I chose this from an ARC program because I liked the synopsis.

The Premise

After losing his wife and son in an accident, Pritchard spirals downwards into alcoholism. Frequenting a nearby bar, one day he trips over a teenage girl’s scooter and damages it. When he gives her his number so she can follow up for the repairs, he has no idea that she would soon contact him for something else: to save her life. Putting himself out on a limb for a stranger is Pritchard’s opening to slipping back into the life he once knew: a life of crime. With danger afoot, can Pritchard save the day — and himself?

The Pros

This was a fast-paced, tightly wound read with violence, mobsters, and an unusual friendship between the anti-hero protagonist and the teenage girl he risked his life to save. I liked their friendship and seeing her develop through her fear and triumph. Pritchard also showed a soft side to him as he was protective over her as he would be to his own child. I also liked the supporting characters from his past life that came back in to help him, and the redemption arc of Pritchard as he found purpose in his own life through saving someone else. Also, the fight scenes were nicely done, and the descriptions take you right there to the scene of the action.

The Cons

Though I like novellas, and enjoy thrillers, this one was so short (80+ pages, < 1 hour reading time) for the plot it tried to pack in that I felt like I did not get sufficient time to really know or feel for the characters. I was able to zip through it because it felt like something I had seen on TV many times before, and though it was entertaining, I was hoping for a more original spin somehow.

Conclusion

I don’t think I am the ideal reader for this book, as I prefer something with more dialogue and heart-to-hearts with characters, and this was light on those elements. However I would recommend this to other readers who like a swift action-packed read. I doubt I would go on reading in this series, but I would love to give the author another try. The writing talent is definitely there, and I think it would be great to see what he can do will a full-length novel and a more intricate plot.

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