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.

Orla McCabe is an amateur photographer, specialising in old ruins and isolated areas. Back ay home are Liam, her husband, and their baby. Both are in menial jobs and have no hope of ever moving out of their hand to mouth existence let alone moving onto the housing ladder. When she sees unusual activity at an isolated shooting house, curiosity makes her sneak over to have a look. What she discovers is a massacre, bullet riddled bodies everywhere. What she also discovers is a case filled with money, enough to make her family financially independent. Fired at by a mortally wounded ‘survivor’ she escapes with the money , not realising ‘til later that her bag and equipment – including her driving licence – is still back at the scene. Disturbed, but blithely thinking she can get clear, she escapes in her van. She assumes this had been some sort of drugs thing and that such people would not pursue the matter. She is unaware, but we are not, that this was a Serbian related, people-smuggling, organ theft and snuff movie organisation, and that she will be hunted down; not just by the gang but also by the police (who are, alas, always one step behind, plagued as they are by their own moral failings).
So a chase story, a hunt story, a border-line snuff story. Some might say a gore-fest story given the amount of blood spilled. Comparison might be made with ‘No Country for Old Men’ because of the similarity of the plot, and the writing style, it seems to me, is quite similar to that of Clive Barker or, perhaps James Herbert. By definition, stories like this are fast reads and their endings, frequently unhappy, are not really surprising. This book certainly fits the first of these criteria, but I didn’t see the final reveal, which probably breaches one of the conventions, and I doubt many readers will. To its genre fans it is likely to be well received, but for the more mainstream mystery reader it might be a disappointment.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I found this book to be well written, with an interesting plot and a good setting. However, it's not for the squeamish or easily upset due to the level of violence and the amount of gore. Some characters were interesting and I had a degree of sympathy for Orla and Lynch. It was fast paced from the beginning and never let up to the end. I am in two minds as to whether I enjoyed it or was terrified! Overall, a good read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t connect with the characters or writing style. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, of course—everyone has different tastes so if the description appeals to you, give it a go.

This was a fast-paced thriller with a thrilling plot. I liked the way in which the plot focused on aspects of the family and giving family members a better life. I did, however find that it was quite short and didn't fully keep me engaged throughout

This book has the potential to be brilliant but unfortunately it isn't....... The author has clearly swallowed a thesaurus and likes to use so much unnecessary, convoluted language that just didn't work. and hugely detracts from what plot there is