Leather goes offside with this standalone fast-paced violent thriller. Gangster Ray Savage is called into action to save his Premiership footballer brother, who is under threat to throw a game or his kidnapped family will come to harm. On the ball.

A standalone book from the Spider Shepherd author but as you would expect the usual page turner from Mr Leather

I received this from Netgalley as a review copy so have no issues regarding cost of the book. I first came across Stephen Leather when I got the Chinaman out of the library and have been an avid reader ever since. right through the Spider Sheppard series and other one off books. To be honest here I found this book quite disappointing and somewhat predictable. I'm also not a great lover of books with the hero being indestructible eg taking on groups of men single handed and staring down the barrel of a gun but never getting shot. If this is the first book of Stephen's you have read do not be put off as the others are real page turners with twists and turns throughout. I will give this 3 stars as it was worth a read, probably for the football background, but I certainly wouldn't say I couldn't put it down.

I love the Dan Shepherd books that Stephen writes so thought I'd give this a try.
I have no interest in football but this is far from a normal football match.
Penalties is a gripping and tense read. It is jam packed full of action, on and off the pitch.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this stand-alone thriller by Stephen Leather.
Its a little to the left (or the right) of his normal crime fiction, and it was difficult keeping track of the sports lingo
but the book itself was well written and kept me hooked until the end.  Worth the effort.

I obviously won't spoil anyone's enjoyment of this book by revealing its contents. I will say this though. It is a bit of a change from a lot of Stephen Leathers other work but that doesn't mean it's not a darn good read.. I know reading is subjective but I personally found this to be exciting enough to keep me interested & sometimes that can be a problem for me.
If you enjoy Stephen Leather books give this a read you really won't or shouldn't be disappointed.

I've never written a review before but I'm very happy to give 5 stars to my favourite author and this book as it's the first of many (I hope) of a new character and subject. Didn't know what to expect but wasn't disappointed, loved every word of every page. I must thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the chance to read an advance copy of this book. I can't do the book justice due to having no idea what to say in a review except I've read every book that this author has written and never yet been let down. Amazing author.

Great story, love the football related thriller aspect.

Thanks for the chance to read this

I am a huge Stephen Leather fan but wasnt that keen on this book.I didn't enjoy it as much as his others.
It was fast paced and the background was about football the Premier League footballer Gabe Savage whose wife and child are kidnapped in an effort to force him to throw the result of his next football game with the choice of throwing the game or see his family die.
Gabe turns to his brother for help a London gangster.

Thanks Netgalley and Lawsome books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a standalone novel centred around Premiership football and the lengths others will go in order to ensure a result is fixed for financial gain.

Very fast paced yet horribly predictable with 'action' scenes stretched beyond all credibility. Saying that, I read it in one day.

3 stars from me.

Thanks to Lawsome books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.