One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | An enthralling and credible police thriller, this is the second in the ‘Robert Finlay’ series, and another humdinger of a read. Finlay is on a new team investigating the sex-slave industry, a series of events link together in a chain-mail coil of aggressive hostility and danger. The author’s background history ensured I was in reliable hands and from the intriguing prologue my interest was piqued and then narrowed into unflinching focus as I was consumed by the plot. If you've not yet read the first in the series, 'Deadly Game' can be read as a standalone novel as there is an excellent introduction, however you'll be missing out if you don't go back and start from the beginning with ‘Wicked Game'. Matt Johnson has the ability to give a lot of information, including army and police ‘speak’ in a easy to understand, readable format without losing the power of the story. ‘Deadly Game’, vibrating with dramatic intensity, allows access to a treacherous world; this series is fast becoming a favourite and long may it continue. ~ Liz Robinson
A 'Piece of Passion' from the Publisher...
'Matt Johnson’s Wicked Game was an extraordinary debut thriller – both raw and emotional and, of course, an unputdownable page-turner. I wondered what he would deliver next and if he could match it! Not only did he match it, but we were absolutely blown away by Deadly Game, which sees the return of protagonist Robert Finlay, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, like Matt himself. Not only has he tackled the emotive and deeply troubling subject of sex-trafficking, humanising the victims in an unforgettable way, but he has written an exceptional, high-octane, incredible roller-coaster-ride of a thriller that sees Finlay fighting to protect his family and a colleague from unseen enemies. What I love most about Matt’s books are their rich authenticity … their utter believability. The dialogue, the banter, the descriptions of police procedure, the strategies and operations are spot on, and the spine-tingling detail he includes draws us straight into the heart of his plots. Matt has raised the bar even higher with Deadly Game, with a complex, skilfully orchestrated plot, some simply beautiful writing, and a character who we are thrilled to meet again. I honestly cannot wait to see what he does next.' ~Karen Sullivan, Publisher, Orenda Books
Click here to read a Q&A with the author about his new book, Deadly Game.
Reeling from the attempts on his life and that of his family, Police Inspector Robert Finlay returns to work to discover that any hope of a peaceful existence has been dashed.
Assigned to investigate the Eastern European sex-slave industry just as a key witness is murdered. Finlay, along with his new partner Nina Brasov, finds himself facing a ruthless criminal gang, determined to keep control of the traffic of people into the UK. On the home front, Finlay's efforts to protect his wife and child may have been in vain, as an MI5 protection officer uncovers a covert secret service operation that threatens them all...Picking up where the bestselling Wicked Game left off, Deadly Game sees Matt Johnson's damaged hero fighting on two fronts. Aided by new allies, he must not only protect his family but save a colleague from an unseen enemy ...and a shocking fate.
'Utterly compelling and dripping with authenticity. This summer's must-read thriller' J S Law, author of Tenacity
'Nothing is clear-cut in a gripping labyrinthine plot, which - despite thrills and spills aplenty - never falls short of believable David Young, author of Stasi Child
'Terse, tense and vivid writing. Matt Johnson is a brilliant new name in the world of thrillers Peter James
Author
About Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson served as a soldier and Metropolitan Police officer for 25 years. Blown off his feet at the London Baltic Exchange bombing in 1993, and one of the first police officers on the scene of the 1982 Regent’s Park bombing, Matt was also at the Libyan People’s Bureau shooting in 1984 where he escorted his mortally wounded friend and colleague, Yvonne Fletcher, to hospital. Hidden wounds took their toll. In 1999, Matt was discharged from the police with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While undergoing treatment, he was encouraged by his counsellor to write about his career and his experience of murders, shootings and terrorism. One evening, Matt sat at his computer and started to weave these notes into a work of fiction that he described as having a tremendously cathartic effect on his own condition. His bestselling thriller, Wicked Game, which was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger, was the result. Deadly Game once again draws on Matt’s experiences and drips with the same raw authenticity of its predecessor.
