Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

After the belter of a book being the last in this series I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed in this latest book. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a bad read, it just wasn’t as great as the last one I read. This latest case for Tess involves Hayley Cameron and tracking her down as she has run away from her adoptive mother. It is soon uncovered that the girl is caught up in her friend Maddison’s scam which is putting them in the middle of a dangerous situation.
Maddison and her Father become rather central characters in this story but I couldn’t help feeling this was just a bit too run of the mill for my liking. The story was okay just I found it not that exciting. Although we see PO and Pink make their appearances there just seemed to be some of the normal magic from the characters missing in this book. Still a fantastic series but this book didn’t hit the high of the last one. Hopefully book 8 will bring the magic back!

#CollisionCourse #NetGalley I had not read any of the previous books in this series and whilst it was perfectly capable of being read as a stand alone, i think it would have helped my enjoyment of the book if I had known more of the history of the main characters Tess, Po and Pinky. Nevertheless, it was an easy and enjoyable read. Fast paced with plenty of action (and violence).that kept me on the edge of my seat. I will be sure to look out for more books in this series and may even read some of the previous ones.

The Return of Po and Tess sorting out a crime!

I have read one of the previous books featuring Po, aka Nicolas Villere and Private Investigator Tess Grey. The couple is now engaged and living together, and Tess has a reasonably mundane task trying to trace a runaway teenager, Hayley Cameron. She has just discovered that she was adopted and felt full of resentment at her adoptive mother Jessica for not telling her earlier has moved in with Madison.

Tess manages to locate Hayley and persuades her to return to see her adoptive mother, but whilst Tess is there, a couple of thugs turn up, threatening Hayley and her father, Mike Toner. It doesn't take Tess long to find out that Madison is involved in a motor insurance scam, but more importantly, half her profits are being demanded by the thugs. Instead of walking away, Tess feels obliged to help Madison find out more about the people controlling the thugs.

Ably assisted by Po and Pinky, two characters with dubious backgrounds but are now committed to supporting Tess, they find out who the main criminals pulling strings are.

The plot moved along at a pace and involved a lot of action and plenty of violence, but, for me, much of it was improbable, especially concerning one of the thugs. This is an enjoyable crime book that I read very quickly, but it didn't really stand out as one that will live long in my memory. I cannot really empathise with any of the main characters, but I recommend this to anyone who enjoys this type of story.

Dexter

Elite Book Group received a copy of the book to review

A fast paced, action packed and gripping thriller, I found it well written and highly entertaining.
Excellent storytelling and character development, a tightly knitted plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The seventh outing for PI former cop Tess Grey and her partner, ex-con Po Villere in this action-packed thriller series. Hired to find a missing young woman by her adoptive mother. Aided by their friend, career criminal Pinky Leclerc they are soon on the trial of some violent criminals involved in an insurance scam. A breathtaking non-stop suspense filled story.

Private Investigator Tess Grey latest case is searching for a young woman who has left home after learning that she was adopted. Her mother wants her found just so she can explain why she was never told.

Helped by her her fiance' Po Villere, they manage to contact a good friend of the missing woman. But what they find there is a man who has been brutally beaten, and his daughter who is the friend they were seeking.

What are these people involved in? Why so secretive? Grey and Villere feel obligated to help, but who are after them ... and how far will they go? Tess and Po find themselves a lot closer to danger than they imagined.

Full of action, this is a real page turner. For those who have followed this series .. this is an excellent addition. For those who have not read any of this series.. you can start here. It's easily read as a stand alone. I recommend starting at the beginning ... great reading and I love the story of how Po and Grey met. Characters are solidly drawn, and along with their friend, Pinky, they are front and center.

Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Collision Course is the seventh book in the Tess Grey & Po Villere action thriller series set in Maine, about a Private Investigator and her ex-con partner, by British author Matt Hilton. I’ve read the first, and the last two - the last one got 5 stars - so had high hopes for this; unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations and I found myself struggling to make progress - it’s taken several days which is unusual for me for a thriller. You don’t need to have read any previous instalment to follow easily as there’s plenty of (too much, IMHO) backstory.

Tess is searching for a young woman who has run away from her adoptive mother, to try and persuade her to return home, which seems straightforward. Unfortunately the girl is caught up in her greedy friend’s scam, which has attracted the attention of ruthless extortionists, who aren’t afraid to use violence to get their way. Tess, Po and their best friend Pinky are once more thrown into a dangerous situation where the right thing isn’t always the legal option, and the criminals aren’t always the bad guys...

This started off well, opening with a faintly humorous fight scene, but soon began to drag, for at least the first half, I was jumping online every few pages because I was bored and distractible. Things do improve in the second half and the plot does culminate in an exciting if predictable rescue. I think part of the problem was the tendency for each character’s story to be told in a style that flicked between extended internal monologue and judgemental omnipotent narration. While I liked Arlen’s character arc, all the time spent angsting about his situation seriously got in the way of the plot, and for those who have read the previous books, lengthy recaps of Po & Pinky’s past histories were just annoying (not to mention would be major spoilers for those who haven’t!)

I like Tess’s character, and her relationship with Po - and the absence of unnecessary love/sex scenes makes a nice change from the usual lovers as partners trope. Pinky is always entertaining but how come he never gets a love life?
The villains were either cartoonishly evil or grotesquely thuggish - there are some brief torture scenes which had me mentally hiding behind the cushions but nothing too awful happens to anyone who doesn’t deserve it - well except one but that happens “off camera”.

The ARC copy I received had a lot of grammatical and English language errors, which I hope have been fixed in time for publication. It’s not something I have noticed from Hilton before. I’m always rather disappointed when an established author and their editor can’t get the basics right before releasing review copies. This isn’t enough to put me off the series - I do intend to read books 2 to 4 at some stage, but given the price charged for the Kindle edition here, I need to get my bought TBR down a bit before I can justify buying them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review.
3.5 rounded down for making reading feel like homework.
Collision Course is available now.

This is the seventh book in his series about PI Tess Grey and her partner,
ex-convict Po Villere, and their friend, former gun-runner Jerome ‘Pinky’ Leclerc. This time around the trio find themselves in trouble when a simple missing teenager case leads them to an insurance scam and a group of connected crooks who are extorting the rather naïve scammers. Even though the trio solve their missing person case, they decide to hang around protect the father and daughter at the centre of the scam.

You always know what you are going to get with a Matt Hilton novel, high voltage action and lots of it and Collision Course does not disappoint on this score. From the opening pages the guns are loaded and the fists fly, as the book rapidly moves from one violent encounter to the next.

The characters verge on the stereotypical, but are neatly sketched and Hilton fleshes out some of the minor characters with nice touches of poignancy. An enjoyable, fun read that will appeal to fans of the Jack Reacher novels.

Matt Hilton's latest thriller is fast and furious. If he changes gear at all from beginning to end it is hardly noticeable until one realized he has sprinkled a little empathy on his more deserving characters.
This story of an insurance scam gone badly wrong never falters and delivers as much action as a Hollywood superhero movie.
There are strongly written poignant moments that add a layer that is often missing in this genre.

I admit to being a fan of this series- and this latest will be fine as a standalone- which follows the intrepid Tess Gray through the laker corners of Maine. Now a PI, she works with her fiance Po to solve crime and get answers. In this case, she's after Hayley, a young woman who took off when she discovered she was adopted. She took off into a messy situation, though, and now Tess, who has found her at Madison's, has a mess on her hands. Turns out Madison and her father have been running a scam and now there's some serious bad guys out there who want to make them pay. Told from differing points of view, this one will keep you turning the pages. How will Tess solve things for Madison and Hayley? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's not deep but it's a good read.

This is the latest case for private investigator Tess Grey and her partner Po Villere when asked to track down young Hayley Cameron who has fled home after discovering she was adopted. Tess traces Hayley to the home of one of her college friends in Bangor, Maine. And then the problems start.

Her adoptive mother wants her back. Her real father who has lived a pretty unsavory life but who now seems reformed also wants her back, or at least to meet up with her and explain what has happened. But why then is he, the father, discovered bloodied and beaten.

There are twists and turns which Tess and Po have to negotiate, risking their own safety. It's brutal and bloody in parts and therefore pretty gritty. But you do turn the pages anxious to discover what's next.

Sold Reacher-Style Mystery, Deep In Series. This is a solid mystery of the "Reacher" style. In that there is a compelling mystery of someone being missing and/ or in danger, and the good guy (in this case, a team of a PI and her two ex-con friends) has to find them and/ or stop the bad guys. Usually with significant fisticuffs and generally lots of rampant destruction and gunshots. Hell, this book opens up with our female PI pulling off a similar stunt to one of Reacher's own more memorable ones. One thing to note here is that this book *is* deep into the series - something I didn't realize when I signed up for the ARC. Not a big deal for me personally, as the backstory was appropriately mentioned enough to get where the characters currently are and whet the appetite for going back as a reader, but those particularly sensitive about spoilers will want to read this series from the beginning. Overall, a solid, action packed mystery. Very much recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Collision Course, the seventh novel to feature Maine based PI Tess Grey and her fiancé Po Villere.

Tess is hunting for a missing young woman. Hayley Cameron has left the family home after discovering she was adopted and is refusing to contact her mother. Tess traces her to her friend, Madison Toner’s home but uncovers more than she bargained for. It would appear that Madison and her father have some illegal scam on the go and are being extorted by more professional, violent criminals.

I enjoyed Collision Course which is a rampage through the State of Maine. I have not read any of Mr Hilton’s work before so I was pleased to be offered the opportunity. Firstly I should say that there is no problem picking up the series so far in as this novel is self contained and any relevant background is covered. The novel is told from various points of view, mostly Tess and the gangsters. It gives the reader a wider take on events but leaves no room for speculation, making the novel more action than suspense. There are plenty of action scenes, which mostly involve violence and fighting, and these make the novel vivid and exciting but otherwise the plot is fairly predictable. I have to admit that I found the last few chapters where one of the characters has a change of heart rather unbelievable, but, hey, anything goes in fiction.

The characters are rather one dimensional but it’s a thriller so it doesn’t really matter. Tess, as a former law enforcement officer, has a well developed sense of right and wrong but that doesn’t mean that she follows the rule book, especially if bending it lets her protect Po. He’s the strong, not so silent type, ever willing to support Tess in her endeavours.

Collision Course is a good read.

I never repeat the blurb. My second outing with these eminently likeable characters who this time, while on one case, have their suspicions raised about another. Fast paced and full of action.