2.5 rounded up

I'm sad to be the outlier of this book! This was definitely action packed from the very first page, however I just had such a difficult time connecting to the writing itself. Looking forward to trying out more of this author's work in the future, this just ended up not really being for me.

Thank you to the author, Harper 360, and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for the advanced readers copy. And thanks to Steve Frech for writing such a great book! I loved Deadly Games! It was so good! Steve Frech knows how to write a good thriller and this did not disappoint! This book kept me wanting more. I was sucked in from the first page and couldn't put this down.
I needed to find out how things were going to work out, I needed to know who the killer was, and why/how they did it! I didn't know how it was going to end! I can't wait to read more of Steve's books!

The bartender is having an affair. She is wealthy and beautiful. She hangs out at his bar and the affair is fairly obvious to those who hang with her and frequent the bar. He meets her in the local cheap motels where she pays cash for the room and to the car drivers who transport her there. He finds her dead at one of the motels, her throat cut.. Things start to get dangerous and complicated and he quickly finds out who his friends are, however he looks very guilty not just to the police, but to anyone who puts the clues together. Can he figure out this dangerous game before it is too late? He is on the run and if the police catch him they will look no further.

The plot of this book is exciting. Things develop rapidly and as a reader, I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are well developed interesting. Like the main character, I really couldn't figure out who the murderer was until close to the end. Loved this book. Excellent flow and a great read. If you like murder, mystery, and intrigue you will love this book. Thanks to #DeadlyGames#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It is a really good one!

CREEPY. And when I say Creepy I mean CREEEEEEPPPPPYYYYYYYY.. This book will make you feel like you want a shower, but you're too afraid to that and have someone bust into your house and murder you while in said shower. Definitely read this in the daytime, and finish it before bed if you want to sleep that night!

A thrill ride to the very end! I couldn't put this thriller down. When Clay gets to the seedy motel to meet his married lover, he isnt too surprised when she calls the trist off. She has done this before..... what happens after this is a thrill ride you need to take. Wonderfully written to the last page!

This is such a fun ride! I could not put this novel down once it got going. I wasn’t sure about it at the beginning because it started off more like a noir book which isn’t my thing but thankfully it didn’t stay long on the bartender beginning which seemed too much like a PI novel to me. Our main character, the one in the description who is being framed, is Clay who is the bartender. The story begins with him working at his job and going about his life with no idea what’s about to happen to him of course. I love the setup that ensnares him very quickly and the Fugitive story that continues from there. It certainly looks like there’s no way out so what is he going to do? I especially like that Clay is just an everyman, with some obvious moral issues but on a smaller scale than some characters put in this position. He’s not an ex-military guy with special skills to rely on. He’s mostly a slacker who suddenly finds himself in this impossible position. It seems obvious where the story is going a few times with too many obvious over the top efforts to make sure the reader sees where it’s going. One of those is the character he calls to help but I actually really like that character and they were an interesting pair together. I do wish there was more effort to explain some things we were previously told about that character and another one that I don’t feel were ever explained.

While not perfect this is a book with great momentum moving the story together. As the reader is watching everything unfold and wondering where it will go next. I thought there were a few unnecessary scenes and people but mostly minor criticisms for a book that was a very fun read. I’m not a big detail scene person and much prefer dialogue and plotting but even I couldn’t help but think the scene setting was weirdly minimal and lacking detail. Maybe it’s because I’m so familiar with the area but it struck me as odd that no one noticed that this fictional town that is supposed to be between Monterey and San Francisco was listed as the wrong amount of miles away on a street sign in a pivotal scene. At least they managed to get Highway 1 right. For a book set in a fictional beach town it seemed odd there were so few details about it. The characters just went from building to building even when Clay is on the run at the beach. Just prepare yourself to over look that as again I do very much recommend this book. In fact I was very excited at the end to read an excerpt from another book by the author that sounds great. I looked up his work and I’m thrilled that he has a few others I can read and each one sounds very unique. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this publication! I really enjoyed this book!

"I know everything about you. I know your name, your birthday, your kids’ names, where you live, where you work. I know when you get that big promotion, or when you argue with your spouse. But someone knows everything about me too. Someone knows all my secrets and they’re using them against me. They’re setting me up. The police think I murdered Emily Parker. To prove my innocence I need to find the real killer." Told from the perspective of what could charitably be called an unreliable narrator , this story is a really wild ride. Really a top notch thriller and an incredibly unique plot. This book was very hard to put down. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Clay is a bartender who is very good at his job. He likes his customers and he really relishes all the perks ... especially the ladies.

One of his regulars, Emily, leaves a napkin with an address and a time. They've been having an ongoing affair; doesn't seem to matter that she's married to a very well known business man. When his shift ends, he heads for the sleazy motel where they usually meet, only this time there's a surprise waiting for him.

Emily is dead.

What he does is run ..and then lies to the police. But someone knows his secrets. He receives a text from someone who knows who he is, where he lives, and all his secrets. His closest friend says she won't lie for him ... she will answer any questions they have truthfully.

Clay is being framed .. but why? and by who?

Becoming the prime suspect, and as the police aren't really looking at anyone else, he sets out to prove his own innocence and find the real killer .... before he's the next target.

It's suspenseful from start to finish. It does seem to bog down in the middle, but the pace picked up leading to an unexpected ending. Characters are deftly drawn ... Clay is really not a likeable character, but by the end of the plot, I found him more palatable. DEADLY GAMES is hyped as a psychological thriller .. I found it better described as a crime fiction.

Many thanks to the author / HQ Digital / Harper 360 / Netgalley for the digital copy of DEADLY GAMES. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Wow! Good book!! This book had my heart pounding! It was a real thriller! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and a great who done it! Like I said a real heart pounder! I definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!