Monday 23 October 2017

JOEL HAMES - CAGED (2017)


Synopsis/blurb....

Promises come with consequences.

Binny Carnegie doesn't want her notorious night club shut down. Lawyer Sam Williams wouldn't normally care, but it's his job to fix Binny Carnegie's problems. 
Fixing this particular problem might be more trouble than it's worth. 

Caged is another snapshot of Sam Williams, hero of international bestseller The Art of Staying Dead and the upcoming thriller Dead North, back in his formative legal years at Mauriers. 

Please note that Caged is a short story, not a full length novel. 

Praise for The Art of Staying Dead, the first full-length Sam Williams novel

"A great thriller with a strong plot, original and intelligent, with great characters, flawed, likeable, detestable, human, with some nice chewy thematic elements...taut, lean and witty prose... The Art of Staying Dead is a 5 star treat." - John Bowen, International Bestselling Author of "Where the Dead Walk", "Vessel" and "Death Stalks Kettle Street"

"Fans of fast-paced thrillers will love this book. There is certainly one twist towards the end which literally made my jaw drop open" - Sarah Hardy, By The Letter Book Reviews

A second short outing with Joel Hames and his Sam Williams lawyer character within the space of a week, and another decent hour's reading in their company.

Williams has a new client and it's an area of the law that he is a bit unfamiliar with – local council licensing regulations. Binny Carnegie, the client has had her nightclub’s license withdrawn and been closed by the council. After an interview with Binny, it’s a difficult decision to comprehend. Her club causes less bother to the surrounding neighbourhood than her rivals and in the past they have been praised by the police for their stance on tackling drugs within the clubs.

Sam despite his disdain for this boring work, does his boss’s bidding and seeks to get the decision overturned. In the background, he’s still looking to find love, and the latest candidate, a Welsh nurse could be the one if ever their schedules align.

A meeting with the council, a date, an offer, a decision, a firing, a re-opening, a VIP ticket and a night of fun and frolics and then a tragic consequence.

Another tick in most of the boxes. Decent storyline, doses of humour, a bit of sex, a main character with a touch of humanity about him, as opposed to the stiff-upper lip. Not bad at all.

4 from 5

An earlier Sam Williams tale - Victims was read and reviewed, thoughts here.

Joel Hames has a few novels to his name – The Art of Staying Dead, Bankers Town and another shortish one Brexecution. Something that is worth my while checking out.

The author’s website is here. His Facebook page is here. He's on Twitter - @joel_hames

Read in October, 2017
Published - 2017
Page count - 45
Source - author - a freebie copy after signing up to author's news feed
Format - Kindle


4 comments:

  1. Oh, this does sound like a solid read, Col. And it sounds like an interesting look at the way councils go about their work. The protagonist seems appealing, too. Glad you enjoyed this.

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  2. Margot, I really liked this one. It was interesting to read a story with a legal angle which doesn't actually involve a trial lawyer, either prosecuting or defending a murder case. Those everyday mundane cases can still have fatal consequences!

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  3. This does sound good, Col. Just don't think I can add another author with so many books and short stories on my shelves.

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    1. Tracy, fair enough. If you change your mind try the author's website for either this or his other Sam Williams tale - Victims.

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