This was a fun cat & mouse thriller! I enjoyed the narration and was interested the whole time, though I did find myself zoning out a bit during certain sequences.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for a free copy of #Hero by Thomas Perry. All opinions are my own.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

This is the first Thomas Perry book I've read. My biggest problem is that I wanted more out of the ending than what was done. It was quick and felt uneventful compared to the rest of the book. There's also quite a bit of the previous events being recapped for the reader/other characters. It’s not bad, but I never see it done like this in other media. Sometimes the characters' actions or dialog felt strange. It was written more like someone's fantasy/fanfiction.

The premise of Hero was interesting, and I enjoyed reading it. I'm just not in love with the dialog or the ending.

This is as tight a thriller as you will ever read or listen to! Well plotted, fast pace, breathtaking suspense, fully realized characters, and an excellent narration by Christina Delaine--blessedly well edited with every scene purposed. Not too long, at just under 9 hours, this audiobook is a terrific listen.

For my money, Thomas Perry is one of the best cop writers in the business, along with Ed McBain and Michael Connelly. This story isn't about a cop, though. The "hero" in question is Justine Poole, a private security agent who single-handedly foils a five-man home invasion robbery against her clients. Enraged, the guy who planned the robbery vows to kill Justine -- because how humiliating for his huge mafia enterprise to be so easily foiled by a girl. What follows is a high octane cat and mouse chase as Justine races to stay two steps ahead of the (almost) equally skilled hired killer on her tail.

Thomas Perry is a master of plotting, characterization, and description. Not a word is wasted in his stories, and this one has an incredibly appealing hero(ine) who I loved rooting for. As always, can't wait for the next Perry book!

Hero was the first book that I have listened to by author, Thomas Perry. Not having any prior comparisons to his other books, I found Hero to be exciting, fast paced and engaging. I enjoy suspense thrillers and Hero supplied just enough tension, humor and relatable content to make me want to keep listening to it. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Christina Delaine whose performance was not great but not awful either. Her performance drew me in enough to keep me engaged in the story and the dilemma that the female protagonist found herself in.

Justine Poole, the “hero” in this story, found her calling when she began working for a very sought after security company. Its clients were all prestigious, wealthy Hollywood stars who demanded protection from robberies and assault. Justine worked her way up through the company and was finally considered an elite and respected body guard. She was not only good at her job, but she had earned the recognition of being one of the best at her company.

One night, Justine was alerted by her boss, that there was suspicious activity outside one of their client’s homes. Justine did not hesitate and proceeded directly to the address that was provided. When Justine arrived, she found five armed and dangerous men who were in the process of trying to break in to her client’s home and would most probably rob and assault her clients. Her clients had just arrived home so Justine had to act quickly. Instinctively, Justine surprised the armed men and was able to kill two out of five of them. The other three were apprehended by the police who had been informed of the home invasion and had arrived in time to make the attests and were glad to declare Justine a hero.

After that, Justine became the target of Mr. Conger, head of a crime syndicate. He was the one who had commissioned the gang to conduct the robbery in the first place. Mr. Conger wanted Justine killed. He had to avenge the reputation of his men, both the two that were killed and the three that were in prison. He could not allow a woman to overshadow him and his men. Mr Conger hired a trained assassin to kill Justine. It was a cat and mouse game then. Justine had to keep one step ahead of her attacker. Who could she rely on? How was she going to be able to survive this?

Hero by Thomas Perry was a compelling suspense thriller. It kept me engaged for the most part and I found myself rooting for Justine. Since this was the first book that I’ve read by this author, I will definitely seek out some of his other books and any new books that he writes. I recommend Hero by Thomas Perry if you enjoy reading suspense thrillers.

Thank you to High Bridge Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Hero by Thomas Perry through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read and I am super happy I read it! I wish this was a series b/c I love Justine and her kickass attitude! She's smart, sassy, and takes no shit. And she kept herself alive! This was not my 1st book by Thomas Perry but it has reminded me that I need to add ALL of his books to my TBR b/c he is now on always-read list!

#Hero
#NetGalley

Hero by Thomas Perry
Narrated by Christina Delaine
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Published: January 16, 2024

Hero is a standalone mystery by Thomas Perry and I am here for it!!! This book was fascinating and so unique!

I thought this book was so intense! I was truly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen! It’s not very often that I read a book and feel fear for the safety of the characters, but this one totally made that happen!

The narration by Christina Delaine was fabulous! I loved how she brought the book to life!

I absolutely loved this book and I look forward to reading others by the author!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When Justine Poole takes out two hitman that we’re breaking into her client‘s home everyone looks at her as a hero. Justine was a long time employee for a company that protected the rich and wealthy and after stopping in assassination she gets put on the radar of one of the biggest gang leaders who gets a guy named Leo on her trail. The death of the two criminals caused her problems long before she knew a hitman was after her her boss while trying to save her gets murdered and then his relatives a brother and sister who had nothing to do with the security business comes in and lets her go under the guise of taking a break and Eathan gives her a nice going away package. Soon after this she learns about her being the target you would think with her best friends being at one of the best security outfits she would have many people out to help her but essentially Justine learns she is on her own. When she does reach out for help she alienate even more people it is a clever game of Karen mouse and just when you think Justine is down you learn you should never count her out. This was such a good book it was so good I went and bought Mr. Terry‘s other book that I cannot wait to read. I listen to the audiobook and although I wasn’t over the moon for the narrator I still think she did a pretty good job because trust me I have heard much much worse she did set a good tone she just didn’t have the best character distinction. I would still listen to another book narrated by her. It took a little bit for the games to begin but when they did they began an earnest if you love an action packed story with a great victim to root for you will love hero by Thomas Perry I want to think Highbridge audio and net Galley for my free ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

📖: Hero
✍️: Thomas Perry
🎙: Christina Delaine
⭐️: 3 of 5
🎧: 4 of 5

My Thoughts:

This was action-packed from the beginning. Fast paced and kept me entertained, but I wasn't very drawn in at the same time. It just felt more like a man's book even though we had a female main character. The plot and characters were well written, and I did enjoy the narrator, but I found myself a bit distracted while listening. I would still recommend this to the action/crime junkies out there.
Thank you, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio, for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy.

This was a well written mystery and I found it quite intriguing because easy to follow and I did enjoyed the narrator of the book it is when I would recommend for people who enjoy mystery and I would purchase the book

Justine is a security agent for the wealthy and the famous in Hollywood. She prevents an attack and robbery on one of her clients. She ends up killing two of the robbers. Well of course, the media picks it up and touts her as a hero. But, this puts her in the site of a Mr. Conger, the one who engineered the robbery to begin with. He is not going to stand for the embarrassment of his team being taken down by a single woman.

Boy, Justine is fierce! Y’all know I love a strong female lead. And she fits the bill! As the danger gets stronger, Justine gets smarter. And the intensity just keeps building until the very end!

This author has quite a few books. I have only read one other, The Murder Book . I gave it four stars as well. But I enjoyed this one more. It moves quicker and there is a bit more energy and excitement. Now, there are places the author states the obvious and there is quite a bit of description, but these are minor issues. I enjoyed the pacing and the fervor!

The narrator, Christina Delaine, did a great job, especially with all the men in this tale.

Need a fast paced thriller …THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

'Hero' by Thomas Perry is a fast-paced action thriller. I loved the strong female character of Justine Poole. She is one smart cookie! I've never read any books by this author before but I think I definitely will when I'm in a mood for some action-packed quick read. The audiobook is narrated by Christina Delaine and she did a great job with different accents.

Thank you HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this audiobook. I quite enjoyed it!

This was great. It's a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, but once Justine is really on the run, things picked up and kept me listening until the end. This is exactly what I'd hope for from this genre.

So you always have to suspend some disbelief for a cat-and-mouse type book, but once you do that, this was quite solid.


Review copy provided by publisher.

TRUE CONFESSION:
Thomas Perry is one of my "hero" authors.

IMHO, he is a beloved master of the ‘hunt and the hunted" suspense thrillers.

Thomas Perry's vast knowledge of the art and science of identity theft has never failed to impress me.

Needless to say, I was elated when my NetGalley request to review "Hero" by one of my "hero" authors was approved. (Thank you!)

When a female security guard kills two armed robbers, she becomes a target of the crime kingpin and the "hunt and the hunted" drama begins.

Although the book was good, it was not in the same league as Thomas Perry's earlier releases.

The book's pacing was uneven and the ending was abrupt.

At times, I found the book exhausting; lacking the sizzling element of suspense that I was seeking from one of my favorite "hero" authors.

I listened to the audiobook read by Christina Delaine. Although Christina Delaine's narration was good, it was not great.

Narrator Michael Kramer narrated all of my favorite Thomas Perry books and perhaps I would have enjoyed more with a Michael Kramer narration.

Justine Poole is a bodyguard who prevents a robbery by killing 3 of the would-be thieves. Two others are caught and remain in jail. The head of the robbery gang engages an assassin to kill Justine, basically because his pride is hurt. The rest of the book is a cat and mouse game in which Justine tries to elude the relentless Sealy (who is not as competent or subtle as one would hope).

I like the fact that the author kept the pace up, did not drag in a romance and let Justine actually handle the matter on her own rather than needing a man to save her. However, by its nature this book is repetitive. It is one long chase scene. But it did entertain me. I listened to the audiobook, and the female narrator actually did an ok job with the male voices. So that was a plus.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Hero is a crazy game of cat and mouse. It is a non stop action, tension filled ride. It is definitely different from my usual reads so I feel like maybe that's why I didn't fully connect with the story. I think this would be great as a movie.

I did have a hard time following, I felt I zoned out a bit and it didn't keep my attention fully. The plot was good, the characters were good but also bland and I didn't feel the dialogues truly added something.

The suspense and tension is high in this book. From start to finish you'll be on the edge of your seat and rooting for Justine. I thought the story was definitely original and interesting. I think a lot of readers will definitely enjoy this type of story.

🎧 The narration by Christina Delaine was good, it definitely kept me interested and engaged. Although sometimes I did feel a bit lost in the dialogues. It was still a good listen.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @highbridgeaudio & @mysteriouspress for my free ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! This book was action packed and suspenseful from beginning to end. I loved the author’s fast paced writing style and I’ve already added more of his books to my TBR list. I listened to the audiobook and was surprised at how fast it went. The narrator was great, she reminds me a lot of the amazing Lorelei King, I wrote her name down to look for other books that she narrates. Highly recommend this one, especially in audio form!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. For this type of adventure/thriller type book I seemed to have lost what was happening a fews times. It drug on In the middle and struggled to keep the storyline together. It came off a little more true crime than mystery in my opinion.

I loved this story and how badass Justine Poole is!! The story gave me anxiety (in the best thriller book kind of way) and had me wanting to know what happened next. I got pulled into this story pretty fast and finished the audio book in a day.
The narrators for this book were amazing! If you’re looking for a fast pace and exciting story about a badass women, this is the book for you! I hope this is only the first book and we get an entire series from Justine Poole.