Hugh Fraser is known to many by his alter - ego Captain Hastings but the question before me was would he have what it takes to be an Author.This novel consists of two separate but interwoven narratives which are expertly juggled and brought to a very satisfactory conclusion,no mean feat in itself.As I reached the final words I had just one thought when would I become reacquainted with Hugh Fraser the Author

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I liked the flashbacks as it helped bring the story full circle for you to understand who the main character was and why she was the woman she was. This book was full of action from the beginning and kept that action going in each chapter. She is a women with a mission, she wants to find her way, she wants to find love and maybe even relax and read a good book but she's got work to do first. Money makes the world go round!

I received this book for free for an honest review.

The book is more or less the story of how a girl from a poverty stricken background ends up as an assassin. It is structured as two strands or stories 20 years apart.

I enjoyed the story and read it quickly which is always a good sign.. This is the authors first novel and shows great promise.

I did find the authors style a bit abrupt to start with but got into it as he relaxed into his story. In some ways my only criticism is that he seemed to skip through the pivotal action sequences very quickly which gave the book good pace but left me feeling slightly shortchanged.

I would certainly read another book from Mr Fraser.

So, Captain Hastings has written a book. Well, it's his alter-ego Hugh Fraser actually but you know what I mean! That in itself was enough to pique my interest but, when I read the blurb and found out it was a crime/thriller/action book, I knew I definitely wanted to read it. And read it I did. Devoured it really! Start to finish in a day, only stopping for life's necessities. Totally gripping and absorbing and I had a blast whilst reading it!
We meet Rina, a paid assassin on assignment in Mexico in 1974. A relatively simple assignment on paper but then there are... complications which spiral Rina out of her control. Pulling her hither and thither until she really doesn't know what way is up, let alone who to trust. Finally she decides that she will just have to go with what is happening, follow the commands of those who will keep her alive in that current moment. These action packed, high-octane chapters alternate with flashback chapters describing Rina's life in the 50s as she is growing up in London. Her background, home-life, friends and family, and these chapters describe key events in Rina's life that show how she ended up on the path that she finds herself on in the present (70s).
In Rina, Hugh Fraser has created one heck of a character. Circumstances force her to grow up too soon but she never shies away from the additional, unwanted responsibilities that have been forced upon her. She's kick-ass, feisty, clever, loyal and pretty fearless. I want her in my corner when the chips are down for sure! Other characters in the book are all just as well described and, in the flashback parts especially, develop nicely throughout the book. Character actions, interactions and behaviours are all congruent with their defined personalities which made them all come across to me as totally believable. I do admit to being a little shocked at some of the language in the book but these were in context with both character and situation and I had to remind myself that it's Hugh Fraser who's the author and not Hastings!
The action kicks off right from the first page and doesn't let up until the last. Some of the action was so thrilling that whilst I was reading, often I forgot to breathe and when the respite came, I found myself totally out of breath! Descriptive parts complement the narrative and thus enhance it rather than distract. I was especially moved by some of the descriptive elements in the flashback chapters. One of the things I really loved about this book was the setting of the two threads. I can't really explain why but the descriptions and actions described in the 70s Mexico chapters complemented those of 50s London perfectly. Maybe the polar opposite opulence against squalor of the two, alongside the constant of Rina's strength throughout had something to do with it. I would be interested how the author came to choose those two time/place combinations when originally plotting the book. Anyway, whatever it is that makes it work, to me it worked perfectly!
By the end of the book I felt that I had really got to know Rina. I guess I'd almost started to consider her to be a friend - as much as you can befriend a character in a book anyway - and I really didn't want to leave her. She's another one of those characters that you really shouldn't like, definitely shouldn't root for cos she's a wrong 'un, but you just can't help yourself. A definite anti-hero. I'm a sucker for them!
I know that some people have concerns or prejudices against so called "celebrity authors" but, if you do, please put them aside for this book. As a début in this genre, it is one of the best I've read and I read a LOT. I understand that this is the start of a series or at least there is a follow-up out soon. I'm definitely putting that on my watch-list.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.