Midday

Midday is a story set over the course of a morning in alternating chapters between four main characters told in the first person. I'm not usually a lover of stories told in the first person but have to say it worked really well in this instance.

Through the alternating chapters, we get to know more about each person. Vincent and Ryan are partners living in a swanky apartment. Vincent is high up in the bank he works for where as Ryan is a wannabe writer. To start with I didn't know who I felt more sorry for, Vincent in his frenzied efforts to get the money together to pay the ransom, or Ryan who is held up with a potential murderer if Vincent doesn't get the money in time. I have to admit the further I got into it the more I felt for Vincent rather than Ryan.

Darrgh and Jack are the criminals. Darragh all I can say certainly wasn't in the front of the queue when brains were given out, the mastermind is very much Jack's side of things. Jack is very much a mystery and the author certainly doesn't give to much away where he is concerned. Darragh on the other hand was very much, what you see is what you get. Sometimes in crime books you develop a bit of a soft spot or empathy for some of the criminals but this definitely wasn't the case when it came to Darragh. I had absolutely no respect for him whatsoever.

Midday is packed full of suspense and tension. It builds up to quite a spectacular finale of which you could have knocked me over with a feather! I have to admit I never envisioned the surprises that the author held in store for me and my enjoyment intensified towards the truly gripping end.

Vincent and Ryan lead a happy life- so they think about each other. Vincent is in charge of four banks in Dublin although originally his heart was far from going into the financial sector. Ryan, his partner, was in PR but left after Vincent encouraged him to do what he had always wanted to- write a book. However for the last 19 months he has sat and done nothing. Jack (JR) has lost his wife who was the daughter of one of Dublin’s gangland bosses whom no-one messed with. Darragh has dreams of owning a penthouse similar to the one Vincent and Ryan live in. The easiest way of achieving this is to get Vincent to take two million euros from each of banks once morning and arrive back by midday- or Ryan will be shot. This is a very interesting premise and I like how it has been tackled. Each short snappy chapter is by one of the four main characters and gives a backstory to each of them so that you get to know them a little. Jack and Darragh although criminals have their own characters and life stories which makes them that little bit more real. Vincent and Ryan very different lives. I enjoyed this, it was a very different read. One to ponder after reading. A very well thought out scenario, well written.
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This book had me hooked right from the start. I absolutely love the way this book was written and it kept me interested right to the last page.
The story is told by the 4 main characters, Vincent, Ryan, Jack and Darragh. Each chapter tells the story from a different characters perspective. As well as the real time telling of the plot we also get to learn more about the characters and their past. I loved how we are gradually discovering more about each of the four men as the story progresses until everything starts to piece together towards the final pages.
Although the main plot is about a kidnapping and a bank heist there is so much more to this book.
I can not recommend this book highly enough I loved it right to the final page. You will love this book if you enjoy a good crime book with a bit of mystery thrown in. A brilliantly written fast paced crime book that you have to read.

Wow where do I start to describe this book, I just read another thriller that I thought was the best I had read this year and this one follows it to challenge for that position, I'm a lucky reader ! I love intelligent thrillers that keep me guessing and are realistic and this book ticked those boxes, I also enjoy fast paced books and this book ticked that box too.I loved the chapters being told from each of the 4 characters points of view that invention was perfect for this book, the plate spinning with the quick chapters and different voices was perfect to add to the tension and really worked well for me.I can't fault this book it had everything I look for and enjoy in a thriller and kept me guessing until the very end .I really enjoyed it and am already super excited looking forward to this writers next book.Thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC.

I had no nails left after reading this, either, I can tell you!

I'm reviewing Midday by David B. Lyons. Here are my thoughts:

^^ Okay, so imagine the scene. Gay couple, Vincent and Ryan are living in a beautiful penthouse - a dream home only the rich can afford. Vince has a great job at a bank, with much responsibility; it's how he can afford the place they live, and how Ryan gets to be a 'kept man', whilst he works from home writing his future bestseller. What a perfect life, eh?

^^ Nope. In reality they've a strained love, hate relationship. Ryan is high on drugs most of the time and not getting his bestseller written at all. And Vince, well, he's just been accosted by a man called Darragh, who demands that he withdraw eight million Euros (2 from each bank he is in charge of) and deliver it back to him at the Penthouse, by midday - or he shoots Ryan dead! It's far from the perfect life we are first lead to believe.

^^ What a fabulous read! There are several parts to this book which made this so much more than just a 'grab the cash and save my boyfriend from dying' story. Yes, that *is* the main theme, but the way it was written took the story much deeper and darker then I ever expected.

^^ The story is told from four different perspectives, Vince, Ryan, Darragh and Jack. We watch how Vince has the pressure to get the money to save his boyfriend. We hear about Ryan and what he really gets up to, and how he is being kept hostage in his own penthouse by Darragh fearing his possible death in only a few hours - if Vince doesn't make it back in time. We also hear the thoughts and ideals of both the baddies, and they all have something worthwhile to bring to the story, which is why I think I enjoyed this read so much. At least a huge part of why!

^^ I did have one small gripe - the flashbacks - once I got used to this author's style, I adjusted the way I read it. But I would've preferred perhaps a paragraph break, so I didn't just get thrown out of the story at times this happened. Admittedly, some transitions were better than others.

^^ Despite this, I did find this a terrific read in other areas, and have to mention (in my usual semi-cryptic way, as to not give away spoilers) how I loved fearing for Ryan's safety at the beginning, and then as I raced through the book, I changed my view of him and wanted him dead myself! Cleverly done, David B. Lyons!

^^ The use of wannabe gangster and rookie murderer Darragh was also very well woven into the story, as was the mysterious Jack.

Overall:

Midday: A tense, fast read, filled with dark secrets, betrayal, and an ending so twisted I didn't see it rounding the corner until it was on top of me! NICE!

Vincent is a sucker for routine. Every day his alarm goes off at the same time, and every day his routine includes some sort of music while he is in the shower (much to his partners annoyance). However, one man decides to change his routine and soon the life that Vincent knew, is about to disappear from sight. Well, at midday give or take...

I really wasn't sure about this book at first, so many questions were rolling around my mind. Why did that man target Vincent's house? How did he know Vincent's routine? Why was Vincent's partner in the hot seat to be killed? Even though I knew that the more of the book I read the more answers I would get to my questions, I still couldn't help feeling rather impatient as I worried that I wouldn't be able to make sense of the storyline.

Sure enough, the further into the storyline I got, the more information I found out about the situation. That said, I didn't find out everything but, due to the way the author wrote the book, I knew that this storyline had me hooked line and sinker. It didn't take me long to realise that 'Midday' is an extremely addictive read, whether I completely followed the storyline or not, my eyes just couldn't look away from the book.

Seeing as Vincent's deadline was midday, the closer it got to that time, the more on edge I felt. I didn't know what was going to happen. Would he make it? Would his partner get killed? Would the bad guys take off with the money? It was so intense!

Oh my god....that conclusion! What a clever, clever outcome! I really had no idea! I am so impressed at how flawlessly the author delivered the change of direction without giving away any hints or by making his characters appear weak. I was teetering on the edge of my sofa the entire time, I am genuinely surprised that I didn't fall off in surprise! Instead, my jaw had dropped so much, I am surprised a train didn't assume it was a tunnel!

Despite my earlier reservations, David Lyons and 'Midday' turned it around completely! What a fantastic, intense, addictive, and incredibly clever read which definitely left me guessing until the very last page. I really do think that David Lyons has a very bright future ahead of him and I for one cannot wait to see what this author produces next.

MIDDAY by David B. Lyons is a thrilling, energetic story with plenty of surprises along the way to keep you glued to the page.

Vincent has a prestigious job in charge of four banks in Dublin City and lives the high life with his lover, Ryan, in their beautiful penthouse. He likes his life a certain way and routine is key. So when he hears his doorbell ring before work one morning it is a little unusual and when he finds himself staring down the wrong end of a gun, his morning has definitely taken a turn for the worst.
For two criminals have been watching Vincent and Ryan and demanded that Vincent take part in the biggest bank heist Ireland has ever seen. If Vincent doesn't do what he is told, Ryan will be murdered. Oh, and the clock is ticking so there is no time to waste ...

Set over the course of this particular morning, each chapter tells us the time and is told from one of the four main characters points of view. Well-paced with plenty of tension and intrigue, we are soon caught up in the action and I have to say I felt sorrier for Vincent then Ryan most of the time. The two criminals are Jack and Daragh, with Jack being the brains behind it all and Daragh being a completely unlikeable character from start to finish. What I really enjoyed about this book was the fact that even though we know the general plot going in, there are still true moments of shock and surprise that I certainly did not see coming which is essential in a good crime story. I also loved that it was based in Ireland too!

MIDDAY by David. B. Lyons is definitely a great read and I look forward to more from this author.

Synopsis/blurb...

Are you looking for a fast-moving, intricate psychological thriller? Then you'll love the unmissable Midday.

Four men. Five hours. Eight million euros.

When his alarm goes off at 7 am, bank manager Vincent assumes he is waking up to a regular working day. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Minutes later, one of the most ambitious heists in Dublin’s history is underway — and Vincent finds himself at the centre of it.

While his boyfriend Ryan is held at gunpoint by two aspiring gangsters, Vincent is tasked with entering the vaults of the four branches he manages to steal two million euros from each one.

If he doesn’t return by midday with all of the money, Ryan will receive a bullet to the head.

As each minute ticks by, it becomes clear all is not as it seems.

But just who is calling the shots?

And can Vincent make it back in time to save his boyfriend’s life?

The clock is ticking.

Midday is an explosive psychological thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat. It will appeal to fans of authors like; Claire Mackintosh, Mark Edwards and Adam Croft.

"Well-written, captivating and gritty to its core" - Bookstormer
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My take....

My first taste of David B. Lyons work (okay, it might be his debut novel!) but after this one definitely not my last.

An €8 million heist novel with a difference, set in my long ago home town of Dublin. I do like my tales of robbery and deceit and this one is very tasty.

I like the way our tale is presented. We have alternating chapters giving us the perspective of each of our four main players.

J.R. is the robbery mastermind and the eyes and ears on Vincent.
Vincent is the bank manager tasked with removing two million from each of the bank branches he controls, after an unexpected early morning visit from Darragh.
Darragh is J.R.'s accomplice in the robbery. Not the sharpest tool in the box, his job is to babysit, Ryan - Vincent's stay at home kept-boyfriend.
Ryan, a lover boy and loafer. Now a hostage.

Vincent has a deadline of midday to deliver the eight mil or Darragh gets to shoot Ryan in the face.

Over the course of the tale, we get back stories and histories, involving love, loss, grief, crime, drugs, murder, family, career, ambition and the lack of and plenty more.

Very tense in places, especially as the deadline approaches.

Very funny in others.... Ryan having a tommy tank in front of the telly, his money shot coinciding with a camera cutting from the sexy presenter Susanna Reid to Piers Morgan's ugly mug. Darragh yet again is the source of some amusement as the deadline passes and the caper reaches a climax.

The book I also found quite reflective and sad at times. Grief is an emotion pretty much everyone has to encounter. Disgust and outrage was felt at others. Plenty of secrets revealed and a twist which I kind of anticipated - as in I felt something was coming, but knew not what and which I still found fairly audacious.

5 from 5

David B. Lyons has his author Facebook page here.
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDavidBLyons/

Read in March, 2018
Published - 2018
Page count - 291
Source - ARC from publisher Bloodhound Books
Format - Kindle

http://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/david-b-lyons-midday-2018.html

As soon as I saw the blurb for this book I was intrigued and couldn't wait to get stuck in!

The book has four main characters and the book is told from each of their points of view in alternative chapters. The four are a varied mix and each had their strengths and at times I did feel for them all, then you get to know more about them and my views certainly changed and I started to detest two of them greatly!

It is well written, full of suspense and I loved how much was packed in the story. The pace was spot on and it was gripping in just the right places.

Five stars from me, it was going to be 4.5 but the ending bumped it up for me - I did not see the twist coming - excellent!!

Well, now. What a fabulous and unexpected surprise this was!

Vincent wakes up every morning, knowing fully well what his day is going to look like. But on this particular morning, things take a nasty turn when he and his boyfriend are the victims of a tiger kidnapping. Vincent works as a bank manager and has until midday to collect 8 million euros from four different branches around Dublin, while his boyfriend is being held at gun point.

The clock is ticking. Tick-tock.

It becomes apparent quite early on that things aren’t all what they seem. But apart from one part of the storyline I thought I had figured out reasonably quickly, the rest of the story had me guessing until the end and holy cow, I so did not see that one coming at all! Well played, sir!

This gritty and gripping tale is told through the eyes of four different people : Vincent, his boyfriend Ryan and each of the two gangsters. Little by little, things are revealed that pulled this story into a completely different direction than I was expecting and I loved every minute of it. Midday has a fantastically crafted plot and a great pace, helped enormously by the characters often checking the time which ultimately had me on the edge of my seat as well. I could almost hear the clocks ticking away the precious minutes.

Did I mention nothing is what it seems? You think you know where your loyalties lie but I promise you, they will shift and switch. What an utterly clever book this is. There are some uncomfortable topics in this one, as well as a few instances that almost made me gag and made me want to wash my eyes out with bleach. But above all, this is an intelligent and original crime thriller with a difference and I found it immensely compelling, engrossing and entertaining!

What a gripping read from start to finish. A new author to me but I will definitely be reading more from this author. From Vincent waking at 7am I was intrigued as to what was coming next. A very intricately planned heist is about to take place from Vincent's bank. The story is told in individual chapters for each main character. It worked extremely well and in my opinion made the book more enjoyable, but also gave me a chance to breathe in between these chapters. The plot was always by the clock and became a very intense if there was the slightest of delays. A splendid fast paced, thriller!

Great read. Books told in different perspectives can be very good or very confusing. Luckily, this falls into the first category. Thank you for the opportunity to read this author, will look for more.