Great thriller that kept me engaged from start to finish. Fabulous plot and characters, and author I will definitely read more of!

I was a fan of this author’s supernatural books. I had been reluctant to read this series since it was not based on the paranormal. Turns out my reluctance was a waste of time. I loved this book so much that I immediately went to read the 1st book and now I am a huge fan of this series. Craig Schaefer does a great job writing as a woman. I can’t wait for the next book.

This was an enjoyable mystery thriller with a lot of action. I really like the character of Charlie and enjoyied reading the adventures of her and “the team”. I have not read the first book but I feel that this one could be a stand alone.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is the second in the Charlie McCabe series. She is an ex-military bomb disposal specialist who returns home to start civilian life and gets a job as a bodyguard.

There are two protected in this story, one the main story is set around, the other a side story t hat shows that not everything about being a bodyguard is easy. The characters are likeable and the main three have a very good connection, as can be read in the conversations between them. Even though this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Personally I’m at an advantage as I have read the previous book so some of the references make a bit ore sense to me, but that shouldn’t matter to new readers to the series.

Overall, the story is well paced, and there are enough little cliffhangers at the end of a chapter to make you want to continue reading. A thoroughly enjoyable novel, and I look forward to seeing if there will be any more in the future.

This review is based on a free digital ARC copy provided by NetGalley. My views are provided based on the book content only.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Insider by Craig Schaefer from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in order to read and give an honest review.

I’m a recent fan of Craig Schaefer having been introduced through his book, Ghosts of Gotham, which I reviewed here. Although I haven’t read The Loot the first book in the series, however I found this perfect as a stand-alone as well.

In book two, Charlie McCabe is working with Dom and Beckett as part of the Boston Asset Protection Agency as a bodyguard hired on two separate cases. The first case revolves around protecting an author and all-around narcissistic jerk, Lincoln Gable, who is on a promotion tour for his controversial book. The second case is a bit more complex involving keeping alive the prime witness, Hayden Cobb, a witness to a murder case involving three dirty cops known as the East Boston Three. While under Boston Asset’s protection in a secret location an attempt is made on his life. To Charlie and crew it appears there is a leak somewhere in the DA’s office and rumours of a fourth dirty cop who could be the one trying to silence Cobb forever. When a member of mob boss’s Jimmy Lassiter’s crew is falsely imprisoned as the hit man, he blackmails Charlie to exonerate him,putting one of her loved ones in danger. Running out of time Charlie is almost pushed too far. Along the way there are so many intriguing and interesting players that show up at the race this book is definitely one wild ride.

I absolutely loved everything about this book, the strong, intelligent, resilient yet flawed female characters, the pacing, his twisty plot turns that draw you in and keep you voraciously reading until the end. Filled with murder, mayhem and amazing plot twists which will throw you for a loop this is a fantastic book which I highly recommend!

I love Craig Schaefer, and even though this novel is a non-paranormal he stilled nailed it.

Although I haven't read the first book of this series, I had no problems following the story. Filled with action and fantastic characters. The storyline moved forward at a good pace. Even though this is mystery/thriller involving bodyguards, politics and police, I was still left with that nagging feeling of some sort of paranormal aspect hidden in the story.

I had such a fun time reading THE INSIDER that I had to give it a 5 star rating. Well done, Schaefer! I hope we'll see more of Nina in the future? Wink wink!

This might sound a tiny bit dramatic but I don’t care. Craig Schaefer, will you be my Yoda? You, sir, consistently allow me to escape into the worlds you create and have so many amazing plot twists, characters that grow and in general fantastic writing and it makes me stare at my own writing and wonder how I can be more like you.

ANYWAY…. now for my much more professional review of the upcoming second book for The Insider. In this installment we see Charlie, Beckett and Dom return to protect the clients that hire Boston Asset Protection. The story starts of with Lincoln Gable as the client, a run of the mill idiot who enjoys talking crap and stirring up drama on his book tour. Soon (and I cannot stress how relieved I was that I wasn’t going to spend the whole book with Gable) Charlie and her team are brought on to the protection detail of Hayden Cobb, a key witness in the trial against three cops. These three cops are on trial for murder and are known as the East Boston Three but there is a problem. It seems like there may have been a fourth member to the group and the trio aren’t talking. Maybe I was relieved by the new distraction in the form of Cobb too soon.

It’s up to Charlie, Beckett and Dom to find answers while protecting both of these idiots. Gable has paid for protection and is using every mob attack for media coverage and Cobb isn’t sharing the full truth which may end up getting him, or others, killed.

If life couldn’t get more complicated we also see the return of Jimmy Lassiter through some chaotic plot twists that put Charlie and her father on the line once again. You’d think three problems (two bad clients and Lassiter in the wings) Charlie would be at her wits end. Well, she is. We go one step further into Charlie understanding that life is an insane, twisted merry-go-round when she simply states; “I’d say one crisis at a time, but life never really cooperates.”

However that didn’t stop Schaefer from introducing us to one other new player in the game and honestly Nina reminds me of some of Schaefer’s other chaotic characters, specifically she reminds me of Caitlin from Schaefer’s Daniel Faust series, so if you’re looking for yet another character in this series to have on your radar and watch out for, Nina is Schaefer’s gift to us readers.

With a great pace, incredible plot and further character development not only for Charlie but for Dom, Beckett and even to a lesser extent Charlie’s father and Jimmy Lassiter, you won’t be disappointed with book two.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Craig Schaefer for the ARC.

I really really really like Craig Schaefer's writing. Whether it's urban supernatural tales like Ghosts of Gotham or the Harmony Black / Daniel Faust universe, or these Charlie McCabe books, Schaefer just tells a great story. In this second-in-series, we get a lot more insight into what makes Charlie tick and I really enjoyed that. I also really liked getting more insight into Beckett, and I fully expect that enjoyment to continue in future titles, given the way this one ended.

Schaefer also did a great job bringing in new characters to explain recurring ones, and set up the future nicely, leaving readers hungry for more but not hanging off the edge of a cliff by their fingertips. I like that he does that with his books - if you stopped reading at any given one, you would know more was happening but not feel unsatisfied that the adventure you had just been on had stopped rather than ended. Not a lot of series authors can pull that off - or seem interested in doing so. Many seem more interested in leaving you hanging such that you have to buy their next book to finish the story you just read, than in telling a tale that leads you to want to buy it...

If you like good writing, great characterization, original world building, and interesting and complex plots that keep you entertained and engaged, Schaefer is definitely for you...

This was a new series for me although it's book 2 about Charlie McCabe. It was very entertaining with twisting plots and lots of humor. I will defineitely read more in this series by Craig Shaefer. I must thank #ThomasandMercer and #Netgalley for giving me this Arc.

The writing isn't bad, but I'm glad the author is trying to write books and not running a protection service, because the main characters are really doing a bad job. They can take a look at bullet, however, and see if it's a .38 or a 9mm, which I have never been able to (hint: they are the same).

I highly recommend this book! this was the first book I had read by the author , and it won’t be my last . Very enjoyable from start to finish!

I was attracted to this book because of the author. I have read many of his fantasy novels and thoroughly enjoyed them all. This however was not my cup of tea: I felt the humour of his other works was still evident here but with the story overall I found it difficult to maintain my interest. This therefore not a reflection on Schaefer’s writing so much as the content. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

This author has quite the imagination, and he knows how to effectively tell a tale! This is a solid bet for those that like action, interesting characters, and an unpredictable plot. Great ending too. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Being a professional bodyguard is one dangerous task .... filled with tension and intrigue without the benefit of a badge but the possibilty of needing deadly force. This is the second compelling tale of Charlie McCabe (Charlene) a retired sergeant who has returned from fighting in Afghanistan with the hopes of leaving the war behind. She has found her natural skill set helpful in civilian life working as a bodyguard for Boston Asset Protection ... a private security firm managed by the quirky brother-sister duo of Jake and Sofia Esposito. She finds herself teamed with "Beckett" ... a "Shaft-like" stud, menacing and dangerous but who has taken Charlie under his wing .... his "little duck." Also an integral part of the team is "Dom" (Dominque DaCosta) ... an Italian savvy ex-cop .... also dangerous and extremely capable . The "Team" is tasked with the protection of Lincoln Gable ... an abrasive, loud-mouth author of many contentious books ... his latest being - "You Know I'm Right". His publicity director reaches out to Boston Asset after a rifle round is put through Lincoln's windshield. Shortly after, they are confronted with the task of protecting the low level drug dealer, Hayden Cobb. He reportedly is the sole witness needed to take down the corrupt cop cabal, known as the East Boston Three. Who have graduated from shakedowns to the heinous execution slaughter of multiple victims at "The Saratoga Street House."
Craig Schaefer weaves a complicated and twisted narrative with escalating tension and suspense rendering the speed of reading to a breakneck pace. This gem can be enjoyed as a standalone because of Schaefer's ability to seamlessly supply back story. He continues to flesh-out with aplomb the characterization of the beloved members of the team. Out of necessity, they find themselves utilizing their investigative skills to protect their charges . Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing an Uncorrected Electronic proof in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com )

Charlie once again is trying to battle the person the person she is suppose to keep alive long enough to testify at court against the others but everytime they move him something drastic happens. On top that she is trying to save her father once again with the old bookie. The ending was fantastic