Review: Will they -- or won't they?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 3, 2014
Brit Tom Ashdown is an ordinary man, living a somewhat ordinary life. Eking out a barely sustainable living at his small betting shop in Brighton, his modest home mortgaged to the hilt, a virtual stranglehold on his bank account. He is nobody’s hero. Truth be told, in forty-two years of living, Tom never even considered the notion. Until . . .Yep, heroes come in all shapes and sizes, ages and economic standards - or the lack thereof. He could have stayed hidden when, heading home one night from a surprisingly pleasant dinner with his younger brother, he witnessed a kidnapping in progress. Hell, if it wasn’t Colin’s turn to buy dinner this time, Tom never would have been in the vicinity of Harrods. He certainly didn’t Christmas shop at the posh department store.But there they were in an alley behind the high-end store: two assailants, two citizens already dead, and another without a prayer of escaping her dastardly fate. How could any man with a thimbleful of integrity simply cower behind a car and watch?Before he could say “Stay hidden, you fool!” Tom was charging across the alley like bloody Superman, getting battered to a pulp, his nose broken . . . saving the day. Winning the admiration and gratitude of sultry American actress, Melanie Adams.Hypnotic green eyes, perfect skin, dark brown hair cascading about her shoulders. Beautiful, and genuine.Hmmm. So far, so good. Right?Wrong.Would it have made one bit of difference in his actions, if Tom had known Melanie’s would be-kidnappers were members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army? That saving her would put him, not only in the sights of a ruthless IRA assassin, but those of a sister bent on revenge after her brother (the lone surviving assailant) is taken into custody?Bodies and baddies abound in Bill Ward’s REVENGE (Amazon Digital Services Inc, ASIN: B00F0SLWEA, 214 pp). Ward entices readers on a trolley ride of action, murder and attempted murder, bombings, traitors, a chase through London’s Victoria Station tube, and a gauntlet of surprising twists and turns. As if those crowded pages aren’t enough to keep readers glued, the author weaves unlikely romance into the mix. Tom Ashdown and Hollywood’s glamour girl? Will they -- or won’t they? No spoilers here. Readers will have to treat themselves to this suspenseful thriller to find out.