Reviews of Killer Instinct |
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New US paperback
includes introduction by Lee Child 
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Busted Flush Press US Trade Paperback due May 2010
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ISIS Publishing UK Large Print Feb 2010 |
Piatkus Books UK Hardback Aug 2001 Paperback Feb 2002 |
'Charlotte (Charlie) Fox could give Cotton Malone a run for his money, but I think he'd enjoy every minute of it. Killer Instinct is spicy, smart and entertaining. Zoë Sharp has a gift for place and character, making it seem as familiar as your own backyard. She draws out every emotion in the reader with some stylish prose. Well done.'
'Charlotte (Charlie) Fox is one of the most vivid and engaging heroines ever to swagger onto the pages of a book. Where Charlie goes, thrills follow and in Killer Instinct Zoë Sharp keeps them coming hard and fast.'
'Anyone with a brain wants Charlie Fox for the girl next door. Funny, compassionate, and with moves that can − and do − kill, Charlie is the indelible creation of the remarkable Zoë Sharp. A kick-ass great read, Killer Instinct debuts Charlie in a tale of greed and lust that will keep you riveted from page one.'
Gaye Lynds, author of The Book of Spies
'Charlie Fox is tough, compassionate, and kicks ass to protect others − how could anybody not love her? Zoë Sharp is a master at writing thoughtful action thrillers, and Killer Instinct is no exception. Read it!'
Meg Gardiner, author of The Liar's Lullaby
'The only person more kick-ass than professional bodyguard Charlie Fox is her creator, Zoë Sharp. These books are the best thrillers I've read in a long time, with tension sharp as a razor's edge and the undeniable air of authenticity to the action. If you've been missing Sharp, you've been missing out.'
Russel D McLean, Crime Scene Scotland
'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 . . .'