Welcome to my tour stop for Welcome Back Jack by Liam Sweeny, the first book of his new Jack LeClere Thriller series! Sweeny has writen a dark & gritty police thriller that will have you following Jack as he hunts down a killer. This tour runs from October 8th - 29th and consists of reviews as well as author & book spotlights! Check out the tour page for all the details and be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post for your chance to win one of five signed copies of Welcome Back Jack!!!
Author: Liam Sweeny
Available Formats: eBook, Paperback
Publisher: Down & Out Books
Publication Date: 10-01-2015 Pages: 313
When Jack was six years old, his parents were brutally slain by a serial killer. The police later found drifter Clyde Colsen driving a stolen car, his clothes soaked in blood. He was tried, convicted and executed. Jack grew up knowing that they got the guy.
Now, Jack, a decorated homicide detective in New Rhodes, arrives at the third crime scene of the “South End Killer” murders and finds his name. He will soon find out something else: Thirty years ago, they got the wrong guy. And now the right guy’s come back to pay Jack and New Rhodes his bloody respects.
As Jack struggles to stay on the case, his cat-and-mouse with the killer makes him wonder if he’s the cat or the mouse. His family, and everyone in his life is fair game. As the killer escalates and threatens the entire city, Jack has a question he must answer in his desperation; can he stop the monster without becoming one?
Now, Jack, a decorated homicide detective in New Rhodes, arrives at the third crime scene of the “South End Killer” murders and finds his name. He will soon find out something else: Thirty years ago, they got the wrong guy. And now the right guy’s come back to pay Jack and New Rhodes his bloody respects.
As Jack struggles to stay on the case, his cat-and-mouse with the killer makes him wonder if he’s the cat or the mouse. His family, and everyone in his life is fair game. As the killer escalates and threatens the entire city, Jack has a question he must answer in his desperation; can he stop the monster without becoming one?
My So-Called Review:
I’ve read several “light” mysteries lately and although I very much enjoyed them I’ve recently been in the mood for something a little darker and gritty. It is almost Halloween after all :) Welcome Back Jack is the first book I’ve read by Liam Sweeny and it turned out to be a great choice for what I was looking for. This is definitely a story for fans of dark, psychological thrillers so if that’s not your cup of tea then you may want to skip this review! I personally love this style so I was very pleased.
Welcome Back Jack starts out a little slow but it soon picks up speed as we get to know Homicide Detective Jack LeClere. Jack’s investigating a gruesome case and soon discovers that several recent murders are the work of a serial killer who’s somehow connected to his past. The most recent murder takes place in the same location where his biological parents were murdered years ago. This strange connection he seems to have with the case ends up leading to distrust from his colleagues within the police department. Without anyone he can trust, Jack realizes that he’s on his own and only he can put an end to these gruesome crimes.
Welcome Back Jack starts out a little slow but it soon picks up speed as we get to know Homicide Detective Jack LeClere. Jack’s investigating a gruesome case and soon discovers that several recent murders are the work of a serial killer who’s somehow connected to his past. The most recent murder takes place in the same location where his biological parents were murdered years ago. This strange connection he seems to have with the case ends up leading to distrust from his colleagues within the police department. Without anyone he can trust, Jack realizes that he’s on his own and only he can put an end to these gruesome crimes.
I really enjoyed Jack’s character! He reminds me of some of the classic detectives we used to have on TV and in movies. He’s gruff and a bit harsh, keeping any emotions he may have deep inside and he smokes way too much! I loved seeing this character “flaw”, sometimes I get the feeling that our book characters are becoming too PC which can lead them to feeling a bit boring. This is not the case with Jack, his character is a nice change up and his flaws were natural, nothing about Jack’s character felt forced. I was surprised by how much I cared about him and his past!
This was a great thriller that I really enjoyed! I had no idea how it would all play out and how it was all tied in to his past so it was great reading as all the pieces unfolded. I ended up being truly surprised and surprised by a few of the twists towards the end, it’s clear that Sweeny was made writing this type of story! I would love to know how much research he had to do as well, the police procedural aspects seemed really spot-on to me. There are a few pretty gruesome scenes but nothing outside the normal for any fan of realistic crime thrillers.
With so many psychological undertones this was a great fit for my reading tastes and I would absolutely recommend Welcome Back Jack, especially for hard core fans of psychological and police thrillers. I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity to read and review this book and I’m already looking forward to the next installment of the series, hopefully Sweeny doesn’t keep us waiting too long :)
Many thanks to Sage of Sage’s Blog Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour and for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
About the Author:
Liam Sweeny has worn many hats in his life. In addition to being a writer for ten years, he has been an artist, musician, grassroots campaign staffer and spent four years in disaster response, both in leadership and in the field.
It was in the field in New Orleans that Sweeny got his start as a writer. Hurricane Katrina, and his role in the relief effort, fueled his early writing, where he began in sci-fi/fantasy before transitioning into crime, mystery and noir.
As a crime writer, Sweeny’s work has appeared in many publications, such as Thuglit, All Due Respect, Near to the Knuckle, Shotgun Honey and others. You can find out more at www.liamsweeny.com
Giveaway:
5 Signed Copies of Welcome Back Jack by Liam Sweeny
Contest Ends October 31th, 2015
Prizing provided by the author, hosts not responsible
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