‘When you read the first few lines and know you’re in for a terrific ride!’ @GeorgiaRoseBook Reviews #thriller Jenks by @burrell_barney

Today’s team review is from Georgia. She blogs here https://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Georgia has been reading Jenks by Barney Burrell.

You know that feeling you get when you open a new book, not knowing what to expect, and you read the first few lines and know you’re in for a terrific ride? That is exactly the feeling I got when I reached the end of the first paragraph of Jenks. A smile already on my face.

Jenks is a killer for hire. He has a profile on the dark web and carries out assignments for an unknown organisation called The Department, which is so undercover it isn’t linked to any legitimate agency. This makes everything deniable.

With his home life in the gentle seaside town of Whitstable, his on-going house renovation and pastime of birdwatching, Jenks is incredibly likeable. From his turquoise eyes and sense of humour to his casual flirtation with a local waitress that he knows can’t go anywhere you know he’s a decent man and are affected when he is jolted back to the life he gave up to be the necessity he’s described as.

Jenks naturally has a special skillset that he’s extremely accomplished at and there is graphic violence in this book.

Although this type of character and the activity he undertakes is not particularly new, think James Bond, Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne, I found this story and Jenks refreshing. The writing is very good and flowed well. There is a lot of detail about how things happened or worked but I didn’t mind that at all. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting this new hero, I hope there is a sequel on the way and I highly recommend Jenks to everyone who likes a thrilling tale.

In a nutshell.. Ruthless freelance professional assassin Jenks is hired by ultra-top secret government agency – responsible for the dirtiest of work – to kill a rogue CIA analyst and prevent a super Wikileaks-like Russian backed dissemination of catastrophic above Top Secret explosive revelations, capable of overturning the world order.

Using the most ingenious of spycraft, the chameleon like Jenks has no option but to let the crime play out until the very end. With the action taking place between Soho, London and Virginia, USA, Jenks hurtles towards the ultimate confrontation and sacrifice – his pedal to the metal race to uncover the truth will leave you gasping.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

‘A very captivating and fun read.’ Noelle reviews action #thriller JENKS by @burrell_barney, for Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Noelle. She blogs here https://saylingaway.wordpress.com

Noelle has been reading Jenks by Barney Burrell

I purchased this book for review, as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team.

If you are a fan of James Bond and Jason Bourne, you will like Jenks, a freelance professional assassin with a moral compass. The book is a fast-paced thriller, and I will admit at the outset of this review I am a sucker for such books.

Jenks (short for Graham Jenkins) was recruited early in his life for an ultra-top secret government agency (MI5 on steroids). He chose to reject the offer but returned to accept it after time spent in the armed forces. He now lives rather anonymously in a house by the sea, taking only those assignments that appeal to him as an assassin.

The plot is an old trope: someone steals explosive, high level secrets about various world governments from the CIA, with the altruistic intention of providing them to a WikiLeaks type of organization which would reveal them and overturn the world order. Jenks is hired to find not only the people stealing and delivering the information but also those buying it.  The action takes place simultaneously in London, Virginia and Washington, with the story shifting from site to site.

Jenks is, of course, ruggedly handsome with brilliant turquoise eyes (normally hidden by contact lenses, so he can blend into his background) and is ultimately competent in his profession. Nicely, the author has given him a less robotic, human side – from refurbishing his old house to flirting with a local barista. 

Yes, the book is standard high-octane and the base plot unordinary, but there the commonalities end. The author has layered in several plot lines, a lot of high tech spyware, and moles at every level. Everyone is being manipulated, even Jenks to an extent, so the reader is unsure until the end who are the actual “good guys,” if you can call them that.  A warning, though, there is some graphic violence.

The only criticism I have is that there are a couple of places in the book where the author goes into enormous technical detail, a lot of which I didn’t follow, so when I got the gist, I skipped over those sections.

High tension, technical wizardry, and the knowledge that Jenks will successfully complete his assignment (how else could it end?) made this a very captivating and fun read. I definitely look forward to another Jenks outing.

4.5 stars

In a nutshell.. Ruthless freelance professional assassin Jenks is hired by ultra-top secret government agency – responsible for the dirtiest of work – to kill a rogue CIA analyst and prevent a super Wikileaks-like Russian backed dissemination of catastrophic above Top Secret explosive revelations, capable of overturning the world order.

Using the most ingenious of spycraft, the chameleon like Jenks has no option but to let the crime play out until the very end. With the action taking place between Soho, London and Virginia, USA, Jenks hurtles towards the ultimate confrontation and sacrifice – his pedal to the metal race to uncover the truth will leave you gasping.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

Top 10 (11 actually!) Book Covers From 2021

A few weeks ago Davida Chazan from The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog, posted her top five book covers of 2021. Her post inspired me to create my own end of year top 10. As you can see, I had trouble cutting it down to just 10 books!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58485952-the-tsarina-s-daughter

This book came to me as a competition win, the book cover is very attractive. It wasn’t until after I had finished reading it that I realised it was book #2 of a series. It’s about the Romanov family and is set in Russia during the 1700s. The writing flows well and I could effortlessly picture all the opulence and wealth, while it was also clear how starving and poor the rest of Russia’s citizens were.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49354511-the-dictionary-of-lost-words

Those pieces of word filled paper on the cover are such a big part of this story. If you love words then this book is a wonderful story. Based around the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, it begins in the late 1800s. I liked this story, particularly the detailed days in the scriptorium.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55928359-keep-walking-your-heart-will-catch-up

This book cover had me wanting to walk down its road. This book is a memoir and travelogue. Author Cathay O. Reta writes about her experience of walking the 483-mile Camino de Santiago trail across northern Spain. The scenery and the journey both physical and spiritual were very appealing.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57333061-the-music-of-bees

I love bees and this title called to me, the bees on the cover were an added bonus. This is a bee themed contemporary fiction set in the small American town of Hood River, Oregon. Each chapter began with a quotation from an old beekeeping book; they were prudent words which worked really well with the story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55938053-the-lifeline

The model’s face on this book cover looks right at you and is very haunting, while the fishing boat is a vital part in this World-War-Two story. It takes place during the 1942 occupation of Norway, not a part of the war that I knew much about before reading this. It had all the gritty tension that I enjoy in this genre.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55518135-the-secret-life-of-albert-entwistle

There are a couple of different book covers for this book, but this is the one that I read. The post box says it all for me. This is the story of a postman and his search for the one person he loved and lost. A lovely, leisurely read for those who enjoy stories which focus on older characters.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55407903-the-willow-wren

The lone figure running under a sky of fighter aircraft made me want to know more about this book. The story is based on memories about Germany seen through the eyes of a young German boy, during the Second World War and for a few years after, in East Germany. Highly recommended.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56439404-i-thought-you-said-this-would-work

The cheerful yellow of this book cover suits the story inside the cover. It is contemporary fiction and involves a fun road trip, a dog and a more serious medical condition. Although a part of this story has a serious sad theme, it compliments the fun parts and works well.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56133968-a-secret-service

The young lady on the cover of this book spoke to me, she looks like she might be trying to behave. Rightly so, as standing up to the school bullies gets her into trouble. This is a contemporary young adult story set in Washington DC. There’s a freshness about some young adult stories and this one was an enjoyable story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57679455-finding-freedom-in-the-lost-kitchen

The simplicity of this book cover reflects the ethos behind Erin French’s cooking. This book is the memoir of Erin French, owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen restaurant in Freedom, Maine which has now become a world-famous place to eat. It was a very inspiring read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59130057-jenks

This book cover makes me want to ask questions. Who is the man with the gun? And who has the blue eyes? This is an action thriller which draws us into the murky world of secrets. Jenks is a professional assassin and a master of his game. I enjoyed reading this adventure.

What book covers have been your favourites this year?

‘One deliciously self-indulgent spy #thriller you don’t want to miss.’ @deBieJennifer reviews JENKS by Barney Burrell @burrell_barney #TuesdayBookBlog

Today’s team review is from Jenni. She blogs here https://jenniferdebie.com/

Jenni has been reading Jenks by Barney Burrell.

There is a pantheon of special secret agents who save the world by being special secret agents, and to that illustrious company of Bonds, Bournes and their descendants, Barney Burrell’s debut novel adds Graham “Jenks” Jenkins and frankly, it’s pretty awesome. Perhaps it’s because I just finished a ferociously mediocre novel that fits into roughly the same genre that makes Burrell’s Jenks look so good, but I don’t think that’s the case here.

I think that Burrell has created a genuinely enjoyable thriller.

There’s something compelling to Burrell’s titular character, from his bewitching turquoise eyes (so bright he hides them with colored contact lenses most of the time) to his extreme competence under even the most dire of straits, yes Jenks is an übermensch, but he’s not annoying about it. Perhaps it’s the way he’s introduced to us (inspecting a marble fireplace surround to install in the ongoing renovation project that is his home), or the way he interacts with the barista at his local café, or the delightful twist on an old trope that he uses to get to his target… whatever the reason, Jenks is a keeper of a character.

Add to that a tense, tightly paced, transcontinental story of tradecraft and international information gathering at the highest level, compelling side characters, and some unexpected turns in logic and problem solving, and you’re looking at a seriously fun read. Someone has stolen the kinds of secrets that cause wars and there’s only one man qualified to save the day, it’s a cliché of a setup, but I’m a firm believer that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and this is one plot that’s far from broken.

This would not be an honest review if I didn’t warn you that Jenks does portray graphic violence, including a prisoner interrogation that is particularly upsetting and has a disturbing conclusion. Trigger warnings abound here, for those of us who like trigger warnings on our literature.

I don’t know if Burrell will take a page out of Flemming and Ludlum’s books and spark an entire series following the further adventures of Jenks (spoilers, the protagonist does survive the end of the novel), or if this is a stand-alone offering, but regardless – this is one deliciously self-indulgent spy thriller you don’t want to miss.

5/5

Ruthless freelance professional assassin Jenks is hired by an ultra-top secret government agency – responsible for the dirtiest of work – to kill a rogue CIA analyst and prevent a super Wikileaks-like dissemination of catastrophic above Top Secret explosive revelations, capable of overturning the world order.
Using the most ingenious of spycraft, the chameleon like Jenks has no option but to let the crime play out until the very end. With the action taking place simultaneously between Soho, London and Virginia, USA, Jenks hurtles towards the ultimate confrontation and sacrifice – his pedal to the metal race to uncover the truth will leave you gasping.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

‘Set in the murky world of secrets’. Rosie’s #Bookreview of action #thriller JENKS by @burrell_barney

Jenks by Barney Burrell

4 stars

Jenks is an action thriller which draws us into the murky world of secrets – top secrets which upon exposure to the world could have catastrophic effects.

A CIA analyst uses his computer skills to access high level security files; he plans to sell the information to a group who will leak it to the public.

The situation is soon of global importance and a British off-grid intelligence agency are asked to help. They employ professional assassin Jenks to stop the handover of the files at a pre-planned London exchange.

This is a well-paced story with plenty of characters to keep the reader interested. Information about Jenks is drip-fed to the reader, often through flashbacks, as the author builds a good picture of the man.

The story alternates between the current events and chapters that go back a few days or weeks, which helps to build up the plot.

I did like Jenks, who is a master of his game. A couple of times I thought that the story could have been tightened a little more, where parts were over-explained, but this was only a minor observation. I believe that this is the first book from this author; I thought it was a good solid tale in this genre.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

In a nutshell.. Ruthless freelance professional assassin Jenks is hired by ultra-top secret government agency – responsible for the dirtiest of work – to kill a rogue CIA analyst and prevent a super Wikileaks-like Russian backed dissemination of catastrophic above Top Secret explosive revelations, capable of overturning the world order.

Using the most ingenious of spycraft, the chameleon like Jenks has no option but to let the crime play out until the very end. With the action taking place between Soho, London and Virginia, USA, Jenks hurtles towards the ultimate confrontation and sacrifice – his pedal to the metal race to uncover the truth will leave you gasping.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS