Book Review: First Shot by John Ryder, the first in an exciting new series featuring Grant Fletcher.

Available here

I mainly read police procedurals, but occasionally a character acting on their own for justice, drags me into their world and gets their hooks into me. Grant Fletcher, the hero in First Shot, is one such character and I am really pleased to be sharing my review for First Shot, the first in a brand new series by John Ryder.  

I'm already champing at the bit to read the second Grant Fletcher story and, without giving too much away, was chuffed to bits with the ending that hinted at the direction the series might unfold into - believe me it'll take your breath away. 



Here's the Blurb

 When girls go missing here, no one says a word…
Twenty-four-year-old Lila has disappeared without trace. It’s the kind of case that ex-military loner Grant Fletcher would normally be happy to take on—he will always seek justice if someone has the money to pay him. But this one he’s doing for free. This one’s personal.Because Fletcher owes his life to Lila’s father. And Fletcher knows that returning Lila safe and sound is the only thing that matters to his wheelchair-bound friend.She last called her father from a small town in rural Georgia. Arriving there, Fletcher’s feet barely touch the ground before he finds trouble. He also discovers that his friend’s daughter wasn’t the first girl to go missing there. Not the first by far.Then the last person to have seen Lila before she disappeared is murdered. As an outsider, Fletcher becomes the local deputy’s only suspect, leaving him no choice but to go on the run. Because Fletcher knows someone’s abducting girls in this town. And he also knows he’s the only person who can find them…

My Thoughts

Well, the concept of this book is chilling - yet somehow all too believable. The idea of a Georgian town out in the sticks, with a lawlessness that allows out of town women, just passing through, to be abducted, is shockingly not beyond the realms of possibility, bearing in mind the number of people who disappear with no trace in the US annually.

However, Lila is one of the lucky ones - she'd got Grant Fletcher looking out for her and there's no better person for the job. Fletcher is one of those completely dependable , steady people - a dedicated single father, bringing up his child to the best of his ability, but with a shocking secret that haunts him contiually. He is a character I found myself rooting for from the start. He;s not just a one dimensional kick ass soldier. No, he's so much more than that. His character is perfectly nuanced. Yes he's tough, yes he'll take no crap ... but ultimately, his inner moral compass dictates the way he adresses the problems and situations around him. 

I loved the way he wasn't afraid to use violence if under threat, but that he also wasn't drawn to use it as a first resort. 

One of the things I liked best about this book was the action. And, let me warn you - there is action aplenty. But, more than the action, Ryder manages to balance high tension scenes with an assessment of the thought processes Fletcher goes through. How he reaches his split second decisions credits his intelligence and humanity. 

So, basically Fletcher is a good guy, with high moral fibre, a guilty, tortuous secret and a heart of gold. The more I read, the more I was drawn to him. All too often these action men figures have littel character and rely on action to get the reader through to the end of the book. Not so with Grant Fletcher - he is beutifully crafted from the start and that makes him all the more appealing. 

So, come on John Ryder, what are you hanging about for? Get cracking on Fletcher #2