Reviews of Killer InstinctPublished in paperback by Piatkus BooksPublication date: February 7 2002 ISBN: 0-7499-3286-4 Published in hardback by Piatkus Books Publication date: August 30 2001 ISBN: 0-7499-0571-9 
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'One of the best crime debuts for years.' Janice Young, Yorkshire Post
'You have to kiss an awful lot of frogs before you meet your prince − and the same goes for crime debuts. But sometimes there's a gold nugget in all those hills of wannabe Ruth Rendells, and this is it. It possesses a maturity of style, a confidence and a plot flow which would do credit to far more experienced names. One of the best crime debuts for years'
'Killer Instinct moves at a cracking pace . . . ' Chris Vaughan, MSL Magazine
'At last, a capable, attractive, self-sufficient strong and believable heroine. Charlie Fox is a girl of our time, and she rides an RGV250. It's crime fiction, set in a slightly seedy seaside town. Charlie's day job is teaching self-defence to women, but she has a shady past which is only gradually revealed as the story develops. A serial killer is stalking the Lancaster area, and when our RGV-riding heroine accepts a job on the previously all-male security team at a local night club she is drawn into a web of deceit and drug dealing, which culminates in a fight for her life.
'Killer Instinct moves at a cracking pace, with well drawn, believable characters and a plot that involves the reader from beginning to end'
'an exciting . . . entertaining first novel.' Sunday Telegraph
'Zoë Sharp has got the balance just right . . . ' Jayne Bennett, South Wales Argus
'Charlie is a strong leading lady with a love of motorbikes who can hold her own in a male-dominated environment. Which is just as well, given the nature of the crime involved. Killer Instinct is the literary equivalent of a Sunday TV drama − a plot that's easy to get into, not too complicated and yet has you desperate to know what happens next. Zoë Sharp has got the balance just right in this, her debut novel. Let's hope she can keep the standard up.'
'A lively first book from Sharp, written with assurance and panache . . . a pacy read with a fresh and defiant heroine.' Cath Staincliffe, Manchester Evening News
'an exciting crime novel' OK! Magazine
'not only entertaining, but great fun.' Julia Burrows, Nottingham Evening Post
'Zoë Sharp's Killer Instinct introduces feisty heroine Charlie Fox (ex-army), a motorbike enthusiast who teaches self-defence for women in and around Lancaster . . . Charlie's a fighter − and she fights. These fights are brilliantly described. Despite all the violence much of this book is not only entertaining, but great fun.
'Sharp mixes humour and action . . . ' Luke Croll, Murder & Mayhem Book Club, USA
'Killer Instinct is a very British, home-grown mystery. Sharp mixes humour and action, making Charlie Fox an interesting and appealing protagonist. Her interaction with the other characters works well, and her wry humour will bring a smile to the reader's face. Throughout the novel, Sharp drips information about Fox's past, and she clearly has material for more stories. . . I look forward to reading Sharp's next novel.'
'This is a very polished work . . .' Barbara Franchi, www.ReviewingTheEvidence.com
'This is a very polished work, even though it is a first novel. Charlie's back story is told with a minimum of fuss, we meet her friends, and even her family, and learn what happened to her in the army. I read Riot Act, the second in the series before I read this one, and can truly say that these can be read as stand alones or in any order. Sharp is an author to watch out for.'
'the pace is fast but never lets itself go . . .' Fiona Shoop, Shots Magazine
'Ignore the cover, this book is actually good. Enter Charlie Fox, feisty and able to beat any man at his own game. Or is she? Can the self-defence teacher and club bouncer protect herself or will her curiosity land herself − and those she loves − into deadly danger? With a rapist on the loose, a murder, drugs and fraud, the pace is fast but never lets itself go and Sharp takes the time to create a believable world of trendy clubs and inner city angst as the city tries to rebuild itself but can never escape a past of self-destruction, no matter how glossy its new exterior. This is a well-written book with good characters and a likeable lead in Charlie Fox. Watch out for Zoë Sharp . . .