Synopsis/blurb….
'Engaging and
enjoyable. A must read for soldiers and civilians.' - Damien Lewis.
Killing comes easy to
Michael Devlin, a soldier turned assassin.
When he murders
Martin Pound, a corrupt politician, he considers it to be just another job.
His days are spent
drinking, reading and visiting his late wife's grave. Devlin has nothing to
live for.
Then he meets Emma,
"a good Catholic girl". Everyone deserves a second chance.
But the hunter is
about to become the hunted.
The Parker brothers,
the criminal family who put the hit out on the politician, want to tie-up loose
ends.
Devlin must kill or
be killed.
Nothing To Lose is a
literary thriller, set in South London. Thomas Waugh has created a hero (or
anti-hero) who will seem human to some readers and inhuman to others. You
decide.
Praise for Nothing To
Lose:
’Graham Greene meets
David Baldacci... Nothing To Lose is philosophical, satirical and, most
importantly, gripping. For lovers of thriller writing and literary fiction
alike.’ Matt Lynn
'A gripping thriller,
elegantly told. A complex plot, deftly handled. And a narrative that puts the
city of London, with its wealth and poverty, goodness and evil, at the heart of
the story.' - Alison Joseph.
I do have a certain fondness for hitmen novels and Thomas
Waugh’s Michael Devlin is another welcome addition to the band of merry killers
for hire that populate my reading shelves ……. Lawrence Block’s Keller, Loren D.
Estleman’s Peter Macklin and Quarry from Max Allan Collins. I’m sure there are
others in addition that elude me at the minute – further recommendations welcomed.
Nothing to Lose is a shortish outing for Devlin at 94 pages
long and it was a blast.
Devlin is ex-army and gets his jobs through former comrade
and friend, Oliver Porter. Porter, the fixer has Devlin clip a Tory MP. The MP
had gambling debts and was threatening to expose his creditors to the
authorities unless they wrote his debt off. The Parker brothers – the gangsters that he
owed the money to - have a better idea and have ordered a hit.
Mission accomplished but it might come back to bite the
brothers on the bum. The victim’s merry widow is creating a song and dance in
the media and the Parker brothers want to avoid scrutiny of their dealings with
the MP. Porter and his gunman will have to go.
The Parker’s are capable, but Porter and Devlin might be a
little bit more difficult to remove than the twosome imagine.
High-brow literature this isn’t but with a fast pace, an
interesting main character and a fair bit of action, it’s just the kind of book
I could happily read until the cows come home.
Waugh gives us plenty of back story for the widowed Devlin.
He’s still grieving for his wife, I don’t think it’s specified how many years
previously she passed but he is obsessively faithful to her memory – to the
extent of refusing to countenance any future romantic entanglement with a new
woman. Emma, the attractive Irish florist and his casual drinks partner may put
that vow to the test. Our ice-man may just be thawing.
Decent mix of the personal in with the plot, enough of both
to make this a series I’ll be keen to continue with. Fortunately for me, Thomas
Waugh has already penned a further two books with Michael Devlin as a lead – Darkness Visible and Ready for Anything. Good reading times
ahead!
4.5 from 5
According to publisher, Endeavour
Press - Thomas Waugh is the pseudonym
of a bestselling historical novelist.
A Google search has Fantastic Fiction suggesting Waugh
might be Damien Lewis “a war correspondent and thriller writer.”
I'd quite like for it to be Lewis, as I like the idea of him hat-tipping his own books. Beat your own drum man, because there's plenty to be proud of.
Read in October, 2017
Published – 2016
Page count – 94
Source – purchased copy
Format - Kindle
Links to previous posts on the earlier episodes -
