Jackie Keswick

‘Job Hunt’ is a remarkable novel on many levels, and I am having a very hard time organizing my thoughts into something that comes close to doing it justice. From the spine-tingling tension around more than one subplot to the emotionally superintense romance between Jack and Gareth, this story is realistic, held me in its clutches from beginning to end, and still left me wanting more. There are a few aspects that stood out for me. The setting is London, so a lot of the locations, behaviors, and language were very familiar to me; Jackie Keswick did an excellent job dusting everything with a slightly British flavor. The characters, from Jack and Gareth to the supporting cast, were complicated, multi-layered, and well motivated. Each of the three primary levels of the plot alone would be enough to fill a novel each: there is corporate espionage, a criminal investigation into child trafficking, and cloak-and-dagger spy stuff that I do not believe this first installment has even come close to uncovering. But above all this is Jack’s story. His journey from a past too awful to contemplate to who he is today and how he deals with his anger, need to help others, and debilitating flashbacks is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking to watch him deal with everything life has thrown (and still throws) at him.

Jack’s past is more volatile and leads to more consequences than most people’s. The full extent of it emerges slowly as this story develops, but most people in his situation would have given up long ago. Not Jack. He is a survivor, and a fighter, and he came out of it fists swinging. He has a knack for computers that make him one of the best hackers around. His stint in the Army has left him with the ability to defend himself and a link to Gareth he never thought could become more. All he wants after briefly working for MI6 is a job, and after careful research he applies to a company that ticks all his boxes – except for the shock of running into his former commanding officer, and the man he left the Army for. But as much as he tries to stay away, Gareth is still deep under his skin and the situation has changed.

Gareth is in charge of the Security Division at Nancarrow Mining, and running into Jack again rocks his world. He knows they work well together and he is still interested in Jack even seven years after the man saved his life and walked out the next day. Gareth also needs Jack’s help to trace the financial leak that is giving competitors insights into far too much of Nancarrow’s business. But getting Jack to accept the job offer is far harder than Gareth expected – not that he lets that stop him. And when he discovers all the other activities Jack is involved in he is not just impressed and worried for Jack’s safety – he is determined to protect the man as much as he can. Added to the incendiary heat the two of them generate now that they are no longer soldiers, it makes a very compelling case of “get as close as you can” in Gareth’s mind.

I loved all of the secondary characters as well, especially the boys Jack works so hard to save from being held by a cruel pimp. The courage all three of them show after what they have been through is amazing, and their feelings, fears and thoughts were very realistic. The people at Nancarrow Mining, from the CEO to the psychologist, the lawyer to Jack’s IT coworker, were extraordinary, quirky, and plain fun to watch as they did their jobs. Then there is the detective Jack does undercover for and with, and the woman at Scotland Yard warrants a mention. And there are so many more – all I can do is to recommend you buy and read this book for yourself.

If you like thrillers with as many layers as an onion, if you want to find out how two former soldiers deal with the sudden opportunity to explore a relationship they never expected, and if you’re looking for a read that is suspenseful, has a complicated plot with twists and turns that will make you want to take notes to keep track, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. I think it is no less than brilliant and can't wait to read more in this series!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (mehr)

‘Ghosts’ continues the story of Jack’s journey from an uncertain and brutal past to a more or less settled life with Gareth, who is not just his new boss at Nancarrow Mining, but also his lover. It is set right after the breathtakingly intense and suspenseful events of ‘Job Hunt’, the first book in this series and one you have to read before this one. So much so, that I have to issue a spoiler alert for this review for anyone who has not yet read ‘Job Hunt’. The focus in this installment is on some of the loose ends from book one, specifically teenagers Nico and Daniel, the two boys Jack rescued from the pimp who made their lives hell. Gareth’s mother may be their foster mother, but their attachment to Jack is significant. And just as good is the fact that this novella gave me another glimpse at the ever-developing relationship between Jack and Gareth. I enjoyed seeing them handle stress, the winter holiday season, and even Valentine’s Day in a much more secure way now that they are more of a couple.

Jack has not had a nice Christmas since he was a small kid, in fact a lot of bad changes - like his mother selling him to her pimp when he was eleven, or almost losing Gareth when they served in the Army seven years before they met again - took place around Christmas. So it is not surprising that Jack doesn’t look forward to Christmas – despite Gareth’s epic cooking and baking skills, and despite an opportunity to spend more time with Daniel and Nico. Jack is still not confident about what he and Gareth mean to each other and if their relationship is meant to last. Added to the demons and ghosts from the past, Jack has his hands full dealing with everything. Finding Daniel’s parents, who sold him into slavery, is not something Jack expects to help him. But, as difficult as it is to deal with, it also provides him and both boys with an opportunity for some real healing.

Gareth is all about the nurturing, and Christmas is a favorite time of year for him. He gets along well with his biological family, but he has also added quite a few people over the years. For him, it is “the more the merrier”, and he firmly believes seeing them happy together will help Jack heal as well. Gareth also has some other ideas up his sleeve, and he has his hands full between making love to Jack and ensuring Jack finally begins to trust that his place at Gareth’s side is exactly where he is supposed to be. Not that Gareth would want it any other way.

If you want to see how Jack and Gareth are doing now that they are a couple, if you are wondering what becomes of Daniel and Nico, and if you’re looking for a read that shows a loving family in the making, then you will probably like this novella as much as I did. It may not be as suspenseful or cloak-and-dagger-y as the first volume in the series, but the intensity of emotions and character growth were just as satisfying for me.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (mehr)