Relentless: A Thriller

If you're a fan of Harlan Coben, Joseph Finder , James Siegel, Matthew Klein, Linwood Barclay and the other masters of this genre, then your going to want to read Relentless! Granted, Simon Kenick isn't quite up to the masterpiece producing level of those authors but there's enough within these pages to indicate that a few books down the track, he just might join the club. This book certainly has the can't put down factor, once you start you certainly want to keep reading to find out what happens. The only weaknesses with the storyline probably revolve around Tom Meron the main character who doesn't really make decisions you would think a character in his position would such as calling the cops as soon as he'd left his house and the kids were safe, he also seems a little bit naive at times but the plot does need him to be these things to come off. The basic plot of Relentless is happy with his life consisting of a wife and two kids albeit a bit over his boring job, Tom Meron is quite content. All that changes however when he picks up the phone which has interrupted his playing with the kids in the background. His former best friend Jack Calley, who has drifted apart from him in recent years is on the line. Only its no friendly lets catch up call, Jack pleads with Tom to help him. Tom listens to a violent struggle and his friend beg and fight for his life. Jack's dying breath consists of six words spoken to his killer, Tom's address. Tom has no idea what's going on but he knows someone is most likely on the way over right now. He knows if Jack rang from anyway near where he lived he's got fifteen minutes at most before his killers arrive. He's got to grab the kids and hit the road, only problem is his wife who he also must warn, so she doens't return to the house and whoever may be waiting, before he works out what exactly is going on, is not picking up her phone.

Relentless is a good book. However, it appears that Kernick's editor has advised him to put a bit more of the puzzled protagonist pursued by relentless forces into his fine oeuvre of London Crime which began with The Business of Dying. He's also told him to whittle his titles down to one word. That was bad advice twice given. The first four books are all five star quality. The protagonist in this one is not nearly as smart, amoral, or discerning as in the first four books, and this turns what could be a great tale into a bit of a slog, which has never happened before with Kernick. It does turn out that Relentless does wrap up some seriously open plot elements from both the third and fourth book, and resolves them in a satisfying way. However, if these were movies, we've moved from the hard boiled protagonist of Point Blank or Kiss Me Deadly to the confused bumbler of Our Man in Havana or The Tailor of Panama. Those are fine characters for a farce, but they have no room in a series with the likes of hard men Dennis Milne, John Gallan, etc. Simon, please fire your editor and get back to the writing of the first four books!

There is little doubt that Simon Kernick is one of the best of the new wave of British crime writers. He now has several novels behind him and although I have up to this point only read a couple of them, I will now be on the look-out for the others. The author lives near London with his wife and young daughter. It is very refreshing to have some good British crime writers coming through, I suppose that Lee Child was one of the first of this new wave. Good crime has always seemed to come from American authors in the past (perhaps because they have more of it than we do, although we are trying very hard to catch up with them). However that is no longer the case and this book proves my point. John Meron is a father of two and happily married. He has everything he ever wanted, but one phone call is going to change his life forever. Jack Calley, a top city lawyer and long time friend of John is screaming down the phone line for help. As John listens he realises that wherever Calley is at that moment, he isn't going to get out of there alive and what is far worse his last words spoken to his killer are the first two lines of John's address. Not knowing what to do John Meron scoops up his kids and runs out of the house and not a moment too soon. Within minutes a car with three men in it pulls up outside the house. John has no idea what is happening but he is shrewd enough to know that the idyllic life that he had a few moments before has suddenly taken a turn for the worse . . .

One minute I was on page 33 then the next time I looked it was 163! That to me is a sign of a worthwhile read. There are more intricate plots around, more technical language even and yes, plenty of book snobs! But if you just like a thriller to escape into then I can find no fault with this book. I didn't find it far-fetched or a poor ending. I enjoyed the suspense and I liked the characters. True, all the ends aren't tied up but I grew out of "everyone living happily ever after" at about the age of 9 when it became too predictable. On the other hand we're left in no doubt as to the intentions of certain characters and that seemed a perfectly acceptable ending to me.

Tom Meron is a married, father of two, software salesman. His life isn't exciting, but it's hot terrible either. Then he receives a phone call from an old friend who begs for Tom's help. Tom realizes his friend is being chased and hears his die, but not before telling someone Tom's address. He takes his kids to his mother-in-law, but when he goes to find his wife, he finds her missing, and her co-worker killed and he's attacked. The police think he's the kiler and the bad guys think he knows where something is. Now all Tom has to do is find his wife and survive. The title of this book says it all. I've not read Kernick before, but this book grabbed me a page one and didn't let go until I finished it at 3 a.m. Kernick tells the story from the first person POV of Meron, alternating to the third person of others, but he makes it work. The story is definitely plot driven, but there was enough character development that I felt an affinity for both Meron and the lead officer, DI Mike Bolt. I wasn't crazy about the ending--life is open-ended, books I want the characters' stories tied up--but it didn't destroy the book for me and I don't know whether this is the author's usual style. That fact might make me a bit cautious about reading another by Kernick, but I'd probably give it a try. All-in-all, it was a great escape/airplane book.