Nine stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to Morgan Greene for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Morgan Greene has never disappointed with his Jamie Johansson series and I was pleased to receive an ARC for the latest novel. I have been tracking Jamie from the start and the adventures have been intense, filled with various locales and tension on every page. As Jamie returned to Wales to help out with a local matter, she finds herself labelled as a Special Assistant to INTERPOL, having burnt many bridges in the police world. Still trying to keep a teenaged member of the Georgian Royal Family safe from a ruthless crime family, she notices that there has been a switch in the power at the top, but she remains the prime target. Working alongside a number of key allies and a few who have apparently betrayed the cause, Jamie will have to find a way to protect herself and the girl for whom she is responsible, while fleeing those who are trying to locate her. Greene does not dilute the action at any point and series fans will surely enjoy all he has to offer.
While the Petrosyan trafficking operation has been blown wide open by Jamie Johansson, the NCA and INTERPOL are working to build a case against the Armenians. However, key witnesses in the case are dying, apparently from freak accidents, but Jamie knows better. These are targeted kills and the case is crumbling with each newly discovered body.
Working as a Special Assistant to INTERPOL, Jamie Johansson is trying to protect the one girl who might have key information about the trafficking ring, but Alaiana Darejani Katamadze (Alina for short) being targeted as another person who knows too much. The NCA cannot gather intel quickly enough and the case is getting thinner by the moment. It is as though there is a new leader in the Petrosyan gang and the direction seems to be different. Little does Jamie now, but Seda Petrosyan is ready to avenge her nephew’s murder and the crosshairs are pointed directly at the former Met officer.
Jamie is forced to work with a former partner whose reluctance to work alongside her tells a larger tale. With no support and few leads to follow, Jamie must get to the core of the matter and cut yet another head off the proverbial Hydra. She’s. targeted and left for dead at some point, providing an added incentive to kill the new Petrosyan leader and end the terror once and for all. With Alina in danger once more and few answers to the myriad of questions, Jamie will have to go out on a limb once more to get answers and keep her ward safe before she is pulled into a world of dire straits. Trouble is, Jamie has no one she can rely on and even the authorities have targeted her for arrest. Someone is leaking information to the Petrosyans, making Jamie feel as though this is even more personal. Greene is at the height of his game and keeping series fans highly entertained.
Morgan Greene has been on my radar for a number of years, with these great Jamie Johansson novels that have taken many twists in their development. Once a police officer with the Met, Jamie has morphed into a gritty enforcer, seeking to make a difference for those who need it most. Greene builds this up with a strong narrative and does not slow until all s revealed, though there is little conclusion, only more cliffhangers for the next piece. Greene keeps the reader entertained and seeking more, in a series that has shown there is no linear path. With great characters and more on the horizon, Greene shows that he can use his abilities to flavour the story in many ways effectively.
Greene keeps things on edge with great plot points that add depth to the story. His twists occur regularly and with great impact, keeping Jamie Johansson on edge and constantly evolving. As I mentioned before, I have been around Jamie from the start and much has changed, but this transition has come through a number of key moments and plot twists that Greene creates effectively. His writing has also evolved and this series (I consider the numerous sub-series to be part of a single larger one) is one of my favourites, as I have seen so much growth. I await the next novel and how things will progress, or if Jamie has finally met her match and regresses into being lost once more with no one to help.
Kudos, Mr., Greene, for impressing me time and again.
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