Today Is my turn on the blog tour for Death Notice by Simon Maltman.

It was a no brainer me signing up for the tour as I’d just finished reading the book when the chance came up.. what better way to share my thoughts than via a blog tour!

Here’s the blurb

2000

Michael Walker – former IRA volunteer, turned MI5 informer – had his quiet existence shattered when an IRA hit squad was dispatched on his trail to America.

One year on, Walker has been recovering from having his identity blown.

Now living in New York, he is visited by Amy Landish. The former FBI agent is looking for help to find her missing cousin, Lisa.

Walker and his other new ally, Brandon Johnson – a former thief who had robbed him – immediately agree to do anything that they can. The trio are reunited, once again set on a deadly course.

Their investigation leads to the small town of Six Mile, but the last thing they expect is to end up on the hunt for a serial killer.

Walker does not ingratiate himself with the locals or the police, while becoming the target of the killer himself. Just as Walker closes in on his quarry he receives news from home, in Belfast.

Walker moves from one danger zone to another as he finds himself back in IRA territory, where his old comrades want him dead.

Returning to Six Mile, the killer strikes again and closer to home. Walker made a promise to track him down and he doesn’t intend to break it.

Review

We are back with Michael Walker, former IRA, turned MI5 informer. When last we seen Walker all hell had broken loose when his old IRA buddies had located him and were out to get payback for him turning informant. It was a wild ride that saw Walker team up with unlikely friends Brandon and Amy.

You don’t necessarily need to have read the first instalment to understand the dynamic as the author does a brilliant job of adding detail when needed to help new readers quickly understand the history between them but it does add more depth in my opinion.

This time it’s Amy who needs help. Her cousin has gone missing and the police aren’t really helping..it’s time for Brandon and Walker to pack their bags.. drive over.. and hopefully figure out what’s happened.

In this small town the welcomes are few and far between and Walker is quick to get himself mixed up in all sorts of fights but just when he thinks he’s getting into the case he gets a call out of the blue… his old MI5 handler.. Walker’s father is in hospital.

It’s with a heavy heart our duo pause their progress and head to Walker’s old home to face his past.. lets just say theirs not many happy to see his face and it’s a risk going as he’s still got a target on his back. Will the reunion with his family go well? Ha.. no chance..and I wasn’t sure they would make it back in one piece.

Back in Six Mile it’s clear that a number of people have gone missing.. but why hadn’t anyone joined the dots?

Either way Walker isn’t going to stand by and let anyone else die… the issue is trouble seems to follow him and he can’t control everything. Can he stop the killer?

After the first instalment I was eager to see where the author would take the series next and I loved how he’s made this little team ready to support each other when needed.

The plot was certainly gripping and I loved the changing perspectives and the misdirection added. Until later in the book it’s really hard to pinpoint who the killer is..there’s too many suspects with their own motivations and it takes time of Walker to put the pieces together but when he does.. boy it’s explosive.

I felt the plot was a smart one, not only was it amazing but it also perfectly allowed for the natural flow of development of the character, building on the previous novel, reinforcing the connections between them.

Looking back at the notes I made when reading their were a couple pivotal scenes. I can’t say too much for one.. but lets just say a bullet hits home and it rocks the reader emotionally. The other was the authors sheer love of music and how he manages to integrate this into the tale, expertly using it to build the connection between Walker and Brandon. These moments really added the extra wow and depth I love, the characters feel real and you start to love the friendship they have.

Death Notice is certainly hard hitting, it’s a thriller for sure but it’s got something else too it..it’s the development of walker.. it doesn’t take anything away from the main plot, if anything it just makes the story even more exciting to read.

5*

My thanks go to Zoé at Zooloo’s Book Toursfor having me on the tour! It was my pleasure.

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Book Links

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Simon’s Bio

Simon Maltman is the author of novels, novellas and short stories, released with various publishers. An Amazon Bestseller from Northern Ireland he writes a range of crime fiction thrillers. A regular guest at festivals and events, he is the tour guide for Belfast Noir, and also a well known book reviewer for the likes of ITV and online journals. An established ‘Ulster Noir’ author, he also writes American-set high concept thrillers.

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Website: http://simonmaltmanblogs.blogspot.com/

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