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Right to Kill: A gripping new Yorkshire murder mystery for 2022 (DS Joe Romano crime thriller series book 1) Kindle Edition
The first in a gripping new crime thriller series set in Yorkshire, for fans of Ian Rankin and Joseph Knox.
‘A striking debut’ Peter Robinson
‘The twisted big brother to Happy Valley’ Michael Wood
On a Thursday night in February, DS Joe Romano finds himself back on home turf in Wortley, West Leeds. He’s following up on the disappearance of drug dealer Craig Shaw.
It’s the start of a case that could make or break Romano’s career. Because Shaw is about to go from missing to murdered.
While some don’t think Shaw’s killer should be brought to justice, Romano believes every life counts. But he’s running out of time.
The killer is ready to strike again. And Romano will be forced to question whether anyone has the right to kill.
‘A gritty, uncompromising thriller’ Paul Finch, author of One Eye Open
‘A commercial thriller that highlights hot-button regional and national issues . . . sure to generate conversation’ Yorkshire Post
‘A modern take on the classic police procedural’ Russ Thomas, author of Firewatching
‘Breakneck pace, terrific protagonist and a kick-ass sidekick’ Neil Lancaster, author of Dead Man’s Grave
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHQ
- Publication date24 Jun. 2021
- File size2.2 MB
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From the Publisher
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Product description
Review
‘A striking debut. John Barlow’s Right to Kill offers an intriguing plot and a gritty sense of place. I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of DS Joe Romano in the future’ Peter Robinson, Sunday Times bestselling author of the DCI Banks series
‘Yorkshire Noir at its most authentic. A gritty, uncompromising thriller, but written from the heart.’ Paul Finch, Sunday Times bestselling author of author of the DS Mark Heckenburg series
‘Joe Romano is a modern take on the classic police procedural detective… Welcome to the mean streets of Leeds… the best and worst that Yorkshire has to offer’ Russ Thomas, Sunday Times bestselling author of Firewatching
‘The twisted big brother to Happy Valley’ Michael Wood, author of the DCI Matilda Darke series
‘Breakneck pace, terrific protagonist and a kick-ass sidekick . . . The sense of place just leaps off the page’ Neil Lancaster, author of the Tom Novak series
‘A strong start to a new series . . . Joe Romano is a compelling lead’ Dominic Nolan, author of Past Life
‘An excellent, pacy story that’s full of heart . . . DS Joe Romano is a new favourite’ Chris McDonald, author of the DI Erika Piper series
‘Yorkshire's got a new hero in DS Romano. Fast-paced and full of heart, Right to Kill is the start of a thrilling new crime series.’ Nick Quantrill, author of the Joe Geraghty series
‘An outstandingly good first instalment: the next one can’t come soon enough.’ The Quietus
About the Author
John Barlow was born in West Yorkshire. He worked as a cabaret musician before reading English Literature at the University of Cambridge, followed by a doctorate in Language Acquisition at the University of Hull. He remained in the academic world as a university lecturer in English Language until 2004, at which point he moved to Spain. He currently works as a writer, ghost writer, food journalist and translator, and lives in the Galician city of A Coruna with his partner and two sons.
Product details
- ASIN : B08KJ4LJYG
- Publisher : HQ (24 Jun. 2021)
- Language : English
- File size : 2.2 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 333 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0008408858
- Best Sellers Rank: 325,345 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 2,014 in Vigilante Justice
- 3,595 in Men's Adventure Fiction
- 4,427 in Serial Killers (Kindle Store)
- Customer reviews:
About the author
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John Barlow's fiction and non-fiction has been published by HarperCollins/William Morrow, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 4th Estate and various others in the UK, US, Australia, Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland.
His new crime series features English-Sicilian detective JOE ROMANO, and is set in the north of England. The first novel in the series is RIGHT TO KILL (2021) and the second is TO THE GRAVE (2022), both published by HQ/HarperCollins.
John was born in the village of Gomersal, West Yorkshire, England, in 1967. After leaving school he worked as a cabaret musician for several years, then read English Literature at Cambridge University, followed by a PhD in Language Acquisition at Hull University. He worked as a university teacher until 2004, then moved to Spain to write full-time. He currently lives in the Galician city of A Coruna.
Apart from writing fiction, he has works as a ghost writer, journalist and translator. He has written for the Washington Post, Slate.com, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Penthouse, Departures Magazine and The Big Issue, and was a feature writer for the award-winning food magazine Spain Gourmetour.
John's first published work, the novella ‘Eating Mammals’, won the Paris Review's Discovery (Plimpton) Prize in 2002. He went on to publish a collection of novellas, EATING MAMMALS, the historical novel INTOXICATED, and EVERYTHING BUT THE SQUEAL, a food-travelogue about northern Spain. He then published the off-beat noir novel WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO JERRY PICCO? and three books in the JOHN RAY/LS9 crime series.
He also worked with the conceptual artists Goldin+Senneby on the HEADLESS project, which took him to Nassau, Bergamo, Oslo, Paris and London, and into the company of Bahamian off-shore bankers, defamation layers, artists, and Martina Navratilova. His writing for the project has been published variously in English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Portuguese, and has featured in numerous art shows and galleries around the world. The novel HEADLESS, based on the project, was released in 2016 (Triple Canopy/Sternberg), and features John Barlow as the main character.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoyed the book's story pace and writing style. They found the storyline engaging with twists and thought-provoking plot. The characters were described as compelling and interesting. The evocative sense of place and gritty atmosphere provided an immersive reading experience.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's brisk pace. They find the storyline engaging with unexpected twists and thought-provoking plot elements. The gritty atmosphere and realistic crime setting provide an enjoyable read that keeps readers hooked until the end.
"A very enjoyable story. Moved on quickly with no clue to the ending. Good characters but not sure about the working relationship between Joe & Rita...." Read more
"...The plot is inventive and briskly paced, the characters complex and sympathetically drawn, the sense of place vivid and the ethos thoughtful and..." Read more
"This book gripped me right from the start. Loved the pace of this story, the gritty atmosphere created by the author of a part of Yorkshire I don't..." Read more
"Good story line kept you guessing until the end couldn’t put it down until I finished it in less than a day" Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it a well-crafted, confident, and masterful crime novel that keeps them hooked until the end.
"...I've been a fan of Barlow's writing for years, but this novel seems more crafted, confident, 'masterful' than earlier work...." Read more
"...I liked the supporting cast too. Very enjoyable, a real page turner at pace" Read more
"...Compelling characters, crisp writing and taut plotting accelerate to a nail-biting denouement. Can’t wait for the next in the series!" Read more
"Best read in a very long time. Can’t wait for the next one. If you love a good tale you’ll love this. Proper page turner" Read more
Customers enjoy the engaging characters and the tense plot. They like the two main detectives, Joe and Rita, and the overall story.
"...Moved on quickly with no clue to the ending. Good characters but not sure about the working relationship between Joe & Rita...." Read more
"Liked the two main detectives Joe and Rita and the whole story. Found it quite moving looking forward to more stories about Joe Romano." Read more
"A good set of characters and atmosphere being developed in this series." Read more
"...Compelling characters, crisp writing and taut plotting accelerate to a nail-biting denouement. Can’t wait for the next in the series!" Read more
Customers enjoy the vivid descriptions of places and the ethos. They appreciate the gritty atmosphere and the depiction of local areas.
"...But, I think it was the evocative effect of some of the descriptive language, as 'clean' as Hemingway's, that really kept me lingering...." Read more
"...Was good to picture local areas mentioned though." Read more
"...It's not the reality but plenty of reality was on show. I liked the supporting cast too. Very enjoyable, a real page turner at pace" Read more
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2024Quick delivery. Thoughtfully packaged.
Great price
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2024A very enjoyable story. Moved on quickly with no clue to the ending. Good characters but not sure about the working relationship between Joe & Rita. Hope it gels in the next book, if there is one.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 July 2021As anxious as I was to find out who done it, I took my time reading this book because a) i was so enjoying the writing itself and b) I could see from the outside that I was going to mourn its ending. The plot is inventive and briskly paced, the characters complex and sympathetically drawn, the sense of place vivid and the ethos thoughtful and generous. But, I think it was the evocative effect of some of the descriptive language, as 'clean' as Hemingway's, that really kept me lingering. I've been a fan of Barlow's writing for years, but this novel seems more crafted, confident, 'masterful' than earlier work. I'm really looking forward to the next installment in this series.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2022Slightly disappointed in the story in that the suspense didn't quite grab you. Was good to picture local areas mentioned though.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 March 2022Liked the two main detectives Joe and Rita and the whole story. Found it quite moving looking forward to more stories about Joe Romano.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2021This book gripped me right from the start. Loved the pace of this story, the gritty atmosphere created by the author of a part of Yorkshire I don't know so much about. The main protagonist has much still still to show the reader hence why the next one is eagerly anticipated but his vulnerability stands out now as he seeks redemption from the perception created. It's not the reality but plenty of reality was on show. I liked the supporting cast too. Very enjoyable, a real page turner at pace
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2023A good set of characters and atmosphere being developed in this series.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2022Good story line kept you guessing until the end couldn’t put it down until I finished it in less than a day
Top reviews from other countries
- Vigilant ReaderReviewed in the United States on 1 October 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent British detective story
Title – Right to Kill
Author – John Barlow
Genre – Crime Thriller/Murder Mystery
Word Count - 80,000
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 42 - 2022
Posted 10/1/2022
My Impressions: Slow but steady, lots of self-introspection, masterful manipulation of the reader
Main Characters:
Detective Joe Romano – middle age, past his peak, a loner
Detective Rita Scannon – tough, competent, brave but not foolish
Craig Shaw & Jason Beverage – dope dealing scumbags
Joe Romano is a detective sergeant in Leeds, England, with an ex-career, ex-wife and a son away at university. His career stumbled after a stint in France with Interpol and his wife divorcing him for a Frenchman. He spends most of his day on self-introspection while.slogging through mundane assignments chasing missing persons and minor cases no one cares about. Then one of his missing persons is found in his mother’s burned car after he was brutally murdered in a most unusual way. That case thrusts Joe into the role of lead detective.
While interrogating Craig Shaw’s mother for a clue as to why her only son was killed, he feels she is holding information back. He draws close to her as he searches his heart for how he would feel if his only son, Sam, died. Long periods of internal reflection ensue as he and Rita conduct an investigation quickly expanded by the death of another young man, this time a nineteen-year-old low life drug dealer, rapist, thief.
Several prime suspects emerge, and Joe follows up with one of several women he meets and is attracted to.
When the murderer finally confesses and is apprehend, the plot takes another turn and is off and running again.
The editing & sentence structure are professional grade.
Character development is thorough and almost overdone with Joe
Details and research paint a vivid picture of English countryside and people
The plot is detailed and has a surprise in-store, so pay attention.
The writing style is typically slow but heavily detailed English writing. I liked it.
The story has a lot of English terms and slang I didn't know: like busker and mangle.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
- Belen MarinoReviewed in Spain on 26 November 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars STUNNING CRIME NOVEL
I've just finished reading "Right to Kill", and it's truly impressive.
The world created around Romano, the way characters are pictured, the cases, plus the social protest, classic writers references and the unexpected make the best combination for a good crime...
- MaríaReviewed in Spain on 29 July 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buena lectura!!!!
👏👏👏👏👏