stand alone. Simon fills in the character backgrounds.

The short, tense prologue was just brilliant and had me completely gripped to want to read the rest of the book immediately.

DI Mason is in prison for killing some very bad people although there is a story to this I shall not spoil which is explained in the book. He has a large price tag on his life and is living with the expectation an attempt on his life is imminent. He keeps himself fit and ready for such an event.

During a prison riot he is hurt and is transported to hospital but the vehicle is intercepted en route and he is abducted. He is made to agree to assassinate a high level MP, Alastair Sheridan, a nasty, sadistic, murdering piece of work with a history which involves Mason. During the assassination attempt Mason realises he has been tricked into killing the wrong man and contacts his ex partner, Tina Boyd, for help.

His new mission is revenge - for the people who tricked him and for the murder of a 13 year old girl 30 years ago.

My opinion :

Another excellent thriller by Simon Kernick. Fast paced, action packed, gripping and will keep you up until the early hours to finish it.

Highly recommended the book will be released on 28th November 2019 so get those pre-orders in, or ask your local library to get hold of it for you.

Simon Kernick likes to mix and match his characters and though each of his books can be read as a stand-alone, together they make up more than the sum of their parts. So Ray Mason, Tina Boyd and Mike Bolt have all appeared in previous books, but Die Alone is the final part of the Bone Field Trilogy. Don’t let any of that get in the way of enjoying this excellent, fast paced novel, though.

Ray Mason was a police detective, and a damned good one. But his tolerance for letting vicious killers get away has reached its limits and as a result when we meet him he is in the Vulnerable Prisoners Wing of a high security prison, awaiting trial for a double murder. Disgraced and disowned by his own colleagues and with a price on his head put there by those criminals whose lives and crimes he has disrupted, Mason has few friends and way too many enemies.

So when, in the midst of a prison riot, Mason is liberated from the prison and promised a new life and a new identity, he knows his options are limited. It helps that in exchange for this largesse, Mason has to kill a man he knows to be the personification of evil.

Alastair Sheridan is the most loathsome of villains, a seemingly respectable fat cat turned politician who is also a sadistic serial killer. Behind a façade of bonhomie, he has blackmailed and crawled his way almost to the top by associating with some of the worst villains there are, both at home and internationally. Sheridan is clever though and his façade is near perfect, with a trophy wife and seemingly unimpeachable lifestyle.

Mason knows differently though and is prepared to use cold blooded killing as a way to take out this vile perpetrator.

But Mason has been set up and soon the hunter becomes the hunted. Soon his very few friends will be putting their lives at risk for him as he hares from one death defying shoot out to another, putting everyone he cares about in serious danger.

Kernick has created in Mason an honourable man who the justice system has failed, making him ready to mete out his own form of retribution. He keeps his promises, regardless of the personal cost and though he knows he is not good for her, he feels a bond with Tina Boyd that he can’t help but tug on.

Die Alone is an action-packed thrill ride. It is relentless in its pace and the quest for justice is never far away from his protagonist’s quick thinking mind. Mason is a man who lives life to the full and is never more than three paces away from the next ambush.

Vivid, with just enough scary violence and with an authentic feel for the criminal underbelly of England, Die Alone is an electric read.

Verdict: The very definition of a thrill-ride, Die Alone starts at a running pace and just gets faster. The characters are engaging and the plot electric. If you like your protagonists quick thinking and commando fit, Die Alone is the book for you.

I absolutely devoured this book
They only keep getting better how is that possible !!
I always enjoy these books and highly recommend them to readers
Can’t wait for the next one , you’ve a lot to do to make it better than this
Thank you and I totally appreciate it

Alistair Sheridan is a serial killer with a penchant for young girls. He is also a politician who has been named as the next Prime minister. He was behind the Bone Field killings and Ray Mason still has unfinished business with him. There is a fly in the ointment for his future plans, Ray is in jail awaiting sentence for MURDER. An edge of your seat thriller which takes off like a speeding bullet. The tension and suspense had me gripped. The pace had me tapping my kindle faster and faster. The body count continues to rise. A real page turner which has left me wanting more. A MUST READ I LOVED IT. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Wow ... just wow!

What a thrill-a-page that was!

This is the third and final instalment of "The Bone Field" series and what a series it's been. You could read this part as a standalone but I think you would appreciate and have a clearer and better understanding of Ray's motivations if you read the previous books although not essential as Mr Kernick provides adequate snippets so you can easily keep up.

This book is just brilliant; full of action, scenes of peril, violence, tense and tender moments, fast-paced, gripping, well written and easy to read.

DI Ray Mason is a complex and very interesting character and although he may not always follow the rule of law, you find yourself rooting for him and willing him on through his many scrapes, tussles and near misses with the "goodies" and the "baddies".

Tina Boyd is one of my all-time favourite female characters and I loved that she returned for this final outing - more books with Tina as the central character please Mr Kernick 😀

Alastair Sheridan is a fantastic baddie. Politician, murderer, arrogant, full of his own self-importance and a thoroughly repulsive and obnoxious creature ... yes, I say creature because he's not good enough to be called a man, a human being or even an animal! The seething hatred I have for this "thing" oozed from my every pore as I read this book and I couldn't read it fast enough to find out what fate had in store for him.

I feel quite sad that this is the final part and although I realise that to eek it out would dilute the impact and stretch the bounds of reality somewhat but I really, really would like to read more books featuring Ray - maybe a series of stories of his life "on the run" in various countries around the world - I would be the first in line ... hint, hint Mr Kernick 😀

I can't thank Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK via NetGalley enough for my advance copy in return for an honest review; I am very grateful that I was chosen and thank you.

This is the final part of The Bone Field trilogy, long awaited by fans of Simon Kernick and and as a big fan I was not disappointed. This was a real rollercoaster of a read with never a dull moment!
Ray Mason, renegade cop with an innate sense of justice, is locked up in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Ray and his girlfriend, ex police-woman Tina Boyd, had been chasing some evil characters who go right to the heart of British politics when Ray got arrested.
Ray, who has been languishing in gaol for a year, is suddenly helped to escape by some people claiming to act on behalf of the secret services and there the story begins.
I will not reveal too much more about the plot but suffice it to say it is real nail biting stuff. I really liked the characters of Ray and Tina and the book is written alternatively from their points of view. They are very similar, both damaged in some way but both wanting to do the right thing. Their relationship is central to the plot as Ray has to rely on Tina to help him several times as the novel progresses. I was really rooting for both of them but could see little chance of them ending up together at the end even if they both survived.
Other characters from previous books were also involved including policeman Mike Bolt Who is looking towards retirement but still chasing after Tina and Ray.
Of course the baddies reappear and are incredibly evil! I was hoping that Ray and Tina would be able to see them off but even when I was getting near the end of the book I was not sure this was going to happen.
If you haven’t read the previous two books it is not a problem as everything is explained but I suggest you give them a go as they are great reads and give more background to the story.
Highly recommended and five stars from me. Set aside a few days as you will really race through this book- I didn’t want to put it down to get on with my normal chores!,
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

An absolutely amazing adrenaline filled ride. I loved it. I’ve read everything by this author and he just gets better and better. Highly recommended

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and author for this ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by Simon Kernick, The blurb looked good, and I felt it looked like my kind of book. I really REALLY loved this book ..... it got and held my attention right from the first page to the last. At the end of the prologue I was hooked and felt like I didn’t want to put the book down and needed to carry on reading to see how the story unfolded. The main character, Ray Mason was very likeable and I was rooting for him and the few he trusted all the way through the story. He is an ex police officer in prison for murder, is broken out and asked to kill a high level government officer who hides dark secrets and is a sadistic killer. The story had so many twists and turns throughout, lots of heart stopping moments that made this a brilliant, thrilling read. Mason had many narrow escapes from either being captured by the police or certain death. I honestly couldn’t put this book down and think it’s one of the best I’ve read this year. Will definitely read more by this author and look at his other books. 5 ******* - an outstanding, absorbing, fast paced thriller.

Absolutely loved this book, was gripped from start to finish and didn't want to put it down, would have read in one sitting if I could.
I hadn't initially realised it was the third part of the bone field series, so was absolutely delighted when I recognised a character in the first line, felt like I'd been waiting forever for the conclusion and it didn't disappoint.
Have loved Ray Mason in all his books, and Tina Boyd so it was great to have them back in another story.
Thanks for another edge of your seat, non stop thriller with plenty of bad guys, shocks and surprises.

This was a great read, thanks netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this exciting cop and killer story.
Had not read any of the previous books in this series, but it easily could have been a stand alone.
Tina and Ray are great characters and are determined to get the bad guys, they are like a whole gang in two characters.
Loved it.

Ray Mason is in prison awaiting trial for murder and he's in the vulnerable prisoner unit: as a cop he's something of a target, but the unit is not as secure as the inmates would have hoped and Mason is injured in a riot. On his way to hospital he's broken free by armed men and an offer is made to him. He's to assassinate the man who is likely to become the country's next prime minister and he'll then be given a new identity so that he can start afresh abroad. His captors say that they're MI6, but Mason has his doubts. His choices are limited though and he has personal reasons to believe that it would be better if Alastair Sheridan was dead.

On the surface Sheridan has it all: he's wealthy, good looking, charismatic and has a beautiful wife and family. British politics are chaotic and in an uncertain world he has a good chance of becoming prime minister. There's a darker side to him, though: he has a taste for young women and he prefers that they end up dead. Few people know what he really is and they're a mixture of fellow travellers or people over whom he has a strong hold. The exceptions are few and one of them is Ray Mason.

The assassination doesn't go as Mason would have hoped: on the run there is only one person he can trust absolutely and that's Tina Boyd - another ex-cop who has her own scores to settle with Sheridan. Mason and Boyd have history.

I've seen books which are described as 'fast-paced': few really live up to the billing, but Die Alone certainly does. There's hardly a moment when you can relax and take a breath. I read it over an indulgent day, determined that there were few circumstances in which I was going to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters are good. You begin by wondering about Mason - he admits that he's guilty at a very early stage - but you're gradually won around, not least because there's not an awful lot of characters in the story who aren't guilty.

It was a cracker of a read. Normally I'm repelled by descriptions of violence, but although it's there Simon Kernick is sensitive about the details he gives and what might have been an unpleasant read turned out well. He's an author I'll look out for in future and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to Bookbag.

I’ve been looking forward to part 3 of the Bone Field series for a long time and was not disappointed in the slightest. The book is classic Simon Kernick with a story that flies along urging the reader to just keep on turning the pages. Just having Ray Mason and Tina Boyd back together is a treat not to mention Mike Bolt chasing them. The pace is as breathtaking as ever and has the heart racing with each action piece building to an incredible ending.

The book could be read as a stand-alone because some key parts from earlier books are explained but I would encourage reading the first two to get a real feel for the whole story. I’m a huge fan of Mr Kernick anyway but this third instalment really is one of his best and is a wonderful conclusion to the Bone Field series and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.