Cold Justice: The Sunday Times bestselling thriller (Mallory)

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Mallory comes across a mother in need. A mum who’s son served with Mallory, he flies across the globe to help her other son who is dire need of help. Ant Middleton's debut novel was entertaining and a highly enjoyable book. I loved the characters, storyline, and fast-paced action scenes. Mallory is a typical superhero in physical terms and the novel is, as expected, a fast-paced read with several twists and turns, gunfights, fistfights, explosions, secret organizations, counterintelligence, subterfuge, and car chases. There is very little, if any character development; the focus is on action. The chapters are short; no time is wasted on long explanations and dialogue is relevant and to the point. The unravelling of the mystery was quite interesting, and a few hits came straight from left field. The last chapter, especially, caught me unaware; lovely twist, setting the table for a sequel. (And it is indeed on the way; titled ‘Red mist’.) Cold Justice" is an extremely unsettling and exciting book not because of what happens in it but because of who the author is. Ant Middleton has been a staple of British television for a few years now but before that, he led an extremely successful career in some of the most elite military groups in the UK Armed Forces. He's pretty much what most men wish to be. Everything I knew about Ant though, I learnt from watching this Russel Howard interview which was enough to see that he put a lot of himself into Mallory's struggles after getting off duty. The reason I gave this book four stars is because there were a few inaccuracies regarding aviation that could've easily been fixed with a bit more research.

In this book, the main character is Mallory, his best friend Donno, is in hospital in a Coma, after they were in the special forces together and Mallory made a mistake, meaning Donno ended up this way. This is something Mallory deeply regrets and he visits him in hospital every month. One time when he is visiting, Donno's mum approaches Mallory and she tells him that she is worried about the safety of her son, not Donno, her other son Scott. She hasn't seen him for 17 days and she is concerned and wants Mallory to help. Reluctantly, as he has never done anything like this before, he agrees to try and help her find him. Love, love, loved this book! Well done Ant Middleton! And thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy. Sceptical initially of Middleton’s foray in to the fictional world, given his prior publications are normally of the self help and mental fitness (very good books, just an FYI), I am pleased to have been proven wrong. Ant's name has become synonymous with his role as Chief Instructor on the adrenaline-fueled TV sensation SAS: Who Dares Wins. Taking his expertise global, he ventured to help establish SAS Australia, spreading his passion for resilience and mental fortitude far and wide. Ant's insatiable appetite for adventure has seen him at the forefront of numerous hit shows, from the captivating re-enactment of Captain William Bligh's infamous 'Mutiny on the Bounty' in 'Mutiny,' to the heart-pounding survivalist program 'Escape,' where skilled engineers are placed in precarious situations, relying on their expertise to escape and find safety. In 2019, Ant conquered one of humanity's greatest challenges, scaling the majestic Mount Everest in the gripping series 'Extreme Everest,' even amidst an unforeseen and life-threatening storm, allowing him to explore the allure and dangers of this iconic feat. After he starts investigating in Johannesburg, Mallory realises it is definitely something more than a drugs/gang thing or simple kidnapping. We follow Mallory across three continents as he races to discover the truth and save his friend's family.Mallory – he was the best of the best, a Special Forces leader and a hero. But then he made a fatal decision, gambling with the lives of his men with terrible consequences: two dead, and his young friend Donno left in a coma. As he navigates his way through the tough streets of Joborg, the slippery swaps of Louisiana and home, he uncovers something that could change the future.

I wasn't disappointed. The hero of the story, Mallory, ex special forces, is employed to travel to South Africa, to discover the whereabouts of the brother of his comatose army friend who has disappeared. His army training comes in very useful when he gets embroiled in the murky underworld of some wealthy and very dangerous criminals.

Perhaps it's redemption, perhaps he's looking for revenge on the world, but suddenly Mallory has a purpose, and nothing and no one is going to stand in his way.

It’s here: the landmark debut thriller from superstar Ant Middleton, million-selling, number one Sunday Times author of First Man In and Mental Fitness and star of SAS: Who Dares Wins. Perhaps it’s redemption, perhaps he’s looking for revenge on the world, but suddenly Mallory has a purpose, and nothing and no one is going to stand in his way. I also appreciate that the violence wasn't too graphic which in some books of this genre it can be. As Mallory heads to South Africa, I got an blow by blow insight into his past traumas as the story jumped between timelines all held together by one man in a coma. Mallory’s loyalty to this man knows no bounds, putting his life on the line to find Donno’s brother up against some seriously dangerous people with unlimited reach and resources. Will Mallory find Scott? Will Donno wake up? I needed answers to both questions !!! I really liked Mallory. He’s a reluctant investigator but he’s a damn good investigator. He doesnt like giving up, his tenacity is a credit to him. He gets the right balance of when to use his fists and when not to. And when he does, he’s someone you want on your side rather than your opponent.

This is not a genre I would normally read, however it was offered on pigeonhole, and the author is from my city, so I couldn't resist it. This book was available on Pigeonhole, and so I thought I’d give it a go, despite not being a fan of the author. I was expecting it to be pretty shallow, not particularly well written, and to give up after a few chapters. This was a solid read, with action spread over three continents, a believable plot and interesting enough characters. I did start liking Mallory less towards the end, where he became more like an American propaganda hero than the traumatized man he started as but that final plot twist at the end was everything I didn't know I wanted and left me screaming!