Title: Crooked Shadow

Author: Andy Maslen

ASIN: B08QV9CB3R

Publisher: Tyton Press

Pages: 399

Source: Review copy from Random Things Tours

Tour Organised by Random Things Tours

Ex-SAS hero Wolfe wants vengeance for his parents’ deaths. But the killer he’s hunting has one last card to play

Gabriel Wolfe has seen many faces of evil, fought it, and won. On his latest mission, a stone-cold quest for vengeance, he’s flying solo. He’s on administrative suspension after a car crash that almost cost a man his life. That means no backup from his boss, no support if things turn nasty, just him, his wits and his resolve to see justice done.

And what justice. Tracking down the corrupt cop who ripped Gabriel’s family apart, causing the deaths of his brother and his parents. And separating Gabriel from his sister for almost 40 years: the former triad bodyguard Wei Mei.

A former warlord drenched in the blood of innocents

Ratko Popović ran a vicious Serbian militia during the Bosnian war. The White Eagles were feared for their ruthless brutality. But when the wind changed and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ground into gear, Popović bailed out, leaving his men to their fate. He now runs an organised crime gang called The Golden Bough and is about to become embroiled in Gabriel’s hunt for the bent cop.

Gabriel follows a trail that takes him from the deceptive calm of the Suffolk coast all the way back to Hong Kong, where he joins forces with Mei. Then on, in a dizzying chase, to southern Spain and finally deep into Serbia.

‘Do I?’

Gabriel is also struggling to accept the different life on offer thanks to his girlfriend Eli’s, proposal of marriage.

Can he continue to operate as a Department assassin when his wife would give his enemies additional leverage? As he wrestles with the risks and rewards of marriage, an old friend returns to interrogate him.

So many dead

Gabriel and Mei think they have cornered the man they came to kill, but life is never simple for the Wolfe siblings and a disaster ensues, splitting them apart.

With Mei’s life forfeit, if he makes a single wrong move, Gabriel must draw deep on his well of courage and mental strength to save his sister. He knows what it means to lose the ones he loves and is determined not to fail. But with the odds stacked against him, things are looking bleak for the ex-SAS hero.

Official Summary

A military thriller is not a book a would normally reach for, however, Crooked Shadow’s blurb had my curiosity piqued so I had to give it a try.

Besides being action-packed with a hero who can handle anything life throws his way this story is filled with family, loyalty and a need for justice. The author created a damaged hero who is not afraid to fight for what he believes in, no matter how far he needs to go.

Andy Maslen tells his story from Gabriel Wolfe’s perspective, and you spend a lot of time in his head and his dreams. This makes it easy to like Wolfe and soon you are rooting for him as you turn the pages. Eager to see him succeed, even when you know you are headed towards bloodshed.

Gabriel Wolfe’s baby sister was kidnapped, which lead to him losing his father, mother and brother. When he finds his sister as an adult, he discovers the only he will ever be able to put the past behind him is to find the man responsible and see justice done.

Mei/Tara joins forces with her brother, and together they search for Ponting, a bent cop who arranged for the kidnapping. Finding Ponting is not that easy and when they do they discover he ended up a lot worse than a bent cop. Plotting their justice they embark on an action-packed journey to find justice. But can they get the monster who has caused so much pain and bloodshed throughout his life?

While this book does not fall in my normal comfort zone I found myself glued to the pages, reading through every scene eager for Wolfe to succeed. As the story progresses to reveal the true nature of Ponting, of who he became, I was eager for the Wolfe siblings to find him.

While Gabriel Wolfe wins you over with his need to put the past behind him and his persistent doubt about his future the true star has to be Tara. I simply loved this character. Tara / Mei is a strong, determined woman who refuses to stand back from a fight. While at times her fighting scenes appear unrealistic you simply love the fiction and embrace this strong woman.

This book would make a great action movie.

Despite all the action and fighting scenes in this book, I have to say I loved it. Crooked Shadow is an action-packed gripping read about a brother and sister who finally found each other and will stand together against any odds to see justice done.

This book is well worth checking out, even if you are not a military fiction fan, you will find yourself completely engrossed. Crooked Shadow offers you the chance to escape reality and lose yourself completely. This book is guaranteed to be welcomed by fans of action thrillers and military fiction. If you enjoy the Jack Reacher books, you are sure to find Gabriel Wolfe appealing.

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About The Author

Author bio from publisher

Andy Maslen was born in Nottingham, England. After leaving university with a degree in psychology, he worked in business for thirty years as a copywriter.

Andy wrote his first story, about an alien living on a faraway planet, when he was six: he has it still. He’s been writing ever since, beginning with student journalism and continuing throughout his adult life with poetry and short stories as well as thrillers.

He is the author of the best-selling Inspector Ford, Gabriel Wolfe and Stella Cole series. Andy began his fiction career as a self-published author, before securing a publishing deal with Thomas & Mercer.

In his spare time, he plays blues guitar. He lives in Wiltshire.

Thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for including me in this blog tour. I think I found an author my husband is going to love in Andy Maslen. If you haven’t read any books by Andy Maslen yet, head over to his website and have a look, he has some very interesting books available.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my review. Don’t forget to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!