Title: THE WITNESS
Author: John Ryder
ISBN: 9781800192898
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 287
Source: ARC from Publisher via NetGalley
Kyle Roche is a man who people hire to fix problems. But this time he’s been hired to protect a woman who doesn’t officially exist anymore. And he’s the only man who can find her and keep her safe in less than twenty-four hours…
The daughter’s name is Savannah Nicholls. She had to go into Witness Protection because of a tragic mistake. She moved to the small town of Pagosa Springs nine days ago but even hidden as she is, she’s in mortal danger. Savannah’s mother says her daughter is just a nice girl, from a good family, that she’s never gotten in trouble in her life.
But she also says someone knows where she is. And they want to kill her. Within minutes of making contact with Savannah, as Roche feels a bullet whistle by his ear, he knows instinctively that she’s right.
But who is after Savannah? And how can Roche protect her when he isn’t allowed to know anything about who she is—or who her enemies are?
Official Summary
What a read. This action-packed novel features a hero that is described as looking like a “weathered gargoyle” I just loved it. If action and edge of your seat violence are what you are after you will not go wrong in reaching for this book.
This is my first John Ryder book and I was not sure what to expect. While the story is full of action from start to finish and features what appears to be a helpless female victim it soon becomes clear there is a lot more at play. The author sets out with what appears to be a predictable boy saves girl story only to swing around and deliver a revelation you never saw coming. His writing keeps you gripping the book as the punches fly….
When Kyle Roche, a private eye/fixer is hired to find a woman in witness protection that is due to be killed he has his work cut out for him. How do you find someone in witness protection?
But Roche is a man with connections and friends that have all the skills that are needed for the task. However, once he has found and saved Savannah from being killed, he also needs to find out who leaked the information about her location.
As he sets off on the hunt for the guilty party he soon discovers that Savannah is not the innocent spoilt little rich girl he believed. Racing against time he is faced with two mysteries to solve and he needs to do it without leaving any innocent dead bodies in his wake.
This book had me glued to the pages from start to finish as I rushed through it in two days. It features a lot more action than my usual reading which proved to make it an exciting and entertaining read. This book does not feature a single dull moment.
While I did not see it as being realistic, it was fun and I would recommend this if you are looking for something to escape into.
I loved Kyle Roche – the man is rude, insensitive and he makes up his own word which adds a colourful touch to his personality. While Savannah described him as looking like a weathered gargoyle, he has strong morals even when inflicting pain to get what he wants is not beyond him. This hero is far from perfects and his aggression and violence could put more sensitive readers off – I loved his thought process and his moral code.
This book is filled with violence and won’t sit well with sensitive readers but if you are open to a serious action-packed hunt for the guilty person you will find this book has everything you are looking for. I raced through The Witness and found no matter how violent I needed to know where it was going to end. So yes, this book was worth every minute I spent reading it.
Crime, thriller and action fans will love this book. If you enjoy the Jack Reacher series, then Kyle Roche will definitely leave you entertained – but be warned Mr Roche is a lot more violent.
This was a great read and it earned a four-star rating from me.
About the Author
Bio from the Author’s site
John Ryder is a former farmworker and joiner. He’s turned his hand to many skills to put food on the table and clothes on his back. A life-long bibliophile, he eventually summoned the courage to try writing himself, and his Grant Fletcher novels have drawn inspiration from authors such as Lee Child, Tom Cain, Zoe Sharp and Matt Hilton. When it comes to future novels, he says he has more ideas than time to write them. When not writing, John enjoys spending time with his son, reading and socialising with friends. A fanatic supporter of his local football team, he can often be found shouting encouragement to men much younger and fitter than he is. John freely admits that he hates writing about himself in the third person and that he is rubbish at updating his website as often as perhaps he should.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this review copy. What an awesome read. Have you read any books by John Ryder? Which is your favourite? Leave a comment below. After reading The Witness, I have another author to add to my watch list, I look forward to reading more of John Ryder’s books. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my review, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this book. Until next time… Happy Reading!
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Great review. I’m not a fan of violence, so this book probably isn’t for me, but that’s why there are so many different genres in books. Not everything is for everyone. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
So true, thank you for reading the review.