Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately I had to purchase a new Kindle device and could no longer access this book. I will come back and review if I read this in the future.

It took me a few chapters to get into this one but after that, I was hooked. Nikki is a strong character and the plot and pacing are both gripping.

I am not sure if I love the title of SA Lelchuk's all action debut thriller, but I found it a pulse pounding, tense and thrilling read. For a start, the central character of Nikki Griffin is so compelling with her heartbreaking personal history. It is this background that has made her what she is today, a kick ass woman who will do whatever it takes below the radar to ensure that abused women gain safety and receive justice, a justice that Nikki has no compunction about meting out to the abusers. She rides her beloved Aprilia motorbike, and carries various items on her person to guarantee she is no victim, with the skills and expertise to fight her way out of most scenarios. Set in Oakland, California, Nikki operates out of her popular secondhand bookshop, The Brimstone Magpie, with various book groups meeting there. Nikki is a PI, taking on a raft of cases, from surveillance of cheating partners to more interesting cases, like the one Gregg Gunn has just offered her.

Gunn is a tech CEO of Care4, a cutting edge surveillance baby monitor company, and he turns to Nikki, worried that one of his employees, Karen Li, is passing on corporate technological developments to outside parties. As Nikki follows Karen, something does not make sense, Karen is meeting what looks like very dangerous men, and she looks terrified. Nikki breaks her cover when a life or death situation arises to save Karen, but tragedy ensues that has her feeling rage and guilt. As Nikki races against time to prevent a unknown predicted calamity, she decides to go it alone to get to the truth of what is going on, rejecting the notion of working with the FBI. She is going to need all the help she can get in what turns out to be a complex and highly dangerous investigation. For that, she turns to good friends and contacts that include ex-journalist Charles Miller, motorbike enthusiast Buster, and Oliver, a shadowy concerned employee of Care4, a colleague of Karen's.

Lelchuk has created a fabulously compelling central protagonist in Nikki Griffin, a psychologically disturbed woman with her heart in the right place as we see her helping Zoe, an abused woman. She is receiving counselling that she is forced to endure, although it seems to be making some progress. Nikki's past has resulted in her only family being her brother, Brandon, a heroin addict that she tries to protect from the horrors of his nightmares. She develops a budding relationship with Berkeley English graduate, Ethan, but who she is often undermines and threatens the possibility of building committed long term relationships. One of my most favourite things about this novel is the literary allusions and references littered throughout the narrative, such as the Dickens reference in the name of the bookshop. This is a wonderfully entertaining read, so okay you have to suspend disbelief, but hey, this is fiction. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

This was different, I liked the main character she was certainly kick ass, but with a soft centre. The pace was good, and I liked the humour and observations.The story was good and kept me guessing trying to work out who did what to whom.I enjoyed reading this book and would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.