Ruthless (Book Review and Giveaway)

Title: Ruthless
Author: John Rector
Publication: Thomas and Mercer, Trade Paperback, June 2015
Genre: Suspense

Plot: Nick White is down on his luck, and at the end of a failed marriage. He is drowning his sorrows in a local bar when an attractive woman mistakes him for someone else. “You’re early,” she says, and he plays along as a joke. Before she leaves, she hands Nick an envelope, which turns out to be full of cash and a picture of young woman she wants him to dispose of. Realizing too late that her mistake might not be funny, Nick hurries after her but it is too late: she is gone. And then he sees a ruthless stranger who looks like the paid assassin Nick was mistaken for and this guy looks as if he’s guessed Nick got his money and assignment. As my law professor used to say, “Who’s not happy about that?”

Nick is faced with a tough decision: to go to the police, who might not believe him but would almost certainly confiscate the money, or do nothing which might result in another assassin being hired. He chooses another option – he goes to warn the proposed victim, Abigail Pierce. After her initial shock, Abigail turns to Nick for help, and he is drawn into a conspiracy surrounding her birth that becomes more dangerous. His only hope for survival is to get out of town unless he can figure out the truth behind the attempts on his and Abigail’s lives.

Audience: Fans of noir suspense

What I liked: Rector has a definite gift for storytelling. There were numerous twists and turns that I could not predict, and while Nick was not the kind of hero with whom one identifies he engendered a certain amount of sympathy for his good intentions.  I had not come across Rector before but he has written several other books: The Grove, The Cold Kiss, Already Gone, and Out of the Black.   Ruthless reminded me a lot of one I reviewed several months ago, The Girl with a Clock for a Heart.  I think it's an entertaining read and I have a copy to give away - leave a message if you are interested, and I will pick a winner.

What I disliked: This type of suspense does not include enough character development for me but that didn’t prevent me from reading it at one sitting.

Source: I received this book from TLC Book Tours but all thoughts and opinions are my own.  Here are the other stops on the tour:

Monday, June 1st: From the TBR Pile
Tuesday, June 2nd: She Treads Softly
Wednesday, June 3rd: 5 Minutes for Books
Friday, June 5th: Vic’s Media Room
Monday, June 8th: You Can Read Me Anything
Tuesday, June 9th: The Bookish Universe
Wednesday, June 10th: Built By Story
Thursday, June 11th: A Chick Who Reads
Friday, June 12th: Books a la Mode – guest post
Monday, June 15th: Bell, Book & Candle
Wednesday, June 17th: Life is Story
Monday, June 22nd: Mockingbird Hill Cottage
Tuesday, June 23rd: Reading Reality
Wednesday, June 24th: Fictionophile
Thursday, June 25th: Mom in Love with Fiction
TBD: The Bookish Universe
TBD: Books a la Mode