Reviews of |
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Murderati Ink Kindle eBook Sept 2011 |
ISIS Publishing UK Large Print Apr 2010 |
Piatkus Books UK Hardcover Aug 2002 Paperback Mar 2003 |
'The characters are well drawn and complex . . . quick pace, snappy dialog, and enough action and tension to draw you along.'
'Riot Act is a tale of a damaged but strong woman thrust into events she initially tries to avoid. House sitting for a friend seems at first to be a simple favour, however as rampant property crime in the neighborhood turns more violent, self-defense expert Charlie Fox finds she is unable to simply sit on the sidelines. By intervening she’s drawn into a larger scheme that threatens her life and those of those she cares for.
'The characters in Riot Act are well drawn and complex. Charlie has a history of victimhood and regret, as well as a habit of attracting trouble. Sean Meyer is a man with whom she has a poorly understood, but ultimately painful past. He carries his own damage, regrets and anger, and their shared past both binds them and sets them apart as they deal with events.
'The escalating violence, both personal and environmental, drives the action as Charlie seeks to uncover what is behind the attack on her temporary neighbour, and the death of a teen. The search for answers leads to trouble, injury and guilt over mistakes she makes and trust she puts in the wrong people. And yet in the end Charlie finds those she can rely on, and those behind the acts are brought to justice, though not necessarily through the legal system.
'The author states in notes included with the eBook that the seed of the idea for this story was the reception an Asian shop owner received, and that she was uncertain if the rioting would seem plausible today as this book was written years ago and originally published in 2003. Since then not only has it been republished for Kindle, but the escalating violence and social tensions in the UK only seem to have made the story more relevant and plausible.
'Riot Act has a quick pace, snappy dialog, and enough action and tension to draw you along. The main characters are deep and demonstrate a bravery born of determination to do what they feel needs to be done. Support characters also show enough facets of themselves to keep the reader guessing about the underlying mystery. Combined, this creates a satisfying read. The book comes at a great price on Kindle.'
'A British newcomer with promise.' Maxim Jakubowski, The Bookseller
'The second novel to feature sassy sleuthette Charlie Fox in the high-heeled footsteps of VI Warshawski. A British newcomer with promise.'
'she makes it all seem so effortless.' Yorkshire Post
'This is the follow-up to Sharp's exceptionally sharp debut last year . . . It's hard to believe this is only her second crime book − she makes it all seem so effortless.'
'dynamic, action packed, fast paced . . .' Pennie Jelliff, Lancaster Citizen
'Zoë Sharp writes with intensity and passion, creating realistic characters and situations that certainly get the adrenaline pumping. Riot Act is dynamic, action packed, fast paced and hard to put down. From start to finish the characters have a plausibility about them, they make mistakes and the good guys don't always win. Zoë has the ability to paint pictures with words, creating some grim situations, though she's never gratuitous. This second instalment is a thriller with Charlie, heroine of Killer Instinct, once again on centre stage.
'Charlie is more vulnerable in this book and maybe more credible for it. The readers are able to get to know her a little better, though she will probably always be an enigma. There are some familiar faces and some new and nasty characters. Although a second book in the series, it stands strongly on its own merit. I thoroughly enjoyed it and Zoë Sharp is a local author to look out for.'
'Charlie Fox is a cracker.' Kathryn White, Sherlock
'Zoë Sharp's character Charlotte 'Charlie' Fox is a cracker. She is a motorbiking, ex-army ace shot who was drummed out of the forces in the first novel . . .
'In this second novel, Charlie nurses a deep bitterness about what happened. While working in a gym in the north of England, she is house-sitting for her friend, Pauline, who lives on a run down, crime-ridden and violent estate. Fortunately she's also baby-sitting Pauline's enormous Ridgeback dog, a soppy critter called Friday, who knows when to menace the right people.
'And Charlie needs a large dog. Within days of living on the estate she's surrounded by violence. A muscular and savage set of 'security' thugs rule the area by fear, blocking the roads and vetting people as they attempt to enter or leave their territory, on the pretext of keeping violence from the streets . . .
'There are so many motorbike references in this novel that I was on the verge of becoming irritated. Then the plot revved up to full throttle and it really didn't matter. Zoë Sharp has created a superb character in Charlie and manages to blend the bleak violence of life in the housing estates that the government forgot with humour and suspense. This is pretty good Northern Noir. I could even get to like motorbikes.'
'grabbed me within the first few pages . . .' Barbara Franchi, www.ReviewingTheEvidence.com
'This isn't a book I thought I'd like. I don't care about cars or motorcycles or guns or martial arts or people who spend hours in the gym, but this book grabbed me within the first few pages and I read it straight through. The settings are very visual and the characters . . . are well drawn. I am certainly going to read the next in the series, and perhaps even go back and read the first, Killer instinct, although this book will stand on its own.'
'an up-and-coming talent . . .' Luke Croll, Murder & Mayhem Book Club
'Charlie Fox, self-defence expert, is house-sitting on an estate where gangs are running wild. Her neighbours have been forced to employ an expensive and ruthless security firm. Tensions come to a head when an Asian boy is killed in a racially motivated shooting. Charlie is able to take care of herself − until she meets a face from the past. Whom can she trust?
'Sharp's first novel, Killer Instinct was a good read, but within the first few pages of Riot Act she surpasses herself. She succeeds in bringing the characters alive and Charlie Fox makes a powerful and attractive heroine. Equally, her other characters work well and she succeeds in creating snappy dialogue and mixing it well with action.
'At times, Riot Act feels slightly reminiscent of Minette Walters' 'Acid Row' . . . (Sharp) takes her Lancashire setting, throws in a great deal of action and creates a fast-paced novel that is guaranteed to build on the reputation created by her debut novel and make her known as an up-and-coming talent in the crime world.'
'The writing is excellent . . .' Bernard Knight, The Tangled Web
'This is the sequel to Killer Instinct, a successful debut by Zoë Sharp introducing her heroine Charlie Fox, who is a young woman working part-time as an instructor in a gym, after being discharged from the army under a cloud. One problem is that there are repeated references to the events in the previous book, which can only be pieced together gradually if one hasn't read that one first. The male interest is Sean, also an ex-army instructor who Charlie blames for her ejection from the ranks.
'Charlie, devoted to (her) Suzuki motorcycle, is house-sitting for a friend in a run-down housing estate in north-west England, where the ethnic minority are the majority. There is a nearby estate peopled by whites and open warfare breaks out between the two groups, in spite of − or perhaps because of − paid vigilantes.
'Charlie gets caught up in the violence, and the situation gets worse when Sean reappears in her life. The climax is a two-day battle in the estates, which become virtually a no-go area, rife with murder, looting, burning and shooting.
'The writing is excellent, especially as the blurb states that Ms Sharp's childhood was spent on a boat and she opted out of formal education at the age of twelve. The book is an exciting read if you like guns, bikes, fast car chases and plenty of blood. The locale seems a bit odd for it, being a housing estate in the suburbs of Lancaster, when the action seems more suited to Manchester's Moss Side or East London, but at least it's nice to have an action thriller that's not set in America, like the majority of the books on the stalls.'