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Life or Death by Chris MerrittSeries: Detective Zac Boateng #3
Published by Bookouture on January 23 2019
Amazon UK
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Also by this author: Last Witness, Life or Death, Bring Her Back, Last Witness, Life or Death, Bring Her Back, Last Witness , Knock Knock, Who's Next?, Lost Souls, The New Home
Never forget. Never forgive.
As a detective in the Metropolitan police, Zac is no stranger to murder cases, but this one is different. This is his daughter’s murder.
Years after Amelia died, Zac is still trying to trace the police officer involved in his daughter’s death.
And whilst Zac is prepared to break every rule to find the man responsible, his young and ambitious deputy, Kat, is working on a high-profile case of her own. But she knows Zac is keeping secrets from his team so she’s following his every move.
When one of Zac’s informants is killed, he knows he’s close to catching his man, but before he can act, he receives a call about his son which blows his world apart… And this time, he knows he’ll stop at nothing to save his family.
A gripping and addictive crime thriller for fans of Lee Child, Mark Billingham and Mark Dawson. Life or Death is a unputdownable thriller that will have you reading into the night.
Man, I am sad, this is the last book in the Zac escapades I can’t believe it!! I read this last January and it shot straight into my top books for last year. Reading the shocking conclusion for everything and all the heartbreak Zac suffered and we have too! I say we, because we lived it all with Zac, every step of the way. So, it was only last year but what did I think of this final book, is a fond farewell? Or is a see you soon?
✮ My Review ✮
Can I breathe now!? I mean wow, I feel like I am coiled up tight after reading that! Now before I gush about this book, it is the 3rd in the series for Zac Boateng, it can be read as a stand-alone. It follows the events of book one which I have not read. Yet, apart from a couple of references, I didn’t feel like I needed to have read the first one. Saying I had brought the first book after finishing the second one!
So where do I start! The number of times I was led up the garden path was unreal! I mean I started to do a squeal and a happy dance because I was adamant I knew who the Kaiser was WRONG that will teach me. You are thrown off the scent and even though I had my suspicions well let me leave it there, all I can say is well played Mr Merritt well played.
So Zac is back, the family still has an Amelia shaped hole following book one, but this time it’s his son that is in danger! Not going to lie, I was woken up by my daughter at 5am and so I decided to read, my jaw dropped when I was reading this and it made me also give my daughter a huge squeeze.
I could relate to Zac’s behaviour and secrecy because he did not know who to trust, always one step behind, but why? He proved, like most parents would, that you would go to any lengths for your kin when there is the danger. Zac is flawed but he is passionate and he is loyal and he is a family man. All of this ooze out of him every step of the job. Whilst the majority of the book is Zac leading us, it was nice to garner it from other points of view.
We got insights from Kat Jones, a friend of Zac in a tight spot with her own dilemma of whether to help him or not. Connelly, on his team, always there for him trying to find Kofi, Zac’s boy. Kofi also gives us the sad, heartbreaking and harrowing experience of being taken, pretending to be a superhero to get through each minute. Darian Wallace the protagonist from book one, back with revenge on his mind. Susanna Pym, in a new role schmoozing the politicians, whilst leaning on an unknown person to keep tabs on the task force at hand, wanting to frame someone for the cock-ups. Then finally, an unknown voice, could this be Kaiser, watching everything and everyone and knowing things.
I sped through this book is a couple of sittings, I didn’t want to stop. The book is relentless and you find the answers are always just that bit out of your grasp, bit like dangling a carrot in a donkeys face!
I thoroughly enjoyed my second outing with Zac. I felt everything for him and Etta. I loved that this type of book could make you feel so many emotions you just don’t know whether you are coming or going and so many OMG moments too!!
What did other reviewers say?
Stardust Book Reviews says:- Hooray!! Zac is back!!! I have read the other two books of the series and have loved them but this one knocks the spots off of those!! I flew through this book and finished it in just under a day!! Zac is such an intriguing character and I’ve so enjoyed trying to work him out through this series. He is still grieving over the murder of his daughter and won’t rest until her killer is found. All throughout the series he has ‘gone rogue’ and done his own investigation off the record, but in this book he gets help from DS Kat Jones, who is definitely a well-needed ally! I do like Zac’s character and really feel for him in this book. Nothing ever seems to go right for him despite so much hard work he puts in to get the results needed.
Over the Rainbow Book Blog
B for BookReview says:- Sometimes my body loses the battle
Until next time xxx
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