Book Review: 48 Hours: A City of London

This month the chilling thriller by J Jackson Bentley is reviewed by our resident contributor Carol Hall.

48 Hours: A City of London Thriller by J Jackson Bentle is the first book of a series of four which have great stories, varying pace and a plethora of characters – so you need to have quite a good memory for who’s who! 

48 Hours begins with a text to Josh Hammond, a loss adjuster, which demands £250,000 in the following 48 hours or he will be killed.  Josh wonders which of his “certifiable friends” has sent him the text until it is followed up by photos of his whereabouts that morning, including a meeting in a client’s office.

The book unfolds those 48 hours in almost real time.  But unlike 24 there is time for people to eat, sleep (badly, as it happens) and begin a romance.  The characters are well-rounded and the background research gives convincing detail.  I also love the especially British references to things such as Josh’s football team, buildings that exist in London, the tube and UK weather.

Several key characters express their viewpoint during the 48 hours, including the blackmailer/killer, which adds intrigue and dimension to the story.  At various points the action that the killer celebrates also brings Josh, his bodyguard and the City of London detective to a dead end.  We see both sides and it had me thinking “No, he can’t get away with that!” or “Three men against one woman and they’re armed – toe-wrags!”  But that’s the idea, to get us emotionally involved and on the side of Josh Hammond.  It’s a good plot, intelligently written and there are three more to come!

Contains: Mild, infrequent swearing.