No Way To Die by Tony Kent

When traces of a radioactive material are found with a body in Key West, multiple federal agencies suddenly descend on the scene. This is not just an isolated murder - a domestic terrorist group is ready to bring the US government to its knees.

The threat hits close to home for Agent Joe Dempsey when he discovers a personal connection to the group. With his new team member, former Secret Service agent Eden Grace, Dempsey joins the race to track down the bomb before it’s too late. But when their mission falls apart, he is forced to turn to the most unlikely of allies: an old enemy he thought he had buried in his past.

Now, with time running out, they must find a way to work together to stop a madman from unleashing horrifying destruction across the country.

About the author

Tony Kent is a practising criminal barrister who draws on his legal experience to bring a striking authenticity to his thrillers: Killer Intent, Marked for Death, Power Play and now No Way To Die.

Ranked as a ‘leader in his field’ Tony has prosecuted and defended in the most serious trials during his twenty years at the Criminal Bar - specialising in murder, terrorism, corruption, kidnap and organised crime. His case history is filled with nationally reported trials and his practice has brought him into close professional contact with GCHQ, the Security Service and the Ministry of Defence. He has also defended in matters with an international element, involving agencies such as the FBI.

Tony also appears as a criminal justice expert on a number of TV shows, including Meet, Marry, Murder (coming soon to Netflix), My Lover, My Killer and Kill Thy Neighbour (both Channel 5).

Prior to his legal career Tony represented England as a heavyweight boxer and won a host of national amateur titles.

He lives just outside of London with his wife, young son and dog.

Review

‘No Way To Die’ is a high octave, action packed thriller that has your heart rate rising! This was a welcome return to this series and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Joe Dempsey is a character who you can’t help falling in love with - he is a spy with a heart, a guilty conscious and a deadly aim! He is certainly someone who you want on your side. This is the fourth book in the Killer Intent series but you can read it as a standalone as although there are mentions of past events, they don’t distract from the narrative in this one. You can be completely new to Dempsey and fall in love just as easily after reading only this book.

When there is a brutal murder of a police guard in Florida, the investigating cop Sergio is surprised that when he turns up to the crime scene that Homeland Security (Agent O’Rourke and May) has arrived before him. They believe that a nuclear delivery has taken place and that an alt-right terrorist organisation is behind it. Joe is about to actually take a holiday back to London but when an old friend’s son is associated with the incident in Florida he decides to make his way down there with Agent Eden Grace. What follows is a high-paced juggernaut of a plot that involves secret prisons, the US government having to negotiate with terrorists and an explosive ending to the story!

Basically I couldn’t put this book down and devoured in over two evenings. It reflects the political situation in America at the moment, with references to the Capital storming, the growth of the alt-right and people reacting to the restrictive covid lockdowns. It makes this a believable plot and an all realistic feel to the writing. This is a writer who has honed his craft - this is now the fourth book in the series and it feels as if everything has now come together to create a spectacular outing. The writing makes visualising the scenes as easy as if you were watching it on a screen, in fact I would love to see it on a screen! I also really enjoyed the characters in this one, they were all extremely well developed and I was particularly intrigued at the relationship between O’Rourke and May. I could even see them with a book of their own to delve more into that dynamic. Joe is currently my favourite ‘spy’ of the moment - he has a bit more humility in his soul, more able to understand people’s motivations and how they tick. He understands remorse but also the need to perform in a such a way to protect the world’s population. I like that inner turmoil that is running through him, otherwise he would just be a killing machine.

I honestly loved ‘No Way To Die’ and can’t wait for the next one in the series.