Monday, January 07, 2008

Pg. 99: Zoë Sharp's "Second Shot"

The current feature at the Page 99 Test: Zoë Sharp's Second Shot.

About the book, from the author's website:
'Take it from me, getting yourself shot hurts like hell.'

When the latest assignment of ex-Special Forces soldier turned bodyguard, Charlie Fox, ends in a bloody shoot-out in a frozen forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, she's left fighting for her life, with her client dead.

Simone had just become a lottery millionairess but she never lived long enough to enjoy her newfound riches. Charlie was supposed to be keeping Simone's troublesome ex-boyfriend at bay and accompanying her on a trip to New England to track down the father Simone had never really known. A relatively low-risk job.

But Simone's former SAS father has secrets in his past that are about to come back and haunt him, and the arrival of his long-lost daughter may be the catalyst that blows his whole world apart. Was the prospect of getting hold of Simone's money tempting enough to make him engineer her death? And what happens now to Simone's baby daughter, Ella?

With Simone gone, Ella's safety becomes Charlie's main concern. She's determined, despite her injuries, not to let anything happen to the child. But the closer Charlie gets to the truth, the bigger threat she becomes. Only, this time she's in no fit state to protect anyone, least of all herself....
Among the praise for Second Shot:
"Charlie Fox ... the most complex, endearing and believable protagonist to grace the pages of a thriller in years."
--Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune

"James Bond, watch your back. There's a tough new breed of British muscle on the block, and her name is Fox, Charlie Fox.... [C]rackles with suspense ... crisp prose ... plenty of plot twists, and a heroine who adds new meaning to the term femme fatale."
--Allison Block, Booklist (starred review)

"Scarily good. Today's best action heroine is back with a bang. Cross your fingers and toes that she survives for future adventures − you definitely want her to."
--Lee Child

"... easily, the best installment of the series."
--Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind

"Sharp expertly builds the suspense ... should win her many new American fans."
--Publishers Weekly

"Charlie Fox is fast becoming the must-read heroine of mystery ... Superb."
--Ken Bruen
Read an excerpt from Second Shot and learn more about the author and her books at Zoë Sharp's website, her blog, and Murderati.

Zoë Sharp's professional writing career began in 2001 with Killer Instinct, the first Charlie Fox book. This novel was followed by Riot Act (2002), Hard Knocks (2003), and First Drop (UK 2004; US, 2005), which earned a nomination for a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel. The fifth Charlie Fox book is Road Kill (2005), and the latest is Second Shot. Another Charlie Fox book, Third Strike, will be out in summer 2008.

Read Ali Karim's 2007 interview with Zoë Sharp at The Rap Sheet.

The Page 99 Test: Second Shot.

--Marshal Zeringue