‘Rat Island’ by John Steele is a gritty crime thriller set in New York in the 1990s. This is an author that is new to me but the blurb and the cover gave me the feeling that I would love this book, I did!
Callum Burke has been brought to New York from Hong Kong to be part of an international investigation into Organised crime. With the handover of Hong Kong to China quickly approaching, the criminals are moving their business to New York and crime is rising. With his experiences of East Asian crime and Triad links to the Irish mob, he is sent in undercover. As he gets deeper into the criminals’ networks the bodies begin to pile up. His handlers pressure him to keep going no matter what he finds he may have to cross the line just to stay alive.
I read this at a breakneck speed the story didn’t let up in action or tension. The characters are so believable, the sense of place so well described with Hong Kong and New York so real. So thrilling and explosive that my heart was in my mouth at times. The twists and turns made this such an exciting story that it holds you right there – reading and turning the pages so fast. I was rooting for Callum as he edged closer to the line between cop and criminal. John Steele has done a great job of making Callum so real, his humanity apparent throughout.
This is a tense and violent story which I love and underpinning it all is one cop…who is trying to do his job. All in all a fabulous read that doesn’t miss a beat.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and Silvertail Books for my gifted copy of Rat Island.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 