Kernick, Simon – RELENTLESS

[LJ Roberts]

RELENTLESS (Suspense-UK-Cont) – VG
Kernick, Simon – 5th book
Bantam Press, 2006- UK Hardcover

Tom Meron is a married, father of two, software salesman. His life isn’t exciting, but it’s hot terrible either. Then he receives a phone call from an old friend who begs for Tom’s help. Tom realizes his friend is being chased and hears his die, but not before telling someone Tom’s address. He takes his kids to his mother-in-law, but when he goes to find his wife, he finds her missing, and her co-worker killed and he’s attacked. The police think he’s the kiler and the bad guys think he knows where something is. Now all Tom has to do is find his wife and survive.

The title of this book says it all. I’ve not read Kernick before, but this book grabbed me a page one and didn’t let go until I finished it at 3 a.m. Kernick tells the story from the first person POV of Meron, alternating to the third person of others, but he makes it work. The story is definitely plot driven, but there was enough character development that I felt an affinity for both Meron and the lead officer, DI Mike Bolt. I wasn’t crazy about the ending—life is open-ended, books I want the characters’ stories tied up—but it didn’t destroy the book for me and I don’t know whether this is the author’s usual style. That fact might make me a bit cautious about reading another by Kernick, but I’d probably give it a try. All-in-all, it was a great escape/airplane book.