This was a riveting read – and very difficult to put down. It grabbed your attention from the first page, and then kept up a fast, frantic pace throughout. Much of the time was spent yelling at the main protagonist – bar tender Clay – DON’T DO THAT. Of course, he never listens, and each successive action puts him in a worse position.
From reading too many crime novels, you know that lying to the police is never a good idea. If you are innocent of the big crime – you should always come clean. But Clay does not see that as an option. He is innocent – we know that. But someone is framing him for murder, and he is inadvertently helping the murderer by making stupid (but, to be fair, understandable) mistakes. Neither we, nor Clay, have any idea (until right at the end) who is framing him – or why. As he gets himself further and further into the ordure, it seems impossible that he will ever clear his name – or find the actual murderer.
He gets help from a reporter – who is ready to shop him to the police at any time – and eventually from some friends, but the situation just gets worse and worse.
I felt there were one or two bits that did not quite add up, but they did not detract from the enjoyment of the book at all.
If you want a high adrenaline crime novel, and are willing to ignore a couple of niggles – then this book is for you.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for this advanced reader's copy of Deadly Games by Steve Frech.

This is the second book that I have read by Steve Frech recently and it definitely won't be my last. In Deadly Games we meet Clay, a career bartender who gets involved with a married regular at the bar where he works, The Gryphon. Being involved with a married woman wouldn't be the best choice under most circumstances but Clay finds out that his decision to have an affair with a married woman has deadly consequences for everyone around him.

I really enjoyed Deadly Games even though I wasn't sure that it would hold much interest for me at first. The writing style is really interesting. The reader feels like the main character is speaking right to them at times while other times the story feels like a regular narration of events. There is quite a bit of sarcastic, dry humor, which I enjoyed. The ending was a total surprise to me, as I think it would be to most reader's. All in all, a very engrossing read that I would be happy to recommend to anyone.

Clay is a bartender and really good at his job, he especially enjoys some of the perks and was enjoying a fling with Emily, who unfortunately was married. She has been brutally murdered and Clay is the prime suspect. When Emily’s husband is also murdered in exactly the same way Clay’s life implodes, he runs, desperate to prove that he is innocent. Someone is playing games though and taunting him. Clay manages to get a journalist, Genevieve, to help him but she is far from convinced that he is telling the truth.
This is a fast paced murder mystery, lots to keep you guessing and turning the pages.

I throughly enjoyed this book. I didn't see the final reveal coming at all and I appreciated that it was something new. Nothing like I've read in a previous book. The killer was not at who I expected. This was not the most suspenseful book I've ever read, but it was a nice change of pace. At times I really wanted to smack the main character for some of his choices in the beginning of the book but it was really interesting to see how the deadly games all played out.

What can I say about this book? Besides it’s absolutely brilliant! I found myself completely encaptured and I couldn’t put it down. I liked how the storyline was created into a type of game and I had no clue who was behind the mastermind which to me made the book more compelling.

A good fast paced read which kept me guessing. Some likeable characters and some clever twists. My only gripe is that I didn't like the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This was my first Steve Frech book, it had a unique premise and I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed!

It's told in such a simple way through the bartender and when he's accused, or could have been framed, for murder we embark on a suspenseful and wild ride as he navigates trying to find answers.

I really loved that the characters that he crosses paths with all felt deeper than a side character without too much detail and backstory bogging down the pace the novel was set at.

I feel like each chapter lead to a new answer which either caused more questions or cemented a part of the story/timeline to move toward the goal of determining just what happened. Having someone along on the ride with him really made the story all the better.

I enjoyed the journey and was pleasantly surprised that I was so engrossed I finished in one sitting. I would have liked to see a few things different for the ending but that is all opinion and nothing to do with how the story flowed or progressed, I just wanted certain things to pan out that didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and HG Digital for allowing me to read and review this eARC.

This book takes a bit of believing as the story is pretty unlikely. It takes an increasing amount of credibility as it unfolds. Barman Clay works in The Gryphon in Avalon, between San Francisco and Monterey. He has a relationship with an older woman who has a rich and arrogant husband. Then she is murdered. He is the obvious suspect. He and a reporter Genevieve try to give the police the slip so that they can solve that crime and others that follow. It is unlikely that any reader will guess the ending as the culprit does not appear in the cast list. This is an intricate, cleverly intertwined story. .

Once I started reading, I simply couldn’t stop! I loved the pacing of this book. I was invested in Clay from the beginning. All of the characters were well written and easy to become attached to. I thoroughly enjoyed the car and mouse structure of the book. Excellent to the very last page!!

Sam is a guy who knows everything about you. He listens and you gladly pour out your soul because he is your bartender. But Sam also has secrets and suddenly he’s on the receiving end because someone seems to know a lot about him. When Emily Parker is murdered, all the evidence points to him. As the real killer begins to taunt him, Sam knows he must beat him at his own game to prove his innocence.
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If you enjoyed his previous two books you will definitely like Deadly Games. I loved the fast pace and the characters. Plenty of twists kept you guessing until the end. I seriously flew through this one and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Deadly Games by Steve Frech is a 100 mile an hour thriller. Set in California, the police think a bartender who goes by the name Clay, has murdered a woman he was having an affair with. Clay maintains he's being set up, he refuses to hand himself into the police and sets on a private investigation to stop the murderer and clear his name. The premise is good, and the characters are fun even though they are quite superficial, we don't really get into anyone's motive.
This is a highly plot driven narrative, with plenty of action as Clay runs around the beach side town trying to catch the killer and evade the police, at every turn he seems to be adding more evidence against himself! A thoroughly good action read that keeps you engaged.
I would recommend for a fun read. 3*
Thanks to HQ digital and NetGalley for the ARC

Clay is your regular bartender, he serves you drinks and listens to your life stories because that's what good bartenders do, but when one of his regulars, Emily Parker, is found murdered, the finger points at Clay and nobody wants to listen to him, he knows he needs to find out who the real killer is and stop them playing this game before they claim their next victim.

This story starts off quite slow and I have to admit when I got to 30% I nearly gave up on it because it just wasn't grabbing me, but I thought I'd give it one last go and I'm really glad I did because everything started to gel after that, things started to make sense and the characters came alive on the pages in front of me and a fabulous game of cat and mouse ensued. This is the first I've read by this author and is definitely worth a read.

I'd like to thank HQ Digital and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

A riveting suspense novel that does not reveal its hand until the very end. Steve Frech has created a protagonist that is palatable but not lovable which works to contribute to the underpinnings of discontent throughout the narrative. The plot moves at a quick pace and easily wraps the reader up in the cat-and-mouse game being played. The quick wit and easy humor of the main character adds a nice break in tension while creating another dimension to his characterization.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #DeadlyGames which was read and reviewed voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#stevefrech #suspensenovels #bookish #tbralert #readreviewrepeat #bookstagram #bookblog #booktweets #gimmemorebooks

Deadly Games by Steve Frech was a gripping, yet frustrating, thriller. Clay, a bartender at The Gryphon was seemingly framed for a murder he didn't commit. Rather than present himself as innocent to the investigating officer Detective Mendez and give Mendez supporting evidence that he is being 'toyed with' by the actual perpetrator, he decides to go on the run in an effort to clear his name. In a case which could have been solved by the use of cellular triangulation within the first chapter, we are subject to further murders and a game of cat and mouse between the cops, Clay and the perpetrator. The frustrating component in all this is that we really don't have a clue until the end of the novel who the 'perp' may be.
Entertaining, a reasonable pace but that element of frustration caused annoyance.

My first book by Steve Frech and it kept me on my toes the whole time. It was a truly riveting who done it full of twists. Clay was sarcastically funny and he contributed to you enjoying the book despite what was going on. I had no idea who the killer was. Once that was revealed it was shocking to say the least. It’s really a slap in the face. You never know that by inadvertently putting people in our lives for service, welcomes them to our business putting us at a complete disadvantage. Most times we would never think they would be the ones. We never know what someone’s true intentions are while we blindly seek their help. It was a thrilling read, that in a true sense is an eye opener. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Arc provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great crime thriller. I really enjoyed the plot and the pacing was great. I didn't want to put it down!

Casually told via main character in an almost ‘pally’ way ( at times he uses phrases like ‘ look, what would you do?’ as he ‘converses with you’ ) this is a really different read
Clay, a bartender at a bar you feel you need to visit has ‘things going’ with some of the female drinkers, one especially, he goes to meet her after his shift in a seedy motel they often meet at and walks in, to find her dead....he of course is then in the frame and in a kinda ‘wanna play a game’ ( SAW ) way is then in a cat and mouse game to find who has done this, why and also to clear his name
It’s in ‘real time’ and is full of fast action chapters and its good BUT it isen’t ‘ one of the most twisted psychological thrillers of 2020’ as is billed, its much more suited to thriller/suspense and action/drama, in fact probably everything but pyschological 😎
An easy to get involved with story, moves at top speed and has a good tense ending with Clay being likeable even if a bit too cocky!
But yeah, very enjoyable

8/10
4 Stars

I know everything about you…

Opting for a fresh start, Clay throws a dart at a map and ends up in the small town of Avalon. Bartenders are needed everywhere, so there’s never a problem finding a job. Clay has found his rhythm and enjoys his new life. That is up until the night when Emily Parker is found dead in a hotel room with her throat slit and all clues to her murderer are pointing towards him. Now Clay finds he’s caught in the middle of a deadly game…one where with each step he takes trying to prove his innocence, buries him deeper in guilt…

Steve Frech has written an interesting whodunit psychological thriller that kept my interest in trying to piece together the clues of who killed Emily Parker. Would recommend to fans of this genre.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

A really enjoyable thriller. Clay, a bartender, is having an affair with a married customer. When she is murdered he is the prime suspect. He starts to get text messages from the killer, but each time he starts to get close he is implicated in another murder. Despite being in a serious predicament, Clay, the narrator, tells the story with a touch of humour.

This is the first book I’ve read by Steve French and I was so excited by it. The premise sounded so exciting and to start with, it didn’t disappoint.

Clay is having an affair but one day, he is called into the police station to answer questions because the woman is dead. He doesn’t know it, but he’s the main suspect and has been set up by an anonymous texter who then sets out a series of games to play, which implicate Clay further.

I spent the majority of this book trying to work out who could have done it, and at one point I even thought it could have been Clay who did it. I was expecting a big twist, however it didn’t come and the ending was so disappointing. I’m not going to give spoilers as I still think you should get out and read the book as it’s a brilliant game of cat and mouse. Just if I’d written it, the ending would have been better, so only 3 stars from me.