This is a first for Confessions of a Reviewer! A double review! Enjoy!
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: The Cosmic Bike Company Ltd
Publication Date: 22nd June 2014
Pages: 44
MY REVIEW:
A copy of First
Contract (JJ Stoner short story #1) was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer
by the author Frank Westworth in exchange for an honest review. This is said
review.
Never ever heard of Frank Westworth before. I’m very
sorry to say that. Firstly because I always think it’s an insult to an author
when someone say’s they have never heard of them. So, sorry Frank. But hey, we
can’t know them all eh? Secondly…..well I’m going to give you a piece of advice
now. Right now. After only reading this forty four page short story. If you
like thrillers, get to know Frank Westworth’s writing.
JJ Stoner has left the army. He had to. There was an
incident in Iraq. He had two choices. Be dishonourably discharged or go to work
for the “Hard Man”.
He has no idea who the Hard Man is or who he works for.
He only knows two things. Number one is he will leave the Army without a
question being asked. Number two is he will be working for the Hard Man. To be
more precise he will be killing for the Hard Man.
That is of course if he survives The First Contract.
Eh…..wow. JJ Stoner. I’ll bet my mortgage on this guy
against anyone. Bond. Reacher. The Expendables (all of them together). This guy
has it all. Let’s face it he is effectively a hired assassin. No idea who he’s
working for and he doesn’t care. He also doesn’t care about who he kills. Give
him a gun and a target and he will do the job. Simple as that. Sounds horrible
doesn’t he? Someone you should hate and abhor and boo every time he comes on
screen? Well I say arse to that! This character is superb. Brilliantly written.
Straight to the point with no messing about at all. You cannot help but like
him.
The plot is simple in this story. Or so you would think.
He has been hired by the Hard Man but has to prove himself on the first
contract. Simple. Nope, not so simple. Things don’t go totally to plan. That’s
all you’re getting. I can’t tell you any more about the plot without giving
stuff away but it is one hundred miles an hour from start to finish.
I honestly feel like I have read a six hundred page novel
and not just a short story. Frank Westworth has an undeniable talent for
writing thrillers and packing a story full of all the punches it needs. You get
dragged in from the first paragraph. It has all the qualities you need in a
thriller. It has intrigue. It has beautiful women. It has guns. It has murder.
It has mystery. It has a hero (make your own mind up as to whether he is a hero
or not) and it has the power to make you want to come back for more.
To summarise: short story. Thriller. Absolutely
brilliant. James bond eat your heart out. In fact JJ Stoner would probably have
it for breakfast. Brilliant character. Can’t wait to read more of him. In fact
– let me just grab my Kindle again!
General rating:
★★★★★ brilliant.
Thriller rating:
★★★★★ brilliant.
If you would like to help support Confessions of a
Reviewer then please consider using the links below to buy First Contract or any other books from Frank or indeed anything at
all from Amazon. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many
people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.
Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
FIRST CONTRACT: A decade ago, JJ Stoner was a soldier. He
killed people for a living and made no bones about it. On a scorching day in
the Iraqi desert, when British blood stained the sand, he over-stepped the
mark. Men died in compromising circumstances; too many men for an easy
explanation. Faced with a dishonourable discharge and accusations of murder,
Stoner accepted an offer from a stranger who represented an intelligence
agency. Suddenly, Stoner found himself half a world away and about to execute his
first private contract…
And now for the second in this double header!
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: The Cosmic Bike Company Ltd
Publication Date: 10th August 2015
Pages: 59
MY REVIEW:
A copy of Four
Cornered (JJ Stoner short story #4) was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer
by the author Frank Westworth in exchange for an honest review. This is said
review.
Second short story of Frank Westworth’s I have read in a
row. And I literally mean in a row. Finished First Contract about an hour ago, wrote the review then read Four Cornered.
JJ Stoner is still working for “The Hard Man”.
His latest
operation is a surveillance job, watching four undesirables locked in a hotel
room. He has no idea why. He doesn’t really care. He will do whatever he is
told and whatever it takes.
He is on this job with Shard. Another cool character who
follows the rules and follows Stoner. What are the four people in the hotel
room up to? What will Stoner and Shard have to do to stop them?
This one is a bit more serene than First Contract if that is the correct term to use when JJ Stoner is
in a story. I absolutely love this character. He is super cool, super dangerous
and just doesn’t give one shit about anyone.
As well as Stoner in this one we have Shard. Now I
haven’t read books two and three so I suspect they have worked together before
but the chemistry between them is fantastic. Full of very dry humour and
intelligent wit but with a seriousness attached that you know they will get the
job done no matter what. Not so much of the Hard Man in this one which is a
shame because he is also a superb character.
Like I said earlier this one is slower than First Contract but that in no way takes
away from the thrills and tension in the story. Frank Westworth is a master at
writing something that totally draws you in from the first page and to be
honest if these two characters just sat in a room and talked about basketball
all night he would find a way of making it tense, fun and thrilling.
To summarise: it’s a JJ Stoner thriller. Just get it and
read it. You will love this character. His wit, his toughness, his whole
attitude. Just brilliant. Very easy to read because everything just flows
perfectly and even though it jumps to a couple of sub plots along the way,
doesn’t feel disjointed in any way.
General rating:
★★★★★ again brilliant.
Thriller rating:
★★★★★ and again.
If you would like to help support Confessions of a
Reviewer then please consider using the links below to buy Four Cornered or any other books from Frank or indeed anything at
all from Amazon. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many
people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.
Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
An action-packed short story featuring covert operative
JJ Stoner, who uses sharp blades and blunt instruments to discreetly solve
problems for the UK government.
In FOUR CORNERED, a static stake-out rapidly escalates
into live fire, but Stoner is distracted by two killer women. Suddenly, what
should have been a ‘routine conversation’ with a disenchanted weapons inspector
veers into violence…
FOUR CORNERED is a quick thriller, an hour’s intrigue and
entertainment.
Frank Westworth shares several characteristics with his
literary anti-hero, JJ Stoner: they both play mean blues guitar and ride
Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Unlike Stoner, Frank hasn't deliberately killed
anyone. Instead, Frank edits a monthly classic motorcycle magazine (see
RealClassic.co.uk) and has written extensively for the UK motoring press.
Frank's 'Killing Sisters' series starts with 'A Last Act
Of Charity' and continues in 'The Corruption Of Chastity'. However, you can
start with any of the books in the series; they're written to be enjoyed if you
come in halfway through...
You can also meet key characters from the Killing Sisters
series in the JJ Stoner short stories, which begin with First Contract.
Please note; the Stoner stories and Killing Sisters
series are intended for an adult audience. They're violent and explicit and
contain the occasional intellectual challenge.
And
for more about Frank, visit his site or find him on social media:
Website - Facebook - Goodreads - Amazon Page
Two brilliant reviews, Nev.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I'd love to see more of both the Hard Man and Shard, and hope that in future Frank will let them loose in episodes where they are the central character. But would that disappoint people who want a 'Stoner story'?
Thanks for helping to spread the word about the Stoner stories and Frank's writing!