I have been a huge fan of John Sutherland'sbooks since I read The Siege - and his latest, The Castle, is the third book featuring Met Police hostage negotiator Alex Lewis. And it’s another gripping read that had me turning the pages and holding my breath in a story full of tension.

This book is a little different from the first two in that Alex and partner and colleague Pip decide to escape London and the stresses of the job for a get away from it all break on a Scottish estate where Alex’s former training sergeant Tom is now a gamekeeper. Sadly the idyllic holiday quickly takes a dramatic turn as Alex and Pip find themselves in the midst of a kidnap plot, and are soon playing cat and mouse in the Scottish Highlands in inclement weather with a family intent on revenge and a bunch of hired killers. This time the hunted rather than the hunter, Alex must draw on all of his experience to ensure those he cares about gets out alive.

What I love about Sutherland’s books is that he draws on his own experience to really draw the reader into the world of hostage negotiation - and the very human element it entails, with even the “baddies” having their own story to tell. It all feels very real and all the more tense as a result. With strong characterisation, and a Scottish setting that is clearly dear to Sutherland and very much brought to life, add a plot that will have your heart in your mouth and it all makes for a proper page turner!

If you haven’t discovered Sutherland’s books yet, then this is a series I wholeheartedly recommend - and is even much loved by my generally non-reading husband!

Superintendent and negotiator Alex takes a much needed break with partner Pip to the Castle Craigie estate in Scotland. But they find themselves caught up in the kidnapping of a Scottish earl. They must use their negotiation skills to not only save the earl but also themselves.

I really liked the sound of this being based around a police negotiator as this added something a bit more original to the usual police procedural. This is the third book in the series and although I haven’t read the other two, I found this easy to read as a standalone. The story starts strongly, straight into the action, and I found myself interested in what was happening.

The characters are also strongly written and I will enjoy seeing them in past and future novels. I enjoyed the Scottish setting and the suspenseful, high stakes scenes. I did feel the story slowed a bit in the middle, however picked up again towards the end. Overall this was a good thriller and I would be interested to have a look at the rest in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I’ve reviewed The Castle for book recommendation and sales site LoveReading.co.uk.

I’ve chosen it as both a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month.

Please see the link for the full review.

Superintendent Alex Lewis and his partner DI Pip Williams are hostage negotiators. Alex is called out to a shout, which has brought back some memories of a previous call out. He is starting feel that PTSD is taking a hold of his emotions. Alex and Pip decide that they need some time away from London and they book a holiday at a lodge on an estate in the Scottish Highlands with his old training sergeant Tom Jamieson, where Tom is now a gamekeeper. Alex and Pip need to draw on their negotiator training to diffuse the situation they find themselves in, even though Pip is injured during an attack by gunmen. It is fast paced, full of nail biting moments, gripping storyline, great characters, taut and tense read.

Met Police Superintendent and experienced hostage negotiator Alex and partner Pip - a Detective Inspector and fellow hostage negotiator are mentally and physically exhausted. Deciding to book some time off work and accept the invite from Alex’s old boss Tom to stay at his new place of work as a gamekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, they can’t wait. With stunning views, peace and quiet and most importantly no phone or internet signal they are looking forward to a much-needed rest. After a peaceful night and a lovely tour of the grounds, things take a dark and ugly turn. The sound of gunshots is only the beginning. It’s only a matter of time when Alex and Pip (now injured) find themselves in the middle of a hostage situation of their own, batting against the elements in the Scottish wilderness in a game of cat and mouse. Drawing on all their combined skills as negotiators, can they come to a resolution before it’s too late?
I love a great hostage negotiator story, so this series is completely my thing! I really enjoyed the first two books The Siege and The Fallen, both of which follow the story of Alex, and I was really looking forward to this one, and I wasn’t disappointed! This time Alex and Pip are away from everything they know in London, and I felt the change in location for this story worked really well. Everything about John’s writing is superb – he has the added bonus of actual experience, so this enables him to tell the story with great detail which isn’t complex for readers to understand. This book has everything – action, grit, mystery and plenty of determination! I was instantly gripped from the first page, hook line and sinker, I just couldn’t stop reading! We as the reader also get a more in-depth view of the relationship between Alex and Pip, this was a lovely addition and made their struggles feel a lot more real - I was fully invested! Loved this book so much, I hope we haven’t heard the last of Alex, as I feel there’s plenty more of his story to be told!
Thank you to John and Netgally for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I discovered that this was the third book in a series I hadn’t come across before but it really didn’t matter. I quickly got to know the characters and thoroughly enjoyed this excellent, fast paced thriller meaning I will certainly be looking out for more books by this author.
Alex and his partner, Pip are experienced police hostage negotiators and after a particularly hard case they decide to take 2 weeks off and have a holiday in a remote part of Scotland where Tom Jamieson, Alex’s old sergeant is a game keeper.
No sooner have they arrived than they become involved in a violent cat and mouse chase when a local Laird is targeted.
They have to use all their skills to try and get out of the situation they find themselves in, particularly as Pip is seriously injured.
This was such a good read, a perfect thriller that had me quickly turning the pages desperately trying to find out how it was all going to end.
I really found it interesting reading about how negotiators work, something I knew next to nothing about before reading the book. The author was clearly in this line of work himself and this shines through.
Alex and Pip were really great characters- I liked their personal relationship and how they complemented each other professionally as well . Pip comes over as calm, strong and brave particularly as she is badly injured throughout most of this story. Alex needs her input to keep going and help Tom try and find a way out of an incredibly difficult situation.
For me this was a five star read and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

A fast paced thriller which keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next. A thrilling read set in the highlands of Scotland. I loved this latest one from John it was so compelling. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I had no idea that this was book three in a series and it didn't affect my enjoyment at all, it has just made me want to read the first two now!

Alex is a police hostage negotiator with The Met and after a stressful but successful negotiation, he heads up to Scotland, with his partner, Pip, for a break in a remote cabin. The following morning, the two find themselves caught up in a kidnapping attempt and they have no choice but to flee into the mountains with the Scottish Earl, who the kidnap attempt was targeted at and with a storm incoming.

The writing is immersive, the tension holds throughout and I loved reading the negotiation scenes; they were fascinating, gripping and felt realistic. I found myself holding my breath at times. The characters were well developed and I especially liked the main characters of Alex and Pip,

The Earl is being accused of horrific crimes and although Alex and Pip believe him to be guilty, they don't let their personal feelings towards him cloud their judgement and I found that incredibly admirable, especially in such difficult conditions where many people may have just left him behind to his fate. A great read!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, John Sutherland and Orion for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Following the successful conclusion of a demanding negotiation in south London, Superintendent Alex Lewis and his partner Pip head to the Scottish Highlands for a much-needed break. However, their peaceful retreat is shattered when they find themselves caught up in an attempt by an armed gang to kidnap a well-known Scottish Earl at Blane Castle. In the desperate hours that follow, Alex and Pip must use all their negotiating skills to save the Earl's life and their own
Really enjoyed!

The Castle sees John Sutherland send his police negotiators on a much needed holiday but as you would expect there is a twist or three.

This book is a fast moving, page turning thriller that keeps the reader interested from the first to the last page with numerous twists and turns throughout.

Definitely recommended.

You know, part of me is wondering if John Sutherland likes his characters very much. I mean, in Alex and Pip he has certainly created two people who I really like to spend time with, but, as if their lives as hostage negotiators aren't stressful enough, with Alex's latest case taking a particularly hard toll on him, he can't even allow them a quiet week away without putting them well and truly through the ringer. Which, to be fair, is absolutely bloody brilliant news for us readers as with The Castle we are delivered one hell of a treat, a book packed with tension, danger and threat, and a hostage situation that is perhaps Alex's most personal case yet.

I'm maybe being a little harsh to Mr Sutherland. He does give the pair one nice night away, and the scenery, as described, is stunning, so if they are going to get caught in a fight to the death with a group of mercenaries hell bent on catching hold of their target, there are much worse places he could send them. It sounds - murderous hunting parties aside - quite idyllic, and the kind of place I would love to escape to myself. The scene he sets, based on a real life estate in the very north of Scotland, is so vivid and seemingly tranquil that I could almost feel the breeze and smell the scents of the pines and heathers. And hats off to him for that as doing justice to that area of the highlands is no mean feat. But we're didn't (just) come for the description of the views. It's not long before tranquility turns to bedlam, and with one estate guest killed, and Pip caught in the crossfire as they try to evade the killers, you know it will take all of Alex's calm and skills to get them out of there alive.

And this is where this series really is brilliant. Able to draw on his own experience as a hostage negotiator, you know that John Sutherland is speaking from experience in all of the tactics Alex employs in his work. I am assuming that he hasn't actually found himself holed up in a basement of a Scottish castle trying not to be killed, but I'm sure some of his experiences have felt equally as hairy, and emotionally draining, at times. This particular situation is a mixture of negotiation and action, with Alex not just trying to talk the potentially killers and hostage takers round, but also working alongside his old friend and Blane Estate manager, Tom Jamieson, to plot and enable their escape. There are so many moments that I found myself with my heart in my throat, that kind of pulsing tension that really draws you in and had me powering through the pages. A real edge of the seat ride that I ate up.

There are some very emotional moments in the books too, and the revelation of the motivations of those who planned and executed the attack on the estate are the kind that led me to have more than a little sympathy for them, perhaps more so than their intended victim. But we are talking hulking great figures armed with very powerful guns, so that there is a constant sense of danger from about 20% in that never lets up. And yet, despite the very real risk that they face, the way in which Alex steps up, the compassion he shows towards his pursuers, one in particular, felt so real, so authentic, with a very gentle method of delivery it only renews my respect for those that step up and take on that most demanding, and no doubt harrowing, of roles, putting other's safety ahead, perhaps, of their own.

So yes. I loved this latest offering. I've been excited about it since I heard it was in the offing, and from the introduction to the book that I was lucky enough to be a part of at Bloody Scotland last year. It did not disappoint. But it's left me in a bit of a bind. I want Pip and Alex to have that overdue break - lord knows they need it, although the author does deliver some very happy moments in amongst all of the danger too. But I'd like more from the pair too, back in the danger zone, if you like. It's a series too fabulous to resist. And, in lieu of a raised glass of malt, it can have one of these instead. The red hot read badge. I think Alex earned it

Thanks to John and Netgalley for allowing me to read The Castle prior to the publication date.

I doubt that the prologue could have set the tension bar any higher than it did, providing an insight into the work of the police and particularly those tasked with negotiating a good outcome with the hostage taker. Without giving away any spoilers, this book will give the reader pause for thought about the characters, their motivations and their decisions.

The reader is introduced to Supt. Alex Lewis, a trained hostage negotiator with the Met.
A lengthy list of previous incidents has left Alex with PTSD and he experiences flashbacks.
Alex has been wakened at 1 am to attend a Domestic Violence situation which has escalated.
A traffic unit blue lights him to the locus where he makes his way through the line of TSG officers to reach the flat where a man, high on drugs and alcohol, has taken a 6 month old child hostage.
Returning home almost 7 hours later, Alex is physically and mentally drained.
The decision is made that Alex and his partner, Pip, who is also a hostage negotiator, need a break.

10 weeks later, Alex and Pip travel to Blane Castle in Banffshire for a fortnight of rest and relaxation.

The gamekeeper for the estate is Tom Jamieson, the man who was Alex training sergeant when he joined the Met.
Tom has arranged for one party of guests to go stalking with his assistant, Cam. A second party are fishing on the river.
As Tom gives Alex and Pip a conducted tour of the estate, he realises that the fishing party have moved away from the spot they were allocated. Gunfire is heard and both fishermen are seen to enter the water.
What initially seems to be an accidental shooting will rapidly become a full scale manhunt with Alex and Pip in the wilds of Scotland instead of the London streets.

A tense thriller and a page turner with more than a few surprises. The use of a few Scottish terms adds a tiny bit of levity to the book.

Both the author and the series are new to me, but based on this outing, I’ll be looking for more. The cover was the first hook; clearly Scottish and an air of mystery was created. The story centres on a couple of hostage negotiators who are invited to a highland retreat for a very welcome break. Things, of course, go horribly wrong and they end up involved in kidnap and mayhem. The plotting is superb; tense, fast paced and genuine edge of your seat thriller. It’s good old fashioned adventure stuff. More modern than Buchan but I was reminded of some of the chase scenes in The Thirty Nine Steps. A cracking cast of characters, great writing and pure fast paced escapism. Couldn’t put this down and blown away, almost literally, by the ending.

Alex and Pip are in desperate need of an escape. Their stressful roles as hostage negotiators are eased only by the fact that they get to come home to each other every night. When an old friend invites the couple up to the Scottish Highlands for an extended break, Alex and Pip jump at the chance. It's the rest they both need. But soon after they arrive at the castle, they hear the sound of gunshots, and their perfect escape turns into a perfect nightmare. The remote mountainous landscape is now the setting for a terrifying kidnap plot targeting one of the other guests! Wow wow wow!! For some reason this book took me a minute to get through. I kept going back to it, but I’m so glad I did. This was a fantastic read.! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, fantastic characters, revenge, rape, a sort of who done it and a few wild twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! Can’t wait for more!

A masterclass in thrillers.

I had no idea that this was part of a series, and I will go back and read more now.

This book is so tense I found myself reading aggressively! I had to know what happened and I wanted more the second I had finished.

Incredible.

Now this was an interesting read which I really enjoyed
Edge of your sit intense thriller
I was so stressed reading it I love it
Literally so much was happening
The characters we’re brilliant
The whole story was amazing
Brilliant thriller

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

A change in direction in the third instalment but it’s still an absolute cracker from John Sutherland. He takes us away from London and the Met to the very beautifully described remote location in Scotland. This is proper edge of your seat stuff and moves at a blistering pace. The very likeable Alex and Pip find themselves the hunted rather than the hunters and makes for a very tense read. I like the fact the author has somewhat gone out of his comfort zone, but still maintaining the integrity of the police negotiator storyline. Mr Sutherland is going to be someone that stays on my radar. Loved this!

Alex and Pip are hostage negotiators and when they are invited to a remote scottish castle for a break they jump at the chance.

They soon hear gunshots and find that there is a kidnap plot to get one of the guests and this is where Alex and Pip come into their own.

This is an action packed and gripping read. There is a lot of drama and I loved the main characters.

I did find myself fully immeresed in the book and most of reading time was spent holding my breath, it is an exciting read ..

3.5 🌟


Fast paced, sometimes edge of your seat stuff.
It's a tough one when you have to combat some crazies AND crazy weather.
Alex and Pip really do take their day job home with them in this one.
Good stuff.