Showing posts with label Nick Mason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Mason. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Exit Strategy (Nick Mason) by Steve Hamilton

I absolutely loved the first book in this series. The original premise, the whole coolness of it all were so great I really was waiting for this novel to come out. I got a little bit worried reading it as it seemed to go to a definite end. Would it be only two books? That couldn't be the case! Come on, it's going to be a movie I read! Or would the direction change so much I wouldn't enjoy it as much anymore? Wrong! I won't spoil things, but the ending WILL make you eager to read the third book and only takes the idea of the first books to an even stronger direction.
Like the first novel ex-con Nick Mason has to do a mission for the man who got him out of jail, Darius Cole. This time he has to kill some enemies of Cole who are in the witness protection program. There's some very strong action scenes that take place because of this mission sometimes taking this novel even beyond Lee Child / Jack Reacher territory. It's not all shooting and car chases, though! We get into Nick's relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, with the woman he is sharing a house with and his own conscience.
It's full of twists and turns, it's very dark and it's very action-packed. Reacher meets Parker I would say. You simply need to read this series.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Favorite Sons of 2016

Favorite Sons of 2016

This hasn't been my most active year as a writer or a reviewer, personal issues and work as well as my gig as rock journalist taking up a lot of my time. Still, I read some good stuff this year and here are my favorite PI reads of the year...


BEST PI NOVEL: An Empty Hell (Jackson Donne / Matt Herrick) by Dave White
BEST DEBUT: TThe Red Storm (William Fletcher) by Grant Bywaters
BEST NEW PI: Gus Murphy (in Where It Hurts) by Reed Farrel Coleman
BEST ACTION SCENES: The Second Life of Nick Mason (Nick Mason) by Steve Hamilton

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The Second Life of Nick Mason (Nick Mason) by Steve Hamilton

I was intrigued when I heard Steve Hamilton had a new series coming out. I've been enjoying his McKnight books forever.
Nick Mason manages to leave prison because of the intervention of criminal kingpin Darius Cole. As part of this deal he will have to answer his new cell phone at any time and do what Cole orders him to do.
At first I figured he would do some kind of detective work, allowing him to stay a heroic character. I was wrong. He's used as a hitman, killing people (although criminals) in cold blood. Still we are able to like him, partly because he was kind of suckered into this and the fact he deeply loves his child and protects his friends.
During the novel we follow his comeback to society, meeting a new love, struggling not to meddle to much into the life of his daughter and clash with the cops who think he's their ticket to nabbing a killer.
Nick Mason is the closest thing to Richard Stark's Parker we can find in novels right now and I love him.
I have to mention that Steve's writing is better than ever in this one. It's a bit tighter and cleaner than it used to be. The plot a bit more fast-paced.
Yeah, I guess he managed to top his Alex McKnight series!