Follow on from Cold Justice and this was just as good as the first book.
I really enjoyed the characters and storyline.
Hopefully more books will follow by Ant

This is my first Ant Middleton book and I very much enjoyed it, great characters. Hoping for a sequel

A high octave action adventure following vigilante hero Mallory, an ex veteran hoping to find a quieter life in the South of France. Mallory is an expert fighter with a soft spot for civilians in trouble. So, of course, Mallory must get involved when tasked to find the granddaughter of an elderly French veteran. Her boyfriend has gotten involved in a messy turf war, and so the action is unleashed, and the body count escalates, stretching across France and into Geneva. This is a fairly typical action adventure style novel, with no big surprises, but the fight scene and action are frequent and so well executed. This is the perfect read for fans of Scott Mariani's Ben Hope, Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch - a capable vigilante hero with a big heart who cares about civilians and is a lean mean fighter. #redmist #antmiddleton #thepigeonholehq #netgalley

Following on from Cold Justice, we meet Mallory once more in this next installment of what I'm sure will turn into a nice long series! Like the James Bond books, it's not necessary to read these in order and you're not going to get any spoilers if you read this first, and both books work well as standalones.

In this book, ex Special Forces operator Mallory is in a small French village, trying to keep out of trouble; we never really find out why but guessing he's laying low after the events of the previous book.

Mallory meets an old man in a bar, and gets far too invested in his story - the man is worried about his only granddaughter, and why Mallory thinks this is worth getting involved with is anyone's guess... but the ensuing action made for a very good read so no more questions will be asked about that.

I haven't made the above synopsis sound thrilling to be honest, but that's how it all starts off and then Ant Middleton picks up the story and smashes it. It was very like watching an action movie in book format and I just couldn't put it down. I'm very invested in this character now, I want to see what happens next, what will he get himself involved with? If you're looking for a genuinely action packed thriller, this won't disappoint.

This was a brilliant read. It wasn't exactly what I expected. As I thought, Ant would be more of a high action guns shouting type of writer. This was my first time reading one of his fiction stories. I still really enjoyed reading this book. It was definitely difficult to put down. I had to finish reading it in one day. Although this is the second book in the series, and I haven't read the first book. It worked well as a standalone. I really connected with the storyline. It was certainly exciting and thrilling with some great edge of your seat action moments. The characters were brilliant, well developed, realistic, and very easy to connect with. Having read most of Ant's non-fiction books, I could see the essence of his life creeping into this story. Especially the title. I definitely recommend reading this book if you love reading thrillers surrounding illegal activity and gang warfare.

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a wonderful story. I can't wait to read more books from this series.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/red-mist-by-ant-middleton-little-brown-books-4-stars under my name ladyreading365

Book 2 in the series and If you like fast paced, action packed thrillers then this will appeal to you.
Overall 3 stars from me, just wasn’t my cup of tea I’m afraid.

Move over Jack Reacher, make way for Mallory!!!!
Is Mallory "The British Reacher" or is Reacher the "American Mallory" ???
This series redefines the point of reference for action fiction, Ant Middleton is simply phenomenal.

“Red Mist” is the second of the Mallory series and whilst you don't need to have read the first book “Cold Justice”, you are so missing out if you don’t read it as it sets nicely Mallory’s past which goes a long way to explain this complicated character’s present. I do not feel the need to rehash the plot line for this book as the synopsis does it really well, instead here are my favourite highlights:
The story is easily followed and the plotline not too complex
The action parts are naturally believable. At no point you feel the need to eye roll as if it can be done, Ant Middleton is well placed to know it!
The background location set in France is spot on. Originating from France myself, I can vouch for its authenticity
The female part Oceane is not some useless woman in distress but pictured with much depth.

In a word (or two), phenomenal book! Can’t wait for the next book of the series….

Well, who doesn't imagine the author Ant as Mallory when reading the book?!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this second book featuring the ex special forces veteran Mallory; I am yet to read the first in this series but it's on my list and on order from my local library.

The book is full of action, thrills and an unhealthy but necessary body count. Mallory has a spat with some locals in a small French village but is aided by the words of an elderly resident, himself an ex forces vet too but for the French legionnaires. They bond over shared stories and experiences and it's then that .Mallory is asked to find his missing granddaughter Oceane. Mallory takes on the challenge but is faced with some extremely ruthless men, all in the employ of one person, who wants to exact maximum revenge against a rival gang.

But they hadn't reckoned with Mallory! This a fast paced, graphic thriller and as Isai at the start, I just kept imagining Ant as Mallory

A great thriller from Ant Middleton; I have also enjoyed his motivational books and seen his talks, a very inspirational guy.
.

Just brilliant!! A hugely enjoyable read!
Ex Special forces in the navy Mallory is in France, in a small village, where he has been working, laying low, but trouble still finds him. After an evening in the local bar, drinking with an elderly French veteran he leaves for Paris and then onto Marseilles where his training, instinct and skills are needed, and where the red mist is never too far.
The awareness, expertise, and professionalism is all there and more. Hugely entertaining, interesting and addictive reading! I need to read the last book on Mallory now!
The writing flows, the characters believable, the descriptions weave a masterful visual world. A great creative narrative.
Thank you NetGalley for the early read, much appreciated and enjoyed!!

This was quite an interesting read overall. I must admit that I did not know who the author was or what he had written before, mainly because I’m the type of reader that goes by the cover and description of the book, not necessarily by the author’s backlog or reputation.

This was the second book in the series and while I haven’t read the first one, I felt like it can be read as a standalone story.

The main character is ex Special Forces veteran Mallory. He is up and running after some rough times with some bad guys in Normandy. They coerce him to find a missing person, Oceane. He has to travel from Paris to Marseille and Geneva.

I found the story fast paced and engaging, with some interesting characters that caught my attention, some more than others, especially because they were not all brits and the cultural differences can be seen in here.

Fans of Patterson, Peter James and Lee Child will enjoy it and I am looking forward to more because it had the right amount of action and intriguing wannabe detective that I always look up in mystery and thrillers stories.

📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

i tried to like this book but i found it to descriptive and not enough going on for me... i tried my best but its not one for me sorry

Another excellent read by Ant!

I love a good action packed book and this definitely was one of those.

Mallory really can't keep himself out of trouble, but I suppose if he did, we would have no book, so I'm grateful that he somehow always finds himself in the thick of some trouble or other. This time in France/Switzerland with Oceane.

It was a great fast paced and action packed book that had me gripped from start to finish.

Some aspects might seem far fetched to some, but hello, it's fiction! I'm not going to let that take away from my enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to Ant Middleton, NetGalley and publishers Little Brown Book Group/Sphere for the chance to read this book.

Sometimes I just want a good old fashioned action thriller to read, one that is going to keep me entertained from start to finish. If it's got a great protagonist, all the better, and with the Mallory series by Ant Middleton, I get all of that and more. Mallory is a fabulous character, unapologetically content to be in the midst of the action, his motives for getting involved may not be entirely altruistic - at the end of the day he actively seeks the conflict and loves the thrill of a hunt - but he always acts on the side of right, and his moral code is strong, even if his actions don't always appear to match. Mallory is an all action hero, with the skills of a true hunter but a heart of gold. Just hope you never get on his bad side ...

This time around we join Mallory as he is working as a labourer in France. Fortune brings him together with one of the town's residents, an old gentleman by the name of Serge, who tells Mallory of his fears for his granddaughter, Océane, who he has lost touch with following a heated argument. Being a sentimental sort, Mallory takes it upon himself to head to Paris and seek out Océane to try and convince her to get back in touch with her grandfather. Now this would not be a very good action thriller if Mallory was just travelling around France acting as peacemaker between the generations and it's not long before we see just how much trouble Océane is in. Although he has no real stake in this particular game, Mallory is soon caught in the thick of the action with a bit of a personal score to settle.

I really enjoyed this book. A mixture of organised crime, action and mystery, you get a real flavour of just where the story is going right from the off, with the adrenaline pulsing from the very first pages. It's a pacy read with plenty of action to keep you turning the pages, but some quieter moments too, providing a little respite for readers and allowing us time to think about what has happened. We get to see Mallory using all of his skills, an air of authenticity brought to bear on all of them by the author's own experience. Yes, he does sometimes edge towards the very cusp of probability, waging a one man war against some very skilled and deadly mercenaries, but the enjoyment of the story, and of Mallory as a character, meant that I was more than willing to go along with it.

I really enjoyed Océane as a character too. There is a real feistiness to her, a fighting spirit that doesn't seem to be crushed no matter how much danger she is in. The author gets the balance just right, allowing Mallory to take the lead where is it clear his skills are required, but not allowing Océane to simply become window dressing. She may not have the might or the skills of Mallory, but she is his match intellectually and attitudinally, and she was a fun character to get to know. As her story is very heavily tied to Mallory's quest, this is a key factor, and as a reader, it was as important that I was invested in her fate every bit as much as it was that of Mallory.

The fight scenes in this book range from the very one-sided moments, where Mallowry proves that even two are no match for one when that one has special forces, training, to those where Mallory is really up against it and it looks as though his fate may well be sealed. It's fair to say that the real driving force behind what happens in this book is pound for pound, and skill for skill, Mallory's equal, and it leads to a very high stakes, high tension thriller of a climax to the whole affair. The hunter becomes the hunted, and believe me that plays both ways. Just who wins out, and how, you will need to read to discover, but it really did satisfy.

I'm loving the development of this series, and of learning more about Mallory. For me, he's a refreshing character, one who lives for conflict and loves the thrill of the chase more than anything. I can't wait to see where Ant Middleton, and Mallory, lead us next.

I’d like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Red Mist’ by Ant Middleton in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ex-Special Forces veteran Mallory is in a bar in St-Jean-Des-Pertes talking to an elderly man named Serge and as they share a bottle of wine Serge tells of his fears for the safety of his granddaughter Oceane who’s staying in an apartment with a man who has a dubious character called Nicolas. Mallory takes a bus to the outskirts of Paris where he locates Oceane but senses she’s in danger and needs to find out what kind of trouble Nicolas has got himself and Oceane into.

I wasn’t aware that ‘Red Mist’ was the second in the Mallory series but not having background information hasn’t been detrimental in my enjoyment of this thriller. There’s excitement, nail-biting drama and twists and turns as Mallory moves around France giving assistance to an old man’s granddaughter while attempting to keep out of trouble but sadly failing. Although I thought the plot to be a little predictable, there’s a good lot of action to compensate and not too many characters to confuse, so generally an enjoyable thriller.

Red Mist Ant Middleton


4 stars

A high action adventure

I have not read the first book in this series but this story is fine as a stand-alone.

Mallory, fresh from the events of the first book, is recuperating in the small village on St Jean-des-Pertes in Normandy but is beginning to feel on edge and missing any action. Therefore when he becomes involved in a chat with Serge, an 84 year old, in the local pub and discovers that his granddaughter, Oceane has been dating an unsavoury boyfriend, all his instincts tell him to get involved.

He finds Oceane in Paris but she has split up from her boyfriend, Nicolas Devereaux. However when a Serbian with a knife attempts to kill both Oceane and Mallory he is determined to find out what has happened. Nicolas has been employed to kill the chief of Le Mileu, a gang based in Paris and it is assumed that this has been set up by the chief of the Marseille milieu but is this too obvious?

The action jumps around between Paris and Marseille and Mallory gets very involved. His fighting instincts are always near the surface and often the red mist of the title decends. The action is very believable and it is obvious that this book has been written by someone who has had a lot of experience in action. I also enjoyed the fact that the book was not cluttered up by too many characters and was written in a very readable style.

According to the author Mallory will be back and I will also be back to read the next instalment




Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net galley

When I read that the hero in this is 'The English Reacher' I was both excited and sceptical.
I actually loved it.
Mallory is every bit as tough and relentless as others in this genre (though maybe not so complicated) and this was a great, easy read.
I have already bought the first in the series and am looking forward to the next.

Book two in the series featuring ex Special Forces veteran Mallory. This time he finds himself in Normandy when after, a short confrontation with some local thugs, he is asked to trace Océane, the granddaughter of a former Foreign Legionnaire. This takes him from Paris to Marseille and then on to Geneva. Not unexpectedly this is full of action and more than a smattering of dead bodies but no gratuitously graphic violence. Well written and it’s quite clear the author is writing from personal knowledge which makes the events that much more realistic.

Briefly, Océane disappeared on a trip to Paris to meet her boyfriend and after finding her Mallory has to keep her safe as they stumble into the middle of a turf war between two gangs, all instigated by a ruthless killer based in Switzerland.

This is quite a hard hitting thriller and one that kept me interested from start to finish. I’m starting to love Mallory, Britain’s answer to Jack Reacher with attitude! A great story and I loved the descriptions of Paris and Marseille. Fast paced action thriller with an exciting ending. I’ll definitely be looking out for book 3.

After loving Ant Middleton’s first novel I was slightly disappointed with Red Mist.. It felt a little formulaic as our hero gets himself in trouble rescuing a damsel in distress before taking down a cartel single handedly. I continue to like the character of Mason but something in the story was missing this time, it was just a little too predictable. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Its no surprise given the authors background that this book has plenty of action, plenty of drama and leaves a pile of dead bodies in its wake. What is surprising is its leading man, Mallory. He's a great character and someone I want to know more about.

Mallory is pretty handy when it comes to looking after himself and he does that quite a lot in this fast paced, action packed thriller. An interesting plot set against a scenic backdrop thats easily to visualise and immerserse yourself in. The tension builds well, the sense of atmosphere is good and the conclusion worth waiting for.

My only disappointment was that the cliffhanger at the end of the first book wasn't re-visited - maybe next time? I'll have to read it to find out.

Ant Middleton has created a British version of Jack Reacher with his former special forces character Mallory, first or last name, you decide, he only has one.
If you like fast paced, action packed thrillers then this will appeal to you.
Highly recommended!