[.ca] Road Kill (ISBN 0749936169)

Get to know Charlie Fox!:
If you haven't read a Charlie Fox novel you're missing out! She's just the sort of bodyguard you want defending you.Loyal, strong, moral - well sometimes, brave. Think motorbike, think leathers, think self defence and you're almost there. Think Jack Reacher in a skirt (occasionally) and you're inching closer. Don't take my word for it - read it.

Very disappointing:
First Sentence: I swung the sledgehammer in a sweeping arc over my shoulder and smashed it downwards into the wall in front of me, allowing the sledge's own weight and momentum to do half the work. Charlie Fox is trying to figure out her future when a close friend, Clare, is severely injured in a motorcycle where the driver was killed. It appears the accident may have been intentional when Clare mentions a white fan deliberately ran then down. She asks Charlie to look out for her step-son, Jamie, who is joining up with a group of illegal road racers on their trip to Ireland. But there is something else going on when Jamie's mother is found searching Clare's house, her boyfriend threatens her life and money has gone missing. Add to that, Charlie finds herself relying on her former boss and lover, Sean, while trying to figure out their relationship. Road Kill is a disappointment for me for many reasons. First, I am not a motorcyclist. While the descriptions of Charlie on her motorcycle added tension to previous books, it really was the focus here. That's fine, but it wasn't of great interest to me. I could understand the character's angst over her relationship with Sean and feel Sharp did a very good job of making the reader understand that angst, but I'm also very glad the character finally seems, in the 4th book, to have made a decision about the relationship. It was bordering on becoming boring. My greatest disappointment, however, was in the plot. The villains, both active and passive, were very obvious to me, as was the motive, almost from the beginning. So, I read the book, I finished the book but I can't really recommend it unless you love motorcycles.

Revvng up the Suspense:
Zoe Sharp revs up the suspense in Road Kill, a transition piece for her character Charlie Fox. Charlie is trying to unwind after her last job, related in First Drop. However, when a friend asks her to watch over a young man on a motorcycle trip, Charlie reluctantly signs on for a trip into a violent world. This book, filled with motorcycles, violence and thrills, also provides a chance for Charlie to ponder her past, her relationship with her boss and lover, Sean Meyer, and her future. It's an opportunity for the reader to understand Charlie's life, before she plunges into danger again in Second Shot.

Full of Suspense:
This book has plenty of suspense and action. If you like motorcycles, it will be an extra treat for you. Charlie Fox is ex-British Special Forces turned body guard. She smart and tough. She also struggles with issues from her past, her family, her friends, and her ex-boyfriend. The story picks up after Charlie's first bodyguard job in the States. There's lots of clever action and not a lot of gun play. In this 5th book of the series, the references to Charlie's dark side and especially those of her boyfriend get a little repetitive. But, the rest of the book makes up for it. The first few books of the series were somewhat hard to acquire. I ordered a couple of the books from a bookseller that specializes in out of print books. Here are the books: Killer Instinct, Riot Act, Hard Knocks, First Drop, Road Kill, Second Shot. Riot Act is my favorite.