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Killer Instinct
by
Zoë Sharp
It is part of the Charlie Fox #1 series and is a thriller in a paperback edition that was published by Busted Flush Press on June 1, 2010 and has 292 pages.
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First in the Charlie Fox thriller series based in Lancaster, England, and revolving around Charlie, a self-defense instructor.
My Take
I can see why Lee Child is impressed with Zoë Sharp. She’s good. It’s even more amazing that this is her first book. The only quibbles I could come up with was why didn’t she figure out the bit about seven a whole lot earlier? And WHY would she stay in her flat?? Why doesn’t she pick up on what Gary’s up to? Why would she go back to work at the Adelphi after the lack of support about that fight she broke up? If Marc is the one without the fancy education and Charlie has had one, why is it that he knows about Bacchus and Charlie doesn’t?
In some ways, Charlie reminds me of Reacher — they both assess the situation and decide ahead of time how they’re going to take out the bad guy, and they’re comfortable — not happy — with realizing they’re going to get hurt. I do like that Charlie emphasizes leaving a scene rather than wading into the fight. A very realistic approach. Wait till you read the scene in which Len is trying to provoke her into fighting. She handles it so well! However, she’s not so good at the unexpected.
Although, she did make up for it right quick with her assessment of Marc. Wow.
Oh, I do want her flat. I’ve always fantasized about living in a warehouse…
I’m with Charlie about her mother. Bitch. It’d be a cold year in Hell before I forgave her.
I don’t understand why Ailsa “didn’t feel it was appropriate for [Charlie] to continue her classes at the Lodge”.
Oh, don’t let my whinging keep you from picking this up. It really is a good story with an intriguing tension. I’m curious to find out what will happen with Ailsa and the ladies. Does MacMillan climb off his high horse? Does Charlie’s relationship with her parents start to change? What does Charlie do next? What will Tris do? How does Clare handle her own trauma…
The Story
It’s Susie Hollins’ objection to Clare’s sweet voice that brings Charlie to Marc Quinn’s attention. That and Charlie’s assessment of his club’s security measures. The lack thereof, anyway.
Things might have been okay, except a friend is operating a little too below the belt and the laptop he asks Charlie’s help in cracking is much hotter than either of them realize. It doesn’t help that women are being brutally raped and murdered.
The Characters
Charlotte “Charlie” Fox has her own past traumas, which have set her on the path she follows now: instructing helpless women in self-defence techniques. Sam Pickering is a computer geek at the university and a fellow rider, a 750cc Norton Commando, who’d like to be a lot more. Charlie’s parents. The Foxcrofts. Well, they stopped being interested in her when her twin brother died. At birth.
Clare Elliot is a friend of Charlie’s who rides a Ducati 851 Strada and works at the local paper. Jacob is Clare’s hot and sexy boyfriend, who sells antiques. Bonneville and Beezer are their two dogs.
Marc Quinn is smooth with an instinct for just what to say to Charlie, to help her past the issues in Killer Instinct. To care for her. He owns the New Adelphi Club, a new nightclub in town. Gary Bignold is the bar manager and a friend of Charlie’s. Len and Angelo Zachary are Quinn’s main muscle and handle bouncer duties. Charlie reckons these boys are the wrong choice. Dave Clemmens is the club DJ who is too full of himself. Victoria is the cute little waitress seeing Angelo.
Susie Hollins is an enthusiastic and winning karaoke singer. Her boyfriend Tony is proud of her, as long as she’s winning.
Terry Rothwell operates the mobile side of his and Paul‘s video shop (he rides a black Kawasaki GPZ900R). They’re both friends of Charlie’s.
The people at Schelseley Lodge Women’s Refuge include:
Mrs. Schelseley, Tristam’s mother, turned the family home into the refuge when Tristan’s father died. Tristam Shelseley, a masseuse who’s trained in reflexology and aromatherapy married Ailsa, a trainee solicitor who took to the counseling life like a duck to water. The ladies include Nina, Joy, and Pauline.
The filth, er, I mean, the police…
Tommy is a young officer whom everyone seems to know. Detective Superintendent MacMillan is too quick in too many ways, and he doesn’t believe a word that Charlie says. WPC Wilks is the female constable they have protecting Charlie.
The Scouser and the smoker are hurtin’ after that night.
Donalson, Hackett, Morton, and Clay were fellow squaddies of Charlie’s when she was in the army. Sean is the army instructor with whom she was having an affair. Kirk Salter is the soldier who saved her. At first.
The Cover and Title
The cover is Charlie on her Suzuki, cruising down a cobblestoned street in Lancaster at night. It’s almost exactly what she’s telling her students to be wary of.
The title is what Charlie discovers about herself, whether she has that Killer Instinct.
