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BBC Audiobooks CD/Cassettes June 2010 |
Piatkus Books UK Hardback Oct 2005 Paperback Apr 2006 |
'action packed story of motorcycles and violence . . . also an intimate book . . . for readers to knowand understand Charlie.' Lesa Holstine, Lesa's Book Critiques
'Zoë Sharp revs up the tension in Road Kill, a Charlie Fox thriller. Road Kill serves as a transition piece. Charlie needed downtime after her job in Florida, an experience related in First Drop. She needed time to regroup and make decisions about her feelings for her boss and lover, Sean Meyer, and her current job as a bodyguard, working in Sean's close protection business. Instead, she's thrust into a world of motorcycle racing and danger.
'While trying to find some peace working on her parents' second home, Charlie answers a frantic call that a friend has been crushed in a motorcycle accident, run over by a van that might have intended to hit her and the man killed on the bike. Clare's partner, Jacob, is somewhere in Ireland, and needs to be informed of the accident. Charlie is suspicious of Clare's story of the ride, and subsequent events at Clare's house and a funeral only add to her doubts. When Jacob's son, Jamie, sneaks into the house, Clare is wary. When she's brutally attacked by Jacob's ex-wife and her boyfriend, she and Sean are angry. Wild stories circulate about the motorcycle accident, and Clare's actions do nothing to stem the speculation. Instead, she and Jacob ask Charlie to watch over Jamie on an organized motorcycle trip to Ireland, with members of the Devil's Bridge riders. Despite their misgivings, Charlie and Sean head to Ireland with the group, knowing they don't know the whole story behind the trip.
'Road Kill is an action packed story of motorcycles and violence. However, it is also an intimate book, as Charlie Fox delves into her own feelings, about her relationship with Sean, her past, her thorny relations with her parents, and her future. Sharp may have been talking about a bike, but one paragraph on page 173 sums up Charlie's current issues, problems with the case, her career, and her relationship with Sean. "Now, I'd climbed aboard something with outrageous speed and power that just begged me to lean that little bit further, push that little bit harder. Something that coaxed and beguiled and seduced me to take another risk. And would kill me in a heartbeat if I let it get away from me."
'Zoë Sharp's Road Kill might not be a necessary read in between First Drop and the latest Charlie Fox book, Second Shot. But, for readers to know and understand Charlie, it's an important link.'
'Thrilling and gripping . . . I couldn't leave it alone.' Patricia Roberts, Bradford Telegraph & Argus
'Living fast and dying young but was it really an accident? Charlie Fox sets out to discover the truth by infiltrating a gang of illegal road racers. She has to rely on all her skills in martial arts and self-preservation gained from time spent in the army and employment in protection agencies. Tough ex-boss Sean arrives to assist when someone makes it clear they want her dead. Thrilling and gripping, this atmospheric crime novel will give anyone who knows a Suzuki from a Ducati a real buzz. Not the usual type of book I enjoy but I couldn't leave it alone.'
'British competitor to Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky.' Alex Gordon, Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'Her books are so smart, witty, and punchy that Zoë is a British competitor to America's Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky. In her fourth outing, (PI) Charlie Fox probes the death of a friend in a bike crash. To prove it wasn't accidental she has to infiltrate a gang of illegal road racers. They're hell-bent on living fast, but someone wants Charlie to die young.'
'Zoë Sharp and Charlie Fox keep on getting better and better.' Ayo Onatade, Shots Magazine
'Strong, dependable and with lots of baggage, Charlie Fox is my kind of heroine. In the latest book in the series not only has Charlie left the British Army, but also she is working for as a bodyguard for her ex-lover Sean Meyer. This makes for an interesting and rather challenging work relationship. Charlie is also hoping to make sense of her personal and professional relationships.
'When Charlie's close friend, Clare is involved in a rather mysterious and dangerous motorcycle accident that results in the death of a man, she soon realises that the incident was much more than a mere incident and soon begins to regret trying to find out the truth; especially when she becomes a target herself.
'Matters and the action heats up when, in order to find out what happened, Charlie and Sean decide to infiltrate a gang of illegal road racers with disastrous effects. Bodies pile up and the gore is pretty much what one should expect under the circumstances.
'While there is an amount of back-story in this latest novel, contrary to what one might think, this is not to the disadvantage of the reader. In fact, this is a very good incentive to read the earlier books and if I had not already done so, it would certainly encourage me to do so. With enough tension and suspense for even a first time reader of the series, Zoë Sharp and Charlie Fox keep on getting better and better.
'If you are looking for a strong female character and one with verve and attitude then Charlie Fox is certainly your kind of woman. I cannot wait for the next book in the series; Charlie Fox has joined my list of must-reads.'
'Fast, gritty and absorbing . . .' Chris High, www.chrishigh.com
'Charlie Fox, it has to be said, is something of an enigma. Sassy, sexy and, above all, stubborn, Charlie wanders into areas most people − and most men in particular − would steer well clear of. Charlie, you see, is short for Charlotte and Zoë Sharp's fifth and latest tale detailing the world of all things Fox, does not disappoint.
'Still bearing the emotional scars from her traumatic first body-guarding job in the States, Charlie Fox returns to her former home to try and work out both her personal and professional future. Instead of the peace she's hoping for, Charlie is immediately caught up in the aftermath of a fatal bike crash involving one of her closest friends. The more she probes, the more she suspects that the accident was far from accidental − and the more she finds herself relying on the support of her troubled boss, Sean Meyer, despite her misgivings over the wisdom of resuming their relationship. Charlie's got enough on her plate trying to work out who suddenly wants her dead and the only way to find out is to infiltrate a group of illegal road-racers who appear hell-bent on living fast and dying young.
'Fast, gritty and absorbing, Road Kill is further evidence of Zoë Sharp being able to take a character with an occupation not normally associated as being at all feminine and making them stand out from the crowd.
'The writing is deliciously smooth, with snappy dialogue that keeps the reader wanting to know more, without ever being trite or over complicated, whilst the storyline is extremely well executed with delicately placed signposts that lead readers a merry dance until the resolution becomes apparent.
'Charlie Fox, Sean Meyer and all that go with them are characters that are set to remain in the hearts and minds of all those who encounter them long after Road Kill is finished, as two of the most intriguing characters in crime fiction today.'
'impossible to put this book down . . .' Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind
'After the traumatic events that took place in First Drop, Charlie Fox is back in England to recuperate. But then an old friend is seriously injured after a motorbike accident (that kills the driver) and Charlie's lethal instincts kick in to find out what the real story is, and who the true target was. It's really quite impossible to put this book down, but what really makes this (and the whole series) shine is how Charlie's kickass skills are rooted in her own femininity and character. So why might this not be published in the US? "Too British." More like too bad if it proves to be the case.'
'. . . a high-octane climax to this entertaining story . . .' Susanna Yager, The Sunday Telegraph
'Charlie Fox, Zoë Sharp's regular protagonist, is no slouch when it comes to a fight, but, this being England, she has to rely on a rolled-up magazine instead of a gun. She needs all her skills as a bodyguard in Road Kill (Piatkus, £18.99). Her assignment is personal: to look after the wayward son of her best friend. She suspects that he is involved with some shady people who may have had something to do with the recent attempt on his mother's life, and she has to survive some terrifying experiences among a group of bikers before she finds out the dangerous secret they are hiding. There's a high-octane climax to this entertaining story, in which Charlie once more displays her courage and ingenuity.'
'exciting story . . . plenty of blood and confrontation' Bernard Knight, Tangled Web, December 2005
'Another in Zoë's 'Charlie Fox' series about a tough young woman who, after being thrown out of Army Special Forces for having an affair with her instructor, works for him in his 'close protection' bodyguard service.
'In the previous book, she has had a hard time in the USA and now is recuperating back home in rural Lancashire, but becomes involved with a group of 'bikers' when Clare, one of her best friends is grievously injured in a bike smash, caused by a Transit van deliberately running her down. Charlie's father, an eminent surgeon, is prevailed upon to cobble Clare's bones together, using the opportunity to again upbraid his daughter for her dangerous life-style and especially for her choice of lovers, though the affair with tough-guy Sean is not currently proceeding apace.
'The bikers are being accused by the police of indulging in illegal road-racing and they try to get Charlie to infiltrate them − which she does, but for her own reasons. They are off on a high-speed tour of Ireland, and she manages to go with them, as she suspects that the object of the tour is more than tearing up the Irish tarmac.
'The story has plenty of violence, varying from road crashes to explosions. If you are a biker, you will enjoy Zoë Sharp's obvious obsession with two wheels and an engine. I still have fond memories of my '39 Tiger 100, but wonder how many young Kawasaki fans strut their leathers in public libraries? If you want an exciting story with plenty of blood and confrontation, read on!'
'a female Jack Reacher on motorbikes.' Sharon Wheeler, www.ReviewingTheEvidence.com
'If you like a one-line summing up of books before you embark on them, you might like to know that Zoë Sharp's Road Kill features a female Jack Reacher on motorbikes. And, like the books featuring Lee Child's tough-guy hero, it's a cracking good read.
'I've dipped in and out of the series to date, liking it well enough, but it's never quite made it into my top division. That changes with Road Kill, though, which is high-octane action from start to finish.
'Charlie Fox is a damaged heroine with a sidecar full of baggage to lug along. She's left the British Army and is now working as a bodyguard. But there's unresolved business between her and her boss Sean Meyer, who was also her superior − and lover − in the army.
'The previous book in the series apparently featured Charlie working in the US on a job that went badly wrong There's a judicious amount of back story in Road Kill which means it's not a disadvantage if you haven't read the predecessor. Anyway, Charlie is back in the UK hoping to get her personal and professional life in some sort of order.
'But then her close friend Clare is involved in a mysterious motorbike crash which kills a man. Charlie starts to realise that the incident wasn't an accident − particularly when she is targeted.
'And then the action really hots up, as Charlie infiltrates a gang of illegal road racers who appear to have some sort of death wish. And the dangerous Sean is by her side as they hurtle round the north of England and Ireland.
'If you don't like motorbikes very much, you might feel the two-wheeled action is a mite overdone − the chases are pretty much of a muchness. And you will need a very strong stomach as the bodies pile up (yes, just like Jack Reacher). But if you like a female leading character with attitude and some cracking story-telling, Charlie fits the bill very well.'
'a great series . . .' Wendy's Picks, Sleuth of Baker Street, Toronto, Canada
'I read three wonderful UK titles that I want to tell you about . . . The third book I read over the break is Road Kill by Zoë Sharp, her fifth Charlie Fox mystery . . . Charlie is a woman who knows her way around motorcycles. When one of her best friends is involved in a fatal motorcycle crash, Charlie wants to know the details. The police ask her to infiltrate a group of motorcyclists to report back on their activities, specifically road racing. At first she refuses, but then reconsiders when she is chased and forced off the road. She joins the group on their ride to and around Ireland to discover who tried to kill one of her best friends by driving her off the road and why. Of course, Sean, her off-and-on boss/boyfriend, is along to try and keep her in one piece. They are also trying to rebuild their relationship after the disastrous events in First Drop. This is a great series with a strong independent (headstrong some might say) but vulnerable female character.'