I did not realize this was written by a gun nut ex-cop and that's kind of weird to me. It's strangely aggressive and not in a good way, just didn't enjoy it. A lot of the "bad guys" were POC and that just leaves a bad taste these days! Also DNF bc well I just couldn't roll my eyes anymore. I'm sure there is a demographic for this sort of thing. Just not me.

I liked this book. Flawed, yet likable characters, snappy dialogue, and a swift moving plot made this a good read for me. While I feel the number of female characters make this a book that will appeal to some women (not all), men may not find it as satisfying.

I was unfamiliar with this author, and when I did a little digging, I saw that he writes a lot of westerns - not really my thing, but personally, I would definitely take another helping of this.

Just under four stars for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for the review copy.

Escaped prisoners, a cop with a chip on her shoulder, and a raging fire that's scorching its way across the landscape. This eco thriller puts into perspective the devastation that a small spark can play on an arid environment.

The author has experience as a fire fighter, and I think the descriptions of a wild fire, and the terrifying temperatures and destruction were the strengths of the book.

For me, the problem is that it relies so heavily on stereotypes that none of the characters are that interesting or sympathetic. Did it have it's moments, absolutely, but would I recommend it, probably not.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this one and read it in one day. Look forward to much more by this author.

I’m was going to refrain from giving the book a rating at all but I figured I’d just give it a three. I don’t think I can give an objective opinion, it just didn’t resonate with me. It’s not the kind of suspense/thriller that does it for me but I don’t discount that there is an audience out there for it.

*Thank you to Kensington Books, NetGalley and Sean Lynch for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/hold-back-the-night/

“It begins with a spark. A simple act of carelessness that ignites the autumn grass of the Sierra Nevada. In minutes, the flames spread.”

If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat, unable to do anything but finish this book, Hold Back the Night is for you. If you want to read a novel with escaped convicts, Mexican drug cartels, bad-ass female police officers and a raging wildfire to top it all off, you will love this book. It held me captive until the very last sentence (pun intended).

Duane Mims is a former cop and convicted rapist and murderer. Skink is incarcerated for raping and murdering a child. They are being transported to another prison when a wildfire breaks out. They escape with minutes left before they turn to ash. On the run, they look for a place to hide and find a beautiful farmhouse.

In the opening scene of Hold Back the Night, Deputy Leanne Strayer of the Farnham County police department’s SWAT team kills a gang member at a mobile park, unfortunately hitting a little girl at the same time. They transfer her entire team to different departments during the investigation into what occurred. They transfer strayer to Juvenile, where she partners up with Benny Benavides, a seasoned cop. Unfortunately, she is now targeted by a Mexican cartel, intent on seeking revenge for one of their members.

Marjorie Guthrie has finally left her philandering and abusive husband, Tad. She has taken her two children, Jennifer and Joel, and gone to stay at the remote farmhouse her mother and father live in, an hour out into the country. Her sister Mary is there, a rebellious drug addict who has lost her way. As Mims and Skink take over the farmhouse, they lock the entire family down in the basement and so begins a terrifying and heart stopping roller coaster ride of emotion as things fall apart very quickly.

Hold Back the Night is so much more than a thriller. It is a story built on strong women that you never stop rooting for. Every character, except for the two convicts, showed significant character development. Sean Lynch has done a brilliant job taking us on a journey that never lets up the pace. With the firestorm descending on the farmhouse with minutes to spare, the reader will be unable to stop reading to see how the story ends. I was so invested in these characters. They all have such unique personalities that you can’t help but love or hate them. The character of Leanne, the cop with a dark past, especially shines in this amazing novel.

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
Hold Back the Night by Sean Lynch
Pub Date: Today 🥳 April 27, 2021

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
This novel did not disappoint! Love!! What a fantastic action-packed read from start to finish this was.

Let me start by saying the author, Sean Lynch spent nearly three decades as a police officer in Northern California. So you know this novel was done right. The details were intricate, leaving the story engulfed in authenticity.

Hold Back the Night centers on 3 different women, 2 escaped convicts, and a raging wildfire. Their stories are told as multiple POV's and each is so juicy you won't want to put the book down. I loved that the story was surrounded by strong women. The events that went down challenged them to the core, which resulted in the reader getting to see each character's dramatic growth.

This book read like a movie or tv series and I just could not get enough! My adrenaline junkie friends..you will devour this. Don't let it fly under your radar!

A fast, easy read. Somewhat implausible storyline but nonetheless entertaining. Loved the fact that the novel was based around strong women and didn't disappoint in the least. Couldn't put it down once I started it..Lots of action right from the first pages all the way to the end. Recommended.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

I would describe HOLD BACK THE NIGHT as Grip-Lit—a psychological thriller that kept this reader engrossed until the very end. The novel is set in my neck of the woods, though the County depicted in the book is fictional, a firestorm that sweeps through Northern California—the backdrop of the story—is very real to Cali’s like me, adding a visceral tension to the narrative.

‘It begins with a spark. A simple act of carelessness that ignites the autumn grass of the Sierra Nevadas. In minutes, the flames spread.’

‘In Farnham County live three very different women. Marjorie Guthrie, a wealthy suburban housewife fleeing an abusive marriage; Mary Hernandez, her troubled, rebellious sister; and Leanne Strayer, a young SWAT deputy with a dark past. All three share one thing in common: they are in the wrong place at the wrong time….’

‘Today, their worst fears come true. Tonight, the nightmares come home.’

I LOVE a novel centered around strong women, and Lynch did not disappoint!

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp., for loaning me an eGalley of HOLD BACK THE NIGHT in the request for an honest review.

Scheduled To Release On – April 27, 2021 (Subject To Change)

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Three women who have nothing in common, will need each others help to survive. A fire has started, but even more dangerous are two men who are near them. This book kept me interested from the start.

This is a fast paced somewhat implausible action novel redeemed by the strength of the characters. It's up to Leanne Strayer, who was a member of the SWAT team before being demoted to juvenile crime, to save Marjorie, Mary, and herself from both escaped convicts and a vengeful drug cartel even while there's a wildfire. Whew. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This would be the perfect travel read - it's a page turner that doesn't ask a lot of the reader- but it's also a pretty good armchair novel.

You can tell that author Sean Lynch had a previous life in law enforcement by the sheer detail he packs into his latest thriller Hold Back the Night.

Coming at the reader from three fronts we have the converging stories of a potentially trigger happy and haunted law enforcement officer, two escaped convicts and a wife trying to escape her abusive marriage.

Couple all of this with a blazing forest fire and you have quite the suspense ride.

The most interesting of the narratives is law enforcement officer Leanne Strayer whose story is conventional in some senses but all the more intriguing as the narrative unfolds.

Our two escaped convicts do have some depth but are mainly there to be the villains of the piece. Lynch knows how to craft action sequences and tension and certainly goes to town with this pair.

Abused housewife Marjorie Guthrie is slightly short changed but her family which becomes increasingly more complicated as the seemingly eternal threat of the fire continues to approach.

Hold Back The Night will certainly delight fans of intense and brutal crime thrillers.

Hold Back the Night by Sean Lynch is released on 27th April 2021 in Paperback and E-book formats.

Hold Back The Night - Sean Lynch

That was freaking awesome! If you’re into pulse pounding action don’t miss this one. What do you get when you mix up a couple of violent escaped convicts, a Mexican drug cartel, a raging wildfire, a sheriff’s deputy with serious skills and and itchy trigger finger, a husband who won’t take responsibility for bashing his wife and a family held hostage by said convicts in the middle of said wildfire? Yep - you get this book! It hooked me in right from the start and held me captive (pun intended) until the very end.

Two convicts, Mims and Skink, are being transported to Folsom prison. The van gets caught up in a traffic jam due to the fires. They escape in the melee of fleeing people and go on the run.

Deputy Leanne Strayer of the Farnham County police department’s SWAT team kills a gang member during an arrest as he opened fire with an automatic weapon. The whole of SWAT team is transferred to other posts, Strayer ends up as a detective in Juvie - not what she had in mind but it’s not optional. But the Mexican drug cartel is out to avenge the death of one of their own. Meanwhile philandering husband, Tad Guthrie, has been given his marching orders by his wife, Marjorie. He gets angry and punches her and throws her around. Marjorie and the kids flee the house and go to her parent’s place, a remote home in the forest close to the fires.

You can guess where this is heading. But it’s not smooth sailing for anyone. There was so much potential in this story and the author did a fabulous job utilising that potential to the max and delivering a pulse pounding, action filled, epic story. This one was all about the plot. But the characters were fleshed out well enough, there were plenty to like and plenty to loathe. The pace never let up though so it’s almost a relief to have finished it, if just to take a breather! I really enjoyed this book. I’m giving it 4.5 stars rounded up for the thrills it delivered. Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Books and Sean Lynch for providing a review copy. My opinions are my own.

This book should be made into a TV series!
Reading this book was like watching an action-packed psychological thriller TV show without a single dull moment! And all the actions began at page one!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an adrenaline rush while sitting comfortably at home with a book in their lap.

This was a fast-paced, gritty story that keeps you reading. There were a few different plots and people to keep track of, but the other did a great job of fleshing them out so you knew exactly who was who and what was happening. My only complaint in that department is that the mother and daughter's names were similar (Margaret and Marjorie) so sometimes it took me a minute to remember which was which. I hope this becomes a series with more books with Strayer.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Smoking Hot Read!

What a great read! A California wildfire, escaped prisoners, and drug gang killers combined to make this adrenaline-junkie race through from the first page and onto the end in a single evening.

There were a lot of elements in this book that, in the hands of a less skillful writer, may have overwhelmed each other. I'm delighted to report that this author has what it takes to make them all come together very well. His own background doubtlessly contributed to the book's authenticity.

I liked the strength of the main female characters, balanced with the good hearts of two of Strayer's male co-workers and with Marjorie's father. I enjoyed the role that Marjorie's son, Joel, played as well. It's not exactly a feel-good novel, but there were good things found in the story, as well as a terrific thrill-ride.

I received a free advance review copy of the book in exchange for my freely given review. I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
(Trigger warning-rape and domestic violence)
I read this book in a half a day. I couldn’t put it down. It had me on the edge of my seat. I had a tough time reading about some of the things one of the main characters committed it was hard to stomach but the book was great. My first book by this author and will be on lookout for more.

Pub date 4/21