Ray Mason is in prison awaiting trial for murder and he's in the vulnerable prisoner unit: as a cop he's something of a target, but the unit is not as secure as the inmates would have hoped and Mason is injured in a riot. On his way to hospital he's broken free by armed men and an offer is made to him. He's to assassinate the man who is likely to become the country's next prime minister and he'll then be given a new identity so that he can start afresh abroad. His captors say that they're MI6, but Mason has his doubts. His choices are limited though and he has personal reasons to believe that it would be better if Alastair Sheridan was dead.

On the surface Sheridan has it all: he's wealthy, good looking, charismatic and has a beautiful wife and family. British politics are chaotic and in an uncertain world he has a good chance of becoming prime minister. There's a darker side to him, though: he has a taste for young women and he prefers that they end up dead. Few people know what he really is and they're a mixture of fellow travellers or people over whom he has a strong hold. The exceptions are few and one of them is Ray Mason.

The assassination doesn't go as Mason would have hoped: on the run there is only one person he can trust absolutely and that's Tina Boyd - another ex-cop who has her own scores to settle with Sheridan. Mason and Boyd have history.

I've seen books which are described as 'fast-paced': few really live up to the billing, but Die Alone certainly does. There's hardly a moment when you can relax and take a breath. I read it over an indulgent day, determined that there were few circumstances in which I was going to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters are good. You begin by wondering about Mason - he admits that he's guilty at a very early stage - but you're gradually won around, not least because there's not an awful lot of characters in the story who aren't guilty.

It was a cracker of a read. Normally I'm repelled by descriptions of violence, but although it's there Simon Kernick is sensitive about the details he gives and what might have been an unpleasant read turned out well. He's an author I'll look out for in future and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to Bookbag.

I’ve been looking forward to part 3 of the Bone Field series for a long time and was not disappointed in the slightest. The book is classic Simon Kernick with a story that flies along urging the reader to just keep on turning the pages. Just having Ray Mason and Tina Boyd back together is a treat not to mention Mike Bolt chasing them. The pace is as breathtaking as ever and has the heart racing with each action piece building to an incredible ending.

The book could be read as a stand-alone because some key parts from earlier books are explained but I would encourage reading the first two to get a real feel for the whole story. I’m a huge fan of Mr Kernick anyway but this third instalment really is one of his best and is a wonderful conclusion to the Bone Field series and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Having read all of Simon's books,Die Alone was no different in that it was a well written thriller that leaves you breathless as you turn the pages as the story unravels at breakneck speed.Once again Ray Mason is back and in tandem again with Tina Boyd still after the Bone Field killers,Ray is on the run and is in need of Tina's help more than ever, and as is always the case Tina just can't fail to help Ray out of the trouble he has found himself in.As the body count rises throughout the book things start to look grim for the pair this time as they may have just met a very powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to get to the top of the tree and that means getting rid of anyone who gets in his way.You know what you are going to get with Simon Kernicks books and that is a story that doesn't let up for a minute and by the end leaves you wanting more of the same.Once again a superb 5 star read from an author who in this genre is at the top of his game.

Another episode in the violent series of Tina Boyd/Ray Mason adventures. The action never stops from a prison break to dodgy politicians to a female assassin all wildly improbable but hugely entertaining. Will there be more? One sincerely hopes so!

Another absolute corker from Simon Kernick and one I couldn't wait to start.
An incredible mix of tension and thrills throughout at a wonderful, fast moving pace made this one a worthy addition to an already superb set.
Being familiar with the back story of the relationship between Mason & Boyd (My God, she's tough - I just love her) I was trying to think if this would work as a stand alone novel and I'm not sure. I believe so as it's all very cleverly explained but then I'd highly recommend reading his earlier novels too anyway.
Many thanks for the entertainment all weekend.

Die Alone is the third book in the Bone Field Series that after the usual 150 miles per hour ,cliff-hanging ,and exhilarating roller-coaster ride that Simon Kernick always treats his readers to brings the series to a satisfying conclusion.
Events that finished the previous book in the series, The Hanged Man, are turned upside down very early in the book and old Kernick favourites Ray Mason and Tina Boyd are pitched into battle against some very nasty people. From crooked and perverse politicians to lethal female assassins and even helpful pensioners the book is full of great characters. It does often stretch credulity but Simon Kernick's books always go for great entertainment over everything else and they're the written equivalent of a big screen action movie, they're also a lot of fun.
I wasn't too keen on Mr Kernick's last book, "We Can See You", but this is him coming back with a bang doing what he does best.
Best read if you've already read the 2 previous books in the series Die Alone is a great read that certainly lives up to the "thriller" label. The only downside is that it appears to be the end of the line for some of Kernick's long-standing and well-established characters.
Big thanks to Simon Kernick, Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC in return for an honest review.

First time reading one of Simon’s books... though I’d heard of him!! and I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed it. Quite a violent book, though it was definitely necessary as some of the characters were completely evil. Many twists and turns and near misses, had me on the edge of my seat. The book finished with the right ending and here’s hoping for happily ever after.